French police booked hundreds of New Year revellers for flouting anti-COVID measures at an illegal rave.
In Bangkok, the city s nightlife shut down following a ban on bars, nightclubs and restaurant alcohol sales, among a raft of restrictions aimed at curbing the kingdom s rising coronavirus toll.
Devotees wearing face masks pray to ancient Buddha statues to mark the start of the new year at the Marble Temple, in Bangkok on 1 January.
AAP
Public schools in the Thai capital are to close for two weeks.
An outbreak last month at a massive seafood market has led to a resurgence of the virus in Thailand, with infections detected in 53 of the kingdom s 77 provinces.
Lockdowns, curfews as nations fight resurgent virus
By AFP - Jan 03,2021 - Last updated at Jan 03,2021
People, some of them wearing a protective face mask, walk at the Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills) park in Moscow on Sunday amid the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus. Russia confirmed 24,150 new daily COVID-19 cases including 3,851 in Moscow and 1,539 in Moscow region (AFP photo)
PARIS Countries across the world tightened restrictions on their populations Saturday to fight a resurgence in the coronavirus, as the European Union offered to help drug companies expand vaccine production to improve distribution bottlenecks .
From local curfews to complete lockdowns, governments are trying to tackle a surge in cases.
Junta restricts movement between Campo municipalities as Covid cases jump 2nd January 2021
The Junta de Andalucia will reintroduce restrictions on movement between municipalities in the Campo de Gibraltar following a spike in Covid-19 infections, particularly in La Linea, and amid mounting concern about the surge in cases in Gibraltar.
Data shows the Campo currently has an infection rate of 316 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, more than double the average of 140 per 100,000 in the rest of Andalucia.
“Within that data, something that worries us a lot is that the Rock of Gibraltar, according to British authorities, has an accumulated rate of over 2000 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the past 14 days,” said Jesus Aguirre, who is responsible for health at the Junta de Andalucia, the regional government.
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Gibraltar on Saturday imposed a second lockdown to slow soaring rate of virus cases, just days after a landmark deal to ensure post-Brexit fluidity along its border with Spain.
The measure, beginning at 10:00 pm (2100 GMT) Saturday, will remain in force for 14 days meaning Gibraltar s 34,000 residents can only leave home for essential shopping, to work, exercise or for medical reasons.
Over the past month, the number of cases in this tiny British enclave at the southern tip of Spain has more than doubled, rising to 2,304, up from 1,035 cases on December 2, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said. The numbers of new infections with COVID-19 in our community are remarkably high and concerning, he told a news conference, saying the virus was spreading more quickly than we can control it .
Entry into Gib ‘exclusively’ a decision for BCA, CM says after Gonzalez Laya comments
Brian Reyes 2nd January 2021
Entry into Gibraltar under the political framework agreement reached on New Year’s Eve will be “exclusively a matter for us”, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has told the Chronicle.
Mr Picardo said Schengen checks by Frontex officers would be conducted “only once entry into Gibraltar has been granted” by BCA officers, while acknowledging Schengen checks would be “a purely European matter”.
Mr Picardo stressed Spanish law enforcement officers would not be present “at the port or airport”, adding Spain will guarantee its Schengen obligations “remotely”.