Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic News Updates -- January 8, 2021

Israel is leading the global vaccine race by a mile, followed by two fellow Middle East countries, then the UK and US - all of which are outperforming any EU country so far. Denmark has the best per-capita rate in the 27-member bloc, while Germany has distributed the most doses outright

The US and China have given out the most vaccines in the world, while Russia has inoculated 800,000 people using a home-grown vaccine which has won little enthusiasm elsewhere 

Daily Mail: The EU frantically orders 300m more vaccine doses as it falls behind the world - while Israel says its entire population will be inoculated by MARCH 

 * EU has doubled its Pfizer supplies to 600million after slow start in some nations 

 * An EU regulator has also approved scraping out an extra dose from Pfizer vials 

 * Oxford/AstraZeneca jab could be approved in the bloc sooner than thought 

 * Israeli PM Netanyahu says it will be 'first country to emerge from coronavirus' 

The EU today announced it had bought another 300million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and approved a plan to scrape an extra dose out of each vial as the bloc tries to catch up to the faster rollouts in the US and Britain. 

With Israel still leading the global race - having given jabs to nearly 20 per cent of its population - the EU is now gearing up to adopt one of the country's methods by having medical workers get six doses out of each vial rather than five.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says plans are in place to vaccinate everyone in the country by the end of March, making it 'the first country in the world to emerge from the coronavirus'. 

Read more .... 

 Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic News Updates -- January 8, 2021 

Coronavirus live news: WHO says poorer countries not getting vaccines; Denmark to restrict all travel -- The Guardian 

Grim day as US, UK and Germany all see record high COVID-related deaths -- ABC News (Australia)

Covid-19: UK sees highest daily toll of 1,325 deaths -- BBC 

London mayor declares 'major incident' over Covid-19 hospital pressure -- France 24 

UK sees record daily COVID deaths, London hospitals on brink -- Reuters 

  COVID-19 vaccination: France aims to make up for lost time -- DW 

French medical regulator approves Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine -- France 24 

Sweden gets tough on coronavirus with new law to close shops and limit gatherings as deaths soar after months of lockdown-free hands off approach -- Daily Mail 

Number of coronavirus cases in Russia rises by 23,652 -- TASS 

Biggest Czech crematorium overwhelmed by pandemic deaths -- AP 

EU allows extra doses from BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine vial -- DW 

COVID-19 vaccine rollouts in some European nations have happened at a slower rate than the UK. Here are some reasons why -- ABC News (Australia) 

What’s happening to the EU vaccine scheme? -- BBC 

China seals off two cities to contain coronavirus outbreak -- Al Jazeera 

China seals off two cities following COVID outbreaks -- DW 

Chinese city offers £50 cash reward to residents who report on those refusing to be tested for coronavirus amid new outbreak -- Daily Mail 

Australia, UK to require negative COVID-19 tests from travellers -- Al Jazeera 

Covid-19: Australia to begin mass vaccinations in February -- BBC 

Canada's Ontario says 'more extreme measures' on the table as COVID-19 cases rise -- Reuters 

Brazil’s Covid-19 death toll tops 200,000 amid new spike in cases -- France 24 

Mexico expects Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine soon, says president -- TASS 

UN fears ‘massive’ COVID transmission in Ethiopia’s Tigray -- Al Jazeera 

Lebanon begins new lockdown as infections surge -- BBC

Iran leader bans COVID vaccines from UK and US -- DW 

Saudi king gets coronavirus jab -- France 24 

Israel leads in vaccination rates - but is 'not out of the woods yet' -- BBC 

Why the delay? The nations waiting to see how Covid vaccinations unfold -- The Guardian