Ageism

Turkey has suspended flights from the U.K., Denmark, the Netherlands and South Africa due to concerns over a new fast-moving coronavirus strain.

"It has been reported that the rate of transmission has increased in the U.K. with the mutation of the coronavirus," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca wrote on Twitter on late Dec. 20.

Italy approved new restrictions on Thursday to avoid a new surge in coronavirus infections during the Christmas and New Year holidays. 

Under current curbs, which will remain in place, the country is divided into three zones with restrictions calibrated according to infection rates.

A hard lockdown is on the table for regions that have been unable to control transmission of the novel coronavirus and are struggling with hospital admissions, government spokesman Stelios Petsas indicated on Wednesday.

Germany entered a complete lockdown at midnight, and France is replacing the previous lockdown with curfew.
The measures will last in Germany until January 10, and during that period, only essential stores such as supermarkets and pharmacies, as well as banks, will work.

The government on Monday announced lockdown rules for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as well as for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Gatherings at homes will be limited to a maximum of nine people from two families, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said.

He added that the 10 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew will also apply.

More than 39,000 people have violated the weeknight curfews and full weekend lockdown in Turkey between Dec. 7 and Dec. 14, the country's Interior Ministry has said.

The government introduced the weeknight curfews from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and full weekend lockdowns starting from Friday 9 p.m. until Monday 5 a.m. to check the spread of COVID-19.

Turkey began a nationwide weekend curfew on Dec. 11 as part of measures to stem a new wave of COVID-19.

The weekend-long curfew began on Friday at 9 p.m. and will end on Monday at 5 a.m.

It is the second such curfew in the wake of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Nov. 30 announcement of new coronavirus restrictions, including both weekend and weeknight curfews.

The bulk of Greece's lockdown measures will remain in place over the Christmas period although bookshops and hairdressers can reopen next week and the quarantine on people entering the country will be relaxed, authorities said Friday.

Greek authorities have announced that bookshops and hairdressers will be allowed to open as of next Monday, while all other retail stores, entertainment venues, restaurants, bars and cafes will remain shut throughout the Christmas period as part of the country's second lockdown.

Greek authorities have announced that bookshops and hairdressers will be allowed to open as of next Monday, while all other retail stores, entertainment venues, restaurants, bars and cafes will remain shut throughout the Christmas period as part of the country's second lockdown.