COVID-19 Updates
-
Coronavirus Hong Kong: use mainland Chinese help well, plan for next stage of battle and ensure social stability, top Beijing official tells local government
The local administration must distribute aid from the central government properly and plan for the next stage of the pandemic in an orderly way, a top Beijing official has said…
-
Australia live news updates: Morrison says ‘further names’ to be added to oligarch sanctions list; at least 23 Covid deaths recorded
Scott Morrison says ‘further names’ to be added to sanctions list after Ukraine embassy calls for Australian sanctions against two Russian oligarchs; AFLW final postponed after Covid outbreak; NSW Labor…
-
Coronavirus: South Korea cases, deaths shoot up to record levels
South Korea reported a record 621,328 new daily Covid-19 cases, and a daily record 429 deaths, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Thursday, amid a wave of…
-
Australia’s unemployment rate falls to 4% – the lowest since 2008
Jobless rate for women falls to lowest since May 1974 at 3.8%, as the economy added net 77,400 jobs in February Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest…
-
China mobilises to control latest Covid outbreak – in pictures
Country steps up efforts to control a surge in coronavirus cases as it tries to maintain its zero Covid policy. Major cities such as Shenzhen and Changchun have been locked…
-
Coronavirus: Hong Kong leader’s daily press briefings may undermine credibility if she fails to deliver results, analysts say
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor may want to showcase her governing team’s solidarity and determination to win the Covid-19 battle through hosting daily press briefings, but such a…
-
‘It could be from anywhere’: is it fair to blame Hong Kong for Shenzhen’s Covid-19 outbreak?
Shenzhen residents have expressed growing concern as the city struggles to contain its current Covid-19 outbreak with rumours blaming illegal border crossings from neighbouring Hong Kong – even though the…
-
How local leadership failures left Hong Kong at the mercy of Omicron
Since 1997, Hong Kong has yet to confront a more serious non-political issue than the pandemic. On the heels of the 2019 protests and the aftermath, which considerably damaged confidence…
-
Tracking Australia’s booster rollout: data shows millions of eligible Australians yet to get third Covid vaccine dose
See how Australia’s sluggish Covid booster rate compares to those in the rest of the OECD Get our free news app; get our morning email briefing Australia’s booster rollout is…
-
Coronavirus: international gym chain Fitness First shuts down all Hong Kong branches amid ‘prolonged challenges’ during pandemic
International gym chain Fitness First shut down all branches in Hong Kong on Wednesday amid the “prolonged challenges” brought by the coronavirus pandemic.It marked the first closures in the fitness…