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Coronavirus pandemic - World News

Japan Suspends Subsidized Tourism Program Amid Spike In Coronavirus Cases

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During the pandemic, Japan's government has been subsidizing travel and tourism to juice the economy. After a spike in coronavirus cases, it will now suspend the program for two weeks.
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Source: https://www.npr.org/2020/12/20/948315501/japan-travel-campaign.
 
Brazil reports 25,445 coronavirus cases, without numbers from most-populous state

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil on Sunday reported 25,445 new coronavirus cases, the Health Ministry said, although it cautioned that published numbers were missing figures from Sao Paulo state due to technical issues.

Deaths rose by 408, although those numbers also missed figures from Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most-populous state.
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Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...umbers-from-most-populous-state-idUSKBN28U0YQ.
 
Turkey suspends some flights over COVID-19 mutation

Turkey on Sunday temporarily suspended flights from Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark and South Africa over a new strain of coronavirus, the health minister said.

The measure was taken as a precaution in coordination with the transport ministry, minister Fahrettin Koca said on his official Twitter account. "It has been reported that the rate of transmission has increased in the UK with the mutation of the coronavirus," he said.

Turkey has been the latest to join other countries in banning travel from the UK and other countries due to concerns over the new fast-moving strain.

The move came as European nations including Germany, Ireland, Bulgaria, Italy, Austria, Romania, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Sweden said they were moving to block air travel. Beyond Europe, Israel and El Salvador also said late Sunday they were banning flights from the country.

Britain has alerted the World Health Organization that the new variant identified this week appears to be accelerating the spread of COVID-19, saying it accounted for some 60% of the capital's cases.

The World Health Organization also called for stronger containment measures as the British government warned that a highly infectious new strain of the virus was "out of control."
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Source: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/turkey-suspends-some-flights-over-covid-19-mutation/news.
 
Over 13,000 new coronavirus cases in the Netherlands, RIVM figures show

The number of new coronavirus cases registered with public health institute RIVM reached 13,066 in the 24 hours to Sunday morning, the institute said in a daily update. This is the highest daily figure since the start of the second wave, and is higher than the 10,823 daily average recorded over the past seven days. The number of coronavirus patients being treated in hospital has also risen to 2,113, of whom 580 people are being treated in an intensive care unit. This means more patients are being admitted than discharged from hospital. The increase in positive test results comes on the day that the Netherlands took the lead in banning flights from the UK in an effort to stop a more infectious variant of the virus taking hold. One case of the new virus, said to be up to 70% more infectious, was identified in the Netherlands at the beginning of the month but the variant is now widespread in southern parts of England. Health minister Hugo de Jonge said on Sunday that the new variety of the virus is worrying but no reason to panic and there is no reason to further tighten the rules at present. Officials are looking at extending the travel ban to ferry, train and car traffic but that is more complicated to organise, De Jonge said. There have been talks on a blanket ban with other EU leaders, he said.
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Source: https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2020/...s-cases-in-the-netherlands-rivm-figures-show/.
 
Australian states enforce travel bans amid Sydney outbreak

Australian states and territories have begun enforcing entry bans on Sydney residents amid a growing coronavirus outbreak in the nation's largest city.

The border closures outside New South Wales (NSW) have dashed Christmas plans and family reunions for many people.

Airlines cancelled several flights leaving Sydney Airport on Monday, following a midnight deadline.

The city has recorded 83 cases so far in this outbreak, all linked to Sydney's Northern Beaches region.

Speaking from Canberra on Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: "2020 is not done with us yet."

"The events of the past few days... are incredibly frustrating and disappointing for people all around the country who had plans in place to get together and move in between states."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-55390731
 
Turkey: Istanbul sees 40% drop in COVID-19 cases

City governor says fall in number of positive coronavirus cases last week

ANKARA

The number of coronavirus cases in Istanbul dropped 40% last week, the city’s governor said on Monday.

Ali Yerlikaya said on Twitter that there is a continuous drop in the positive COVID-19 cases in Istanbul and the districts which saw the fastest drops were Arnavutkoy, Beyoglu and Avcilar.

Turkey has been implementing curfew on weeknights and full weekend curfews since Dec. 5 as part of measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

The curfew begins on Friday at 9 p.m. and ends on Monday at 5 a.m. local time.

In mid-November, Turkey introduced new COVID-19 restrictions, including a partial weekend curfew.

Some sectors including production, supply, health and agriculture are be exempt from the curfews.

Supermarkets, grocery stores, butchers and dried fruit shops operate between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekends.

Bakeries are also open during weekend curfews.

Meanwhile, restaurants only offer delivery services between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The announcement came after a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey.
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Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/latest-on-...tanbul-sees-40-drop-in-covid-19-cases/2084431.
 
Japan PM Suga denies need for state of emergency as infections top 200,000

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Monday denied the need to declare another national state of emergency, even as the latest surge of coronavirus cases sent cumulative infections in Japan to over 200,000 and health experts warned that the medical system is becoming strained.

Speaking in a prerecorded TV interview, Suga said the government may instead ask restaurants and bars to further shorten business hours in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Suga has been reluctant to repeat his predecessor Shinzo Abe's decision in April to declare a nationwide state of emergency, vowing instead to strike a balance between fighting the pandemic and restarting economic activity.

The government is working hard toward making vaccines available for the entire population to "protect lives and livelihoods," Suga told Tokyo Broadcasting System Television's "News 23" program.

Suga, who has seen approval ratings for his Cabinet plunge amid public dissatisfaction with his COVID-19 response, has promised to procure enough vaccine by the first half of 2021.

The government has supply agreements with pharmaceutical companies Pfizer Inc. and AstraZeneca Plc for 120 million vaccine doses from each, sufficient for most of the country's 126 million residents. It also has a contract with Moderna Inc. for another 50 million doses.

While Japan is fairing much better in the pandemic than hard-hit countries like the United States, it has been experiencing record numbers of daily infections since last month, with the New Year holidays, normally one of the busiest travel seasons, approaching.

Cumulative infections in the country topped 200,000 on Monday, taking less than two months to double. It took nine and a half months from when the first case was diagnosed in January to reach the 100,000 mark. The overall death toll stands at just under 3,000.

The steady rise of cases spurred the government to announce last week the halt from Dec. 28 to Jan. 11 of its nationwide "Go To Travel" subsidy campaign, aimed at encouraging economic recovery by promoting domestic tourism.

Roughly a quarter of the cases have occurred in Tokyo, where the alert regarding the strain on the capital's medical system was raised to the highest level on Thursday, when it logged a record 822 daily cases. It reported 392 cases on Monday, bringing its cumulative total to 51,838.

In a press conference, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike urged people to stay at home with their families and refrain from going outside as much as possible during the holidays.

"I understand this is a special time of the year. But this year, please prioritize your life and the lives of those around you," she said.

Koike said the capital will provide financial support to hospitals that accept COVID-19 patients between Dec. 29 and Jan. 3, 2021. The metropolitan government will pay 300,000 yen ($2,900) per patient each day to medical facilities that treat individuals with severe symptoms, and 70,000 yen when they accept people with more moderate symptoms.

Pharmacies that operate eight hours or more per day during the period will receive 30,000 yen a day, Koike said.

The surge has increasingly strained hospitals that are also bracing for the flu season, prompting the Japan Medical Association and eight other health organizations on Monday to declare a "medical state of emergency."

JMA President Toshio Nakagawa called on the government to take more steps to fight the pandemic, telling a press conference that "effective measures against infections will also serve as the most effective economic measures."

The government's top spokesman, meanwhile, said Japan has yet to find any cases of a new fast-spreading strain of the coronavirus that has been detected in Britain and other parts of the world.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a press conference the health ministry is in close contact with the British government and the World Health Organization, adding there were no immediate plans to tighten travel restrictions.

Several countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands have halted flights from Britain after the new strain was found to be causing a rise in infections in London and southeast England.

Japan already denies entry to foreign nationals without resident status who have recently been to most other parts of the world including Europe, with some exceptions for humanitarian reasons. The country saw just 56,700 foreign visitors in November, a 97.7 percent dive from a year earlier.

British health experts have said the new strain could be up to 70 percent more transmissible but there is no evidence at present of it being deadlier or reducing the effectiveness of vaccines.

Kato said the government would release information on the new strain to the public as it becomes available in an "appropriate manner."
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Source: https://english.kyodonews.net/news/...t-spreading-new-coronavirus-strain-cases.html.
 
South Korea reports 869 new coronavirus cases - KDCA

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea reported 869 new coronavirus cases for Monday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Tuesday, down from a record high of 1,097 reported for Sunday.

South Korea had managed to keep cases relatively low during the previous two waves of infection, but the third wave has proven far more challenging for contact tracers to contain due to its emergence in the densely populated capital region.

(Reporting by Sangmi Cha; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
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Source: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/world/south-korea-reports-869-new-coronavirus-cases-kdca-533668/.
 
Austria to Tighten Entry Restrictions After Christmas

Authorities in Austria have announced that after the Christmas holidays the country will tighten their preventive measures imposed to stop the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The new regulations which were put in place on December 19, clarify that compulsory quarantine rules will be applied to the vast majority of persons wishing to enter Austria, in a bid to protect citizens from the Coronavirus pandemic outbreak.

“From tomorrow onwards, police officers will therefore increasingly support the health authorities in implementing the new entry rules,” Interior Minister Karl Nehammer pointed out.

His comments came during a press conference held on December 18, between the Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler as well as Health Minister Rudolf Anschober, in the Federal Chancellery.


According to Austria’s government report, an additional 218 border officials are supporting the country’s health authorities, during entry controls, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, the police have contributed in many ways to contain the pandemic, including monitoring the necessary exit restrictions, quarantine monitoring and entry controls,” Nehammer said.

Since August 2020, nearly 7.5 million controls have been carried out at the country’s borders, while about 85,000 persons were required to follow quarantine rules.

According to Nehammer, the main reason for this decision was to minimize the infection risk that could be spread from the arrivals from other countries.

“These controls have so far been carried out jointly by the police on the one hand and the health authorities on the other – each in his or her area of ​​responsibility,” Nehammer stressed.

Austria’s Interior Minister emphasized that the country’s police will continue to help health authorities with their requests.

On November 3, Austria’s government announced that it imposed a second lockdown, in a bid to prevent the further spread of the disease. However, the lockdown was not welcomed by a large number of Austrian citizens, particularly those who planned to travel.

Austria has reported a total of 340,373 COVID-19 cases of infections and 5,435 persons have died. From the deadly virus have recovered 305,658 persons while the country faces 29,280 active cases, according to the figures published by Worldometers.
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Source: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/austria-to-tighten-entry-restrictions-after-christmas/.
 
Bulgaria allows medics, seasonal workers to arrive from UK

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria will allow medics, diplomats and seasonal workers coming from the United Kingdom to enter Bulgaria after closing its borders to travellers from the country to prevent the spread of the new strain of the coronavirus, officials said on Monday.

The Balkan country, along with other European countries, closed its air, sea and land borders to travellers from the UK until Jan. 31 late on Sunday and imposed 10-day quarantine for returning Bulgarians.

The government has said it was suspending flights from and to Britain until the end of January, but on Monday it clarified that outgoing flights to the UK were not restricted.

