The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has exceeded 623 million, with over 6.5 million deaths, data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows.

The Chinese mainland recorded 211 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, with 164 attributed to local transmissions and 47 from overseas, data from the National Health Commission showed on Thursday.

Japan has eased its COVID-19 advisory for all overseas trips, Kyodo News reported on Wednesday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized Novavax Inc's COVID-19 vaccine as a booster for adults.