The Latest: France requires unvaccinated to pay for tests

PARIS — COVID-19 tests in France are no longer free for unvaccinated adults unless they are prescribed by a doctor.

While tests remain free for vaccinated adults and all children under 18, adults who have not gotten their shots will have to pay 22-45 euros ($25-$52) to get tested as of Friday.

The government introduced the change as a complement to the COVID-19 passes that have been required in France since the summer. To get a pass, people need to show proof of vaccination, a recent negative test or recent recovery from the virus.

The passes are required to visit tourist sites, for hospital visits and on domestic train trips and flights. The pass requirement, announced in July, helped boost France’s vaccination rate.

Over 49 million people, or about 74% of the population, are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus in France. Everyone age 12 and older are eligible for shots.

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

— Russia struggles to meet global orders for Sputnik V vaccine

— Made in India virus kits boost testing, and local industry

— FDA panel endorses lower-dose Moderna COVID shot for booster

— FDA unlikely to rule on Merck’s COVID pill before December

— See all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

MOSCOW — Russia’s daily number of new coronavirus infections and deaths surged to another record on Friday, a quickly mounting figure that has put a severe load on the country’s health care system.

The government’s coronavirus task force reported 32,196 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 999 deaths in the past 24 hours.

Death tolls have set daily records over...