Extreme heat sears parts of Europe, with UK seeing third-hottest day ...

Paris (CNN) Extreme heat has engulfed parts of western Europe, with wildfires raging in France and Spain, a worsening drought in Portugal, and the third hottest day on record in the UK on Monday.

Fire has spread across 27,000 acres in the Gironde department of southwest France, forcing 32,000 people to evacuate, the local prefecture said Monday night.

The nearby town of Cazaux recorded 42.4 degrees Celsius (108.3 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday, the hottest it has seen since its weather station first opened more than 100 years ago in 1921, according to French national meteorological service Météo France.

Major cities in Western France, such as Nantes and Brest, also hit new heat records, it said.

In Finistère, on the country's Atlantic coast, fires had first been reported on Monday afternoon; less than eight hours later, the flames had decimated more than 700 acres of land, prompting the evacuation of several villages.

Read More

Joseph Ataman
Jimmy Hutcheon
Xiaofei Xu
Zahid Mahmood
Sana Noor Haq
Jorge Engels

Summer starts in Europe with new Covid wave - CNN

This is the weekly edition of CNN's coronavirus newsletter. Look out for your roundup every Wednesday. If you haven't subscribed yet, sign up here

(CNN) European countries are seeing a significant increase in Covid-19 cases spurred by highly infectious subvariants of Omicron, raising fears of a new global wave of the disease as immunity declines and the summer travel season gets underway.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned last week that "the growth advantage reported for BA.4 and BA.5 suggest that these variants will become dominant" throughout the European Union, and probably result in a surge in cases.

Infections are rising in multiple countries, including Portugal, Germany, France, Greece, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Spain, according to the Our World in Data (OWID) project at the University of Oxford, which tracks the pandemic.

New studies have shown that Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 have a growth advantage compared with earlier variants and appear to be good at evading the immune system. In other words, neither previous infections nor vaccines provide particularly strong protection against the subvariants, which is why they're becoming the dominant strains. BA.4 and BA.5 do not appear to lead to more severe illness, but, as with previous waves, the increase in cases could result in an uptick in hospitalizations and deaths, the ECDC has said.

Tourists wearing face masks walk in Athens on June 1, when Greece dropped most of its Covid-19 restrictions.

The potential impact of one of the subvariants, BA.5, is most apparent in Portugal, where it has fueled a significant rise in Covid-19 infections. That surge now appears to have plateaued, but is still higher than rates elsewhere. On Tuesday, the country registered a daily average of 1,332 new cases per million people over the previous seven days — the fifth-highest new case rate in the world. That compares with Germany's 760 and France's 747, according to OWID.

The number of people in hospital in Portugal, at 1,896, is nearly as high as it was during the original Omicron wave in January. BA.5 became the dominant strain in the country in May, not long after it was first detected in late March, according to Portugal's National Institute of Health (INSA). By June 5, it accounted for 84% of all Covid infections there.

In France, the number of new cases per million people has nearly tripled since the beginning of the month, and hospitalizations are rising for the first time since the beginning of April. According to the public health agency Santé Publique France , in its most recent update, BA.5 rose to 24% of sequenced cases in the week of June 6, compared with 18% the week before.

French vaccination chief Alain Fischer said on Wednesday that the question wasn't whether the country was facing a new wave of the virus, but what intensity it might have, saying he was personally in favor of reinstating some restrictions to limit the spread.

"The epidemic is accelerating again and it is completely unexpected in this season," Dr. Benjamin Davido , an infectious disease specialist at the Raymond-Poincaré hospital outside Paris, told French radio on Sunday.

"With the new Omicron subvariants (BA.4 and BA.5), which are 10% to 15% more contagious, the epidemic has found new energy, even though we have passed through the winter," Davido said, adding that the lifting of almost all restrictions — like wearing masks on public transportation and airplanes — combined with unraveling immunity, posed a real threat.

Davido and other health experts have warned that hospitals in France could fill up over the summer, unless vulnerable people and those over 60 get booster shots as soon as possible. But while hospital admissions in the country are on the rise, it's not yet clear whether that's down to the BA.5 subvariant being more transmissible or because it is escaping dwindling immunity.

In the UK, where cases and hospitalizations are rising sharply, the start of a new wave also appears to be driven by BA.4 and BA.5, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The latest data from the ONS, released on June 17, showed that Covid infections were up 43% week on week, according to the British Medical Journal (BMJ), a peer-reviewed medical trade journal.

Writing in the BMJ, Christina Pagel , professor of operational research at University College London, said, "We will be the first (but not the last) major country to have a BA.4.5 wave after having had two previous Omicron waves. This means that we might get some additional protection from the high number of infections we had in March which will reduce the size of this coming wave. Nonetheless, a significant proportion of the country will get sick, especially as boosters are waning."

