The Latest: Germany to donate AstraZeneca to COVAX program

BERLIN — The German government says it will donate all future orders of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the United Nations-backed COVAX initiative.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn told media group RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland on Wednesday that 1.3 million doses of the vaccine will be delivered to COVAX, which can then distribute them to countries in need.

“It is in our vested interest to get the world vaccinated because this pandemic is only over when the virus is globally under control,” he said.

The media group reported Germany will give away future orders of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. That means 1.7 million doses to European Union countries and other third-party countries.

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

— WHO: 4 million new coronavirus cases reported globally

— Indonesia surpasses 100,000 deaths amid new virus wave

— Japan to limit hospital care as COVID-19 cases hit new high

— Obama curtails 60th birthday bash after delta variant surge

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— Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

WARSAW, Poland — Poland will return to COVID-19 restrictions, in regions with lowest inoculation rate, when the daily national number of infections reaches 1,000, the health minister said Wednesday.

The current daily rate of new registered infections hovers around 160.

Minister Adam Niedzielski said that more than 80% of the cases are of the delta variant.

Niedzielski said that he expects a spike in infections in late August and especially after the vacation season, in September....