Hong Kong has reported more than 700,000 infections and about 4,000 deaths, most of them taking place in the past three weeks.

Authorities have closed up the bubble last week meaning thousands of staff, volunteers, cleaners, cooks and coach drivers will be cocooned for weeks with no access to the outside world.

Thirteen contestants and nine others associated with the Miss Grand Samut Sakhon pageant have tested positive for the virus.

The UK is now recording around 2,000 new coronavirus cases a day, compared with a daily peak of nearly 70,000 in January.

Crowds of customers at malls and bazaars are making it difficult to enforce physical distancing rules.

UK scientific advisers are saying maintaining basic policies which reduce transmission will be necessary for some time to come.

With approximately 13% of US residents vaccinated, the atmosphere is particularly festive and the illusion that the pandemic is now under control is pervasive.

While Pakistan managed to avoid the huge numbers of casualties authorities had feared, a social divide is appearing between those who observe SOPs and those who do not.

The long lines of parents told to get their documents validated in person trigger concern over virus SOPs.

Police are said to have met 'fierce hostility' from many of the partygoers who set one of their cars of fire and threw bottles and stones.

New York authorities issued a fine after a video of the wedding showing thousands of attendees singing and dancing without masks circulated on social media.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is discouraging traditional festivities and recommending socially distant alternatives.