Data from the Sofia airport showed that all planned flights to British cities for Dec. 21 and Dec. 22 were cancelled.

Bulgaria may resume flights from the United Kingdom before the end of January if there is a common EU decision on travel curbs, but the obligatory 10-day isolation will remain, Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva told BTV television.
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Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...sonal-workers-to-arrive-from-uk-idUSKBN28V2QT.
 
France lifts border restrictions on U.K. after coronavirus variant prompts shutdown

Britain and France have reached an agreement that will lift restrictions after the French government closed its doors in an effort to quell the spread of a new variant of the coronavirus that was quickly spreading in the U.K.

“Accompanied freight services and some passenger services” will resume Tuesday evening, while land, air and sea services are expected to resume on Wednesday, the British government said in an online statement.

Anyone travelling from the U.K. into France will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 72 hours, while all lorry drivers will have to undergo a lateral flow test, the statement read.

British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he was “pleased” about what he called “important progress with our French counterparts,” but advised hauliers “not to travel to Kent until further notice as we alleviate congestion at ports.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government had been working throughout the day with France in an attempt to find a way to lift border closures that have snarled one of Europe’s most important trade routes just days before the Brexit cliff edge.

Much of the world closed borders to the United Kingdom over recent days after London identified a highly infectious new coronavirus strain, leaving hundreds of truck drivers stranded in southern England.

France shut its border to arrivals of people and trucks from Britain. The BBC cited French Europe Minister Clément Beaune as saying that Britain and France would announce a deal to restart freight by Wednesday.

“We speak to our colleagues in France constantly on a range of issues and that work has been underway over the last 24 hours and we’ll continue today,” Home Secretary Priti Patel told Sky.

Asked if there would be a resolution today, Patel said: “We’re working to get a resolution. It’s in both our interests to ensure that we have flow.”

“We’ll see what materializes today,” Patel said.

The discovery of the new strain, just months before vaccines are expected to be widely available, sowed new panic in a pandemic that has killed about 1.7 million people worldwide and more than 67,000 in Britain.

With the United Kingdom in effective COVID quarantine just 9 days before it is due to exit informal EU membership, one of the biggest changes in post-World War Two British history, some shoppers stripped shelves in supermarkets.

As financial markets tumbled, stranded truck drivers near the port of Dover said they just wanted to get back home in time for Christmas.
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Source: https://globalnews.ca/news/7536905/coronavirus-strain-uk-france-border/.
 
South Korea reports 1,092 new coronavirus cases - KDCA

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea reported 1,092 new coronavirus cases as of Tuesday midnight, the second highest since the start of the pandemic, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Wednesday.

The recent surge in cases has confounded efforts to contain the virus, prompting the authorities to shut down all ski resorts and winter tourist spots in a bid to stop the spread during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
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Source: https://www.thetelegram.com/news/world/south-korea-reports-1092-new-coronavirus-cases-kdca-534078/.
 
Japan's COVID-19 death toll tops 3,000 as medical experts sound alarm

The nation’s death toll linked to the novel coronavirus came to 3,026 on Tuesday, topping the 3,000-mark only a month after exceeding 2,000 amid fears that a recent spike in the number of infections could further squeeze Japan’s health care system.

The total includes passengers of the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined off Yokohama earlier this year.

On Tuesday, 48 deaths were reported nationwide, including 12 in Osaka Prefecture.

After the first death was confirmed on Feb. 13, the national COVID-19 death toll topped 1,000 on July 20 and 2,000 on Nov. 22. Japan is suffering a third wave of infections, and the number of deaths and severely ill patients has been growing. The daily death count hit a record 53 on Dec. 15, a figure matched the following day.

Of the fatal cases counted by the health ministry as of Wednesday, people aged 80 or over accounted for about 60%, those in their 70s for about 26%, those in their 60s for 9.2%, those in their 50s for 3.1%, those in their 40s for 1.1%, those in their 30s for 0.3% and those in their 20s for 0.1%. No death has been confirmed among people aged 19 or younger.

By prefecture, the death toll was the highest in Tokyo, at 568, followed by Osaka Prefecture, at 502, Hokkaido, at 401, and Kanagawa Prefecture, at 244.

On Tuesday, 2,687 new infections were confirmed nationwide, including 563 in Tokyo, 348 in Kanagawa Prefecture and 283 in Osaka Prefecture.

According to the health ministry, the number of seriously ill patients stood at a record high of 620 as of Tuesday, up by 17 from Monday.

A rise in the number of severe cases among the older population is a major cause for concern. The rate of severe cases compared with that for individuals in their 30s was 25 times higher for people in their 60s, 47 times higher for those in their 70s and 71 times higher among those in their 80s, according to the health ministry.

“The spread of the virus has led to a rise in the number of hospitalized patients and those suffering from severe cases,” said Takaji Wakita, head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

“It will be difficult to manage general medical treatment alongside the pandemic,” said Wakita, who also chairs a government panel of medical experts.

Tokyo’s 563 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday exceeded the previous high in the capital for a Tuesday, of 460, which was set on Dec. 15.

Of the most recent daily total for Tokyo, 65 of the cases involved people age 65 or older while the number of severely ill patients, based on city standards, came to 64 — up one from the previous day. The daily figure was based on 4,913 tests, the metropolitan government said in a statement.

Among those newly diagnosed, people in their 20s made up the largest group, at 133, followed by 120 people in their 30s and 96 people in their 40s. The cumulative number of infections in the capital stood at 52,382.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has denied the need to declare another national state of emergency, even amid the latest surge in cases and as health experts warn that the medical system is becoming strained.

Speaking in a prerecorded TV interview on Monday night, Suga said the government may instead ask restaurants and bars to further shorten business hours in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.

Also Monday, the government’s coronavirus point man indicated it will consider a law revision to strengthen prefectural governors’ authority in the fight against the pandemic.

At a news conference Monday night, economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura pointed to the need to allow prefectural governors to take strong measures even before a state of emergency over the epidemic is declared.

“We aim to enable compulsory measures, if necessary,” Nishimura said, adding that the government was looking to submit a bill to revise a special law enacted to counter the pandemic during an ordinary Diet session set to start in January.

The news conference was also attended by Shigeru Omi, chair of a government panel on the pandemic, who expressed a strong sense of crisis over the ongoing spread of infections in the Tokyo area.

Omi pointed out that slowing infections in the metropolitan area was key to containing the spread elsewhere in the country. He called on people again to follow infection prevention measures, such as avoiding eating and drinking in large groups.

On Monday, the cumulative number of infections nationwide was pushed above the 200,000 mark. After the country’s first case was confirmed on Jan. 16., it took seven months for the tally to top 50,000, on Aug. 10, and 80 more days to surpass 100,000, on Oct. 29. After the pace of infections started to accelerate further in November, the tally rose by 50,000 in 33 days to hit 150,000 on Dec. 1, then climbed by another 50,000 in about three weeks.
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Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/12/22/national/tokyo-563-coronavirus-japan/.
 
What does Austria’s coronavirus lockdown mean for schools?

From December 26th, Austria will re-enter lockdown. What does this mean for schools?
Austria will go into another lockdown - the third in the country since the pandemic started - from December 26th.

In addition to a stay-at-home order and the closure of shops and other businesses, schools will also be affected.

Schools are currently scheduled to start again on January 7th but only for home-schooling. Pupils will not be able to actually attend classes in person, although some provision will be made for students who need care.

Kindergarten is also cancelled.

Face-to-face lessons will again take place in Austrian compulsory schools from January 18th.

Will students need to be tested?

Austrian Education Minister Heinz Faßmann (ÖVP) confirmed on Saturday that students will not be required to take a coronavirus test in order to return to class.

For anyone else wanting to leave quarantine on January 18th, a negative coronavirus test is a pre-requisite.

Those who do not get tested will be required to remain in quarantine until January 25th. More info is available here.

Previously, Austria had planned to extend school holidays until the 11th of January, however this plan was overturned when the announcement was made on Friday, December 18th.

What about teachers?

Testing will be mandatory for people to return to certain professions after the lockdown - including teachers.

From then onwards, teachers must be tested once per week.

The professions where testing will be mandatory are: teachers and kindergarten/elementary educators, hairdressers and other services where close contact is unavoidable, retail (only if direct customer contact), healthcare (all professions with patient contact) and the construction industry (preferably at company level).

I need to work. Can I send my children to school anyway?

Schools will not reopen on January 7th, but Faßmann said on December 19th that parents who cannot care for their children at home will again be able to send them to school.

"Students and parents are already familiar with the procedure," the Education Minister said.

As a result, schools will be open to provide care and support to children under 14.

These are the same rules that applied in Austria’s second lockdown.

Although lessons will not have a traditional character - and teachers will not be present - staff and devices will be on hand to assist students with distance learning.

What about upper level and vocational schools?

As yet, it has not been settled whether upper schools (Oberstufe) will again start face-to-face lessons on the same date, or whether distance learning will be continued.

Unlike compulsory schools, upper schools have been in distance learning since November.

However, students of the AHS upper levels, BMHS and vocational schools can, as before, be brought to schools between the 7th and 15th of January for practical vocational exercises or to help them prepare for their final classes.

Despite this, classes will not be allowed to exceed half of the usual amount of students at any time.
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Source: https://www.thelocal.at/20201222/what-does-austrias-coronavirus-lockdown-mean-for-schools.
 
Bolivia Bans Flights from Europe Due to New Coronavirus Strain

There are no direct flights between the United Kingdom and Bolivia. Most passengers coming from the European continent enter the country via connections in the Spanish city of Madrid.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The Bolivian government on Tuesday said it will ban flights from Europe between December 25th and January 8th, in a bid to prevent the spread of a new strain of the coronavirus detected in the United Kingdom.

Safety regulations at air terminals will also be stepped up for incoming European flights, Deputy Health Minister Alvaro Terrazas said at a press conference.

"The decision has been taken to reinforce the measures and protocols for passengers from Europe. All will be subjected to laboratory tests ... to detect those who carry the disease," said Terrazas.
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Source: https://riotimesonline.com/brazil-n...ts-from-europe-due-to-new-coronavirus-strain/.
 
Japan's daily coronavirus cases hit new record of over 3,200

Japan confirmed a new daily record of over 3,200 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, as Tokyo and several other areas continue to see an unprecedented spike in infections.

The capital reported 748 new cases of the novel coronavirus the same day, the second-highest daily increase on record and the most logged for a Wednesday.

Tokyo has rewritten its record for each day of the week for the past nine consecutive days, bringing its cumulative total to 53,130.

Its tally of new infections for December has already surpassed 12,000, an all-time high for any month on record. The previous high of 9,857 cases was logged in November.

The nationwide tally, which topped 200,000 on Monday, now stands at around 207,600. The overall death toll surpassed 3,000 on Tuesday.

Last Thursday, when the capital saw a record 822 new cases, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government raised its alert regarding the strain on the medical system to the highest of four levels. It is the first time the most severe level has been reached since the outbreak of the virus.

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has urged people to take increased anti-virus measures during the year-end and New Year holiday period, including refraining from unnecessary outings.
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Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/12/23/national/tokyo-reports-748-cases/.
 
