Spain tops 2m cases, Ukraine lockdown begins: COVID-19 daily bulletin

TOP HEADLINES

• The European Union has reached a deal for 300m additional doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine , European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

• Ukraine's schools, restaurants and gyms are to close from Friday as a nationwide lockdown takes effect amid a surge in infections.

• The world's poorest countries should begin to receive their first vaccine doses between the end of January and mid-February , the World Health Organization has said.

• A study carried out by pharmaceutical company and vaccine developer Pfizer suggests its jab is likely to be effective against the new virus variants first identified in the UK and South Africa.

• Spain's total number of infections has passed 2 million after a further 42,360 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours.

• Czechia's biggest crematorium, in the northeastern city Ostrava, has sought help from the government to distribute bodies to other crematoriums across the country, after becoming overwhelmed by a rising number of deaths in the area.

• The first doses of the Moderna vaccine should arrive in France in the coming days as the country looks to speed up its inoculation process, Alain Fischer, the immunologist coordinating the country's vaccination strategy, said.

• **London's Heathrow Airport CEO John Holland-Kaye has said the new rules requiring people arriving in the UK to present a negative test result must only be temporary **and has called for the government to plan a roadmap for how it is ended.

• Russia's new infections rose by 23,652 in the past 24 hours , up from 23,541 the day before, while deaths also rose, by 454.

• A senior member of the International Olympic Committee, Dick Pound, has said he "can't be certain" the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games will go ahead this summer, amid rising infection rates around the world.

CLICK: STUDY SHOWS THEY CAN POSITIVELY AFFECT WELLBEING

ACROSS EUROPE

Toni Waterman in Brussels

Belgium

Belgium's health council meets on Friday afternoon to discuss the current COVID-19 restrictions, but there's little expectation of a rollback despite infection rates and hospitalizations falling. The prime minister, who will chair the meeting, has said it's too early to ease up on the measures as the impact of travel over the holiday season remains unclear.

According to biostatistician Geert Molenberghs, up to 5,000 of the 80,000 people who traveled during the Christmas break returned to Belgium infected.

Separately, the COVID Task Force is drawing up a revised immunization strategy after coming under fire for its slow roll-out. New details of the plan are expected Friday.

00:19

The EU

Europe has doubled its deal with Pfizer/BioNTech, giving member states access to 600 million doses of the vaccine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, when announcing the deal,said 75 million doses of this order would be available by the second quarter, with the rest delivered in the second half of the year.

This brings Europe's entire portfolio to 2.3 billion doses, enough to vaccinate the entire population more than twice. Excess doses could be given to neighboring countries.

Von der Leyen also swatted away criticism that the Commission didn't buy enough of the right vaccines, saying it whittled down a list of 160 potential candidates to the six major contenders.She said without the Commission's early investment in capacity-building at these companies this summer, today's deal wouldn't have been possible.

"We're now reaping the benefits. And I'm very much convinced that this European course of action was the right one and I think that will be proven in hindsight."

Czechia's biggest crematorium, in the northeastern city Ostrava, has become overwhelmed by a rising number of deaths in the area. /AP

Iolo ap Dafydd in London

Virus testing is useful, but nowhere near as effective as quarantine or self isolation, a UK minister told national media this morning.

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, any international traveler arriving in Scotland, Wales and England will have to provide a negative test result – taken 72 hours before traveling.

The reason for introducing this step now at international ports and airports, is to block new easily transmissible COVID-19 variants. There are some exemptions, including hauliers.

Extra testing is being introduced as almost 80,000 people have died from the virus in the UK, and the National Health Service is close to capacity in some regions of Britain. Ambulance waiting times in the southeast of England is 36 percent higher now than in December.

And as the vaccination program is being accelerated, depending on the availability of Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccines, it has been announced that schools in Wales will be closed until at least the end of the month. It follows similar decisions already taken in Northern Ireland, England, and Scotland.

Ross Cullen in Paris

France's prime minister and health secretary have set out the government's strategy for January. The nationwide nightly 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew will continue until at least January 20, while 10 more regions have had their curfew hours extended to start at 6 p.m..

Cafes, bars and restaurants will have to stay closed until at least mid-February. Theaters, cinemas and museums are also staying closed until at least the end of the month, along with gyms, leisure centers and sports halls.

The government will hold a review on January 20 to see which sectors can reopen in February. The government aims to vaccinate 1 million people by the end of January and it says 600 vaccination centers will be open by that time.

The country's tourism minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne says the sector has taken a $73bn hit due to the pandemic. Notably, ski lifts and ski equipment hire shops are closed in mountain resorts at the moment.

But Lemoyne says funds worth $20bn have been allocated to support the tourism industry.

International travelers must now provide a negative test result taken 72 before traveling, upon arrival to the UK. /AP

FROM OUR GLOBAL COLLEAGUES

**CGTN Europe special: **

The Alps - Timeless and changing

CGTN China:

Chinese mainland reports 53 new COVID-19 cases

**CGTN America: **

LA hospitals and funeral homes run out of space as COVID-19 surges across the city

CGTN Africa:

South Africa's former deputy defence minister dies of COVID-19

Sign up

here

to get the COVID-19 Europe bulletin sent directly to your inbox.

CGTN Europe has been providing in-depth coverage of the novel coronavirus story as it has unfolded.

Here

you can read the essential information about the crisis.