Britain reports over 41,000 more cases in new daily record – latest updates

Monday, December 28

Britain reports record daily cases

Britain has reported 41,385 new cases, a new daily record, as a rapidly spreading variant of the coronavirus increases infection rates and the holiday weekend impacted the reporting of some new cases.

There were 357 new deaths within 28 days of a positive test, the government's statistics portal said. 

Hungary receives 6,000 doses of Russia's vaccine

Hungary has received 6,000 doses of Russia's vaccine, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on his Facebook page on Monday.

Szijjarto said local health experts would continue their assessment of the use of the Russian vaccine in Hungary. 

Italy reports over 8,500 new cases, 445 deaths  

Italy has reported 445 deaths against 298 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections edged down to 8,585 from 8,913.

There were 68,681 swab tests carried out in the past day, the ministry said, up from a previous 59,879.

Italy has seen an official total of 72,370 deaths since its outbreak came to light on February 21, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth highest in the world.

It has also reported 2.056 million cases to date.

Turkey reports over 15,000 new infections

Turkey has reported 15,197 more infections, including 2,816 symptomatic patients, over the past 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry.

The overall caseload exceeded 2.16 million with the latest additions.

As many as 22,203 patients also recovered, bringing the tally to over 2.03 million, while the death toll rose to 20,135 with 257 additions.

Overdose mishap in Germany

Germany's vaccination campaign has been overshadowed by an overdose mishap in the north and problems with the transportation of the vaccine in the south which lead to 1,000 shots being sent back.

Some districts in Bavaria said on Monday they would not use the shots received over the weekend on concerns the vaccines developed by Pfizer and BioNTech may have become too warm during their delivery in household cool boxes, a spokesman for the Lichtenfels district said.

"There were doubts as to whether the cold chain was maintained at all times," Lichtenfels District Administrator Christian Meissner told Reuters TV.

Spain: Pfizer vaccine deliveries delayed in eight EU states

Pfizer postponed the delivery of new batches of its coronavirus vaccine to eight European nations, including Spain, the Spanish health ministry has said, a day after the EU began its immunisation campaign.

The Spanish branch of Pfizer informed Madrid on Sunday night of the delay in shipments to the eight nations due to a "problem in the loading and shipment process" at its plant in Belgium, the health ministry said in a statement.

It did not specify which European nations aside from Spain were affected.

Pfizer has informed the ministry that the problem "was already resolved" but the next delivery of vaccines "will be a few hours late" and arrive in Spain on Tuesday, a day later than expected, the statement said.

Asked about the delay during an interview with radio Ser, Health Minister Salvador Illa said it was due to a problem "linked to the control of the temperature" of the shipments which was "apparently fixed".

The vaccine must be stored at ultra-low temperatures of about -70 degrees Celsius (-112 Fahrenheit) before being shipped to distribution centres in specially designed cool boxes filled with dry ice.

Russia reports 27,787 new cases

Russia has reported 27,787 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, including 6,253 in Moscow, pushing the national tally to 3,078,035.

Authorities said 487 people had died overnight, taking the official death toll to 55,265.

International visitors barred from Indonesia

International visitors will be barred from entering Indonesia for two weeks in a bid to stem the spread of a new potentially more contagious strain of the coronavirus, its foreign minister Retno Marsudi said.

The new regulation, effective January 1, comes days after Indonesia banned travelers from the Britain and tightened rules for those arriving from Europe and Australia to limit the spread of the new strain.

The new regulation applies to all foreign visitors except for high-level government officials, she said. 

Saudi Arabia suspends passenger flights for more than a week

Saudi Arabia has extended its suspension of commercial passenger flights by at least one week and possibly two amid concerns over a new variant of the coronavirus.

Saudi Arabia will however allow flights in "exceptional cases", an interior ministry official said according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

Foreigners will be allowed to depart the kingdom and cargo movement will be permitted, it added.

South Africa hits 1 million cases

South Africa's total coronavirus infections since the first case in March has crossed a million on Sunday, its Health Ministry has said.

The grim milestone comes nine days after the country, the worst hit in Africa, reported 900,000 cases. The country had taken two weeks to reach 900,000 from the 800,000 seen early in December.

