People who have been fully vaccinated might soon be able to regain personal freedoms and return to a more ordinary life, Germany's Health Minister Jens Spahn has said.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, top US immunologist Dr Anthony Fauci discussed the state of the Covid-19 pandemic in the US and around the world. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and White House chief medical adviser welcomed the faster pace of vaccination in the US, saying it gave him hope the situation could be "under control" within a "reasonable" timeframe. He also strongly encouraged people to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

The Robert Koch Institute for disease control says 12.7 million people have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. On Saturday, hundreds of protesters across Germany demanded stricter lockdown measures.

Pregnant women are a risk group for severe COVID-19. But vaccinations among the pregnant are running slow in Germany, compared with other countries.

US President Joe Biden encourages children aged 12-15 to get vaccinated against Covid-19 as soon as possible, now that the Food and Drug Administration has authorized the Pfizer shot for their age group.

Health officials recommend that fully vaccinated people will not have to wear masks outside, even in large crowds. The US has seen a dramatic drop in new cases and deaths since providing immunizations.

The Seychelles is causing concern for world health experts after a rise of Covid-19 cases among fully vaccinated individuals. According to the country's health officials, however, two thirds of positive cases are among people not yet fully vaccinated.

Americans react after the top US health agency announced it was lifting mask-wearing guidance for people who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

EU member states have agreed to allow vaccinated travellers into the bloc under a recommendation to be adopted on Friday by EU ministers and taken up by leaders at a summit next week, the European Commission says. EU ambassadors agreed that those inoculated with EU-approved vaccines against Covid-19 would be able to enter, though the decision is not binding on member states, which can make up their own mind whether to apply it. Also, an "emergency brake" will be available to prevent variants being imported into the EU.

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No foreign pilgrims will be able to attend this year's hajj. Saudi Arabia's leading religious council has decided that protecting the population is the most important goal.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett calls on young people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. The Israeli health ministry reimposed compulsory mask-wearing in enclosed public places on June 25, following a surge in Covid-19 cases since the rule was dropped 10 days earlier.