COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 5 November

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 248.7 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.03 million. More than 7.19 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

President Joe Biden will enforce a mandate that workers at US companies with at least 100 employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested weekly starting Jan. 4, 2022. The announcement spurred legal challenges from Republican governors who say Biden is overstepping his authority.

Europe registered a 55% rise in COVID-19 cases in the last four weeks, despite the availability of vaccines, which should serve as a "warning shot" to other regions, World Health Organization officials said on Thursday. WHO emergency director Mike Ryan said that some European countries have "sub-optimal vaccination coverage" despite availability.

The first step in Japan's planned phased re-opening of borders, which centres on business travellers, will be put into effect from Nov. 8, the government said on Friday. The change will shorten COVID-19 quarantine periods for inbound business travellers from 10 days to three if they have proof of vaccination, the government said.

Indonesia's economic growth slowed more than expected in the third quarter as restrictions to control a wave of COVID-19 weighed on activity, although recent data suggests growth may be getting back on track in the current quarter. Southeast Asia's largest economy grew 3.51% in the July-September quarter, below the previous quarter's 7.07% expansion.

The City of Vienna said on Thursday it is banning people not vaccinated against COVID-19 from cafes, restaurants and events with more than 25 people, pre-empting measures that are likely to be introduced across Austria soon as infections are surging.

Britain on Thursday became the first country in the world to approve a potentially game-changing COVID-19 antiviral pill jointly developed by US-based Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, in a boost to the fight against the pandemic.

Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency recommended the drug, molnupiravir, for use in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 and at least one risk factor for developing severe illness, such as obesity, older age diabetes, and heart disease.

It will be administered as soon as possible following a positive COVID-19 test and within five days of the onset of symptoms, the regulator said, citing clinical data.

The green light is the first for an oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19 and the first for a COVID-19 drug that will be administered widely in the community. US advisers will meet this month to vote on whether molnupiravir should be authorized.

Treatments to tackle the pandemic have so far focused mainly on vaccines. Other options, including Gilead's infused antiviral remdesivir and generic steroid dexamethasone, are generally only given after a patient has been hospitalized.

Merck's molnupiravir has been closely watched since data last month showed it could halve the chances of dying or being hospitalized for those most at risk of developing severe COVID-19 when given early in the illness.

The World Health Organization called on Thursday for vaccine makers to prioritize deliveries of COVID-19 jabs to the COVAX dose-sharing facility for poorer countries and said that no more doses should go to countries with more than 40% coverage.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said that boosters should not be administered except to people who are immunocompromised.

"We continue to call on manufacturers of vaccines that already have a WHO Emergency Use Listing to prioritize COVAX, not shareholder profit," he said. The WHO listing of Indian drugmaker Bharat Biotech's Covaxin on Wednesday contributes to vaccine equity, he added.