COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 9 August

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 202.7 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths stands at more than 4.29 million. More than 4.43 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

South Korea has opened COVID-19 vaccine reservations for all adults over 18 years old.

Most people who have a third 'booster' shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine experience similar or fewer side effects than after their second dose, according to initial results of an Israeli study.

Tunisia vaccinated more than half a million people yesterday after the country received more than 6 million vaccine doses.

Malaysia is set to ease some COVID-19 restrictions for fully vaccinated people in eight states, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said yesterday.

The Philippines has recorded its biggest daily increase in COVID-19 deaths – 287 – since 9 April.

Viet Nam has reported a record daily rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 9,690 new infections.

India has approved the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.

A study from Sweden suggests that COVID-19 increases patients' risk of heart attack and stroke.

Scientists at Public Health England (PHE) said on Friday that there are early signs that people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 are able to transmit the Delta variant as easily as those who haven't.

"Some initial findings ... indicate that levels of virus in those who become infected with Delta having already been vaccinated may be similar to levels found in unvaccinated people," PHE said in a statement.

"This may have implications for people's infectiousness, whether they have been vaccinated or not. However, this is early exploratory analysis and further targeted studies are needed to confirm whether this is the case."

The findings echo those from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which warned last week about the infectiousness of vaccinated people with the Delta variant.

3. New South Wales, Australia, expands lockdown

The Australian state of New South Wales has expanded its COVID-19 lockdown to include the rural town of Tamworth. The move comes after people known to have COVID-19 travelled there from Sydney without authorization.

"As a precaution, the health experts have recommended we lock down Tamworth for one week," New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney. The town lies some 400km northwest of Sydney.

Officials also urged people in the Byron Bay area to get tested after a man travelled from Sydney, the epicentre of the state's outbreak, to the tourist spot about 767km to the north.

The state of Victoria has announced plans to ease restrictions except in the capital Melbourne, which will remain in lockdown until at least 12 August. Brisbane, Queensland, came out of a stay-at-home order today.