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Today, a group of European leaders have undergone testing and self-isolation after close contact with the French president during the EU summit. This comes as President Macron announced yesterday that he has contracted the virus and is currently self-isolating for treatment. The WHO representative for the European region has also urged people to minimize going out and gathering during the Christmas and New Year holidays, emphasizing the current high risk of transmission in many European countries. It took just 8 days for the global COVID-19 cases to surge from 70 million to over 75 million today.Situation in VietnamThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that there are currently 21 Vietnamese students in South Korea who have tested positive for COVID-19. We are collaborating with the South Korean authorities to coordinate treatment, and if necessary, arrange for their return to Vietnam.The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam instructs all Vietnamese airlines to vigorously enforce compliance with pandemic prevention regulations before boarding and throughout the flight. Passengers must strictly adhere to these measures, including wearing masks during flights. Violators may face a fine of 3 million VND.Global UpdatesThe mortuary in Hanau, Germany is overloaded, forcing the authorities to use refrigerated containers to preserve the bodies of Covid-19 victims
- The Prime Minister of Ireland restricts movement and awaits test results to determine if he contracted the virus from the French president.
- The Prime Minister of Portugal has canceled official trips after a meeting with the French president last Wednesday. Currently, awaiting test results to confirm virus status. The country will implement a strict curfew from 11 pm to 5 am, starting from December 31st to January 3rd, canceling New Year celebrations.Luxembourg's Prime Minister voluntarily isolates, awaiting test results after attending last week's European summit as the host country.
Sweden's monarch confesses on television that their approach to combating the pandemic has been ineffective. While the royal family usually refrains from political involvement and rarely comments on political situations, this is a rare instance of the monarchy addressing an ongoing issue in the country.
A significant portion of the UK is set to be classified as at extremely high risk of virus transmission. This will subject about two-thirds of the population to stringent measures to curb the spread of the virus effectively.
- Northern Ireland is set to undergo a 6-week lockdown starting from this year's Boxing Day, scheduled for December 26.
- The mayor of Kharkiv city, Ukraine, has passed away due to complications from the virus. It is known that he contracted covid-19 back in September and had to be transferred to Germany for treatment.
- The Polish Minister of Health has announced the commencement of a nationwide lockdown from 28/12 to 17/1.
Palestinian Prime Minister declares a two-week lockdown in the West Bank, strict measures from 7 pm to 6 am, and full lockdown on weekends.
Turkey records its highest daily death toll since the beginning of the pandemic, with 243 deaths reported yesterday due to covid-19, bringing the total death toll to 17,364. The country is approaching 2 million infections and the government is implementing strict measures during the week and a complete lockdown on weekends to curb the spread.
Uruguay will temporarily close its borders next week and urges citizens to limit gatherings during the holidays as the number of infections is rising sharply. The border is expected to be closed from 12/21 to 1/10 next year.
- Argentina is grappling with a deep recession due to the impacts of the pandemic. The poverty rate has surged to 44.2%, and it is projected that the economy will contract by 10.9% this year. If fortunate, a recovery of 4.8% might be possible next year.
Russia is still witnessing days with a sharp increase in infection cases
- Saudi Arabia has initiated its three-phase vaccination plan as of yesterday. The initial recipients include the health minister, a disabled woman, and a few others. This approach aims to encourage vaccination as, despite the vaccine being freely available to everyone, only 100 thousand people out of the total 34 million have registered online for vaccination.
- In a remarkable feat, Sri Lanka reports performing emergency surgery on a Covid-19-infected mother, miraculously, all four babies born in this case remain virus-free.
- China is gearing up for the upcoming Lunar New Year, planning to administer vaccines to over 50 million people in priority groups. The government has now approved two vaccines from Sinopharm, one from Sinovac Biotech, and just greenlit a vaccine from CanSino Biologics.
- The President of the International Red Cross urges nations not to overlook immigrants in their Covid-19 vaccination plans.Pope Francis urges global leaders to reallocate budgets to effectively handle unforeseen situations like the covid-19 pandemic and to procure additional vaccines for both citizens and impoverished nations.Coca-Cola announces a global workforce reduction of 2,200 employees, with 1,200 job cuts in the United States alone.Renowned musician Paul McCartney expresses readiness to receive the vaccine as soon as it's his turn. The 78-year-old former member of The Beatles, prioritized due to his age over 75, is eager to get vaccinated.
Sources: CNN, World Health Organization (WHO), Health & Life, South China Morning Post (SCMP), Johns Hopkins University (JHU),Tuổi trẻ, Tiền phong
