As cases rise in the United Kingdom, including its health secretary testing positive and the prime minister going into isolation, the country eased its remaining COVID-19 restrictions.

In other parts of the world, countries in Southeast Asia reported more daily record highs, Tunisia's surge has toppled its healthcare system, and other African countries reported more steep rises.

UK pins hopes on vaccination

After more than a year of lockdowns, Britain today eased its final restrictions that include indoor masking and gathering limits, pinning its hopes on strong vaccination coverage preventing surges in hospitalizations and deaths.

The step comes even as cases rise steadily due to the more transmissible Delta (B1617.2) variant, which makes up nearly all of the recently sequenced viruses.

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