The fast-spreading Omicron variant stoked U.S. interest in better masks for children to ward off COVID-19, and that is adding fuel to an effort that could set the stage for domestic oversight of their quality.
Worldometers reports that more than 497 million cases of COVID-19 have been detected during the pandemic and about 6.2 million deaths recorded.
EUROPE
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was disappointed the lower house of parliament voted against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for people over 60, but would not launch a second attempt to push for a mandate.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Shanghai on Friday announced a record 21,000 new cases and a third consecutive day of COVID testing as a lockdown of its 26 million people showed no sign of easing and Chinese cities tightened curbs - even in places with no recent infections.
India will offer booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine to all adults from Sunday, although free third doses will be limited to frontline workers and those older than 60 who get them at government centres.
AMERICAS
Canada will provide C$220 million ($174.8 million) in additional funding to support COVID-19 vaccination needs in lower income countries, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement on Friday.
The Biden administration is closely monitoring a coronavirus lockdown in Shanghai that could cause delays to air cargo, White house press secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday.
AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST
More than two-thirds of Africans have been infected by COVID-19 since the pandemic started, 97 times more than reported confirmed cases, according to a World Health Organization study published.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Moderna Inc said on Friday it was recalling 764,900 doses of its COVID-19 vaccine made by its contract manufacturer Rovi after a vial was found contaminated by a foreign body.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
The Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy committee kept the bank's key lending rate at a record low on Friday, as expected, as it sought to support economic growth even as inflation edge higher.
Thai consumer confidence dropped for a third straight month in March, hitting a six-month low, due to concerns over a coronavirus outbreak, higher living costs and the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, a survey showed.
British companies hired permanent staff at the slowest rate in a year last month, despite raising starting salaries by a record amount, as they struggled with a lack of qualified candidates, a monthly survey of recruiters showed.
Canada's Liberals put red-hot real estate markets squarely in their sights, laying out a budget geared at boosting housing affordability amid soaring inflation, while promising modest new spending to encourage medium-term growth.
Peru's central bank raised the country's benchmark interest rate to 4.5% from 4.0%, its ninth consecutive hike as authorities battle stubborn inflation that has sparked angry protests.
Japan's current account balance swung back into the black in February from its second-biggest deficit on record in the previous month, providing some respite for policymakers amid a deterioration in economic fundamentals.
Reuters
