TOP HEADLINES

- UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says England faces a hard winter to slow the spread of the virus after the government announced final details of a regional three-tier system set to take effect on the entire nation from December 2. 

- Germany has passed 1 million confirmed cases after it recorded a further 22,806 infections in the past 24 hours.

- Switzerland's public health authorities have advised against mass singing and playing wind instruments during the Christmas period to reduce the risk of infection. 

- Denmark's government has decided it wants to dig up millions of culled mink to curb the spread of a mutated strain of the virus and burn them instead after hundreds of the dead animals, tipped into trenches at a military site in western Denmark, began emerging from the shallow grave as a result of gas from their decomposition.

- The International Organization for Migration has urged governments not to forget migrants when they outline their plans for mass vaccinations. 

- Some 17 percent of UK adults believe it could take between four to six months for their lives to return to normal, while 18 percent think it may be between 10 and 12 months, according to a survey carried out by the country's Office for National Statistics. 

- Cyprus has announced a nationwide nighttime curfew for the entire nation between 9 p.m and 5.a.m in a bid to slow the spread of the virus. 

- COVID-19 grief is worse than other types of grief, according to findings of joint research carried out by Cardiff and Bristol Universities into how people have coped with the deaths of loved ones amid the pandemic. 

- The World Health Organization's Mike Ryan has said the introduction of a vaccine "will allow us to really crush the curve, avoid lockdowns and gain progressive control over the disease."

- John Edmunds, a member of the UK government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), has warned there are unlikely to be huge changes to England's tier restrictions after the first 14-day review in mid-December. 

- Ireland's minister for foreign affairs has declared that Santa Claus's travel on or around the night of December 24 is "essential," as long as he keeps to social distancing regulations.

- Berlin is facing a race against time to open six mass-vaccination centers that can inoculate up to 4,000 people a day by mid-December.

ACROSS EUROPE

Trent Murray in Frankfurt

Germany has officially recorded more than 1 million cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. It's no doubt a disappointing milestone for the country's authorities, which had initially won global praise for their efforts containing the first wave of the pandemic. 

A huge proportion of those cases have been recorded in recent weeks, as a resurgence of the disease places pressure on the health system. Just today, 22,806 new cases were recorded. There were also 426 deaths reported – a new daily record. 

For many, the data will likely strengthen the argument by Chancellor Angela Merkel that Germany's partial lockdown had to be extended into December in order to get on top of the spiraling caseload. 

Toni Waterman in Brussels

Prime Minister Alexander de Croo has tried to manage expectations ahead of Friday's Consultative Committee meeting, when officials will discuss the possible roll-back of some lockdown measures for the holiday season. 

He told Belgian lawmakers: "We must not ruin the progress of the last four weeks in four days."

Most of the current COVID-19 restrictions are set to remain, but non-essential shops may get the green light to reopen with safety measures in place. The government is also expected to lay out guidelines for family gatherings. 

Belgium has recorded a dramatic decrease in new infections since lockdown measures came into force a month ago. The average number of daily infections dropped from more than 16,000 to fewer than 3,000. Pressure is also easing on hospitals, but the government is keen to avoid a surge in new infections in the new year.

Ross Cullen in Paris

Non-essential shops in France are preparing to reopen tomorrow, after the president announced that businesses such as hairdressers, clothing stores and bookshops can open to the public again if they follow a strict health protocol. 

The move comes into effect on November 28, when the personal distance limit will change. At the moment, people in France can only travel 1km from their house for an hour of exercise. That is now being increased to permission to travel 20km from home for a maximum of three hours. There will be no change this weekend to the restrictions on the hospitality sector as cafes, bars and restaurants will remain closed until mid-January. 

The nationwide lockdown (requiring government documents if you leave your house; travel must be kept to minimum; work-from-home requested where possible; cinemas, theaters, museums and leisure centers closed) remains in place nationwide until at least December 15.

Linda Kennedy in Budapest

Controls on Hungary's internal Schengen border area are to be extended until January next year, the government said at its online pandemic press conference. A total of 30 crossing points have been designated for passenger traffic only, and 88 minor forest trails are to be closed.

A further 664 people have been the subject of police action for failing to wear a mask. The curfew has also been violated by an additional 259 people in the past 24 hours.

Doctors and nurses in Hungary are to receive a pay rise in 2021, the government has announced. Professional medical bodies are pushing for it to include dentists.

Aljoša Milenković in Belgrade

Serbia is quickly becoming one of Europe's worst-hit countries. 

With a population of just under 7 million, the country had 7,606 newly infected people on Thursday, while 51 people died, and 243 are in intensive care on ventilators.

The officials say that in the coming days the situation is likely to worsen, as the actual figures are much higher. The healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, with almost 1,500 medics being infected, and more than 90 percent of all hospital beds taken.

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CGTN Europe has been providing in-depth coverage of the novel coronavirus story as it has unfolded. Here you can read the essential information about the crisis.