HEALTH

European Council President Charles Michel has become the second top-level European Union official who has had to pull out of the bloc's parliament session because he had a high-risk COVID-19 contact.

German news agency dpa has reported that police are investigating thousands of cases of suspected forgery of coronavirus vaccine certificates.

Pfizer's chief executive, Albert Bourla, has been awarded the prestigious Genesis Prize for his efforts in leading the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Tokyo and a dozen other areas in Japan will face new coronavirus restrictions effective Friday, with local leaders shortening hours for restaurants, as omicron cases hit a record high in the capital.

Health experts suggest stepping up protection against omicron with N95s, KN95s or similar masks.

Hong Kong authorities say they will kill about 2,000 small animals, including hamsters, after several tested positive for the coronavirus at a pet store where an employee was also infected.

An Israeli hospital says preliminary research indicates a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine provides only limited defense against the omicron variant that's raging around the world.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is fighting for his career and he has one constant refrain: Wait for Sue Gray.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has canceled her in-person appointments at the European Parliament this week after her driver tested positive for COVID-19.

Greece has imposed a vaccination mandate for people 60 and older, as a spike in infections has put sustained pressure on Greek hospitals.

Scientists warn that omicron’s whirlwind spread across the globe practically ensures it won’t be the last worrisome coronavirus variant.

The White House is pushing ahead with efforts to prod people to get COVID-19 shots after the Supreme Court put a halt to the administration’s sweeping vaccinate-or-test plan for large employers.

Former tennis star Chris Evert says she was diagnosed with an early stage of ovarian cancer.

U.S. health officials have updated their mask guidance, encouraging more Americans to wear N95 or KN95 masks.

The White House says the federal website where Americans can request free COVID-19 tests will begin accepting orders on Wednesday.

The omicron variant is sickening so many sanitation workers around the U.S. that some cities have had to delay or suspend garbage and recycling pickup, angering residents shocked that governments can’t perform this most basic of functions.

A federal judge has ordered Martin Shkreli to return $64.6 million in profits reaped from inflating the price of a lifesaving drug and barred him from the pharmaceutical industry for the rest of his life.

The new Czech government will allow some workers who have tested positive for the coronavirus to stay on the job, in an extraordinary measure to ease possible staff shortages caused by an anticipated surge of the omicron variant.

The Biden administration is threatening to recoup COVID-19 relief funds sent to Arizona over state provisions it says discourage families and school districts from following federal guidance recommending face coverings in schools.

Just last week, we asked: If you’re a health care worker, what are you seeing lately on the job?

Insurers and employers are taking a renewed interest in programs that help people deal with chronic _ and potentially expensive _ health problems.

Athletes have been put at center court of arguments over COVID vaccines.

The Dutch government has eased its coronavirus lockdown, allowing non-essential stores, universities, sports clubs and “contact businesses” like hairdressers to reopen for the first time in nearly a month.

The Russian government has decided to delay a controversial bill requiring QR codes confirming vaccination or recovery from COVID-19 to access public places, despite surging cases and warnings from top officials about the highly infectious omicron variant.

Milan fashion houses were charting a path out of the pandemic that included a menswear calendar packed with 22 live runway shows and another 18 physical presentations this month.

Italy, Spain and other European countries are reinstating or stiffening mask mandates as their hospitals struggle with mounting numbers of COVID-19 patients.

The Supreme Court has stopped a major push by the Biden administration to boost the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination rate, a requirement that employees at large businesses get a vaccine or test regularly and wear a mask on the job.

South Korea will slightly ease its coronavirus gathering restrictions starting next week but continue to maintain a 9 p.m. curfew on restaurants and entertainment venues as it braces for a possible surge in infections driven by the contagious omicron variant.