Japan said on Monday it would bar entry to foreigners from midnight on Tuesday to prevent the spread of the Omicron Covid variant. Earlier, Singapore and Malaysia reopened their land border

A resurgence of Covid-19 infections in parts of northern China forced two small cities to suspend public transport and tighten control over residents' movement

Travellers welcomed the chance to reunite with family and friends, but there is concern the border might be closed again due to the new coronavirus variant Omicron.

China could face more than 630,000 Covid-19 infections a day if it dropped its zero-tolerance policies by lifting travel curbs, a study by Peking University mathematicians has warned

Nations around the world tightened border controls to guard against the spread of the new coronavirus variant Omicron.

The Omicron variant has raised alarm because of the large number of mutations it has, spurring fears that this may help it spread or evade antibodies created by vaccines currently being used

Contact tracing is being done to determine the extent of a Covid outbreak in Manzhouli with mass testing due to begin for the city's 300,000 residents and people told not to leave their homes

Markets have plunged as nations shut doors on travellers from southern Africa. The WTO has had to put off its summit next week amid alarm over the 'more infectious' Omicron variant.

The WHO called an emergency meeting to discuss the variant first found in South Africa. It has a protein very different to the initial Covid-19 and could be vaccine resistant

Cathay Pacific faces a revolt from pilots who say Hong Kong's strict quarantine rule risks their mental health and has led to resignations.

Traveller with new variant came from South Africa, while new infections show the growing challenge it faces in trying to eliminate local clusters

China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said the epidemic situation in the former British colony was "stable and controllable"