UK virus jabs hit first target as N Zealand puts city in lockdown

Britain's coronavirus vaccination program has covered all its main target groups of vulnerable people, it said on Feb. 14, hours after New Zealand, so far largely spared by the pandemic, put its largest city into lockdown.

The European Union, meanwhile, facing criticism over its sluggish roll-out, confirmed it would fast-track approval of vaccines updated to target variants of the original virus.

Germany partially closed its borders with the Czech Republic and Austria's Tyrol on Feb. 14 following a surge in new coronavirus variant cases, drawing a swift rebuke from Brussels.

And in Geneva, World Health Organization experts were to meet Monday to evaluate granting emergency validation to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine so it can be shipped to poorer nations.

The WHO group met last week to assess the version produced in South Korea, and on Feb. 15 they were to discuss one made by the Serum Institute in India, with their conclusions for both expected in coming days.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed hitting the "significant milestone" of 15 million jabs just over two months after the country launched its biggest-ever vaccination program.

"This country has achieved an extraordinary feat," he said in a video message posted on Twitter.

Britain met its aim of vaccinating everyone in four priority groups: those over 70, care home residents and staff, health service workers and the clinically vulnerable.

In its next step, the country will on Feb. 15 introduce mandatory regulations for all U.K. citizens to self-isolate in approved hotels for 10 days and take several COVID-19 tests when they arrive from dozens of "high-risk" countries.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ordered the country's...