France

France mulls extending COVID health pass to workplaces

One union said the proposal was a covert attempt to impose mandatory vaccination.

21 December 2021

World News

Better to cancel Christmas events than grieve later, warns WHO chief

"An event cancelled is better than a life cancelled," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday, highlighting data suggesting Omicron spreads "significantly faster" than the Delta variant.

21 December 2021

France

French police have detected 182,000 fake COVID passes in six months

France first rolled out its COVID pass in late July. It is necessary to visit restaurants, bars, cultural venues, large events and long-distance public transport.

20 December 2021

Health news

COVID vaccines are not enough for Omicron variant, warns BioNTech CEO

"We must be aware that even triple-vaccinated are likely to transmit the disease’” Ughur Sahin said, the CEO of the German company behind the mRNA vaccine produced with Pfizer.

20 December 2021

Netherlands

Novavax's COVID vaccine becomes fifth jab to be approved for use in EU

Results from clinical trials released in June showed 90.4% efficacy against the disease, and 100% efficacy against severe to moderate cases.

20 December 2021

Denmark

Denmark closes theatres and museums as Omicron cases surge

The Danish government said they would close theatres, cinemas and other areas of public gathering after registering a record-high number of COVID-19 cases.

17 December 2021

Work

No jab, no job: Google gets tough on employee COVID vaccine policy

“Anyone entering a Google building must be fully vaccinated or have an approved accommodation that allows them to work or come onsite,” the tech giant said in a leaked memo.

16 December 2021

United Kingdom

UK registers record number of COVID-19 cases due to Omicron variant

UK registers record number of COVID-19 cases due to Omicron variant

15 December 2021

Poland

Poland's COVID deaths highest since April, new restrictions

Poland on Wednesday registered the highest number of COVID-19-related deaths since April amid a continuing high daily rate of new coronavirus infections.

15 December 2021

Travel News

Brits should urgently check their vaxx certificate under this new rule

Half-term travellers whose second jab was more than nine months ago will be deemed ‘unvaccinated’ in the EU.

15 December 2021

Health news

Omicron resistant to two major vaccines, new study says

Two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines may not be sufficient protection against the new variant, Hong Kong researchers said, calling on individuals to seek a third booster jab.

15 December 2021

Russia

Russia misunderstood WHO demands for Sputnik V approval, says Kremlin

Russia was the first country in the world to authorise a coronavirus vaccine last August, but the jab has not yet been approved by the WHO.

14 December 2021

World News

Euroviews. Covid-19 in Europe: Be wary of comparing countries | View

Testing strategies for COVID-19 vary widely between different countries and aren't a good measure of population immunity, writes Professor David Heymann, formerly of the World Health Organization, Public Health England, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

14 December 2021

Health news

Omicron: What are the symptoms of the latest COVID variant?

Top US scientist Anthony Fauci said Omicron is "almost certainly" not more severe than the Delta variant.

14 December 2021

Europe

Brexit-voting areas of UK have highest COVID-19 death rate - study

New research suggests that people who voted Brexit are far more susceptible to anti-vax sentiment.

14 December 2021

United Kingdom

UK: MPs vote for new COVID measures, amid rebellion against PM Johnson

One Labour MP said the Conservative rebellion against the UK government "is a reflection of the shattered authority of Boris Johnson".

14 December 2021

South Africa

South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa tests positive for COVID-19

The statement did not specify whether he had been infected with the Omicron variant.

13 December 2021

France

400 investigations into fake COVID-19 health passes opened in France

The government is tightening the rules on the passes, required to enter all restaurants and a growing number of events and venues.

13 December 2021

Germany

Bayern's Joshua Kimmich to get COVID vaccine after infection

Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich told German TV on Sunday that he will get vaccinated against the coronavirus after testing positive for the virus last month.

12 December 2021

Health news

Omicron COVID variant appears to spread faster than Delta, WHO says

The World Health Organization said that the new Omicron COVID-19 variant appears to spread faster than current variants and that vaccines could be less effective against it.

12 December 2021