Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
Death Toll Dropping
The weekly number of coronavirus deaths worldwide has fallen to levels unseen for almost a year at an average of 7,606 each day, according to an AFP count based on official national figures.
EU Pfizer Boosters
The European Union's (EU) drug watchdog approves booster doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine for all people aged 18 and over, amid concerns that protection dips after initial jabs.
US$51.8 Billion Hit
Global airlines will lose an estimated US$51.8 billion in 2021 and another US$11.6 billion in 2022 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Bali To Reopen
Indonesia will reopen the resort island of Bali to select international travellers next week, a senior minister says, after the pandemic starved the holiday hotspot of one of its primary sources of income.
Back To School In Cuba
Pupils aged from 16 to 18 return to school in Cuba, after nine months of closure. Younger pupils will have to wait until November.
Singing For Vaccines
Popular African singers Angelique Kidjo and Davido call in an open letter on G20 leaders, scheduled to meet later this month, to urgently donate coronavirus vaccines to the continent.
Britain's U-Turn
Britain's finance minister Rishi Sunak unveils measures to help people find jobs after the government came under attack for ending a furlough scheme that kept millions employed during the pandemic.
Nearly 4.8 Million Dead
The coronavirus has killed at least 4,798,207 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data.
The US is the worst-affected country with 701,176 deaths, followed by Brazil with 597,948, India with 448,997, Mexico 278,801 and Russia 210,801.
Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were Russia with 883 new deaths, followed by the US with 246 and Iran with 229. – AFP