In this July 27, 2020 file photo, a nurse prepares a shot that is part of a possible COVID-19 vaccine developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc, in Binghamton, New York, the United States. (HANS PENNINK / AP)

NEW YORK / LONDON / BERLIN / SAO PAULO / MOSCOW / MEXICO CITY / TBILISI / BRUSSELS / PARIS / HELSINKI / ABUJA / NAIROBI / STOCKHOLM  - Moderna Inc's experimental vaccine was 94.5 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 based on interim data from a late-stage trial, the company said on Monday, becoming the second US drugmaker to report results that far exceed expectations.

Moderna's vaccine is developed with new technology known as messenger RNA (mRNA), as with Pfizer Inc's vaccine which the company has said is more than 90 percent effective.

Moderna's interim analysis was based on 95 infections among trial participants who received either a placebo or the vaccine. Of those, only five infections occurred in those who received the vaccine, which is administered in two shots 28 days apart.

Moderna expects to have enough safety data required for US authorization in the next week or so and the company expects to file for emergency use authorization (EUA) in the coming weeks.

A key advantage of Moderna's vaccine is that it does not need ultra-cold storage like Pfizer's, making it easier to distribute. The data from Moderna's trial also showed the vaccine prevented cases of severe COVID-19, a question that still remains with the Pfizer shot

A key advantage of Moderna's vaccine is that it does not need ultra-cold storage like Pfizer's, making it easier to distribute. 

The data from Moderna's trial involving 30,000 volunteers also showed the vaccine prevented cases of severe COVID-19, a question that still remains with the Pfizer vaccine. Of the 95 cases in Moderna's trial, 11 were severe and all 11 occurred among volunteers who got the placebo.

Most side effects were mild to moderate. A significant proportion of volunteers, however, experienced more severe aches and pains after taking the second dose, Moderna said.

The company hopes to produce between 500 million and 1 billion doses in 2021, split between its US and international manufacturing sites, dependent in part on demand.

Europe's health regulator said on Monday it had launched a real-time "rolling review" of Moderna's vaccine, following similar reviews of vaccines from Pfizer and AstraZeneca.

Sweden

Adherence to the Swedish coronavirus recommendations has come down since the spring and public gatherings will be limited to eight people, down from a previous upper limit of 300, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said on Monday.

"This is the new norm for the entire society," Lofven told a news conference. "Don't go to gyms, don't go to libraries, don't host dinners. Cancel."

Sweden has drawn international attention for its unorthodox response to the pandemic, shunning lockdowns and instead relying on voluntary measures.

More than 6,000 people with COVID-19 have died in Sweden since the pandemic began, a death rate per capita several times higher than that of its Nordic neighbours, if somewhat lower than some larger European countries such as Spain.

A woman passes police officers during a demonstration of hundreds of people against the government's coronavirus restrictions in Frankfurt, Germany, Nov 14, 2020. (PHOTO / AP)

Germany

Germany's federal government on Monday shelved plans for tougher coronavirus curbs in schools, including smaller classes and compulsory mask-wearing, a draft document showed, bowing to opposition from leaders of Germany's 16 states.

A draft of new measures, seen by Reuters, dropped earlier references both to school lessons being held with fewer pupils and plans to scrap an exemption from wearing masks for some elementary children. Leaders of Germany's 16 states would instead propose new measures to curb infections at schools next week, according to the draft.

"The numbers are stabilizing but too slowly," the DPA news agency quoted German Chancellor Angela Merkel as telling members of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) conservative party

Chancellor Angela Merkel, expected later on Monday to unveil new restrictive measures on household gatherings after talks with state leaders, is keen to flatten the curve of new COVID-19 infections before Christmas while limiting the economic damage.

"The numbers are stabilizing but too slowly," the DPA news agency quoted Merkel as telling members of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) conservative party.

Meanwhile earlier in the day, the Bundesbank, Germany's central bank, said the country's economy is likely stagnating or contracting as measures taken at home and abroad to contain the second wave of the pandemic hit leisure activities as well as exports.

Economy Minister Peter Altmaier had said over the weekend that Germany will have to live with “considerable restrictions” against the spread of the coronavirus for at least the next four to five months.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 10,824 to 801,327, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Monday. The reported death toll rose by 62 to 12,547, the tally showed.

EU

The European Commission said on Monday that positive results announced by Moderna for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate were encouraging and said the bloc was working to sign more supply deals with vaccine makers.

"More encouraging news from #COVID19 vaccine trials w/@moderna," EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said on Twitter.

On Aug 24, the EU Commission, which conducts talks with vaccine makers on behalf of EU states, said exploratory talks with Moderna had been concluded with the aim of signing a contract for the supply of 80 million doses of its vaccine, with the option of buying another 80 million.

