G7 leaders gather to pledge 1bn coronavirus vaccine shots for world

G7 leaders gather to pledge 1bn coronavirus vaccine shots for world

CORNWALL: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson greeted world leaders on a wooden boardwalk atop the freshly raked sand of Carbis Bay to open the Group of Seven summit Friday, offering elbow bumps to dignitaries gathering for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus was set to dominate their discussions, with leaders of the wealthy democracies club expected to commit to sharing at least 1 billion vaccine shots with struggling countries. A commitment from US President Joe Biden to share 500 million doses and one from Johnson for another 100 million shots set the stage for the G-7 meeting under gray skies in southwest England, where leaders will pivot Friday from their "family photo“ by the seaside directly into a session on "Building Back Better From COVID-19.“ "We're going to help lead the world out of this pandemic working alongside our global partners,“ Biden said. The G-7 also includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. The leaders hope the meeting in the resort of Carbis Bay will also energize the global economy. Despite the moody skies, the group walked away their photo as cheerful as children who had just built a sand castle. Led by Johnson,