MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st December, 2021) The death toll from the coronavirus infection in the world topped 5.212 million, over 262.5 million cases of infection were detected, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University, which tracks and compiles data from federal and local authorities, media and other sources.
As of 20:10 GMT Tuesday, the number of cases globally is 262,588,644, including 5,212,873 fatalities. As many as 7.98 billion of vaccine doses have been administered to date.
It is so far difficult to determine whether the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus is more transmissible than the earlier Delta strain with which it shares some mutations, Chief Medical Advisor to the President and top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said.
The UAE has approved Russian-made COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik Light as a universal booster shot for all the vaccines against the coronavirus used in the Arab nation, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) could authorize the new COVID-19 vaccine developed by NOVAVAX in a few weeks, the executive director of EMA, Emer Cooke, said.
France approved the coronavirus vaccination for children aged 5-11 from risk groups and vulnerable categories, the French High Health Authority (HAS) said.
Germany's incoming chancellor Olaf Scholz came out in favor of mandatory COVID-19 vaccination as the country battles the fourth wave of coronavirus, multiple media said.
The Greek leftist opposition criticized the decision by the country's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to introduce mandatory vaccination for people over 60, claiming that the politician is shifting responsibility for the health disaster to citizens.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is strengthening its recommendation on COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for adults, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said.
The efficacy of coronavirus vaccines will decrease significantly with the emergence of the new Omicron variant, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said.
More than 50% of unvaccinated adults in the United States are wary of taking antiviral medicine against COVID-19 even if infected with the virus, according to a poll by Morning Consult.
Russia has confirmed 32,648 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total to 9,636,881, the federal response center said.
Russia is introducing new travel restrictions in connection with the emergence of the new Omicron coronavirus variant across the world, Russian consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova said.
Germany's federal constitutional court upheld a range of curbs imposed on public life during the third wave of the pandemic in spring to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Austrian nationals and residents who refuse to get an anti-coronavirus shot may face fines of up to 7,200 Euros ($8,100) or weeks in jail starting February, media reported citing a draft bill.
Spain will suspend air traffic with South Africa, Botswana and five other African countries from December 2 due to the new Omicron coronavirus strain, the Spanish Health Ministry said.
Norwegians are recommended to start wearing face masks in public spaces, including transport and malls, due to the spread of the Omicron coronavirus strain and growing number of COVID-19 cases, the Norwegian government said.
Kazakhstan will tighten entry restrictions for travelers due to the spread of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus starting December 3, Kazakh First Deputy Healthcare Minister Marat Shoranov said.
Japan is canceling softened quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated citizens or foreigners with long-term visas or residence permits due to the situation with the new Omicron coronavirus strain from December 1, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Authorities of the French overseas department of Guadeloupe extended the previously imposed curfew due to the rising violence amid COVID-19 protests.
Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean reached the highest level since 2000, mainly due to COVID-19, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said.
The Federal Trade Commission said it has ordered nine large US retailers, wholesalers and consumer goods suppliers to provide detailed information on what might be behind the continued supply chain disruptions from the COVID-19 crisis.
The new COVID-19 strain, the Omicron, could bring greater threat to US economic recovery and inflation, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in Senate testimony.
More than 30 hospitals in New York State will cease elective procedures as a result of the insufficient bad capacity amid the COVID-19 surge, Governor Kathy Hochul said.
China will successfully hold the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games on schedule, despite the worldwide spread of the new Omicron coronavirus strain, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.
Authorities in the Indian capital of Delhi have moved to designate a special medical facility for patients infected with the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
China is open to any effort contributing to better global preparedness for future pandemics but expects any related international legal documents to be free of politicization, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.
