What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Restaurants, bars and cinemas will be allowed to operate with up to 50% capacity and the number of people at weddings will be restricted to 200. Philippines to reopen in February to vaccinated foreign tourists The Philippines will grant entry to visitors vaccinated against COVID-19 from Feb. 10, its government said on Friday, in an effort to boost a tourism sector decimated by the pandemic. The archipelago nation of more than 7,000 islands had planned to reopen in December, but that was aborted over concerns about the Omicron variant.

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Merck's COVID pill active against Omicron in lab studies

Merck & Co and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said on Friday six lab studies showed their experimental oral COVID-19 drug molnupiravir was active against the fast-spreading Omicron variant. The data evaluated the antiviral activity of molnupiravir and other COVID-19 antiviral agents against COVID-19 variants of concern. Molnupiravir is yet to be studied against Omicron in human studies, the companies said.

German Omicron wave 'well under control' Germany has the wave of infections from the Omicron variant "well under control" and may consider lifting some restrictions after a peak in late February, its health minister said on Friday.

Germany's Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases reported 190,148 positive tests within 24 hours on Friday, 49,988 more than a week earlier, and 170 deaths in connection with the virus, bringing the death toll to 117,484. "We were prepared for the infection numbers we have at the moment - in fact, these are even lower than expected," Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told a news conference.

Paris hospitals chief sparks debate on unvaccinated paying for treatment The head of the Paris hospitals system has set off a fierce debate by questioning whether people who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19 should continue to have their treatment covered by public health insurance.

Under France's universal healthcare system, all COVID-19 patients who end up in intensive care are fully covered for their treatment, which costs about 3,000 euros ($3,340) per day and typically lasts a week to 10 days. Delhi lifts weekend curfew

India's capital Delhi lifted a weekend curfew and allowed restaurants and marketplaces to reopen on Friday, following a sharp drop in new infections of COVID-19. Under new orders, however, the city will remain under night time curfew, and schools will be closed, Delhi's lieutenant governor said. Restaurants, bars and cinemas will be allowed to operate with up to 50% capacity and the number of people at weddings will be restricted to 200.

Philippines to reopen in February to vaccinated foreign tourists The Philippines will grant entry to visitors vaccinated against COVID-19 from Feb. 10, its government said on Friday, in an effort to boost a tourism sector decimated by the pandemic.

The archipelago nation of more than 7,000 islands had planned to reopen in December, but that was aborted over concerns about the Omicron variant. Pope says disinformation on COVID is human rights violation

Pope Francis said on Friday that spreading fake news and disinformation on COVID-19 and vaccines, including by Catholic media, is a violation of human rights. It was the second time in less than a month that the 85-year-old pope has spoken out on the subject. Three weeks ago, he condemned "baseless" ideological misinformation about vaccines, backing national immunisation campaigns and calling health care a moral obligation.

Anti-vaccine Canada truckers roll toward Ottawa Canadian truck drivers determined to shut down central Ottawa over a federal government vaccine mandate rolled across the country toward the capital on Thursday, boosted by praise from Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk.

The protesters are unhappy that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government has imposed a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truck drivers. (Compiled by Linda Noakes; Editing by Hugh Lawson)