Two new studies give encouraging evidence that having COVID-19 may offer some protection against future infections. Researchers found that people who made antibodies to the coronavirus were much less likely to test positive again for up to six months and maybe longer.

More than 40 countries are still banning or restricting travel from Britain in a bid to contain a new strain of the coronavirus believed to spread faster.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday his country would prolong its suspension of flights from the UK until early January in light of a new fast-spreading coronavirus strain sweeping Britain.

Britain on Wednesday introduced restrictions on travel from South Africa over the spread of another new variant of coronavirus, UK Health Minister Matt Hancock said.

Egypt has called off all New Year's celebrations in order to stem rising coronavirus cases in the country, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli said Wednesday.

Dubai launched its Covid-19 vaccination program Wednesday with a senior citizen and a nurse among the first to be inoculated using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the government said.

Sydney on Wednesday eased lockdown restrictions for Christmas after Australia's largest city reported a second day of new coronavirus cases in the single digits.

Amid a record testing and tracing effort, just eight new cases were recorded in the past 24 hours, prompting authorities to announce all residents could have at least some visitors over to celebrate the festive period.

Europe on Wednesday began lifting travel bans on Britain put in place  to contain a new fast-spreading Covid strain while WHO experts were set to meet on a response to it.

Mexico will begin Covid-19 immunizations on Thursday, a day after the country receives its first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, Undersecretary of Health Hugo Lopez-Gatell said.

The World Health Organization in Europe said Tuesday it would convene its members to discuss how to handle a new variant of the novel coronavirus discovered in the UK.

Hans Kluge, WHO's regional director for Europe said on Twitter that the organization was closely monitoring the spread of the new variant and would "convene member states to discuss strategies for testing, reducing transmission & communicating risks."