Travel restrictions to be eased as mass vaccinations in Northern Hemisphere expected in April: Chinese scientists

A woman receives the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac in Ecatepec, Mexico, Feb. 22, 2021 - Xinhua

BEIJING (Global Times): As the numbers of Covid-19 cases across the globe have dropped for a fifth consecutive week in 2021, Chinese scientists interpret the encouraging signs, including the worst-hit UK rolling out plans to lift the lockdown, as a possible "tapering-off" of the pandemic that would likely relax global travel restrictions as early as in April this year.

Yet they warn a new virus variant prevailing in Europe and the US and uneven vaccine distribution may drag the global effort in battling the pandemic.