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Coronavirus developments at a glance: 19-25 September

This week’s coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic from Research Professional News

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UK
Welsh universities have carried out “critical and essential research” into Covid-19, according to the vice-chancellors’ body Universities Wales.

Academics have set up a website that aims to collate all reports of Covid-19 outbreaks in UK universities.

Liverpool Hope University is to temporarily reduce the number of face-to-face teaching sessions on campus in order “to improve Covid-19 safety, and to reassure the city’s residents”.

Europe
Contracts the EU has signed with manufacturers of prospective Covid-19 vaccines must remain confidential, the European Commission has said, after being challenged by MEPs to reveal their terms.

Norway’s museums have sent a joint letter to the government, warning that they are at risk of losing millions of krone due to springtime visitor restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Paris Institute of Political Studies, better known as Sciences Po, has shut down its campus operations for two weeks following a spike in coronavirus cases.

Australia
The number of academic researchers in Australia will fall by 11 per cent in the next five years, according to modelling from the University of Melbourne.

The University of New South Wales has announced that it will reduce staff numbers by another 256 this year in order to save A$39 million in the wake of the pandemic.

New Zealand
In its latest pre-election update, New Zealand’s Treasury has warned that the international student market may not start to recover until this time next year.

Worldwide
Efforts to pool national resources in the fight against Covid-19 were boosted this week by 64 higher-income countries signing agreements to take part in a global plan for equal access to vaccines against the coronavirus.

Africa
Canada’s International Development Research Centre has awarded funding to numerous African research institutions to research the socio-economic impacts of the novel coronavirus pandemic.