Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday voiced concern over the country's rising coronavirus fatality rate but said the outbreak was under control.

The biotech company Pfizer said Wednesday that a completed study of its experimental Covid-19 vaccine showed it is 95 percent effective.

The US issued an emergency use authorization for the first self-administered rapid coronavirus test Tuesday, as more parts of the country increase restrictions in an attempt to halt a Covid-19 surge.

Amazon said Tuesday it was launching an online pharmacy for U.S. consumers, who will be able to order prescription medications directly from the e-commerce giant's website or mobile app.

France said Tuesday it was preparing to kick off a nationwide Covid vaccination campaign in January when it hopes virus shots will be approved and available.

Russia reported Tuesday a record high 442 new coronavirus-related deaths as the country's regions struggled to cope with overflowing morgues and medicine shortages.

Moscow on Tuesday vehemently rejected claims by Microsoft that Russia was behind cyber attacks on companies researching coronavirus vaccines and treatments, saying it was being made a scapegoat.

Belgium's retirement homes have been ignored in the Covid-19 pandemic, effectively "abandoned" by authorities who trampled their residents' human rights, Amnesty International alleged in a report on Monday.

U.S. biotech firm Moderna on Monday announced its experimental vaccine against Covid-19 was almost 95 percent effective, marking a second major breakthrough in the quest to end the pandemic.

Moderna released early results from a clinical trial with more than 30,000 participants, after American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech last week said their vaccine was 90 percent effective. 

The head of the World Health Organization said Monday that a vaccine would not by itself stop the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic is raging months after it broke out, with infections soaring past 54 million and claiming more than 1.3 million lives.