(Reuters) – Japan’s government will urgently and flexibly take steps to ease the pain of the surging cost of living to ensure the economy’s recovery from COVID-induced doldrums, Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Wednesday.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* North Korea reported no new deaths among fever patients for a second consecutive day, state media KCNA said on Wednesday, a day after it said the country’s first confirmed coronavirus outbreak was being stably managed.
* South Korea will issue a call this week at the World Economic Forum for COVID-19 vaccines and other medical help for North Korea, even if that means exemptions from U.N. sanctions imposed over its nuclear programme, a senior official said on Tuesday.
* China reported 590 new coronavirus cases on May 24, of which 117 were symptomatic and 473 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said.
AMERICAS
* The FDA set June 14-15 as the new meeting date to review Moderna’s emergency authorization request for its COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 6 months to 5 years and Pfizer’s vaccine for those aged 6 months through 4 years.
EUROPE
* Germany’s Health Ministry will ease COVID-19 entry rules for travellers from June 1, suspending a requirement for vaccination, recovery from the virus or a negative test, Funke media group reported, citing the health minister.
* Germany’s vaccine advisory panel on Tuesday said one COVID-19 shot was enough for healthy five- to 11-year-olds because most of them had already undergone an infection, maintaining its cautious approach.
AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
* Nigeria has received 4.4 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine from Spain, a government official said.
* African countries objected on Tuesday to a proposal to reform the International Health Regulations, and diplomats said these objections may be a strategy to seek concessions on vaccine and drug-sharing from wealthier countries who were seen to be hoarding supplies during COVID-19.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* Patients who experience recurrence of COVID-19 symptoms after completing treatment with Pfizer’s drug Paxlovid should isolate again for five days, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in an advisory.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* Singapore’s economy expanded more than initially estimated in the first quarter but annual GDP will likely be in the lower half of the government’s forecast range, officials said on Wednesday, citing war in Ukraine and supply chain disruptions.
* New Zealand’s central bank raised interest rates by 50 basis points to 2% on Wednesday, its fifth rate hike in a row as it seeks to get on top of inflation and signalled the cash rate would peak at a higher level than previously forecast.
* UBS trimmed its forecast for China’s economic growth this year by 120 basis points to 3%, as strict COVID-19 restrictions hit the country hard.
(Compiled by Rashmi Aich, Valentine Baldassari and Amy Caren Daniel; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Sriraj Kalluvila)
