MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th January, 2022) The death toll from the coronavirus infection in the world topped 5.51 million, over 315.3 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 20:25 GMT Wednesday, the number of cases globally is 315,350,735, including 5,510,252 fatalities. As many as 9.51 billion of vaccine doses have been administered to date.
US vaccination campaign against the novel coronavirus in the first half of 2021 saved estimated 240,000 lives and prevented 1.1 million hospitalizations caused by the virus' Alpha variant, according to new research published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Indonesia launched a booster vaccination for the country's adult population on Wednesday in keeping with the recommendations of the World Health Organization.
Colombian President Ivan Duque announced Wednesday that the government has reduced the waiting interval between receiving the initial doses and a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine from six to four months.
South Korea approved the Novavax coronavirus vaccine, the American biotechnology company said.
Russia confirmed 17,946 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which brings the cumulative total to 10,702,150, the federal response center said. In the same 24 hours, 745 deaths of patients with COVID-19 were confirmed, bringing the country's cumulative coronavirus death toll to 318,432.
Omicron accounts for up to 30% of coronavirus variants circulating in Moscow according to the January 10 data, Alexander Gintsburg, the director of Russia's Gamaleya Research Center, said.
The Mexican Health Ministry confirmed on Tuesday 33,626 new COVID-19 cases per day, which is a record number of infections since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Omicron coronavirus variant will get to everyone regardless of their vaccination status, White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said during a virtual talk organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The average number of daily deaths from COVID-19 in the United States is up about 40% from the prior week due to what are likely lagging Delta variant cases from the previous wave, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said.
The prime minister of the Canadian province of Quebec, Francois Legault, has proposed introducing tax for all adults who refuse COVID-19 vaccination for non-medical reasons.
The United Nations Command (UNC) suspended the tour program to the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, scheduled for next Tuesday, amid a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases.
Public transport rides will become unavailable for people not vaccinated against COVID-19 in the Philippine capital of Manila in a measure aimed at curbing the spread of the virus, the Department of Transportation said.
The state of Western Australia closed its borders to travelers coming from other Australian states and territories, except for those with extraordinary reasons, over concerns about the spread of the Omicron coronavirus strain, national media reported.
Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Marco Rubio introduced legislation that would sanction Chinese officials and organizations that play a role in preventing an independent investigation in China into the origins of the novel coronavirus.
