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Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

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Saudi Arabia suspends all international flights over new coronavirus strain

Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia. Photo: AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia has closed its borders and suspended international flights for a week, citing a new variant of COVID-19 first detected in England, per the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

The big picture: Several countries have halted flights from the U.K. as a precaution against this new variant, which British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "may be up to 70% more transmissible" than the original version. Saudi Arabia has confirmed over 361,000 cases and more than 6,100 deaths from the virus, per Johns Hopkins. It hasn't enacted any restrictions since it began lifting them in May, Bloomberg notes.

Go deeper: U.S. surgeon general: No evidence new COVID strain will affect vaccinations

Go deeper

Rebecca Falconer
Jan 30, 2021 - World

Science helps New Zealand avoid another coronavirus lockdown

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (L) visits a lab at Auckland University in December. Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images

New Zealand has avoided locking down for a second time over COVID-19 community cases because of a swift, science-led response.

Why it matters: The Health Ministry said in an email to Axios Friday there's "no evidence of community transmission" despite three people testing positive after leaving managed hotel isolation. That means Kiwis can continue to visit bars, restaurants and events as much of the world remains on lockdown.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Jan 29, 2021 - Health

J&J says its one-shot vaccine is 66% effective against moderate to severe COVID

Photo: Thiago Prudêncio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Johnson & Johnson announced Friday that its single-shot coronavirus vaccine was 66% effective in protecting against moderate to severe COVID-19 disease in Phase 3 trials, which was comprised of nearly 44,000 participants across eight countries.

Between the lines: The vaccine was 72% effective in the U.S., but only 57% effective in South Africa, where a more contagious variant has been spreading. It prevented 85% of severe infections and 100% of hospitalizations and deaths, according to the company.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

  1. Health: Coronavirus cases aren't budging — even after vaccinations doubled— Health care workers feel stress, burnout more than a year into the pandemic — Handful of "breakthrough" COVID cases occurred in nursing homes, CDC says.
  2. Vaccines: Johnson & Johnson's vaccine production problems look even bigger — All U.S. adults now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine.
  3. Political: Watchdog says agency infighting increased health and safety risks at start of pandemic.
  4. World: EU regulator: Benefits of J&J vaccine outweigh risk of rare blood clots.
  5. Variant tracker: Where different strains are spreading.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow

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