World News in Brief:October 20

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday approved a government proposal for a week-long workplace shutdown at the start of November to combat a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths.

Serbia will make a COVID-19 "health pass" mandatory for access to restaurants, cafes and bars in the evenings, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said, as the country struggles with persistently high numbers of infections.
Serbia will make a COVID-19 "health pass" mandatory for access to restaurants, cafes and bars in the evenings, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said, as the country struggles with persistently high numbers of infections.

* China reported a fourth day of new, locally transmitted cases in a handful of cities across the country, spurring local governments to double down on efforts to track potential carriers amid the zero-tolerance policy.

* The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is aiming to ease restrictions on bars and restaurants next week as infections continue to decline, the Jiji news service said.

* Thai government officials on Wednesday inspected the readiness of the country's airports to welcome quarantine-free travellers, due to return next month after almost two years of strict COVID-19 rules that halted vital tourism.

* The European gas crisis can yet bite Russia, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, should soaring prices feed into inflation, further boosting the cost of essentials such as food, or reduce demand for the fuel which is a key source of state revenue.

* The death toll after three days of heavy rain in Nepal triggered landslides and flash floods rose to 77 on Wednesday after rescuers recovered 34 more bodies, authorities said.

* NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that the alliance would still need to talk to Russia after Moscow suspended its diplomatic mission to the alliance over an espionage dispute.

* Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud and US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley met in Riyadh on Wednesday to discuss the Iranian nuclear talks, the state news agency SPA said.

* Russia increased pressure on the Taliban on Wednesday to create an inclusive government representing a broad spectrum of Afghan society, as it hosted their new administration at a major conference for the first time since they took power.

* Singapore will extend its social restrictions for around a month in order to ease the pressure on the healthcare system, the government said.

* The Biden administration outlined its plan to vaccinate millions of US children ages 5 to 11 as soon as the COVID-19 shot is authorized for them.

* Forty-one percent of people across Latin America and the Caribbean have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said.

* Poland has seen an explosion of the pandemic over the past two days and if the current trend continues drastic steps will be needed, the health minister said, after the country reported over 5,000 daily cases for the first time since May.

* Canada's House of Commons will require all lawmakers to be fully vaccinated when they return to work next month, potentially locking out some members of parliament from the official opposition Conservatives.

* Travel restrictions between Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's largest cities, eased as Victoria opened its borders to fully vaccinated residents from New South Wales amid a rapid rise in immunisation levels.

* The number of people in Ireland claiming temporary coronavirus-related jobless benefits has fallen to 93,399, down 3,731 on last week, government data showed.

* Britain reported 49,139 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday and 179 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test, official data showed.

* Slovakia reported on Oct. 19 its highest daily tally since March 9, while the Czech Republic said new cases spiked above the 3,000 level for the first time since late April.

* The US FDA is expected to soon recommend that persons 40 and older receive a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 booster shot, CNN reported.

* The Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE COVID-19 vaccine was 93% effective in preventing hospitalizations among those aged 12 to 18, according to an analysis released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

* Stock indexes rose globally on Wednesday as more companies reported earnings that beat analysts' expectations, while the US dollar dipped.

* Kuwait has lifted all COVID-19 restrictions for vaccinated people, the Gulf country's prime minister told a news conference.

* Kenya lifted a nationwide curfew on Wednesday that has been in place since March 2020 to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

* Senegal recorded zero new cases on Wednesday for the first time since the pandemic began, the health ministry said.

Reuters