Overview: International Covid developments

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus Oil fell on Monday after U.S. airlines called off thousands of flights over the Christmas holidays amid surging COVID-19 infections, and China's cases edged higher as Xian tightened curbs on travel within the city on the fifth day of a lockdown of its 13 million people. Reuters Reuters

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* Visitor numbers in London's main shopping and entertainment district were just over half of the pre-pandemic level on Dec. 26 and also fell compared to a week earlier, data for one of the year's traditionally busiest shopping days showed. read more

* The Swiss drugs regulator approved Ronapreve, an antibody treatment jointly developed by Roche and Regeneron (REGN.O), to treat COVID-19 patients. read more

* Australian authorities refrained from imposing new curbs despite the country's first Omicron death, saying hospitalisation rates remained low. read more

* South Korea authorised emergency use of Pfizer's (PFE.N) antiviral pills targeting COVID-19 as the first of its kind to be introduced in the country. read more

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* An Israeli hospital administered fourth COVID-19 vaccine doses to a test group as the country considers approving the measure for vulnerable populations. read more

* Oman will not allow employees in the public or private sectors to enter their workplace without a vaccination certificate proving they are fully vaccinated. read more

* Iran has banned the entry of travellers from Britain, France, Denmark and Norway for 15 days. read more

* The Palestinian health ministry said it had identified the first case of Omicron in the Gaza Strip. read more

* Japan's Shionogi & Co. Ltd (4507.T) started a phase III clinical trial in Vietnam for a new COVID-19 vaccine. read more

* China's Kintor Pharmaceutical Ltd (9939.HK) said data from a phase III clinical trial for its potential COVID-19 treatment proxalutamide in non-hospitalised patients did not meet statistical criteria in the interim analysis. read more

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