EU members to start Covid-19 vaccinations together – latest updates

Wednesday,  December 16, 2020

Italy reports 680 deaths

Italy has reported 680 coronavirus-related deaths against 846 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 17,572 from 14,844.

There were 199,489 swabs carried out in the past day, up from a previous 162,880 the ministry said.

The first Western country hit by the virus, Italy has seen 66,537 virus fatalities since its outbreak emerged in February, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth highest in the world.

It has also registered 1.888 million cases to date.

UK sees over 600 more fatalities

The United Kingdom has recorded 25,161 new Covid-19 cases and 612 deaths within 28 days of a positive test for the virus, according to official data.

Turkey reports 240 more deaths

Turkey had reported more daily recoveries from Covid-19 than the infections.

At least 29,922 patients recuperated from the disease over the past day, while the new cases came at 29,718, including 4,893 symptomatic patients, according to Health Ministry data.

The total count of the cases rose to over 1.92 million while the tally of recoveries hit 1,69 million.

The nationwide death toll rose to 17,121 with 240 more fatalities.

EU members to start Covid-19 jabs together

The EU's 27 member countries aim to start Covid-19 vaccinations on "the same day" in a sign of unity, possibly a day or two before Christmas, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has said.

Her statement to the European Parliament came as pressure mounted on the bloc to catch up with the United States and Britain, which have already started inoculating people with a vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech.

"To get to the end of the pandemic, we will need up to 70 percent of the population vaccinated. This is a huge task, a big task. So let's start as soon as possi ble with the vaccination together, as 27, with a start at the same day," von der Leyen told MEPs.

Von der Leyen emphasised that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was the first of six potential vaccines for which the EU has secured contracts.

UK vaccinates 137,000 in first week

More than 137,000 people in Britain have received a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine in the week since inoculations began, the government has announced.

The Department for Health and Social Care said 137,897 people had received the jab since December 8. Of those, 108,000 were in England, the most populous of the UK's four nations.

Team seeking Covid-19 origin to go to China in January

The World Health Organization has said that a team of international experts would travel to China next month to help investigate the animal origins of Covid-19.

"I can confirm that this will take place in January," WHO spokesman Hedinn Halldorsson said when asked about reports that the expert team, which includes epidemiologists and animal health specialists, would finally go to China next month.

Netherlands hits new daily infection record

The number of coronavirus infections in the Netherlands has jumped by more than 11,000 in 24 hours, hitting a new record, data released by the National Institute for Public Health showed.

The steep increase came just a day after a tough, 5-week lockdown was imposed in the Netherlands, where more than 10,000 people have died during the pandemic. 

WHO warns of early 2021 resurgence in Europe

The World Health Organization in Europe has warned of a "further resurgence" of Covid-19 in early 2021, as it urged families to wear face masks during this year's Christmas gatherings.

"There is a high risk of further resurgence in the first weeks and months of 2021, and we will need to work together if we are to succeed in preventing it," the organisation said in a statement, adding that while it may feel awkward to wear masks around family members, "doing so contributes significantly to ensuring that everyone remains safe and healthy."

Denmark expands virus restrictions nationwide

Restrictions that applied to 69 of Denmark’s 98 municipalities are becoming nationwide with restaurants, theatres, museums, cinemas and various other venues closing.

Shops will remain open, but people are urged to work from home, and children from 5th grade upward will be sent home from school and switch to remote learning.

The nationwide restrictions are to continue until January 3.

The government said the move was decided “on the basis of the high level of infection in Denmark,” which has had 116,087 cases (up 2,992 on Wednesday) and 961 deaths, up by 11.

Czech Republic launches nationwide testing program

The Czech Republic is launching a programme of nationwide testing for the virus.

The free voluntary testing started at hundreds of sites across the country and will continue until January 15. The results of the rapid antigen tests will be known in up to 20 minutes.

Those who test positive will be retested with the more precise PCR tests.

The country has recently offered the rapid tests to teachers and used them to test residents and staff at all nursing homes.

Tokyo reports 678 new cases, 

Tokyo has reported 678 new cases of the virus, a high for the Japanese capital, as Japan now struggles with another surge in the virus.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government said that the new cases bring the prefectural total to 48,668.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, apparently reluctant to further damage businesses already hit by the pandemic, has been slow to take steps. Last Friday, after repeated calls from experts, Suga finally announced plans to suspend the government’s travel promotion campaign nationwide from December 28 to January 11 following a series of media surveys showing a sharp decline in his approval ratings.

