 | | | | The United States set a global record of almost 1 million new coronavirus infections reported on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, nearly double the country's peak of 505,109 hit just a week ago as the highly contagious Omicron variant shows no sign of slowing. | | | | | | The Biden administration is finalizing contracts for 500 million rapid COVID-19 tests that it plans to distribute for free to Americans who request them, spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Tuesday. | | | | | | COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy was not associated with preterm delivery or underweight newborns, in a study published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday. | | | | | | U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that COVID-19 cases were rising even at the White House as he urged unvaccinated Americans to get vaccinated and others to get booster shots. | | | | | | Spain's Health Ministry reported a record in the national 14-day COVID-19 infection rate on Tuesday, as the figure climbed to 2,433.9 per 100,000 people, from 2,295.8 registered the previous day. | | | | | | Brazil's Health Ministry said on Tuesday that most participants in a public hearing on vaccinating children aged 5 to 11 for COVID-19 disagreed with the need for a doctor's prescription, but it will still recommend it. | | | | | | Italy reported a record 170,844 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, against 68,052 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of coronavirus-related deaths rose to 259 from 140. | | | | | | The Biden administration doubled its order for Pfizer Inc's oral COVID-19 antiviral treatment, the company and the White House said on Tuesday, providing the government a total of 20 million courses as it fights a record surge in COVID-19 cases. | | | | | | Coronavirus infections are surging across several Gulf Arab states, with the daily number of cases more than doubling in Saudi Arabia over two days to more than 2,500 and crossing the 1,000-level in Qatar and Kuwait. | | | | | | Greece reported a record 50,126 coronavirus infections on Tuesday, breaking a previous high of 40,560 registered on Dec. 31. | | | | | |
