Mass vaccination starts in Latin America

Three Latin American countries launched mass immunization programs on Thursday as fears grew in Europe over a variant coronavirus strain that is believed to be far more contagious than the original version. 

Frontline medical staff in Mexico and Chile were among the first to receive their vaccines while Costa Rica began its own immunization program, with President Carlos Alvarado hailing what "may be the beginning of the end of this pandemic."

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Mexico televised the start of its mass immunization program after it received its first 3,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine from Belgium. Mexico has registered more than 120,000 Covid-19 deaths -- the world's fourth highest toll after the United States, Brazil and India.

In Chile, 46-year-old nursing assistant Zulema Riquelme was the first person shown receiving the jab in the presence of President Sebastian Pinera.

"I'm very excited and nervous," she said, hours after the first 10,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived by plane.

Argentina, meanwhile, received the first 300,000 doses of Russia's controversial Sputnik V vaccine on Thursday on a special flight from Moscow. The country is the first in Latin America to approve the Russian vaccine.

The new strain of the virus that surfaced in Britain and has been detected in small numbers elsewhere, appeared for the first time in Germany after a woman flew in from London.

Although it appears to spread more easily, experts say there is no evidence it is more lethal or resistant to vaccines.

US authorities on Thursday announced that passengers arriving on flights from the United Kingdom will need to test negative for coronavirus before departure, the latest restriction imposed due to a new Covid-19 variant. The new rule takes effect Monday and requires a negative test within 72 hours of departure.

Meanwhile, another new variant of the new coronavirus seems to have emerged in Nigeria, the head of Africa's disease control body has said, cautioning more investigation was needed.

Singapore on Thursday also confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus variant. The case is linked to a passenger who travelled from UK.