COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 27 January

COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 27 January

This daily news round-up brings you a selection of the latest news and updates on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as well as tips and tools to help you stay informed and protected.

Top news stories: Moderna announces trial of Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine; Record cases around Europe and the Americas.





1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 362.5 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.62 million. More than 9.98 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

Moderna has announced a mid-stage study to test a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine specifically designed to target the Omicron variant. The news comes a day after Pfizer and BioNTech announced a trial of their own Omicron-specific jab. CEO Stéphane Bancel discussed an Omicron-specific vaccine at the Davos Agenda last week.

COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease in England, with measures such as mask mandates and COVID passes, which were introduced in December, lapsing today.

The United States has shipped 400 million COVID-19 vaccine doses as part of its earlier pledge to donate about 1.2 billion doses to low-income countries, the White House