World Coronavirus Dispatch: California to give $116.5 mn in prizes for jabs

WHO calls for 6 mn more nurses worldwide, Japan to extend Covid emergency until just a month before Olympics, and other pandemic-related news across the globe

California to give $116.5 million in prizes for vaccinations

California will offer residents who have gotten at least one vaccine dose before June a chance to win $116.5 million in cash prizes. The move is part of an effort to boost vaccinations as the state prepares to reopen fully on June 15. Ten lucky Californians who get at least one vaccine dose stand to win lottery-style prizes of $1.5 million apiece, while another 30 can win $50,000 each. Under the state’s new “Vax for the Win” campaign residents 12 years or older will be eligible for cash prizes. Read here

Let's look at the global statistics

Global infections: 168,979,381

Global deaths: 3,511,570

Nations with most cases: US (33,218,044), India (27,555,457), Brazil (16,342,162), France (5,697,077), Turkey (5,220,549).

Source: John Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center

Opinion: How Europe can lead the way out of Covid travel confusion

Vaccines can pave the way for reopenings, but when it comes to cross-border commerce and travel, we need more than shots to get back to some kind of normal. Nowhere is that more evident than in the European Union, where varying standards and restrictions among member countries make travel confusing within the region, never mind between EU destinations and elsewhere. Standardised testing, more sequencing and Better risk assessment are among various measure EU can adpot for safe and secure travel. Read here

WHO calls for six million more nurses worldwide

Health ministers around the world are being urged to plan to create six million more nursing jobs by 2030, amid warnings that Covid-19 has worsened a global shortage and could spark a “brain drain” from the developing world. The WHO director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called on countries to invest in healthcare workers, nearly quarter of whom are nurses, saying the pandemic had reminded everyone “that these are incredible people doing incredible jobs under incredible circumstances”. Read here

Japan to extend Covid emergency until just a month before Olympics

Japan is poised to extend the current state of emergency until June 20, as hospitals in Tokyo, Osaka and other regions remain overwhelmed by coronavirus patients. The formal decision is expected after government officials weigh the opinion of experts. The decision will come less than two months before the scheduled start of the Tokyo Olympics on July 23. Rising Covid-19 cases in Asia have prompted the recent cancellation of two major events in Singapore, the World Economic Forum special annual meeting in August and the annual Asia Security Summit, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue. Read here