April 5, Monday, 2021 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline

1. Osaka and two other prefectures in Japan are tightening coronavirus measures to curb a spike in new cases. The focus is on a limited area and period of time in the hopes of containing the situation so another state of emergency is avoided. Osaka is now seeing more daily infections than anywhere else in the country.
2. The total number of coronavirus cases around the world has now topped 130 million. In the U.S., however, the daily case count is way down from its peak of over 300,000 in early January. New infections appear to be leveling off in a range of about 40,000 to 70,000 per day. Vaccinations are proceeding quickly. About 20 percent of the adult population of the U.S. has been fully vaccinated. Health authorities said on Friday that fully vaccinated people can travel domestically without having to be tested or self-quarantine. Britain has also been moving quickly with vaccinations. About 46 percent of the population has received at least the first dose. Britain reported just 10 deaths in a recent daily count. Over 1,800 were being reported in January. It’s a hopeful sign that countries with vaccinations well underway are starting to win the fight against the virus. 3. More than 100 people have died in eastern Indonesia and East Timor after heavy rains caused landslides and mud flows on Sunday.