Japan PM Suga signals intention to end COVID-19 curbs as scheduled

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday signalled his intention to end state of emergency curbs to prevent the spread of the coronavirus when they expire on Sunday.

First batch of COVAX-supplied vaccines arrives for Palestinians

The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday received its first batch of vaccines from the global COVAX sharing initiative, in a boost to inoculations in the occupied West Bank and Gaza lagging far behind Israel's campaign.

Thai sniffer dogs can detect COVID-19 in sweat, project shows

Thai sniffer dogs trained to detect COVID-19 in human sweat proved nearly 95% accurate during training and could be used to identify coronavirus infections at busy transport hubs within seconds, the head of a pilot project said.

Iceland opens borders for vaccinated visitors to boost tourism

Iceland will this week open its borders to all visitors who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 without mandatory testing or quarantine, as it seeks to attract more tourists to help revive its coronavirus-hit economy.

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

Brazilian and Australian regulators maintained their recommendations to continue rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine despite many European nations pausing its use, while global health experts came under increasing pressure to clear up questions over its safety.

Polish COVID cases hit 2021 record, nationwide lockdown in view

Poland reported 25,052 daily coronavirus cases on Wednesday, according to health ministry data, the highest number so far this year as the country looked to be moving closer to a nationwide lockdown.

Most Germans believe it was right to pause AstraZeneca shots -poll

A majority of Germans believe it was right for the government to suspend AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shots pending an investigation of cases where recipients developed unusual blood disorders, an opinion poll showed on Wednesday.

Brazil has record COVID-19 deaths as new health minister prepares for job

Brazil on Tuesday reported a record number of COVID-19 deaths just as the country's new health minister nominee pledged to continue the controversial policies of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has downplayed the severity of the disease.

India's coronavirus infections rise by highest in three months

India's daily coronavirus infections jumped by 28,903 on Wednesday, data from the health ministry showed, for the highest increase since Dec. 13 and taking the nationwide tally to 11.44 million.

India's Modi says quick steps needed to stop second COVID-19 peak

India needs to take quick and decisive steps soon to stop an emerging second "peak" of COVID-19 infections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday.

France investigates new coronavirus variant detected in Brittany

Scientists are investigating a new coronavirus variant that has been detected in Brittany in western France and may evade testing more successfully than other versions, the regional health authority said on Tuesday.

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