Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 338 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.56 million. More than 9.79 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the end of COVID-19 measures introduced to curb the rapid spread of the Omicron variant in England as the country shifts towards a policy of living with the virus after a peak in cases.
China’s capital Beijing ramped up efforts to curb COVID-19 infections, ordering checks among cold-chain firms and urging residents to cut unnecessary gatherings, as the city reported an uptick in local cases weeks before the Winter Olympics.
Hong Kong will suspend face-to-face teaching in secondary schools from Monday until after the approaching Lunar New Year, authorities said, because of a rising number of coronavirus infections in several schools.
