| | The World Health Organization does not expect widespread vaccinations against COVID-19 until the middle of next year, a spokeswoman said on Friday, stressing the importance of rigorous checks on their effectiveness and safety. | |
| Russia's "Sputnik-V" COVID-19 vaccine produced an antibody response in all participants in early-stage trials, according to results published on Friday by The Lancet medical journal that were hailed by Moscow as an answer to its critics. | |
| Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: | |
| Germany registered around 1,430 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, its leading public health institute said on Friday, significantly raising its initial estimate. | |
| South Korea's top medical body faced a rift on Friday after trainee doctors rejected a deal by its leader to end a two-week-old strike, although the government backed down from reform plans aimed at averting future epidemics. | |
| Iran's death toll from the novel coronavirus rose by 118 to 22,044 health ministry spokeswoman told state TV on Friday, with the total number of identified cases spiking to 382,772 | |
| COVID-19 has forced 12 schools in mainland France to close, but the rest of the almost 60,000 opened as planned at the start of the academic year, Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said on Friday, as coronavirus cases across the country surge. | |
| Thailand is racing ahead with contact tracing after detecting its first domestic coronavirus infection in over three months, health officials said on Friday, with tests conducted on nearly 200 people with possible exposure to the new case. | |
| Indonesia reported 3,269 new coronavirus infections on Friday, bringing the overall tally to 187,537, according to data from the country's health ministry. | |
| The Philippine health ministry on Friday reported 3,714 novel coronavirus infections and 49 additional deaths. | |
| Russia reported 5,110 new coronavirus cases on Friday, pushing its national tally to 1,015,105, the fourth largest in the world. | |
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