Britain recorded 53,945 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest daily figure since July 17, government figures showed, as the dominant Delta variant spreads and measures come in to curb the Omicron variant of concern.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is deploying a surge team to South Africa's Gauteng province, epicentre of the outbreak of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, to help with surveillance and contact tracing, it said on Thursday.
Dutch health authorities said that more than 20 passengers who have been in quarantine since testing positive for COVID-19 after flying from South Africa on Nov. 26 will be allowed to leave on Thursday.
Brazil's economy contracted slightly in the three months to September, government data showed on Thursday, as surging inflation and a severe drought triggered a recession in Latin America's largest economy.