- The Delta subvariant is less likely to show symptomatic Covid-19 infection.
- German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a vaccinations push.
- Vaccine reluctance has led to a surplus of more than 200 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines in India.
A subvariant of Delta that is growing in Britain is less likely to lead to symptomatic Covid-19 infection, a coronavirus prevalence survey found, adding that overall cases had dropped from a peak in October.
Europe
* The UK Health Security Agency said children aged between 12 and 15 should delay getting a Covid-19 vaccine if they've recently had Covid-19 to at least 12 weeks after they were infected.
* Germany's coronavirus situation is dramatic Chancellor Angela Merkel warned, calling for an extra push on vaccinations a day before federal and regional leaders meet to agree on measures to curb a fourth wave of the virus.
* Spain is now offering third doses of vaccines to people aged 60 and over, expanding the booster shot programme from the previous age threshold of 70 as infections rise.
* Russia reported a new record one-day official death toll of 1 247 from Covid-19.
Americas
* Canada is set to announce on Friday that it is no longer obliging Canadian travellers returning from short foreign trips to take expensive molecular Covid-19 tests, a government source said on Wednesday.
* Brazil registered 11 977 new coronavirus cases and 373 Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
Asia-Pacific
* Melbourne's pubs and cafés can have unlimited patrons from Thursday night, while stadiums can return to full capacity as authorities lifted nearly all remaining Covid-19 restrictions for the vaccinated residents in Australia's second-largest city.
* South Korea reported a record high 3 292 new Covid-19 cases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, as the country moves into the first phase of its "living with COVID-19" with loosened restrictions.
* Indian states have more than 200 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines due to a reluctance among people to get inoculated, the chief executive of top vaccine maker the Serum Institute of India said.
* More than half a million South Koreans sat for the annual national college entrance exams on Thursday, pandemic rules adding stress to the eight-hour event seen as life-defining in Asia's fourth-largest economy.
Medical developments
* Overuse of antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs during the pandemic is helping bacteria develop resistance that will render these important medicines ineffective over time, the Pan American Health Organisation warned.
* Moderna Inc said it had applied with the US Food and Drug Administration for authorisation of its Covid-19 booster vaccine for all adults aged 18 and older.
Economic impact
* New Zealand's near-term inflation is expected to rise in the fourth quarter, a central bank survey showed on Thursday, as the country battles labour and goods shortages from closed borders in response to the pandemic.
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