The Latest: White House offers tax credit to spur shots

President Joe Biden speaks Tuesday, April 20, 2021, at the White House in Washington, after former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

French President Emmanuel Macron attends a weekly meeting about the vaccination campaign, with Prime Minister Jean Castex, Secretary General of the Elysee Palace Alexis Kohler, Government's spokesman Gabriel Attal, Health Minister Olivier Veran, at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, France, Tuesday April, 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly, pool)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, talks to German Health Minister Jens Spahn, left, during a meeting of the German federal parliament, Bundestag, at the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

A man wearing a face mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus walks by masked residents lining up for COVID-19 vaccine at a coronavirus vaccination site with a board displaying the slogan, "Timely vaccination to build the Great Wall of Immunity together" in Beijing, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

A woman reacts while receiving the second shot of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine from a health worker at a vaccination center, in Peshawar, Pakistan, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad)

Demonstrator attend a protest rally against the German government's policy to battle the corona virus pandemic near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, April 21, 2021.The parliament decides on a law that gives the federal government more power to battle the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

A man registers for a coronavirus vaccination at a clinic in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. Rumours and fear have kept many Iraqis – including medical professionals – from adhering to government calls to get vaccinated amid the country's most severe virus wave since the start of the pandemic. Iraq's Health Ministry introduced a host of new measures to push vaccines, but these have only confused and angered a reticent Iraqi public. (AP/Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

In this March 11, 2021, file photo, President Joe Biden holds up his face mask as he speaks about the COVID-19 pandemic during a prime-time address from the East Room of the White House in Washington. The U.S. is meeting President Joe Biden’s latest vaccine goal of administering 200 million COVID-19 shots in his first 100 days in office, as the White House steps up its efforts to inoculate the rest of the public. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Hamodah Zakout, left, and his brother Ahmad, right, Palestinian awakener, or Al Musaharati in Arabic, beat drums to wake up Muslims for their late night suhur meal before they start the last day fasting of the holy month of Ramadan, along the alleys early Wednesday at Shati refugee camp, in Gaza City, April 21, 2021. Muslims across the world are observing the holy fasting month of Ramadan, where they refrain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to dusk. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

People, wearing face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, walk past a closed restaurant with teddy bears inside, in Paris, Monday, April 19, 2021.(AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

In this April 9, 2021 file photo syringes are prepared to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 during a vaccination campaign at WiZink indoor arena in Madrid, Spain. =Countries in the European Union have ramped up the vaccination after sluggish start. The uptick comes as countries across Europe also grapple with a rise in infections that has pushed the EU’s overall number of confirmed cases close to 30 million. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, file)

In this March 20, 2021 file photo an employee at the vaccination centre at Messe Dresden holds a vial of Astrazeneca's active ingredient against Corona in his hand in Dresden, Germany. Countries in the European Union have ramped up the vaccination after sluggish start. The uptick comes as countries across Europe also grapple with a rise in infections that has pushed the EU’s overall number of confirmed cases close to 30 million.(Robert Michael/dpa via AP, file)

From left, Riss Crann, Rachael Kosicki,and Nikki Calabro, share in a laugh at Double Play Cafe, 320 Main St., in Wallingford, Conn., Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Local restaurants are preparing to get back to some type of normalcy after it was announced that starting next month most business restrictions are expected to lift. (Dave Zajac/Record-Journal via AP)

WASHINGTON — The White House is trying to overcome diminishing demand for COVID-19 shots by offering businesses a tax incentive to give employees paid leave to get vaccinated.

The move comes as the United States is set to meet President Joe Biden’s goal of administering 200 million coronavirus doses in his first 100 days in office. More than 50% of adults are at least partially vaccinated and about 28 million vaccine doses are being delivered each week.

Over the last week, the pace of inoculation in the U.S. has slightly slowed. That is partly a reflection of disruptions from the “pause” in administration of the Johnson & Johnson shot for a safety review. But it’s also softening interest for vaccines in many places even as eligibility has been opened to those older than 16.

