BERLIN—The Austrian government said Wednesday that it plans to end most of the country’s COVID-19 restrictions on March 5, though wearing masks will remain obligatory in some places. Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced the decision at a news conference in Vienna. Officials stressed that the pandemic is not yet over but a stabilization of new infections…

BERLIN—German investor sentiment rose in February on expectations that restrictions to contain COVID-19 will ease, allowing growth in Europe’s largest economy to pick up, a survey showed on Tuesday. The ZEW economic research institute said its economic sentiment index rose to 54.3 from 51.7 in January. A Reuters poll had pointed to a rise to…

HONG KONG—Hong Kong announced stringent new coronavirus restrictions and record new infections on Tuesday, while a shortage of vegetables added to the misery as truck drivers who tested positive for COVID-19 were unable to bring them from mainland China. The Asian financial hub reported a record 625 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, with cases likely to…

Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner and current Pfizer board member Scott Gottlieb said he believes COVID-19 infections are going to continue to fall as spring approaches and that the United States should be “as aggressive” about relaxing restrictions as it was about imposing them. Gottlieb made the remarks in a Jan. 28 interview…

Commentary Are we finally at the end of the pandemic? Could it possibly be that the COVID-induced madness that has done more harm than good for the last 19 months is finally receding? There are some glimmers of hope. The British government announced this week that come Dec. 27, it will end mandatory face coverings and…

AMSTERDAM—Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Friday announced the reopening of stores, hairdressers, and gyms, partially lifting a lockdown. “We are taking a big step and that also means we’re taking a big risk,” Rutte told a televised press conference. Non-essential stores, hairdressers, beauty salons, and other service providers will be allowed to reopen under…

Australia’s Northern Territory has put in place a lockout of unvaccinated residents after 256 new COVID-19 cases were recorded on Wednesday. In a press conference on Thursday, Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner said that the Territory-wide lockout will be effective from 1 p.m. on Thursday until 12 p.m. on Monday. “People who are not fully…

HONG KONG—Hong Kong authorities announced a two-week ban on flights from the United States and seven other countries and held 2,500 passengers on a cruise ship for coronavirus testing Wednesday as the city attempted to stem an emerging omicron outbreak. The two-week ban on passenger flights from Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Britain,…

Thousands of small businesses in Ontario may shut down for good as they won’t be able to survive further loss of revenue when the provincial government introduces another round of lockdowns starting Jan. 5, says the president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). “This is absolutely devastating,” Dan Kelly said in an interview with…

Thousands of small businesses in Ontario may shut down for good as they won’t be able to survive further loss of revenue when the provincial government introduces another round of lockdowns starting Jan. 5, says the president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). “This is absolutely devastating,” Dan Kelly said in an interview with…