South Korea reports 985 new coronavirus cases - KDCA

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea reported 985 new coronavirus cases for Wednesday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Thursday.

This brings the nation's tally to 53,533, with 756 deaths.

South Korea managed to keep cases relatively low during the previous two waves of infection, but the third wave has proven far more challenging for contact tracers to contain because of its emergence in the densely populated capital region.
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Source: https://www.thetelegram.com/news/world/south-korea-reports-985-new-coronavirus-cases-kdca-534521/.
 
Peru becomes 5th Latin American country to surpass 1 million coronavirus cases

Peru passed 1 million confirmed cases of coronavirus infection Tuesday, becoming the fifth nation in Latin America to report that number as the region struggles with the pandemic’s economic and health effects.

Peru, which has a population of 32 million, was quick to declare lockdown measures in March as the pandemic spread in Europe. But in spite of closing its airports for almost six months and ordering most of its residents to stay at home it has struggled to contain the virus.

Officials said they had recorded 1,000,153 cases as of Tuesday evening.

More than 37,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Peru. That gives the Andean nation the world’s second highest per capita death toll from the pandemic, according to data compiled by John Hopkins University.

Peru began to reactivate its economy in August after case numbers peaked in late July, but several factors have made it vulnerable. About 70% of the labour force works in the informal economy and is hard pressed to stay at home. Water also is scarce in neighbourhoods on the periphery of large cities like Lima, which have become focal points for infection.

Many Peruvians lack simple devices that can help them stay at home. According to a recent government study, only 22% of families in working class areas of Peru own a refrigerator. Those who don’t must make regular visits to street markets where the virus spreads easily.

As Peru fights the pandemic it has also been rocked by political turmoil. In November President Martin Vizcarra was impeached by congress over bribes that he allegedly took from a construction company while he was a state governor. He was replaced by congressional president Manuel Merino, who lasted less than a week in office as big protests forced him to resign.

The new president, Francisco Sagasti, was appointed by congress and has promised to hold elections next year. His government is currently struggling to purchase coronavirus vaccines from international laboratories and recently blamed the Vizcarra administration for not completing a purchase with Pfizer for 9 million vaccine doses.
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Source: https://globalnews.ca/news/7538871/peru-coronavirus-1-million-cases/.
 
France reports another 14,929 coronavirus cases

PARIS, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- France reported another 14,929 coronavirus cases and 276 more deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data released on Wednesday by the Health Ministry.

A total of 24,884 coronavirus patients remained hospitalized, down by 80 compared to the previous day, while 2,710 patients were in intensive care, down by 18.

The country now has a total of 2,505, 875 cases, with 61,978 deaths.

Earlier in the day, Health Minister Olivier Veran ruled out a third confinement after the Christmas holidays, which was demanded by several officials and caregivers to stem the spread of the virus and avoid a new surge in January.

The minister, however, admitted that there are currently "too many daily cases" and urged the French to stay vigilant.
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Source: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-12/24/c_139614294.htm.
 
Germany sees record number of deaths from Covid-19 in 24 hours

Within 24 hours, 962 people died from or due to complications from the coronavirus, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI)- the highest figure since the start of the pandemic.
During the same period, 24,740 new infections were reported, according to the RKI figures from Wednesday. Last Wednesday December 16th, 27,728 new infections and 952 deaths were recorded.

Last Friday saw a record of 33,777 infections.

The development does not come as a surprise to the RKI who predicted that, after the rapid increase in the number of infections in October and November, the number of deaths would also rise significantly - albeit with a time lag.

It usually take time before an infection leads to death after a severe course of the disease. The total number of people who died from a confirmed infection with Sars-CoV-2 in Germany rose to 27,968 by Wednesday.

Where in Germany is most impacted by the virus?

The number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days fell for the first time in weeks until Wednesday - but only slightly to 195.1. The day before, a peak of 197.6 had been reached.

The highest value by far is seen in the eastern state Saxony: there, the seven-day incidence is 414.1, more than twice as high as the national average.

The eastern state of Thuringia follows with a value of 319.6. The lowest value was recorded in northeastern Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with a seven-day incidence of 96.3.
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Source: https://www.thelocal.de/20201223/germany-logs-record-number-of-daily-deaths-from-covid-19-i.
 
France's Macron no longer showing Covid-19 symptoms, says Élysée Palace

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to end his quaratine after showing no more symptoms of Covid-19, the Élysée Palace said on Wednesday.

Macron spent seven days in self-isolation after testing positive for the virus last Thursday and showing symptoms of fatigue, coughing and muscle aches.

His positive test on December 17 prompted a track-and-trace effort across Europe following numerous meetings between the French leader and EU heads of government.

During his quarantine, Macron ran meetings remotely from the presidential retreat of La Lanterne, close to the Palace of Versailles.

The French authorities are concerned that the holiday period could see a new spike in infections, after the country's total Covid-19 death toll went above 60,000 last week.

Authorities said late Tuesday that nearly 12,000 new cases had been reported in the previous 24 hours, and 386 deaths.

A vaccination campaign is to start on Sunday, with health workers and older people among the first to get Covid-19 shots, the government said.

The EU gave the green light for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine on Monday, paving the way for the first inoculations to start across 27 countries soon after Christmas.
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Source: https://www.france24.com/en/france/...-showing-covid-19-symptoms-says-elysée-palace.
 
Fewer than 2,500 coronavirus patients in Belgium are in hospital as the increase of daily average new coronavirus infections continues to slow down, according to the latest figures published by the Sciensano public health institute on Thursday.

Between 14 and 20 December, an average of 2,522 new people tested positive per day over the past week, which is a 6% increase compared to the week before.

The total number of confirmed cases in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic is 632,321. The total reflects all people in Belgium who have been infected, and includes confirmed active cases as well as patients who have since recovered, or died as a result of the virus.

Over the past two weeks, 299.1 infections were confirmed per 100,000 inhabitants, which is a 9% increase compared to the two weeks before.

Between 17 and 23 December, an average of 180.4 patients was admitted to hospital, which is 2% fewer than the week before.

In total, 2,473 coronavirus patients are currently in hospital, or 87 fewer than yesterday. Of all patients, 511 are in intensive care, which is 28 fewer than yesterday. A total of 300 patients are on a ventilator – 22 fewer than yesterday.

From 14 to 20 December, an average number of 91.7 deaths occurred per day, marking a 3.3% decrease compared to the week before.

The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the pandemic is currently 18,939.

Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 6,708,083 tests have been carried out. Of those tests, an average of 38,663.3 were taken per day over the past week, with a positivity rate of 7.6%. That means that around one in thirteen people who get tested receive a positive result.

The percentage went down by 0.6% compared to last week, along with a 16% increase in testing.

The reproduction rate, finally, is now 0.98, which means that a person infected with coronavirus infects just under one other person on average.
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Source: https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/...ntilator-deaths-positivity-rate-reproduction/.
 
Japan reports record-high 3,743 new COVID-19 cases

Japan confirmed 3,743 coronavirus cases on Thursday, marking the highest daily tally for a second straight day, as Tokyo and several other areas continued to report record numbers of infections amid growing concern over the strain on the medical system.

The country's cumulative total of confirmed cases topped 211,000, according to a Kyodo News tally based on official data. The death toll climbed to over 3,100, with 54 reported Thursday.

A record of over 640 people had developed severe symptoms, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said.

In Tokyo, 888 new cases were reported, exceeding the previous record of 821 logged on Dec. 17 and bringing the cumulative total in the capital to 54,018.

The new infections in Tokyo include the case of a Japanese man in his 30s who recently stayed in London. The metropolitan government is planning to examine whether he has been infected with a mutated variant of the virus, potentially more infectious, that has been found in Britain and other European nations.

Three prefectures adjacent to Tokyo also marked daily records, with 495 cases reported in Kanagawa, 251 in Saitama and 234 in Chiba.

Outside the capital region, Aichi, Gifu and Kyoto prefectures also logged record numbers of infections.

The monthly figure for infections in Tokyo in December has topped 13,000 and already surpassed the total for November, when the previous high of 9,850 was logged.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has since Dec. 17 raised its alert regarding the strain on the medical system to the highest of four levels, and has asked residents to refrain from nonessential travel.

Restaurants, bars and other establishments that serve alcohol have been asked to shorten their business hours by closing at 10 p.m. or earlier in a wide area of Tokyo, the hardest hit of the country's 47 prefectures.

Among the new cases in Tokyo on Thursday, people 65 or older numbered 93, while the number of severely ill patients based on Tokyo’s standards came to 73, up four from the previous day.

People in their 20s made up the largest group at 240, followed by 184 for people in their 30s and 143 among people in their 40s.
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Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/12/24/national/tokyo-888-record-covid-19-cases/.
 
Brazil close to seeing 190,000 deaths from COVID-19

SAO PAULO, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Brazil registered 762 deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease in the last 24 hours, raising the death toll to 189,982, the Ministry of Health said Thursday.

In its daily pandemic report, the Ministry of Health also reported 58,428 new cases of infection in the last 24 hours, for a total of 7,423,945 cases since Feb. 26, when Latin America's first case was detected in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo.

Brazil has the world's second highest COVID-19 death toll, only behind the United States, and the third largest caseload, surpassed only by the United States and India.
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Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2020/12/25/brazil-close-to-seeing-190000-deaths-from-covid-19.
 
South Korea reports 985 new coronavirus cases - KDCA

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea reported 985 new coronavirus cases for Wednesday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Thursday.

This brings the nation's tally to 53,533, with 756 deaths.

South Korea managed to keep cases relatively low during the previous two waves of infection, but the third wave has proven far more challenging for contact tracers to contain because of its emergence in the densely populated capital region.

(Reporting by Sangmi Cha; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
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Source: https://www.saltwire.com/news/world/south-korea-reports-985-new-coronavirus-cases-kdca-534521/.
 
Brazil coronavirus death toll hits 190,000

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil registered 22,967 additional cases of the new coronavirus and 482 related deaths in the prior 24 hours, according to data from the country’s Health Ministry on Friday

The South American country has now registered 7,448,560 total confirmed coronavirus cases and 190,488 deaths from COVID-19. (Reporting by Sabrina Valle; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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Source: https://nationalpost.com/pmn/health-pmn/brazil-coronavirus-death-toll-hits-190000.
 
Japan confirms cases of new coronavirus variant

TOKYO (AP) – Japan’s health ministry has confirmed the country’s first cases of infection with the new variant of the coronavirus that was identified in Britain.

The five people arrived between Dec. 18 and Dec. 21, before Japan stepped up border control on Friday for entrants from Britain. A man in his 60s developed fatigue, but the other four were without symptoms.

Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said the five were sent to quarantine straight from the airports.

After they tested positive for the virus, further analysis conducted at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases determined they had the British variant that is 70% more transmissible, the ministry said in a statement.

Shigeru Omi, head of a government taskforce, called for tighter border control to prevent new variants.
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Source: https://www.wfla.com/community/health/coronavirus/japan-confirms-cases-of-new-coronavirus-variant/.
 
Two more COVID deaths, 78 new cases locally

Jamaica recorded an additional two COVID-19 related deaths and 78 new cases on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

The deceased are a 75-year-old male from Clarendon and a 67 year old male from Westmoreland whose death was previously under investigation. Another two deaths involving COVID-19 patients Thursday were recorded as coincidental.

