Herald section
The latest reporting from across the Belfast Herald news desks.
Hong Kong reports a record 8,674 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the territory-wide total of confirmed cases to 75,248.
South Korea approves the use of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years.
South Korea reported 171,452 new daily cases, raising the national total to 2,329,182, with infection rates rising sharply among children under 18.
Boris Johnson announces lifting of mandatory self-isolation and contact tracing in England, effective 24 February, as part of a shift to personal responsibility for managing the virus.
Jordan's Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh tested positive for COVID-19 while leading his delegation in Cairo on 21 February 2022, with no visible symptoms. His meeting with Egypt's president was canceled, and he was to isolate upon returning to Amman.
South Africa has revised its COVID-19 vaccination protocol to increase uptake, shortening intervals between doses and permitting mixed vaccine boosters. The changes follow a slowdown in inoculation rates despite sufficient vaccine supply.
South Korea reported over 2 million confirmed cases, with daily infections and critical cases rising. The government introduced a new risk assessment system, and the Novavax vaccine became available domestically.
Storm Franklin brought strong winds, flooding, and power cuts to Northern Ireland, with 9,000 people affected and multiple road closures reported.