The Latest: Rhode Island to vaccinate kids as young as 12

In this April 8, 2021, file photo, a Northwell Health registered nurse fills a syringe with the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at a pop up vaccination site inside the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center in the Staten Island borough of New York. Fewer Americans are reluctant to get a COVID-19 vaccine than just a few months ago, but questions about side effects and how the shots were tested still hold some back, according to a new poll that highlights the challenges at a pivotal moment in the U.S. vaccination campaign. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Monks and nuns pray together during Buddha's Birthday celebrations at the Lin Chi Temple in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, May 9, 2021. Buddha's birthday is celebrated in East Asia on the eighth day of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Lawyer Roberto De Vita, representing WHO's deputy director General Ranieri Guerra, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at his law firm in Rome, Monday, May 10, 2021. A top World Health Organization official has strongly denied making false statements to Italian prosecutors about a spiked U.N. report into Italy’s coronavirus response, doubling down on his assertions in court documents obtained by The Associated Press. Dr. Ranieri Guerra, a WHO special adviser, outlined his position in a 40-page response, with a 495-page annex, to prosecutors who placed him under investigation last month for having allegedly made false statements to them when he voluntarily went to be questioned Nov. 5. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

In this April 10, 2021, file photo, registered nurse Ashleigh Velasco, left, administers the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to Rosemene Lordeus, right, at a clinic held by Healthcare Network in Immokalee, Fla. Fewer Americans are reluctant to get a COVID-19 vaccine than just a few months ago, but questions about side effects and how the shots were tested still hold some back, according to a new poll that highlights the challenges at a pivotal moment in the U.S. vaccination campaign. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

People take their seats at La Scala opera house Monday, May 10, 2021. Milan's famed La Scala opera house reopened Monday following the ease of coronavirus restrictions. (Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via AP)

Croatian State Secretary for European Affairs Andreja Metelko Zgombic, left, speaks with Portugal's European Affairs Secretary Ana Paula Zacarias during a meeting of the General Affairs Council at the European Council building in Brussels, Tuesday, May 11, 2021. As strict lockdown measures are loosened across Europe and many EU citizens dream about holidays in the sun, the 27-nation bloc has yet to find an agreement on how to quickly implement a virus certificates scheme to boost travel and tourism during the summer season. (Olivier Hoslet, Pool via AP)

In this Feb. 11, 2021, file photo, Kizzmekia Corbett, an immunologist with the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) looks on at the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory at the NIH in Bethesda, Md. Fewer Americans are reluctant to get a COVID-19 vaccine than just a few months ago, but questions about side effects and how the shots were tested still hold some back, according to a new poll that highlights the challenges at a pivotal moment in the U.S. vaccination campaign. Corbett helped lead development of the Moderna shot, and she spends hours giving plain-spoken answers to questions from Americans — especially Black Americans like her — to counter misinformation about the three vaccines used in the U.S. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Surrounded by a plastic barrier to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, senior Jose Solano-Hernandez studies with classmates on the first day of in-person learning at Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kan., Wednesday, March 30, 2021. Solano-Hernandez, feared he might not graduate after a year of disrupted learning left him missing assignments in most of his classes as he struggled to learn virtually. The school, like other schools nationwide, has made extra efforts to keep kids at risk of dropping out engaged as classes went virtual due to the pandemic. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Striking ICU nurses demonstrate in Marseille, southern France, Tuesday, May, 11, 2021 to demand better pay and working conditions as the government gradually reopen the country. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Travellers stand at a counter offering last minute flights at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, May 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

German police officers wearing face mask walk past a flight board in a terminal at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, May 11, 2021. Flight numbers went down after the outspread of the corona virus. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Passengers wearing face masks queue for a flight to Turkey at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, May 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Portugal's European Affairs Secretary Ana Paula Zacarias, left, speaks with German Minister of State for European Affairs Michael Roth, right, and Swedish Minister Hans Dahlgren, center, during a meeting of the General Affairs Council at the European Council building in Brussels, Tuesday, May 11, 2021. As strict lockdown measures are loosened across Europe and many EU citizens dream about holidays in the sun, the 27-nation bloc has yet to find an agreement on how to quickly implement a virus certificates scheme to boost travel and tourism during the summer season. (Olivier Hoslet, Pool via AP)

Striking ICU nurses demonstrate in Marseille, southern France, Tuesday, May, 11, 2021 to demand better pay and working conditions as the government gradually reopen the country. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

ICU nurses demonstrate in Marseille, southern France, Tuesday, May, 11, 2021 to demand better pay and working conditions as the government gradually reopen the country. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

An ICU nurses demonstrates with a poster reading "Not trained equals patients in danger" in Marseille, southern France, Tuesday, May, 11, 2021 to demand better pay and working conditions as the government gradually reopen the country. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — State officials say Rhode Island expects to start offering Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine to children ages 12 to 15 later this week now that the Food and Drug Administration has authorized its use for that age group.

Tuesday’s announcement came during a news conference at Rhode Island Hospital to celebrate the fact that more than 1 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the state.

