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2.31am GMT

New Zealand’s birthrate dropped to its lowest ever level in 2020, well below the population replacement rate of 2.1.

According to Statistics New Zealand, the country’s total fertility rate dropped to 1.61 births per woman of child-bearing age (15–49 years), the latest fall in a decade-old trend.

Related: New Zealand birthrate sinks to its lowest ever

1.49am GMT

China reported 11 new mainland Covid cases on 17 February official data showed on Thursday, up from seven a day earlier but once again there were no locally transmitted infections.

The National Health Commission said in a statement that all new cases were imported infections that originated from overseas. New asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed Covid cases, rose to 20 from six a day earlier.

The total number of confirmed Covid cases in mainland China now stands at 89,806, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,636.

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Source: The Guardian