The World Health Organization said on Monday the world was seeing a plateauing in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, with declines in most regions including the Americas and Europe, the two worst-affected regions.
Yet infections and deaths in India held close to record daily highs, increasing calls for the government to lock down the country.
Europe
European Commission
The European Commission will start on Tuesday a second legal case against AstraZeneca over its delayed deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines, as the company reached the milestone of 50 million doses delivered to EU countries, according to the bloc's latest supply data.
UK
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will set out on Monday the next phase of lockdown easing in England, giving the green light to "cautious hugging" and the serving of pints inside pubs after months of strict restrictions.
Britain's government will set out what role, if any, certification and social distancing will have in the country's COVID-19 recovery, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday.
Americas
Brazil
Brazil expects to sign a new deal next week with Pfizer for 100 million more vaccine doses, a Health Ministry official said on Friday, as the government welcomed a US call for multilateral talks on vaccine patents.
Asia-Pacific
Malaysia
Malaysia imposed a new nationwide lockdown, as the country grapples with a surge in cases and highly infectious variants that the government said are testing its health system.
Nepal
Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli lost a confidence vote in parliament, the speaker said, pitching the country into political turmoil at a time when it is battling a major second wave of coronavirus infections.
Japan
Japan's Prime Minister said he never "put the Olympics first", as an opinion poll showed nearly 60 percent of people in Japan want the Games cancelled, and a visit by the head of the IOC was postponed due to an extended state of emergency.
Africa and the Middle East
Kuwait
Kuwait has suspended flights, and barred entry to travellers, from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka until further notice, state news agency KUNA said, to try to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Egypt
Egypt's Eva Pharma signed an agreement to provide India with 300,000 doses of remdesivir, used in the treatment of COVID-19, the company said in a statement.
Sudan
Sudan is struggling to provide hospital beds, drugs and medical oxygen to COVID-19 patients hit by a third wave of infections that is straining the country's patchy healthcare system beyond what it can cope with.
Medical Developments
Vaccines
Data from the rollout of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine shows one dose of the shot results in 80 percent less risk of death from the disease, Public Health England said.
AstraZeneca Plc has delivered 50 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to European Union countries, according to EU supply data, a milestone the company had originally been expected to hit in January.
Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc said its COVID-19 vaccine candidate was safe, well-tolerated and produced immune response against the new coronavirus in a mid-stage clinical trial.
The chief executive of Japanese pharmaceutical company Shionogi & Co said it may start supplying COVID-19 vaccines later this year, Kyodo News reported.
Reuters/ Newshub
