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 Germany backs EU vaccine curbs
Germany's health minister supported European Union proposals to
introduce restrictions on COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday as tensions
grew with AstraZeneca and Pfizer over sudden supply cuts just a
month after the bloc started vaccinating citizens.
The EU has proposed setting up a register of vaccine exports, amid
frustration over delivery delays of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot and
other supply problems.
British quarantine
Britain will announce on Tuesday whether it will bring in mandatory
quarantine in hotels for some or all arrivals, the country's
coronavirus vaccination minister said as he warned the public not to
book summer vacations.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he was looking at the option
of introducing quarantine hotels for those coming to Britain to
prevent the risk of "vaccine-busting" new coronavirus variants
entering the country.
California eases lockdowns
California eased strict stay-at-home orders on Monday, allowing
restaurants to reopen for outdoor dining and greater social mixing,
as public health authorities reported slower infection rates and
hospitalizations.
Meanwhile, New York Governor Mario Cuomo plans to relax a number of
unspecified restrictions in the days ahead, as long as transmission
rates remain low.
France's hospitalisations rise
The number of people hospitalised in France rose by more than 1,000
over the last two days and the number of patients in intensive care
units exceeded 3,000 for the first time since early December.
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 A growing number of medical
experts have called for a third lockdown while
France rolls out the vaccine, but French media
reported that President Emmanuel Macron was
trying to avoid such a measure.
Spanish infections hit new high
Spain reported a record 93,822 new infections over the weekend,
while the two-week average jumped to a new high of 885 cases per
100,000 people on Monday as regional authorities scrambled to ramp
up restrictions.
Grim milestone for Indonesia
Indonesia surpassed a million confirmed cases on Tuesday, a grim
milestone for the Southeast Asian nation that has struggled since
last March to get the epidemic under control.
The world's fourth-most-populous country has recorded 28,468 deaths
from the disease.
New Zealand's borders to stay shut
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand's borders will remain
closed for most of this year, but it will pursue travel arrangements
with neighbouring Australia and other Pacific nations.
Medical authorities, meanwhile, may approve a COVID-19 vaccine as
early as next week, Ardern said, as pressure mounts for a start to
vaccinations after the country confirmed its first case of the virus
in the community in months.
(Compiled by Linda Noakes)
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