UK orders Moderna doses, Croatia PM isolates: COVID-19 daily bulletin

TOP HEADLINES

• The UK government has secured a further two million doses of the potential Moderna vaccine , bringing the total number of jabs on order to seven million.

• **Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has been ordered to self-isolate **after his wife tested positive for the virus, a government spokesman said.

• **Some 2,000 medical workers in Serbia have been forced to self-isolate, **leaving the health serviceoverwhelmedas medical wards continue to face large numbers ofpatients.

• A drive-through Christmas market offering visitors mulled wine, sweet and gingerbread hearts, has opened in Bavaria, southern Germany, allowing people to enjoy the festive celebrations despite the pandemic.

• France's State Council has ruled that the government's decision to limit church gatherings to a maximum of 30 people isdisproportionateand has ordered a change to the law within three days.

• Czechia's government has agreed to reopenrestaurantsand all non-essential shops from Thursday.

• Greece's death toll rose by 121 in the past 24 hours, its highest daily rise since the start of the pandemic , bringing the nationwide number of deaths to 2,223.

• London's police force arrested more than 150 people during anti-lockdown protests in the capital on Saturday . Offences included breaching coronavirus regulations, assaulting a police officer and possession of drugs.

• Germany's new infections rose by 14,611 in the past 24 hours . Deaths also rose by 158 to 16,123.

• **UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said there was "hope and there is light at the end of the tunnel" **at the prospect of a vaccine, butsaidrestrictionswere needed until then.

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Iolo ap Dafydd in London

Several UK Sunday newspapers focus on Prime Minister Boris Johnson facing pressure from some of his own party's members of parliament, because they're unhappy with COVID-19 restrictions in England.

The current national lockdown will end on Wednesday, but tough tier 2 and tier 3 restrictions will still be imposed in most parts of England and will affect tens of millions of people up to Christmas.

But the papers call it a "capitulation" and a "sign of disarray" by Johnson, after he's quoted as saying he hopes tough rules to contain the virus could be scrapped in early February. This follows Conservative backbenchers threatening to oppose the government in a vote in Parliament on Tuesday.

Government scientific advisors as well as influential ministers had indicated that tough measures would be needed until Easter to stop the coronavirus overwhelming Britain's health service and killing thousands more people.

Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has been ordered to self-isolate after his wife tested positive for the virus. /AP

Natalie Carney in Munich

Three of Germany's most populated states, Bavaria, Baden-Wuuerttemberg and Hesse are calling for tax relief for companies amid the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. State economy ministers are scheduled to meet on Monday where the issue is expected to be discussed.

A number of states have also announced that they will allow hotel stays for family members over the Christmas holidays, contrary to recommendations from the German government.

Meanwhile in the capital Berlin, one of the largest hospitals has had to freeze admissions due to the number of COVID-19 cases. According to reports, 85 percent of the 1,200 beds at The Vivantes hospital are currently occupied. They are also experiencing an absence of nursing staff with many sick or in quarantine.

And German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called on the citizens of the country to remain confident during these difficult times, saying that the advancements in medical research give hope that the pandemic will not continue to dominate everyday life.

Czechia

Czechia's government is to allow restaurants and non-essential shops to reopen from Thursday, December 3 after the surge in new infections eased.

A nationwide night-time curfew will also be lifted, while pubs must close by 10 p.m..

Museums and galleries can also open with limited capacity and individual indoor sports activities can resume. Outdoor gatherings are limited to 50 people and 10 inside - up from the six in all settings previously.

"The shorter the period stores are open before Christmas, the higher the concentration of people would be in shops,"Health Minister Jan Blatnytold a news conference.

Czechia's government is to allow restaurants and non-essential shops to reopen from Thursday. /AP

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