UK and France ease coronavirus limitations

In a televised night address, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that shops could resume this Saturday and that mid-December would elevate nation-wide stay-at-home regulations.

"We will be able to travel without permission, including between regions, and spend Christmas with our families," Macron said while warning that some restrictions would stay in place to avoid the third wave.

A country-wide curfew from 9:00 pm to 7:00 am will begin on December 15, while restaurants and bars will continue shut until January.

The British officials also announced on Tuesday that restrictions on social mixing and travel would be eased across the UK over Christmas, with up to three families entitled to mix over the festive period.

"As 2020 draws to a close, we admit it has been a challenging year for us all," a joint statement from the governments of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said.

Germany's 16 states have also agreed to loosen limits on social contact over Christmas slightly, according to a draft deal seen by AFP.

State leaders agreed to cap functions to 10 people over the December 23 to January 1 holiday -- double the goal for the rest of December. These compromise measures reflected calls by some less-affected regions for lighter restrictions.

Western experts have in the past expressed concern over Russia's vaccine, fearing that its development could have been rushed.

There are now many possible vaccines internationally that have undergone or are undergoing clinical trials, some already seeking US and EU approval for emergency use -- Candidates by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca/Oxford University are leading the pack.

Hopefulness sparked by the vaccines has given a boost to virus-weary citizens across the globe in recent days, as well as pushing up stock markets.