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

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 256 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.13 million. More than 7.62 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

Russia on Friday reported 1,254 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, a record daily high that follows a surge in cases. The government coronavirus task force also reported 37,156 nationwide infections, including 3,371 in Moscow, down from a peak of 41,335 recorded on Nov 6.

A wave of coronavirus cases sweeping across Germany has plunged the country into a national emergency, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Friday, adding that the situation was more serious than a week ago. He said a lockdown could not be ruled out.

Canada will announce on Friday it is authorizing the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, a government source said on Thursday. The decision will make it the first shot for young children in Canada. Officials had made clear for weeks that the decision would be favourable, noting that the incidence of COVID-19 is now highest in those under 12.

Florida on Thursday banned schools and businesses from requiring vaccination against COVID-19 and set the stage for a possible withdrawal from the federal agency aimed at protecting workplace safety.

Britain's health ministry on Friday said it would add booster shots to the COVID-19 pass for outbound international travel. The health ministry said that travellers who have had a booster or a third dose would be able to demonstrate their vaccine status through the National Health Service (NHS) COVID Pass from Friday.

Austria will become the first country in western Europe to reimpose a full coronavirus lockdown this autumn to tackle a new wave of infections, and will require its whole population to be vaccinated as of February, its government said on Friday.

Roughly two-thirds of Austria's population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, one of the lowest rates in western Europe. Its infections are among the highest on the continent, with a seven-day incidence of 991 per 100,000 people.

Austria introduced a lockdown for all those who were unvaccinated on Monday but since then infections have continued to set new records.

The two worst-hit provinces, Salzburg and Upper Austria, said on Thursday they would introduce their own lockdowns, raising pressure on the government to do the same nationally.

"We have not succeeded in convincing enough people to get vaccinated," Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg told a news conference, saying the lockdown would start on Monday and the requirement to be vaccinated on Feb. 1.

"It hurts that such measures still have to be taken."

With cold weather setting in across Europe as winter approaches, governments have been forced to consider reimposing unpopular lockdowns. The Netherlands has reimposed a partial lockdown, with bars and restaurants closing at 8 p.m.

Pfizer said on Thursday that the US government would pay $5.29 billion for 10 million courses of its experimental COVID-19 antiviral drug, as the country rushes to secure promising oral treatments for the disease.

The deal is for around twice as many treatment courses as Merck & Co Inc has agreed to supply the United States under its contract. The price for the Pfizer pill is nearly 25% lower at roughly $530 per course, compared with about $700 for Merck's.

Pfizer applied for emergency authorization of the drug, branded as Paxlovid, this week after reporting data showing that it was 89% effective at preventing hospitalization or death in at-risk people.

The trial's results suggest that Paxlovid surpasses Merck's Molnupiravir which was shown last month to halve the risk of dying or being hospitalized for COVID-19 patients at high risk of serious illness.

"While this pill still requires a full review by the Food and Drug Administration, I have taken immediate steps to secure enough supply for the American people," President Joe Biden said in a statement.