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The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine will now be administered in the EU, days after immunizations began in other countries.
PARIS – The European Union kicked off launching a vaccine on Saturday, even as the bloc countries were forced to re-lock themselves by a new strain of the virus, believed to be more infectious, which continues to spread from Britain.
The pandemic has claimed more than 1.7 million lives and is still rampant in much of the world, but the recent launch of inoculation campaigns has raised hopes that 2021 could bring a respite.
Hours before the first doses of the vaccine arrived in France, the Paris Health Ministry confirmed late Friday that it had detected its first case of the new variant in a citizen returning from Great Britain.
Cases of the new strain have been reported by several countries, causing jitters in already overburdened health services.
There was little indication of the usual rush of Boxing Day sales on the streets of Sydney on Saturday, as residents largely heeded the state prime minister’s request to stay home in the face of a new cluster of viruses.
“Even when we walked into the store there were less than ten people,” shopper Lia Gunawan told The Sydney Morning Herald after queuing for sales.
Even as some European nations expect a return to harsh restrictions after Christmas, China’s communist leadership issued a statement praising the “extremely extraordinary glory” of its handling of the virus that emerged in Hubei province last year, the agency reported. state news Xinhua.
Around the world, people are urged to respect social distancing guidelines, as the World Health Organization urged people not to “waste” the “great and heartbreaking sacrifices” that people had made to save lives. .
– New variant –
The first French case of the new coronavirus variant was found in a citizen residing in Britain who arrived from London on December 19, the French Health Ministry said.
They are asymptomatic and isolate themselves at home in Tours, in central France, and the contacts of the healthcare professionals who treated them have been followed up.
The new strain of the virus, which experts fear is more contagious, prompted more than 50 countries to impose travel restrictions on the UK, where it first emerged.
But cases of the new variant have still been reported around the world: Japan confirmed five infections in UK passengers on Friday, while cases have also been reported in Denmark, Lebanon, Germany, Australia and the Netherlands.
South Africa has detected a similar mutation in some infected people, but on Friday denied British claims that its strain was more infectious or dangerous than the one native to the United Kingdom.
The closure of the UK-France border for 48 hours caused a bottleneck of up to 10,000 trucks in south-east England, with drivers stranded for days during the holiday period.
But the head of the Calais port operator told AFP that after the port remained open especially during Christmas, soon “the situation should be completely resolved.”
– New restrictions –
Some countries that eased restrictions slightly for Christmas have reimposed them: Austria, for example, will see a curfew from Saturday to January 24.
Millions in the UK have been hit by a tightening of restrictions there; According to the BBC, more than 40% of the population of England is now affected by the strictest measures, which include the closure of all non-essential businesses and a limitation. of social contacts.
New lockdowns also began in Scotland and Northern Ireland on Saturday, with Wales also reimposing restrictions after relaxing them for Christmas.
More than 25 million infections have been recorded in Europe, according to an AFP tally on Friday.
– Vaccination hope –
Vaccines in the 27 countries of the European Union will begin Sunday, after regulators approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 21.
As the launch of the vaccine progresses around the world, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Friday:
“Vaccines are offering the world a way out of this tragedy. But it will take time for everyone to get vaccinated.”
The Pope’s Christmas message also made reference to the issue, with a request for “vaccines for all.”
“I call on everyone, the leaders of states, companies, international organizations, to promote cooperation and not competition, to find a solution for all … especially for the most vulnerable and most needy in all regions of the planet “. Pope Francis said.
