European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will try to head off criticism of EU vaccine delays and shortages, with a plan to adapt vaccines to new mutations quickly. The aim is to set up a European testing network and approve "second generation" vaccines against future strains.
Dutch appeal judges last night temporarily allowed a nationwide Covid curfew to stay in place 15 minutes before it was due to be lifted. A court had earlier ruled the government was wrong to use emergency laws to impose it. A new curfew law is being rushed before MPs today so it can come into force before the case returns to the appeal court on Friday.
Italy’s new prime minister Mario Draghi presents his Covid recovery plan to the Senate this morning. He’s then set to survive a vote of confidence.
There are no plans to tighten health measures in France when the current winter holidays come to an end, according to media reports. President Emmanuel Macron chairs France’s defence council today with infections gradually in decline, and just under 20,000 new cases reported last night. Local elections planned for next month have been postponed until June.
Slovakia has tightened its border controls as the country continues to see a high Covid death rate.
The country registered 23 coronavirus-related deaths per 100,000 people in the last 14 days - the second highest rate in the world after Portugal, according to AFP news agency.
US President Joe Biden says all Americans will have access to a vaccine before August.
Today, in a hundred hospitals across Japan, front-line health workers began getting their first shots of the Pfizer vaccine.
The numbers are still tiny – 40,000 in this first tranche. Japan is far, far behind Europe and America in rolling out Covid vaccinations.
The first batches of the coronavirus vaccine are due to enter the Gaza strip.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa says he will take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to demonstrate his confidence in the jab.
Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad, the first vice-president of Tanzania’s semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar, has died at the age of 77 - a few weeks after contracting coronavirus.
Former Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra requested and received an early vaccination against Covid-19 out of turn, a doctor has told lawmakers.
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