(Reuters) – Pope Francis said in his Christmas message that political and business leaders cannot allow market forces and patent laws to prioritize the delivery of Covid 19 vaccines to all, criticizing nationalism and “virus radical homogenization ”.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals here for case manager and news summary.
EUROPE
* More than 4,500 lorries, including a large collection of lorries lost for days in the British port of Dover, crossed the Channel on Friday after extra troops were deployed to carry out a coronavirus test , said minister.
* Russia on Saturday approved the main COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, for use by people older than 60, Russian news agencies reported to the health ministry.
The total number of cases of coronavirus disease in Russia exceeded the 3 million mark for the first time on Saturday after officers recorded 29,258 new cases in the previous 24 hours and 567 deaths.
* Some Russians took to social media to raise frustration after giving Argentina 300,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine, arguing that more shots should be available at home.
* France registered its first case of the new variant of coronavirus, as the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 set up in the country increased concerns about a new wave of the virus hitting it. the second largest economy in the euro zone.
* Everyone wishing for Christmas this year is a simple hood, Queen Elizabeth of Britain said in her annual Christmas message, saying it would be a pity for those who have lost loved ones to the pandemic COVID- 19 or were separated by loops of social mixing.
AMERICAS
* U.S. states, backed by administering coronavirus vaccines, are urging medical and nursing students, and even firefighters, to help provide the sights and free care workers. health fighting a pandemic in congested hospitals.
* The U.S. government will require British-born airline passengers to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of its launch Monday amid concerns about a new coronavirus variant could be more mobile.
* Families across Mexico canceled Christmas parties to avoid the spread of coronavirus, while others spent the holidays alone after losing loved ones to the pandemic that has killed more than 120,000 in Mexico this year.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* South Korea posted the second highest daily number of coronavirus cases on Saturday as incidents in prisons, nursing homes and churches rallied, prompting authorities to call for an end to all end-of-year gathering.
* Tokyo ‘s coronavirus infections hit a daily high of 949 cases on Saturday when Japan enters the New Year’ s holiday, which usually sees people streaming from the main city into the provinces.
* Sydney residents were urged not to go shopping for Boxing Day bargains, while those in some beach suburban areas were preparing to enter a tight lock for three a day from Sunday while an Australian city was trying to eradicate a coronavirus revolution.
* The Chinese capital Beijing issued a series of coronavirus-related tips on Thursday ahead of the peak travel season from New Year’s Day to Chinese Lunar New Year in February, but it stopped short of adding magical restrictions.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* Matron Annamarie Odendaal has canceled a staff holiday on the COVID-19 ward at the private Arwyp Medical Center in Johannesburg as the second wave of the coronavirus threatens to overwhelm the South African health system.
MEDIA DEVELOPMENTS
* The CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech Ltd SVA.O showed an efficiency of between 50% and 90% in Brazilian tests, Sao Paulo’s state health secretary said, and his Brazilian representative said full test results published by January 7th. .
* Moderna Inc expects that the immunity induced by its COVID-19 vaccine would protect against the reported coronavirus variants in Britain.
* Brazilian researchers reported that the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech in China is more than 50% effective based on preliminary data, but kept full results of their end-of-period test again on Sinovac application.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
* Millions of unemployed Americans went out on Saturday after President Donald Trump refused to submit to the law a $ 2.3 trillion pandemic aid package, claiming he did not do enough to help everyday people to help.
Composed by Charles Regnier, Aditya Soni and Krishna Chandra Eluri and Uttaresh.V; Edited by Mark Heinrich