OVERVIEW: COVID-19 International briefs

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus Britain said on Thursday that there were lumps and bumps in the global vaccine supply chain that were causing slower than expected deliveries and scolded the European Union for threatening to slap a ban on vaccine exports. Reuters Staff U.S.

(Reuters) - Nearly a dozen countries resumed use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 shots on Friday as EU and British regulators said its benefits outweighed any risks. Reports of rare instances of blood clotting had temporarily halted inoculations.

* The African Union said African countries should continue to use AstraZeneca’s vaccine, echoing WHO by saying the shot’s benefits outweighed risks.

* Germany’s health minister said rising infections could mean that curbs to slow the spread of the virus may have to be re-imposed.

* A French government spokesman said there was no reason for France to reject the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine, as Paris and parts of the north entered a month-long lockdown. ...

* Hungary can start the first stage of easing restrictions once another million citizens have been vaccinated, the prime minister said.

* Greece considers lifting some restrictions as part of a plan for gradually re-opening its fragile economy.

* Britain will slow its vaccine rollout next month due to a supply crunch caused by a delay in a shipment of millions of AstraZeneca shots from India and the need to test a large batch. ...

* The Canadian province of Ontario is entering a third wave of the pandemic, Chief Medical Officer David Williams said, though he added that it was not clear how quickly infections would rise. ...

* As Brazil’s outbreak spirals out of control, the country is facing a dangerous new shortage, threatening to drive fatalities even higher: lack of staff in intensive care units.

* Australia welcomed the European drug regulator’s decision to back the AstraZeneca vaccine after a safety investigation as authorities ramp up the country’s immunisation drive next week.

* India’s infections surged to more than a three-month high, led by a record daily increase in the western state of Maharashtra.

* South Korea’s capital, Seoul, will scrap a controversial order for all foreign workers to be tested, after an outcry sparked complaints by embassies and a human rights probe. ...

ALSO SEE: Associated Press roundup of European developments