It looks like the United States might not be far behind. The latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows BA.4 and BA.5 caused more than one in three Covid-19 infections in America last week. The subvariants are also expected to dominate transmissions in the US within the next few weeks.

YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED.

Q: What are the Covid-19 vaccine side effects in young kids?

A: Covid-19 vaccinations for children younger than 5 were rolled out this week after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC signed off on the shots' safety and efficacy. Like with any vaccine, though, it's possible kids may experience a Covid-19 vaccinations for children younger than 5 were rolled out this week after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC signed off on the shots' safety and efficacy. Like with any vaccine, though, it's possible kids may experience a few side effects

"The most common side effects from either of the vaccines are still the most common side effects we see from pretty much any child that gets any vaccine," said Dr. Grant Paulsen, the principal site investigator for the Pfizer and the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine clinical trials for kids from 6 months to 11 years old at Cincinnati Children's hospital.

These include pain, swelling and/or redness at the injection site and fever. During the trials on the youngest children, myocarditis was not found to be a problem, but Dr. Claudia Hoyen, director of pediatric infection control at UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, assures that they will "have all the mechanisms in place once we start vaccinating kids" just in case.

Send your questions here . Are you a health care worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about the challenges you're facing: +1 347-322-0415.

READS OF THE WEEK

Covid-19 vaccinations begin for US children under 5

Covid-19 vaccinations for children younger than 5 began Tuesday across the United States, marking a milestone in the nation's fight against the disease and making it the first country in the world to offer the shots for children as young as six months old. About 17 million kids under 5 are now eligible for vaccination.

Dr. Sarah Schaffer DeRoo described in one word how she felt after getting her 7-month-old son vaccinated against Covid-19: thrilled.

Her active baby boy sat in her lap at a vaccine clinic hosted by Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC, while receiving his first dose. The shot was administered in his thigh. He cried for a few seconds but then his attention turned to a golden retriever that was on site as a comfort dog provided by the hospital.

These children lost their young parents to Covid-19

More than 202,000 US children have lost one or both parents to Covid-19, according to estimates from Imperial College London, Holly Yan reports.

Laila Dominguez, 13, has suffered from anxiety since her father's death in January. When Covid-19 struck both her parents last winter and her father was hospitalized, she helped watch her two younger siblings and take care of her mother, who was severely sick.

At times, "it will get really, really dark. And sometimes it's way too much for me," Laila said. Her last experience taking care of her traumatized siblings led to a panic attack.

Laila hopes more kids will learn from her story and take Covid-19 seriously, saying that to bullies who taunt her for still wearing a face mask, she bluntly answers: "My dad died."

"What I wish they knew about Covid is how dangerous it is ... and be more aware of what they say."

Macao shuts most businesses as Covid cases surge, but casinos remain open

The world's biggest gambling district began its second day of mass Covid-19 testing on Monday after dozens of cases were detected over the weekend.

City officials have begun closing schools, tourist attractions, cultural venues and all non-essential businesses. Restaurants have been ordered to suspend dine-in services.

But for casinos, it's business as usual.

Macao's government relies on casinos for more than 80% of its income, with most of the population employed directly or indirectly by the industry. While they remain open, analysts expect them to be hit as the government urges residents not to visit entertainment venues.

The testing of Macao's roughly 600,000 residents is expected to end on Tuesday. The Chinese-ruled former Portuguese colony adheres to China's strict zero-Covid policy that aims to eradicate all outbreaks at just about any cost.

Surviving 70 days in Shanghai -- the 'world's strictest lockdown'

When CNN producer Serenitie Wang left Covid-stricken Hong Kong in March, she was hoping to escape to safer pastures. Instead, she was just swapping the world's biggest outbreak for the "world's strictest lockdown" in Shanghai -- and 70 days of enforced confinement.

"Covid could seemingly pass between the floors and walls and the realization even the strongest measures couldn't stop it was terrifying and shocking," she writes about the spread of the virus in her parents' 21-story residential housing compound, where she was staying.

When she tested positive, she was taken to a "fangcang" -- a public venue repurposed for people with Covid, where she was given a cot and a bag containing bedding, a basin and cup for washing, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a towel and slippers.

She was in a room with 3,000 strangers, each hoping for the negative test results that would secure their release -- some remaining positive long after their symptoms disappeared. Everyone was trying to remain optimistic; meals were even delivered with encouraging fortune-cookie style messages attached.

TOP TIP

Bottom line: Get vaccinated

Since the CDC recommended two Covid-19 vaccine options for children under 5 -- one from Pfizer/BioNTech and another from Moderna -- parents and caregivers may be wondering which one is right for their child.

But pediatricians CNN spoke with around the country suggest either is a good option. Their advice? Just get the vaccine that's available

"I do not think it's clear that one is any better than the other. They are different," said Dr. Paulsen of Cincinnati Children's. "It is very much what the parents prefer. Balancing those differences as well as, honestly, what's available and what their pediatrician has or what the local hospital has."

