EU Begins Vaccine Rollout As New Virus Strain Spreads

The European Union (EU) began a vaccine rollout on Saturday, even as countries in the bloc were forced back into lockdown by a new strain of the virus, believed to be more infectious, that continues to spread from Britain.

The coronavirus pandemic has claimed more than 1.7 million lives and is still running rampant in much of the world, but the recent launching of inoculation campaigns has boosted hopes that 2021 could bring a respite.

Hours before the first vaccine doses arrived in France, Paris' health ministry confirmed late Friday that it had detected its first case of the new variant in a citizen returned from Britain.

Several countries have reported cases of the new strain, which has sent jitters through already overstretched health services.

There was little sign of the usual Boxing Day sale rush on the streets of Sydney Saturday, as residents largely heeded the state premier's request they stay home faced with a new virus cluster.

''Even when we entered the store there were less than ten people,'' shopper Lia Gunawan told The Sydney Morning Herald after queueing up for the sales.

Even as some European nations eye a post-Christmas return to harsh restrictions, China's communist leadership issued a statement hailing the ''extremely extraordinary glory'' of its handling of the virus that emerged in the country's Hubei province last year, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Across the world, people are being urged to respect social distancing guidelines, as the World Health Organisation urged people not to ''squander'' the ''great, heart-wrenching sacrifices'' people had made to save lives.