Several EU nations were set to begin vaccinating their most vulnerable groups Sunday as a new coronavirus variant spread internationally and the WHO warned the current pandemic will not be the last

"Please help us leave!" says a woman in a video shared online, one of dozens of passengers from Britain stranded in German airports on Sunday night.

Millions of people in England and Italy will celebrate Christmas under tough new coronavirus restrictions as Europe battles a winter surge including a more infectious new strain.

The Covid-19 death toll in Europe is set to pass 300,000, according to a Reuters tally on Tuesday, and authorities fear that despite hopes for a new vaccine, fatalities and infections will continue to rise as the region heads into winter.

Europe passed a grim milestone Tuesday after reporting more than 11 million coronavirus cases, as Austria and Greece became the latest countries on the continent to impose shutdowns.

Europe risks being hit with further waves of coronavirus infections next year, France's scientific council has warned, as the continent scrambles to cope with a second deadly spike in Covid-19 cases.

A host of European countries imposed new local restrictions Friday to reduce spiralling new cases of coronavirus.

The EU's health agency Monday urged countries seeing an increase in cases of Covid-19 to reinstate some curbs, warning of a resurgence of cases in parts of Europe.

The World Health Organization Friday expressed concern over a coronavirus resurgence in Europe as Britain and Austria tightened restrictions and China stepped up testing.

EU leaders met face to face Friday to try to rescue Europe's economy from the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic, as India became the third country to record one million cases after the United States and Brazil.

Europeans are enjoying the gradual easing of coronavirus lockdown measures, but in hospitals they are already preparing for the next wave of infections.