Doctors also suggest looking online or calling to find out what the local site is offering. Not every location will offer both shots. Some clinics may also not be offering vaccinations for small children or may have restrictions on the ages they serve. Vaccines.gov may be helpful. The website provides some information on clinics listed by category.

LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST

US lifts international travel ban: Changes affect most travelers

A rush of international travelers headed into the United States Monday as the COVID-19 travel ban ended and people from dozens of countries begin flooding in, more than 600 days since they were barred from entry.

That's more than 86 weeks. Nearly 20 months. Enough time for grandchildren to be born, or for couples to lose track of the number of nights they fell asleep to FaceTime calls with their partner. Long enough to lose hope in a U.S. vacation or honeymoon after having to delay plans over and over.

Lines began forming at the Canada and Mexico borders well before daybreak, and eager travelers boarded flights from Europe, including dueling departures from London's Heathrow airport. The U.S.-Mexico border is typically the world's busiest border crossing, with about 350 million people crossing annually.

► US drops travel ban Nov. 8:Expect bottlenecks at airports under strict entry rules

►Vacation travel:Hawaii opening for fully vaccinated international travelers, but some virus restrictions linger

The new U.S. entry requirements require foreign air passengers to test negative for the coronavirus before boarding a plane to the country and, if they are 18 or older, show proof of full vaccination. Travelers entering the U.S. on land or by ferry for nonessential reasons must show proof of vaccination. Although federal officials had warned of the potential for long lines at entry points, there seemed to be few delays as visitors arrived by land and air.

It's a long-awaited moment for travelers from more than 30 countries. The U.S. initiated its first COVID-19-related travel ban on China in February 2020. By the end of March, it had added travel bans on the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iran and 26 countries in the European Schengen Area. Brazil, India and South Africa were later added to the list.

Want more? Sign up for USA TODAY's Travel newsletter to receive updates directly to your inbox and follow us on Twitter.

Federal officials warned of delays: 'No staff around to help'

The smooth sailing for international travelers at JFK Airport ended Monday afternoon as arrivals ramped up after a relatively quiet morning. Passengers arriving from England on Virgin Atlantic reported lines of up to two hours to clear Customs and Border Protection processing due to the arrival of multiple flights from the United Kingdom. CBP officials had warned lines would grow from recent levels given the return of international passengers.

Paul Richards, the 58-year-old head of safeguarding for Stoke City F.C., arrived on a Virgin Atlantic flight from London at 3:35 p.m. ET for vacation and to celebrate his son's 21st birthday. He ultimately waited about two hours before being cleared into the country.

"No point in getting irate, the queue will still be there,'' he said as he waited.

Marc Evans, a 42-year-old police officer, flew from Manchester, England, with his wife and two children to visit family for the first time in 20 months, ultimately waiting more than an hour.

"It was apparently a PR stunt to show the USA was back open but seems they weren't concerned about the queues at customs," Evans said via Twitter message, noting that they have a friend waiting to pick them up at the airport.

Evans said he was frustrated as his family has been told to wait as other families with children have been able to jump the queue. There are "no staff around to help," he said.

But the problem extends beyond a pesky wait, according to Evans. "Other people were getting connecting flights and told to stay in line," he said.

— Morgan Hines, Dawn Gilbertson, USA TODAY

'What happens here, only happens here': McCarran welcomes tourists

When the first U.K. passengers arrived in Las Vegas on Monday afternoon, McCarran International Airport made sure to give them a "fabulous Las Vegas welcome," complete with waving showgirls as the plane taxied to its gate and free T-shirts and hats promoting the city's new slogan, "What happens here, only happens here."

Karl Watson, 37, of London plans to spend his week in Nevada visiting national parks and watching a Bryan Adams performance. But his first stop? A bar.

"First of all, I'm going to get really drunk," he said.

Watson said getting through customs and security was a long process, with the lines taking more than an hour to get through, but the Las Vegas airport was still "buzzing" with excitement when the plane landed.

"Everyone on the plane was cheering when the plane landed," Watson said. "Usually when people clap I'm like, shut up, you don't do that when a bus parks. But this time, it was exciting. It was really cool."

"It's just such a fun place. Vegas never stops," added Ann Kirk, 64 of Birmingham, England who landed in Las Vegas with her husband Mark.

The two plan to spend five weeks in the U.S., but that's nothing compared to two- or three-month vacations they used to take before the travel ban. The couple usually spends most of their time at a home they own in Lake Havasu City in Arizona, and already have their next visit planned for February.

"It's the warmth. The heat. The sunshine," Mark Kirk, 62, said.

"We've really missed it," Ann Kirk added.

— Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY

Changes affect most air travelers

Arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson's Atlanta International Airport from Korea, Seongbin Woo, 26, said his travel experience for his first U.S. visit was "not that smooth," largely because he had to rush to get test results back before departing Seoul. Although Korean nationals were not banned from travel to the U.S., anyone arriving as of Monday must follow new protocols, including showing proof of vaccination.

"I heard that everyone here is not wearing masks, so it's good for me because I am tired of masks," he said. He added he is still concerned about getting sick.

Ivana Pedroso, 30, tearily reunited with her parents as they arrived from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Pedroso lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she's a graduate student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She had been able to visit Brazil several times, but this is the first time her parents will see the house she bought.

"It's great. Exciting. I have been waiting for this moment for two years because she doesn't know my house," Pedroso said. "They don't know where I live. So I've been waiting for this moment for two years."

Pedroso said her parents will stay for her graduation in December, on a trip they've been rescheduling for two frustrating years. Her parents said the flights and border control checks went smoothly, and they were confident they would be safe.

"She was a little bit nervous, but since they followed the protocols and all the companies, Delta Airlines and the airport followed the protocols with COVID, everything was OK," Pedroso said of her mom. "Sanitizers and masks all the time. They're good."

Waiting for "my guy," Deb Halleck, 61, wore a Manchester United jersey waiting for Stephen Donnelly to arrive in Atlanta from England via Amsterdam. Wearing a similar jersey, Donnelly strode through the terminal and swept her into a hug that seemed to make time stop. The two had been friends for years but this summer realized they wanted more.

"We've just been friends and recently, more than that, so just excited," Halleck said moments before he arrived. "I can't wait."

Since July, they've talked on the phone every day and FaceTimed. Every week they make dinner together, long distance, and share a meal. Donnelly also buys her flowers and takes a picture and sends them to her weekly. Donnelly, 62, said the mood was apprehensive on the plane due to the new rules, but was happy to finally be in the U.S. with Halleck.

What are their plans now? "She's in charge. I just go with the flow," Donnelly said.

By late afternoon the arrivals terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport began filling with loved ones awaiting passengers on a string of flights from cities like Amsterdam, Frankfurt and London, along with other places not previously banned.

All eyes were either staring down the corridor at the sliding doors coming from customs or glued to their phones. Locals eagerly checked to see how much longer it would take for their family, friends and significant others to make it through customs.

One woman remained dedicated to holding up a sign that said #HappyMama while another family, whose kids had been holding up "Welcome Home" signs set them down, sitting in the floor to wait. They had waited this long. What's a little longer?

— Eve Chen, USA TODAY

Romance reignited and 'already have Disneyland booked'

At LAX, the happy emotions ran the gamut — hugs and kisses, laughter and tears — when Damia Suuck, 20, of Claremont, California, saw her German boyfriend, Eric Reuschel, 19, for the first time in almost a year as he came off the plane from Frankfurt.

"We were waiting, waiting. We booked so many tickets," said Suuck, who was waiting at LAX with her mother, Fadia Suuck.

Damia Suuck, who has German and American citizenship, was able to visit her boyfriend in Germany last Christmas, but Monday was the first day he could visit the U.S. They began dating about two years ago when she was living briefly in Germany.

"We haven't seen each other in almost 12 months, so to meet again, I can't explain it. It's crazy," said Reuschel.

Their plans for Reuschel's one-month visit?

"We already have Disneyland booked. That was No. 1," Damia Suuck said.

— Bill Keveney, USA TODAY

Scattered delays create a 'stressful' experience

Julien Yomtov of Paris said he faced several frustrating delays leaving France – first at security and then again when the plane's departure was delayed an hour. He said he's excited to get back to Las Vegas, traveling via Los Angeles, to play in the World Series of Poker, which he normally does annually with his brother.

"The experience was stressful because the employees are (not) ready to welcome so many travelers," he told USA TODAY via Whatsapp. "Hope in LAX it will be easier."

Although Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, the international terminal's arrival hall on Monday, which was almost tranquil and relatively empty through early afternoon. Many fellow passengers made connections to other cities, and those who made Atlanta their final destination described their trips as smooth and even "better than before."

— Bailey Schulz, Eve Chen, USA TODAY

Trip delayed four times

In Los Angeles, Jan Hutten tiptoed up to his sister-in-law Jeannette Gross for a surprise hug, kicking off a family reunion three years in the waiting. His wife Henny followed with a hug of her own, grasping her sister as the Huttens arrived from Amsterdam for a three-week visit. The two had tried to visit four times previously, but had to keep rescheduling due to the ongoing travel ban.

Gross and her son, Gary Loth live in Valencia, north of Los Angeles, and will be taking the Huttens for sushi and Mexican food in sunny Los Angeles — a welcome change from the rainy weather they left behind.

"Fantastic! Finally," Henny Hutten said in Dutch, her native language, when asked how it felt to get together with her sister after having to settle for Skype calls in the three years since they last saw each other.