Officials said eligible children, with parental consent, would be able to sign up for a shot at the state’s current vaccination sites later Tuesday. There are also plans to bring vaccination clinics to schools, officials said.

“We are so excited that we can expand to this younger age,” said Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, director of the state Department of Health.

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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— A jumbo pop-up hospital treating COVID-19 patients in hard-hit Mumbai has more than 2,000 beds, most of them full

— WHO official strongly denies making false statements to Italian prosecutors about U.N. report into Italy’s virus response

— Argentina's doctors adapt, more learn intensive-care techniques as COVID-19 puts younger patients in hospitals

— Mexico says Russia is having production problems with its Sputnik V vaccine; Russia denies the report.

— Volunteers at Hindu temples, Muslim groups and Sikh relief organizations in US mobilize to support India during its virus surge

— Follow more of AP’s pandemic 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:

SANTA FE, New Mexico — New Mexico is joining several other states that have reinstated the work search requirement for people who receive unemployment benefits.

Starting this week, state labor officials say people seeking the payments must verify that they have made at least two work search contacts per week in order to continue receiving the money.

The requirement was waived during the pandemic as unemployment rates surged due to businesses closures and cutbacks. The change comes as all but two New Mexico counties now operate in public health safety categories with the least COVID-19 restrictions.

The latest state data also shows 48% of residents over 16 are fully vaccinated.

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DES MOINES, Iowa — Gov. Kim Reynolds has announced that Iowa will join a bevy of Republican-led states ending pandemic-related federal programs that give extra cash to unemployed workers.

Reynolds announced the change Tuesday in a news release, saying the state will end the federal boosts, including an additional $300-a-week unemployment payment.

Reynolds said in the announcement that the benefits are keeping people from returning the work and are hindering the state’s economy — a charge echoed by Republican governors in several other states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Montana and South Carolina.

Reynolds said the benefits will end June 12.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis will remain under a mask mandate and other COVID-19 restrictions as city officials endorsed those measures after the state Legislature nullified such orders previously issued by county health officers.

The new state law that took effect immediately on Monday allows local COVID-19 restrictions tougher than those issued statewide only upon approval of elected county commissioners or city councils.

The Democratic-controlled Indianapolis council voted 19-5 along party lines Monday night to keep the mask mandate and limits on restaurant and bar capacities. Republican legislators argue the new law provides a “check and balance” protecting the rights of business owners.

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KATHMANDU, Nepal — Authorities extended lockdown in the capital Kathmandu and surrounding districts by another 15 days as the Himalayan nation recorded the highest daily new cases and highest daily deaths from coronavirus on Tuesday.

The last lockdown was scheduled to end on Wednesday but now has been extended until May 27.

According to the Ministry of Heath, there were 9,483 new cases on Tuesday while 225 died because of COVID-19.

Grocery stores will be allowed open an hour earlier in the morning to spread out shoppers and lessen the crowd.

Nepal so far has recorded 413,111 confirmed cases while 4,084 people have died.

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lankan authorities have imposed restrictions on inter-provincial travels and cancelled all functions and gatherings until the end of May, in the latest move designed to contain the rapid spreading of the COVID-19 virus.

Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said the restrictions will be effective from Tuesday midnight and that military and police are now setting up special roadblocks at provincial borders to prevent people crossing into other provinces. Besides, travelling for holidays and leisure are also banned.

Also, the government has limited the number of people who could enter and stay in commercial establishments including supermarkets and shopping malls.

The latest restrictions come as Sri Lanka is grappling with a highly infectious variant which has surged the number of positive cases within the last two weeks.

Health officials warn that the confirmed cases could rise further in the next two weeks because of the last month’s celebrations and shopping by the people to mark the traditional new year.

The latest health statistics show that Sri Lanka’s total number of positive cases have reached 125,906 with 801 fatalities.

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WASHINGTON — Colleges and universities across the nation can now start tapping into $36 billion in relief funding that Congress approved in March, the Biden administration announced Tuesday.

The U.S. Education Department said it’s starting to steer the funding to more than 5,000 public and private colleges. The funding was included in a $1.9 trillion relief package that also included $123 billion for K-12 schools.

The higher education aid is being allocated to public and private institutions using a formula that factors in the share of low-income students they enroll. Colleges must spend at least half the funding on direct relief for students. The other half can be used on a variety of expenses related to the pandemic.

In a reversal from Trump’s policy, the Biden administration said student grants can be given to international students and those who are in the U.S. illegally.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the funding makes sure the hardest hit students “have the opportunity to enroll, continue their education, graduate and pursue their careers.”

Broadly, the guidance says colleges should use the funding to support vulnerable students, reduce the spread of the coronavirus and retain students whose education was disrupted by the pandemic.

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MEXICO CITY — Russia has been having so many problems producing second doses of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine that it probably will be unable to supply enough to people who already got the first dose, Mexican officials said.

It’s the latest account of production problems for Sputnik V, which the Russian government has been promising to other countries but has not been able to supply in sufficient quantities.

