PARIS (AFP) — Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis.

– England travel rules eased –

The UK government relaxes pandemic restrictions on travel into England, overhauling its complicated “traffic light” watchlist with a simpler regime for fully vaccinated arrivals.

– 50 million jabbed in France –

The number of people in France who have received at least one jab against Covid-19 has crossed the 50-million mark, President Emmanuel Macron says.

– Indian record –

India makes a record 22 million coronavirus jabs in a day as part of a special vaccination drive for the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

– Putin votes online –

Russian President Vladimir Putin votes online in a parliamentary election, after he announced this week he was self-isolating due to a coronavirus cluster at the Kremlin.

– Moderna edges Pfizer –

A new study released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the latest to suggest the Moderna Covid vaccine confers better long-term protection against hospitalisation than Pfizer.

– Anti-booster shots –

The head of the world’s largest vaccine maker, Adar Poonawalla, chief executive of Serum Institute of India, says it is “unethical” to give third doses of the Covid-19 vaccine while developing nations are struggling to access first and second jabs.

– Switzerland tightens borders –

Switzerland announces that all travellers entering the country, who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 or recovered from the disease, will need proof of a negative test.

– Austria superspreader case –

A lawsuit over a notorious outbreak at an Austrian ski resort last year has begun in Vienna.

Thousands of people from 45 countries claim to have become infected at Ischgl in the Tyrol and blame the authorities for not doing enough to stop the outbreak seeding the spread across Europe.

– US booster D-Day –

US medical experts are debating and voting Friday on whether to give out booster doses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine to the general population.

– Lions, tigers stricken –

Six lions and three tigers at the National Zoo in Washington have tested positive for Covid-19 and are undergoing treatment after falling unwell, the zoo says.

– Over 4.6 million dead –

The coronavirus has killed at least 4,667,150 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data.

The US is the worst-affected country with 670,009 deaths, followed by Brazil with 589,240, India with 444,248, Mexico 270,348 and Peru 198,891.

Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were the US with 3,412, followed by Russia with 791 and Brazil with 643.

PFIZER (isin = US7170811035)