Germans should “stay home when they can”, he said. Wieler called for major events to be cancelled, clubs and bars to be shuttered and private contacts limited to stop the spread of the virus. As cases have topped 300 per 100,000 people, the rules for public spaces “are no longer enough in the current situation”, he said, calling it an “absolute emergency”. Lothar Wieler told reporters that with record-breaking infection levels, the nationwide curbs on the unvaccinated were insufficient. He said at a news conference in Berlin: “We’re in talks with Pfizer, with Merck, also with all the others … all those who have promising medicines.”Īgence France-Presse, meanwhile, is carrying quotes from the head of Germany’s disease control agency, the Robert Koch Institute. First off, Reuters is carrying comments from acting health minister Jens Spahn that the country is in talks to buy experimental antiviral pills. 10.36 GMT Germans told 'stay home when you can' by head of Robert Koch InstituteĪ couple of updates from Germany. In the meantime, Lucy Campbell will be with you to take you through the rest of the days Covid news from the UK and around the world. That is it from me, Martin Belam, for this week.

Rightwing extremists in the UK are using Covid controversies and online gaming as a way of recruiting young people, as data shows half of the most serious cases of suspected radicalisation reported by schools and colleges now involve far-right activity.

Dr Michael Worobey, a leading expert in tracing the evolution of viruses at the University of Arizona, believes the World Health Organization inquiry was incorrect in its early chronology of the pandemic.

The first known patient to become ill with Covid-19 was a vendor in a Wuhan animal market, a scientist has claimed in a report published on Thursday.Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida announced a record $490bn stimulus for the world’s third-largest economy today as he looks to shore up the country’s patchy pandemic recovery.There have been over 1,000 deaths officially recorded every day since 20 October. Russia on Friday confirmed 37,156 new Covid-19 infections and a new record of 1,254 deaths.France will not follow its European neighbours imposing Covid lockdowns on unvaccinated people because of the success of its health pass in curbing the virus’s spread, president Emmanuel Macron has said.Saxony, the German region hit hardest by the country’s fourth wave of coronavirus, is considering a partial lockdown. Germany’s acting health minister Jens Spahn has told a news conference this morning “We are in a national emergency”.As cases have topped 300 per 100,000 people, the rules for public spaces “are no longer enough in the current situation,” he said, calling it an “absolute emergency”. Germany’s Lothar Wieler, head of the Robert Koch Institute, told reporters that with record-breaking infection levels, the nationwide curbs on the unvaccinated were insufficient.Viktor Orbán’s government has been reluctant to impose any restrictions, but from Saturday masks will have to be worn in all enclosed spaces except offices and sports halls, and public events with more than 500 people can only be attended with a Covid certificate. Hungary reported 11,289 new Covid-19 infections on Friday, its highest daily tally since the start of the pandemic.Austria’s chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said: “Despite months of persuasion, we have not succeeded in convincing enough people to get vaccinated.” He blamed those refusing to be vaccinated for an “attack on the health system”.Lockdown rules would end for those vaccinated from 12 December but would stay in place for those who have decline to take the jab. The new national lockdown is set to last until 12 December but could be reevaluated after 10 days if the pandemic situation has improved. Austria will go into its third nationwide lockdown for at least 10 days from Monday, and has announced it will make vaccinations mandatory across society from February next year.Ministers in the UK were not “fully prepared” for the “wide-ranging impacts” that Covid-19 had on society, the economy and essential public services in the UK, and lacked detailed plans on shielding, job support schemes and school disruption, a report from the National Audit Office has found.

The feature will enable those who have had their third dose to travel to countries including Israel, Croatia and Austria, where there is a time limit for a vaccine to be valid to avoid quarantine. Travellers from England who have had an extra booster jab will be able to display their vaccination status on the NHS Covid pass from midday today, the Department for Health and Social Care has said.

Germany lockdown unvaccinated