The latest fatalities bring the death toll from the coronavirus in Jamaica to 294.

The 78 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases bring the total number of cases on record for the island to 12,597. Recoveries increased by 158, bringing total recoveries to 9,737.

Of the newly confirmed cases, 41 are females and 37 are males, with ages ranging from 62 days to 95 years. The cases were recorded in Kingston and St Andrew (14), St Catherine (12), Manchester (11), St Ann (11), St James (nine), St Thomas (seven), St Elizabeth (four), Westmoreland (three), Clarendon (three), Hanover (three) and Trelawny (one).

There are 12 moderately ill patients and seven critically ill patients among the 2,412 active cases now under observation in Jamaica.
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Source: https://www.loopjamaica.com/content/two-more-covid-deaths-78-new-cases-locally.
 
New coronavirus infections stays above 11,500; Another 317 admitted to hospitals

Health authorities in the Netherlands said on Friday that another 11,550 people tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection, roughly the same as a day earlier. The total was four percent lower than a week ago, causing the rolling average do fall slightly to 11,426.

So far this week, 54,636 people have tested positive for the coronavirus infection, about seven percent more than last week, data from health agency RIVM showed. The public health institute also said that 97 more deaths were caused by Covid-19, raising the daily average to 75.

The three cities with the most new infections reported on Friday were led by Amsterdam and Rotterdam with 306, and Almere with 182. The seven-day averages in those cities were 439, 272, and 185, respectively. The daily infection figures among residents in Almere have nearly tripled since December 5.

For the second consecutive day, hospitals in the Netherlands admitted over three hundred new patients with Covid-19. Such a two-day streak has not occurred in at least seven weeks. Between Thursday and Friday afternoon, regular care departments admitted 317 more patients with the coronavirus disease, and moved 41 of their patients into intensive care units.

After accounting for deaths and patient discharges, hospitals were treating 2,297 people with Covid-19 on Friday, a net decrease of five. The intensive care unit total rose by three to 593, and the other 1,704 patients were in regular care, a decrease of eight. The hospitalized total was still 13 percent greater than a week ago, putting the Netherlands on pace to have 2,600 coronavirus patients in hospitals on New Year's Day.

To date, a total of 755,057 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus infection in the Netherlands. Of that group, 10,924 people died from Covid-19.
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Source: https://nltimes.nl/2020/12/25/new-coronavirus-infections-stays-11500-another-317-admitted-hospitals.
 
Covid-19 in Bulgaria: 45 more deaths, active cases decrease to 81 955

Forty-five people in Bulgaria who had tested positive for Covid-19 died in the past 24 hours, bringing the country’s death toll linked to the disease to 7023, the national information daily report on December 25 said.

The national information system said that 772 people in Bulgaria were newly diagnosed with Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.

Of this figure, 627 were established by PCR tests, and 145 by rapid antigen tests. A total of 3669 tests were done in the past 24 hours, of which 2407 were PCR tests and 1262 antigen tests.

Of the newly-confirmed cases, 139 were in the city of Sofia, 72 in the district of Varna, 57 in the district of Bourgas and 50 in the district of Plovdiv.

To date, 196 658 cases of new coronavirus have been confirmed in Bulgaria, of which 81 955 are active. This represents a decrease by 488 of active cases compared with the figure in the December 24 report.

The national information system said that 1215 people recovered in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 107 680.

There are 5671 patients in hospital, 42 fewer than the figure in the previous report. A total of 521 are in intensive care, a decrease of 12.

Ten medical personnel tested positive in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 8671.
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Source: https://sofiaglobe.com/2020/12/25/c...-more-deaths-active-cases-decrease-to-81-955/.
 
French Officials Announce 1st Confirmed Case Of New Coronavirus Variant

The more contagious coronavirus variant sweeping through England has officially reached France.

Officials there said on Friday that a French citizen who recently traveled from London has tested positive for the new variant.

The French Health Ministry said the case was found in the city of Tours, about 150 miles southwest of Paris, according to Reuters. The man, who returned from London on Dec. 19, "felt all right" and is self-isolating at home.

The diagnosis came after he was tested in the hospital on Dec. 21, the BBC reported.

Viruses typically mutate, and scientists are working to determine how much of a threat this variant poses. So far, they say it appears more transmissible and harder to control, though it seems unlikely to cause more severe disease and is likely to respond to COVID-19 vaccines.

Its discovery has prompted a number of European countries to restrict travel from the United Kingdom in recent days.

France reopened its borders to eligible travelers and truck drivers from the U.K. on Wednesday, after a brief shutdown that left thousands of truckers stuck. It will continue certain travel restrictions through at least Jan. 6.

And on Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the U.S. will require all travelers from the U.K. to present proof of a negative coronavirus test from no more than 72 hours before their departure, starting Dec. 28.

As NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff has reported, researchers have already detected the new variant in several countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia. Others, including the U.S., have not been tracking variants as closely.

Also on Friday, Japanese officials confirmed the country's first five cases of the new variant in passengers arriving from the U.K.
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Source: https://www.npr.org/2020/12/25/9503...rst-confirmed-case-of-new-coronavirus-variant.
 
Austria enters third lockdown as many are still celebrating Christmas

Austria entered its third lockdown on Saturday as many people were still celebrating Christmas.

It will last until January 24th but from the 18th people can get tested and come out of it early if they test negative.

Some of the country's 400 ski resorts re-opened on Christmas Eve — their owners said the rules on distancing would be respected.

But photographs have surfaced on social media suggesting otherwise, and many have questioned the wisdom of allowing busy slopes to open just 48 hours before a new lockdown.

At a Christmas Day news conference, Chancellor Sebastian Kurtz told Austrians that the first quarter of 2021 would be a very gloomy one but that he expected normality to return by the summer.

He added that a third wave of COVID-19 had to be stopped and that testing and vaccination was the answer.

Mass testing was conducted in early December but it wasn't a success.

In Vienna, just under 14 percent took part and in Salzburg, it was around 20 per cent.

Originally, the government had hoped 60 per cent of the population would take part.
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Source: https://www.euronews.com/2020/12/26...kdown-as-many-are-still-celebrating-christmas.
 
Two cases of UK COVID-19 variant confirmed in Ontario

Health officials in Ontario say two cases of the COVID-19 variant that first showed up in the UK have been confirmed in the province.

The cases are a couple from Durham Region, just east of Toronto, with no known travel history, exposure or high-risk contacts, according to provincial officials. Both individuals have been informed and are now in self-isolation as per public health protocols.

“With inbound international travel, it is not unexpected to have identified the new variant in Ontario,” Ontario’s Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Barbara Yaffe said in a statment. “Ontario is the first province to identify this variant thanks to the proactive work of the Public Health Ontario Laboratory.”

This COVID-19 variant has now been detected in multiple countries beyond the UK, including France, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia and Japan.

Modelling and epidemiological studies suggest that the variant first identified in the UK can spread easier and faster, but there is no evidence that it is more likely to cause severe illness. There is no evidence to suggest that the Health Canada-approved vaccines will be any less effective against the new variant.

“This further reinforces the need for Ontarians to stay home as much as possible and continue to follow all public health advice, including the provincewide shutdown measures beginning today,” said Dr. Yaffe.

Canada has imposed a travel ban on all flights arriving from the UK until January 6, 2021 and Ontario is currently in a province-wide lockdown.

Premier Doug Ford has called on the federal government to urgently partner with the province to implement testing at Pearson International Airport.

Health Canada says less than two per cent of all cases reported to date – or just over 6,000 of the more than 528,000 COVID-19 cases – have been attributed to those who travelled outside of Canada.
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Source: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2020/12/26/two-cases-of-uk-covid-19-variant-confirmed-in-ontario/.
 
Spain, Sweden confirm cases of new COVID-19 strain

Both countries trace the origin of infections from people who recently arrived from the UK

By Atila Altuntas and Senhan Bolelli

MADRID/ STOCKHOLM

Sweden and Spain on Saturday confirmed to have detected the first cases of a new strain of the deadly coronavirus.

In a statement, the Swedish Health General Directorate stated the mutated novel coronavirus strain was detected in a woman who arrived from the UK in the Sodermanland region. This is the first known case in Sweden.

The Swedish Health Directorate also reported that 39,648 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the country so far and 8,279 people died from the virus.

Meanwhile, Spain confirmed to have detected the first four cases of a new strain of the COVID-19 in a family in the capital Madrid.

According to a statement issued by the Health Ministry, one of the family members had come from London on Tuesday. Others in the family were in contact with the person, the statement said.

There were three suspicious cases related to the new strain of the deadly coronavirus, it added

Moreover, the first part of the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech reached Spain, while the first vaccine in Spain will be administered to the elderly and employees in an elderly nursing home on Sunday.

More than 40 countries, including Turkey and those from Europe, have suspended air traffic with the UK after the new strain of the virus was discovered in the country.

The newly discovered variant is reported to be spreading 70% faster.

The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than 1.75 million lives in 191 countries and regions since last December.

Over 80 million cases have been

worldwide, with more than 45.2 million recoveries, according to figures compiled by the US Johns Hopkins University.

The US, India, and Brazil remain the worst-hit countries in terms of the number of cases.

While new restrictions are imposed ahead of the holiday season, especially across Europe, countries are approving and procuring vaccines to combat the pandemic.
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Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/health/spain-sweden-confirm-cases-of-new-covid-19-strain/2089825.
 
Brazil sees 307 COVID-19 deaths, Bolsonaro not worried about vaccine delays

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil has registered 307 new COVID-19 deaths, and 17,246 new cases of coronavirus, the health ministry said on Saturday, as President Jair Bolsonaro said he was not worried about delays in rolling out vaccinations in Latin America’s biggest country.

Brazil now has nearly 7.5 million confirmed cases and 190,795 deaths from the virus, ministry data showed.

Bolsonaro, one of the world’s most prominent coronavirus skeptics, has been under fire for his handling of the outbreak. More recently, he has come under pressure over Brazil’s vaccine rollout, which still lacks clarity amid a global scramble for immunizations.

On a stroll in Brasilia Saturday, he was asked by reporters if he felt pressured over criticism of the slow vaccine rollout.

“Nobody pressures me for anything, I don’t give a damn about it,” he said in a video aired on CNN Brasil.
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Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ot-worried-about-vaccine-delays-idUSKBN2900LN.
 
Brazil sees 307 COVID-19 deaths, Bolsonaro not worried about vaccine delays

RIO DE JANEIRO—Brazil has registered 307 new COVID-19 deaths, and 17,246 new cases of coronavirus, the health ministry said on Saturday, as President Jair Bolsonaro said he was not worried about delays in rolling out vaccinations in Latin America’s biggest country.

Brazil now has nearly 7.5 million confirmed cases and 190,795 deaths from the virus, ministry data showed.

Bolsonaro, one of the world’s most prominent coronavirus skeptics, has been under fire for his handling of the outbreak. More recently, he has come under pressure over Brazil’s vaccine rollout, which still lacks clarity amid a global scramble for immunizations.

On a stroll in Brasilia Saturday, he was asked by reporters if he felt pressured over criticism of the slow vaccine rollout.

