Americas
United States
The US Transportation Security Administration on Friday extended its requirements that people wear face masks on planes, buses and trains, as well as in airports, through January 18.
Jamaica
Jamaica will prohibit residents from leaving their homes for seven days spread over three weekends to contain an upsurge in coronavirus infections and shield its healthcare system, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said.
Asia-Pacific
Nations from Australia to Vietnam announced more drastic curbs and longer lockdowns for citizens on Friday, as authorities struggle to rein in outbreaks of the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus.
Australia
In Sydney, 2 million residents, or roughly 40 percent of its population, face curfew from 9pm to 5am next week, along with limits on exercise.
A lockdown of the entire city, now in its eighth week, was also extended until the end of September, with residents told to wear masks outdoors, except for exercise.
Vietnam
Vietnam imposed its toughest order yet, barring residents of the business hub of Ho Chi Minh City from leaving their homes from Monday, although further details have yet to be announced.
“Each home, company, factory should be an anti-virus fort,” said Pham Duc Hai, deputy head of the coronavirus authority in Vietnam’s biggest city, adding that people were being asked not to go outdoors.
Philippines
The Philippines, which has one of Asia’s worst and longest-running coronavirus epidemics, announced a loosening of measures late on Thursday to try spur activity in an economy that contracted a record 9.5 percent last year.
Malaysia reported a record number of COVID-19 cases on Friday.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka announced a 10-day lockdown starting on Friday night in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, assurging infections and deaths overwhelm the island’s health system.
The Indian Ocean nation recorded its highest single-day death toll of 187 and 3,793 cases on Wednesday.
Thailand
Thailand’s passed the 1 million mark in coronavirus cases on Friday, 97 percent of which were recorded in the past five months, as the country struggles to boost vaccinations and get on top of one of Asia’s most severe COVID-19 outbreaks. Authorities on Friday reported 19,851 cases and 240 fatalities.
Japan
Japan plans to roughly triple daily COVID-19 tests to 320,000, an acknowledgement that its main containment strategy of breaking up clusters of infections was no longer working in big cities like Tokyo, the capital. The move comes after new daily cases exceeded 25,000 on Thursday for the first time.
Fiji
Fiji reported 485 new cases and 11 deaths in 24 hours.
Europe
UK
The estimated range for England’s COVID-19 reproduction “R” number rose to 0.9 to 1.2, according to official data released on Friday, compared to 0.8 to 1.0 in last week’s figures. That means that for every 10 people infected, they will on average infect between nine and 12 other people.
Britain reported 37,314 new cases of COVID-19, government data showed on Friday, and a further 114 people were recorded as having died within 28 days of a positive test.
Portugal
Portugal has decided to loosen restrictions on the number of people allowed in restaurants and cultural venues two weeks earlier than planned, a government minister said on Friday, as the vaccination campaign moved faster than anticipated.
Middle East and Africa
South Africa
South Africans formed queues hundreds of metres long to get their COVID-19 shots on Friday, after the government made vaccinations available to all adults in order to hasten a rollout beset by challenges and delays.
Research and vaccines
Israeli doctors have found severe COVID-19 breakthrough cases mostly happen in older, sicker patients.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday it was looking for the greatest scientific minds to advise on investigations into new high-threat pathogens that jump from animals to humans and could spark the next pandemic.
The UK drug regulator has approved an antibody cocktail developed by Regeneron and Roche to prevent and treat COVID-19, it said on Friday, as the nation battles rising hospitalisations due to the more infectious Delta variant.
AstraZeneca
Trial data from AstraZeneca on Friday raised the prospect of a new treatment to prevent COVID-19 beyond vaccines, giving hope in particular for people who respond poorly to immunisation shots.
The British drugmaker said its new antibody therapy reduced the risk of people developing any COVID-19 symptoms by 77 percent in a late-stage trial.
Moderna
US health officials are reviewing reports that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine may be linked to a higher risk of a rare heart condition in younger adults than previously thought.
New vaccine
India’s drug regulator has granted emergency use approval for Zydus Cadila’s COVID-19 vaccine, the world’s first DNA shot against the coronavirus, in adults and children aged 12 years and above.
