Reuters Health News Summary

"The detection of the first case of the new variant of Covid-19 on Middle East Airlines flight 202 coming from London on Dec. 21," the country’s caretaker health minister said on Twitter, urging all passengers on the flight and their families to take precautionary measures.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Hong Kong imposes 21-day quarantine for visitors, adds South Africa to banned list

Hong Kong extended a compulsory quarantine by an extra seven days to 21 days for all visitors outside China, effective Friday, in stepped-up efforts to prevent a new variant of the novel coronavirus from spreading. Authorities also banned all people who have stayed in South Africa in the past 21 days from boarding for Hong Kong. Indonesia records highest daily increase in COVID-19 deaths

Indonesia recorded its biggest daily rise in COVID-19 deaths on Friday with 258 fatalities, taking the total to 20,847, data by the country's health ministry showed. The data showed coronavirus infections increased by 7,259, bringing the number of cases to 700,097. Americans celebrate Christmas Eve under spiraling COVID pandemic

Americans marked a grim Christmas Eve on Thursday as coronavirus infections exploded nationwide, political leaders warned them not to travel or gather in large groups and a highly contagious variant of the virus spread further in Europe. More than one million people have received the first of two vaccine doses since Dec. 14, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the vaccinations have so far had little effect on the latest surge in cases spiraling nationwide. Lebanon says first case of new coronavirus variant detected on flight from London

Lebanon has detected its first case of the new variant of the coronavirus, which has been spreading rapidly in parts of Britain, on a flight arriving from London, it said on Friday. "The detection of the first case of the new variant of Covid-19 on Middle East Airlines flight 202 coming from London on Dec. 21," the country’s caretaker health minister said on Twitter, urging all passengers on the flight and their families to take precautionary measures. 'Best gift in 2020': COVID-19 vaccinations begin in Latin America

Mexico on Thursday inoculated its first person against COVID-19 to kick off a fightback from a pandemic that has killed 120,000 people in the country and battered the economy, celebrating a Christmas roll-out that also began elsewhere in Latin America. In a ceremony broadcast on national media and watched by the president, officials directed the administration of the Pfizer vaccine to 59-year-old nurse Maria Irene Ramirez, head nurse at the intensive care unit of Mexico City's Ruben Lenero hospital. In Christmas message curbed by Covid, pope calls on nations to share vaccines

Pope Francis in his Christmas message on Friday said political and business leaders must not allow market forces and patent laws to take priority over making Covid 19 vaccines available to all, condemning nationalism and "the virus of radical individualism". In a sign of the times, Francis delivered his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message virtually from a lectern inside the Vatican instead of from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica before tens of thousands. Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 25,533 - RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 25,533 to 1,612,648, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday. The reported death toll rose by 412 to 29,182, the tally showed. U.S. will require negative COVID-19 tests for all UK passengers - CDC

The U.S. government will require all airline passengers arriving from the United Kingdom to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departure starting Monday amid concerns about a new coronavirus variant that may be more transmissible. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement that all airline passengers arriving from the UK must test negative in order to fly to the United States. The decision was a turnaround after the Trump administration told U.S. airlines on Tuesday it was not planning to require any testing for arriving UK passengers. Japan's Suga urges citizens to have a quiet and distanced New Year

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga urged the nation on Friday to spend a quiet New Year period without the usual social gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which has been breaking infection records almost on a daily basis. Suga also announced a package of $2.6 billion for hospitals treating COVID-19 patients which have come under strain due to the rapid rise in cases across the northern island of Hokkaido as well as large cities like Tokyo and Osaka. Russia introduces two-week quarantine period for UK arrivals - Ifax

People arriving in Russia from the United Kingdom must undergo a two-week mandatory self-isolation, the Interfax news agency cited the state consumer health watchdog as saying on Friday. Russia said earlier this week that it would suspend flights to and from Britain for one week starting from Tuesday due to a new variant of the coronavirus detected in Britain.