Daily roundupSaturday's key coronavirus developments from Luxembourg and abroad

Starting with Luxembourg

• Multiple protestors have been arrested in Luxembourg City as water cannons were deployed against demonstrators and the Christmas market was forced to temporarily close.

• Minister of Health Paulette Lenert has argued that mandatory vaccination ‘should not be debated at this stage’.

• Lenert’s opposition to a general vaccine mandate stands in contrast to the recommendations of the National Ethics Commission, which argued earlier today that mandatory vaccination is ‘ethically justified.’

• Luxembourg’ Ombudsman for Children and Youth is of the opinion that a compulsory vaccination for employees in the health sector and in the education sector should be considered.

• Our colleagues from RTL 5 Minutes have taken a closer look at the profiles of people hospitalised for Covid-19 in Luxembourg.

• Vulnerable children aged 5-11 years and those in regular contact with vulnerable people will have the opportunity to be vaccinated on a voluntary basis from 14 December.

• Politicians across Luxembourg’s political spectrum have reacted to the Covid law, which will be voted on in the Chamber next week.

• Between 1,200 and 1,300 people could receive their booster jab every day at the Findel vaccination centre, which reopened on Friday.

And abroad

• The Pacific territory of New Caledonia goes to the polls at the weekend for a third and final referendum on independence from France with campaigning marked by angry demands to call off the vote because of the Covid pandemic.

• Tens of thousands gathered in Austria’s capital Vienna on Saturday to protest mandatory Covid vaccines and home confinement orders for those who have not yet received the jabs.

• The Swiss medicines agency Swissmedic on Friday approved the vaccination of children aged between five and 11 with Pfizer-Biontech’s Comirnaty vaccine.