Developments related to the emerging corona virus that causes Covid-19 are accelerating, and while the British government is holding an emergency meeting today, Monday amidst tension due to the new strain of the virus, the European Medicines Agency intends to evaluate the "Pfizer-BioNTech" vaccine, while the president will receive American Joe Biden dose of vaccination.

This comes while the number of confirmed cases of the virus in the world, according to the "World Meter" website, which specializes in monitoring Corona statistics, reached 77 million and 172 thousand and 352 infections at 09:00 Mecca time (06:00 GMT).

The number of people recovered reached 54 million and 89 thousand and 674, and the number of deaths reached 1 million 699 thousand and 644.

In the United States, the country most affected by the epidemic, the health authorities recorded 18 million and 267 thousand and 579 injuries, while the number of deaths reached 324 thousand and 869.

Al-Slaoui: At the present time, there does not appear to be any strain of the virus that is resistant to the available vaccines (Reuters)

Tight control

At a time when a number of countries announced the outbreak of the new strain of the virus on their lands, the US authorities are monitoring "very carefully" the new strain that is spreading in the United Kingdom, but they are not planning to impose a travel ban on this country at the present time, according to what officials announced on Sunday. High-level professionals in the health sector.

Moncef Al-Salawi, a senior adviser to the government vaccination program, told CNN that US officials "do not yet know" whether this new strain of the virus is present in the United States.

"We are of course studying this matter very carefully," he added, stressing that at the present time there does not seem to be any strain of the virus that is resistant to available vaccines.

"I think that this particular strain in the United Kingdom is unlikely to escape" the immune response provided by the vaccine, Al-Slaoui added.

Johnson chairs an emergency meeting today (Anatolia)

A state of tension

In Britain, where tension prevails over the health situation and its repercussions, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson chairs today, Monday, a crisis meeting regarding UK supplies after the decision of many countries, including France, to suspend flights due to the new strain of the emerging corona virus, which London said is "out of control." ".

A British government spokesman said on Sunday evening that Johnson "will chair a meeting of the Civil Emergency Situations Committee tomorrow to discuss the situation regarding international movements, especially the regular flow of freight to and from the United Kingdom."

He added that "other meetings will be held tomorrow morning (Monday) to ensure solid plans are drawn up."

The new strain of Corona prompted the British government to re-impose restrictions on 16 million people in London and the southeast of England at a speedy Sunday.

Health Minister Matt Hancock told British television that the virus was "out of control" in the United Kingdom, as it caused an increase in infections and hospitalizations.

"It will be very difficult to keep the situation under control until a vaccine is circulated," he added, hinting that the restrictions could last for "two months" at least.

Trip suspension

Like a number of European countries, France, the direct neighbor of the United Kingdom, decided on Sunday to suspend all flights from British territory for a period of 48 hours, after the emergence of this type of virus, which is considered to be 70% more infectious.

This decision came after similar measures taken by Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and Ireland, reflecting the extent of concern in Europe.

For its part, Canada decided, like many other countries, to suspend passenger flights from the United Kingdom.

The Canadian Health Agency said that the preliminary data "indicates that the strain discovered in the United Kingdom may be more contagious," but added that "there is no evidence so far that the (SARS-Cove-2) mutations affect the severity of symptoms or response." Immunostaining or on vaccine efficacy.

Canada indicated that it is working with its international partners, in particular with the World Health Organization, "to better understand this strain and its repercussions."

Italy worried about the new strain of the virus (Reuters)

Invitations and Comments

In this context, Italy announced yesterday evening, Sunday, the discovery of a case of infection with the new strain of the virus, noting that the patient had recently returned from Britain by plane, and he is currently being quarantined with his relatives.

According to Health Minister Roberto Speranza, "The Corona strain recently discovered in London is of concern, and it will have to be verified in depth by our scientists, and until this is done we choose the most cautious course."

For its part, the World Health Organization on Sunday called on its European Union members to "double their restrictions" with the emergence of this strain.

The European Union Presidency also called on member states to an urgent meeting this morning, Monday, to activate the emergency mechanism to combat Corona.

For its part, Kuwait announced the suspension of air traffic with Britain, starting at 11 am today, Monday, Mecca time.

The Moroccan government also decided to suspend flights with Britain, starting last night.

Iran, in turn, announced the suspension of flights with Britain for a period of two weeks after the emergence of the new strain of Corona virus.

As for Turkey, it suspended flights from Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark and South Africa temporarily.

The vaccine, which was manufactured between "Pfizer and Biontech", has been approved in a number of countries (Getty Images)

Vaccination evaluation

In the context of vaccinations, the European Medicines Agency (IMA) intends, later today, to present its evaluation of the jointly manufactured vaccine between Pfizer and Biontech, which is expected to be widely approved as the European Union countries prepare to conduct comprehensive vaccination campaigns.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week did not let the slightest doubt that she expected the vaccine to receive a positive evaluation.

The approval of "IMA" will pave the way for the European Union countries to start mass vaccination campaigns before the beginning of 2021.

Today, the US President-elect, Joe Biden, is scheduled to receive a dose of the Coronavirus vaccine, and this comes as part of a large vaccination process in the United States that began last week.