The required self-isolation period for people who test positive for COVID-19 is being cut to five full days in England, British Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Thursday.

A forecast from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted that more than 62,000 people could die from COVID-19 over the next four weeks.

Nikkei said COVID-19 Omicron variant infections have been reported across all 47 prefectures in Japan, and 84 percent of the newly confirmed cases from January 3 to 9 are suspected to be of the new variant, which is more transmissible.

The Moldovan capital Chisinau will enter a state of emergency until March 15 due to a surge of confirmed coronavirus cases, local media reported on Thursday.