TOP STORIES
- Italians will soon be allowed outside their homes without face coverings, as cases and hospitalizations decrease. The mask mandate has been in place for nine months and is expected to be lifted on Monday, June 28.
- France is nearly ready to party according to a government announcement. From July 9 nightclubs will be allowed to open their doors to ravers and revelers – as long as they have been fully vaccinated, tested negative within 72 hours, or have certified antibodies after recovering from COVID-19. Clubs can host 75 percent capacity and masks aren't required but they are recommended.
- The European Union has said it's extended its vaccine export "mechanism" until at least September. The controversial measure allows the bloc to track vaccine exports from member states to non-members and includes a provision to block exports if the EU judges its members need the doses.
- A top member of the European Parliament has called for the Euro 2020 final to be moved away from London's Wembley stadium, due to the spread of the Delta variant in the UK. In an open letter to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, MEP Peter Liese wrote: "Our health is [the] priority. The spread of the Delta variant makes it impossible for 40,000 spectators to view the final match in London's stadium."
- Meanwhile, the Dutch government has told fans of Wales and Denmark they will not be allowed to enter the Netherlands to watch the teams play in the Round of 16 game in Amsterdam on Saturday, June 26. Despite travel restrictions, several hundred Wales fans traveled to Azerbaijan to watch their side's earlier games.
- We haven't got halfway through Euro 2020 yet, but plans are already being made for next year's FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid Al Thani said all fans would need to prove they have been vaccinated before entering stadiums. But he did not say if the country would bar unvaccinated fans from entering the country.
- Druids defied UK government restrictions to gather at Stonehenge, the famous neolithic standing stones in England, for the northern hemisphere's Summer Solstice on Monday night. The longest day of the year is a significant holiday for many of Europe's ancient traditions and religions.
Solstice celebrations went ahead at Stonehenge, despite government warnings. /Toby Melville/Reuters
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AROUND EUROPE
Penelope Liersch in Budapest
COVID-19 restrictions will ease in Czechia sooner than expected, with new changes coming into force from Saturday. The capacity of indoor cultural events will be doubled to 2,000 people – cinemas, theaters and other venues can operate at 75 percent capacity, while outdoor events can cater for to up to 5,000 people.
The government said it will recognize vaccine certificates from other countries if it is a jab approved by the European Medicines Agency. This means anyone who has received an approved vaccination will be able to enter Czechia without any restrictions from July 1.
In Slovakia, registration has opened for the single-jab Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Anyone aged over 18 can sign up for the jab, it will be available for three weeks or until stocks run out. More than 400,000 Slovaks are currently waiting for a first or second jab. Some 4,825 people are waiting for the first dose of the Sputnik V vaccine and 6,788 people are waiting on their second dose. The Russia-made jab is yet to receive EMA approval.
Andrew Wilson in the UK
Laboratory studies show the UK has many more cases of the Delta variant than most of the rest of the world. Nearly 76,000 cases have been sequenced in Britain up to June 16, compared with 2,853 in the U.S., 747 in Germany and 97 in Denmark.
One explanation is a lack of travel restrictions earlier in the year. It's calculated that more than 42,000 people traveled between the UK and India in April, bringing in multiple cases in a short period of time.
British holidaymakers with both doses of vaccination could benefit from quarantine-free travel from August – depending on destination rules. Ministers are expected to revise travel restrictions on Thursday.
The lack of travelers entering the UK in July alone could cost the tourist industry more than $20 billion.
Ross Cullen in Paris
President Emmanuel Macron said "the situation is getting better," while addressing members of the public gathered at Elysee Palace for the annual Fete de la Musique. His comments come as the pressure on medical services is continuing to fall as restrictions continue to ease.
Some 10,386 patients with COVID-19 are being treated in hospital as of June 21, compared with 10,518 on June 20. While 1,655 patients were in intensive care on Monday, against 1,703 on Sunday. This key indicator, which fell below the 2,000 patient mark at the start of last week, continues a sharp fall that began in April.
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CGTN Europe has been providing in-depth coverage of the novel coronavirus story as it has unfolded.