Category: Belgium

Latest updates: Joe Biden receives the coronavirus vaccine; Sir Patrick Vallance suggests more areas may need to enter tier 4; PM says border delays only affecting small amount of freight

• European states ban travel from UK as new Covid strain takes hold
• What do we know about the fast-spreading Covid variant in UK?
• Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine approved by European regulator
• Joe Biden to receive coronavirus vaccine live on TV on Monday

10.09pm GMT

The Netherlands on Monday joined a range of nations banning flights from South Africa to stop the spread of a new variant of the coronavirus.

The Dutch government said all passenger flights were banned with immediate effect until 1 January at the latest. An exception would be made for medical workers, it said, while cargo flights were also still allowed.

9.42pm GMT

There are no intensive care beds available in densely populated southern California or the state’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, together home to nearly 30 million people, amid a deadly surge of Covid-19, the governor Gavin Newsom said on Monday.

The pandemic is overwhelming hospitals in the most-populous US state, even as the government and two of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains began a nationwide campaign on Monday to vaccinate nursing home residents against the highly contagious respiratory disease.

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India joins much of Europe plus Canada and Russia in suspending UK flights over new strain; European regulator approves Pfizer vaccine with injections set to begin this week

• European states ban travel from UK as new Covid strain takes hold
• What do we know about the fast-spreading Covid variant in UK?
• Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine approved by European regulator
• Joe Biden to receive coronavirus vaccine live on TV on Monday

5.24pm GMT

Boris Johnson says he had an “excellent” conversation with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and said he was keen to get the situation at Dover sorted out “in a few hours” if it was possible.

5.15pm GMT

There were about 500 lorries queuing at the motorway in Kent last night, but that’s now down to around 170, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said.

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India joins much of Europe plus Canada and Russia in suspending UK flights over new strain; Europe on course to start inoculations within a week

• European states ban travel from UK as new Covid strain takes hold
• What do we know about the fast-spreading Covid variant in UK?
• Hard lockdown ‘needed to prevent Sydney Christmas Covid surge’
• Moderna vaccine shipments begin as US reels under Covid surge
• Inside Oxford’s coronavirus vaccine development

2.35pm GMT

India and Grenada are the latest countries to suspend flights from the UK.

2.19pm GMT

European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the use of the Covid-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech, Reuters reports.

The approval puts Europe on course to start inoculations within a week.

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India joins France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Bulgaria in flight bans over new strain; US aid bill should have votes to pass

• European states ban travel from UK as new Covid strain takes hold
• What do we know about the fast-spreading Covid variant in UK?
• Hard lockdown ‘needed to prevent Sydney Christmas Covid surge’
• Moderna vaccine shipments begin as US reels under Covid surge
• Inside Oxford’s coronavirus vaccine development

2.05pm GMT

The Czech Republic and Canada have become the latest countries to suspend flights from the UK in response to new coronavirus strain.

2.03pm GMT

The National Education Union, the UK’s largest teaching union, is calling for schools in England to close and teach remotely for the first two weeks of term in the new year.

The union has written to the prime minister Boris Johnson and the secretary of state for education calling for new measures to be put in place to ensure the safest possible return of schools and colleges on the 4th of January.

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France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Bulgaria impose UK bans over new strain; Democrat Chuck Schumer says aid bill ‘should’ have votes to pass. Follow latest updates

• European states ban travel from UK as new Covid strain takes hold
• Europe bans travel from the UK over new strain: what we know so far
• What do we know about the fast-spreading Covid variant in UK?
• Moderna vaccine shipments begin as US reels under Covid surge
• See all our coverage

6.54am GMT

Not many sleeps left until Christmas – here is how to get ready:

Related: Prepare stories and invite a dog: eight tips for surviving a Zoom Christmas

6.44am GMT

Here are the key developments – and UK flight bans – from the last few hours:

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France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Bulgaria impose UK bans over new strain; Democrat Chuck Schumer says aid bill ‘should’ have votes to pass. Follow latest updates

• European states ban travel from UK as new Covid strain takes hold
• What we know so far of UK travel bans
• What do we know about the fast-spreading Covid variant in UK?
• Moderna vaccine shipments begin as US reels under Covid surge
• See all our coverage

12.22am GMT

The leader of a north Georgia megachurch who has been a spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump has tested positive for Covid-19, AP reports.

Jentezen Franklin, the senior pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville was absent from Sunday services, news outlets reported.

Pastor Javon Ruff announced the diagnosis during Free Chapel’s Sunday service, held both in-person and streamed live.

“We want to make you aware that Pastor Franklin has come in contact with COVID, but he is doing perfectly fine. He actually is doing great,” Ruff said. “He went and got tested and his test came back positive so he is doing the right thing to do and staying quarantined and continuing to be distanced. We’ll continue to pray and lift him up.”

The diagnosis came within days of Franklin attending a Christmas party at the White House. On Tuesday, Franklin posted on Instagram a photo of himself and his daughter at a White House Christmas party.

12.10am GMT

Some good news from Australia this morning, where the state of New South Wales – home to Sydney – has recorded 15 new cases of Covid-19 since 8pm last night – all are linked to an existing cluster on the city’s northern beaches.

This figure is down from the 30 new cases yesterday, as people in the northern beaches or with family their await news of what Christmas might look like for them.

More than 38,000 people came forward to get tested, so thank you so much to everybody who did that.

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