A summary of today's developments
- Turkey recorded 111,157 new Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours, its highest daily figure of the pandemic, while the daily death toll was its highest in four months, health ministry data showed.
- The UK has recorded 84,053 new cases of coronavirus and 254 Covid-linked deaths, according to the latest update on the government’s dashboard. Those figures compare to 88,171 new Covid cases and 303 deaths within 28 days of a positive test on Thursday
- A law requiring most adults in Austria to get vaccinated against Covid is ready to take effect, but the sense of urgency that accompanied its announcement in November has largely evaporated.
- India’s death toll from Covid-19 has officially crossed 500,000. Yet many health experts say half a million deaths was reached last year but obscured by inaccurate surveys.
- Russia broke its daily Covid record again on Friday with infections surging to 168,201. Russia, gripped by Omicron, has smashed its daily Covid record practially every day for the past two weeks.
- Ukraine also registered a record daily high of 43,778 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours.
- Scientists in South Africa are keeping their eyes on the BA.2 Omicron sub-variant, which made up 23% of recent samples, but said there’s no clear sign BA.2 is substantially different to the original Omicron.
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Spain will lift its outdoor mask mandate from next Thursday, health minister Carolina Darias said.
- Allies of embattled UK prime minister Boris Johnson came out swinging on this morning’s broadcast round, saying he is “taking charge” amid the partygate row, following a series of departures on Thursday which were dubbed a “meltdown in Downing Street”.
- Malaysia detected over 7,000 Covid infections for the first time since mid-October, as the health minister said a further Omicron surge is likely.
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Poland reported 47,534 positive Covid tests in the past 24 hours – near-peak levels – which is a 30% rise on two weeks ago.
- Africa must boost the vaccination rate against Covid “six times” to reach the target of 70% coverage set for the end of the first half of 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
- The vaccine developed by Novavax has been approved by the UK regulator for over-18s. Clinical trials suggest two doses have a roughly 90% efficacy against symptomatic Covid.
- South Korea extended social distancing rules for an additional two weeks as Omicron variant infections soar, including a 9pm curfew for restaurants and a six-person limit on private gatherings.
Police have a photograph of Boris Johnson holding a can of beer at his lockdown birthday party in June 2020, according to reports.
It is understood to be among the 300 pictures submitted to the Metropolitan police by Sue Gray for their investigation into social gatherings which breached coronavirus regulations.
The UK’s prime minister is pictured with a can of Estrella beer standing next to the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, in No 10’s Cabinet Room, the Mirror has been told.
It was reported that the picture was taken by the prime minister’s official taxpayer-funded photographer, who was documenting the event in June 2020.
