Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
Omicron Variant Not More Severe
The BA.2 variant of the Omicron coronavirus strain, which has circulated widely in countries such as Denmark, is not more severe than the original, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
Queen Elizabeth II Cancels Engagements
Queen Elizabeth II, 95, has cancelled her planned virtual engagements for Tuesday due to "mild cold-like" coronavirus symptoms, Buckingham Palace says.
Compulsory Testing In Hong Kong
All Hong Kongers must undergo three rounds of compulsory coronavirus testing, chief executive Carrie Lam says, saying those who do not comply "will be held liable".
She also confirms that mainland Chinese officials are now coordinating the response to the financial hub's worst outbreak.
Vaccine Pass For Hong Kong
Hong Kong will launch a vaccine pass scheme this week, officials say, as hospitals struggle under an Omicron-fuelled outbreak and the finance hub sees record-high departures.
Air Passenger Traffic Prognosis
Passenger traffic at Dubai international airport, the world's busiest, will not recover to pre-COVID levels before 2024, its CEO tells AFP.
England Scraps Isolation
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive COVID test in England will end on Thursday, along with all other pandemic legal curbs.
Access to free home testing kits will also cease from 1 April, he adds.
Canadian Emergency 'Not Over'
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defends his use of emergency powers to end weeks-long trucker-led protests over COVID restrictions, warning; "This state of emergency is not over."
Djokovic Is Back
Novak Djokovic's season, derailed in January when the world number one was deported from Australia before the Open, finally starts in Dubai.
More Than 5.8 Million Dead
The coronavirus has killed at least 5,892,084 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources on Tuesday.
The United States has recorded the most COVID deaths with 935,991, followed by Brazil with 644,604 and India 512,344.
Taking into account excess mortality linked to Covid-19, the WHO estimates the true death toll could be two to three times higher.