- This daily round-up brings you a selection of the latest news and updates on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as well as tips and tools to help you stay informed and protected.
- Top stories: US COVID-19 deaths pass 700,000; New Zealand moves away from COVID-19 elimination strategy; Israel changes rules around COVID-19 vaccine pass.
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1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 234.9 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths stands at more than 4.8 million. More than 6.31 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.
The outbreak of the Delta COVID-19 variant appears to have levelled off in Australia, its health minister, Greg Hunt, said on Monday.
Israel has announced that only those citizens who've received their third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be eligible for a 'green pass' that allows entry to restaurants, gyms and many other venues.
Nicaragua has authorized two Cuban-made COVID-19 vaccines for use, the Cuba state-run pharmaceutical corporation BioCubaFarma has said.
An advisory panel of experts to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will hold meetings this month to review data on the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in young children, and whether to clear booster doses of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson's vaccines.
The French seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases has dropped below 5,000 for the first time since 13 July.
Nigeria has had approval for $400 million in World Bank financing to procure and deploy COVID-19 vaccines, the bank announced in a statement on Friday.
2. US COVID-19 deaths pass 700,000
COVID-19-related deaths in the United States have passed 700,000, according to Johns Hopkins. The US has reported more deaths than any other country in the world. It's also reported more confirmed cases than any other country.
The US has reported an average of more than 2,000 deaths per day over the past week, which represents about 60% of the peak in fatalities in January, a Reuters analysis of public health data showed.
The highly transmissible Delta variant has driven a surge in COVID-19 cases that peaked around mid-September before falling to the current level of about 117,625 cases per day, based on a seven-day rolling average.
3. New Zealand drops COVID-19 elimination plan
New Zealand has moved away from its strategy of seeking to eliminate COVID-19 and instead will look to live with the virus while controlling its spread. The news came as restrictions were eased in the country's biggest city, Auckland.
"With this outbreak and Delta the return to zero is incredibly difficult," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference.
"This is a change in approach we were always going to make over time. Our Delta outbreak has accelerated this transition. Vaccines will support it," she said.
The country was one of just a handful to bring COVID-19 cases down to zero last year and had largely stayed virus-free until an outbreak of the Delta variant in August.
India’s leading COVID-19 last-mile responders
Each of our Top 50 social enterprise last mile responders and multi-stakeholder initiatives is working across four priority areas of need: Prevention and protection; COVID-19 treatment and relief; inclusive vaccine access; and securing livelihoods. The list was curated jointly with regional hosts Catalyst 2030’s NASE and Aavishkaar Group. Their profiles can be found on www.wef.ch/lastmiletop50india.
Top Last Mile Partnership Initiatives to collaborate with:
#BackTheFrontline - Dasra
Covid Action Collab
Covid Livelihoods Coalition – CoLive
Creative Dignity
Migrants Resilience Collaborative
Rapid Rural Community Response (RCRC)
REVIVE Alliance
Rural Access Coalition
Saath Nirbhar - vartaLeap Coalition and ComMutiny
SAMRIDH
Sanjha Collective - Goonj
Swasth

Top 50 Last Mile Responders to get behind:
Aajeevika Bureau
Adhyayan Foundation
Antarang Foundation
ARMMAN
Arpan
Barefoot College International
Breakthrough
Center for Wildlife Studies
Conserve India
Dasra
Society Of Development Alternatives
Dharma Life
Doctors For You
Dream a Dream
Eleutheros Christian Society
Every Infant Matters
Frontier Markets
Glocal Healthcare
Goonj
Haqdarshak
Hasiru Dala
Healing Fields Foundation
Hemkunt Foundation
iKure
Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals
Indus Action
Industree Foundation
Jan Sahas
Just Organik
Karuna Trust
LabourNet Services
Lakshya
Manah Wellness
MAHAN Trust, Melghat
Mann Deshi Foundation
Mission Oxygen - Democracy
People Foundation
Naireeta Services
Nidan
Noora Health
Pink Maharani
Reap Benefit
SaveLIFE Foundation
SELCO Foundation
Sevamob
SEWA Cooperative Federation
Spandan Samaj Seva Samiti
Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF)
Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS)
Transforming Rural India Foundation
Ziqitza Health Care Limited