[ti:The World Struggles with Restrictions Affecting Holidays]
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]更多听力请访问21VOA.COM
[00:00.04]Many countries around the world have put in place stronger measures
[00:05.72]meant to control the spread of the new coronavirus.
[00:09.76]But these new restrictions are causing tensions
[00:14.60]because they affect holiday observances and traditions.
[00:21.48]In some places, celebrations of Christmas
[00:25.80]and other upcoming holidays are being limited or even canceled.
[00:32.16]Health officials in the United States worked hard to urge people
[00:38.48]to stay home over Thanksgiving, held on November 26.
[00:44.20]But many Americans chose to travel and gather anyway.
[00:51.16]On Twitter, Dr. Tatiana Prowell of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
[00:58.32]blamed the way the American people think.
[01:02.72]She wrote: “The U.S. ‘each person for himself’ mindset
[01:07.96]is killing hundreds of thousands of us.”
[01:12.84]In recent weeks, three drugmakers have announced promising results
[01:18.48]for effective vaccines against the new coronavirus.
[01:24.04]But an approved vaccine is unlikely
[01:27.56]to be widely available to the public for months.
[01:33.08]Scientists are reminding the public of the continued need
[01:38.52]for measures meant to limit the spread of the virus.
[01:44.16]And politicians in many countries are considering additional restrictions
[01:50.88]for Christmas as a second wave of the virus spreads.
[01:57.72]On Wednesday, Germany reported a record 410 COVID-19 deaths within 24 hours.
[02:08.16]Chancellor Angela Merkel and 16 federal state leaders
[02:14.40]planned to discuss an extension of restrictions
[02:18.60]into December and for Christmas and the New Year.
[02:24.56]Italy reported 853 deaths related to COVID-19 on Tuesday.
[02:32.96]In France, new infections and the number of people in hospitals with the virus dropped,
[02:39.92]as a national lockdown went into its fourth week.
[02:46.32]French President Emmanuel Macron
[02:49.36]says France will start easing its COVID-19 restrictions within days.
[02:57.36]Stores, theaters and movie theaters could reopen by Christmas.
[03:04.92]The hope is that people can spend the holidays with their families.
[03:13.12]Macron said Tuesday that people could start being vaccinated by the end of the year.
[03:21.48]“We will very likely…start vaccination of the most vulnerable populations…
[03:27.76]as soon as the end of December, early January,”
[03:32.36]he said in a televised speech.
[03:36.88]Air France-KLM is one of several airlines preparing
[03:42.24]to transport millions of doses of temperature-sensitive vaccines.
[03:49.24]Parts of Britain agreed to temporarily ease restrictions for the Christmas holiday
[03:56.24]and permit up to three households to meet at home.
[04:01.24]But European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
[04:05.64]warned against easing restrictions too quickly.
[04:10.64]“We must learn from the summer and not repeat the same mistakes,”
[04:15.36]she told the European Parliament.
[04:18.40]“Relaxing too fast and too much is a risk for a third wave after Christmas.”
[04:27.88]I’m Mario Ritter Jr. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM