Dozens of travelers from Fiji tested positive in Kiribati, prompting the island nation to implement its first lockdown. Samoa's order followed a cluster of cases in airline passengers from Australia.
As the highly transmissible variant spreads rapidly around the world, some countries have reimposed harsh COVID measures like those seen in the early days of the pandemic.
Austria has placed some 2 million unvaccinated people on partial lockdown. Similar restrictions in Berlin have been placed on people who aren't fully vaccinated.
Air New Zealand will turn one of its 787s into a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Auckland Airport on Saturday. It's part of a broader day of action aimed at boosting the country's vaccination rate.
Alan Hostetter, once a police chief and yoga instructor, became known for protesting pandemic lockdowns in California. He's now facing conspiracy charges for his alleged role in the U.S. Capitol riot.
Several European countries have imposed new lockdown restrictions as COVD-19 cases soar. In Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan is self-isolating at home after testing positive for the virus.
The German chancellor defended her government's decision to extend a COVID-19 lockdown into March, as she issued a stark warning about fast-spreading new strains.
There's a curfew in Paris, and Londoners aren't allowed to invite neighbors to dinner. People are already exhausted of social distancing, but some places are introducing even more draconian measures.
With the coronavirus spreading out of control in many parts of the U.S., some experts say the strategy of testing and tracing can't contain the pandemic until lockdowns bring case numbers down.
The most dramatic case occurred earlier this month when a scramble to steal gasoline ended in a hellish fireball. Other recent incidents involved residents pilfering a humanitarian aid vehicle.
