TOP HEADLINES

· European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warned the bloc could halt further vaccine exports after Italy stopped a shipment of AstraZeneca doses to Australia. "That was not a one-off," she said.

· As Italy's coronavirus death toll passed the 100,000 mark, new Prime Minister Mario Draghi said his government was going to "significantly step up" its vaccination campaign to help contain a third wave of infections.

· The European Commission has hit out at Belgium for extending its blanket ban on non-essential travel until April 18, despite the EU executive asking it to ease the restrictions.

· Greece is set to lift restrictions on retail and open schools before the end of March. Its tourism sector will also reopen in May ahead of the vital summer season.

· The UK's number of new coronavirus cases on Monday fell to its lowest total since late September, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned people not to be complacent.

· The EU's health regulator has urged member states not to approve the Russian Sputnik COVID-19 vaccine yet, with a senior European Medicines Agency official strongly advising countries against fast-tracking the jab until it has reviewed its safety and effectiveness.

· Influenza-like illness after getting a vaccination is an expected side effect, the World Health Organization has said, concluding that the benefit-risk balance remains favorable.

· Children are returning to school in England for the first time since January, as the government begins to ease restrictions amid its mass-vaccination drive. NHS England is now inviting people aged 56 to 59 to book their jabs in the coming weeks.

· More than one in four Europeans would refuse the AstraZeneca vaccine, according to a new YouGov poll. The survey shows people are much more likely to say they would refuse to take the jab than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

· Common rats do not contract the coronavirus, according to a new Belgian study of the animals from Antwerp's sewerage system. At first, scientists thought three of the 39 rats tested had caught the virus, but the results turned out to be false positives. 

· Norway will likely need stronger restrictions to tackle a resurgence in coronavirus infections, according to Prime Minister Erna Solberg. In the capital region, non-essential stores and restaurants are already shut, but new measures would likely be nationwide. 

ACROSS EUROPE

Stefan de Vries in Amsterdam

The Dutch government will announce slight changes to its coronavirus measures on Monday night. The curfew is expected to be extended to March 31, while the international travel ban will go on until April 15. 

Some measures will be relaxed, such as children being able to go to swimming lessons again from next week. Cafe terraces may also reopen at the end of March.

The health ministry has said its preparing to carry out 1.5 million vaccinations a week from mid-May. The number of sites in the Netherlands is already being expanded, and capacity increased. Opening hours will be extended, and more shots will be administered per hour. 

On Sunday, 4,567 people tested positive for the coronavirus, in line with the average of the past seven days, 4,507. The death toll was 30, while the number of patients in hospitals went down to 1,851.

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Nawied Jabarkhyl in London

Millions of students are returning to school across England for the first time since December. They've been out of classrooms due to the coronavirus, with most studying from home.

The move is part of the first major easing of the country's third national lockdown. Two people will now be allowed to meet socially outdoors.

Care home residents in the UK will also be allowed a visitor from Monday. The nominated person will have to take a test before the visit, wear personal protective equipment and minimize physical contact. 

Hugging and kissing aren't allowed, but they can hold a loved one's hand.

Toni Waterman in Brussels

Restrictions in Belgium are easing ever so slightly. From Monday, people will be allowed to gather outdoors in groups of up to ten, provided social distancing is obeyed. Face masks are recommended. 

Children under 13 will also be able to participate in outdoor organized activities, but that's about it until after the Easter holidays in April. The government has also extended the non-essential travel ban until April 18. 

New infections have stabilized in Belgium, averaging 2,344 per day in the past week. Deaths have fallen to 25 per day. Hospital admissions are also down 3 percent from the week before.

Ross Cullen in Paris

Around 585,000 people have been vaccinated in France this weekend and the health minister says that France must now maintain the pace of its vaccination programme, which has sped up significantly in the last two days. 

"Whenever a vaccine is available in France, a French person must be vaccinated, whether it's Monday, Sunday, the vaccines must be able to be offered as quickly as possible", said Olivier Veran, who visited the border region with Belgium on Sunday. 

The French Pacific overseas territory of New Caledonia goes into full lockdown from Monday March 8 over the new outbreak of Covid-19 there. The government is said to be considering a national day of memory to pay tribute to the victims of the pandemic.

Julia Chapman in Budapest

New restrictions have come into effect in Hungary as the country reported a record number of cases over the weekend. 

Schools, non-essential shops and gyms are all closed from Monday and businesses are encouraged to have their employees work from home. A curfew remains in place from 8pm to 5am. Prime Minister Viktor Orban says the measures are necessary to prevent a tragedy and will allow the country to reopen by Easter. 

On Saturday, Hungary recorded 7,269 new COVID-19 cases, its highest daily figure since the start of the pandemic. 

Over the weekend, the country experienced delays to inoculation with the AstraZeneca jab, but its vaccination rate is now one of the highest in the EU. It is the only member state to use Russia's Sputnik V and China's Sinopharm vaccine. 

FROM OUR GLOBAL COLLEAGUES

CGTN Europe: Germany set to reopen despite surge in cases of new COVID-19 variants

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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