Rioters injure a police officer with live ammunition on the sidelines of unauthorized demonstrations. The administrative building of theBasse-Terre hospital is invaded by about forty people.(Le Figaro)
A truck carrying explosives to a gold mine explodes after crashing into a motorcycle inApiate,Western Region,Ghana; the explosion destroyed nearby buildings and vehicles, killing 17 people and injuring 59 others.(Reuters)
FrenchPrime MinisterJean Castex announces that a new COVID-19 vaccine pass will go into effect on January 24 pending approval from theConstitutional Council. The new pass will banunvaccinated people from entering most public venues and travelling on domestic flights and inter-regional trains. Additionally, the mandate to work from home for more than 3 days per week will be lifted on February 2 and children between the ages of 12 and 17 years will be eligible to receive abooster dose beginning on Monday.(ABC News)
Romania reports a record 19,105 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,964,021.(Agerpres)
Thailand decides to resume itsquarantine-free travel for all vaccinated travellers beginning on February 1 due to low hospitalization and death rates despite the surging COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant.(Nikkei Asia)
TheMedicines Patent Pool signs an agreement with 27 pharmaceutical companies in 11 countries to produce both raw ingredients and finished products of Merck & Co.'s Molnupiravir COVID-19 drug, which will be used in 105 low- and middle-income developing countries.(France 24)