"Signing contract w/ @pfizer & @BioNTech_Group later this week, more to come soon," Kyriakides said on Monday.

WHO

The vaccine candidate from Pfizer and BioNTech looks “promising,” and there’ll probably be more “good candidates” by the end of this year and early next year, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said at a German business forum Monday.

That includes more “user friendly” jabs that don’t need to be kept at deeply cold temperatures, he said.

Finland

While many countries struggle with a second wave of the coronavirus, Finland has halted a rise in new infections at Europe's lowest level, helped by the fact that for Finns social distancing comes naturally.

While a remote Nordic location and one of Europe's lowest population densities play in its favour in the fight against COVID-19, it helps that many Finns like personal space and solitude.

In addition, around 2.5 million of 5.5 million Finns have voluntarily downloaded the government's contact tracing app, a rate that public health authorities in other European countries can only dream of.

"It is actually a key factor in our strategy which is based on very low threshold to testing, contact tracing ... and quarantine," said Mika Salminen, director at Finland's public health authority THL.

On Sunday, Finland's 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants stood at 54.2. The European average is around 576 and worst-hit Luxembourg 1302.8 cases, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control data showed.

Nigeria

The number of COVID-19 infections in Nigeria has exceeded 65,000 amid fears of a second wave despite a slower increase in daily new cases.

With 152 new infections confirmed by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) late Sunday, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the West African country has reached 65,148.

The new infections were reported in seven states across the country as well as Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

The death toll remained at 1,163 as no additional deaths were reported. The public health agency disclosed that there were 2,912 active cases.

UK

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was well after coming into contact with someone with COVID-19 and will drive the government forward via Zoom while in self-isolation in Downing Street. 

Johnson said on Sunday he had been told by the NHS Test & Trace scheme to self-isolate for two weeks. Smiling and wearing a jumper with an open shirt, Johnson said in a video posted on Twitter that he was as "fit as a butcher's dog."

Meanwhile, scientists voiced concern Monday over Johnson's plans for mass COVID-19 testing that might re-open large parts of the economy, known as "Operation Moonshot", saying the plans are likely to be ineffective and expensive.

Earlier in the day, Britain's health minister said that even if progress with the vaccine was made as quickly as possible, the majority of people in the UK will not be vaccinated until next year. The country expects to start rolling out the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine just before Christmas if it is declared safe and effective, Matt Hancock said.

The country also said it was in advanced talks to access Moderna's experimental vaccine, adding it would be available in Britain from in spring 2021 at the earliest.

On COVID-19 tests, the government said the country would  open two new laboratories in early 2021 that will more than double the country's capacity for conducting testing. 

Britain added 24,962 cases on Sunday. The country’s tally has risen by more than 20,000 cases every day since Nov 2. 

Deaths increased by 168, below the weekly average of 411. Figures have been lower on weekends, when some reporting is delayed.

READ MORE: Austria slaps on three-week lockdown as soft measures fail

France

France's health minister said on Monday it was too early to claim victory over a resurgence in coronavirus infections even if recent data showed some encouraging signs during a second national lockdown.

Olivier Veran said that authorities were in the process of gradually regaining control over the COVID-19 pandemic but warned that it was too soon to let up.

France reported 27,228 new coronavirus cases on Sunday. The seven-day average, which smooths out fluctuations in the data, shrank by 5.5 percent to 27,786, showing a continued decline over the past week. Deaths rose by 302 to 44,548 since the beginning of the pandemic.

The pressure on France’s intensive-care wards has been stabilizing in the last days, as seriously ill patients now occupy 96.5 percent of the country’s initial ICU capacity, French health authorities reported. That rate rose sharply in the last weeks to reach 96.6 percent on Thursday.

The pre-order made to seven vaccine suppliers through Europe’s ordering system would allow the vaccination of 45 million people, Les Echos reported, without citing sources. The first deliveries are slated for mid-January, with 4.4 million doses from AstraZeneca Plc and 3.5 million from BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc. Supplies from Moderna Inc and Novavax Inc would follow from February.

Georgia

Georgia reported 3,157 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing its tally to 82,835 with 733 deaths.

Of the new cases, 1,249 were confirmed in the capital city of Tbilisi, said the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health.

Switzerland

Coronavirus infections in Switzerland rose by 12,839 cases since Friday, data from Swiss health authorities showed on Monday.

Total confirmed cases in Switzerland and neighboring principality Liechtenstein increased to 269,974 and the death toll rose by 198 to 3,158, while hospitalizations went up by 483.

Austria

Austria’s mass-testing will be “an offer to the Austrian population,” Chancellor Sebastian Kurz tweeted on Monday, suggesting that it won’t be de facto mandatory as in neighboring Slovakia. Details of the plan are still being worked out, according to the chancellery.

