(Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it would review “as expeditiously as possible” Pfizer’s request to authorize booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine in all adults, with the New York Times reporting the nod could come as soon as Thursday.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
* Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals for a case tracker and summary of news
EUROPE
* The Dutch government’s plan to scrap the “corona pass” for people not vaccinated against COVID-19 faced strong opposition in parliament, including from within the ruling coalition.
* At the Christmas market on Hamburg’s main square this year, only revellers who are vaccinated against COVID-19 or recently recovered will be able to indulge in steaming hot mulled wine and candied almonds or gingerbread under festive fairy lights.
* Slovakia’s hospitals are in a critical situation dealing with a surge in coronavirus infections and the government will approve measures on Thursday to limit access to services for unvaccinated people.
* Booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines are likely to be administered to the entire population of the European Union with annual shots likely required to retain immunity, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said.
AMERICAS
* Canada’s vaccine mandate for members of parliament is helping Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau exploit divisions in the opposition Conservative Party, some of whose lawmakers will be shut out when the House of Commons reconvenes next week.
* Uber Technologies Inc said it was resuming shared rides, which were scrapped during the pandemic, detailing a revamped offer aimed at reducing the previously high losses in the pooled rides segment.
* A judicial panel consolidated 34 lawsuits challenging the Biden administration’s workplace COVID-19 vaccine rule in the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a venue favored by opponents of the rule.
* U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is expected to announce this week the purchase of 10 million courses of Pfizer Inc’s experimental COVID-19 pill, the Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
* Top U.S. infectious disease official Dr. Anthony Fauci said it is possible for COVID-19 to be reduced to an endemic illness from the current major health crisis next year if the country ramps up vaccination rates.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* Australia says it has toughened foreign interference rules for universities to stop self-censorship on campuses and the covert transfer of sensitive technology, before hundreds of thousands of international students are expected to return as borders closed by the COVID-19 pandemic re-open.
* Hong Kong’s Disneyland will close for a day on Wednesday for staff to take compulsory COVID-19 tests after authorities found one person who visited the theme park over the weekend was infected with the coronavirus.
* Domestic borders around New Zealand’s largest city Auckland will reopen from Dec. 15 for fully vaccinated people and those with negative COVID-19 test results, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* Britain advised against all but essential travel to Lebanon due to ongoing instability, a fresh blow to the country in the middle of a financial and economic meltdown.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* Pfizer said it will allow generic manufacturers to supply its experimental antiviral COVID-19 pill to 95 low- and middle-income countries through a licensing agreement with international public health group Medicines Patent Pool (MPP).
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* The dollar reached a four-and-a-half-year high against the yen after better-than-expected U.S. retail data, which also boosted Wall Street equities, although Asian shares failed to follow suit.[MKTS/GLOB]
* U.S. retail sales surged in October as Americans eagerly started their holiday shopping early to avoid empty shelves amid shortages of some goods because of the ongoing pandemic.
(Compiled by Sherry Jacob-Phillips; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