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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— German lawmakers approve ‘emergency brake’ on virus

— China says 200 million citizens, 14% of population, vaccinated

— Hitting latest vaccine milestone, Biden pushes shots for all

— Tokyo Olympics delay decision on local fans from Japan

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Follow all 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:

NEW YORK — U.S. regulators say a Baltimore factory contracted to make Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine was dirty, didn’t follow proper manufacturing procedures and had poorly trained staff. The problems resulted in contamination of a batch of material that was going to be put in the shots.

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday released a 13-page report detailing findings from its recent inspection of the now-idle Emergent Biosciences factory. J&J and Emergent say they’re working to fix the problems.

The nearly 8 million doses of J&J vaccine that have been used in the U.S. came from European sources.

Agency inspectors said a batch of the bulk drug substance for J&J’s single-shot vaccine was contaminated with material used to make COVID-19 vaccines for another Emergent client, AstraZeneca. That batch, reportedly enough to make about 15 million J&J vaccine doses, had to be thrown out.

Nothing made at the factory for J&J has been distributed yet. The Baltimore factory halted production late last week at the request of the FDA. The agency hasn’t given emergency approval to the factory, which is needed before any vaccine material made there can be distributed.

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PARIS — A government official says France is about to impose new entry restrictions on travelers from India to fight a contagious coronavirus variant spreading in that country.

The restrictions come in addition to those previously announced regarding four other countries, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Brazil, which will be implemented starting from Saturday.

Government spokesman Gabriel Attal confirmed that France will lift its ban on domestic travel as planned on May 3. But it will maintain its nighttime curfew, now in place from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. The official says nonessential shops, closed since the partial lockdown of the country in early April, won’t reopen before mid-May.

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LISBON, Portugal — Portugal will start administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine a day after European regulators gave it the go-ahead following a blood clot concern

Portuguese Health Minister Marta Temido says the shot will speed up the goal of vaccinating those over 60 years old. But she added national authorities will study findings by European regulators to determine if any restrictions should be placed on its use for younger people.

The European Union’s drug regulatory agency said Tuesday that it found a “possible link” between Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine and extremely rare blood clots and that a warning should be added to the label.

Last month Portugal restricted the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to only people over 60 after it was linked to similar cases of rare blood clots.

Portugal has received 31,200 doses from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and more deliveries are expected.

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TOKYO — Japanese residents with tickets to the Tokyo Olympics may not know until weeks before the games open if they’ll be allowed to attend.

Fans from abroad have already been barred. Organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto says a decision on venue capacity may not be made until June. She had previously promised that decision for this month.

Hashimoto says “we are still studying the timing.” Hashimoto spoke after she and CEO Toshiro Muto took part in an online briefing with the IOC executive board in Switzerland.

The opening ceremony to the Tokyo Olympics is scheduled for July 23.

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GENEVA — Switzerland expects coronavirus vaccinations for all adults will be completed by the end of July at the current rate of supplies from manufacturers.

Health minister Alain Berset noted a recent easing of lockdown measures -- including opening restaurants and bars for outdoor service -- began Monday. However, the country shouldn’t expect any other restrictions lifted until at least May 26. The seven-day average confirmed case counts is currently at about 2,000.

Berset warned of upticks in case counts in other countries that had intensive vaccination campaigns.

Switzerland has rolled out vaccines from Pfizerand Moderna. Swiss regulators have approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, although it hasn’t been deployed yet in the country.

Some 2.1 million people have received shots of the COVID-19 vaccine in Switzerland and nearly 770,000 have received the full two-dose regimen.

Overall, Switzerland has recorded more than 640,000 confirmed cases and 9,900 confirmed deaths.

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BUCHAREST, Romania — Romania’s national vaccination committee chief says Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be distributed to vaccination centers by next week.

Last week, Romania received a batch of 60,000 J&J vaccine shots but paused distribution as it waited for safety confirmation from the European Medicines Agency following a small number of rare blood clots.

