The latest on the coronavirus pandemic and vaccines

By Nectar Gan, Adam Renton, Tamara Qiblawi and Melissa Macaya, CNN

Updated 2119 GMT (0519 HKT) December 24, 2020
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6:49 a.m. ET, December 24, 2020

China suspends flights to and from the UK over new variant

Wang Wenbin, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, speaks at a briefing in Beijing on November 9.
Wang Wenbin, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, speaks at a briefing in Beijing on November 9. Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images

China has suspended flights to and from the United Kingdom due to the new coronavirus strain, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Thursday.

Speaking to reporters at the daily press briefing, Wang said:

"Considering the nature of the mutated virus and its possible impact, in order to ensure that Chinese people and people from foreign countries travel safe and sound, after much consideration, China has decided to follow the example of other countries and suspend flights to and from UK. China will closely monitor relevant developments and dynamically adjust control measures depending on the situation."

Outside the UK, this strain has been detected in countries such as Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Australia. A similar but separate variant also has been identified in South Africa.

6:39 a.m. ET, December 24, 2020

"I have not taken a day off since mid-January," says Fauci

From CNN Health's Lauren Mascarenhas

Dr. Anthony Fauci is pictured before receiving his first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine on December 22 in Bethesda, Maryland.
Dr. Anthony Fauci is pictured before receiving his first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine on December 22 in Bethesda, Maryland. Patrick Semansky/Pool/Getty Images

Dr. Anthony Fauci says he has worked 18 hours a day, seven days a week this year.

“I have not taken a day off since mid-January of this year,” Fauci told CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.

Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that after months of working at this pace, the days begin to blur together.

“You just kind of have to dig deep and suck it up, because the problem itself is of such enormity that it just requires that you have to put a full effort into it,” Fauci said.

Fauci celebrates his 80th birthday Thursday, but says he will break with tradition and will not spend it with his three daughters.

“I really feel strongly that I need to practice what I preach to the country,” Fauci told CNN.

“I definitely feel sad,” Fauci said. “This is the first holiday season of Christmas and my birthday that I have not spent with my daughters since they were born.”

He said his family will make the most of it and is looking forward to better days ahead.

“Next year, hopefully at this time, we'll have a real in-person celebration with a lot of hugs, that we can't do right now,” Fauci said.

6:04 a.m. ET, December 24, 2020

Israel set to enter third coronavirus lockdown on Sunday

From CNN's Andrew Carey and Amir Tal in Jerusalem

Israel is set to go into its third lockdown Sunday as coronavirus numbers continue to climb.  

What the government describes as a "general closure" will last for two weeks and will be extended for a further fortnight if the infection rate (R) remains above 1 and if the number of new infections (N) remains above 1,000. 

Currently, the infection rate stands at 1.24, and the number of new cases has now exceeded 3,000 for several days.  

Under the new regulations -- which were announced early Thursday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Health Ministry -- people will be required to remain within one kilometer (0.5 to 0.6 miles) of their homes unless they are traveling to get a Covid-19 test or there are other exceptional circumstances. 

People will not be allowed to have guests stay over at their homes unless they are immediate family members. Public transport will be cut by 50%. Workplaces will be required to operate at 50% capacity unless they are dealing with customers face-to-face. 

Leisure and entertainment facilities will remain closed, and indoor gatherings will stay capped at a maximum of 10 people. Twenty people can gather together outdoors. 

Schools will remain open for children up to and including grade four, as well as for children in grades 11 and 12.

The new restrictions have been approved "in principle" by the government, a joint statement from the Health Ministry and Netanyahu’s office said, but will require final approval from the government before they go into effect.

5:47 a.m. ET, December 24, 2020

The pandemic forced her out of school. This is why she can’t go back

From CNN's Eliza Mackintosh

Bella, 19, began exchanging sex for cash after the pandemic dealt a blow to Kenya's economy. She did it to feed her three younger siblings and two cousins, who live together in a one-room house in a waterfront slum community in Mombasa. She became pregnant after a man paid her for unprotected sex. Her mother was so furious that she beat her.

"The pandemic played the biggest role in me getting this pregnancy right now, because if the pandemic was not here, I would have been in school. Like this washing clothes, and all that stuff, meeting that man, it wouldn't have happened," Bella told CNN.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimates that nearly 24 million children and adolescents, including 11 million girls and young women like Bella, may drop out of education next year due to the pandemic's economic impact alone (130 million girls were already out of school, according to the agency).

Earlier this year, UNFPA projected that lockdowns lasting at least six months could lead to an estimated 7 million additional unintended pregnancies and 31 million cases of gender-based violence, as well as 13 million child marriages and 2 million female genital mutilation cases over the next decade.

Read more about the effects of the pandemic on some of the world's most vulnerable women.

5:24 a.m. ET, December 24, 2020

Covid-19 testing of truck drivers continues at British port of Dover

From CNN’s Duarte Mendonça and Sharon Braithwaite

Members of the FFSS (French Federation of Rescue and First Aid) carry out covid-19 tests on lorry drivers close to the entrance to the Port of Dover, England, on December 24.
Members of the FFSS (French Federation of Rescue and First Aid) carry out covid-19 tests on lorry drivers close to the entrance to the Port of Dover, England, on December 24. Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

The border between the United Kingdom and France is to remain open over Christmas to ensure that hauliers and citizens are able to continue crossing the English Channel, the UK Transport Secretary tweeted Thursday.