Indonesia pledges free Covid-19 vaccines, with president first in line

Indonesia will provide free coronavirus vaccines to its citizens when the world’s fourth most populous nation starts its inoculation programme, President Joko Widodo said, adding he would get the first shot to reassure people on safety.

The sprawling, developing country received its first shipment of vaccines, 1.2 million doses from China’s Sinovac Biotech in early December, but is awaiting emergency use authorisation from its food and drug agency.

Another 1.8 million doses are expected to be delivered in January, with the government previously saying that healthcare workers in Java and Bali would be prioritised.

Russia reports 26,509 new virus infections

Russia confirmed 26,509 new virus cases in the last 24 hours, including 5,028 in Moscow, pushing the national tally to 2,734,454.

Authorities said 596 people had died overnight, taking the official death toll to 48,564. 

Germany reports highest daily deaths 

Germany has entered a strict lockdown to get soaring cases under control as the number of registered virus deaths jumped by 952, the highest daily increase yet.

Fears that the pandemic is spiralling out of control in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, prompted Chancellor Angela Merkel and the 16 state governors to announce on Sunday a tough lockdown until January 10 at the earliest.

Shops and schools will stay shut from Wednesday in a pre-Christmas tightening of restrictions following a partial lockdown in November, which closed bars and restaurants but failed to contain a second wave of the pandemic.

The Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases put the number of confirmed cases at 1,379,238, an increase of 27,728. The total death toll in Germany is at 23,427.

Taiwan extends ban on Indonesian workers 

Taiwan's government has extended a ban on Indonesian workers coming to the island for an indefinite period, citing a surge in the number of infected people arriving and lack of cooperation from Indonesia's government in verifying documents.

Taiwan is home to more than 250,000 migrant workers from Indonesia, which has the highest tally of virus infections and deaths in southeast Asia. They mostly work as domestic helpers.

Taiwan last month announced a two-week suspension for the entry of Indonesian workers, which the government will now extend, the Central Epidemic Command Centre said.

Since the start of October, Taiwan recorded 132 positive cases in arriving Indonesian workers, of whom 76 carried negative test results with them when they landed, the centre added.

Russia scales back virus screening amid surging cases

Russia has conducted around 10 percent fewer tests so far this month than the same period a month ago, despite a surge in recorded infections, official data shows, raising questions over authorities' ability to control the spread.

Beyond affluent Moscow, people with symptoms can wait days to be tested and doctors sometimes refuse to test them altogether, according to Reuters interviews with patients, doctors and officials in 11 regions.

Rospotrebnadzor, the consumer health watchdog, ordered an increase in testing on November 16 yet the number of tests conducted in the first half of December fell by 825,000, or 11 percent, compared with the first half of November, Reuters calculations using official data showed.

Chinese county preparing to offer vaccine to residents

A small county in China has said it is preparing to offer vaccinations to residents for about $65, one of a handful of places in China considering inoculation for members of the general public.

China is inoculating specific groups of people considered at high risk of infection, such as medical workers and border inspectors, with vaccines still in late-stage clinical trials, under an emergency use programme started in July.

Authorities in Tangyuan county in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang said people at state-backed agencies, companies, public institutions and individual businesses who wanted to get vaccinated could report their interest.

India records 26,355 new cases

India's Health Ministry has recorded 26,355 new virus cases, making it the third straight day that daily infections in the country have stayed below 30,000.

India has recorded 9.93 million infections so far, the second-highest in the world after the United States, but daily numbers have dipped steadily since hitting a peak of around 97,000 in mid-September.

The average number of deaths reported each day in India has been decreasing for 10 days straight, according to a Reuters tally.

The health ministry said deaths rose by 360, with the total fatalities now at 144,069.

Pakistan's daily deaths pass 100 mark

The number of daily virus deaths in Pakistan has crossed 100 for the first time in five months with the virus spreading fast in the financial capital of Karachi.

The 105 fatalities in the last 24 hours increased Pakistan’s death toll 9,010 since February. 

Pakistan also reported 2,731 new cases, increasing its total to 445,977.

Karachi has been especially hard hit with the positivity rate of 18.76 percent compared to 7.2 percent nationwide.

