Health News Roundup: Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 26,923; Some vaccine doses kept too cold, Pfizer having manufacturing issues, U.S. officials say and more

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued the guidance on its website after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the way for a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech.

The U.S. agency that enforces workplace discrimination laws said on Wednesday that employers who choose to require workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 must be prepared to exempt employees with disabilities and religious objections. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued the guidance on its website after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the way for a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech.

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 26,923 - RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 26,923 to 1,406,161, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Thursday. The reported death toll rose by 698 to 24,125, the tally showed.

Some vaccine doses kept too cold, Pfizer having manufacturing issues, U.S. officials say

The first days of Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine rollout have seen unexpected hitches including some vaccines being stored at excessively cold temperatures and Pfizer reporting potential challenges in its vaccine production, U.S. officials said on a Wednesday press call. At least two trays of COVID-19 vaccine doses delivered in California needed to be replaced after their storage temperatures dipped below minus 80 Celsius (minus 112 Fahrenheit), U.S. Army General Gustave Perna said on the call. Pfizer's vaccines, made with partner BioNTech SE, are supposed to be kept at around minus 70C.

S.Korea reports record daily rise in coronavirus deaths

South Korea reported a record number of coronavirus deaths on Thursday as the country's largest wave of infections strains hospitals and contact tracers. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported that there had been 22 additional deaths as of midnight on Wednesday, sharply up from a previous high of 13 earlier in the week.

One night in Wuhan: COVID-19's original epicentre re-learns how to party

In a crowded Wuhan beer hall, Zhang Qiong wipes birthday cake from her face after a food fight with her friends. "After experiencing the first wave of epidemic in Wuhan and then the liberation, I feel like I'm living a second life," says Zhang, 29, who works in a textiles shop in the central Chinese city that was the original epicentre of COVID-19.