


British PM Boris Johnson to Scrap Plan B COVID-19 Restrictions: Media
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to lift Plan B COVID-19 restrictions in England, the Telegraph reported on Friday, as government scientists warn on dropping of Plan B prematurely.

Australia Nears Omicron Peak As Daily Infections Hover around Records
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Australia has likely neared the peak of its Omicron wave, authorities said on Saturday, but warned daily infections will linger near record levels for "the next few weeks" after more than 100,000 cases were reported for a fourth straight day.

French Teachers to Strike over 'Chaotic' COVID-19 Strategy for Schools
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – French teachers will walk off the job en masse on Thursday over what they say is the government's failure to adopt a coherent policy for schools to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, or properly protect pupils and staff against infection.

Three Million Britons Were Off Work Sick in First Week of 2022
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant drove a sharp increase in the number of people missing work in Britain during the first week of January, according to an analysis of workplace attendance data carried out for Bloomberg News.

Germany's COVID-19 Cases Hit Daily Record of More than 80,000
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Germany reported 80,430 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, the highest recorded in a single day since the pandemic began, as the contagious Omicron variant rips through a population with lower vaccination rates than some other parts of Europe.

China Locks Down 3rd City, Raising Affected to 20 Million
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A third Chinese city has locked down its residents because of a COVID-19 outbreak, raising the number confined to their homes in China to about 20 million people.

WHO: 7 Million New Omicron COVID Cases in Europe Last Week
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – There were more than 7 million new cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 across Europe in the first week of January, more than doubling in just two weeks, the World Health Organization said.

US Reports at Least 1.1 Million COVID-19 Cases in A Day, Shattering Global Record
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The United States reported at least 1.13 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, the highest daily total of any country in the world as the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant showed no signs of slowing.

Australia Vows to 'Push through' Omicron Wave As Infections Cross 1 mln
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Australia must "push through" the fast-moving Omicron outbreak, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, as infections surpassed 1 million, more than half in the past week alone, throwing a strain on hospitals and supply chains.

Thousands Again Protest in Brussels over Coronavirus Rules
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Thousands of protesters again took to the streets of Brussels on Sunday to oppose coronavirus restrictions, despite the Belgian government opting to hold off on new measures this past week and warnings of surging cases.

UK Minister Backs Reduced COVID-19 Isolation Period, to Ease Workforce Pressure
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Reducing the self-isolation period for people who test positive for COVID-19 from seven days to five would help British workforces that have been hard hit by absences, Education Minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Sunday.

India Reports 5-Fold Surge in COVID-19 Cases since New Year Begins
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – India Sunday reported 159,632 new COVID-19 cases, which is over a five-fold increase since the beginning of the New Year. On Jan. 1, the total number of new cases was only 27,553.

Anti-Vaccine Protesters Rally in France, Germany, Austria, Italy
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Protesters took to streets across Western Europe in protest against COVID-19 vaccine requirements, with more than 100,000 people rallying in France alone to oppose what they called the government’s plans to restrict the rights of the unvaccinated.

UK Gov't Advisers Recommended against 4th Vaccine Dose
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – UK government advisers have recommended against giving a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to nursing home residents and people over 80 because data shows that a third shot offers lasting protection against admission to the hospital.

Surge in Hospitalization of Young Children Infected with COVID-19 in US
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The number of hospitalized young children infected with the coronavirus rose precipitously last week to the highest levels since the beginning of the pandemic, according to data released on Friday by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Poland's President Tests Positive for COVID-19, Top Aide Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Polish President Andrzej Duda has tested positive for coronavirus, a top aide tweeted on Wednesday, after several people around him were infected.

Opposition Rivals Slam Macron Remarks about Non-Vaccinated
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks about the non-vaccinated prompted howls of condemnation from opposition rivals less than 4 months before the next presidential election.

Record COVID Cases in US, Europe As Omicron Variant Runs Rampant
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The US, Britain, France and Australia have all announced record numbers of daily COVID-19 cases as the WHO warned Tuesday that Omicron's dizzying spread increased the risk of newer, more dangerous variants emerging.