“Nobody pressures me for anything, I don’t give a damn about it,” he said in a video aired on CNN Brasil.
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Source: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/13766...hs-bolsonaro-not-worried-about-vaccine-delays.
 
Italy reports 298 coronavirus deaths on Sunday - health ministry

ROME — Italy reported 298 coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday up from 261 the day before, the health ministry said.

The daily tally of new infections was 8,913 down from 10,407 the day before, taking the total number of cases since Italy’s epidemic began to 2,047,696.

Italy on Thursday became the eighth country in the world to exceed 2 million officially recorded cases.

The number of swab tests carried out in the past day was 59,879, down from 81,285 the previous day, the health ministry said.

Italy has reported 71,925 deaths since its outbreak came to light on Feb. 21, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth highest in the world.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 stood at 23,571, up 259 from the day before. The number of intensive care patients was stable at 2,580.

When Italy’s second wave of the epidemic was accelerating fast in the first half of November, hospital admissions were rising by about 1,000 per day, while intensive care occupancy was increasing by about 100 per day. (Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni; Editing by David Clarke)
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Source: https://nationalpost.com/pmn/health...-coronavirus-deaths-on-sunday-health-ministry.
 
South Korea extends social distancing steps as new daily COVID-19 cases remain near record levels

By Joori Roh

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on Sunday it will extend social distancing measures introduced to try to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic for another six days, to Jan. 3, even as it continues to report near-record numbers of new cases each day.

For the run-up to Christmas and New Year holidays, the government banned gatherings of more than four people in greater Seoul and closed down ski resorts and other tourist spots. Beyond that temporary restriction, gatherings of more than 50 people are banned in greater Seoul and indoor restaurant dining is prohibited after 9 p.m. local time.

"We will observe the situation over the next week and decide whether to adjust the social distancing measures before Jan. 3 when the special quarantine measures for the year-end holidays terminate," Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said, speaking at a briefing.

The country reported 970 new coronavirus cases for Saturday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said earlier on Sunday, bringing the national tally to 56,872 cases, with 808 deaths.

That is the smallest in five days, but still not far off the record 1,241 infections logged on Friday.

Kwon said there will be minor adjustments to current restrictions, such as allowing take-out and delivery only for customers buying just coffee, drinks or desserts in fast-food restaurants, a measure already in place for other cafes.

(Reporting by Joori Roh; Editing by Leslie Adler and Kenneth Maxwell)
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Source: https://www.saltwire.com/news/world/south-korea-reports-970-new-coronavirus-cases-kdca-535023/.
 
Japan halts all foreign arrivals over U.K. variant

TOKYO -- Japan is barring entry of all nonresident foreign nationals as a precaution against a new and potentially more contagious coronavirus variant that has spread across Britain.

The Foreign Ministry says the entry ban will start Monday and last through Jan. 31.

Last week, Japan banned nonresident foreigners coming from Britain and South Africa after confirming the new variant in seven people over the last two days -- five from Britain who tested positive at airports and two others in Tokyo.

Japan is also suspending the exemption of a 14-day quarantine for Japanese nationals and resident foreigners in a short-track program that began in November. The entrants now must carry proof of a negative test 72 hours prior to departure for Japan and self-isolate for two weeks after arrival.

Japan is struggling with surging cases since November. It has confirmed a total of 217,312 cases including 3,213 deaths, up 3,700 from the previous 24-hour period. Tokyo alone reported 949 cases, setting a new record, despite calls by experts and government officials for people to spend a "quiet" holiday season.

Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region:

Health officials in Thailand say two new clusters of coronavirus cases appear to be linked to a major outbreak discovered a week earlier among migrant workers in an industrial province near Bangkok. The new cases were found in 19 members of a motorcycling club who held a holiday gathering on Lanta Island in the southern province of Krabi, and nine others who visited a gambling den in the eastern province of Rayong. They're part of 110 cases reported Saturday, bringing Thailand's total to 6,020. Sixty of the new cases are linked to migrant workers. The government warned that unless social distancing and other restrictions are observed, a nationwide lockdown might have to be implemented by March.
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Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coron...l-foreign-arrivals-over-u-k-variant-1.5245700.
 
Russia reports 28,284 new coronavirus cases

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia reported 28,284 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 3,050,248 after it crossed the 3 million mark on the previous day.

Russia's coronavirus crisis center said 552 coronavirus patients had died in the last 24 hours and the overall national coronavirus death toll was at 54,778.

(Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov, writing by Maria Tsvetkova; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
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Source: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/world/russia-reports-28284-new-coronavirus-cases-535060/.
 
Belgium’s coronavirus infections continue to decrease

Belgium’s daily average new coronavirus infections have decreased for the third day in a row, according to the latest figures published by the Sciensano public health institute on Monday.

Between 18 and 24 December, an average of 2,171.3 new people tested positive per day over the past week, which is a 15% decrease compared to the week before.

The total number of confirmed cases in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic is 638,877. The total reflects all people in Belgium who have been infected, and includes confirmed active cases as well as patients who have since recovered, or died as a result of the virus.

Over the past two weeks, 288.4 infections were confirmed per 100,000 inhabitants, which is a 7% increase compared to the two weeks before.

Between 21 and 27 December, an average of 160.3 patients was admitted to hospital, which is 11% fewer than the week before.

In total, 2,362 coronavirus patients are currently in hospital, or 75 more than yesterday. Of all patients, 492 are in intensive care, which is 2 fewer than yesterday. A total of 292 patients are on a ventilator – 6 more than yesterday.

From 18 to 24 December, an average number of 84.6 deaths occurred per day, marking a 12.6% decrease compared to the week before.

The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the pandemic is currently 19,200.

Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 6,816,200 tests have been carried out. Of those tests, an average of 35,940 were taken per day over the past week, with a positivity rate of 7.4%. That means that fewer than one in thirteen people who get tested receive a positive result.

The percentage went down by 0.5% compared to last week, along with a 4% decrease in testing.

The reproduction rate, finally, is now 0.90, which means that a person infected with coronavirus infects fewer than one other person on average.
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Source: https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/...re-ventilator-deaths-tests-reproduction-rate/.
 
Brazil reports 20,548 new coronavirus cases, 431 deaths

BRASILIA — Brazil recorded 20,548 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours and 431 deaths from COVID-19, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

Brazil has registered more than 7.5 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 191,570, according to ministry data. (Reporting by Jake Spring)
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Source: https://nationalpost.com/pmn/health-pmn/brazil-reports-20548-new-coronavirus-cases-431-deaths.
 
Japan confirms first case of South African coronavirus strain

Authorities have already identified over a dozen cases of variant that is spreading in U.K.

Japan on Monday detected a coronavirus variant found in South Africa, the government said, the first such discovery in a nation that has already identified more than a dozen cases of another variant that is spreading rapidly in Britain.

A woman in her 30s who arrived in Japan on Dec. 19 was found to be infected with the new virus variant, the health ministry said. South Africa’s health authorities have said the variant might be responsible for a recent surge in infections there.

The announcement of the detection of the South Africa-linked variant comes after the Japanese government on Monday started banning the entry of nonresident foreign nationals following the discovery of the U.K. variant in Japan.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga urged calm ahead of the new year holidays, when hospitals tend to be understaffed, and instructed ministers to remain alert.

“They say that no evidence is showing the vaccines that are already being administered overseas are not effective against this variant, and anti-infection steps for it are unchanged from those for the conventional virus,” Suga said, referring to the new, fast-spreading U.K. variant.

He spoke ahead of the announcement of the detection of the South Africa-linked variant.

“The virus recognizes no year-end or new year holidays. I ask each minister to raise the level of their sense of urgency and thoroughly carry out countermeasures,” he told a meeting of the government’s task force on the coronavirus response.

A Japanese business traveler at Tokyo’s Haneda airport, where few people were seen, said the government should do more.

“Even though Japan is doing things to counter the variant, there are still reports of cases in Japan,” 56-year-old Seiji Oohira said on arriving from India, where he works for a construction-related company. “So I think it’s better to tighten the restrictions even a little bit further.”

Japan is facing a third wave of novel coronavirus infections, with daily cases hitting a record 3,881 on Saturday, according to public broadcaster NHK. Fatalities hit a new high of 64 on Friday.

Yuichiro Hata, a 53-year-old former transport minister and the son of former Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata, died of COVID-19 on Sunday, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan said, becoming the first incumbent lawmaker to succumb to the disease.
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Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/12/29/national/japan-south-africa-variant/.
 
S. Korea Extends Britain Flight Ban After Positive Tests of Virus Variant

South Korea announced Monday that it will extend a ban on direct flights from Britain until January 7 after three people who recently entered the country tested positive for the COVID-19 variant that was first identified in Britain.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency says the trio arrived on December 22 after a flight from London, making them the first known cases of the new version detected in South Korea.
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Source: https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pa...flight-ban-after-positive-tests-virus-variant.
 
France's new coronavirus infections up 2,960 over 24 hours

PARIS — The French health ministry reported 2,960 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours on Monday, down from 8,822 on Sunday and from Saturday’s 3,093.

Case numbers generally dip on Mondays as there are fewer tests conducted on Sundays.

President Emmanuel Macron and some senior cabinet ministers are to review the COVID-19 situation on Wednesday as another surge in cases has spurred fears of a third lockdown in France.

The number of people in France who have died from COVID-19 infections rose by 363 to 63,109, up from 175 on Sunday. The cumulative number of cases in France now totals 2,562,646, the fifth highest in the world. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
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Source: https://nationalpost.com/pmn/health-pmn/frances-new-coronavirus-infections-up-2960-over-24-hours.
 
New coronavirus variant in Germany since November - Die Welt

BERLIN (Reuters) - The new coronavirus variant discovered in Britain seems to have been present in Germany since November as doctors detected it retrospectively in samples of an older patient who later died, Die Welt daily reported on Monday.

Specialists at the Hannover Medical School (MHH) were able to determine the virus variant B1.1.7 in samples of the patient who had medical preconditions, the newspaper said, citing the regional ministry of health in the state of Lower Saxony.

The Berlin Charite hospital confirmed the initial findings, the report added.

The new coronavirus variant, which has been spreading rapidly in Britain, is thought to be more infectious than other currently circulating variants. Early analysis suggests symptoms from the variant are not more severe.

The German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg said last week that local authorities had detected the new variant also in an infected person who flew to Frankfurt from Britain on Dec. 20.

The traveller wanted to visit relatives and tested positive upon arrival. The person was picked up from the airport by car by family members and has been isolated at their residence since then.
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Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...germany-since-november-die-welt-idUSKBN2921TE.
 
Brazil reports 58,718 new coronavirus cases, 1,111 additional deaths

BRASILIA, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Brazil recorded 58,718 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, along with 1,111 deaths from COVID-19, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

It was the worst daily death toll reported by the ministry since Sept. 15, adding to concerns of a growing second wave of infections in Latin America’s largest country. Brazil has registered nearly 7.6 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 192,681, according to ministry data. (Reporting by Jake Spring; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/hea...us-cases-1111-additional-deaths-idUSS0N2H6024.
 
Peru: Nearly 4 million people may already have had COVID-19 in Lima Metropolitan Area

4:31 | Lima, Dec. 29.