"I'm very happy to see her," Gross said, adding they usually get together once a year. The separation "was very painful, not being able to hug her. We Skyped, but it's not the same."

Henny Hutten offered a one-word response when asked about the sibling separation: "Terrible!"

The Huttens were supposed to visit in April 2020 to celebrate Gross's retirement. That was the first COVID-related postponement. After more reservations and cancellations, Gross quickly texted her sister when the Nov. 8 opening was announced.

"I said, ‘Change your flight. We're opening up.' She did. She got right on the ball," Gross said.

— Bill Keveney, USA TODAY

Families begin to reunite: 'Everything is so exciting'

Simone Thies of Cologne, Germany, is flying in to see her fiancé, who she has seen just twice since the ban began-- once during a trip to Aruba in June, and again when he visited her in Germany in August. Before those trips, they had been separated a year. Thies stayed overnight in a Düsseldorf hotel near the airport before catching her Delta flight, headed ultimately to Lincoln, Nebraska.

"I want to avoid stress because everything is so exciting," she said.

Getting through the line at the Düsseldorf airport was quick — "5 minutes at most," she said — but she had one more stop in Paris before crossing the Atlantic.

There, she had to show her passport, proof of vaccination and results of her negative coronavirus test. Even as the first person in line, the wait took about 20 minutes because one employee was still learning which documents to check, she said.

"The line is very long, but (I'm) done for now," she said before departing.

Alan Marques said the border closure for tourists nearly ended his relationship with his boyfriend, who is a flight attendant. They've been together four years, but hadn't seen each other in four months, until Marques, 33, flew in from Sao Paulo to Atlanta on Monday. He said the separation has been "very difficult and distressing," because his boyfriend's visits to Brazil have only been for a few hours, instead of the days they are used to.

How does it feel to be properly reunited? "So good," he said.

— Bailey Schulz, Eve Chen, USA TODAY

Mexico border busy ... then quiet

After a busy few hours after midnight ET at the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez border crossing in Texas, the normally bustling border crossing fell quiet. Traffic was minimal at crossings between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez and passenger vehicles zipped up the El Paso's Bridge of the Americas freely, no line to stop them.

"I've sold hardly anything," said newspaper salesman José Fierro, whose rack was still filled with El Diario newspapers and PM tabloids at 8 a.m. He had been there on the curb since 3 a.m., he said. There was 6 a.m. traffic, then nothing. "Everyone crossed yesterday, panicked about how the lines were going to be today."

Constantino Castellanos, 68, and his wife, Lizbeth, 62, bought quesadillas at the foot of the Bridge of the Americas, a street vendor handing over a Styrofoam tray wrapped in plastic.

They could take their time. The bridge – usually a wall of slow-moving cars and trucks – was an empty ribbon of asphalt. The border had been closed to tourists or people visiting family, although a wide variety of essential workers had been permitted to cross during the closure. During that time, Mexican nationals holding tourist cards were banned from traveling over the land border; air travel between points in the interior of both countries never ceased.

"It's been two years," said Lizbeth Castellanos. "We're going to Marshalls and Walmart."

The crossing reopened at just after midnight Eastern time. At 6 a.m. Eastern, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported no significant crossing delays at either the Mexico or Canada borders.

Susana Hernández of Juárez was crossing for the first time since the pandemic restrictions to buy clothes in El Paso for her business. She smiled and flashed her vaccine card.

"We're happy," she said. "We're home, we feel like we're back home."

Cross-border traffic of essential travelers between El Paso and Juárez reached nearly 800,000 crossings of passenger vehicles in August, according to the Border Region Modeling Project at the University of Texas at El Paso.

"Nobody anticipated that this pandemic would last as long as it has, in terms of travel restrictions," said Hector Mancha, U.S. Customs and Border Protection director of field operations in El Paso. "People have not crossed over and visited with family in going on two years... Unfortunately, the pandemic has kept us from (reopening). I think it's overdue."

— Lauren Villagran, Martha Pskowski, El Paso Times

'Welcome back world'

Times Square was relatively quiet Monday morning as the city that never sleeps prepared to welcome vaccinated international tourists back to the U.S.

Around 8:45 a.m., the Times Square Alliance unfurled a "Welcome Back World" sign on the Red Steps in Times Square.

The Steps, considered an iconic New York landmark for tourists, had about 190,000 people walk by them each day before the pandemic, according to the Times Square Alliance, the not-for-profit group that maintains it. At the pandemic's worst, that number dropped to 30,000, and New York businesses hope the flood of tourists will boost their finances.

TJ Witham, the vice president of communications for the Times Square Alliance, told USA TODAY the alliance chose the red steps as it is an "iconic meeting place" for people visiting the Big Apple.

