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Hong Kong to lift ban on flights from nine countries
Hong Kong will resume international flights from the United States, Britain and seven other countries, the government said Monday as it announced a loosening of some of the world's toughest Covid-19 restrictions.
Hong Kong to lift ban on flights from nine countries in April
Hong Kong will resume international flights from nine countries including the United States and Britain in April, city leader Carrie Lam said Monday.
China reports two Covid-19 deaths, first in more than a year
China reported two Covid-19 deaths on Saturday, its first in more than a year, underlining the threat posed by an Omicron outbreak that has triggered the country's highest case counts since the pandemic's outset.
China reports first two Covid-19 deaths in more than a year
China reported its first two Covid-19 deaths in more than a year on Saturday, the National Health Commission said, both coming in the northeastern province of Jilin as the country faces its worst case upsurge since the pandemic's outset.
Myanmar to reopen to international tourists
Myanmar will resume international passenger flights from April 17, the military said Saturday, lifting a two-year ban on foreign tourists.
Kyiv psychiatric home puts brave face on war
Sometimes, when war makes the walls of her Kyiv psychiatric hospital shudder, head nurse Oksana Padalka hides so she can cry.
Shenzhen eases lockdown as pandemic gnaws at China economy
China's southern tech powerhouse Shenzhen has partially eased lockdown measures, after President Xi Jinping stressed the need to "minimise the impact" of the coronavirus pandemic on the nation's economy.
Irish PM's White House meeting goes virtual after positive Covid test
President Joe Biden and Ireland's prime minister Micheal Martin canceled plans to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day together in the White House on Thursday and switched to a virtual meeting after Martin tested positive for Covid-19, although the US president was said to be in no danger.
China to 'stick with' zero-Covid strategy, President Xi says
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday the country will "stick with" its zero-Covid strategy, state TV reported, as the world's most populous nation battles its largest outbreak since the early days of the pandemic.
South Korea reports record Covid cases amid Omicron surge
South Korea reported a record of more than 600,000 coronavirus cases Thursday, with authorities saying the country was near the peak of an Omicron-fuelled infection wave.
Hong Kong's Lam mulls easing Covid rules as public tolerance 'fading'
Hong Kong's leader said Thursday she was mulling easing some of the city's coronavirus restrictions due to waning public tolerance, but could not provide a roadmap out of the current Omicron-fuelled crisis.
Morgues overflowing as Hong Kong suffers deadly Covid wave
Workers in PPE gear in Hong Kong carted the bodies of coronavirus victims into refrigerated shipping containers on Wednesday, as the city's morgues run out of space from a deadly Omicron surge.
Hong Kong to close off beaches after mainland China uproar
Hong Kong will close most of the city's beaches, leader Carrie Lam said Wednesday, after photos of maskless residents enjoying sun and surf sparked outrage in mainland China.
South Korea hits record 400,000 plus cases amid Omicron wave
South Korea reported more than 400,000 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, a new record, as the country continues to ease restrictions despite the Omicron-fuelled wave of infections.
China boosts bed spaces as Omicron outbreak spreads
China has moved to free up hospital beds as officials on Wednesday reported thousands of new cases from an Omicron-led coronavirus outbreak that has put millions under lockdown and raised fears for the health system.
'Safe' New Zealand to reopen borders early
New Zealand will scrap its strict border controls early because the country's world-leading pandemic response has made it "a safe place to visit", Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Wednesday.
Millions under lockdown in China as virus surges
Tens of millions of people were under lockdown across China on Tuesday, as surging virus cases prompted the return of mass tests and hazmat-suited health officials to streets on a scale not seen since the start of the pandemic.
Hazmat suits and panic buying: pandemic images return to China
A Shanghai pedestrian swarmed by hazmat-clad health officials, police tape wrapped around entire blocks, and panic buying at a Shenzhen shopping centre: China is returning to virus controls many hoped it had long left behind.
Nearly 30 million under lockdown in China as virus surges
Nearly 30 million people were under lockdown across China on Tuesday, as surging virus cases returned mass tests and hazmat suited health officials to city streets on a scale not seen since the start of the pandemic.
China reports sharp rise in Covid cases
China reported 5,280 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, more than double the previous day's tally and the highest daily count since the start of the pandemic.
Greek PM says tests positive for Covid-19
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday said he had tested positive for Covid-19 after returning from a trip to Turkey.
Chinese cities and factories lock down as outbreak spreads
Seventeen million people in the Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen began their first full day under lockdown Monday, with restrictions also imposed in Shanghai and other major cities in an effort to extinguish the biggest threat to the nation's zero-tolerance Covid strategy.
As virus cases surge, can China's zero-Covid strategy hold?
China, the country where the coronavirus was first detected in 2019, is among the last remaining devotees to a zero-Covid approach to the pandemic.
Ill Princess Charlene returns to Monaco: palace
Princess Charlene of Monaco has returned to the principality after months-long medical treatment abroad and will continue her recovery alongside her husband and children, according to her palace.
Millions locked down as China wrestles worst virus outbreak in two years
Millions of people across China endured lockdowns on Sunday as virus cases doubled to nearly 3,400 and anxiety mounted over the resilience of the country's 'zero-Covid' approach in the face of the worst outbreak in two years.
China records nearly 3,400 daily virus cases in worst outbreak in two years
Chinese health authorities reported nearly 3,400 Covid-19 cases on Sunday, double the previous day, forcing lockdowns on virus hotspots as the country contends with its gravest outbreak in two years.
Chinese city locks down, Shanghai shuts schools as Covid spikes
A Chinese city of nine million was ordered into lockdown on Friday and Shanghai shut its schools as authorities scrambled to halt a Covid-19 outbreak that has pushed nationwide cases to their highest levels in two years.
Australia battles spread of Japanese encephalitis
Australia said Friday it is buying extra vaccines to fight the potentially deadly, mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis virus, which has spread down the flood-hit east coast for the first time.
Hong Kong refugees face 'dire' food crisis in Covid outbreak: survey
Nearly three-quarters of Hong Kong's refugees are struggling to put food on the table, according to a survey released Friday, as fears over the city's plans to control its worst-ever coronavirus outbreak spark bouts of panic-buying.
Elderly care homes in eye of Hong Kong's deadly Covid storm
Kathleen Wong thought her 89-year-old mother was lucky to get a coveted spot in a government nursing home, but now she watches in horror as a coronavirus wave tears through Hong Kong's elderly population.
WHO frustration two years on since pandemic declaration
Friday marks two years to the day since the World Health Organization first described Covid-19 as a pandemic, shaking countries into action as the disease ripped around the planet.
United Airlines allowed unvaccinated employees to return to work
United Airlines, one of the first American companies to have imposed a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for its staff, announced Thursday it will allow employees who have been granted an exemption to return to work.