Coronavirus

FDA authorizes Moderna and Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine booster for U.S. adults

Nov 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized booster doses of Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE's COVID-19 vaccine for all adults, a move aimed at…

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England’s COVID prevalence drops for second week, ONS says

LONDON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England fell back to about 1 in 65 people in the week ending Nov. 13, Britain's Office for National…

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Czech Republic and Slovakia tighten COVID-19 curbs for unvaccinated

The Czech Republic and Slovakia tightened restrictions on people who have not had COVID-19 shots to try to encourage more to get vaccinated and ease the burden on hospitals. The…

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Britain to add booster shots to COVID-19 travel pass

LONDON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Britain's health ministry on Friday said it would add booster shots to the COVID-19 pass for outbound international travel, though it added they would not…

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New Dutch coronavirus cases hit record high above 20,000

New coronavirus infections in the Netherlands jumped to their highest level on record on Thursday, as they topped 20,000 for the third day in a row. Around 23,600 new cases…

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UPDATED: Bavaria cancels Christmas markets, Germany can’t rule out lockdown, even for the vaccinated

Bavaria announced on Friday that it's canceling all Christmas markets in the state because of soaring coronavirus infections. The state government has also imposed a lockdown on all districts that have…

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UPDATED: Hungary reports record 11,289 COVID-19 infections in 24 hours

BUDAPEST, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Hungary reported 11,289 new COVID-19 infections on Friday, its highest daily tally since the start of the pandemic, the government said on its coronavirus website.…

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France will not impose Covid lockdowns on unvaccinated people

France does not need to follow those European countries imposing COVID-19 lockdowns on unvaccinated people, because of the success of its health pass in curbing the virus' spread, President Emmanuel…

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Greece imposes further restrictions on unvaccinated

Greece joined several other European countries in imposing more restrictions on those unvaccinated against COVID-19 following a surge in infections in recent weeks. From next Monday, unvaccinated people will be…

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Germany tries to tackle a “very worrying” fourth wave of the pandemic

Germany will limit large parts of public life in areas where hospitals are becoming dangerously full of COVID-19 patients to those who have either been vaccinated or have recovered from…

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Market in China’s Wuhan likely origin of COVID-19 outbreak – study

SINGAPORE, Nov 19 (Reuters) - The first known COVID-19 case was a market vendor in the Chinese city of Wuhan, not an accountant who appeared to have no link to…

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COVID-19 deaths decline 17% in the Americas

COVID-19 deaths have decreased 17% in the Americas over the past week, but the most populous countries like the United States, Brazil and Colombia are seeing a leveling of new…

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Russia’s daily COVID-19 deaths hit new record high

MOSCOW, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Russia on Thursday reported 1,251 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, an all-time record high that follows a surge in cases. The government coronavirus…

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Dutch weigh options to slow rising COVID-19 infections among children

AMSTERDAM, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Virologists in the Netherlands have proposed extending holidays over Christmas to slow a surge in COVID-19 cases among children that has forced half of schools…

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UK study suggests Delta subvariant less likely to cause symptoms

LONDON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - 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…

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Austrian COVID-19 cases keep rising as provinces prepare full lockdown

VIENNA, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Austria's daily coronavirus infections hit a new record on Thursday as the hardest-hit provinces started planning a full lockdown and pressure on the government grew…

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Germany recommends booster shots for all adult population

Germany's vaccine advisory committee recommended COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for all people aged over 18 on Thursday as the number of coronavirus infections hits a new record in Europe's largest…

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‘Life back to normal’: More COVID-19 curbs eased in Melbourne

SYDNEY, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Melbourne's pubs and cafes can have unlimited patrons from Thursday night, while stadiums can return to full capacity as authorities lifted nearly all remaining COVID-19…

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French new coronavirus cases top 20,000 per day for first time since August

France registered more than 20,000 new confirmed coronavirus infections on Wednesday for the first time since Aug. 25 as the fifth wave of the epidemic picked up speed. The health…

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Germans, Austrians line up for shots as COVID cases soar across Europe

