The cabinet extends the curfew to 10:00 p.m., and orders all businesses to close at 9:00 p.m. local time beginning tomorrow due to the spread of the Lineage B.1.1.7 variant. The cabinet also re-imposes a Friday lockdown. (Reuters)
Pakistan lifts their COVID-19-related restrictions, allowing indoor dining and wedding ceremonies to resume on March 15. Time limits for shopping centres, markets, and amusement parks are also lifted. (Geo News)
The government announces the easing of national COVID-19 restrictions, with shops reopening on March 1. Schools in some areas will also reopen on March 1, but classes will be at 50% capacity. (The Local Denmark)
The government announces that it will allow non-essential shops, museums and outdoor sporting facilities to reopen on March 1 as part of an easing of social distancing restrictions. In addition, outdoor gatherings up to 15 people will also be allowed. (Bloomberg)
North CarolinagovernorRoy Cooper announces that some stay-at-home and curfew restrictions will be lifted on February 26, such as allowing bars to reopen indoors, increasing the number of people in gatherings, and extending the alcohol sale cutoff to 11:00 p.m. (The News & Observer)
Johnson & Johnson's single-shot COVID-19 vaccine candidate meets the standards for emergency use authorization, according to analysis from a committee within the FDA, though formal authorization will not be determined until February 26. The vaccine is 66% effective in combating the virus and can be stored in normal refrigerators. (CNN)
Authorities in Germany and Belgium seize more than 23,000 kilograms (51,000 lb) of cocaine, worth billions of dollars, in an international operation that resulted in one arrest. Authorities consider this to be the largest amount of cocaine ever seized in Europe. The containers came on a ship from Paraguay, via Tangier and Rotterdam, the police said. (CNN)