Daily roundupFriday's key coronavirus developments from Luxembourg and abroad

Starting with Luxembourg

• The latest figures from Luxembourg show that 349 new cases of coronavirus were discovered over the last 24 hours, with one more death added to the toll.

• Meanwhile, today also marked the milestone that Luxembourg administered 1 million vaccine doses against Covid-19.

• The new Covid law came into effect at midnight Friday. Here’s an overview of what has changed.

• Those who have been vaccinated once will soon be able to be tested free of charge while waiting for their second dose, the Health Directorate announced on Thursday.

• 1,158 samples were analysed by the national laboratory two weeks ago, from a total of 2,699 positive persons tested. All sequenced samples were identified as the Delta variant. The first case of the Omicron variant was detected in the samples of the following week.

And abroad

• Denmark announced Friday it would close cinemas, theatres and concert halls and restrict restaurant opening hours over a record number of daily Covid-19 cases, accelerated by the Omicron variant.

• US President Joe Biden warned Thursday of a “winter of severe illness and death” for those unvaccinated against Covid-19, as the G7 called the Omicron variant the biggest threat to global public health.

• Germany is facing a “massive fifth wave” of the coronavirus caused by the arrival of the new Omicron variant, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said Friday. “We must prepare for a challenge that we have not yet had in this form,” Lauterbach told a press conference in Hanover, adding that even if the variant were “milder” it may make “no difference”.

• EU member states have agreed to buy a first tranche of over 180 million extra doses of adapted vaccines from BioNTech-Pfizer, Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said. But Pfizer was not aware of the order, Reuters reports.

• UK travellers are rushing to get to France before a travel ban comes into effect on Saturday. PA Media reports that most Eurostars are completely sold out as people shifted their Christmas travel plans forward. France announced that travel is only permitted for “compelling reasons” between the two countries, which does not include tourism or business.

• A passenger was forced to disembark a flight in Florida because he insisted that wearing a red thong as a face mask complied with Covid regulations, local media said Thursday.