


COVID Cases, Deaths Continue to Fall Globally, WHO Reports
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The number of new coronavirus cases reported globally dropped by 16% last week, marking a month-long decline in COVID-19 infections, according to figures from the World Health Organization.

Fire Breaks Out As New Zealand Police Move against COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Protesters
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Tension has escalated as New Zealand police step up their efforts to shift the anti-mandate protest in Wellington, with fires breaking out in the grounds of parliament amid violent clashes.

Japan Set to Extend COVID Curbs as Hospitals Battle Infections
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Japan prepared on Wednesday to extend infection controls in some regions amid high numbers of hospital patients hit by the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Australia's COVID-19 Case Numbers Continue to Rise
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Australia reported more than 15,000 new COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths on Monday, including six in New South Wales (NSW), three in Victoria and one each in Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and South Australia.

Africa Races towards 70% Vaccination Goal despite Low Immunization Rates: WHO
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Vaccination rates in Africa remain the lowest in the world, as the continent is "racing towards" the target of vaccinating 70 percent of its population, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday.

Western Australia Braces for COVID-19 Surge Ahead of Border Reopening
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – As active cases in the state of Western Australia (WA) tip past 2,000, the nation's last COVID-19 stronghold has begun to ponder living with the virus as it plans to open its borders from March 3.

South Korea Says Omicron COVID Variant 75% Less Likely to Kill than Delta Strain
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – People infected with the Omicron coronavirus variant are nearly 75% less likely to develop serious illness or die than those who contract the Delta variant, real world data released on Monday by South Korea's health authorities showed.

UK: People with COVID in England Won't Need to Self-Isolate
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – People with COVID-19 won't be legally required to self-isolate in England starting in the coming week, the UK government has announced, as part of a plan for “living with COVID” that is also likely to see testing for the coronavirus scaled back.

Mainland China Reports 195 New COVID-19 Cases vs 137 A Day Earlier
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – China reported 195 new COVID-19 cases in the mainland for Feb. 19, up from 137 cases a day earlier, the health authority said on Sunday.

G20 Leaders Pledge to Support Faster Recovery of Poor Economies from Pandemic
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Group of 20 (G20) members issued a joint commitment to ensure aid and support for poor and developing economies to assist their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

US Children's Mental Health Crisis Worse during COVID-19: CDC Studies
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – American children's mental health crisis has gotten worse during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to two new studies published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday.

Los Angeles Crosses Grim Milestone of 30,000 COVID-19 Deaths
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Los Angeles, the most populous county in the United States, crossed a grim milestone of losing more than 30,000 residents to COVID-19, local health authorities said Wednesday.

Omicron Surge Was More Deadly in Japan after Booster Delay, Critics Say
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A Japanese government delay in rolling out COVID-19 booster shots left it more vulnerable than other rich countries when the Omicron variant brought a surge of deaths, say experts, local governments and a former vaccine czar.

New Zealand COVID Vaccine Protesters Defy Police Ultimatum to Leave Parliament
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An anti-vaccine mandate protest outside New Zealand's parliament swelled in numbers on Wednesday, with hundreds of people ignoring a warning from police that their vehicles would be towed away if they did not leave voluntarily.

New Zealand PM Labels Anti-Vaccine Mandate Protests 'Imported' As Crowds Defy Calls to Leave
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday she felt demonstrations against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate now entering their second week were an "imported" phenomenon, and nothing like anything she had seen before in the country.

Protest Convoy against COVID-19 Vaccine Pass Heads for Banned Brussels Rally
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Hundreds of cars, campervans and trucks taking part in a Canada-style protest convoy against COVID-19 regulations were preparing to enter Brussels on Monday where Belgian officials have already banned a demonstration following a weekend attempt in Paris.

Era of COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions Is Fast Coming to An End
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The era of coronavirus restrictions is fading away, but that doesn't mean COVID-19 is gone.

Africa Transitioning Out of Pandemic Phase of COVID, Says WHO
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Africa is transitioning out of the pandemic phase of the COVID-19 outbreak and moving towards a situation where it will be managing the virus over the long term, the head of the World Health Organization on the continent said on Thursday.