Thousands of truck drivers were still waiting to cross the Channel after the two countries struck a deal earlier this week. France had closed its border with the UK over fears about a new Covid-19 variant.

“...we've agreed the UK/French border at Eurotunnel, Dover & Calais WILL remain open throughout Xmas in order to help hauliers & citizens return home as soon as possible,” Grant Shapps tweeted.

Under the deal struck on Tuesday, people need proof of a negative Covid-19 test conducted in the past 72 hours. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick cautioned on Wednesday that the process of testing all those stuck in gridlock could take days. 

“There's going to be quite a lot of work to do in the next few days and this isn't going to be an issue which will be resolved immediately,” he told Sky News.

According to France’s ambassador to the UK, Catherine Colonna, 26 French firemen were sent to the port of Dover on Thursday morning to support efforts to carry out testing for truck drivers, bringing with them 10,000 coronavirus tests. 

4:07 a.m. ET, December 24, 2020

Daily Covid-19 cases and deaths hit record high in Russia

From CNN's Mary Ilyushina in Moscow

Medical workers tend to a patient with COVID-19 at the Tsivyan Scientific Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics in Novosibirsk, Russia on December 22.
Medical workers tend to a patient with COVID-19 at the Tsivyan Scientific Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics in Novosibirsk, Russia on December 22. Kirill Kukhmar/TASS (Photo by Kirill Kukhmar\TASS via Getty Images)

Russia has reported 29,935 new cases of coronavirus and 635 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data published by the country’s coronavirus task force on Thursday. It's the highest daily increase in the country since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

As of December 24, Russia has reported a total of 2,963,688 cases with at least 53,096 fatalities. 

3:43 a.m. ET, December 24, 2020

Delta gifts employee who battled Covid-19 for months a first-class trip anywhere in the world

From CNN's Travis Caldwell

Janese Cockfield refused to sit idly by as her twin sister, Janice, lay in a coma 600 miles away, batting to survive Covid-19.

"I was constantly on the phone calling," Janese said. "I was just thinking about how do we get Janice back home, and that's it."

Janese and Janice shared their experiences in an emotional interview with CNN's Brooke Baldwin on Wednesday, detailing the months-long ordeal the family endured after Janice was rushed to the emergency room.

Janice told CNN she spent about 115 days in the hospital and rehabilitation clinics recovering from Covid-19 after its onset in March. She said that she was ventilated and in a coma for 57 of those days.

The 59-year-olds' story gained attention after they were profiled in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Janice is an Atlanta-based employee of Delta Air Lines and Janese resides in Miami.

Janese told CNN she didn't realize until reading the article that staff in the medical facility were telling her repeatedly that Janice was near death.

"I wasn't hearing it, I wasn't having it, because my mind could not wrap around the fact that she was not gonna be there," Janese said.

Janese credited her faith and the advice of her general practitioner to stay optimistic about Janice.

Airline gift: At the end of the interview, the sisters received a message from Delta CEO Ed Bastian.

"Please let Janice know while she was in the coma, we (including myself) were following her progress daily and including her in our prayers. She is a miracle and we are so proud of her strength in this fight," the statement said, as read on air by CNN's Baldwin.
It continued, "Also let her know I can't wait to send her and her sister on a first class trip, on me, anywhere in the world we fly when she's able to travel. Merry Christmas!"

Read more:

3:09 a.m. ET, December 24, 2020

These animals brought us joy during the pandemic

From CNN's Jessie Yeung

The global pandemic made 2020 an exhausting year, but for many people one thing brought some much-needed relief -- animals.

Shelters have reported so many foster and adoption applications that some have run out of animals for the first time ever. One New York nonprofit saw a 1,000% increase in dog foster applications in March, compared to the same time last year.

But it's not just cats and dogs enjoying more of our attention; people have embraced more unconventional pets, formed bonds with wildlife, and developed communities around their local animals.

With many schools and workplaces moved online, prolonged lockdowns, and heightened isolation, comfort can come in the form of a kangaroo, wombat, ferret, or even a snail.

Here are a few stories of people who found joy this year in the most unexpected of creatures:

2:24 a.m. ET, December 24, 2020

Japan records new record high of Covid-19 cases as experts urge public to cancel holiday travel

From CNN’s Yoko Wakatsuki in Tokyo

 A chef wearing a face mask looks out from a restaurant window on December 23, in Tokyo, Japan.
 A chef wearing a face mask looks out from a restaurant window on December 23, in Tokyo, Japan. Carl Court/Getty Images

Japan reported a record 3,268 new coronavirus infections Wednesday, according to the country's Health Ministry.

Wednesday's numbers top the previous record of Dec. 17, when authorities reported 3,208 cases.

Tokyo reported 748 new cases -- the capital's second-highest number of infections confirmed in a single day, according to the city's metropolitan government.

The Health Ministry also reported 56 additional coronavirus-related fatalities Wednesday, pushing the country's death toll to 3,063.

The total number of infections confirmed in the country stands at 206,851.

Travel recommendations: Japan's medical expert panel has urged the government to take stronger countermeasures to curb rising cases.

"It's the time to take all possible measures we can," Shigeru Omi, the chairman of the panel, said Wednesday.

The panel recommended people cancel travel during the end of year holiday season, and discouraged new year's events and parties.