Herald section
The latest reporting from across the Belfast Herald news desks.
France reports a record 232,200 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is also the highest daily total recorded in any European nation since the beginning of the pandemic.
Israel began administering fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to elderly people in care facilities and vulnerable groups, citing high infection risk. The move follows approval for immunocompromised individuals and a prior recommendation for medical workers and those over 60.
The UK reported 183,037 new cases in 24 hours, a record for the second consecutive day, with hospital admissions rising and booster uptake highlighted as critical.
Australia reported 18,243 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on 29 December 2021, marking the ninth consecutive day of record case numbers, with Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania all recording new highs.
Greece reports a record third consecutive day of 28,828 new cases, raising the national total to 1,134,713 confirmed cases.
Malta recorded 1,337 new cases of COVID-19 on 29 December 2021, marking the second consecutive day of record daily infections and raising the national total to 49,625 confirmed cases.
The UK reported a record 138,831 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours, with England, Scotland and Wales contributing 117,093, 9,360 and 12,378 cases respectively. The figure marks the highest daily total since the pandemic began, though data for Northern Ireland was not included.
Vietnam reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a person who travelled from the United Kingdom on December 19.