Thursday's key coronavirus developments from Luxembourg and abroad

Starting with Luxembourg

• The latest figures from Luxembourg show that 845 new cases of coronavirus were discovered over the last 24 hours.

• The director of Luxembourg's largest brewery told RTL the Brasserie Nationale had weathered the difficult period caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but that they were preparing for potential future issues.

• The number of Covid vaccines available in Luxembourg increased this week, as vaccination centres began offering the Novavax jab. However, the number of people receiving their first dose is currently stagnant. 

• Last week, health officials conducted 17,551 coronavirus tests, out of which more than 4,600 came back positive. This represents an increase of 28% compared to the previous seven days.

And abroad

• One of Hong Kong's top coronavirus experts on Thursday joined a growing chorus of criticism over plans to test the entire city, saying doing so during its worst-ever outbreak would have little impact. 

• German carrier Lufthansa said Thursday that it cut its losses by two-thirds in 2021, but warned of uncertainty for the industry from the coronavirus pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• Australia's star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner has tested positive for Covid-19 on the eve of the Women's Cricket World Cup and will miss the opening two matches, officials said Thursday. 

• Sri Lanka on Thursday ended a heavily criticised policy that required Muslim Covid-19 victims to be buried at a remote government-designated site in the absence of their families or final religious rites.