Hong Kong's border has effectively been shut since 2020 with few flights able to land and hardly any passengers allowed to transit, isolating a city that had built a reputation as a global hub.

New Zealand had some of the toughest border controls in the world during the Covid pandemic as part of government efforts to keep the coronavirus out.

The Chinese-ruled city has some of the most stringent Covid-19 rules in the world, with a ban on flights from nine countries including Australia and Britain, and hotel quarantine of up to two weeks for incoming travellers.

After the surge in cases caused by the Omicron variant, the health situation has improved over the last weeks with less pressure on hospitals, Prime Minister Jean Castex says.

The plan to ditch remaining legal restrictions is a priority for many of Johnson's Conservative Party lawmakers whose discontent over his scandal-ridden leadership has threatened his grip on power.

Medical leaders urge Johnson not to be 'gung-ho' with the nation's health, and government advisers say dropping restrictions could lead to rapid epidemic growth.

Macron says he wants to 'piss off' unvaccinated people by making their lives so complicated they would end up getting jabbed.

The provinces of Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal surrounding Manila have been placed under the third highest alert 'due to a sharp increase of Covid-19 cases', according to a presidential spokesman.

In a series of sweeping measures, Beijing has moved to check what it considers the excesses of modern entertainment, and urged social media platforms to promote patriotic content.

DPM Ismail Sabri Yaakob says which business sectors to be given relaxed restrictions is also being discussed.

Opening up with low vaccine coverage and variants circulating 'is a real toxic mixture for your hospitals filling up again, and this is something that must absolutely be avoided', WHO says.

Services should not be treated differently from permitted secular gatherings, said the unsigned ruling.