News24com FACTBOX Biden pushes payment for vaccination Heres the latest on the spread of the coronavirus

US President Joe Biden is pushing people to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

There is a sharp rise in infections in Greece's Aegean islands.

The Delta variant is much more contagious than all other versions of the virus.

US President Joe Biden urged local governments to pay people to get vaccinated, and set new rules requiring federal workers to provide proof of vaccination, while Japan proposed states of emergency until 31 August in three prefectures near Olympic host Tokyo and the western prefecture of Osaka.

Europe

* Portugal announced a three-stage plan to lift restrictions, including scrapping a night-time curfew, as the country's vaccination rollout speeds up.

* Greece's south Aegean islands were marked dark red on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control's Covid-19 map on Thursday after a rise in infections, meaning all but essential travel to and from the region is discouraged.

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Asia-Pacific

* The Japanese government approved the administration of AstraZeneca Plc's vaccine after a few months' pause, local media reported.

* Sydney reported a slight easing in locally acquired cases amid a further tightening of restrictions in the worst-affected suburbs, with the military summoned to help enforce lockdown rules.

* Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte approved the imposition of lockdown measures in the capital region.

* Thailand has received its first batch of 1.5 million doses of Pfizer vaccines donated by the US government.

READ | Australia PM Morrison says vaccinations alone will not end Sydney's Covid-19 lockdown

Americas

* Brazil plans to cancel a contract signed in March for 10 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, as the South American nation struggles with one of the worst outbreaks in the world.

Middle East and Africa

* Israel will begin offering a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to people aged over 60, a world first in efforts to slow the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

* Saudi Arabia's tourism ministry will re-allow entry for tourist visa holders starting from 1 August.

Medical developments

* The Delta variant is much more contagious, more likely to break through protections afforded by the vaccines and may cause more severe disease than all other known versions of the virus, according to an internal presentation by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the New York Times reported.

* China's CanSino Biologics may start as early as next month a clinical trial using Russia's Sputnik V vaccine followed by a shot of its own shot.

Economic impact

* Asian shares slipped on Friday, with a gauge of regional equities set for its biggest monthly drop since the height of global pandemic lockdowns last March, while the dollar lagged near one-month lows on expectations of continued Fed stimulus.

* Japan's factory output jumped in June and job availability rose to the highest level in nearly a year, a sign robust overseas demand was offsetting the drag to consumption from the pandemic.

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