MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd December, 2021) The death toll from the coronavirus infection in the world topped 5.374 million, over 276.8 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 20:20 GMT Wednesday, the number of cases globally is 276,835,934, including 5,374,434 fatalities. As many as 8.79 billion of vaccine doses have been administered to date.
The Russian Health Ministry registered the MIR 19 drug for coronavirus treatment, developed at the Institute of Immunology of the Federal Biomedical Agency (FMBA), the FMBA said.
The UK Health Security Agency allowed the use of smaller doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines in children aged 5 to 11 who are at a higher risk from COVID-19.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, said that the government had never ruled out compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 and would consider obligating new categories of citizens to mandatory vaccination.
The Turkish Health Ministry has approved the emergency use of TURCOVAC, a domestic COVID-19 vaccine, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.
The WHO has not yet received a request from Turkey to initiate an assessment procedure for its Turcovac COVID-19 vaccine, the WHO's Director of Regulation and Prequalification Department, Dr. Rogerio Gaspar, said.
Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University have taken preliminary steps to produce a coronavirus vaccine to defend against the Omicron variant, the company's global media relations manager Flavia Garcia told Sputnik.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Pfizer's drug Paxlovid to treat mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease.
Russia confirmed 25,264 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total to 10,292,983, the federal response center said. The response center also reported 1,020 deaths linked to the coronavirus, bringing the country's death toll to 300,269.
The COVID-19 situation in France is critical as the country is facing a new wave dominated by the Omicron variant, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said.
Germans should brace themselves for the fifth coronavirus wave driven by the Omicron variant, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach warned.
UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced that people infected with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 could now shorten the mandatory self-isolation period from 10 to seven days as long as they are able to produce negative lateral flow test on two consecutive days.
Finland will reestablish border control with other EU countries and will require travelers arriving from the European Union to have a negative COVID-19 PCR test result from December 28, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told reporters.
Belgium will close public venues, including amusement parks, theaters, cinemas, and concert halls, starting December 26 as part of a range of measures to curb the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, media reported.
Austria will tighten coronavirus restrictions from December 27, Katharina Reich, the Chief Medical Officer in the Health Ministry and head of the COVID-19 crisis center, said.
Iceland will introduce new coronavirus-related restrictions on Thursday amid an increasing number of cases of COVID-19 infection and the new Omicron strain in the country, local broadcaster RUV reported, citing a government decision.
The White House is considering reversing the travel ban on southern African countries prompted by the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant there since the virus is already widespread in the United States, President Joe Biden said.
The US city of Chicago will require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for entry into public places such as restaurants, gyms, bars and other venues that serve food and drinks, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
Washington, DC residents will need to show proof of vaccination at indoor venues, including restaurants, gyms and movie theaters, starting on January 15, 2022, Mayor Muriel Bowser's office said in a notice.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison outlined the new measures to avoid new lockdowns while containing the spread of Omicron variant, including mask wearing, pay raise to vaccination staff, relaunching additional vaccination hubs and setting the interval in booster administration program.
New Delhi banned all mass celebrations of Christmas and New Year's to curb the spread of the Omicron coronavirus strain, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) announced.
The government of the Chinese city of Xian located in the Shaanxi province on Wednesday announced a lockdown to contain a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, the city administration said on Weibo.
Japan imposed more stringent quarantine rules for travelers from Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia and the United States on Wednesday as the novel variant of coronavirus Omicron sweeps over Asia.
Players of the National Hockey League (NHL) will not be taking part in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing due to risks linked to the coronavirus pandemic and the newly discovered Omicron variant, NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) Executive Director Don Fehr said.
US e-commerce giant Amazon has limited the number of coronavirus self-test kits for online shoppers to ten amid concerns over the now predominant Omicron variant and ahead of the holidays, CNBC reported.
A group of scientists from Russia has completed their research in South Africa, where they studied the omicron coronavirus strain, according to a joint statement by the South African Ministry of Health and Russian consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor.
