Global report: France warned of third lockdown, as Dutch protests turn violent

Italy threatens legal action against Pfizer over vaccine supply; Israel to close all airports to most flights

By Sam Jones | 24 January 2021

THE GUARDIAN — The French government has said a third national lockdown may be inevitable if border controls and the 12-hour curfew that are in place fail to curb the spread of new variants of Covid-19.

The warning came as police clashed with anti-lockdown protesters in the Netherlands, the Italian government announced legal action over delays in receiving vaccine supplies, and New Zealand reported its first community case in more than two months.

From Sunday, those arriving in France from EU countries by air or sea are required to produce a negative PCR swab test result obtained in the previous 72 hours, a requirement that has applied to non-EU arrivals since mid-January.

But the French health minister, Oliver Véran, said another lockdown could be introduced if the current measures – including the nationwide daily curfew from 6pm – prove insufficient. […]