Japan's PM seeks to enforce virus measures

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said he plans to submit legislation that will make coronavirus measures legally binding for businesses, punish violators and include economic compensation as his government struggles to slow the ongoing upsurge.

Japan had a state of emergency in April and May with non-binding requests for people to stay home and business to close, but people have complacent about the pandemic and store owners have become less cooperative due to the economic impact.

Suga said experts are discussing the legislation to make coronavirus more effectively enforced and hoped to submit the bill for parliamentary approval “as soon as possible” next year.

Japan has 220,236 cases, with 3,252 deaths as of Sunday, the health ministry said.

Germany's cases rise by 10,976

The number of confirmed virus cases in Germany has increased by 10,976 to 1,651,834. The reported death toll rose by 348 to 30,126, the tally showed.

According to the RKI, fewer tests and laboratory examinations as well as fewer transmissions of the results by the health authorities are to be expected during the holidays and at the turn of the year. 

Thailand confirms 144 new virus infections

Thailand has confirmed 144 new virus cases , the majority of which were locally transmitted infections.

The new cases include 129 local infections and 15 imported from abroad, the public health ministry said in a statement. Thailand has confirmed a total of 6,285 coronavirus cases and 60 deaths since its first case in late January.

Australians to watch famous New Year's Eve fireworks from home

Sydney, one of the world's first major cities to welcome each New Year with a public countdown featuring a fireworks display over its well-known Opera House, has banned large gatherings that night amid an outbreak of the coronavirus.

A mid-December resurgence of Covid-19 in the city's northern beach suburbs has grown to 125 cases after five new infections were recorded on Monday. About a quarter of million of people there must stay in strict lockdown until January 9

That has led to further restrictions of the already toned-down plans for the New Year's Eve.

New South Wales (NSW) Premier Gladys Berejiklian banned most people from coming to Sydney's downtown that night and limited outdoor gatherings to 50 people.

Mexico elderly could get vaccines in January

Mexico expects to wrap up its first-dose Covid-19 vaccinations for healthcare workers by early January, before moving to inoculate elderly people in the month's second half, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says. 

The second day of vaccinations for medical staff saw the health ministry record 6,217 new confirmed infections and 400 more deaths, taking Mexico's tally to 1,383,434 cases and 122,426 deaths.

Mexico has received two shipments of vaccine from Pfizer, and Lopez Obrador said the drugmaker would provide enough vaccines for about 700,000 to 750,000 people by March.

Trump signs pandemic aid and spending bill

President Donald Trump has signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package that will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals. It also averts a government shutdown.

Trump announced the signing in a statement on Sunday night.

The massive bill includes $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other end-of-session priorities such as money for cash-starved transit systems and an increase in food stamp benefits.

Democrats are promising more aid to come once President-elect Joe Biden takes office, but Republicans are signalling a wait-and-see approach.

South Korea reports first variant of virus found in UK

South Korea has reported the first variant of coronavirus linked to the rapid rise in infections in Britain in three people who had entered South Korea from London on December 22, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Monday. 

Mainland China reports 21 new cases

Mainland China has reported 21 new Covid-19 cases on December 27, down from 22 cases a day earlier, the country's national health authority has said.

The National Health Commission, in a statement, said 15 of the new cases were imported infections originating from overseas.

Six local transmissions were all in Liaoning province.

The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, rose to 20 from 15 cases a day earlier.

Separately, Beijing has tightened Covid-19 curbs over concerns that China's mass travel during the holiday period could cause a spike in cases in the capital, as it had reported locally transmitted cases for a fourth straight day on Sunday.

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Mainland China now stands at 86,976, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634.

Saudi lifts flight ban out of kingdom for non-Saudis

Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority has said non-Saudis could now leave the kingdom after all international commercial flights were halted last week.

Last Sunday, Saudi Arabia closed its borders and suspended commercial flights over fears about a new coronavirus variant.

Meanwhile, Riyadh extended a ban on entry to the kingdom by air, land, and sea for another week amid new coronavirus variant fears, the state news agency reported.