TOP HEADLINES 

• European Union citizens who have been vaccinated with jabs approved by the bloc's regulator, or who have had an approved test will be able to travel to an EU country using a digital certificate starting today. Only the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Janssen and AstraZeneca-made jabs have approval at the moment.

• COVAX urges all authorities to recognize people who have received COVID-19 vaccines that have been deemed safe and effective by the World Health Organization (WHO), warning that only allowing travel for certain sub-section of vaccines would create "a two-tier system, further widening the global divide."

• A 10-week decline in cases in Europe is now over and a new wave may begin if governments don't take action, according to the head of the WHO. 

• Most capacity restrictions on cinemas, restaurants, stores, and public venues have been lifted in the majority of France, despite fears there will be a "fourth wave" of cases in the fall.   

• However, the government has extended restrictions until July 6 in the southwestern region of France because of an increase in cases of the Delta variant, which now represents around 20 percent of the total cases in the country.

• Germany has caught up with the U.S. by administering the first dose of the vaccine to the same proportion of its population. Germany is planning on spending $10.6 billion on 204 million new doses in 2022. 

• Moscow is starting to offer booster jabs, making Russia the first country to launch a booster shot program. Any of the country's registered vaccines will be available in the future, but the city's clinics will start the program with boosters of the Sputnik V and Sputnik-Light vaccines.

• Russia's President Vladimir Putin has said he is opposed to making vaccinations mandatory in the country as a response to a spike in cases, despite that rise being blamed on its low vacation rates.

• Russia has also reported its highest death toll since the pandemic began, with 672 deaths on Thursday. Russia has also announced 23,543 new cases in the past 24 hours.

• Switzerland will donate 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to COVAX, which is trying to distribute doses to countries that wouldn't otherwise be able to afford them. However, the country's regulator, Swissmedic, has not approved the AstraZeneca vaccine for domestic use.

ACROSS EUROPE 

Ryan Thompson in Frankfurt 

The chief of the European Central Bank (ECB) is warning that COVID-19 mutations are a threat to Europe's economic recovery. 

"Of course, the emerging recovery is still faced with uncertainty, due to the spread of virus mutations," ECB President Christine Lagarde said during a briefing of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary committee on Thursday.

Health agencies across Europe are revising earlier projections to reflect that the more contagious Delta variant of the virus will become dominant sooner than expected. "We can expect this to be 70 to 80 percent of new infections in Germany by July," Germany's Health Minister Jens Spahn told reporters.

According to Lagarde, progress made so far in vaccinating the European population has alleviated many economists' worst-case scenarios for economic blowback. However, projections may need to be revised to reflect a slower reopening of some higher-risk industries such as tourism.

Toni Waterman in Brussels 

The Italian government is threatening to issue "red cards" to England fans who travel to Rome for Saturday's Euro 2020 quarter-final football match against Ukraine. 

Under current travel restrictions, all travelers from the UK must quarantine for five days and take two tests. A statement from the Italian embassy in London on Thursday reminded fans that anyone who has been in the "UK in the previous 14 days, irrespective of their nationality or residency will not be admitted to the stadium, even if they have a ticket."

Only people who can prove they arrived in Italy at least six days before, have respected the quarantine requirements, and have a negative test will be allowed into Stadio Olimpico.

Italian officials said they will step up enforcement of the COVID-19 measures and carry out checks at airports, train stations and road crossings, warning there will be "no exceptions" made.  

Penelope Liersch in Budapest 

Hungary has recorded no daily deaths for the first time since early September 2020. While no deaths have been recorded in the past 24 hours, a total of 29,992 people have passed away, according to the government provided data. 

And 116 people are currently in hospital, with 20 on ventilators, but the figures are continuing to steadily decrease. 

Restrictions will be further eased when the country reaches 5.5 million first doses. The mandatory wearing of masks will be abolished except for inside hospitals and social institutions. 

Immunity certificates and proof of vaccination will no longer be required for restaurants, hotels, leisure facilities and performances where the audience is facing forward, such as cinemas and theaters. Vaccination cards will still be required for mass events such as festivals and sporting matches. 

As of Thursday, Hungary has recorded 5,493,609 first doses, closing in on the 5.5 million milestone. Second doses are rapidly catching up to the first doses at 4,958,805.

A donation of 100,000 Pfizer doses will arrive in Czechia from Hungary on Thursday. The government is now allowing children aged over 12 to register for a Pfizer vaccination.

FROM OUR GLOBAL COLLEAGUES

CGTN Europe: What will be word of the year 2021? Vaccine, variant, decarbonization?

CGTN China: Chinese mainland reports 12 new COVID-19 cases, all from overseas

CGTN America: The Heat: COVID-19 and the Delta variant

CGTN Africa: Mozambique receives another 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine

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CGTN Europe has been providing in-depth coverage of the novel coronavirus story as it has unfolded.