Around 4 million people might already have had the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Lima Metropolitan Area, according to seroprevalence studies conducted by the Ministry of Health (Minsa) in order to measure the evolution of the pandemic in Peru.

This information was confirmed by Deputy Public Health Minister Luis Suarez, in an interview with Andina news agency, in which he announced that the country is in final negotiations with three laboratories developing COVID-19 vaccines.

"The seroprevalence in the Lima Metropolitan Area is 39.6%, which means that nearly 4 million of its 10 million inhabitants have already been infected (with the virus)," the government official explained.

"The studies for the rest of the country have not yet been completed, and the final result might be around 30%. If the country has more than 30 million inhabitants, a third represents just over 10 million Peruvians, who might have been infected with the virus," he added.

Various indicators

Suarez explained that the monitoring of the pandemic is supported by various indicators: incidence, which considers new cases on the epidemic or epidemiological curve; prevalence, which is the proportion of ill people at a specific point in time; and seroprevalence, which is the percentage of people with COVID-19 antibodies.

"The epidemic or pandemic curves allow us to see the evolution of the pandemic, (that is to say) if it goes up, remains unchanged, or declines," the deputy minister explained.

"This (the epidemic curve) shows symptomatic cases, that means, cases whose symptom onset date is known, which is just over a million to date. Each region has its own epidemic curve," he added.

On the other hand, seroprevalence studies allow us to see the proportion of people who have already been infected, including those who never knew they had COVID-19.
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Source: https://andina.pe/ingles/noticia-pe...covid19-in-lima-metropolitan-area-827959.aspx.
 
South Korea reports record COVID deaths; secures new vaccine deal

The scale of the third wave is raising concern that the health system will be stretched beyond capacity.

South Korea on Tuesday announced a record 40 deaths from COVID-19, as daily coronavirus cases rose to more than 1,000 again and the government moved to procure more vaccines.

The daily death toll – the highest since the country reported its first case of coronavirus in late January – comes amid a stubborn third wave of infections that have forced the authorities to tighten social-distancing measures, amid what the Yonhap news agency described as a “looming medical system crisis”.

The country added 1,046 more cases, including 1,030 local infections, raising the total caseload to 58,725, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

Daily cases have been hovering around the 1,000 mark since mid-November and nearly 80 percent of Tuesday’s cases were reported in Seoul and its surrounding areas. The total death toll from COVID-19 in South Korea stands at 859.

On Sunday, the KDCA extended current social-distancing measures in Seoul and the surrounding area until January 3. A decision on whether to move to the highest level of restrictions will be made in the next few days.

The government has been reluctant to impose stricter measures because of the effect on small business and has instead adopted a more targeted approach.

Gatherings of more than four people have been banned in greater Seoul since last Wednesday and in the rest of the country since last Thursday. Ski resorts and tourist attractions have also been closed to avoid large crowds during the year-end holidays.
The continued growth in cases has increased concerns about a shortage of hospital beds and treatment for the most seriously ill, prompting health authorities to issue a rare order to private hospitals to secure more intensive-care beds for COVID-19 patients. The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients stood at 330 on Tuesday, 35 more than the previous day, according to the KDCA.

Moderna deal
The third wave has also added to pressure on the government over its vaccine procurement strategy, which some critics say has been too slow given that mass vaccination programmes are already under way in the United States and Europe.

On Tuesday, the presidential office announced that South Korea would receive sufficient doses from Moderna to vaccinate 20 million people starting in the second quarter of next year.

The deal was reached in a video conference between President Moon Jae-in and Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel, which took place on Monday.

South Korea said earlier it plans to secure enough doses to eventually vaccinate 46 million people or more than 85 percent of its population.

Last week, it announced deals with Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen and Pfizer to procure more vaccines.

It is also taking part in the World Health Organization’s COVAX programme and is buying the AstraZeneca vaccine that is expected to receive regulatory approval in the United Kingdom in the next few days.

The first jabs in South Korea, however, are only expected to take place in February, with medical workers and elderly residents the first in line to receive them.

Meanwhile, US Forces Korea (USFK), which includes about 28,500 members of the American military as well as their families and thousands of other workers, has administered the first vaccines to its “front-line health workers and first responders”, a USFK official said.
The US armed forces are using Moderna vaccines, which were sent to three military treatment facilities across US bases in South Korea on Monday. South Korea is one of four overseas locations in the Department of Defense’s initial phased distribution plan.
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Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...s-record-deaths-govt-secures-new-vaccine-deal.
 
Russia police arrest Covid-denying priest Father Sergiy

Russian police have arrested an ultraconservative defrocked priest during a raid on a women's monastery that he had taken control of.

Charges against Father Sergiy include encouraging minors to kill themselves.

The former priest took over the Sredneuralsk convent near Yekaterinburg in June after the Russian Orthodox Church banned him from preaching, and refused to leave.

He has denied the existence of the coronavirus pandemic.

The controversial cleric was barred from preaching in April and then stripped of the right to wear a cross in May after he encouraged the faithful to disobey public health orders.

Fr Sergiy helped found the Sredneuralsk Convent in the early 2000s, and hundreds of supporters have flocked there over the years to hear his sermons.

Russian authorities shut churches to worshippers between April and June, prompting Fr Sergiy to accuse them of co-operating with "forerunners of the Antichrist".
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Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55477888.
 
Study suggests Italy's COVID-19 death toll is higher than reported

ROME (Reuters) - Italy’s coronavirus death toll is probably considerably higher than reported, statistics bureau ISTAT said on Wednesday in an analysis pointing to thousands of fatalities that have not been officially attributed to COVID-19.

In its second report on the epidemic’s impact on Italy’s mortality rate, ISTAT said that from February to the end of November there were almost 84,000 more deaths compared with the average of the previous five years.

Of these “excess deaths”, 57,647 - or 69% - were officially registered by the health ministry and civil protection unit as being attributed to the new coronavirus.

Italy has continued to register hundreds of COVID-19 deaths per day since the study was concluded, with the updated official tally reaching 73,604 on Wednesday, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth highest in the world.

ISTAT’s report, drawn up with the National Health Institute, said it was not possible to conclude that the excess mortality was all the result of COVID-19, because of methodological issues and difficulties in determining precise cause of death.

However, the report said the time-trend of excess deaths closely followed the path of the pandemic.

This saw a surge in northern regions during the spring, followed by a summer lull when overall death rates returned to normal, and a new, accelerating increase from October in the so-called “second-wave” of coronavirus infections.

During this second wave, both official COVID-19 fatalities and overall excess deaths were more evenly spread over the country, but they were still most pronounced in the north.

In northern regions in November alone, deaths were up by 61.4% compared with the average of the previous five years. They rose by 39.3% in central Italy, and were up 34.7% in the south.

In Lombardy, Italy’s wealthiest and most populous region, deaths in November were up 66.4% from the average of the previous five years. That compared with an increase of 38% in the central Lazio region which includes Rome.
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Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/hea...th-toll-is-higher-than-reported-idUSL8N2JA2XM.
 
Spain will keep a register of those who refuse the coronavirus vaccine

People in Spain who decline to be vaccinated against coronavirus will be listed in a new register that will be shared with other European Union nations, Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa has said.

"What will be done is a registry ... of those people who have been offered it and simply rejected it," Illa told Spain's La Sexta TV channel.

Illa said COVID-19 vaccinations would not be made compulsory, and stressed that the information in the register would not be made public, in line with Spain's data protection laws.

But health care professionals have warned that the idea presents potential dangers.

"The most important thing is to know how the registry will be used," said Jose Luis Cobos, deputy direct of the Spanish General Council of Nursing.

"If it's for public health purposes, to better understand COVID, and it's anonymous, that's one thing," he said.

"But if it's 'I'm now on the list of the bad people,' that's another thing. We don't think a registry should be used to infringe on liberties, or for employers against people," he added.

VACCINE ROLLOUT UNDERWAY
Spain began administering the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine to citizens on Sunday, after it was authorized by European Union regulators last week.

Hours after Illa's television interview on Monday, the head of Spain's Medicines Agency, Maria Jesus Lamas, told Spain's SER radio that the new registry would be used "to understand the causes behind declining the vaccination ... doubt or rejection."

"The registry is anonymous," she added. "There's no chance of identifying anyone in the registry."

Spain's 17 regional governments administer vaccines across the nation.

In the southern region of Andalusia, people currently appear in a registry if they are given a vaccine, including its batch number and who administered, it for quality control purposes, an Andalusia health department spokeswoman told CNN.

The spokeswoman also noted that there is no registry for members of the general public who decline vaccinations, although Andalusia health care workers must sign a document if they refuse a vaccination.

Spain has the world's ninth largest number of coronavirus cases, at more than 1.8 million, and the tenth highest number of deaths, at just over 50,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
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Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coron...-who-refuse-the-coronavirus-vaccine-1.5248597.
 
Jamaica's COVID death toll tops 300; 41 new cases recorded

Jamaica recorded four new COVID-19 related deaths on Tuesday bringing the coronavirus death toll to 302.

All four deaths were previously under investigation. The deceased are a 72-year-old male, a 56-year-old male, and an 82-year-old female from St James; and an 83-year old male from Westmoreland.

In the meantime, the island also recorded 41 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, to bring the total number of infections on record for the island to 12,793. Recoveries increased by 112 on the day to 10,319.

Of the newly confirmed cases, 22 are females and 19 are males, with ages ranging from nine to 90 years. The cases were recorded in Kingston and St Andrew (13), St Mary (12), St Catherine (five), Manchester (three), Westmoreland (two), St James (two), St Thomas (two), Trelawny (one) and Clarendon (one).

There are six moderately ill patients and eight critically ill patients among the 2,018 active cases now under observation in Jamaica.
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Source: https://www.loopjamaica.com/content/jamaicas-covid-death-toll-tops-300-41-new-cases-recorded.
 
Brazil reports 55,649 new coronavirus cases, 1,194 additional deaths

BRASILIA — Brazil recorded 55,649 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, along with 1,194 deaths from COVID-19, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

Brazil has registered more than 7.6 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 193,875, according to ministry data. (Reporting by Jake Spring and Anthony Boadle; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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Source: https://nationalpost.com/pmn/health...-new-coronavirus-cases-1194-additional-deaths.
 
Russia reports over 26,500 daily coronavirus cases

The total case tally hit 3,131,550, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center

MOSCOW, December 30. /TASS/. Russia confirmed 26,513 new coronavirus cases in the past day and the total case tally hit 3,131,550, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Wednesday.

In the past two days, the growth rate did not exceed 0.9%.

Moscow confirmed 5,105 new coronavirus cases. Some 3,764 COVID-19 cases were registered in St. Petersburg, 1,608 in the Moscow Region, 503 in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, 406 in the Sverldovsk Region and 395 in the Pskov Region.

The lowest growth rates were registered in the past 24 hours in the Tuva Republic and the Altai Republic (0.2%), the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region and the Jewish Autonomous Region (0.5%).

Currently, 549,706 people are ill in Russia.

Recoveries
As many as 29,235 coronavirus recoveries were recorded in Russia in the past day, the anti-coronavirus crisis center said on Wednesday. New recoveries exceeded daily cases for the first time since December 9.

The total number of coronavirus recoveries has reached 2,525,418. According to the crisis center, 80.6% of coronavirus patients have recovered in Russia.

