* The European Union's drug regulator said it has concluded in its review that Moderna's COVID-19 booster vaccine may be given to people aged 18 and above, at least six months after the second dose.

* Russia reported a record number of daily cases and some central European countries imposed fresh restrictions on Monday, as a new wave of the pandemic gathered pace.

* Spain reached the grim milestone of five million cases during the pandemic.

* The Dutch government may impose new restrictions to reduce pressure on hospitals struggling to deal with a swelling number of patients.

AMERICAS

* US President Joe Biden on Monday signed an order imposing new vaccine requirements for most foreign national air travellers and lifting severe travel restrictions on China, India and much of Europe effective November 8.

* The Biden administration said it will invest $US70 million ($A93 million) to boost the availability and lower costs of rapid, over-the-counter tests in the United States.

* Venezuela reopened public schools and universities which serve more than 11 million students, though some schools remained closed for repairs or because of lack of staff.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* As Australia edges towards a national 80 per cent COVID-19 vaccination rate, preparations are being made for a booster program.

* China's latest outbreak is increasingly likely to spread further, a health official said on Sunday, as authorities urged all regions to step up monitoring and called for a reduction in travel across provinces.

* Competitors in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will be subject to daily tests and will be required to remain in a closed loop that includes transport between the various games venues.

* Indonesia is "finalising" a deal with Merck & Co to procure its experimental antiviral pills to treat COVID-19 ailments.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare is aiming to ramp up its vaccine manufacturing capacity to 1.3 billion doses a year by February 2024, up from a current annual output of around 250 million doses, the company's CEO told Reuters.

* Namibia will suspend its rollout of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, days after the drugs regulator in neighbouring South Africa flagged concerns about its safety for people at risk of HIV.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Scientists at the US Food and Drug Administration said the likely benefits of giving the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to 5 to 11 year olds clearly outweigh the risks of rare cases of heart inflammation.

* COVID-19 patients who require surgery appear to face fewer complications if they have previously been vaccinated against the flu, new data suggest.

* US drugmaker Merck & Co Inc said the European Union's drug regulator has initiated a real-time review of its experimental COVID-19 antiviral drug for adults.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Global equity markets rose, while US Treasury yields dipped as investors were buoyed by a better-than-expected US corporate earnings season that kicks into gear this week.

* The European Union disbursed 600 million euros ($A931 million) to Ukraine, the second tranche of an aid program to help its eastern European neighbour through the economic shock of the pandemic.

GLOBAL:

DEATHS 4,968,295

CASES 244,717,683

RECOVERED 221,775,361

Australian Associated Press