Covid-19 Pandemic: Live Updates and News for December 20, 2020

Photographer: Micah Green / Bloomberg

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More than 16 million Britons are now obliged to stay at home as one the full lockdown took effect in London and South East England on Sunday, as part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s attempt to contain a “out of control” new strain of the coronavirus.

The U.S. Congress negotiators are close to a compromise agreement that could pave the way for a final deal on a roughly $ 900 billion plan to help the world’s largest economy weather the pandemic-related slump, the Democratic leader of the Senate, Chuck Schumer.

Thai authorities closed a coastal province near Bangkok after a record peak in new cases, while Sydney expanded restrictions to stop a growing outbreak. South Africa Mediclinic International Plc said it is grappling with capacity problems in its hospitals. New infections in South Korea rose to a record, while the US added 196,292 cases on Saturday.

Main Developments:

France unsure when restaurants will reopen (5:51 pm HK)

The French government cannot say whether sectors of the economy that are closing, such as restaurants, will be allowed to reopen in January or whether they can implement planned pension reforms next year, Labor Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Sunday. “The priority for now is to overcome the sanitary, social and economic crisis,” she said on the Europe 1 radio. “I don’t know what the economic and social situation will be like in the spring, so I have to be careful with the calendar.”

The government still plans to resume talks on unemployment benefits in January, but it faces uncertainty, she said. France will continue to support companies affected by current and possible future lockdown measures to preserve as many jobs as possible and increase consumer and business confidence.

UK’s Hancock Says Tier 4 Restrictions Likely To Stay ‘For Months’ (5:45 PM HK)

UK Health Minister Matt Hancock said the new coronavirus restrictions that went into effect last night for millions of people in England are likely to persist until the vaccine is widely distributed as the new strain of the coronavirus “gets out of hand.” “.

Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, the health secretary said it is more important than ever that people in Tier 4 areas act as if they could have the virus and it is ‘now more important than ever’ for people to obey the rules. to keep. and reduce social contact “because it is deadly serious.” Hancock said there would be another vote in parliament on the new Tier 4 restrictions in January.

Indonesia reports highest daily virus deaths (17:28 HK)

Indonesia reported the highest number of Covid-19 deaths in a day with 221 on Sunday, the third record this month. The country leads Southeast Asia with the most coronavirus cases at 664,930. The government has cut back the end of year holidays and banned public celebrations to stem the spread. Jakarta, the country’s virus hotspot, has also imposed curfews for restaurants, shopping malls and theaters until January 8.

UK extends coronavirus vaccinations over Christmas period (4.30pm HK)

The UK’s National Health Service will move forward with coronavirus vaccinations over the Christmas period as it aims to increase the number of vaccinations across the country, the Sunday Times reported.

More than 100,000 Pfizer vaccines will be delivered nationally, including on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day to curb the spread of the mutant coronavirus strain, the paper reported, citing NHS sources.

Dutch Government Bars Passenger Flights from UK (15:36 HK)

In light of the new strain of the coronavirus spreading in the UK, a ban on passenger flights from the UK to the Netherlands has started at 6 a.m. local time, according to a statement by the Dutch government. The restrictions will remain in effect ‘at the latest’ until January 1. A sample of a case in the Netherlands in early December revealed the same virus variant as in the UK and this case is being further investigated, the statement said.

Expert warns of need for partial lockout in Hong Kong (3:15 pm HK)

David Hui, a respiratory disease expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the city may need tougher measures if it continues to be able to keep infections in check, Radio Television Hong Kong reported. The steps could include some sort of partial shutdown, such as requiring people to stay home for several hours a day and assigning one person per household to run errands, he was quoted by RTHK.

South African Mediclinic Hospitals at capacity (3:02 HK)

With the country experiencing another wave of coronavirus infections, patients seeking care at Mediclinic hospitals during the first spike exceed the previous number, Gerrit de Villiers, a general manager of the group, said in a statement. Demand in many intensive care and high care units has reached capacity, the company said. According to the Ministry of Health, there were 10,939 new virus cases and 254 more deaths in South Africa on Saturday.

South Africa is tightening licensing and regulation of face masks following an investigation that found some masks distributed to health workers were ineffective, the local Sunday Times newspaper reported. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority says the Special Investigating Unit is investigating six charges against companies supplying non-compliant masks, the paper said.

US Lawmakers Reach Compromise on Major Obstacles (1:40 PM HK)

Resolving the dispute over the future of Federal Reserve emergency credit programs approved in the latest round of stimulus for the US economy is likely to speed up ongoing emergency relief legislation. The negotiators were “very close,” Schumer told reporters late on Saturday. “If things continue down this road and nothing gets in the way, we can vote tomorrow.”

Congress plans to combine the virus-related measures with $ 1.4 trillion in government spending for fiscal year 2021. The deal is expected to cover small businesses, stimulus payments for most individuals, supplemental unemployment benefits, support for vaccine distribution, and resources for education. childcare and housing.

Qatar receives vaccination on Monday (12:15 pm HK)