China has urged its citizens to stock up on daily necessities in case of emergency; Japan will gradually ease border restrictions amid falling Covid cases

• Thailand, Australia and Israel ease international border restrictions
• Facebook failed to protect users from Covid misinformation: monitor
• Global Covid death toll passes 5m
• Japan relaxes restrictions after dramatic decline in cases
• The US is rolling out Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 jabs for children aged 5-11
• See all our coronavirus coverage

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has issued some data in the UK, suggesting that the number of Covid deaths is raising. The bulletin states:

The number of deaths from all causes in the UK in the week ending 22 October 2021 (Week 42) was 12,935, 15.4% above the average for the corresponding week in 2015 to 2019. Deaths were above the five-year average in all UK countries.

Of all deaths registered in the week ending 22 October, 974 involved coronavirus (Covid-19), 82 more than the previous week (a 9.2% increase). Deaths involving Covid-19 accounted for around 1 in 13 deaths (7.5%).

The policy will remain for a long time. How long it will last depends on the virus-control situation worldwide.