TOP HEADLINES

• Italy is ramping up vaccinations for children before the school term begins. From today, people between 12 and 18 years old will be given priority at vaccination centers, even if they do not have a booking.

• France, Greece, the Netherlands Spain, and Switzerland are just some of the 15 countries that have been upgraded to 'high risk' by Hong Kong's government. From August 20 onwards, travelers from those countries will have to spend 21 days in a quarantine hotel upon arrival.

• People aged between 16 and 17 in England will be allowed to get their first jabs from August 23, two weeks before many of them will return to their classrooms, according to Health Minister Sajid Javid.

• Free Guy, a new film about background characters in a video game, did better than expected during its opening weekend – raking in $26 million in the U.S. and $22.5 million abroad. It is one of the few films released only in theaters since the pandemic began.

• People with compromised immune systems, those vaccinated six months ago or health care workers can get a booster jab in Serbia, according to its Labor minister. More than 50 percent of the country's population is currently vaccinated.

• Tourism will help Greece's economy survive both the pandemic and its wildfires, according to Finance Minister Christos Staikouras. He added that the economy could still grow by 3.6 percent as predicted, despite these hurdles.

• The parties organizing the Tokyo Paralympics will meet today to decide how to deal with spectators as Japan extends its "state of emergency" until September. The Games are expected to start on August 24.

ACROSS EUROPE

Ryan Thompson in Frankfurt  

Infections are rising in Germany, but hospitalizations and deaths are on the decline. Officials have said they will take this information into account if they eventually consider new restrictions to target those who have chosen to not be vaccinated.

Seven people died on Sunday and the nation is averaging 12 deaths from the virus. Hospitalizations are steady, too, though public health agencies note that the median age of patients has fallen significantly from 77 in January to 48 last week. 

The Robert Koch Institute does not give any reasons for the development. But some commentators have connection with the early start of vaccinations in the elderly and those at risk.

Ross Cullen in Paris 

The French health pass is now obligatory in 126 shopping centers across the country. All malls with a size of more than 20,000 meters squared must demand that customers show their certificate before entering. 

On July 21, France brought in the health pass for the cultural and sports sector. It was extended to bars and restaurants on August 9. 

The pass can be in paper or digital form and it proves that someone is either fully vaccinated, has had a recent negative PCR test, or has recently recovered fully after having contracted the disease. 

"People are on stretchers, on chairs, they are not in rooms. There are more patients than oxygen supplies," was how a doctor in Guadeloupe described the worsening situation in the French Caribbean:  

The physician from the Pointe-a-Pitre University Hospital said: "We need a hundred more caregivers."

Andrew Wilson in UK  

From Monday, people in England and Northern Ireland who are fully vaccinated no longer have to self-isolate for 10 days if they have contact with an infected person.

They are advised, not required, to get a PCR test and exercise social distancing. People who test positive are still required to self-isolate.

Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called on U.S. President Joe Biden, Italy's Mario Draghi and the UK's Boris Johnson to convene a special summit to coincide with next month's UN general assembly in New York to address Africa's vaccine deficit.

Brown described the EU's approach to vaccinations as "neocolonial" and demanded rich Western nations immediately end their stranglehold on the supply of the drugs.

FROM OUR GLOBAL COLLEAGUES

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CGTN China: China's economic recovery continues in July, but industrial output, retail sales growth slow

CGTN America: Brazil's first public treatment center for COVID long haulers

CGTN Africa: Talk Africa: Impact of COVID on mental health

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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.