Coronavirus live news: Facebook to allow posts saying Covid ‘man-made’; Japan pledges ‘safe and secure’ Games

This is Facebook’s statement on its change of policy:

In light of ongoing investigations into the origin of Covid-19 and in consultation with public health experts, we will no longer remove the claim that COVID-19 is man-made or manufactured from our apps. We’re continuing to work with health experts to keep pace with the evolving nature of the pandemic and regularly update our policies as new facts and trends emerge.

In February this year, the World Health Organization team that visited Wuhan to investigate the origins of the coronavirus pandemic all but dismissed a theory that the virus leaked from a laboratory.

But their investigation was inconclusive as to what the origins of the theory actually were, and the theory that the virus was manufactured in a laboratory and escaped accidentally has again been raised in recent days as the United States and other countries call for a more in-depth investigation of the pandemic’s origins.

Determining how the virus that causes Covid-19 began spreading is seen as vital to preventing future outbreaks.

A long-delayed report by the team of international experts sent to Wuhan and their Chinese counterparts drew no firm conclusions as to the origins of the pandemic. Instead, they ranked a number of hypotheses according to how likely they believed they were.

The report said the virus jumping from bats to humans via an intermediate animal was the most probable scenario, while it said a theory involving the virus leaking from a laboratory was “extremely unlikely”.

After the report was released, however, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus insisted all theories remained on the table.

On Wednesday, Joe Biden has ordered the US intelligence community to intensify its efforts to study the origins of coronavirus, adding that it will continue to press for China to participate in a full investigation.

Biden’s request included asking the US intelligence community to explore the unlikely possibility that the origins of the virus trace to Chinese lab. After months of minimizing the possibility as a fringe theory, the Biden administration is responding both to domestic and geopolitical concerns about putting pressure on China to be transparent about the outbreak.. After months of minimizing the possibility as a fringe theory, the Biden administration is responding both to domestic and geopolitical concerns about putting pressure on China to be transparent about the outbreak.

Hello and welcome to our ongoing live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

Facebook has lifted a ban on posts claiming that Covid-19 was “man-made” or “manufactured” in “In light of ongoing investigations into the origin of Covid and in consultation with public health experts”.

Here are the other key recent developments:

• Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot Covid vaccine is to be limited in Belgium to people aged 41 and over, authorities said following the death of a woman who received the jab.
• Switzerland is to re-open indoor restaurants and people will no longer be required to work from home, the government announced, saying it was lifting restrictions faster than previously planned.
• China accused the US of “spreading conspiracy theories and disinformation” after health chief Anthony Fauci said he was no longer convinced the coronavirus originated naturally – propelling the theory that it emerged from a Wuhan laboratory back into mainstream debate.
• The European Commission demanded an urgent court order requiring AstraZeneca to deliver millions more vaccines to the bloc or face a hefty fine, in a case that may reflect its anger more than its need for doses.
• Slovakia became the second EU country to authorise the use of the Russian-made Sputnik V Covid vaccine, which has not yet been approved by the bloc’s drug regulator.
• France will impose a compulsory quarantine on travellers arriving from the UK because of growing concerns over the spread of the Indian variant of the coronavirus, the government’s spokesman has said.
• Whistleblower protection groups urged the World Health Organization to launch an independent review into the case of an Italian researcher who reported being pressured to falsify data in a now-spiked WHO report into Italy’s coronavirus response.
• Perhaps conveniently for an incumbent candidate, Zambian president Edgar Lungu banned campaign rallies ahead of elections scheduled for 12 August, saying large gatherings risked spreading the Covid-19 virus.
• Vets in several parts of Russia reportedly started vaccinating cats against Covid-19. Russia in March said it had registered the world’s first coronavirus vaccine for animals. Only two animals in Russia, both cats, have so far tested positive for the virus.