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WASHINGTON: The United States marked the New Year on Friday (January 1) by surpassing the extraordinary milestone of 20 million COVID-19 cases, after global celebrations welcoming 2021 were largely silenced by the pandemic.
The United States has failed in its efforts to quell the virus, which is spreading rapidly across the country and has already caused more than 346,000 deaths, by far the highest national death toll.
Global hopes that COVID-19 vaccines will put a quick end to the pandemic in 2021 have been shaken by the slow start of the US vaccination program, which has been hit by logistical problems and overloaded hospitals.
Nearly 2.8 million people in the US have already taken their first blows, but the number fell far short of the 20 million vaccines promised by the administration of President Donald Trump by the end of 2020.
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The desperate race for vaccination will dominate next year, with the coronavirus already killing at least 1.8 million people since it emerged in China in December 2019, according to a count from official sources compiled by AFP.
German company BioNTech said on Friday it was rushing to ramp up the production of its COVID-19 injection to fill a shortage caused by a lack of other approved vaccines in Europe.
Countries such as Great Britain, Canada and the United States have previously approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and have since given the green light to injections from the American firm Moderna or Oxford-AstraZeneca.
“The current situation is not rosy, there is a hole because there is an absence of other approved vaccines and we have to fill this gap,” BioNTech co-founder Ugur Sahin told the weekly Der Spiegel.
READ: Romney Launches Broad Vaccination Plan As US Approaches 20 Million COVID-19 Cases
WAITING FOR THE VACCINE
Criticism of the slow launch of the vaccine has intensified in recent days.
In Germany, senior doctors have complained that hospital staff are waiting for vaccinations despite being in a priority group.
France has seen similar complaints, prompting the government to announce that healthcare workers over 50 could receive the vaccine starting Monday, earlier than originally planned.
The French government announced on Friday that a nationwide overnight curfew would be extended in 15 regions where infections are high. The curfew will start at 6:00 pm instead of 8:00 pm, even in the Mediterranean city of Nice.
“The virus continues to spread … but with a disparity between regions,” said a French government spokesman, confirming that theaters, cinemas and concert halls would not be able to reopen on January 7, the most recent date given.
People wait after an illegal New Year’s Eve party in Rennes, France, which the police tried to break up. (Photo: AFP / Jean-Francois Monier)
Also in France, some 2,500 partygoers attended an illegal New Year’s rave near Rennes, clashing with police who tried to arrest it, authorities said.
But around the world, the normally extravagant midnight celebrations in cities like Sydney, New York, Rio de Janeiro, and Edinburgh were scaled down or canceled, and crowds were unable to attend.
Rio saw an advantage: 89 percent less trash on Copacabana beach, which gets stuck with trash every year after its New Year’s Eve party.
“We were prepared for any scenario. But congratulations to the people of Rio, who listened to the calls of the authorities to avoid large crowds and stay at home,” said the municipal sanitation chief, Flavio Lopes.
POST-VACATION MARCH
Travelers who braved trains between London and Paris on the first day after Britain’s departure from the EU customs union experienced additional checks, but seemed more concerned about the additional rules required for travel due to COVID-19.
“I was not supposed to be home during the holidays, but there was an emergency. I bought my ticket at the last minute, with a test (for COVID-19) that cost 200 pounds (225 euros, US $ 270),” he said Stephanie. Bapes, a 35-year-old French woman who lives in London.
Britain said on Thursday it had vaccinated nearly 950,000 people, as an increase in coronavirus cases prompted the reopening of field hospitals.
READ: UK reactivates COVID-19 emergency hospitals and closes London primary schools
Experts believe the worst is yet to come globally, predicting a sharp increase in cases and deaths after weeks of Christmas gatherings.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the United States hit a record number of daily deaths on Wednesday when more than 3,900 people died from COVID-19.
President-elect Joe Biden, who will take office Jan. 20, has criticized the troubled launch of the vaccine and implored Americans to wear masks.
Under Trump, American authorities have delivered often mixed messages about wearing masks, social distancing and closures, and the outgoing president has repeatedly downplayed the risks.
But in his New Year’s Eve message, Trump praised his administration’s response, saying that “our most vulnerable citizens are already receiving the vaccine and millions of doses are rapidly being shipped across our country.”
The World Health Organization on Thursday granted emergency validation to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, paving the way for countries around the world to quickly approve its import and distribution.
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