Germans and Austrians are rushing to get vaccinated against the coronavirus as infections soar across Europe and governments impose restrictions on the unvaccinated, figures showed. Germany and Austria have among…

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AstraZeneca COVID-19 antibody drug offers 83% protection over six months

Nov 18 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca on Thursday cemented its lead in bringing a preventative COVID-19 shot for the non-infected to market for people who do not respond well to vaccines,…

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Hungarian doctors warn of ‘sad Christmas’ as COVID cases soar

Hungary reported 10,265 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, its highest daily tally since the end of March, prompting the country's Medical Chamber to call for a ban on mass events…

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Sweden to introduce COVID vaccine passes for indoors events

The Swedish government plans to introduce a requirement for COVID-19 vaccine passes at indoor events where more than 100 people attend, a step recommended by health officials warning of a…

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New Italian Covid cases above 10,000 for first time since May

Italy reported 72 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday against 74 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 10,172 from 7,698, breaching the…

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Belgium extends mask use, enforces home working as COVID-19 spikes

Belgium tightened its coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday, mandating wider use of masks and enforcing work from home, as cases spiked in the country's fourth COVID-19 wave. From Saturday, all people…

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Countries weigh need for booster COVID-19 shots

Nov 17 (Reuters) - Many countries are rolling out COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, but there is no consensus among scientists that they are necessary and the World Health Organization wants…

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Ireland from Thursday to reimpose early bar, nightclub closures as COVID resurges

Ireland will from Thursday require bars and nightclubs to close early while ramping up the use of booster vaccines in a bid to combat a resurgence in COVID-19 cases in…

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EU watchdog to announce view on vaccine for children next week- Austria

Nov 17 (Reuters) - Europe's drug regulator is likely to disclose its view on the use of Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine in five to 11 year-old children around Wednesday…

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Austrian COVID cases hit record on third day of lockdown for unvaccinated

VIENNA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Austrian coronavirus infections hit a new daily record on Wednesday, the third day of a lockdown for those not fully vaccinated aimed at halting the…

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France may need more to work-from-home to fight rise in COVID

PARIS, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The French government's top scientific adviser Jean-Francois Delfraissy said on Wednesday he could not rule out authorities asking companies once again to make a greater…

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Hungary reports new daily COVID-19 infections, highest since end-March

BUDAPEST, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Hungary reported 10,265 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, its highest daily tally since the end of March, the government said on its official coronavirus website.…

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Czech Republic to bar unvaccinated from public events, services

Czech authorities will ban people who have not been vaccinated or have not recovered from coronavirus infection from access to public events and services from Monday, Prime Minister Andrej Babis…

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Fauci says possible for COVID-19 to be reduced to an endemic illness from the current health emergency next year

Top U.S. infectious disease official Dr. Anthony Fauci said it is possible for COVID-19 to be reduced to an endemic illness from the current health emergency next year if the…

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Portuguese PM warns restrictions may return as COVID cases rise

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said that authorities in one of the world's most vaccinated nations may bring back some measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the run-up…

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Deaths 50% above normal in Bulgaria, EU’s least vaccinated country -Eurostat

More than 50% more people died in Bulgaria than usual during September, official data showed, making the European Union's least vaccinated country its hardest-hit during a resurgence of coronavirus cases over the…

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Pfizer to allow generic versions of its COVID-19 pill in 95 countries

Pfizer Inc said on Tuesday it will allow generic manufacturers to supply its experimental antiviral COVID-19 pill to 95 low- and middle-income countries through a licensing agreement with international public health group Medicines Patent…

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Covid-19: Europe accounts for half of new infections over past week

Austria imposed a lockdown on people unvaccinated against the coronavirus on Monday as winter approaches and infections rise across Europe, with Germany considering tighter curbs and Britain expanding its booster programme to younger adults.…

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Germany could make COVID test or vaccine mandatory for public transport

Want to take the bus or train in Germany? You may soon have to provide a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination or recent recovery, as the country becomes the…

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UK to adapt fully-vaccinated definition to account for boosters – PM Johnson

