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Canada says it will remove the pre-entry test requirement for fully-vaccinated individuals coming into the country. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Friday.

Italy to end COVID restrictions

The Italian government has announced plans to end its COVID restrictions.

It said COVID-19 health certificates, proving vaccination or recent recovery from COVID-19, would no longer be needed to gain access into restaurants, gyms and public transport, from May 1.

Generic drugmakers sign on to make cheap version of Pfizer COVID pill

Thirty-five generic drugmakers around the world have signed on to make cheap versions of Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral antiviral pill to supply 95 poorer countries.

The UN backed medicines patent pool (MPP) announced this on Thursday saying the 35 companies are based in 12 different countries.

Pfizer struck a deal last year with the MPP to allow generic drugmakers to make the pills.

Six of the companies will make the main ingredient for the drug, nine plan to turn that into finished products and the remaining companies will do both.

Hong Kong leader to review COVID restrictions

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong chief executive, says she will review COVID-19 restrictions in the coming days.

Speaking at a COVID-19 media briefing, Lam said she would provide an update on March 20 or March 21 rather than wait for the restrictions to expire on April 20.

“I have a very good feel that some of our financial institutions are losing patience about this sort of isolation status of Hong Kong. And Hong Kong is an international financial centre and nobody attaches as much importance as myself to Hong Kong as an international financial centre,” Lam said.

The review would include social distancing measures as well as an update on border restrictions and a proposal for mass testing.

Somoa goes into lockdown after first case in community

The Pacific island nation of Samoa was locked down on Friday after recording its first case of COVID-19.

The case was detected on Thursday on the main island of Upolu.

Fiame Mata’afa, Samoa’s prime minister, said the case involved a 29-year-old woman who was found to be positive in tests ahead of a flight to Fiji. This is the first time an unexplained case will be discovered in the community.

Mata’afa ordered a four-day national lockdown as the authorities tracked the woman’s movements.

All international travels by air and sea have been suspended and all schools will remain closed.

From midnight on Friday, people were also required to wear masks and use vaccination cards.

Canada to remove pre-entry test requirement for fully-vaccinated travellers

Starting April 1, fully-vaccinated travellers to Canada will no longer need a pre-arrival COVID-19 test.

The Canadian government announced on Thursday that the new measures would affect travellers arriving by land, water and air.

The government, however, said it may still randomly test travellers upon arrival to identify and track COVID-19 variants.

If fully-vaccinated travellers are selected for an on-arrival test, they will not need to quarantine while waiting on their result.

For partially or unvaccinated travellers who are currently allowed to travel to Canada, pre-entry testing requirements are not changing.