Following is a summary of current health news briefs. What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: The ozone effect U.S. rejects U.N. rights panel upholding access to abortions during pandemic

The United States on Wednesday hit back at a U.N. women’s rights panel that said some U.S. states limited access to abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic, rejecting its interference and the notion of “an assumed right to abortion”. “The United States is disappointed by and categorically rejects this transparent attempt to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to assert the existence of such a right,” the U.S. mission in Geneva said in a release posted on Twitter. England schools in COVID hotspots to bring in face masks after government U-turn

It will be mandatory for pupils to wear face masks in communal areas of secondary schools in England in places with local lockdowns, Britain’s education minister Gavin Williamson said on Wednesday in a government U-turn on enforcing their use. After failing to persuade schools to bring back all students before the summer, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is keen to make sure the reopening now happens as he urges people to get back to some kind of normality after the coronavirus lockdown. Kenya extends coronavirus curfew as cases rise outside capital

Kenya’s president extended a nationwide curfew for 30 days on Wednesday, saying coronavirus cases were rising in areas outside the capital. In a televised address, Uhuru Kenyatta also ordered bars and nightclubs shut for another 30 days – but increased the number of people allowed to attend weddings, funerals and other events. EU eyes initial COVID-19 vaccination for at least 40% of population

European Union nations, Britain and EU partners have agreed on a blueprint for a COVID-19 vaccination plan envisaging inoculation of at least 40% of their populations, a step that may set back the World Health Organisation’s own vaccine blueprint. The EU target for early vaccinations is twice as high as the goal set by the WHO, which is aiming to buy vaccines initially for 20% of the world’s most vulnerable people through a global procurement scheme. Gaza man dies of coronavirus as enclave clamps down on outbreak

A 61-year-old man has died in the Gaza Strip after contracting the coronavirus, Palestinian authorities said on Wednesday as they clamped down on an outbreak of the pandemic in the enclave. The fatality had suffered previous illnesses and had been on a respirator, the Health Ministry said. Germany wants to scrap free corona-tests for all travellers

Germany wants to scrap mandatory free coronavirus tests for returning travellers it introduced early this month to stop a rise in new cases, its health minister said on Wednesday, citing capacity constraints at laboratories. The free tests were introduced in the first week of August after new coronavirus cases breached the 1,000-a-day threshold for the first time since May, fuelling fears of a return to painful lockdowns. Limited legal protection for COVID vaccine makers hampers EU deals

The European Union is offering only partial protection to vaccine makers against legal risks from side-effects of their potential COVID-19 shots, European officials said, in a move that is hampering deals and contrasts with U.S. policy. With vaccines being developed at record speed during the pandemic, there is potentially a greater risk they may have unexpected consequences or may not be effective. The financial coverage of these liabilities is a key feature of drugmakers’ talks with governments keen to secure vaccine shots in advance. Colombia could participate in more vaccine trials, health minister says

Colombia is in discussions to join other phase three clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine, the health minister said on Tuesday, and will not reverse an end to its national quarantine. The government said on Monday that Colombia, which has nearly 552,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and is finishing more than five months of lockdown at the end of August, would participate in trials with Johnson & Johnson. Lebanon could ‘lose control’ of coronavirus outbreak: PM Diab

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab said on Wednesday the country was at risk of losing its control over the country’s coronavirus outbreak after a spike in the number of cases following the massive explosion in Beirut on Aug 4. “The number of cases is increasing greatly, and if this continues, we will lose control of this epidemic,” Diab was cited as saying in a statement issued by the Supreme Defence Council.