CORONAVIRUS

The contamination in Okinawa and Gunma follows the suspension of 1.63 million doses across Japan on Thursday

The nation has recorded almost 48,000 cases and nearly 1,000 deaths during the pandemic to date.

Beijing has especially bridled at the suggestion that the virus might have escaped from the Wuhan virology lab.

A number of studies have now concluded vaccine efficacy has dropped against Delta, even though the precise level of that drop differs between papers.

The Asia-Pacific Region will be the worst hit in absolute terms, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the losses.

Pfizer's vaccine, which will now be marketed under its brand name Comirnaty, is the first to receive full approval.

Most of those linked to the Paralympics who have tested positive so far are Japan-based Games staff and contractors

Jones, who is a nurse, said she tried to convince Rodriguez to get immunized, but to no avail.

US stocks had dropped the last two sessions, with analysts pointing to a weak retail sales report amid the Delta variant

Washington had already authorised an extra dose for people with weakened immune systems.

The government has so far rejected calls for a lockdown to contain the surge, but last week tightened restrictions.

Facebook is also requiring people in offices to wear masks, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated.

A government tally reported 808 fatalities over the past 24 hours -- the first time Russia has crossed the 800-mark for daily virus deaths.

The tweet in question, sent on Monday, said the US Food and Drug Administration should not give final approval to anti-coronavirus vaccines

Pfizer has earned more than its competitors, raking in $10.8 billion (9.2 billion euros) in the first half of this year.

Limited supply and pockets of vaccine hesitancy have slowed efforts to inoculate Australians, with just over 20 percent of the population now fully vaccinated.

Outside the Olympic bubble, Japan hit new virus records, with the capital accounting for a large portion of the numbers.

The government also announced Tuesday it would reintroduce overtime bonuses for hospital workers

Major cities including Beijing have now tested millions of residents while cordoning off residential compounds and placing close contacts under quarantine.

Inaccurate information about vaccines is especially dangerous at a time when uptake of the shots has slowed in the United States

The surge in cases across America has left the early vaccine adopters angry at those who have so far opted against the jab.