(Reuters) – The BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron is now the dominant variant in South Africa and has been detected in multiple other African countries, the head of the continent’s top public health body said.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
* Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of news.
EUROPE
* Germany’s daily rise in the number of coronavirus infections is slowing, data from the Robert Koch Institute showed, indicating that a fourth wave of the pandemic could flatten soon.
* Russia reported 197,076 COVID-19 cases, a record daily high.
AMERICAS
* The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has warned law enforcement agencies that a convoy of truckers protesting against COVID-19 vaccine mandates could affect this weekend’s Super Bowl, CNN reported.
* Mexico reported 743 confirmed coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, according to health ministry data.
* Ford Motor and Toyota Motor on Wednesday said they were halting some production as anti-coronavirus mandate protesters blocked U.S-Canada border crossings.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* Hong Kong reported 986 new coronavirus infections as authorities scramble to contain an outbreak which medical experts warn could see 28,000 daily cases by the end of March, with the unvaccinated elderly a particular worry.
* The Philippines welcomed back more than 200 foreign tourists on Thursday, becoming the latest Southeast Asian nation to reopen in a bid to revive a battered tourism sector after its borders shut to visitors nearly two years ago.
* New Zealand police arrested 120 people as they attempted to forcefully remove hundreds of protesters camped outside parliament to protest vaccine mandates and coronavirus restrictions.
* The COVAX vaccine-sharing programme has scaled back the number of doses allocated for North Korea, international aid organisations said, as the country has so far failed to arrange for any shipments.
* South Korea said patients with mild coronavirus symptoms will have to treat themselves, aiming to free up medical resources for more serious cases.
* Vietnam warned its healthcare system could become overloaded, after seeing a surge in new daily coronavirus infections following its Lunar New Year holiday.
AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST
* The World Health Organization estimates that the number of COVID-19 infections in Africa could be seven times higher than official data suggests, while deaths from the virus could be two to three times higher.
* Africa is moving out of the pandemic phase and moving towards a situation where it will be managing the virus over the long term, the head of the WHO on the continent said.
* Africa’s top public health agency is still talking to pharmaceutical firms Merck and Pfizer about obtaining supplies of their antiviral pills to treat COVID-19, its director said.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* A Japanese Health Ministry committee has approved the oral COVID-19 drug made by Pfizer, the ministry said.
* An antibody-based COVID-19 therapy developed by GSK and Vir Biotechnology retains neutralising activity against the emerging BA.2 form of the Omicron variant, Vir said.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* The rebound in share prices paused as investors geared up for a crucial U.S. inflation report that should offer new clues on the pace of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.[MKTS/GLOB]
* Six euro zone banks have come up short of the European Central Bank’s capital demands but the sector as a whole has coped well with the pandemic and relief measures can be phased out at the end of the year, the ECB said after its annual review.
(Compiled by Valentine Baldassari and Shailesh Kuber; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
