Health News Roundup: U.S. FDA changes Plan B label to say it does not cause abortion; China's Zhejiang has 1 million daily COVID cases, expected to double and more

The consumer information distributed with the morning after pill known as Plan B One-Step, which has been available over the counter for everyone since 2013, now makes clear its mechanism of action does not alter the implantantion of an egg. China's Zhejiang has 1 million daily COVID cases, expected to double China's Zhejiang, a big industrial province near Shanghai, is battling around a million new daily COVID-19 infections, a number expected to double in the days ahead, the provincial government said on Sunday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. FDA changes Plan B label to say it does not cause abortion

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday changed the label for the emergency contraception known as Plan B One-Step to make clear that the pill does not alter the course of an existing pregnancy. The consumer information distributed with the morning after pill known as Plan B One-Step, which has been available over the counter for everyone since 2013, now makes clear its mechanism of action does not alter the implantantion of an egg.

China's Zhejiang has 1 million daily COVID cases, expected to double

China's Zhejiang, a big industrial province near Shanghai, is battling around a million new daily COVID-19 infections, a number expected to double in the days ahead, the provincial government said on Sunday. Despite a record surge of cases nationwide, China reported no COVID deaths on the mainland for the five days through Saturday, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Sunday.

India makes COVID test mandatory for arrivals from some countries, including China

India has mandated a COVID-19 negative test report for travelers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand, the health minister said on Saturday. Passengers from those countries would be put under quarantine if they showed symptoms of COVID-19 or tested positive, Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.

Hong Kong announces planned border re-opening with China as Omicron surges at Christmas

China, grappling with a new wave of COVID-19 infections, took another step towards loosening its pandemic-related restrictions on Saturday when Hong Kong's leader announced it would aim to re-open its borders with the mainland by mid-January. Speaking at a news conference upon returning from Beijing, Hong Kong Chief executive John Lee said authorities would aim to "gradually, orderly, and fully" re-open all entry points between the two sides, and coordinate with the government of nearby Shenzhen to manage the flow of people.

Hong Kong aims for mid-January reopening of border with mainland China

Hong Kong will reopen its borders with mainland China by mid-January, city Chief Executive John Lee said on Saturday, as Beijing accelerates the unwinding of stringent COVID-19 rules that have battered economic growth. Lee, speaking at a press event at the airport in Hong Kong as he returned from a trip to Beijing, said the goal in "gradually, orderly, and fully" reopening the city will be to return the border to its state before the virus outbreak.

(With inputs from agencies.)