In particular, 4,278 recoveries were recorded in St. Petersburg in the past 24 hours, 1,470 in the Moscow region, 500 in the Krasnoyarsk Region, 493 in Karelia and 439 in Crimea.

Fatalities
The number of coronavirus-related fatalities in Russia went up by 599 in the past 24 hours, compared to 562 on the previous day, taking the total to 56,426, the national anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters Wednesday.

The provisional death rate stands at 1.8%.

In the past 24 hours, St. Petersburg reported 78 deaths, followed by the Rostov Region (27), the Moscow Region (25), the Voronezh Region (25) and the Vladimir Region (21).
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Source: https://tass.com/society/1241237.
 
Tokyo hits near-record 944 coronavirus cases as Aichi and Fukuoka log highs

A total of 3,852 people were found positive for the novel coronavirus in Japan on Wednesday.

The daily total stood above 3,000 for two days in succession and hit the second-highest level after the record high of 3,877 logged on Saturday. The number of severely ill COVID-19 patients across the country stood at 668 as of Wednesday, the second highest on record after the previous day's 675.

The country's COVID-19 death toll rose to 3,456, with 59 new deaths reported in 25 prefectures, including 11 in Hyogo, western Japan, eight in neighboring Osaka and five in Kanagawa, south of Tokyo.

Elsewhere in the country, the daily count of new cases hit a record high in the central prefecture of Aichi, at 294, and in the southwestern prefecture of Fukuoka, at 189.

Tokyo reported 944 new COVID-19 cases, a record high for a Wednesday and the second-highest figure for any day on record after the 949 cases logged Saturday.

Wednesday was the 16th straight day Tokyo recorded a new high for a particular day of the week.

Among Wednesday’s total, 105 cases involved people age 65 or older while the number of severely ill patients, based on the city’s standards, came to 85 — up one from the previous day — according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

The number of severely ill patients in Tokyo remains around its highest level since early May.

In Wednesday’s new cases, people in their 20s made up the largest group, at 249, followed by 178 people in their 30s and 150 people in their 40s. The cumulative number of infections in the capital stood at 58,840.

The spike in new cases in the capital comes after 2,084 coronavirus tests were administered on Sunday, when the number of tests tend to be low. It usually takes around three days for tests to produce results.

The daily number of new COVID-19 coronavirus cases in Japan reached 3,608 on Tuesday, rising above the 3,000 mark for the first time in three days.

Meanwhile, the number of severely ill COVID-19 patients across the country increased by 14 from the previous day to a new record high of 675.

The total number of fatalities among infected people climbed by 59, with 10 new deaths reported in Hyogo Prefecture, eight in Kanagawa Prefecture and six each in Hokkaido and Saitama prefectures.

The daily COVID-19 tally hit a record high respectively in Saitama, Tochigi, Gifu, Tottori and Yamaguchi prefectures.
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Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/12/31/national/tokyo-944-coronavirus-cases/.
 
Italy reports 555 coronavirus deaths on Thursday, 23,477 new cases

ROME, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Italy reported 555 coronavirus-related deaths on Thursday against 575 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 23,477 from 16,202.

There were 186,004 swab tests carried out in the past day, the ministry said, up from a previous 169,045.

Italy has seen an official total of 74,159 COVID-19 deaths since its outbreak came to light on Feb. 21, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth highest in the world.

A report on Wednesday by national statistics bureau ISTAT which looked at deaths from all causes since the start of the pandemic suggested the number of coronavirus victims in Italy is probably higher than indicated by official data.

Italy has also reported 2.107 million cases to date, the health ministry said.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 stood at 23,151 on Thursday, down by 415 from the day before. There were 202 new admissions to intensive care units, compared with 175 on Wednesday.

The current number of intensive care patients rose by 27 -- the first increase for at least a month -- to 2,555, reflecting those who died or were discharged after recovery.

When Italy’s second wave of the epidemic was accelerating fast in the first half of November, hospital admissions were rising by about 1,000 per day, while intensive care occupancy was increasing by about 100 per day. (Reporting by Gavin Jones)
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Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/hea...ths-on-thursday-23477-new-cases-idUSR1N2HO00S.
 
Brazil detects two cases of new coronavirus variant found in UK

SAO PAULO — A Brazilian lab said on Thursday it has detected two cases of the new coronavirus variant that has spread rapidly in Britain, and urged reinforcement of quarantine measures for travelers coming from Europe.

Diagnostic medicine company Dasa said in a statement that it had detected the SARS-CoV-2 strain B.1.1.7 through genetic sequencing done in partnership with Sao Paulo University’s Tropical Medicine Institute.

“Sequencing confirmed that the new strain of the virus has arrived in Brazil,” said researcher Ester Sabino at the Tropical Medicine Institute.

The new variant has rapidly become the dominant strain in cases of COVID-19 in parts of southern England, and has been linked to an increase in hospitalization rates. Australia, Italy and the Netherlands say they detected cases of the new strain.

Scientists say that, while it is not more lethal than the original strain, it is significantly more transmissible.

“Given its high transmission power, this result reinforces the importance of quarantine, and of maintaining isolation for 10 days, especially for those who are coming or just arrived from Europe,” Sabino said. (Reporting by Paula Arend Laier Writing by Anthony Boadle Editing by Peter Graff)
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Source: https://nationalpost.com/pmn/health...-cases-of-new-coronavirus-variant-found-in-uk.
 
Belgium’s daily average new coronavirus infections continue to drop, according to the latest figures published by the Sciensano public health institute on Thursday.

Between 21 and 27 December, an average of 1,789.9 new people tested positive per day over the past week, which is a 29% decrease compared to the week before.

The total number of confirmed cases in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic is 644,242. The total reflects all people in Belgium who have been infected, and includes confirmed active cases as well as patients who have since recovered, or died as a result of the virus.

Over the past two weeks, 262.8 infections were confirmed per 100,000 inhabitants, which is a 6% decrease compared to the two weeks before.

Between 24 and 30 December, an average of 154.3 patients was admitted to hospital, which is 15% fewer than the week before.

In total, 2,338 coronavirus patients are currently in hospital, or 85 fewer than yesterday. Of all patients, 496 are in intensive care, which is 14 fewer than yesterday. A total of 264 patients are on a ventilator – 10 fewer than yesterday.

From 21 to 27 December, an average number of 74 deaths occurred per day, marking a 20.7% decrease compared to the week before.

The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the pandemic is currently 19,441.

Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 6,900,875 tests have been carried out. Of those tests, an average of 29,512.9 were taken per day over the past week, with a positivity rate of 7.1%. That means that one in fourteen people who get tested receive a positive result.

The percentage went down by 0.5% compared to last week, along with a 24% decrease in testing.

The reproduction rate, finally, remains at 0.92, which means that a person infected with coronavirus infects fewer than one other person on average.
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Source: https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/...ive-care-deaths-positivity-reproduction-rate/.
 
Tokyo reports over 1,300 daily COVID cases, topping 1,000 for 1st time

The daily number of coronavirus infections totaled 1,337 in Tokyo on Thursday, metropolitan government officials said, exceeding the 1,000 mark for the first time since the pandemic began earlier this year and deepening concerns about hospital capacity.

Nationwide, the number of daily cases topped 4,000 for the first time, with record new cases also reported in Fukuoka, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa and Gifu prefectures, according to a Kyodo News tally of figures announced by local governments.

The nationwide tally of 4,518 compares with the previous record of 3,881 reported on Saturday, with the number of COVID-19 patients showing serious symptoms rising 13 from the previous day to the highest ever 681.

"I would like to ask people to avoid nonessential outings" in Tokyo and other areas where infections are surging, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

Asked if his government is considering declaring a prefectural or nationwide state of emergency, Suga only said, "We will make utmost efforts in preventing a further spread of infections while preserving the current health care capacity" through the holidays.

The tally for Tokyo eclipsed the previous record of 949 cases logged last Saturday, as the Japanese capital continues to see a rapid increase in COVID-19 infections.

The number of infections in Tokyo in December has now exceeded 19,200, nearly double the cases confirmed in November and reflecting the rapid pace of resurgence in the city.

Gov. Yuriko Koike told reporters that holiday shopping is apparently leading to bigger crowds, repeating her plea for residents to stay home during the holidays.

"I can't stress enough that the coronavirus doesn't care about year-end and New Year holidays," Koike said.

Health care experts at the Tokyo metropolitan government's pandemic response meeting on Wednesday warned that the capital could run out of hospital beds to treat COVID-19 patients if the recent pace of infections continued.

The city has been able to secure 3,500 beds for coronavirus patients so far, short of its 4,000 target.

The surge in the number of new cases comes after several people in Japan were confirmed to have been infected with new variants of the COVID-19 virus, first detected in Britain and South Africa.

The discovery of the new strains, said to be more transmissible than the original virus, spurred the government to stop issuing new visas and curb most entries into Japan.

In mid-December, Tokyo raised its alert regarding the strain on its medical system to the highest of four levels, the first time the capital has done so since the virus outbreak.

With the measure, the metropolitan government requested that restaurants and bars in the capital shorten their operating hours by closing at 10 p.m.
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Source: https://english.kyodonews.net/news/...000-daily-coronavirus-cases-for-1st-time.html.
 
34 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in last 24 hours

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica recorded 34 new cases of the coronavirus over the last 24 hours and reported one coincidental death.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases across the island to 12,827. The death toll stands at 302 as no new virus deaths were reported.

According to the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the new cases include 16 males and 18 females, with ages ranging from two to 87 years.

Of the new cases, seven each were recorded in St Ann and Westmoreland, six in St James, four in Kingston and St Andrew, three in St Mary, two each in St Catherine and Trelawny and one each in Hanover, Manchester and Portland. The transmission of all of the new cases are under investigation.

The country also recorded 64 recoveries, bringing the total number of recoveries to 10,383.
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Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/34_new_cases_of_COVID-19_recorded_in_last_24_hours.
 
BRUSSELS -- Authorities in Belgium say a 27th elderly person has died in an outbreak at a nursing home from a super-spreading St. Nick party last month but they hope the situation is now under control.

The Hemelrijck home in the northern Belgium city of Mol had organized a Dec. 4 visit from a troupe playing the beloved saint who usually spreads mirth and presents. But the city and families of some of the deceased have complained that the nursing home should never have organized the party when restrictive measures on events were in place throughout the country to contain the pandemic.

The Mol municipality said "the event was not co-ordinated with the crisis cell," and if they had heard about it beforehand they would have stopped it.

The municipality said on New Year's Eve that a 27th person had died.

At the Hemelrijck nursing home, no one was available for comment Friday. At last count, the home had 88 infections among residents and 42 among staff.

Lily Lenaerts, whose sister Angele, 85, was the first to die after the outbreak, is upset at how the nursing home is treating family members.

"I still have not received a condolence card (from the nursing home) and I have been visiting for four years," she told the Het Laatste Nieuws.

St. Nicholas is the traditional Dec. 6 day to give presents and is much more important to children in Belgium than Santa Claus on Dec. 25, which is primarily a family gathering.

Initially, one of the actors of the St. Nick group had been thought to be the source of the outbreak, but subsequent research could not be fully conclusive.

