U.S. Cases Slow in Holiday Amid Warnings of Worse: Virus Update Bloomberg 12/27/2020
(Bloomberg)
Top U.S. health officials warned of a post-Christmas surge in infection, as new cases slowed amid scattered holiday reporting from states. Total infections passed 19 million. New York state’s new infections dipped, as did holiday testing. North Carolina hospitalizations hit a record, while South Carolina reported record infections.
A coordinated vaccination campaign was underway in Europe, just days after the EU cleared a shot developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. Italy and France were among the first of the bloc’s 27 member states to start inoculations. In Germany, which began a day early, the rollout was postponed in some cities after doubts emerged about whether the shots had been kept cold enough during transit.
More than 500 relatives of people who died of COVID-19 in Italy are initiating legal action against regional and national authorities, seeking $160 million in damages.
Families of coronavirus dead sue Italy govt for 100m euros
Top Story
December 24, 2020
ROME: Around 500 relatives of coronavirus victims are suing the Italian state for 100 million euros ($122 million), alleging a litany of failures in the early stages of the pandemic, campaigners said on Wednesday.
The action is being driven by the group “Noi Denunceremo” (We Will Denounce), which has already filed around 300 complaints with prosecutors in Bergamo, the city in the northern Lombardy region that suffered most from the first wave of the virus.
The legal action targets Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Health Minister Roberto Speranza and the president of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, the group said in a statement. Italy was the first country outside China to suffer a major outbreak of coronavirus and remains one of the worst hit, with almost 70,000 reported deaths so far. The lawsuit alleges “serious omissions” by the Lombardy and central governments, starting with
First group of Italians returns from UK
Thousands were blocked by suspension of flights
24 Dicembre 2020
ROME, DEC 24 - A first group of 160 Italian
nationals, plus a baby, who had been held up in the UK returned
to Italy on Thursday.
Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio on Wednesday signed an order to
enable thousands of Italians to return home after Health
Minister Roberto Speranza suspended flights from the UK at the
weekend due to the spread of a new, more infectious strain of
COVID-19 there.
The Alitalia flight from London Heathrow carrying the group
landed at Rome s Fiumicino airport shortly after 15:00.
First group of Italians returning from UK
Thousands were blocked by suspension of flights
24 Dicembre 2020
ROME, DEC 24 - The first group of Italian nationals
who had been held up in the UK are returning to Italy on
Thursday.
Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio on Wednesday signed an order to
enable thousands of Italians to return home after Health
Minister Roberto Speranza suspended flights from the UK at the
weekend due to the spread of a new, more infectious strain of
COVID-19 there.
Around 170 people were booked on an Alitalia flight from London
Heathrow to Rome scheduled to land at 15:25.
They had to do a coronavirus test before departing and will have