(Reuters) – Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:
Cases surge in eastern Europe
Poland reported 8,361 daily COVID-19 cases and 133 deaths on Wednesday, with the number of new infections reaching the highest level since late April.
Bulgaria’s tally of infections has risen by 6,813 in the last 24 hours, a record daily increase as the European Union’s least vaccinated country grapples with a fourth wave of the pandemic.
The Czech Republic reported 6,274 new cases, almost doubling in a week.
Hungary reported a jump in daily cases to 3,125, its highest daily tally since April, as the government urged people to take up vaccines that are widely available.
Ukraine’s health minister urged more people to get their COVID-19 shots as coronavirus deaths hit a daily record of 734 on Tuesday, with hospitalisations up more than a fifth on the previous week.
China’s growing outbreak tests vulnerable border towns
China has reported nearly 250 locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 since the start of the current outbreak 10 days ago, with many infections in remote towns along porous international borders in the country’s northwest.
China had 50 new local cases for Oct. 26, the highest daily count since Sept. 16, official data showed on Wednesday.
U.S. FDA advisers back Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children
An expert panel on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to recommend the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorise the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, saying the benefits of the shot outweigh the risks.
An authorisation for that age group would be would be an important regulatory step toward reaching about 28 million children for innoculation, most of them back in school for in-person learning.
Australia to lift outbound travel ban for vaccinated residents
All fully-vaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents will be able to leave the country without a special exemption from Nov. 1, authorities said on Wednesday, as Australia eases coronavirus restrictions amid a rise in vaccination rates.
Australians have been unable to travel abroad for more than 18 months without a government waiver, while thousands of fully-vaccinated residents living abroad have been unable to return due to a cap on arrivals.
Merck signs pact to broaden generic manufacturing of COVID-19 pill
Merck & Co has signed a licensing agreement with the United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) that will allow more companies to manufacture generic versions of its experimental oral antiviral COVID-19 treatment, the U.S. drugmaker and the organization announced on Wednesday.
Merck said the royalty-free licence would apply to 105 low- and middle-income countries. It allows manufacturers selected by MPP to make generic versions of molnupiravir, the antiviral pill Merck has developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.
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