Belgium's eminent virologist, Marc Van Ranst, said it could "not be said with 100% certainty that he introduced it in the care home." He added "the man was a volunteer in the care home and theoretically could have been infected by a resident or a staff member."

The city said the outbreak was finally stabilizing.

"The health condition of the residents has shown a marked improvement," the city said in a statement.

Belgium, a nation of 11.5 million, has been badly hit by the pandemic with 19,528 confirmed virus deaths so far, many of them in nursing homes.
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Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coron...or-elderly-leads-to-27-virus-deaths-1.5250677.
 
Brazil reported 24,605 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, and 462 deaths from Covid-19, the health ministry said on Friday.

The South American country has now registered 7,700,578 cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 195,411, according to ministry data, in the world's third worst outbreak outside the United States and India.
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Source: https://www.trtworld.com/life/brazil-s-coronavirus-death-toll-passes-195-000-latest-updates-42885.
 
TOKYO
Eleven members of the Arashio sumo stable have tested positive for the novel coronavirus following the infection of top-division wrestler Wakatakakage, the Japan Sumo Association said Friday.

The 11 newly confirmed cases include his stablemaster Arashio, a hairdresser, and eight wrestlers from the makushita division and below.

After the 26-year-old Wakatakakage tested positive for the pneumonia-causing virus on Thursday, 24 members of the stable took polymerase chain reaction tests.

Three of the 12 infected stable members had fevers, but their symptoms were reportedly mild. The stable members are following the instructions of a health center.

Ten wrestlers from the stable are scheduled to compete at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament starting Jan. 10 at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, but it is unclear whether they will be able to take part.

"It's a difficult situation, because the grand tournament is so close," JSA public relations manager Shibatayama said.

The entire Tamanoi stable sat out last September's Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament after 18 wrestlers tested positive for the virus. The JSA allowed those who were forced to skip the tournament to keep the rankings they held previously.

Eleven wrestlers from the Tatsunami stable were also infected last month. Shibatayama said he will issue another warning to JSA members concerning the virus.
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Source: https://japantoday.com/category/spo...f-wakatakakage-also-infected-with-coronavirus.
 
ROME (Reuters) - Italy reported 462 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday against 555 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections fell to 22,211 from 23,477.

There were 157,524 swab tests carried out in the past day, the ministry said, down from a previous 186,004.

Italy has seen an official total of 74,621 COVID-19 deaths since its outbreak came to light on Feb. 21, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth highest in the world.

A report on Wednesday by national statistics bureau ISTAT which looked at deaths from all causes since the start of the pandemic suggested the number of coronavirus victims in Italy is probably higher than indicated by official data.

Italy has also reported 2.129 million cases to date, the health ministry said.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 stood at 22,822 on Friday, down by 329 on the day before. There were 145 admissions to intensive care units, compared with 202 on Thursday.

The current number of intensive care patients fell by two to 2,553, reflecting those who died or were discharged after recovery.

When Italy’s second wave of the epidemic was accelerating fast in the first half of November, hospital admissions were rising by about 1,000 per day, while intensive care occupancy was increasing by about 100 per day.
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Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-italy-tally-idUSKBN2962HY.
 
Jamaica recorded one additional COVID-19 related death and 88 new cases on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

The deceased is a 74-year-old female from Trelawny, bringing the death toll from the coronavirus in Jamaica to 303. Another two deaths involving COVID-19 patients on Thursday are under investigation.

The 88 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases bring the total number of cases on record for the island to 12,915. Recoveries increased by 149, bringing total recoveries to 10,532.

Of the newly confirmed cases, 48 are males and 40 are females, with ages ranging from 33 days to 95 years. The cases were recorded in St Catherine (19), Kingston and St Andrew (19), Clarendon (11), St Ann (six), Trelawny (six), Westmoreland (five), St James (five), Manchester (five), St Thomas (four), St Elizabeth (four), Portland (three) and Hanover (one).

There are 10 moderately ill patients and eight critically ill patients among the 1,923 active cases now under observation in Jamaica.
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Source: http://www.loopjamaica.com/content/88-new-covid-cases-one-death.
 
Jamaica Confirms Four Cases Of New COVID-19 Strain

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton is reporting that Jamaica has confirmed four cases of the new strain of COVID-19.

The four are among the 20 travellers from the United Kingdom who were tested positive for the coronavirus after their arrival in Kingston on December 21, 2020.

They remain in a state isolation facility.

In the meantime, the Health Minister says Jamaica on Saturday recorded 118 new COVID infections.

Some 513 samples were tested.

This means there was a positivity rate of 23 per cent, the highest in eight weeks.
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Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/...maica-confirms-four-cases-new-covid-19-strain.
 
Last edited:
Brazil reports 15,827 new coronavirus cases, 314 more deaths

BRASILIA — Brazil recorded 15,827 additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, along with 314 deaths from COVID-19, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.

Brazil has registered more than 7.7 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began 10 months ago, while the official death toll has risen to 195,725, according to ministry data. (Reporting by Jake Spring; editing by Grant McCool)
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Source: https://nationalpost.com/pmn/health-pmn/brazil-reports-15827-new-coronavirus-cases-314-more-deaths.
 
Italy reports 364 coronavirus deaths on Saturday, 11,831 new cases

ROME — Italy reported 364 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday against 462 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections plunged to 11,831 from 22,211, with far less testing than normal carried out on New Year’s day.

Just 67,174 swab tests were carried out in the past day, the ministry said, down from a previous 157,524.

Italy has registered 74,985 COVID-19 deaths since its outbreak came to light on Feb. 21, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth highest in the world. The country has also reported 2.141 million cases to date, the health ministry said.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 stood at 22,948 on Saturday, up by 126 on the day before. There were 134 admissions to intensive care units, compared with 145 on Friday.

The current number of intensive care patients rose by 16 to 2,569, reflecting those who died or were discharged after recovery.

When Italy’s second wave of the epidemic was accelerating fast in the first half of November, hospital admissions were rising by about 1,000 per day, while intensive care occupancy was increasing by about 100 per day. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer and Gavin Jones)
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Source: https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-p...oronavirus-deaths-on-saturday-11831-new-cases.
 
Mexico reports 11,091 new coronavirus cases, 700 deaths

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's health ministry reported 11,091 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 700 additional fatalities on Friday, bringing its total to 1,437,185 infections and 126,507 deaths.

The real number of infected people and deaths is likely significantly higher than the official count, the health ministry has said.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Twitter that he had spoken to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and both decided to deepen their strategic relationship in the fight against the pandemic. He gave no further details.

(Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher and Raul Cortes Fernandez; Editing by Kim Coghill)
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Source: https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/n...1091-new-coronavirus-cases-700-deaths-536520/.
 
Ecuador reports 866 COVID-19 cases, 14 deaths in the past 24 hours

Quito [Ecuador], January 2 (ANI/Xinhua): Ecuador's Ministry of Public Health on Friday reported 866 infections and 14 deaths from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours, raising the total caseload to 213,378 and the death toll to 9,487 since the onset of the pandemic on February 29.
According to the ministry's daily pandemic report, the actual death toll could be around 14,000 as another 4,564 deaths were likely caused by the coronavirus but not verified.
At the start of 2021, the capital Quito, the country's most populated metropolis, remains the epicenter of the pandemic in Ecuador, with 69,799 cases of infection, 216 more than on Thursday, amid a rise in infections since June.
In June, Ecuador began to relax lockdown measures to reactivate the economy and gradually normalize activities.
Quito's Ministry of Health announced Thursday it will continue to test and track cases through medical brigades that visit neighborhoods with high rates of transmission.
The brigades conduct free COVID-19 screening tests and treat patients with symptoms related to the disease. (ANI/Xinhua)
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Source: http://www.businessworld.in/article...eaths-in-the-past-24-hours/02-01-2021-360654/.
 
Hundreds booked for Covid-19 violations as mass French New Year's Eve rave ends

More than 1,200 revellers were booked for breaking coronavirus restrictions as an illegal rave in northwestern France ended on Saturday after more than two days of partying that saw clashes with police.

Police had failed to stop the underground event, which drew around 2,500 people from Thursday night to two disused warehouses in Lieuron, south of the city of Rennes in Brittany.

But the prosecutors office said police had detained two people, both born in 1998, neither of whom had any previous convictions, as part of efforts to identify the organisers.

They were also carrying out a search at one address and had so far turned up a sum of money that appeared on first analysis to be part of the proceeds from the event, and drugs, said prosecutor Philippe Astruc.

Police had seized the material and had also booked more than 1,200 for a variety of offences, he added.

Such mass gatherings are banned across France to prevent the spread of Covid-19, and a nationwide 8-6 overnight curfew has been in force across the country.

Techno music blared out during the night from the warehouses, which had been transformed into illegal nightclubs for partygoers who had flocked to the site from across France and even from abroad.

The local prefecture said Saturday the music had been switched off and sound systems dismantled after two nights, and the first revellers began leaving the site before dawn.

By 10:15 am it was under the control of police, the local prefecture said.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a tweet that police had seized a truck, sound equipment and generators from the site of the "illegal rave party".

The large police presence at the site had led to the break-up of the event "without violence", he added.

The regional prefect, Emmanuel Berthier, said 800 people had been booked specifically for coronavirus-related offences such as failing to respect the curfew restrictions or wear masks, or for participating in an illegal assembly.

Police had fined several hundred others for use of narcotics, he told reporters.

'We had to party'

Police on access roads were checking all those leaving the site, on foot or in vehicles, using torches to check their eyes for signs of drugs use, an AFP photographer said.

Police reinforcements continued to arrive and close off the site in a calm atmosphere Saturday morning, the photographer said.

"It's been a year since we could do anything," said 24-year-old partygoer Antoine. The salesman was part of a group of five from Brittany that attended the rave.

With drawn faces but with beers still in their hands, the group said they "had come to celebrate the 31st here because it was a huge party".

"We knew what we were risking... we had to party, for a year everything has been stuck," said one of the group, a 20-year-old waitress.

Alexis, a 22-year-old baker, said "at one point you say to yourself 'I am going to force my New Year'."

He added that the rave had even been reported in the New York Times, saying "it was the biggest party of the year".

'Lives in danger'

French authorities have been worried about mass rave parties throughout the pandemic, but New Year's Eve was a particular concern.

On Thursday night the police had tried to "prevent the event but faced fierce hostility from many partygoers" who set one of their cars on fire and threw bottles and stones, the prefecture said Friday.

First aid workers had distributed hand gel and masks at the event to try and limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The regional health authority in Brittany noted the "high risk of the spread of Covid-19" at the event, and called on those who took part to undergo coronavirus tests and self-isolate immediately for seven days.

The prefecture said in a tweet that a testing centre had been set up in a gymnasium in Lieuron.

"They have put their lives in danger, their health, they must now protect those around them," it said.

The French government, facing the threat of a new wave of Covid-19 infections, announced on Friday it was extending its overnight curfew by two hours in 15 regions to help combat the virus, starting it at 6:00 pm instead of 8.

The country recorded around 20,000 new cases and 133 deaths on Friday, bringing the total number of fatalities to almost 64,800.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.france24.com/en/france/...us-restrictions-to-attend-illegal-french-rave.
 
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