Covid-19: India’s hospital crisis deepens, Tokyo goes under state of emergency

US restarts Johnson & Johnson vaccinations, New Zealand excludes Western Australia from bubble, EU pledges vaccine drive

Hospitals in India have launched desperate appeals for oxygen as the Covid crisis spiralled, while Japan issued a state of emergency in some areas just three months before the Olympics are due to open.

India on Saturday reported 346,786 new infections in the past day, setting a world record for a third consecutive day, while deaths rose by 2,624 – the highest daily rate for India so far.

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