Chris Dickson, a 41-year-old bus scheduler from Newcastle, England, flew to New York City on Monday for 48 hours, using credit from a British Airways trip he'd had to cancel seven months ago.

Dickson planned to drop his bag at his Brooklyn hotel and start exploring the city he last visited more than two years ago.

"I just wanted to come to America at the first opportunity,'' he said. "I'm going to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, I'm going to go through Central Park, I'm going to do some running, some jogging in that area. I'm just going to enjoy the weather and enjoy being back in America.''

Mainda Kiwelu, 45, arrived in New York on the second British Airways flight of the day. She said this was her first trip to the U.S. in about five or six years, and was hoping to visit the Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park later this week, after work meetings.

"The flight was ok," Kiwelu said. "It was just a bit nerve-wracking sort of doing all the logistics for the travel and making sure the vaccination certificate, app, everything works."

— Morgan Hines, Dawn Gilbertson, USA TODAY

Dueling takeoffs from London to New York

A pair of simultaneous flights left London's Heathrow airport early Monday morning, taking off on parallel runways and following similar flight paths for New York's JFK International Airport. British Airways Flight 1 and Virgin Atlantic Flight 3 took off at 3:51 a.m. ET and landed within minutes of each other. The airlines are rivals but teamed up to commemorate the reopening of foreign travel to the U.S., and British Airways' CEO was aboard his company's flight, which touched down about 11 a.m. ET

American Airlines, which is a BA travel partner, saw bookings from London to US surge 70 percent in the past week, with a lot of the travel for remainder of 2021, said Chief Revenue Officer Vasu Raja.

Clive Wartten, who runs a business-travel group in the UK, arrived on the British Airways flight and was headed for a run in Central Park before meetings with colleagues. Wartten planned to fly home Tuesday night.

"It just feels good to be back on an airplane," he said. "There was a real buzz at the airport and aboard the aircraft, lots of cheering when we took off. It was a bit of a holiday party flight."

Wartten, who is the CEO of the Business Travel Association, later tweeted that he made it from the plane to one of New York's famed yellow taxis in just seven minutes.

"This is a big step for us to come back and open business travel with our US friends," he told USA TODAY while passing through the terminal.

British Airways CEO Sean Doyle has been pushing the Biden administration to ease travel restrictions between the UK and the US for months because it is one of the busiest travel corridors in the world. At one point during the spring, he said, the second runway at Heathrow was closed because the airport hadn't seen such a limited number of flights since World War II.

"This has been a crisis like no other,'' he said Monday after arriving in New York.

Doyle believes the border reopening took too long – the UK and European Union started welcoming US tourists back over the summer – but on Monday said he didn't want to dwell on the past. Instead, he gushed about what the reopening means to British Airways and its passengers.

"The North Atlantic is very important to British Airways and today's a very, very important turning point and milestone in the future of the country,'' he said.

Is he worried travel restrictions could return if COVID cases spike on either side of the Atlantic?

"You always have to keep an eye on things,'' he said. "But I do think that we're seeing a sort of pragmatic framework emerge across a number of jurisdictions.''

He said he hopes that that framework – basing entry requirements on vaccination and testing – remains despite any COVID trends going forward.

— Dawn Gilbertson, Morgan Hines, USA TODAY

Anticipation at airports

Ahead of the British Airways first flight arrival, family members waited in the Terminal 7 arrivals area at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, which is decked out with balloons and New York symbols including the back half of a taxicab filled with a floral arrangement and NYC-themed cookies.

Louise Erebara, from Danbury, Connecticut, arrived at the airport with her family early to welcome her sister and her sister's husband after 730 days apart.

"It's everything, we can't thank British Airways enough," a choked-up Erebara said, noting the airline paid for her relatives' flight. "They want to reunite ex-pats and they're doing it."

In Atlanta, Ari Bell, waited anxiously for her fiancé to arrive from the UK after 21 months apart. They've bridged the distance with Snapchat, video calls and texts, and she was waiting to surprise him at the airport as he starts a three-week visit that will include his first-ever Thanksgiving.

"He actually came over for a quick job interview in February, right before the shutdown, got back to London and then that March, everything closed up. So we've just kind of been hanging on a string," Bell said. "It was a little bit confusing to get him here, just because he didn't know he needed a negative (test) so that three days prior we actually had to make that last minute. And he came back negative. He's already fully vaccinated. I'm vaccinated. I got my booster yesterday, just in case — I'm just excited to see him."

Bell said she's excited to just watch a movie together — for months, they've been watching movies simultaneously but separated by the Atlantic Ocean.

"We're homebodies. We like to game together. But yeah, that's mostly what we're looking forward to — just being in the same space together," she said. "This is going to be our first Thanksgiving together, his first Thanksgiving period. He's never celebrated. So we're actually gonna make the big meal and have all my family come over. He's a little nervous. But you know, he loves my dad. They're both ex-army. So they get along great."

