Coronavirus digest: Joe Biden receives vaccine

US President-elect Joe Biden has received the first of two injections against the coronavirus as he told Americans "there's nothing to worry about."

Biden took the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine on live television at a hospital not far from his Delaware home. He declined the option to count to three before the shot, telling the nurse she could "just go ahead" when ready. 

The politician emphasized the safety of the vaccine, and even praised President Donald Trump, saying the current administration "deserves some credit" for getting the vaccine distribution "off the ground."

"I'm doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared, when it's available, to take the vaccine," he said. 

He added that distributing the vaccine is "going to take time.'' Meanwhile, he urged citizens to wear masks and avoid unnecessary travel over the Christmas period.

Biden took the dose as the United States surpassed 18 million cases, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.

Travel

The UK Foreign Office has said it is advising against all but essential travel to Brazil based on COVID-19 information.

The Netherlands has joined many other nations in suspending flights from South Africa to stop the spread of a new mutation of the coronavirus. The government said all passenger flights had been banned, with immediate effect, until January 1. An exception would be made for medical workers, while cargo flights were also still going ahead.

At least five nations, including Germany and Turkey, were reported to have put a stop to flights from South Africa on Monday after the discovery of a new genetic mutation of COVID-19 there. The variant has been cited as responsible for a recent spike in infections across Europe.

Virgin Atlantic will require all travelers from London to the United States to present evidence of a negative coronavirus test prior to boarding as of December 24, a spokesman for the airline said.

The move follows an earlier request from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that airlines only allow passengers who test negative to fly to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport following the emergence of a highly infectious new strain in the UK.

Panama is denying entry to travelers who have been to the United Kingdom or South Africa in the last 20 days in an effort to halt the spread of the new strain of COVID-19, the Health Ministry has announced.

Europe

In Germany, 19,528 new infections have been recorded in the daily update from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). It registered 731 deaths linked to the coronavirus.

Over the past few days, Germany has been reporting around 500 deaths a day, and over 30,000 new infections on certain days.

The RKI data showed that the number of cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period stood at 197.6. The figure is a key benchmark for imposing and relaxing measures, with the federal government's goal to get the number below 50.

Asia-Pacific

Malaysia has signed a contract to acquire 6.4 million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine, and is in final talks with Chinese and Russian manufacturers to amass more, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has announced.

The country has already secured 12.8 million doses of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine and is a partner in the global COVAX facility, backed by the World Health Organization. Malaysia expects to procure enough supplies to inoculate more than 80% of its population.

Taiwan has reported its first locally transmitted case of COVID-19 since April 12. The individual who tested positive was a friend of a person who had already been infected, according to Health Minister Chen Shih-chung.

South Korea has shut down all ski resorts and winter tourist spots during a third wave of the pandemic, which is proving much tougher to contain. Gatherings of more than five people will not be permitted, said Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun.

New South Wales, the most populous state in Australia, has reported its lowest one-day rise in infections in almost a week, fueling optimism that contact tracing and social distancing were working in order to bring a new outbreak under control. The state reported eight new locally acquired infections over a 24-hour period, down from 15 cases registered the previous day.

jsi/dj (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)