Protesters arrested in London, global cases pass 61m: COVID-19 daily bulletin
Updated 02:29, 29-Nov-2020
Aden-Jay Wood
Europe;
00:20

TOP HEADLINES

- Germany's partial lockdown measures could last until Spring 2021 if the current surge in infections doesn't slow, according to the country's economy minister Peter Altmaier.

- More than 60 people have been arrested in London on Saturday at a protest by anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine campaigners.

- Global cases have surpassed 61 million, according to data from the Johns Hopkins Institute.

- Greece's government has decided to lower the cost of COVID-19 screening tests, previously costing up to $113, they will now be set at a flat fee of $47.85.

- Italy's death toll rose by 686 in the past 24 hours while nationwide cases increased by 26,323, a smaller rise than Friday's 28,352.

- Around 600 delegates of Germany's far-right political party AfD attended a conference on Saturday, sparking worry among authorities that there could be an outbreak of cases as a result.

- UK cabinet minister Michael Gove has backed the decision to implement stricter tiered rules in England, saying that without them every hospital could be overwhelmed. 

- Belgium is to reopen shops from Tuesday but the country's semi-lockdown will remain in place for now because it's "important to keep a lid on things," Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said.

- Five of Italy's regions, including the epicenter of the first wave of the virus, Lombardy, will have their restrictions eased from Sunday. 

- Spanish football club Barcelona has reached an agreement with representatives of its players and coaching staff for temporary cuts in salaries due to the financial impact of the pandemic. 

- Ireland will allow shops, restaurants, gyms and pubs serving food to reopen next week and permit all travel within the country from December 18 to facilitate a "different but special" Christmas.

- Moscow has opened a 20,500 square-meter ice skating rink - the biggest artificial rink in Europe, that will operate in compliance with pandemic safety measures. 

 

ACROSS EUROPE

Rahul Pathak in Madrid

Spain's chief medical officer Fernando Simon says he still fears a Christmas spike in the coronavirus infection rates, despite the country registering a steady decline in new cases over the past week. 

The latest daily figures showed Spain with 10,853 new cases, a drop of 1,436 on the previous day's number.  

However Simon said that while the trend was encouraging, the overall figures were still worrying and that the nation had to remain very cautious until the situation vastly improved. Simon still expects an uptick in transmission during the Christmas holidays, and thinks the test would be how well Spain could manage the expected surge.

 

Stefan de Vries in Amsterdam

Shopping areas of a number of big cities were jam-packed on Black Friday. In Rotterdam, it was even so busy that the Mayor decided to close all shops in the city center, while a drone urged visitors to go home. 

On Saturday, Amsterdam warned of busy crowds expected in the city and asked shoppers to stay away.

In his weekly press conference, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the numbers did not give reason to be optimistic. He does not think that the current rules can be relaxed at Christmas. 

The government is due to announce new measures on December 8.

 

Moscow has opened a 20,500 square-meter ice skating rink - the biggest artificial rink in Europe. /AP

Moscow has opened a 20,500 square-meter ice skating rink - the biggest artificial rink in Europe. /AP

 

Hungary

Hungary hopes to receive it first small batches of the Russian Sputnik vaccine in December and larger supplies in late January, the country's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said. 

Despite the government facing criticism from the EU, which has opposed ordering doses of a vaccine not approved by the union, Hungary is also looking to organize production of the vaccine within the country.

"We would be glad if it happens. Companies say it may take up to 18 months to introduce the Russian vaccine production technologies," Szijjarto added.

"We will see if this period could be shortened. If it really takes so much time, naturally, it will be non-competitive. In this case we will have to focus only on purchases," he added.
 

UK

More than 60 people have been arrested in London on Saturday as police tried to break up hundreds of anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protesters. Police said the arrests had been made for a variety of different offenses, including breaching COVID-19 restrictions.

Meanwhile, more than 1,300 people in Britain were wrongly informed they were infected with COVID-19 after a laboratory error at the government's NHS Test and Trace system.

"NHS Test and Trace has contacted 1,311 individuals who were incorrectly told that the result of COVID-19 tests, taken between November 19 and November 23, were positive. An issue with a batch of testing chemicals meant their test results were void," a health department spokesman said. 

"Swift action was taken to notify those affected and they have been asked to take another test, and to continue to self-isolate if they have symptoms," the spokesman added.

 

More than 60 people have been arrested as police tried to separate hundreds of anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protesters in London on Saturday. /Reuters

More than 60 people have been arrested as police tried to separate hundreds of anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protesters in London on Saturday. /Reuters

 

Belgium

Belgium is to reopen shops from Tuesday (December 1) while bars, restaurants, hairdressers, sports and cultural centres will remain closed, the country's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said. 

Warning that leisure shopping should remain out of the picture, De Croo said that the reopening of non-essential shops was "on one condition - that it is done responsibly and in a safe manner."

Belgian households will only be able to be in close contact with one additional person over Christmas, while people living on their own will be able to meet two others. 

 

Belgium is to reopen shops from Tuesday (December 1) while bars, restaurants, hairdressers, sports and cultural centres will remain closed. /AP

Belgium is to reopen shops from Tuesday (December 1) while bars, restaurants, hairdressers, sports and cultural centres will remain closed. /AP

 

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