And Rosa Chorra, 37, eagerly awaited her parents' arrival from Spain, waiting with her 10-month-old Aurora for their plane to land in Atland. Chorra's parents missed her pregnancy and granddaughter's birth, although Chorra was able to take Aurora to visit them three months ago. She said she missed having the help they could have provided with a newborn.

"It was absolutely horrible. I think it's been the hardest time of my life. I mean, when she was born, the first months that are the hardest, and it's been tough," Chorra said.

— Dawn Gilbertson, Morgan Hines, Eve Chen, USA TODAY

Headed to Disney World

For UK resident Emma Barbour and her family, the border reopening means one thing: Florida's Disney World with their 10-year-old daughter.

They usually come annually, but put those plans on hold after 2019, and rescheduled this trip three times as they waited for the Biden administration to lift the ban. Barbour, 41, said the airports were busy but staff seemed cheerful despite long lines.

"We honestly wouldn't travel if we felt unsafe or nervous, we are fully vaccinated and will wear our masks. I definitely won't let it tarnish our time there by worrying about it," she said from Paris as they waited to board their Atlanta-bound flight.

— Eve Chen, USA TODAY

The British are coming

Sam Nagy and his family are headed to Florida, to the Universal Orlando Resort, their first trip to the U.S. since 2018. He said lines at the Manchester, England, airport were smooth, raising his hopes for the family vacation they've rescheduled four times already.

"That once-a-year trip is so much more to us than just a vacation, it honestly feels like it's ‘home' as cliché as that may be to say," said Nagy.

Paul Richards is flying from London to New York on Virgin Atlantic and described the airport scene as chaotic, with long check-in lines this morning. He is headed to New York City for vacation to celebrate his son's 21st birthday.

"They are working really hard to get people through, however, some passengers hadn't completed the attestation forms or just stood in the wrong queue,'' he said. "Once through check in, security was pretty slick.''

— Dawn Gilbertson, USA TODAY

Lines at the Canada-US border

At th Sweetgrass, Montana, border crossing, wait times climbed to 240 minutes -- four hours — according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Normal wait time is about 45 minutes.

Windsor, Ontario, Mayor Drew Dilkens said a Canadian travel requirement – having negative polymerase chain reaction test that can cost $200 – is likely to prevent many who want to drive from Ontario to Michigan from doing so.

He explained the testing provision doesn't make sense for day-trippers nor does it provide the kind of health assurance the government thinks it does because someone could easily contract the virus during their visit.

He wants to see that requirement lifted.

— Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press

How did the international travel ban start?

The travel ban barred most foreign nationals who had been in the listed countries in the past 14 days from entering the U.S., regardless of vaccination status. The country also cut off nonessential travel across the U.S. land borders with Mexico and Canada in March 2020.

It wasn't until September that the White House announced that it would end the travel ban for fully vaccinated travelers – months after many other nations reopened to U.S. tourists.

The new U.S. entry requirements, which went into effect Monday, require foreign air passengers to test negative for the virus before boarding a plane to the country and, if they are 18 or older, show proof of full vaccination. Travelers entering the U.S. on land or by ferry for nonessential reasons also need to show proof of vaccination.

As airports and border crossings get adjusted to the new travel rules, international travelers should prepare for lines.

The first flight from a country listed the travel ban is set to fly into Chicago from Dublin just before 7 a.m. CT, according to flight tracker Flight Aware and flight-data firm OAG.

Plenty more will follow; there are more than 2 million international flights scheduled to arrive in the U.S. next month, compared to just 728,820 in December of 2020, according to OAG and Flight Aware.

— Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY

► US drops travel ban:Expect bottlenecks at airports under strict entry rules

The most extreme weather events in 2021 | The Week UK

This year was regarded by scientists, politicians and environmentalists as pivotal in the global effort to take action on climate change.

Stark warnings and alarming forecasts were issued, as regions that were previously not considered to be on the frontline of climate change saw unprecedented weather events destroy homes and claim lives. As mercury levels in Moscow hit record-breaking highs in June, the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that the world was reaching a “point of no return”

In August, Boris Johnson described the latest global assessment from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a “wake-up call to the world”. The “most comprehensive” climate report from the panel issued a “code red for humanity”, said The Independent, and stated the link between global warming and the increased rate and severity of extreme weather events.

Climate scientist Professor Hannah Cloke said that this year’s extreme weather events “ought to serve as a canary in the coal mine to spur faster action to adapt society to the reality of a changing climate”.

Here are some of the most costly weather incidents recorded so far this year.

Record-breaking snowfall, Madrid In the first weeks of 2021, Storm Filomena brought record-breaking levels of snow for Madrid and elderly Spanish citizens were warned to stay at home as temperatures plummeted. The heaviest snow for 50 years brought transport in and out of the city to a “standstill”, Euronews reported. The snowstorm caused around €1.4bn (£1.2bn) of damage, The New York Times said.

