Reuters Health News Summary

Just 67,174 swab tests were carried out in the past day, the ministry said, down from a previous 157,524. France's new COVID-19 cases up by 3,466 over 24 hours France on Saturday recorded 3,466 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, below the 19,348 reported a day earlier, data from the Health Ministry showed.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Britain will allow mixing of COVID-19 vaccines on rare occasions

Britain will allow people to be given shots of different COVID-19 vaccines on rare occasions, despite a lack of evidence about the extent of immunity offered by mixing doses. In a departure from other strategies globally, the government said people could be given a mix-and-match of two COVID-19 shots, for example if the same vaccine dose was out of stock, according to guidelines published on New Year's Eve. "(If) the same vaccine is not available, or if the first product received is unknown, it is reasonable to offer one dose of the locally available product to complete the schedule," according to the guidelines. Japan to consider new COVID-19 emergency declaration

Japan will consider issuing a new emergency declaration after governors in the capital region urged action to tackle a record surge in COVID-19 cases, the head of the nation's pandemic response said on Saturday. The government needs to consult with health experts before deciding on a new declaration, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters after a meeting with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and leaders from three neighbouring prefectures. India's drugs experts approve AstraZeneca, local COVID vaccines

Experts at India's drugs regulator have recommended for emergency use two coronavirus vaccines, one developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and the other backed by a state-run institute, the government said on Saturday. A government minister said earlier the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine had been given the green light on Friday, paving the way for a huge immunisation campaign in the world's second most populous country. 'Overwhelmed' Zimbabwe tightens COVID-19 restrictions, orders most businesses closed

Zimbabwe extended a nationwide curfew, banned gatherings and ordered non-essential businesses closed for a month on Saturday in an effort to curb a surge in coronavirus infections. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also health minister, said some of the tighter restrictions were effective immediately and included a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and a ban on inter-city travel. From Tuesday, non-essential businesses would also be suspended, he said.

Mexican doctor hospitalized after receiving COVID-19 vaccine Mexican authorities said they are studying the case of a 32-year-old female doctor who was hospitalized after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The doctor, whose name has not been released, was admitted to the intensive care unit of a public hospital in the northern state of Nuevo Leon after she experienced seizures, difficulty breathing and a skin rash.

Vatican City plans swift COVID-19 vaccination drive for residents Vatican City, the world's smallest sovereign state, expects to receive enough COVID-19 vaccine doses in the coming days to inoculate all of its workers and residents, a statement said on Saturday. The Vatican is home to about 450 people, including Pope Francis, while several hundred of its employees live in Rome, which surrounds the city state.

UK reports 57,725 new COVID-19 cases, 445 deaths The United Kingdom recorded a further 57,725 cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, the fifth day running that it has topped 50,000, and another 445 deaths, official data showed. Friday’s data had shown 53,285 new coronavirus infections and 613 deaths.

Italy reports 364 coronavirus deaths on Saturday, 11,831 new cases Italy reported 364 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday against 462 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections plunged to 11,831 from 22,211, with far less testing than normal carried out on New Year's day. Just 67,174 swab tests were carried out in the past day, the ministry said, down from a previous 157,524.

France's new COVID-19 cases up by 3,466 over 24 hours France on Saturday recorded 3,466 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, below the 19,348 reported a day earlier, data from the Health Ministry showed. The increase was within the government's target of 5,000 or less per day and brought the cumulative total to 2,643,239.

Russia ready to trial combined AstraZeneca, Sputnik V vaccine in Ukraine Russia is ready to conduct clinical trials in Ukraine of a COVID-19 vaccine combining its Sputnik V with a vaccine developed by AstraZeneca together with Oxford University, the head of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Saturday. Russia's sovereign RDIF, which is marketing the Sputnik V vaccine abroad, announced in December trials to test a combination of the AstraZeneca vaccine with the Sputnik V shot to see if this can boost the efficacy of the British drugmaker's vaccine.