* Britain's health minister said there is now community transmission of the Omicron variant across regions of England.

* France will close nightclubs ahead of Christmas and tighten social distancing measures in response to Omicron, but there is no need for new lockdowns or curfews, Prime Minister Jean Castex said.

* The Czech government will order COVID-19 vaccinations for people working in hospitals and nursing homes as well as police officers, soldiers and some other professions, and all citizens aged 60 and older.

* Nearly 70 nurses and doctors working in the intensive care unit at a Spanish hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a Christmas party, health authorities said.

* Italy tightened restrictions on people still not vaccinated, limiting their access to an array of places and services.

AMERICAS

* The US ban on foreign nationals entering the country from eight southern African countries is something President Joe Biden's public health advisers reconsider daily, the White House said.

* At least 17 COVID-19 cases, including a probable case of the Omicron variant, have been detected among passengers and crew on a cruise ship that disembarked in New Orleans over the weekend, Louisiana health officials said.

* Argentina, which on Sunday detected its first case of Omicron, has approved Russia's one-dose Sputnik Light as a standalone vaccine and a booster shot, the Russian Direct Investment Fund said, citing the health ministry.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* Some children in the Philippines' capital Manila returned to school after a near two-year suspension as the country tries to get life back to normal.

* India's cases of Omicron rose to 21 over the weekend, officials said, while Nepal and Thailand detected their first cases.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Namibia has detected the Omicron variant in 18 of 19 samples sequenced between November 11 and 26, its health ministry said.

* Nigeria criticised Britain's decision to add the country to a travel 'red list' due to coronavirus concerns as unjust and not driven by science.

* South Africa is preparing hospitals for more admissions, as Omicron pushes the country into a fourth wave of infections, President Cyril Ramaphosa said.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT

* The European Union's drug regulator recommended extending the use of Roche's RoActemra arthritis drug for adult COVID-19 patients on systemic treatment with steroids and those who need oxygen support or mechanical ventilation.

* South Africa's Biovac will start making Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine early next year after receiving the drug substance from Europe, a Pfizer executive said.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

* The emergence of the Omicron variant is starting to impact shopper behaviour in Britain, researcher Springboard said.

GLOBAL

DEATHS 5,275,356

CASES 266,507,854

RECOVERED 240,057,252

Australian Associated Press