Daily roundupThursday's key coronavirus developments from Luxembourg and abroad

Starting with Luxembourg

• A record 1230 new cases of coronavirus were discovered in Luxembourg over the last 24 hours - the highest daily tally since 1,053 were registered yesterday.

• Whether you’ve taken a self-test because you’re under the weather, or just to be safe if you’re seeing people, what do you do if the result is positive? We’ve got you covered.

• Ahead of New Year’s Eve, Luxembourg police have issued a warning to the public to respect the new Covid restrictions, with no exceptions.

• Health officials are reacting to the current spike in coronavirus infections, which may result in an increase of hospitalisations, even for children.

• The positivity rate among young people recorded the most significant increase. The incidence rate is now set at 423 cases per 100,000 residents. The rate for unvaccinated people is 623.89, the one for vaccinated 328.44.

• A Luxembourgish couple planned a getaway to the Antarctic after a difficult year, but it quickly went awry after a contact tested positive for coronavirus. The Gobillots told their story to our RTL colleagues.

And abroad

• The number of daily new Covid cases worldwide has crossed one million for the first time since the pandemic began two years ago, according to an AFP tally Thursday.

• Europeanstocks mostly rose Thursday in slow end-of-year trading overshadowed by fears about the Omicron Covid-19 variant, while US markets also pressed higher.

• France has banned non-essential travel from the UK - but what about EU residents returning home after the Christmas break?

• Residents in the locked-down Chinese city of Xi’an said they were struggling to find enough food, despite Beijing insisting Thursday that there were now adequate supplies.

• A preliminary South African government study published Thursday showed a booster of the Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine was 85 percent effective in preventing hospitalization from the Omicron variant, a finding that helps revive the shot’s reputation.

• Foreign revellers on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali have been warned they may be deported if they are caught violating Covid-19 health rules during New Year celebrations, authorities warned on Thursday.

• Aviation giant Emirates said Thursday it expects business to grow next year despite the surge in global coronavirus cases fuelled by the Omicron variant.

• A Covid “tsunami” threatens to overwhelm healthcare systems, the WHO said Wednesday, as record surges fuelled by the Omicron variant dampened New Year celebrations around the world once again.

• The NBA, NFL and NHL are scrambling to keep teams competing, even as Covid case rates skyrocket in the United States and Canada due to the Omicron variant.

• Novak Djokovic could still play at the Australian Open, a Serbian teammate said Thursday, despite the world number one’s last-minute decision to pull out of the ATP Cup in Sydney.

• Five blindfolded young men kneel before a priest who is uttering blessings in the West African language Yoruba, while they vow to be brave, respectful and good to their community.

• England‘s beleaguered Ashes tour went from bad to worse Thursday with under-pressure coach Chris Silverwood to miss the fourth Test in Sydney after a family member tested positive for the coronavirus.

• Devastated by the loss of his daughter to Covid-19, Jaime Michaus joined hundreds of Mexicans seeking compensation from China and the World Health Organization, despite reservations and uncertain prospects of success.

• Joe Biden promised to “follow the science” when he took over from Donald Trump, but a year later record infections, testing shortfalls and stubborn vaccine resistance have turned one of his presidency’s political strongpoints into a growing liability.

• The NHL said Wednesday they had modified their Covid-19 quarantine rules, allowing vaccinated players who test positive to return to action in as little as five days.

• Stock markets wobbled Wednesday as a “Santa Claus rally” showed signs of fatigue, with investors gauging the impact of the Omicron coronavirus variant on the economic recovery.