TOP HEADLINES

- Ireland's Department of Health says there will be no change to the country's policy on vaccine priority, following rumors that young people could be vaccinated before older, vulnerable groups.

- Fans returned to UK sport for the first time in 2021 as the eased lockdown restrictions allowed spectators to attend the opening day of snooker's World Championship on Saturday.

- The global death toll for COVID-19 has now crossed three million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. It was reported on Saturday that there were 3,000,225 deaths while global cases have now reached 139,963,964.

- The COVID-19 variant found in India could "scupper" the UK's plan to ease restrictions, a leading scientist has warned, despite the lockdown and vaccine program leading to cases falling to a seven-month low. Public Health England (PHE) reported that 77 cases of the B.1.617 variant, which was first discovered in India, have been found in the UK.

- Europe's medicines regulator has said it expects to rule on the safety of Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus jab on Tuesday after vaccinations were put on hold in the U.S. and Europe over blood clot fears.

- A vaccine shortage may force the Madrid region to close down mass vaccination centers next week, even as infections in the Spanish capital outpace the national average.

- Portugal has lifted its suspension on flights to and from Britain and Brazil for "essential trips."

- Germany has removed the UK from its list of risk zones for COVID-19 infections, meaning that travelers will no longer need to quarantine upon arrival.

- Italy will ease coronavirus restrictions for schools and restaurants from April 26. Expressing "cautious optimism", Prime Minister Mario Draghi said his government was taking a "calculated risk." Italy will also allow up to a thousand spectators at outdoor events from May 1, when it eases its stadium fan ban in regions less affected by the coronavirus.

- Russia has reported 9,321 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, including 2,822 in Moscow, taking the national tally to 4,693,469. The country also reported another 398 deaths, raising the official toll to 105,193.

ACROSS EUROPE

Natalie Carney in Munich

German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants the federal government to have the power to implement nationwide lockdowns and curfews as quickly as possible.

"The virus does not forgive any hesitation," she said. "The third wave of the pandemic has our country firmly in its grip. Intensive care workers are sending one distress call after the other. Who are we to ignore their pleas?"

Merkel has urged lawmakers to approve new powers that would allow the federal government to take over the coronavirus response measures from the federal states for the first time during the pandemic. A decision on this will be made on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 infection rates across the country remain stubbornly high with 23,804 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide seven-day incident level to 160.7 cases per 100,000 people, well above the country's benchmark of 100 per 100,000. 

In the state of Bavaria, where the incident rate is even higher at 180, tougher lockdown measures will be placed on schools and retailers starting from next week.

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Greece

After being closed to in-person teaching because of the COVID-19 pandemic, universities in Greece are now grappling with the issue of online exam cheating.

Both professors and students admit that examination regulations are practically impossible to enforce in a remote-learning environment with hundreds of participants simultaneously online.

"In jest, we call the degrees to be awarded this season 'corona degrees'," says John Mylopoulos, a professor of environmental engineering and former rector of Thessaloniki's Aristotelio University.

Some students have been able to take exams in place of their friends using their computer and personal registration codes.

Many professors have been surprised to see even long-term students who have not set foot in a university campus for years scoring high results.

The UK

Pregnant women in the UK should get a COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer or Moderna because there is more real-world data to show they are safe, the British public body that advises on vaccinations said on Friday.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said around 90,000 pregnant women had been vaccinated in the U.S., mainly with the two U.S. vaccines, without any safety concerns being raised.

"We have a decent safety database for at least two of the three vaccines that are now being used in the UK and that enables us to recommend those for pregnant women," said JCVI member and University of Bristol professor Adam Finn.

Pregnant women had previously been advised against taking the vaccine in Britain because not enough information was known about the impact.

The UK recently advised that all under-30s should be given alternative vaccines to AstraZeneca's Vaxzevria jab if possible because of a "vanishingly rare" side effect of blood clots in the brain.

FROM OUR GLOBAL COLLEAGUES

CGTN China: Authority: HK, Macao residents can get vaccinated on Chinese mainland

CGTN America: COVID-19 vaccines help protect endangered black-footed ferrets

CGTN Africa: Kenyan teachers to receive COVID-19 vaccines ahead of May schools reopening

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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.