Daily roundupSaturday's key coronavirus developments from Luxembourg and abroad

Starting with Luxembourg

• The government’s new Covid measures announced last week boosted the number of vaccine appointments, says Paulette Lenert.

• For the time being, the Delta variant remains dominant. The new Omicron variant has not yet been detected in Luxembourg, according to LNS virologist Dr Sibel Berger.

• Starting Wednesday 8 December, the government initiative “Lëtzebuerg test sech” kicks off for a week of intense testing in hopes of curbing rising infections in the Grand Duchy.

• According to the police, around 2,000 people gathered in the area of the Glacis car park in Luxembourg City to protest against the “oppressive measures” taken by the authorities for several months in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus.

• The parents’ representatives of Luxembourgish schoolchildren are asking for stricter corona measures, including the vaccination of younger pupils.

And abroad

• Russia has reported 32,974 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, as well as 1,215 deaths. October has so far been the deadliest month of pandemic in the country.

• The WHO said on Friday it had still not seen any reports of deaths related to Omicron, but the new variant’s spread has led to warnings that it could cause more than half of Europe’s Covid cases in the next few months.

• The Delta variant remains dominant and experts, governments and vaccine makers are urging people to take advantage of booster jabs where they are available.

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday urged Germans to get vaccinated against Covid-19, speaking days ahead of leaving office in the final episode of more than 600 weekly video podcasts.

• Switzerland’s ski resorts breathed a sigh of relief when the government lifted from Saturday quarantine restrictions imposed due to the Omicron variant, which had triggered an avalanche of booking cancellations.

• Ireland will tighten Covid-19 curbs over Christmas, including closing nightclubs and reintroducing social distancing in some settings, as infections rise and fears over the Omicron variant grow.

• Two hippos in a Belgian zoo have coronavirus, Antwerp Zoo announced on Friday.

• Boris Johnson, the prime minister of the UK, has been reported to the police by Labour MPs over allegations that there were at least two parties in Downing Street during lockdown restrictions last year.