Authorities in Belgrade held an emergency meeting on Monday night after more than 1,500 people broke anti-Covid laws to go nightclubbing at the weekend. The Serbian capital’s mayor announced new controls for cafes, clubs and other venues that can operate until 8pm after incidents of rule breaking. Zoran Radojičić said: “We want to send a clear message that this is no moment to relax and that such behaviour could put everyone at risk of a rise in numbers of infections.” Police said they had arrested five people at the weekend after breaking up two big gatherings in different parts of the city. A party in central Belgrade attracted about 1,000 people and 600 turned up to another, according to Associated Press. The city has been reporting an average of 2,000 new infections a day. Death toll in Brazil reaches nearly 240,000 Another 528 deaths have been recorded in Brazil by its health ministry, amid 32,197 new cases. The country has recorded nearly 9.9m infections, and the death toll stands at 239,245, according to Johns Hopkins University. Summary Here’s a round-up of this evening’s news Incoming World Trade Organization head has warned that “vaccine nationalism” will slow the progress of ending the global pandemic. The Czech Republic’s government is to reopen schools from 1 March despite high levels of Covid infection. An agreement between Greece, Cyprus and will allow people with Covid vaccination certificates to travel The Palestinian authority has accused Israel of blocking 2,000 vaccines set to be delivered to Gaza health workers in the blockaded coastal strip. The European Council’s president, Charles Michel, said he welcomes Boris Johnson’s support on cooperating on the pandemic treaty. Nigeria is evaluating four coronavirus vaccines for possible approval, including Russian, Indian and Chinese jabs, the health minister has said, according to AFP. Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease expert, said he had been nervous entering the White House when many there were coming down with Covid-19 late in Donald Trump’s presidency. Colombia’s first Covid-19 vaccines have arrived in the country, according to Reuters, with distribution due to begin in the next few days. Fauci "nervous" about getting Covid in Trump"s White House Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease expert and chief medical and coronavirus adviser to Joe Biden, revealed on Monday that he had been nervous entering the White House when many there were coming down with Covid-19 late in Donald Trump’s presidency. Fauci is 80 years old and said he was acutely aware that he was at high risk of suffering a “serious outcome” if he became infected by coronavirus, he told Axios in an interview clip posted online. “I didn’t fixate on that, but it was in the back of my mind because I had to be out there,” he said, adding: “I mean, particularly when I was going to the White House every day, when the White House was sort of a super-spreader location. I mean, that made me a little bit nervous.” Nigeria is evaluating four coronavirus vaccines for possible approval, including Russian, Indian and Chinese jabs, the health minister has said, according to AFP. Its national drug agency has dossiers for Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, the Covishield-branded AstraZeneca shot made by India’s Serum Institute, Covaxin by India’s Bharat Biotech and China’s Sinopharm. Officials said they expect to receive 16 million doses of vaccines against the disease soon. Nigeria managed to avoid the brunt of infections after the pandemic first emerged, but cases have surged in a second wave since November. The European Council’s president, Charles Michel, said he welcomes Boris Johnson’s support on cooperating on the pandemic treaty. “I welcome the support of Boris Johnson to work together on a pandemic treaty in order to improve global preparedness, resilience and recovery,” Michel said in a tweet. Johnson said earlier he would be keen to agree a global treaty on pandemics where countries agreed to share data, amid British and US concern over access given to a World Health Organization mission to China. The Palestinian authority has accused Israel of blocking 2,000 vaccines set to be delivered to Gaza health workers in the blockaded coastal strip. According to AFP, the authority’s health ministry, based in the West Bank, had planned to send the Russian Sputnik V doses to Gaza, which is run by the Islamist group Hamas. Health minister Mai al-Kaila said: “These doses were intended for medical staff working in intensive care rooms designated for Covid-19 patients, and for staff working in emergency department.” Cogat, the Israeli authority that runs civilian affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, said the Palestinian authority had requested to transfer 1,000 doses to Gaza, but that it was “waiting for a political decision”. AstraZeneca has asked Czech ministers whether it wants to order more vaccines for later this year, but said any supplies would have to comply with EU agreements. A news website in the Czech Republic reported on Saturday that its health ministry was in talks with the firm about extra jabs in addition to the 3 million it had already bought. However, according to Reuters, it was not clear if these would be compliant with the country’s EU commitment not to negotiate separately. The drugs company’s director for the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Jarmila Doleckova said it was enquiring about interest in supplies on top of the existing 300 million doses agreed with the European commission. New WTO chief warns of "vaccine nationalism" Incoming World Trade Organization head, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has warned that “vaccine nationalism” will slow the progress of ending the global pandemic. Okonjo-Iweala told Reuters her top priority was to ensure the WTO does more to address the pandemic. She said members should speed up the process of lifting export restrictions which are holding up trade in medicines and supplies. The former Nigerian finance minister and senior World Bank executive was appointed on Monday and starts on 1 March. She said: The WTO can contribute so much more to helping stop the pandemic. No one is safe until everyone is safe. Vaccine nationalism at this time just will not pay, because the variants are coming. If other countries are not immunised, it will just be a blow back. It’s unconscionable that people will be dying elsewhere, waiting in a queue, when we have the technology. Accords between Greece, Cyprus and Israel allowing citizens with Covid-19 vaccination certificates to travel unimpeded between the three countries have been hailed as a possible first step towards normalising tourism during the next phase of the pandemic. The prospect of people being able to move freely in the age of coronavirus received a concrete boost last week when the deal was the centrepiece of a visit to Jerusalem by the Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. After signing the agreement with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader suggested similar accords could soon be in the offing. “I expect what we will be doing with Israel to be a trial run of what we can do with other countries,” said Mitsotakis, who first pressed the case for vaccine passports with other EU members last month. The Czech Republic’s government is set to reopen schools from 1 March, despite high levels of Covid infections. Regular testing will take place inside schools as pupils return, according to Reuters. They have been closed since October as cases rose to among Europe’s highest – despite shop closures, restrictions on public events and a curfew. Opposition parties have been calling for a gradual reopening of schools, as only nurseries and the two youngest years of primary school children are still attending classes. Interior minister Jan Hamáček said: “If we secure enough (tests), nothing prevents children from beginning to return to schools.” The country, which has a population of 10.7 million, has recorded 18,250 deaths from coronavirus since the start of the pandemic. Daily cases were the second highest in Europe after Portugal during the last fortnight. Boris Johnson welcomed the “unprecedented national achievement” of vaccinating 15 million of the most vulnerable people in the UK ahead of the target deadline on Monday, but said now was “no moment to relax” in terms of unlocking. During a press conference on Monday afternoon, he said he wanted an “irreversible” exit from lockdown, and called for people to be “optimistic but also patient” about the easing of restrictions.