Japan marks record Covid deaths, Hong Kong, Taiwan's new rules: 8 points

Japan on Wednesday recorded 415 Covid deaths, the highest-ever count for a single day, health ministry data showed. Japan said it had 216,219 newly confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday, which marks an up 4% from a week earlier. The number is close to the record high of some 260,000 a day in August. Meanwhile Hong Kong and Taiwan changed Covid rules.

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Here are 8 points on the story:

1. In the past seven days, Japan had the world's largest confirmed Covid infections and the second-most deaths after the United States, according to the World Health Organization.

2. Taiwan said it will test arrivals from China for Covid from January 1 in response to a surge in cases, the government said.

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3. Hong Kong said that it will end some of its last major Covid rules, scrapping limits on public gatherings.

4. Hong Kong also said that it will no longer requiring proof of vaccination for entry to some venues. There will be no cap on public gatherings, and the city’s vaccine pass will also be scrapped, starting from Thursday, Hong Kong chief executive John Lee.

5. Hong Kong will also no longer require arrivals to undertake PCR tests, though they’ll be recommended to do rapid tests for five days, and close contacts of Covid-positive people won’t need to quarantine.

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6. China said that it will resume issuing ordinary visas and passports ahead of next month’s Lunar New Year holiday.

7. China stopped issuing visas to foreigners and passports to its own people at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020.

8. The National Immigration Administration of China said that it will start taking applications for passports for tourists to go abroad from January 8.