Health
Vaccination certificate ‘is a medical requirement’, says Von der Leyen
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday (14 January) welcomed the Greek government's initiative allowing for vaccinated people to travel freely, and called for a mutually recognised vaccination certificate across European Union countries.
German virus cases top 2 million, Merkel urges tougher lockdown
Germany's total coronavirus cases topped two million on Friday (15 January), as Chancellor Angela Merkel pushed for a "significant" tightening of restrictions to slow the infection rate.
From Europe to Central Asia, converted containers are trendy
Pop-up stores and restaurants using converted shipping containers are a growing trend in Europe and across the world, apparently boosted by behavioural changes caused by the Covid pandemic. EURACTIV Bulgaria reports.
Hungary reaches deal to buy China’s Sinopharm vaccine
Hungary's government said it has reached a deal with China's Sinopharm to buy its coronavirus vaccine, the country's latest move to break away from Brussels as it tries to speed up inoculations to lift curbs on the economy.
Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine could be available in Europe in April
Johnson & Johnson could deliver the first doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to Europe in April, an EU official said after a top lawmaker said the US healthcare company was likely to seek EU regulatory approval in February.
Romania rejects ‘divisive’ Greek proposal for vaccine certificate
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has rejected a proposal by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for an EU-wide COVID-19 vaccination certificate for travel, saying “it is not good to divide Europe in two”.
US Covid-19 deaths hit daily record as China rushes to contain outbreaks
The United States has endured its worst day of the pandemic, with three Americans dying every minute, as China took decisive steps on Wednesday (13 January) to stamp out a tiny coronavirus outbreak.
EU gets vaccine boost as WHO dampens herd immunity hopes
The European Union started the approval process for its third vaccine on Tuesday (12 January) as WHO scientists warned that herd immunity from coronavirus is unlikely this year even with mass inoculation schemes.
Spain to launch Whatsapp channel to fight vaccine disinformation
Spain’s health ministry will soon launch a WhatsApp interactive channel to fight against disinformation on COVID-19 vaccines, El País reported. This should help reduce the percentage of Spaniards who still refuse to get vaccinated. EURACTIV's partner EuroEfe reports.
MEPs get glimpse of first COVID contract amid calls for more transparency
MEPs will, for the first time, be privy to the details of the first of the COVID vaccine contracts this week, although say that more must be done to achieve the level of transparency needed to improve trust and negate a rising ‘vaccine nationalism’.
France sees incredible boom in sports recycling centres
Sports recycling centres have only appeared across France in the past few years, aiming to recycle sports equipment and work towards zero waste in sports. Although fairly recent, they have seen incredible growth, expected to continue in 2021. EURACTIV France reports.
Ukraine leader appeals for EU vaccine help
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday (12 January) called on the European Union to help source coronavirus vaccines, as he tries to stave off criticism for failing to secure any western-made jabs.
Temporary morgues set up as UK hospitals run out of space
British authorities have had to set up a temporary morgues in some areas after local hospital mortuaries ran out of space due to a surge in deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Commission denies existence of COVID vaccine side deals
The European Commission denied on Tuesday (12 January) the existence of bilateral vaccine contracts between individual EU countries and manufacturers, saying this is not possible under the joint procurement agreement. This directly contradicts the Portuguese EU presidency, who confirmed such deals last week.
Belgium’s coronavirus deaths hit 20,000, still among world’s highest per capita
Belgium's death toll from coronavirus infections, one of the highest per capita in the world, has breached the 20,000 mark, according to official data published on Sunday (10 January).
French MEP: UK took gamble by swiftly approving COVID-19 vaccine
The UK has been quicker than the European Union in approving COVID-19 vaccines but it also took greater risks with pharma firms by accepting all liability in case of complications, French MEP Pascal Canfin told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Spain paralysed by snowstorm, sends out vaccine, food convoys
The Spanish government will send convoys carrying the COVID-19 vaccine and food supplies on Sunday (10 January) to areas cut off by Storm Filomena which brought the heaviest snowfall in decades across central Spain and killed four people.
Commission takes evasive action over Germany’s vaccine side deal
The European Commission on Friday (8 January) refused to provide an answer on whether Germany's bilateral deal with Pfizer-BioNTech for 30 million extra doses has broken the commitment to joint procurement of vaccines.
Migrant crossings down 13% in 2020 due to Covid
The number of illegal border crossings into the European Union fell by 13% to around 124,000 last year, the EU's border agency said Friday (8 January).
Bulgaria holds its horses with Pfizer, Moderna vaccines, puts hopes in AstraZeneca
For mass vaccination, Bulgaria's strategy appears to rely on a new vaccine by AstraZeneca, rather than on those by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, already approved in the EU, EURACTIV Bulgaria reported on Friday (8 January), based on leaked documents and unofficial information.
EU makes new deal with Pfizer for another 300 million vaccine doses
The European Commission has sealed another deal with Pfizer-BioNTech to provide 300 million additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday. The new deal will add to the existing 300 million doses for a total of 600 million.
Poorest countries can expect vaccines within weeks: WHO
The world's poorest countries can expect to start receiving their first Covid-19 vaccine doses between the end of January and mid-February, the World Health Organization said Thursday (7 January).
France extends UK border restrictions as virus variant spreads
France is to keep in place restrictions on its border with Britain "until further notice", Prime Minister Jean Castex said Thursday (7 January), after the country confirmed two clusters of the mutant UK coronavirus variant.