2021 Australian Open Spectators at a late-running tennis match are ordered to leave as Victoria's 5-day "circuit breaker" lockdown comes into effect. Matches at the Melbourne tournament will continue without any spectators for the duration of the lockdown.
Biden administration White House Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo resigns after making threats towards "Politico" journalist Tara Palmeri.
2021 Italian government crisis Prime Minister Mario Draghi and the ministers of his cabinet are officially sworn in at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, ending the government crisis.
Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump The United States Senate votes to acquit former President Donald Trump for the second time when the 57–43 vote in favor of conviction fails to reach the necessary two-thirds majority. Seven Republicans join the entire Democratic caucus in voting for conviction, making it the closest trial vote since the Andrew Johnson impeachment trial of 1868.
Guinea Guinea's health ministry reports the country's first deaths from the Ebola virus disease since the 2013–2016 epidemic.
The cabinet announces that 20 of South Africa's land borders with Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe will reopen on February 15.
Northern Cyprus extends its full-scale curfew until February 22 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Victoria returns to Stage 4 restrictions in a five-day "circuit breaker" lockdown due to an ongoing outbreak of the B.1.1.7 variant at the Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn. All non-essential businesses are closed, masks are mandatory in all public places, and people are only permitted to leave their homes for essential work, education or care-giving, or for up to two hours a day for essential shopping and outdoor exercise within a radius of 5 km of their homes. All international flights to Melbourne have also been cancelled for the duration of the lockdown.
Prince Edward Island reports its first case of the B.1.1.7 variant in a man in his 20s who had travelled internationally.
The government decides to lower social distancing levels to level 2 in the Seoul Capital Area and level 1.5 in other regions beginning February 15, allowing nightclubs to reopen and extending the operating hours of restaurants, coffee shops and gyms in the Seoul Capital Area until 10:00 p.m. local time. However, gatherings of more than five people continue to be prohibited, but theatres, libraries, and other types of businesses will no longer be subject to operating hours restrictions.
Two 11-week-old white tiger cubs that died in Lahore Zoo on January 30 are believed to have died of COVID-19.
Northern Italy A series of severe weather-related incidents in Northern Italy leaves four people dead and 25 others injured.
2021 Fukushima earthquake A 7.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off the Tōhoku coast of Japan, injuring at least 110 people.
Egypt Egyptian and American archaeologists discover an ancient mass-production brewery in the ancient Egyptian city of Abydos, likely dating back to the Early Dynastic Period. Mostafa Waziri, the secretary-general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, believes it to be "the oldest high-production brewery in the world".
War in Afghanistan At least four security forces personnel, including a commander, are killed in eastern and southern Afghanistan as clashes with an unidentified terrorist group intensify. Separately, in Kandahar, a Humvee containing explosives detonates, injuring seven police officers.