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China boosts bed spaces as Omicron outbreak spreads
China has moved to free up hospital beds as officials on Wednesday reported thousands of new cases from an Omicron-led coronavirus outbreak that has put millions under lockdown and raised fears for the health system.
'Safe' New Zealand to reopen borders early
New Zealand will scrap its strict border controls early because the country's world-leading pandemic response has made it "a safe place to visit", Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Wednesday.
Millions under lockdown in China as virus surges
Tens of millions of people were under lockdown across China on Tuesday, as surging virus cases prompted the return of mass tests and hazmat-suited health officials to streets on a scale not seen since the start of the pandemic.
Hazmat suits and panic buying: pandemic images return to China
A Shanghai pedestrian swarmed by hazmat-clad health officials, police tape wrapped around entire blocks, and panic buying at a Shenzhen shopping centre: China is returning to virus controls many hoped it had long left behind.
Nearly 30 million under lockdown in China as virus surges
Nearly 30 million people were under lockdown across China on Tuesday, as surging virus cases returned mass tests and hazmat suited health officials to city streets on a scale not seen since the start of the pandemic.
China reports sharp rise in Covid cases
China reported 5,280 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, more than double the previous day's tally and the highest daily count since the start of the pandemic.
Greek PM says tests positive for Covid-19
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday said he had tested positive for Covid-19 after returning from a trip to Turkey.
Chinese cities and factories lock down as outbreak spreads
Seventeen million people in the Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen began their first full day under lockdown Monday, with restrictions also imposed in Shanghai and other major cities in an effort to extinguish the biggest threat to the nation's zero-tolerance Covid strategy.
As virus cases surge, can China's zero-Covid strategy hold?
China, the country where the coronavirus was first detected in 2019, is among the last remaining devotees to a zero-Covid approach to the pandemic.
Ill Princess Charlene returns to Monaco: palace
Princess Charlene of Monaco has returned to the principality after months-long medical treatment abroad and will continue her recovery alongside her husband and children, according to her palace.
Millions locked down as China wrestles worst virus outbreak in two years
Millions of people across China endured lockdowns on Sunday as virus cases doubled to nearly 3,400 and anxiety mounted over the resilience of the country's 'zero-Covid' approach in the face of the worst outbreak in two years.
China records nearly 3,400 daily virus cases in worst outbreak in two years
Chinese health authorities reported nearly 3,400 Covid-19 cases on Sunday, double the previous day, forcing lockdowns on virus hotspots as the country contends with its gravest outbreak in two years.
Chinese city locks down, Shanghai shuts schools as Covid spikes
A Chinese city of nine million was ordered into lockdown on Friday and Shanghai shut its schools as authorities scrambled to halt a Covid-19 outbreak that has pushed nationwide cases to their highest levels in two years.
Australia battles spread of Japanese encephalitis
Australia said Friday it is buying extra vaccines to fight the potentially deadly, mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis virus, which has spread down the flood-hit east coast for the first time.
Hong Kong refugees face 'dire' food crisis in Covid outbreak: survey
Nearly three-quarters of Hong Kong's refugees are struggling to put food on the table, according to a survey released Friday, as fears over the city's plans to control its worst-ever coronavirus outbreak spark bouts of panic-buying.
Elderly care homes in eye of Hong Kong's deadly Covid storm
Kathleen Wong thought her 89-year-old mother was lucky to get a coveted spot in a government nursing home, but now she watches in horror as a coronavirus wave tears through Hong Kong's elderly population.
WHO frustration two years on since pandemic declaration
Friday marks two years to the day since the World Health Organization first described Covid-19 as a pandemic, shaking countries into action as the disease ripped around the planet.
United Airlines allowed unvaccinated employees to return to work
United Airlines, one of the first American companies to have imposed a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for its staff, announced Thursday it will allow employees who have been granted an exemption to return to work.
First pig heart transplant patient dies after two months
The first person to receive a heart transplant from a genetically modified pig has died two months after the medical milestone, the hospital that carried out the surgery said Wednesday.
As inflation bites, Nigerians turn to herbal medicines
Despite his financial services job in the north Nigerian city of Kano, two years ago Usman Ahmad started buying cheaper herbal drugs to treat his family's ailments after surging inflation left modern medicines beyond his budget.
Mandatory Hong Kong Covid testing 'not a priority': city leader
Hong Kong's leader said Wednesday that mandatory coronavirus testing was no longer a priority after plans for mass screening of all 7.4 million residents and an accompanying citywide lockdown triggered panic.
Over six million people have died from Covid: AFP count
Over six million people have died worldwide from Covid-19 since the pandemic began, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP on Tuesday.
Malaysia to re-open for tourists after two-year Covid closure
Malaysia will re-open to all vaccinated tourists from April 1, authorities said Tuesday, joining a growing number of countries removing restrictions in an attempt to live with Covid.
Wales say Francis available despite surgeon's warning on head injury
Wales say prop Tomas Francis is available for selection against France in the Six Nations on Friday despite a strong warning from a surgeon that he risks "serious harm" after suffering a head injury against England.
Four people die of yellow fever in Kenya
An outbreak of yellow fever, an acute and contagious viral disease, has claimed four lives in Kenya since it was first detected in January, the health ministry said Monday.
Queen Elizabeth II greets Trudeau in person after Covid scare
Queen Elizabeth II met visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, in her first in-person engagement since falling ill with Covid-19.
Moderna announces first African vaccine facility in Kenya
US vaccine maker Moderna announced Monday that it would build its first mRNA jab-manufacturing facility in Africa after signing an agreement with Kenya's government to produce up to 500 million doses a year.
China's zero-Covid policy under pressure as cases rise
China on Monday reported its highest number of coronavirus cases in two years as clusters emerged in more than a dozen cities, posing a fresh challenge to Beijing's zero-Covid policy.
'A question of time': experts fear Balkans measles outbreak
Despite vaccinating her first child, Vanja drew a line when it came time to inoculate her second and decided he would not be receiving the measles shot.
Hong Kong suspends court system as virus crisis deepens
Hong Kong on Friday announced it would suspend court services for a month as the city recorded more than 50,000 new coronavirus cases for the third consecutive day.
Top Hong Kong Covid expert says mass-testing plan 'unhelpful'
One of Hong Kong's top coronavirus experts on Thursday joined a growing chorus of criticism over plans to test the entire city, saying doing so during its worst-ever outbreak would have little impact.
Two years into the pandemic, is the end in sight?
Two years after the official start of the pandemic, some countries are now trying to "live with Covid", however scientists warn that potential new variants and unequal vaccination rates threaten any long-awaited return to normality.