COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 3 December

COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 3 December

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 stories: WHO tells Asia-Pacific to brace for Omicron as variant spreads; Germany imposes restrictions on unvaccinated people; US steps up travel restrictions and brings in free COVID-19 tests.



1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 264.3 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.23 million. More than 8.12 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Asia-Pacific countries on Friday to boost healthcare capacity and fully vaccinate their people to prepare for a surge in COVID-19 cases as the Omicron variant spreads globally despite travel curbs. Australia became the latest country to report community transmission of the new variant. Omicron started gaining a foothold in Asia this week, with cases reported in India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea.

The European Union's public health agency said on Thursday that the Omicron variant could be responsible for more than half of all COVID-19