Covid live: Italy pledges to donate 45m vaccine doses; UK records 34,460 new cases

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11.00pm BST

Syria is facing a new surge in Covid-19 infections in both government-held areas and territory outside state control that could overwhelm the country's fragile health system, aid workers, officials and medical sources said.

Government health authorities said the number of cases reported in the last twenty four hours has hit 235, the highest daily tally since the first case was reported in March last year.

10.45pm BST

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned on Wednesday that countries in the region could continue to face localised Covid-19 outbreaks well into 2022" even while deaths have fallen from their peak in January.
While vaccinations are progressing, the region faces a severe vaccine inequality problem" that will prolong the pandemic, particularly in the poorer Latin American nations, PAHO said in a report. Vaccine hesitancy may further slow uptake by the population or prevent full achievement of vaccination potential," said the report by the regional branch of the World Health Organization, Reuters reports.