US

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Monday announced stricter capacity restrictions for both indoor and outdoor gatherings as more US states took steps to combat the latest coronavirus surge.

A maximum of 10 people would be allowed to gather indoors in New Jersey, down from 25, while the limit for outdoor gatherings would drop from 500 to 150.

US cases surpassed 11 million on Sunday after increasing by more than 1 million in a week, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg.

COVID-19 has claimed more than 246,000 lives in the US, which has the most deaths of any country.

Michigan and Washington state on Sunday imposed sweeping new restrictions on gatherings, including halting indoor restaurant service, to slow the spread of the coronavirus as California reported 10,968 new cases Sunday, a three-month high. 

Two of Joe Biden’s coronavirus advisers said they favor targeted local measures to stem the pandemic and oppose a nationwide US lockdown as too blunt.

Global tally 

Coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed 54.2 million while the global death toll exceeded 1.31 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

In this Nov 12, 2020, file photo, a couple eat inside at the Buena Vista Cafe during the coronavirus outbreak in San Francisco. (PHOTO / AP)

J&J

Johnson & Johnson launched a new late-stage trial in Britain on Monday to test a two-dose regimen of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine among thousands of volunteers, as the US drugmaker expands its trials by geography and type. 

The UK arm of the study is aiming to recruit 6,000 participants among a total of 30,000 people globally, scientists leading the UK trial said. Volunteers will be recruited at 17 sites across the UK.

Italy

The new coronavirus was circulating in Italy in September 2019, according to a study by the National Cancer Institute (INT) of the Italian city of Milan.

The WHO said on Monday it was reviewing the results from Italy and additional information published there at the weekend and was seeking clarification.

The Italian researchers' findings, published by the INT's scientific magazine Tumori Journal, show 11.6 percent of 959 healthy volunteers enrolled in a lung cancer screening trial between September 2019 and March 2020 had developed coronavirus antibodies well before February.

A further SARS-CoV-2 antibodies test was carried out by the University of Siena for the same research titled "Unexpected detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the pre-pandemic period in Italy".

It showed that four cases dating back to the first week of October were positive for antibodies, meaning they had got infected in September, Giovanni Apolone, a co-author of the study, told Reuters.

ALSO READ: Musk says he may have COVID-19, calls tests 'extremely bogus'

Sporadic protests erupted in cities including Rome and Turin against the measures taken by the government.

Russia

Russia reported a record high of 22,778 new coronavirus infections on Monday, including 6,360 in the capital Moscow, bringing the national tally to 1,948,603. 

Authorities also reported 303 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the official death toll to 33,489.

With new infections continuing to rise in more than a quarter of Russia’s regions, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin appealed to governors nationwide to tighten rules on mask-wearing and social distancing.

About 84 percent of the 263,000 hospital beds in Russia set aside for COVID-19 patients are occupied, with that share reaching 90 percent in almost two-thirds of the country’s 85 regions

About 84 percent of the 263,000 hospital beds set aside for virus patients are occupied, with that share reaching 90 percent in almost two-thirds of the country’s 85 regions. 

In Moscow, the Krylatskoe Ice Palace, known for hosting international speed skating competitions, is now on the frontline after being converted into a temporary hospital for COVID-19 patients. It opened last month and is currently treating about 600 people, with between 60 to 80 new patients being admitted and discharged every day.

Meanwhile, authorities in the Siberian region of Buryatia, which borders Mongolia, on Monday closed restaurants, shopping malls, bars and public facilities for two weeks in a bid to stem the virus.

The region, which recorded 271 new cases in the last 24 hours, is the first in Russia to impose harsh restrictions in response to the pandemic's second wave.

On Sunday, the Transport Ministry said Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev has tested positive for the coronavirus and was in self-isolation. First Deputy Transport Minister Alexander Neradko will temporarily perform his duties, the ministry said in a brief statement.

Meanwhile, Russia's flagship airline Aeroflot will resume flights to Nice in France from Nov 20, the company has said, as it gradually restores travel links after coronavirus lockdowns.

In this Nov 12, 2020, file photo, a woman wearing a face mask walks along the street in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (PHOTO / AP)

Belarus 

Belarus reported 1,315 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, taking its nationwide count to 114,185, according to the country's health ministry.

There have been 1,506 new recoveries over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 95,843, the ministry said.

So far, 1,046 people have died of the disease in the country, including seven in the past day, it added.

Hungary 

Hungary on Sunday registered 4,238 new COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour span, raising the national total to 140,961, according to the government's coronavirus information website.

In the past 24 hours, another 107 people have died from the disease, taking the death toll to 3,097 in the country, while 31,599 have recovered. Currently, 7,013 patients are being treated in hospitals, and 569 of them are on ventilators.

