TOP HEADLINES

· The UK Health Security Agency said it has designated as a "variant under investigation" a sub-lineage of the dominant and highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant.

BA.2, which does not have the specific mutation seen with Omicron that can be used as a proxy to easily distinguish it from Delta, is being investigated but has not been designated a "variant of concern."

"It is the nature of viruses to evolve and mutate, so it's to be expected that we will continue to see new variants emerge," Meera Chand, incident director at the UKHSA, said.

· A small preliminary laboratory study has shown that levels of Omicron-neutralizing antibodies of people vaccinated with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine did not decline as much as of those for people who had Pfizer shots.

The joint Russian-Italian study – funded by the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which markets Sputnik V abroad – compared the blood serum of people who had received the different vaccines.

The preliminary study was conducted by scientists from the Spallanzani Institute in Italy and Gamaleya Institute in Moscow, the developer of the Sputnik V vaccine.

· Germany reported a record 140,160 new coronavirus cases on Friday and sources said the health minister had warned the country could suffer at least 400,000 cases per day by mid-February.

That figure would be reached under an optimistic scenario in which booster shots provide very good protection, Karl Lauterbach said in discussion with state government leaders, sources involved in the talks told Reuters late on Thursday.

The number could climb to more than 600,000 daily new cases if the booster shots were less protective, he said, according to the sources.

· Poland has posted a record 36,665 daily COVID-19 cases for the past 24 hours, a deputy health minister said, as an Omicron-driven fifth wave of infections takes hold.

Authorities have warned the latest wave of the pandemic will drive case numbers to levels as yet unseen in the European Union's largest eastern member, putting severe strain on the health service.

"In the coming days, we will also have very high results, it worries us," Waldemar Kraska told private broadcaster Radio Plus, adding that daily cases would top 50,000 next week.

· European Union health ministers will try to find a standard line on Friday over a potential fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines amid a surge in cases sparked by the Omicron variant.

The EU drugs regulator said earlier this week it would be reasonable to give the fourth dose to people with severely weakened immune systems, but more evidence was needed.

· Further civil unrest broke out overnight in the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe and at least one police officer was injured, the Caribbean island's prefect said.

Police officers came under attack from gunfire, stones and petrol bombs, the prefect (the chief representative of the central French state) said in a statement.

Guadeloupe and the nearby French island of Martinique have been hit by violent protests over the past few months, due partly to public anger over COVID-19 restrictions.

· Ireland looks set to rapidly unwind almost all COVID-19 restrictions, with ministers due to meet on Friday to agree on a timetable after being given the green light by public health officials.

Ireland had the second-highest incidence rate of COVID-19 in Europe just last week and one of the continent's highest uptakes of booster vaccines, which has helped keep the number of seriously ill people well below the previous peak.

An 8 p.m curfew on the hospitality sector could be lifted as soon as this weekend, alongside the ditching of vaccine passes with capacity in indoor and outdoor venues also set to return to full capacity, including for next month's Six Nations rugby championship, local media reported.