Here are the coronavirus headlines for Sunday, November 7, as a top health expert says new cases have peaked in the UK.
The UK Health Security Agency's Dr Susan Hopkins said the peak number of new cases was on October 18, with nearly 58,000 people being diagnosed.
She told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that while the UK is now at the flattening of the peak, the country could still stay at a "very, very high level like this, which will mean that we have deaths that could be prevented by vaccination".
Asked who was dying currently as a result of contracting Covid-19, Dr Hopkins said: "The people who are dying are the same people who have died all the way through.
"It is particularly the older age groups, so the over 70s in particular, but also those who are clinically vulnerable, extremely vulnerable, and have underlying medical conditions."
Dr Hopkins has said there are still deaths in the elderly population due to around 5% of those remaining unvaccinated and the waning effects of the vaccine on those who have been jabbed.
The chief medical adviser told the presenter: "We're still seeing deaths in mainly the unvaccinated population ... but increasingly, because of immune waning effects, there are deaths in the vaccinated group as well."
She added: "As we've mentioned, the immune effects wane and what we see is, especially in the older or the vulnerable groups, those are the people whose immunity will wane the most.
"So, if you're a healthy 30-year-old, then two doses will protect you for a longer period. That's why those people need to come forward for their third dose as soon as possible."
Get booster to save Christmas
The elderly and vulnerable have been urged to get their Covid-19 booster jabs as part of a "national mission" to help avoid a return to coronavirus restrictions over Christmas.
So far almost 10 million people in the UK have received a top-up jab, but there is still a high percentage yet to receive a booster shot of vaccine.
The latest Public Health Wales figures on the number of people who have received their Covid booster vaccine show 492,433 have had it including more than two-thirds of care home residents (71.6%), two-thirds of healthcare workers (66.6%), and more than half of care home workers (56.5%) and those over 80 years old (64%). Vaccination rates for Wales here.
People over 50 and those most at risk from Covid-19 are eligible for a booster six months after their second jab.
UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said younger relatives should urge eligible parents and grandparents to take up the offer of a booster and the flu vaccine.
He said that if "we all come together and play our part" then the country can "avoid a return to restrictions and enjoy Christmas".
"Almost 10 million people in the UK have received their Covid-19 booster and third jabs, a phenomenal achievement in under two months," Mr Javid said.
"As we approach this milestone, I want to thank those who have come forward and urge everybody across the nation to get vaccinated, get protected and get boosted.
"We know immunity begins to wane after six months, especially for the elderly and the vulnerable, and booster vaccines will top-up their protection to keep people safe over the winter.
"I strongly urge everybody who is eligible for a Covid-19 booster or flu vaccine to take up the offer as soon as you can.
"For those not yet eligible, please help your parents, grandparents or vulnerable loved ones get their jabs, it could save their life.
"And if you haven't yet had your first and second vaccines, it is not too late, the NHS will always be there to welcome you with open arms.
"This truly is a national mission. If we all come together and play our part, we can get through this challenging winter, avoid a return to restrictions and enjoy Christmas."
The third jab could become a requirement to avoid travel restrictions in a move which may further drive take-up of boosters.
But the Mail on Sunday reported that officials are divided over how soon to implement the measures and are discussing a grace period to allow people to continue to travel without quarantine if they have sought a booster six months after their second jab but have not yet been offered an appointment.
Read more: All the latest coronavirus news in Wales here.
Three million more people invited for coronavirus booster jab
Three million more people are being invited to have their coronavirus booster jabs in England.
NHS England will be inviting those who had their second dose more than five months ago, meaning they can receive their top-up as soon as it has been six months since their last vaccine.
They said eight million people were vaccinated by Saturday out of 12 million people that have been invited.
By next week, 16 million invitations for a booster will have been sent since the NHS booster programme began.
The only parts of Wales where Covid cases are going up
Most places in Wales have seen a fall in Covid cases in the last seven days though four areas in north Wales have seen a concerning spike. .