"Healthcare workers welcomed the recent restriction measures because they expect they will lead to a reduction in the number of patients arriving at hospitals in the next 2-3 weeks. As a result, they could get much-needed rest," Bela Merkely, rector of Semmelweis University, a research-led medical school in Budapest, told MR1 public radio following the publication of the latest COVID-19 figures.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic, one of the worst-hit countries in Europe amid the second the wave of the coronavirus pandemic, reported 1,887 new cases for Nov. 15, its lowest daily tally since Oct. 4, Health Ministry data showed on Monday. 

The ministry also reported 150 new deaths related to COVID-19, including 65 on Sunday along with revisions from previous days. The total number of deaths has doubled to 6,208 since Oct. 29. 

The Czech Republic has Europe's highest per-capita death rate in recent weeks and one of the highest infection rates, although daily tallies of new cases have fallen in the past week after tighter lockdown measures came into place.

Mexico

Mexico's health ministry reported on Sunday 3,269 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the country and 283 deaths, bringing the official totals to 1,006,522 cases and 98,542 dead. 

Health officials have previously said the real number of cases is likely significantly higher than the reported figures.

Brazil

With 140 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, Brazil's death toll from COVID-19 hit 165,798, the Ministry of Health reported on Sunday.

The ministry said that another 14,134 cases recorded in the last 24 hours, raising the national caseload to 5,863,093.

As municipal elections were held throughout the country on Sunday, which was also the national holiday for celebrating the anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, some hospitals and civil registration offices postponed notifications of new deaths and infections.

In Sao Paulo, the most affected state in the country, specialists from private hospitals warned about the increase in occupancy due to the rise in hospitalizations for COVID-19.

Africa tally

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the African continent had reached 1,963,702, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Sunday.

The continental disease control and prevention agency said in a statement that the death toll related to the pandemic stood at 47,104 as of Sunday afternoon.

A total of 1,657,142 people infected with COVID-19 had recovered across the continent so far, according to the continental disease control and prevention agency.

The most COVID-19 affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases include South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, and Ethiopia, figures from the Africa CDC showed.

Chile

Chile registered another 1,597 cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the last 24 hours, for a total of 531,273, as well as 42 more deaths, bringing the death toll to 14,819, the Ministry of Health reported on Sunday.

A total of 721 people are currently in intensive care units, with 571 on ventilators and 82 in critical condition.

Minister of Health Enrique Paris urged Chileans to continue following sanitary measures to prevent further infections regardless of whether the town of their residence is under quarantine or has progressed toward ending confinement.

Kenya

Kenya's Ministry of Education said on Monday that basic learning institutions will reopen fully in on Jan 4 next year, even as the country grapples with surging COVID-19 infections and fatalities.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union issued a 21-day strike notice due to “longstanding unresolved issues,” as the number of coronavirus infections and deaths in the East African nation accelerate.

The issues include provision of standard and adequate personal protection equipment, comprehensive medical insurance cover and workman’s compensation, according to a statement on the union’s Twitter account.

“The loss of 30 health care workers, of which 10 are senior specialist doctors, is a great loss to the country in the war against Covid-19,” according to the statement.

A COVID-19 patient at Timone Hospital in Marseille. The pressure on France’s intensive-care wards has been stabilizing in the last days. (PHOTO / BLOOMBERG)

Morocco 

Morocco announced on Sunday 4,966 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally in the North African country since March 2 to 293,177.

The number of recoveries from the coronavirus in Morocco increased to 238,598 after 3,690 more were added, while the death toll rose by 82 to 4,779, the ministry of health said in a statement.

Meanwhile, 1,051 patients are in intensive care units.

Casablanca remains the worst-hit region in the country with 1,492 newly confirmed cases and 24 deaths during the last 24 hours.

Algeria 

Algeria will reimpose restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19 from Nov. 17, including closing gyms, cultural centres, leisure venues and used car markets, and limiting opening hours for some businesses, the prime minister's office said on Sunday. 

The new measures are aimed at coping with "the worrying phase that the country is experiencing in terms of the evolution of the epidemiological situation," it said in a statement. 

Under the restrictions, businesses such as cafes, restaurants, hair salons and toy shops will be ordered to close at 3:00 pm.

Eswatini 

Eswatini Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini has tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-isolating at home, he said in a government statement on Sunday. Dlamini is asymptomatic and feeling well, he added.

Libya 

The National Center for Disease Control of Libya on Sunday reported 974 new COVID-19 cases, taking the nationwide count to 73,602.

The center said in a statement that 874 more recoveries and 22 more deaths were reported, bringing the total recoveries to 44,133 and the death toll to 1,017.

Since the first case was reported in March, Libyan authorities have taken a series of precautionary measures against the pandemic, including closing the country's borders, shutting down schools and mosques, banning public gatherings and imposing a curfew.