Biden advisor delivers stern Christmas warning A top coronavirus adviser to President-elect Joe Biden delivered a stern holiday message to Americans on Thursday - “no Christmas parties” - and warned they face a Covid-19 siege for weeks to come despite the latest moves toward US government approval of a vaccine. “The next three to six weeks at minimum ... are our Covid weeks,” Dr. Michael Osterholm, a member of Biden’s coronavirus advisory board, told CNN. “It won’t end after that, but that is the period right now where we could have a surge upon a surge upon a surge.” Osterholm stressed that it would be several months before the nation sees widespread availability of vaccines, the first of which cleared a key US regulatory hurdle on Thursday. Nevertheless, Osterholm said sizeable quantities of vaccines would not be available to the public at large before March or April. Healthcare workers and nursing home residents are likely to be designated as first in line for the shots. Osterholm’s blunt admonition came as Covid-19 caseloads soared higher, straining healthcare systems in cities and small towns across the country and leaving intensive care units in hundreds of hospitals at or near capacity. He urged Americans to do their utmost to slow the contagion by limiting social interactions to members of their immediate households, and above all, “No Christmas parties.” “There is not a safe Christmas party in this country right now,” he said. Rebound in carbon emissions expected in 2021 after fall caused by Covid Greenhouse gas emissions, which plunged by a record amount this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, are set to rebound next year as restrictions are lifted further and governments strive to return their economies to growth, according to a global study. The UK showed the second biggest fall in emissions globally, down 13% for the year compared with 2019, with only France showing a larger drop, of 15%. The plunge reflects the prolonged and severe lockdowns in both countries, with surface transport particularly affected: In these extraordinary times, the Guardian’s editorial independence has never been more important. Because no one sets our agenda, or edits our editor, we can keep delivering quality, trustworthy, fact-checked journalism each and every day. Free from commercial or political influence, we can report fearlessly on world events and challenge those in power. Your support protects the Guardian’s independence. We believe every one of us deserves equal access to accurate news and calm explanation. No matter how unpredictable the future feels, we will remain with you, delivering high quality news so we can all make critical decisions about our lives, health and security – based on fact, not fiction. Support the Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. In 2020 Pantone’s colour of the year choice, Classic Blue, proved eerily prescient. Announced weeks before the first Covid-19 cluster was discovered, it is a shade used for medical scrubs around the globe. Perhaps knowing that lightning is unlikely to strike twice, for 2021 the US-paint brand’s team of trend forecasters have selected two shades – Ultimate Grey and Illuminating – the second time they have done so in the Colour of the Year’s two decade history. Used by fashion, graphic and interior designers, the Pantone Institute’s colour matching services are a resource for predicting palettes that might prove popular with consumers. Their colour of the year choices are often contentious. This year, the combination has been likened to the shades of hi-vis vests, road markings and “screaming sickly urban melancholy, a brutalist facade, cold sunshine and cement”. Vogue described it simply as “really weird”: Canada could start vaccinations within days Canada on Wednesday approved the use of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE and vaccinations are expected to start next week with high-risk people such as healthcare workers receiving the first doses. Canada would receive 30,000 doses next week and up to 249,000 by the end of the year. The following are the current plans by the 10 provinces and three territories to start inoculations: Immunisation in Canada’s worst-affected province may start on 14 December at two nursing homes. The initial batch is expected to be 4,875 doses. Canada’s most populous province and the second-worst affected province will start immunisation on 15 December. It expects to receive 6,000 doses on Monday that it will split between two cities, the head of the province’s vaccine deployment program said. Another 90,000 doses are expected by the end of December. Summary Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. My name is Helen Sullivan and I’ll be bringing you the latest Covid news from around the world for the next few hours. Canada on Wednesday approved the use of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE and vaccinations are expected to start next week with high-risk people such as healthcare workers receiving the first doses. Canada would receive 30,000 doses next week and up to 249,000 by the end of the year. The following are the current plans by the 10 provinces and three territories to start inoculations: Immunisation in Canada’s worst-affected province, Quebec, may start on14 December at two nursing homes. The initial batch is expected to be 4,875 doses. More on this shortly. Meanwhile the global coronavirus infections total is nearing a staggering 70m. US records more than 3,000 Covid deaths a day for the first time. The US recorded its highest level of coronavirus deaths in a single day on Wednesday, just two weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday period when health experts warned Americans not to travel or gather. London has highest Covid-19 case rate in England. London had the highest prevalence of Covid-19 cases in the week to 6 December, Public Health England (PHE) said, raising the prospect the capital will be moved into the strictest level of restrictions in the coming days. Spain’s March-May Covid-19 death toll nearly 70% above official count - stats institute. Spain’s coronavirus death toll between March and May was almost 70% higher than the official count at the time, data from the National Statistics Institute showed, prompting the opposition to complain of a government cover-up. Africa disease control head calls on rich nations to share excess Covid-19 vaccine doses. Countries that have ordered more Covid-19 vaccines than they need should consider distributing excess doses to Africa, the head of the continent’s disease control body said. Decomposing mink in Denmark ‘may have contaminated groundwater’. Decomposing mink buried in mass graves in Denmark after being culled because of coronavirus fears may have contaminated the groundwater, local radio has reported, as parliament announced a commission to investigate the government’s actions. Berlin wants to close shops and extend school holidays to fight case rises. Berlin’s mayor, Michael Müller, said he would seek the approval of the city’s parliament next Tuesday to close stores apart from supermarkets until 10 January, and also to extend the school break until that date or put lessons online for a week. Welsh secondaries and colleges to shut on Monday to stem Covid spread. Secondary schools and colleges in Wales will move to online learning from Monday in a “national effort to reduce transmission of coronavirus”, the country’s education minister has said. Israel abandons Covid-19 curfew plan ahead of Hanukkah. Israel reversed plans to impose a night-time curfew meant to prevent a new wave of coronavirus infections, minutes before the start of a Jewish holiday. Canary Islands removed from UK travel corridor list. The Canary Islands have been removed from the UK travel corridors list, meaning people arriving in the UK from the popular Spanish islands from 4am on Saturday must self-isolate. Rich countries leaving rest of the world behind on Covid vaccines, warns Gates Foundation. It could be too late for any kind of fair distribution of coronavirus vaccines because of the deals already made by rich countries, according to Mark Suzman, chief executive of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.