global roundup
Coronavirus deaths in Spain reached 50,000, the fourth European nation to do so, after Italy, Britain and France.
Spain undertook one of the most restrictive lockdowns in the spring. It ended its first state of emergency in June, but a merciless second wave that began in August has continued through the fall and into the winter, even as Spain returned to a state of emergency in October.
The health ministry said on Monday that it had registered 50,122 dead since the start of the pandemic, after adding 298 fatalities since its last count last week.
More than one-fifth of Spain’s deaths occurred this year in the capital region of Madrid, where the regional authorities have this week put 10 areas under tighter lockdown rules, amid concerns over another increase in infections. Regions like the Balearic Islands and Navarra are also tightening restrictions this week, while the health authorities in Andalusia said on Monday that they had detected five cases of the new coronavirus variant originating from Britain.
Alongside other European Union countries, Spain started its mass vaccination program on Sunday, with the goal of inoculating 2.5 million people between January and March. The first shots went to residents of nursing homes and the health care professionals who look after them.
In other developments around the world:
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Not wearing a mask in public is now a criminal offense in South Africa, as recorded coronavirus infections have surged to over one million since the start of the pandemic. Offenders face up to six months in prison, a fine or both. “This is a drastic measure, but is now necessary to ensure compliance with the most basic of preventive measures,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday. Scientists discovered a variant of the virus that accounts for the vast majority of samples tested in the current wave. Mr. Ramaphosa also announced a national curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., the closure of the country’s beaches and the prohibition of gatherings. South Africa will likely gain access to a Covid-19 vaccine in the second quarter of 2021, he said.
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China warned against Lunar New Year travel in February after finding cases in Dalian, a northern port city, and Beijing, the capital. After months of near-zero case numbers that have allowed life to largely return to normal, the country of 1.4 billion people has recorded 42 locally transmitted cases in the past week, many of them were of unknown origin. In line with the government response to previous outbreaks this year, officials have been testing hundreds of thousands of people in Beijing and millions in Dalian, and residents of Dalian have been advised not to leave the city. China plans to vaccinate 50…
Read More: Covid-19: Live Updates – The New York Times