“Most likely they will be used in drive-through centers, mobile centers and can be allocated to family doctors. The vaccination process will be much easier because it will be a single dose,” says Valeriu Gheorghita, the vaccination leader.

The announcement came the same day Romania launched its first mobile vaccination center in Ilfov County near the capital Bucharest, where appointments will not be needed. Authorities aim to roll out mobile centers across the country.

So far, Romania has administered more than 4.3 million vaccine doses to its population of more than 19 million.

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BERLIN — German lawmakers have approved a proposal by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to mandate uniform restrictions in areas where the coronavirus is spreading too quickly.

The legislation to apply an “emergency brake” consistently in areas with high infection rates is intended to end the patchwork of measures that has often characterized the pandemic response across highly decentralized Germany’s 16 states.

The lower house of parliament voted 342-250 for the plan on Wednesday, with 64 abstentions. The upper house, where state governments are represented, is due to consider the legislation Thursday.

It features plans to impose a 10 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew, limit personal contacts, close leisure and sports facilities and shut or restrict access to many stores.

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TOKYO — Japan’s government is preparing to announce a third state of emergency in Tokyo and the western metropolitan area around Osaka following requests from local leaders who say current measures are failing to curb a rapid rise in coronavirus infections.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and key ministers met late Wednesday to discuss details before deciding on a state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and neighboring Kyoto and Hyogo expected later this week.

Osaka, the worst-hit area in the latest surge beginning in March, reported 1,242 new cases Wednesday, a new high for the prefecture. It exceeded Tokyo’s 843 infections.

Nationwide, Japan has recorded more than 540,000 confirmed cases and more than 9,700 confirmed deaths.

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IDLIB, Syria — Syria’s last rebel-held enclave has received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines, with a refrigerated truck offloading over 50,000 United Nations-secured shots in the overcrowded province.

The delivery Wednesday came hours before a bigger shipment was expected to arrive in the capital Damascus for inoculations in government-controlled areas.

The first batch of vaccines come as the war-torn country experiences a new surge in infections, overwhelming hospitals already reeling from conflict and deteriorating health care services.

The AstraZeneca vaccines were delivered to Idlib province through a border crossing with Turkey, the northwestern territory’s only gateway to the outside world.

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BEIJING — A Chinese health official says around 200 million people, or 14.29% of the population, have been vaccinated for COVID-19 so far.

The emphasis has been on front-line workers, university students and people living in border areas. China is ramping up vaccination efforts after a slow start, prompted in part by the near elimination of domestic transmission.

Just two local cases were reported on Wednesday, both in the city of Ruili, which borders on Myanmar. China has approved five domestically produced vaccines and exported millions of doses, although some scientists believe they provide less protection that those by Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca.

The Chinese vaccines have an efficacy range of 50.7% to 79.3%, based on company data, lower than their international peers but still effective.

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. is set to meet President Joe Biden’s latest vaccine goal of administering 200 million coronavirus shots in his first 100 days in office.

With more than 50% of adults at least partially vaccinated, Biden on Wednesday will reflect on his efforts to expand vaccine distribution and access in his first three months in the White House. But with all those 16 and older now eligible for shots, the president is expected to outline his administration’s plans to drive up the vaccination rate further.

The U.S. is on track to have enough vaccine supply for every adult by the end of May and for every American by July. Recently, the White House has launched a massive outreach campaign to Americans to get vaccinated.

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ISLAMABAD — Pakistani authorities on Wednesday reported 148 deaths from COVID-19, one of the country’s highest daily death tolls in recent months.

Pakistan is currently in the middle of a third wave of coronavirus infections amid widespread violations of social distancing rules. The government says the current wave is more dangerous compared to previous ones.

The government has imposed a partial lockdown in high-risk areas to contain the spread of the virus and vaccinating health workers and older people against COVID-19. Authorities so far have largely relied on donated or imported vaccines from China.

