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What you need to know about the coronavirus today

Vaccine roll-out won’t achieve herd immunity this year
The roll-out of coronavirus vaccines in many countries will not provide herd immunity this year, several health experts said on Monday, citing limited access for poor countries, community trust problems and potential virus mutations.

“We won’t get back to normal quickly,” Dale Fisher, chairman of the World Health Organization’s Outbreak Alert and Response Network, told the Reuters Next conference.

UK steps up vaccinations as COVID surges
Britain is facing the worst weeks of the pandemic, its chief medical officer said on Monday, with the health service facing a “dangerous time” as deaths and cases hit record highs before the rollout of a mass vaccination program. Deaths from the virus have now exceeded 81,000 in the United Kingdom - the world’s fifth-highest toll - with more than 3 million people testing positive. A new, more transmissible variant of the disease is surging through the population, with one in 20 people in parts of London now infected.

China reports biggest daily case jump in over 5 months
Mainland China saw its biggest daily increase in COVID-19 cases in over five months, the country’s health authority said, as new infections in Hebei province surrounding Beijing continued to rise. A county in northeastern Heilongjiang province on Monday moved into lockdown after reporting new infections, state television also reported.

Indonesia approves Sinovac vaccine
Indonesia gave Sinovac Biotech’s vaccine its first emergency use approval outside China as the world’s fourth most populous country launches nationwide inoculations. A lack of data and varying efficacy rates reported for the vaccine from different countries could undermine public trust in the rollout, according to public health experts.

Japan preparing to expand emergency
Japan is preparing to expand a state of emergency to the western prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo by the end of the week, Jiji news agency reported. The three prefectures on Saturday asked the government to impose a state of emergency, which is already in place in around Tokyo.

From Breakingviews - Corona Capital: China, Soccer, Smith & Nephew.
Soccer stars confront a dip in market value, and a maker of artificial hips and knees is hobbled by cancelled operations. Catch up with the latest pandemic-related financial insights.

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U.S.

Congressional Democrats begin their drive to force President Donald Trump from office, kicking off a week of legislative action that could end with a vote that would make him the only president in U.S. history to be impeached twice.

Trump may turn to Rudy Giuliani to defend him against possible impeachment over his role in last week’s violent siege of the U.S. Capitol, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Trump has lost the support of many former loyalists in his administration after a riot at the U.S. Capitol that he helped provoke, and his White House is in “meltdown” as it lurches through his final days, current and former officials said.

Marriott International, the world’s largest hotel company, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association said they will suspend donations to U.S. lawmakers who voted last week against certifying Joe Biden’s victory.

The outgoing chief of the U.S. Capitol Police said House of Representatives and Senate security officials had thwarted his efforts to call in the National Guard, contradicting assertions from other officials who said the force had not asked for help.

A police officer is being hailed for his role steering an angry mob away from the Senate chambers in Wednesday’s deadly storming of the Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Washington’s mayor has asked for increased security around the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden after last week’s storming of the Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Reuters Next

Expectations should be “very low” that a World Health Organization team of experts tasked with investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic will reach a conclusion from their trip to China this month, a health expert affiliated with the WHO said.

South Korea’s recent ban on the launch of propaganda leaflets into the North was a “great mistake” that only hampers change in the isolated country, said Tae Yong-ho, the first North Korean defector to be elected as a South Korean lawmaker.

Follow Reuters Next for the latest updates from the virtual summit.