What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Reuters
·3 min read
People wearing face masks sit at the seaside nearby Victoria Harbour, after the government eased the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions on businesses, in Tsim Sha Tsui district in Hong Kong

(Reuters) - Here's what you need to know about the pandemic right now:

Hong Kong reopens venues as COVID cases fall

Hong Kong reopened gyms, beauty parlours, theme parks and cinemas on Thursday for the first time in more than four months, as authorities relaxed some of the world's toughest COVID-19 curbs.

Some in the global financial hub flocked to salons and massage parlours, while others visited temples and churches which had also been shut. Many schools have also resumed in-person learning after months of online instruction.

Shanghai COVID cases tick back up

Shanghai authorities said on Thursday tough restrictions would remain in place for now even in districts which managed to cut COVID-19 transmission to zero, prolonging the agony for many residents who have been stuck at home for most of this month.

That sober assessment, prompted by an unexpected rise in the number of cases outside quarantined areas, came after health officials earlier in the week had fuelled hopes of some return to normal by saying that trends in recent days showed Shanghai had "effectively curbed transmissions".

Taiwan approves second COVID booster dose

Taiwan's government has approved a second COVID-19 booster vaccine dose for those 65 and older, and third boosters for the immunocompromised, as it looks to step up its fight against a spike in domestic infections that has yet to peak.

While Taiwan is dealing with a rise in local cases, the numbers overall remain small - 15,544 since Jan. 1 - and just four people have died, with more than 99% of those infected reporting either minor or no symptoms.

Incoming South Korean leader's team to review lifting of COVID curbs

South Korean president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is at odds with a decision by the outgoing government to lift nearly all coronavirus curbs this week, vowing to reconsider a plan to exempt all patients from quarantine requirements from May.

In a major step this week towards a return to normal life, the government of President Moon Jae-in lifted almost all its social distancing curbs, such as midnight curfew for restaurants and a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people.

Cases down in the Americas even as North America faces increase

COVID-19 cases and deaths are declining in the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization said on Wednesday, with infections last week having dropped 2.3% and deaths falling 15.2% from the prior week.

The broad trend comes even as cases have scaled up in North America with an 11.2% increase last week, the organization said, noting that in Canada hospitalizations rose by more than 20% as the proportion of Omicron BA.2 cases grew.

U.S. Justice Department appeals transportation mask ruling

The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday appealed a judge's ruling ending a mask mandate on public transportation and airplanes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the measure was still needed.

The Justice Department filed notice appealing the ruling to the 11th Circuit Court, but did not detail if it intended to seek an emergency order to reinstate the requirement or detail the grounds for the appeal.

Curevac, GSK's new COVID variant vaccine effective in animal studies

CureVac and GSK's second-generation mRNA vaccine candidate targeting two recent COVID-19 variants has been shown to be highly effective in preclinical studies on rodents, CureVac said.

(Compiled by Linda Noakes)