The only places to see an increase in the virus were Wexham, Flintshire, Anglesey and Gwynedd.
WalesOnline has compared Public Health Wales data to see the places in Wales where the virus is spreading most quickly. We compared the figures released on November 5 with the week before.
These figures are seven-day rolling totals for new cases adjusted for population (per 100,000 people). It is important to remember that though these figures are a useful guide they are just part of the story. If testing massively increases in one place there is likely to be a rise in confirmed cases. However, these figures are still a vital factor in Welsh Government and Public Health Wales decision-making.
The latest seven-day infection rate across Wales based on the cases for every 100,000 people (for the seven days up to October 31) now stands at 548.4 – a slight drop from the 550.6 reported on Thursday. Go here for more details on the the four areas where Covid has grown.
US preparing to re-open borders to UK travellers
The US reopens will open its borders to UK visitors on Monday in a significant boost to the travel sector.
Thousands of travellers are preparing to jet off on transatlantic flights for long-awaited reunions with family and friends.
Rival airlines British Airways and Virgin Atlantic will operate a synchronised departure from Heathrow to celebrate the end of the travel ban.
Their aircraft will take off from parallel runways at the west London airport at 8.30am before flying to New York JFK.
In early 2020, the coronavirus pandemic led then-president Donald Trump to ban visitors to the US from dozens of countries such as the UK, Ireland, the 26 Schengen nations in Europe, China, India and South Africa.
Fully vaccinated travellers from those locations will be allowed to enter the US from Monday.
In addition to being fully vaccinated, foreign travellers arriving by air must also provide proof of either a negative result from a coronavirus test taken no more than three days before travel, or that they have recovered from the virus in the previous three months.
There are limited exemptions for travellers who are not fully vaccinated.
Children are exempt from the vaccination requirement but those aged between two and 17 must take a coronavirus test three to five days after arrival.
Fully vaccinated people travelling from the US to the UK must take a test on or before the second day after their arrival.
US court blocks Joe Biden's vaccine mandate plan
Staying in America, and a US federal appeals court has temporarily halted the Biden administration's vaccine requirement for businesses.
The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency stay of the requirement that workers be vaccinated by January 4 or face mask requirements and weekly tests.
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said the action stops Joe Biden "from moving forward with his unlawful overreach".
"The president will not impose medical procedures on the American people without the checks and balances afforded by the constitution," said a statement from Mr Landry, a Republican.
The law would have imposed the vaccine mandate on those working for private companies with more than 100 employees.
The Biden administration has been encouraging widespread vaccinations as the quickest way to end the pandemic that has claimed more than 750,000 lives in the United States.
The administration says it is confident that the requirement, which includes penalties of nearly 14,000 dollars (£10,370) per violation, will withstand legal challenges in part because its safety rules pre-empt state laws.
New infections hit record as Russia's Covid-19 wave persists
Russia's Covid-19 cases hit another one-day record as the country struggles to contain a wave of infections and deaths that has persisted for more than a month.
The national coronavirus task force on Saturday reported 41,335 new cases since the previous day, exceeding the previous daily record of 40,993 from October 31.
The task force said 1,188 people with Covid-19 died, just seven fewer than the daily death record reported on Thursday.
Officials cite Russia's low vaccination rate as a major factor in the sharp rise in cases that began in mid-September.
The task force reported about 57.2 million full-course vaccinations, or less than 40% of the country's 146 million people.
Last month, President Vladimir Putin ordered many Russians to stay off work between October 30 and November 7. He authorised regional governments to extend the number of non-working days, if necessary.
Certain restrictions will remain in place in the Russian capital, such as a stay-at-home order for older adults and a mandate for businesses to have 30% of their staff work from home.
Access to theatres and museums is limited to those who either have been fully vaccinated, have recovered from Covid-19 within the last six months or can present a negative coronavirus test.
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