TOP HEADLINES

- The EU and the UK have separately announced plans to send oxygen to India, which has seen a massive surge in cases in recent days, with hospitals having to turn away patients after running out of medical oxygen and beds.

- Chancellor Angela Merkel has defended Germany's "tough" new restrictions after her government pushed through new lockdown laws earlier this week. To the anger of many regional leaders, Berlin can now impose a so-called "emergency brake" on areas where there are more than 100 new infections per 100,000 people.

- More than half of Britain's population has had a first COVID-19 vaccine, health secretary Matt Hancock has announced, with a total of 33.5 million people already inoculated. UK officials are also close to securing a new contract for tens of millions more doses of the Pfizer jab, according to The Sunday Times.

- From Monday, kindergartens and primary schools will reopen in France, Prime Minister Jean Castex has confirmed, while Italy will reopen its outdoor restaurant areas and Belgium is set to let people to return to hair and nail salons. 

- Switzerland and Greece have become the latest European countries to detect cases of the coronavirus variant first discovered in India. 

- Clashes broke out at an anti-lockdown protest in London on Saturday, with reports of eight officers injured and five protesters arrested. According to media estimates, around 10,000 people joined the rally against coronavirus restrictions. 

- Italy has joined other European countries in imposing restrictions on travel from India to stop the spread of the new coronavirus variant discovered there. 

- More than one billion coronavirus vaccines have been administered around the world, according to an AFP tally. However, the milestone coincides with a world record for new daily infections and the global death toll surpassing 3 million. 

- A Mallorcan man who infected 22 people has been arrested on suspicion of assault for attending work and his local gym despite signs he had coronavirus. According to police, the man deliberately lowered his mask at work while coughing, saying: "I'm going to infect you all with coronavirus."

- Bosnia will start vaccinating people over 75 this week as the Balkan country, which has the third highest death rate per capita in the world, opens its first mass vaccination center in Sarajevo.

- Around 8,000 British soccer fans will be allowed to attend the Carabao Cup final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium this afternoon. It's the largest crowd for a UK sporting event since coronavirus restrictions were brought in. 

AROUND EUROPE

Natalie Carney in Munich

Germany's federal government now has control of national lockdown measures, allowing for stricter restrictions to be imposed in areas where infection rates rise above 100 per 100,000 residents for three consecutive days.

These measures include restrictions on social gatherings, the closing of shops, and schools, as well as an evening curfew. Yet Germany's police union admits that nationwide controls to comply with curfews are unrealistic. 

From Sunday, Germany will ban travellers from 'high risk' India except for German citizens, in a move to protect the country from further infections, said health minister Jens Spahn: "We're very worried about the new mutation of the virus discovered in India. So as not to endanger our vaccination program, travel from India has to be significantly limited."

On Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel will again meet with Germany's 16 states to discuss the next steps in the country's pandemic response. The country registered 18,773 new infections in the past 24 hours, along with a further 120 deaths – a slight decrease from previous days.

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Iolo ap Dafydd in London

With more than half of the UK's 66.5 million population now vaccinated, the calls for a faster return to normality are increasing. It's not just protesters calling for an end to restrictions and wearing face masks – but also eager fans wanting to attend major sport events once again.  

The government and the Sports Grounds Safety Authority will allow up to 8,000 Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City fans to watch a soccer game inside Wembley Stadium this afternoon. The Carabao Cup final had been postponed from February, and the large number of fans makes it the biggest UK trial of a sporting event with spectators in attendance since the start of coronavirus restrictions.

On Sunday, one UK cinema will trial hosting up to 1,000 film fans, while several 10km fun runs will take place as a test of mass participation events. Many social restrictions such as visiting bars and restaurants have already been relaxed across the UK's four nations.

Rahul Pathak in Madrid

In Spain doses of Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine have been sent out to health centers nationwide. The shipment of 146,000 doses of the single-shot drug had been held in storage for the past week while medicines regulators studied research into concerns over blood clots.

Doctor Soledad Holgado heads up Madrid's primary healthcare and she says the new vaccine will be vital in the overall inoculation effort: "We are starting vaccination with Janssen for immobilised patients who are highly dependent, what advantage is this vaccine giving us? It is a single-dose vaccine and therefore we are going to speed up the vaccination process."

Spain has now passed the 10 million mark of people vaccinated with at least one dose, and it's about to reach four million full immunizations. Just a few days ago, Spanish healthcare officials administered a record 400,000 jabs in one day, with the government optimistic about its vaccination program gathering pace.

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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.