Boris Johnson’s visit to Ukraine came as he faced increasing pressure back home. On Monday, a highly anticipated report was published which found Downing Street parties for government officials during the U.K.’s pandemic lockdown represented a “serious failure” as millions of Britons canceled plans and stayed home to help limit the spread of COVID-19.

Tonga went into lockdown today after recording its first locally transmitted COVID cases since the start of the pandemic. The first cases were identified among port workers who were helping unload international aid shipments in the aftermath of last month’s devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami. Other small Pacific nations have also recently reported their first outbreaks, including Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Palau.

South Africa has announced it will no longer require asymptomatic COVID cases to self-isolate and reduced the isolation period for symptomatic COVID cases to one week. Officials also loosened restrictions on in-person schooling. South African lawmakers say the recent changes were made as the nation exits its fourth wave of the pandemic, spurred by the Omicron variant, and thanks to the high level of immunity in the population.

A number of European countries are also relaxing COVID curbs, with Denmark becoming the first EU country to lift all restrictions, despite a rise in cases. The World Health Organization, meanwhile, is warning countries against a hasty end to public health measures aimed at curbing transmission.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “We are concerned that a narrative has taken hold in some countries that because of vaccines and because of Omicron’s high transmissibility and lower severity, preventing transmission is no longer possible and no longer necessary. Nothing could be further from the truth. More transmission means more deaths.”

Separately, the WHO warned Tuesday that massive amounts of medical waste linked to the pandemic pose a threat to human health and the environment. The U.N. agency called for more biodegradable and sustainable materials and packaging for essential medical and personal protective equipment.