Pakistan hopes to receive 15 million vaccine doses by next month through the U.N.-backed COVAX program.

Pakistan has reported a total of 772,381 confirmed cases and 16,600 deaths in the pandemic.

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BARCELONA, Spain — The European Union agreed to pay an average of 15.50 euros ($18.60) per dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and shield the drugmaker from liability for possible adverse side effects, Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia reported Wednesday.

La Vanguardia posted on its website a copy of the document it said was the contract that the European Commission signed in November.

The contract for 200 million doses, with the option to buy 100 million more, set the price for the first 100 million shots at 17.50 euros ($21). The price of the second 100 million shots fell to 13.50 euros ($16.20), while the optional 100 million shots cost 15.50 euros ($18.60) each.

The EU signed another contract last month for 200 million more Pfizer-BioNTech shots.

The European Commission has steadfastly refused to divulge how much the EU is paying for vaccines. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is one of four vaccines currently in use in the EU.

The contracts for the vaccines are negotiated by the European Commission with the drug companies. Each of the 27 member states of the EU then make their purchases from lots made available to each one based on population.

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PRAGUE — The Czech Republic is rolling out the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines after examination by the European regulator.

The European Medicines Agency announced on Tuesday that it found a possible link between the shots and extremely rare blood clots. At the same time, experts at the agency reiterated that the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks.

The Czech Health Ministry says the first 14,400 dozes will be sent to general practitioners across the country. Another 24,000 J&J vaccines are expected to be delivered next week.

By Tuesday, health authorities have inoculated almost 2.6 million people out of a population of 10.7 million with at least one shot of either Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines.

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ROME — Italy is distributing 184,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson coronavirus shots to regional vaccination centers and recommending it for people aged over 60 following the latest evaluation from the European drug regulatory agency.

Italy’s health ministry and pharmaceutical agency gave the green light for the shot after a precautional suspension following reports the shot might be linked to very rare blood clots.

The EMA on Tuesday found a possible link between the vaccines and very rare blood clots but said the benefits outweighed the risks.

After the ruling, the Italian government decided to recommend the shot for people over 60, a similar recommendation it made for AstraZeneca shots that also were linked to possible clots.

Italy’s virus commissioner said in a statement that starting Wednesday, the initial 184,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson shots that were waiting in storage pending the EMA review will be distributed to Italy’s regions.

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BANGKOK — Thailand plans to purchase 35 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines on top of the 65 million it has already contracted amid criticism of a slow start of the vaccination campaign.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s announcement on his Facebook comes as Thailand is battling a third wave of infections that has resulted in record daily cases. Health authorities on Wednesday announced 1,458 new confirmed cases and two deaths, bringing the totals to 46,643 cases including 110 deaths.

Prayuth’s administration has been sharply criticized for failing to secure enough vaccines, with only about 2 million doses from AstraZeneca and China’s Sinovac delivered so far and most of the remainder due starting in June.

Only about 1% of Thailand’s 69 million people have received at least one dose.

Prayuth’s post says the additional doses would be purchased from two or three more companies, and 10 million to 15 million of those would be handled by the private sector. Prayuth said Tuesday the government is in talks with Pfizer for supply of 5 million to 10 million doses whose delivery would start in July and be completed by December.

The total of 100 million doses would be enough to inoculate 70% of Thailand’s population.

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NEW DELHI — India has reported a new record 295,041 coronavirus cases, as the death toll crossed 2,000 for the first time.

Even with hospitals struggling, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday advised state governments against imposing a harsh lockdown in favor of micro-containment zones as he sought to avoid another economic slump.

The surge in India has exacerbated the slowdown in global vaccination campaigns. India is a major vaccine producer but was forced it to delay deliveries of shots to focus on its domestic demand. So far, India has administered over 130 million doses of vaccines in a nation of nearly 1.4 billion since mid-January.

Overall, India has reported more than 15.6 million confirmed cases, the second highest behind the United States. The number of deaths stood at 182,553.

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