Moderna Inc. presented new safety data from an early trial that provides the first evidence that its vaccine stimulates the immune systems of older people. Abbott Laboratories won U.S. clearance for a 15-minute Covid test that will be priced at just $5.

LONDON - The World Economic Forum postponed its annual gathering of business and political leaders in the Swiss resort of Davos to early summer 2021.

The World Economic Forum postponed its annual gathering of business and political leaders in the Swiss resort of Davos to early summer 2021.(Bloomberg)

Worldwide Covid-19 infections exceeded 24 million as cases continued to climb in Europe and Asia, with Italy, France and South Korea reporting the most new infections in months. New U.S. testing guidelines drew criticism from state leaders and public-health experts, while a top Trump administration official defended the move.

Moderna Inc. presented new safety data from an early trial that provides the first evidence that its vaccine stimulates the immune systems of older people. Abbott Laboratories won US clearance for a 15-minute Covid test that will be priced at just $5.

The World Economic Forum postponed its annual gathering of business and political leaders in the Swiss resort of Davos to early summer 2021. The European Union’s trade chief stepped down after growing criticism that he broke virus regulations in his native Ireland.

Japanese Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said a jump in virus cases from July and heavy rains are dragging on the nation’s economy. He told a parliamentary committee the economy’s overall recovery trend is not yet back. Nishimura said on Wednesday a second wave of the virus now spreading in Japan is bigger than the one that caused the government to declare a state of emergency in April.

South Korea had 441 more coronavirus cases confirmed in the past 24 hours, the biggest gain since early March, according to data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. That compared to 320 the previous day. Of the new cases, 154 were confirmed in Seoul, 100 in Gyeonggi province and 59 in Incheon.

Vice Finance Minister Kim Yongbeom said he believed that the nation can handle the resurgence of the coronavirus with current social distancing rules. Still, so-called Level 3 rules would be needed if the situation worsens, he added at a briefing.

A World Health Organization team that was meant to investigate the origin of the coronavirus concluded their trip to China without a visit to Wuhan, the Financial Times reported, citing the UN agency. The WHO told the FT that its advance team had remote conversations with senior scientists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology but declined to comment on whether the team had planned to visit the city.The organization said the initial team had been laying groundwork before a larger international investigation but didn’t provide details on whether the bigger task-force would travel to Wuhan. China’s foreign ministry called concerns over the credibility of the inquiry “totally unjustified,” according to the FT.