Evening roundupMonday's key coronavirus developments in Luxembourg and abroad

Starting with Luxembourg

• [block type="summary”]The latest figures from the Ministry of Health show that 139 new cases of coronavirus were discovered yesterday.

  • New consultation centres have been opened in Kirchberg and Esch-sur-Alzette. What exactly are the used for, and what is the difference between them and a test centre?
  • A restaurateur has won a case in the Court of Administration, overturning a €4,000 fine imposed for Covid breaches.
  • The partial lockdown has forced theatres and culture houses to shut their doors once more, initiating another frustrating and difficult period for all involved.
  • The “Luxembourg Strategie” task force has been launched to help rebuild the economy in a more sustainable way. According to the latest competitiveness report, Luxembourg ranks fourth in the EU, behind only Denmark, Slovenia, and Ireland.
  • Finally, we share the sad news that Lorrainer Jérôme Grandidier, who had a successful entrepreneurial career in Luxembourg, died suddenly of coronavirus at the age of 50.

  And news from abroad

  • US firm Moderna said it would file requests for emergency authorization of its Covid-19 vaccine in the United States and Europe on Monday, after full results confirmed a high efficacy estimated at 94.1 percent. The news came as Joe Biden tapped Janet Yellen to be the first female Treasury Secretary.

  • However, stocks mostly dropped as infections overshadow vaccine hopes.

  • In more gloomy news for financial markets, the OPEC oil producers’ club on Monday began a meeting in which they are expected to decide on an extension of production cuts.

  • These moves came as the latest global death toll reached 1,460,018 people since the outbreak emerged in China last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT on Monday.

  • [block type="summary”]AFP also stock of the performance of Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen at the head of the EU institutions, one year into their leadership. There was no honeymoon period to find their footing, as they were engulfed within months by the coronavirus pandemic.

    • China reported some positive economic news, as factory activity grew at its fastest pace in over three years in November, official data showed Monday, as the world’s second-largest economy continued its recovery from the coronavirus.
    • Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region, international students have arrived in Australia for the first time since the country shut its borders to curb coronavirus in March, with a charter flight touching down in Darwin on Monday.
    • Tensions are running high in Sri Lanka, where prison guards shot dead eight inmates and wounded at least 71 others in a riot sparked by anger over rising coronavirus infections, officials said Monday.
    • And back in Italy, Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso has urged fans paying tribute to club legend Diego Maradona to wear their masks to avoid the spread of coronavirus.