The coronavirus infections in England have halved since March helped by the swift rollout of vaccines, but new variants remain a threat, according to the findings of a closely watched survey released on Thursday. The REACT study, run by scientists at Imperial College London, found that the number of infections has fallen with an average of only one in 1,000 people infected.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany jumped on Thursday by 17,504 to 2,612,268, the biggest daily rise since 22 January, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) data showed. The reported death toll rose by 227 to 74,132, while the number of new cases per 100,000 people over seven days rose to 90, compared to 86 a day earlier.

The Commission tabled on Wednesday a regulation on a digital green certificate, a “temporary” measure supposed to facilitate safe free movement inside the EU during the Covid-19 pandemic. It will verify that a person has been vaccinated against Covid-19, received a negative test result or recovered from the virus infection.

The EU on Wednesday threatened to ban exports of Covid-19 vaccines to Britain to safeguard enough doses for its own citizens as the Union is facing a third wave of the pandemic that may jeopardise plans to restart travel by summer, news wires reported.

Wales started today returning to normal life with hairdressers reopening and children returning to school, dpa reported. As of today children aged 4 to 11 and teenagers aged 14 to 17 have returned to school for the first time in 2021. Hairdressers and barbers have also reopened for bookings-only appointments.

The head of Germany’s public health agency on Friday warned that a third wave of coronavirus infections has already begun, news wires reported. It comes at a time when the country has started to gradually relax lockdown restrictions, amid a government-led effort to speed up its vaccination roll out to as many adults as possible.

Global players are gathering online on Monday and Tuesday to brainstorm ways to rapidly boost vaccine production and fight the still raging coronavirus, AFP reported. Partners of the Covax vaccine distribution initiative, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the WHO, as well as government delegates, scientists and representatives of the pharmaceutical giants and smaller drug makers from developing countries will take part in the meeting.

Germany started today a shy return to normality with hairdressers reopening for business, along with hardware stores and flower shops in certain states, news wires reported. However, lack of decline in infections means most coronavirus rules will remain in place so far.

Switzerland's Health Minister Alain Berset was accused that he had concealed from his colleagues an alarming report issued last August about the spread of Covid-19 in Switzerland, news wires reported.

Western governments rushed to offer support for the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination after South Africa halted its roll-out when research showed it offered minimal protection against the virus variant spreading there, news wires reported. The research is not yet peer reviewed.