 | | | | Ukraine reopens schools, restaurants and gyms on Monday, ending a tough lockdown introduced on Jan. 8 to prevent a new wave of coronavirus infections, Ukrainian authorities said. | | | | | | The ruler of Dubai has replaced the head of the emirate's health authority without explanation, in the midst of an immunisation drive and a spike in COVID-19 infections in the United Arab Emirates. | | | | | | The novel coronavirus continued to spread in various countries, with the total caseloads in the United States surpassing 25 million and governments looking to close borders or ban flights to contain infections from the UK variant. | | | | | | As the United Kingdom's COVID-19 death toll approaches 100,000, grief-stricken relatives of the dead expressed anger at Prime Minister Boris Johnson's handling of the worst public health crisis in a century. | | | | | | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday he was looking at toughening border quarantine rules because of the risk of "vaccine-busting" new coronavirus variants. | | | | | | Drugmaker Merck & Co on Monday said it will end development of its two COVID-19 vaccines, and will focus pandemic research on treatments, with initial efficacy data on an experimental oral antiviral expected by the end of March. | | | | | | Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: | | | | | | The European Union will meet AstraZeneca executives on Monday to seek further clarification on why they unexpectedly announced a large cut in supplies of COVID-19 vaccine to the bloc for the first quarter of the year, EU officials said. | | | | | | Australia on Monday approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use but warned AstraZeneca's international production problems mean the country would need to distribute a locally manufactured shot earlier than planned. | | | | | | New Zealand on Monday confirmed its first case of COVID-19 in the community in months in a 56-year-old woman, but said close contacts of the recently returned traveller had so far tested negative. | | | | | | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is looking at the potential to relax some COVID-19 measures before mid-February, a Sky News reporter said on Monday. | | | | | |
