TOP HEADLINES
• Nearly 600,000 people in the UK received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday - a new daily record for jabs administered in a single day.
• Captain Tom Moore, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his fundraising for the UK's National Health Service during the pandemic, has been hospitalized with COVID-19.
• The UK government is reportedly working on a recovery plan for the country's COVID-battered economy, as it tries to help companies that have been badly affected by the pandemic.
• Restaurant workers were among hundreds of people protesting against coronavirus lockdown measures on Sunday in Budapest, and at least 100 restaurants planned to re-open even as the government threatened them with heavy fines.
• Germany's military will send medical staff and equipment to Portugal, where space in hospital intensive care units is running out after a surge in coronavirus infections, the defence ministry in Berlin said on Sunday.
• French President Emmanuel Macron defended his decision to hold off on a third lockdown on Saturday, telling the public he had faith in their ability to rein in COVID-19 with less severe curbs even as a third wave spreads and the vaccine rollout falters. Read more: France rules out new lockdown
• The UK's International Trade Secretary Liz Truss says it's "too early" to be thinking about donating doses of vaccines to other poorer countries but says there is a desire to help third world countries with their vaccination programs.
• The UK and EU will "reset" their relationship following the controversy over the bloc's decision to trigger Article 16 to control vaccine exports – a move that was later reversed. Read more: Article 16 explained
• Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin says "there are a lot of lessons to be learnt" after the EU performed a U-turn on its decision to implement border checks for vaccine exports at the Irish border.
• Serbia has recorded the second fastest roll-out of vaccinations in Europe. The country says its rapid progress is down to securing doses of vaccines early on and the nation's relationships with China and Russia.
• Clare Wenham, a global health expert at the London School of Economics, says the pandemic won't be over for at least another "two or three years" – the time she says it will take for sufficient doses of vaccines to be distributed to every nation on earth.
• The European Medicines Agency says there is no link between the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and several deaths that have been reported in the aftermath of vaccinations in Norway and other European countries.
A couple wear masks in Serbia, where the vaccination roll-out is continuing at an impressive speed. /Darko Vojinovic/AP Photo
READ MORE
What are the dangers of vaccine nationalism?
What will summer holidays be like in 2021?
ACROSS EUROPE
Germany
A COVID-19 expert from the World Health Organization says Germany needs to summon the spirit of Liverpool soccer manager Jurgen Klopp if they are to win their fight against the virus.
David Nabarro told the DPA news agency that the country's government need to show greater unity as they try to regain control of the pandemic.
"Klopp knows how to touch people and bring people together," Nabarro said. "I'm sure he would have good ideas."
Nabarro says Germany has also been guilty of a lack of detail in its strategy against COVID-19, something he says has been an issue amongst many rich countries.
"Why haven't they maintained the thoroughness?" Nabarro asked. "It's almost as if rich countries thought they could get through the pandemic without hard work."
France
French PM Jean Castex has announced tough new COVID-19 border restrictions, but has again resisted imposing a new nationwide lockdown.
From Sunday all but essential travel from outside of the EU will be banned. Testing requirements from inside the EU will also be tightened.
The closure does not apply to hauliers traveling between the UK and France, UK transport minister Grant Shapps said.
FROM OUR GLOBAL COLLEAGUES
CGTN Europe: The Alps – Timeless and changing
CGTN China: Sixteen Chinese vaccines undergoing clinical trials - seven in phase III
CGTN America: New York struggles on vaccine roll-out
CGTN Africa: Data shows effect South Africa virus variant has on vaccine efficacy
Sign up here to get the COVID-19 Europe bulletin sent directly to your inbox.
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.