Hong Kong authorities announce that they will ease some of their strict social distancing measures beginning on April 21, including lifting the ban on private gatherings of more than two households, extending dine-in service at restaurants to 10 p.m., and allowing the reopening of most premises, as the number of COVID-19 cases declines. 2022-04-14
Israel reports its first confirmed death related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a man in his 60s with pre-existing health conditions who died at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. 2021-12-21
Three pet cats who previously tested positive for COVID-19 are euthanized in the Chinese city of Harbin amid fears that pets could spread the virus to humans. 2021-09-29
Switzerland begins to implement a mandatory negative COVID-19 test result for travellers who have not been vaccinated or who have not recovered from COVID-19 upon entering the country in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. 2021-09-20
Indonesia reports a record of 29,745 new cases and 558 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2.31 million and the nationwide death toll to 61,140. Active cases also surpassed 300,000 for the first time. 2021-07-5
Kyrgyzstan signs an agreement with the World Bank to purchase vaccines developed by Sinopharm. 2021-05-12
Russia authorizes the use of a single-shot "Sputnik Light" vaccine, which it says has an efficacy rate of 79.4%. 2021-05-6
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declares a state of emergency for the Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the capital Tokyo and neighbouring prefectures such as Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama, from tomorrow until February 7. The government asks restaurants in those areas to close at 8 p.m. daily and also urges residents to limit non-essential travel. 2021-01-7
Ukraine bans mass gatherings and closes all schools for three weeks in response to the global coronavirus outbreak. The government says some sporting events might still go ahead but without any spectators. 2020-03-11