South Korea on Wednesday approved the use of SKYCovione, the country's first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine developed by SK Bioscience Co., taking a major step toward achieving vaccine sovereignty in the fight against the pandemic.

Ireland's health authorities said 606 new Covid-19 patients were hospitalised across the country, an increase of 153 people or 33.77 per cent, compared to a week ago, putting increased pressure on hospitals.

Iraq's Health Ministry declared a new wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, with 515 new cases reported in the past 24 hours.

Myanmar has fully vaccinated more than 27.5 million people, or 50.18 per cent of the country's 54.8-million population, against Covid-19, according to its Ministry of Health.

Cambodia on Thursday started providing the fifth dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to priority groups across the country, Health Ministry spokeswoman Or Vandine announced.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday said that over 88 per cent of India's adult population have been fully vaccinated against Covid.

Argentina has applied more than 101 million vaccine shots against Covid-19, the Health Ministry said.

Cambodia will start offering a fifth dose of Covid-19 vaccines to priority groups from June 9 onwards, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said.

More than 60 per cent of youngsters between 15 and 18 years of age have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Friday.

India on Thursday relaxed the waiting period for Covid-19 vaccine precaution dose for those travelling abroad, allowing them to get the jab before the stipulated nine months, as per the rules of their destination country.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday met 1,753 students who graduated the 2021 high school exit exam with Grade A, awarding each of them with an iPad and $500.

Nearly 18 million Argentines have received a booster shot against Covid-19, the Health Ministry announced.

The Supreme Court on Monday said that no individual can be forced to get vaccinated and added that the current Covid-19 vaccine policy of the government is not arbitrary.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that Covid-19 vaccine developer Moderna will build a manufacturing facility in the country's Quebec to deliver up to 100 million mRNA vaccine doses annually.

The use of masks will no longer be mandatory in both open and closed spaces in Ecuador, President Guillermo Lasso announced.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Tuesday approved three Covid vaccines for the restricted emergency use authorisation (EUA) for children of different age groups.

Japan's Health Ministry on Tuesday approved the use of a Covid-19 vaccine developed by US pharmaceutical company Novavax to be used on people aged 18 and above.

India recorded a steep decline in Covid-19 cases as it recorded 1,247 infections in the past 24 hours, against 2,183 reported the previous day, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday.

India reported 975 fresh Covid cases in the past 24 hours, a marginal rise against 949 infections reported on previous day, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Saturday.

India recorded 796 Covid cases in the last 24 hours, a marginal decline against 861 infections recorded the previous day, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday.

In the last 24 hours, India reported 1,150 new Covid-19 cases and 83 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday.

India on Friday reported a marginal increase with 1,109 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, against the 1,033 infections reported a day earlier, the Union Health Ministry said.

India recorded 1,033 cases fresh cases in a span of 24 hours, a marginal decline against previous day's count of 1,086, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Thursday.

India on Wednesday reported 1,086 fresh Covid cases, which is marginally higher than previous day's count of 795 infections in a span of 24 hours, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

In the last 24 hours, India reported 1,260 new Covid-19 cases and 83 deaths, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday.

India reported 1,938 fresh Covid cases, marginally higher than the previous day's count of 1,778, in a span of 24 hours.

Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, has called for more people to get the booster dose against Covid-19 as the country has started easing restrictions, such as limits on social gatherings and mask mandates.

The Union Government after deliberations with scientific bodies decided on Monday to start Covid vaccination for 12-14 year age group from March 16.

Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturer Biological E has applied for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for its Covid vaccine Corbevax for children in 5 to 12 age bracket, official sources said on Wednesday.

India has administered both doses of Covid-19 vaccines to over 3 crore youngsters of 15 to 18 age group so far. The vaccination drive for teenagers started on January 3.

Over 3.1 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses had been administered on the Chinese mainland, so far, data from the National Health Commission showed Thursday.

Lebanese authorities have announced that inbound travellers would be exempted from PCR tests if they have received their last Covid-19 vaccine shots within six months.

The World Health Organization's (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called for cooperation and collaboration in the face of common threats from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has lauded the efforts of South African researchers, who have set up a hub to develop mRNA-based vaccines against Covid-19.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it has postponed an advisory panel meeting on the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in children six months through four years of age, saying it needs more data.