Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
Jabbed, Cured Or Dead
Most Germans will be "vaccinated, cured or dead" in a few months, Health Minister Jens Spahn warns, urging people to get jabbed as the virus surges again.
Pfizer Claims Longevity
Pfizer and BioNTech say their vaccine remains 100 percent effective in children 12 to 15 years old four months after the second dose.
France Backs Boosters
Two advisory bodies recommend booster shots for all vaccinated adults in France, where currently only the over-65s are eligible.
'Pure Violence By Idiots'
Dutch premier Mark Rutte slams three nights of violent unrest over anti-virus measures as "pure violence... by idiots" and vows to prosecute those responsible.
EU Mulls J&J Application
The European Union’s (EU) drug watchdog is evaluating an application by Johnson & Johnson for its COVID vaccine booster shot to be the third one approved for adults in the bloc.
Syrian Test Shortage
Officials in the Kurdish-controlled part of northeast Syria say they ran out of COVID tests two weeks ago and they are struggling to monitor the spread of the virus.
French Send Reinforcements
Elite police and counter-terrorism officers arrive on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe after days of violence and looting sparked by measures to curb COVID.
Austria Locks Down
Austria goes back into partial lockdown in the most dramatic restrictions seen in Western Europe for months, with non-essential shops, restaurants and Christmas markets closed.
Kenya Gets Tough
Kenyans will have to prove they are fully vaccinated to access government services, public transport, bars and restaurants under new health regulations.
Australia Slowly Reopens
Australia says it will reopen to foreign students and skilled workers from next month, easing some of the world's most stringent pandemic travel restrictions.
Auckland Lockdown To End
New Zealand will end a three-and-a-half-month lockdown of the country's largest city early next month.
More Than 5.1 Million Dead
The coronavirus has killed at least 5,148,939 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT Monday.
The United States has suffered the most COVID-related deaths with 771,118 followed by Brazil with 612,659, India with 465,911, Mexico with 292,471 and Russia with 265,336.
The countries with the most new deaths are Russia with 1,241, followed by Ukraine with 326 and India with 249.
Taking into account excess mortality linked to COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the overall death toll could be two to three times higher.