While the original Covid-19 vaccines continue to provide good protection against hospitalisation and death, vaccines have become less effective as the virus has evolved.

The health minister says Malaysia is facing 'a small but prolonged wave' this time around.

China has reported 807 locally transmitted Covid infections for Aug 7, of which were 324 symptomatic and 483 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission says.

Japan's tally of Covid cases has surged past those of other countries as the full impact of the BA.4 and BA.5 variants dominating around the world hits home.

The health ministry says it appears that the country's latest Covid-19 wave has peaked.

Health officials predicted the latest wave could peak only later this month, with some states expecting the spike in infection rates and hospital admissions to ease by late August.

Adults and children in the Asian financial hub, which retains some of the world's toughest Covid precautions, are required to have at least three coronavirus vaccine shots.

The potential wild card remains whether a new variant will emerge that out-competes currently dominant Omicron subvariants.

Given the current surge and people's waning immunity, experts say the best booster for those at risk is the one at hand.

The tally of infections since June 18 stood at 1,816, the government said in a statement, as the city grapples with the fast-spreading Omicron variant for the first time.

Once regarded as a model for preventing Covid infection, New Zealand's swift response to the pandemic and its geographic isolation kept it largely free from the virus until the end of last year.

Nearly 5,600 patients infected with Covid are in hospital while 100 new deaths were reported, just short of a record 102 deaths.