Sputnik is unusual among coronavirus vaccines in that the two doses are different and not interchangeable.

Mexico’s assistant health secretary, Hugo López-Gatell, said the Russians have found that the first adenovirus grows much more quickly than the second.

López-Gatell said Russian scientists are now suggesting abandoning the idea of giving the two separate Sputnik V shots several weeks apart and instead giving a second booster shot six months later.

“Over the course of months, the quantity of first doses they managed to produce got out of alignment with the quantity of second doses they were able to produce,” López-Gatell said.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund which has bankrolled Sputnik V, denied the Mexican reports.

“The manufacturing of both components of Sputnik V is being upscaled in Russia and abroad to fully meet the rising demand for the vaccine internationally,” the fund said in a statement.

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BERLIN — German investors are increasingly optimistic about the country’s economy as the latest surge of new coronavirus infections seems to be slowing, a closely-watched survey showed Tuesday.

The Mannheim-based ZEW institute said its indicator of economic expectations for Germany over the next six months increased 13.7 points in May over the previous month to a reading of 84.4, the highest value since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The last time the indicator was at a higher level was in February 2000.

The increase came after an unexpected drop in April when new daily cases of coronavirus infection were much higher.

Germany’s disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, reported 6,125 newly confirmed cases on Tuesday, compared to 17,855 new cases the same day a month ago.

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BRUSSELS — As strict lockdowns are loosened across Europe and many EU citizens dream about holidays in the sun, the 27-nation bloc has yet to agree on how to quickly implement a virus certificate scheme to boost summer travel and tourism.

European affairs ministers gathered Tuesday in Brussels to assess progress in discussions with European lawmakers. A deal between the Parliament and EU countries is required in May to ensure the system will be up and running by the end of June, but several sticking points remain.

When it proposed the scheme in March, the EU Commission said coronavirus certificates would be given to EU residents who can prove they have been vaccinated or those who tested negative for the virus or have proof they recovered from it.

EU lawmakers and nations agree on that, but the Parliament insists that COVID-19 certificates should be enough to allow EU citizens to move about freely and that EU countries shouldn’t be allowed to impose extra restrictions on certificate holders such as quarantines, tests or self-isolation measures.

That’s a major roadblock, since border controls are a national responsibility.

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ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s prime minister said Tuesday his government is working on a plan to locally manufacture COVID-19 vaccine.

Prime Minister Imran Khan made the comments in a live chat streamed by state-owned Pakistan Television in which he answers questions from the public.

Khan provided no further details. But Pakistan is in talks with some international manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines, including China and Russia to locally manufacture vaccine.

Pakistan is currently in the middle of a third surge of infections and deaths, and Khan has urged people to adhere to social distancing. Pakistan on Tuesday reported 113 single-day fatalities for an overall death toll of 19,106.

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TOKYO — A city in central Japan is facing criticism for secretly offering a reservation for a COVID-19 vaccination to a major pharmacy chain’s executive when hundreds of thousands of elderly people elsewhere in Japan struggled to make their reservations.

The vice mayor of Nishio, Yoshihide Kondo, made reservations for the jabs for Hirokazu Sugiura, the chairman of Sugi Holdings Co. that operates over 1,400 drugstores in Japan, and his wife, in return for the company’s “contributions” to the municipality.

City officials said Tuesday they made the reservations after repeated requests from the company and apologized after the deal surfaced in the regional Chunichi newspaper. They said the reservations were canceled and the Sugiuras did not received the shots.

Under pressure to speed up Japan’s slow vaccine rollout, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has pledged to deliver two doses for 36 million elderly people by the end of July. Japan has fully inoculated only about 1% of its population so far.

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TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan reported seven domestic COVID-19 cases with the source of six of the infections still under investigation, its Central Epidemic Command Center said Tuesday.

Five cases were discovered in a gaming cafe in Yilan county on Taiwan’s eastern coast. Another was found in New Taipei City, just outside the capital. None of the cases had any history of international travel.

The seventh was a person already in quarantine who had been in contact with a cluster discovered in recent weeks after pilots working for Taiwan’s China Airlines tested positive. Over 30 cases have been discovered so far.

In response, health authorities said they will ban indoor gatherings of more than 100 people and ban outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people.

Taiwan has been a success story throughout the pandemic, keeping deaths and cases to a minimum with strict border controls and a mandatory two-week quarantine for arrivals.

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HONG KONG — Hong Kong officials have dropped a plan to mandate foreign domestic workers be vaccinated against the coronavirus, after it was criticized as discriminatory.

Officials initially proposed the plan after a foreign domestic worker tested positive for a coronavirus variant in April, with an unknown source of infection.

The plan was dropped after officials assessed public health needs, as well as the legal issues that may arise if they made vaccinations mandatory, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said at a regular news briefing Tuesday.

Lam also announced a second round of mandatory tests for the city’s over 370,000 domestic workers as a precaution. The new round of testing will begin on Saturday.