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday said the definition of fully-vaccinated would have to be adjusted to account for third "booster" COVID-19 shots, although he did not give a time-frame for the move. Fully-vaccinated currently means…

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Austria locks down unvaccinated as COVID cases rise across Europe

IENNA, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Austria slapped a lockdown on people unvaccinated against the coronavirus on Monday as winter approaches and infections rise across Europe epicentre, with Germany considering tighter…

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Countries making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory

A sharp upturn in infections caused by the Delta variant and a slowdown in vaccinations have pushed governments to make COVID-19 shots mandatory for health workers and other high-risk groups.…

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New coronavirus infections in Poland increasing

The Health Ministry announced 14,292 new confirmed COVID-19 infections in Poland, increasing the total number of cases recorded in the country to 3,190,067 including 323,243 still active. The number of…

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German doctors targeted by COVID-deniers and anti-vaxxers

German doctors are increasingly reporting that they have been receiving abuse in their clinics and threats of violence by mail from anti-vaxxers across the country. Several doctors' organizations contacted by…

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Austria orders non-vaccinated people into COVID-19 lockdown

Austria is placing millions of people not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus in lockdown as of Monday to deal with a surge in infections to record levels, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg…

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UK ‘unlikely to see catastrophic winter wave’ of Covid-19 that requires Christmas lockdown

The UK is "unlikely" to experience a "catastrophic winter wave" of COVID cases that would require a Christmas lockdown similar to last year, a government adviser has said. Professor Neil…

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Severe sleep apnea tied to severe COVID-19

The risk of severe illness from COVID-19 is higher in people with obstructive sleep apnea and other breathing problems that cause oxygen levels to drop during sleep, researchers say. They…

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Russia to require proof of immunity to COVID-19 from travellers

The Russian government published a draft proposal to require QR codes as proof of immunity to COVID-19 from air and railway travellers up to June 1. The government will decide…

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Australia aims to vaccinate children under 12 against COVID-19 from January

MELBOURNE, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Australia, quickly becoming one of most-vaccinated nations against COVID-19, will likely start administering the shots for children under the age of 12 in January, officials…

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Fire at hospital in Bulgaria kills three COVID-19 patients

SOFIA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Three men died when a fire broke out in a COVID-19 ward of a hospital in the southern Bulgarian city of Sliven early on Sunday,…

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Beijing city tightens COVID guidance for travel from Chinese areas with overland ports

BEIJING, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Beijing city said individuals who recently visited overland ports of entry on China's borders should avoid the Chinese capital, with national authorities concerned over the…

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Morocco plans additional airport COVID testing amid Europe surge

Morocco will conduct rapid COVID-19 tests to passengers arriving in its airports and ports, and will deny access to any visitor with a positive result, the government said. The measure,…

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Body’s coronavirus memory may abort new infections

Healthcare workers who did not test positive for COVID-19, despite heavy exposure to infected patients, had T cells that attacked a part of the virus that lets it make copies…

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As Merkel urges unvaccinated to reconsider, German army prepares to step in

BERLIN, Nov 13 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged unvaccinated people to reconsider their decision in a video message on Saturday, as the country's seven-day coronavirus incidence rate rose…

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Dutch return to partial lockdown as COVID-19 cases soar

AMSTERDAM, Nov 12 (Reuters) - The Netherlands will return to a partial lockdown from Saturday after the government ordered restaurants and shops to close early and barred spectators from major…

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Austria plans to approve lockdown for the unvaccinated on Sunday

VIENNA, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Austria's government is likely to decide on Sunday to impose a lockdown on people who are not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus as daily infections…

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AstraZeneca vaccine turns profitable, drugmaker banking on new orders

Nov 12 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca is counting on new orders to move its COVID-19 vaccine to "modest profitability" after the shot made a small contribution to earnings in the third…

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Sweden again charts novel COVID path with no-test stance for the vaccinated

Sweden has seen a sharp decline in COVID-19 testing this month, just as much of Europe contends with surging infection rates, after its health agency said vaccinated Swedes no longer…

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