UK inflation slides on virus restrictions

Britain's annual inflation rate has slid more sharply than expected in November as restrictions imposed on virus-hit businesses triggered price discounting, especially for clothing and food, official data showed.

The rate, as measured by the UK's Consumer Prices Index, dropped to 0.3 percent last month from 0.7 percent in October, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

Analysts' consensus forecast had been for a dip in inflation to 0.6 percent.

Fosun Pharma to buy 100M doses of BioNTech's vaccine for mainland China

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd  said it will buy at least 100 million doses of a virus vaccine from Germany's BioNTech SE for use in mainland China next year, if the vaccine receives approval.

The Chinese government has not announced supply deals with Western drug makers, which instead have partnered local firms.

Fosun said it will be entitled to 60 percent of annual gross profit from sales of doses that it will make from imported bulk ingredients, and 65 percent of profit from sales of doses imported ready for use.

US Congress leaders hold second meeting on Covid-19 aid

US congressional leaders held a second meeting to try to end a months-long standoff on coronavirus relief and finalise a funding bill in time to avert a government shutdown, with one lawmaker saying talks were moving "in the right direction".

The group, led by Democratic House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, left the rare face-to-face session after around an hour in Pelosi's office, without announcing anything.

But House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said afterward: "I think we're moving in the right direction. I think there's a possibility of getting it done. So we're finalising out to see if it's possible. Let us keep working."

Canada getting 168K Moderna vaccine doses before year end

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canada has contracted to receive up to 168,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine before the end of December, pending approval by the country's health regulator.

Trudeau said deliveries could begin within 48 hours of regulatory approval and health officials said they expect to approve use of the Moderna vaccine soon.

California orders body bags as intensive care swamped by virus

California officials ordered thousands of extra body bags as record virus cases left Los Angeles with fewer than 100 intensive care beds available for a county of 10 million people.

The situation has grown severe across southern parts of California, which was praised for its response at the start of the pandemic in spring, but which has seen Covid-related hospital admissions soar sixfold since mid-October. 

South Korea reports 1,078 new cases

South Korea has reported 1,078 new cases of Covid-19, the highest since the start of the pandemic, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said.

The latest number came three days after the daily tally topped 1,000 for the first time since South Korea confirmed its first coronavirus infection in January.

Australia reports first local case in two weeks after airport worker tests positive

Australia's most populous state has reported its first coronavirus case in nearly two weeks after an airport worker tested positive prompting authorities to suggest international flight crews should also quarantine after arriving.

A 45-year old man who shuttles international airlines staff to the airport tested positive for Covid-19, New South Wales state Health Minister Brad Hazzard told reporters.

Hazzard said the government will talk to international airlines in the next 48 hours to suggest changes to existing quarantine rules for air crew.

Australia has largely contained the community transmission of the virus and last reported a local case on December 3, when a hotel quarantine worker in Sydney tested positive for the virus.

Australia has reported just over 28,000 cases of Covid-19 and 908 deaths since the pandemic began but estimates there are less than 50 active cases remaining, mostly returned travelers from overseas in hotel quarantine.

Mainland China reports 12 new cases

Mainland China has reported 12 new cases, down from 17 cases a day earlier, the country's national health authority said.

The National Health Commission, in a statement, said all of the new cases were imported infections originating from overseas. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, rose to nine from eight a day earlier.

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in mainland China now stands at 86,770, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634.

Costa Rica and Panama authorise Pfizer's vaccine

Panama and Costa Rican have approved the use of Pfizer Inc's Covid-19 vaccine.

The first batch of the shot could reach Panama in the first quarter next year, the Central American country's  health vice-minister Ivette Barrio said.

The United States, Britain, Canada, Bahrain, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Singapore have also approved or authorised emergency use of the shot.

Mexico reports 11,228 new cases, 801 more deaths

Mexico's Health Ministry has reported 11,228 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 801 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 1,267,202 cases and 115,099 deaths.

The government says the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

Brazil's Rio cancels New Year's beach party over pandemic

Rio de Janeiro's annual New Year's Eve beach bash, already reduced in scope and format, has been canceled due to the raging coronavirus pandemic, the mayor's office has said Tuesday.

The South American nation has registered 964 additional deaths during the past 24 hours and 42,889 new cases, the nation's health ministry said.

Brazil has now registered 182,799 total coronavirus deaths and 6,970,034 total confirmed cases.