Storm Christoph, UK The period from 18 to 20 January 2021 was “one of the wettest three-day periods on record” for North Wales and North-West England, according to the Met Office. Homes in Cheshire were flooded, and residents were evacuated from homes in Manchester and Merseyside. Once Storm Christoph cleared, significant snowfall also led to travel disruption with icy conditions and road closures. Liberal Democrat councillor Richard Kilpatrick told the Manchester Evening News the atmosphere was one of “anxiety and disbelief”.

Cyclone Ana, Fiji Cyclone Ana “pummelled” Fiji towards the end of January, “just a month after category 5 Cyclone Yasa tore through the country’s northern islands”, The Guardian said. Satyendra Prasad, Fiji’s ambassador to the United Nations, said the cyclone – which caused more than 10,000 people to take refuge in 318 evacuation centres across the country – had left behind “a difficult recovery”.

Winter storms, Texas The Week US reported that 3.5 million businesses and homes were left without power in February as temperatures dropped to -13℃ in some areas of Texas. Power went out across the state, leaving many vulnerable people in extremely cold conditions. The total death toll rose from 151 to 210 in July, after a decision was made to include deaths caused by the collapse of the state electric power grid in the final count, The Guardian reported.

Dust storm, China Flights were grounded and schools shut in what the South China Morning post reported as the worst sandstorm in a decade. But what was widely reported as a sandstorm in China was, in fact, a dust storm - “and that’s much worse”, said The Conversation. The miniscule particles can travel “much, much further” than sand, and can cause health risks if they are “drawn deep into the lungs”. In Beijing, the sky became orange as dust and pollution caused hazardous air quality.

Flooding, New South Wales In March, Sydney and New South Wales (NSW) residents felt the effects of extreme flooding. The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) urged residents to take care of both their physical and mental health as heavy downpours lead to rivers and dams overflowing, with thousands evacuated from their homes.

Cyclone Seroja In April 160 people died in Indonesia after a tropical cyclone “hit a remote cluster of islands”, Climate Home News reported. Landslides and flash floods displaced at least 22,000 people, the news site adds. Reaching Western Australia days after it made landfall in Indonesia, residents in the town of Kalbarri, north of Perth, said the storm was “absolutely terrifying”, the BBC reported. Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan said Cyclone Seroja was "like nothing we have seen before in decades”.

Record temperatures, Moscow As temperatures reached 34.8℃ in Moscow, “the absolute record for any day in June was hit”, The Moscow Times reported. The “abnormal temperatures” of the “record-breaking heatwave” weren’t just recorded in the capital; Penza, Vologda and Petrozavodsk also broke heat records during the month.

Heat dome, Pacific Northwest Soaring temperatures across the Northwest United States “rewrote the record books” this year, National Geographic reported. The “heat dome” was the “most dramatic example” of an extreme weather event, said The Guardian’s global environment editor Jonathan Watts, and the meteorological phenomenon led to evacuations across states that weren’t “remotely prepared for the heat”. Lytton, a village in Canada’s British Columbia, was “engulfed and largely destroyed by a wildfire” as a result of the temperatures, National Geographic continued. Blistering Pacific Northwest temperatures should act as a wake-up call

Covid pandemic 'nowhere near over,' WHO says - CNN

(CNN) How will the pandemic end? Nearly two years since it was officially declared by the World Health Organization (WHO), we're still no closer to knowing the answer.

The highly transmissible Omicron variant has swept the globe since it was first detected in South Africa in November. But the fact that it is less likely to cause severe disease than previous coronavirus variants has led to heavy speculation over whether it might mark a turning point, or a conclusion, to the pandemic.

Omicron is continuing to infect the world at a startling speed, with more than 18 million cases reported last week alone, according to WHO. The number of Covid patients in the United States is at a record high and continues to climb, overwhelming hospitals. From Australia to Germany, infections are leaping to never-before-seen levels, putting a significant strain on health care systems.

"Omicron may be less severe -- on average, of course -- but the narrative that it is mild disease is misleading, hurts the overall response, and costs more lives," Tedros said. "Make no mistake, Omicron is causing hospitalizations and deaths and even the less severe cases are inundating health facilities. The virus is circulating far too intensely with many still vulnerable."

The same message was echoed a day earlier by Dr. Anthony Fauci, US President Joe Biden's top medical adviser. Fauci was asked at the online World Economic Forum if the coronavirus may this year transition from pandemic to endemic level, when a disease has a constant presence in a population but is not affecting an alarmingly large number of people. He replied: "I would hope that that's the case, but that would only be the case if we don't get another variant that eludes the immune response."

Fauci added that the world is still in the first of what he described as five pandemic phases: "the truly pandemic phase," where the world is "very negatively impacted," which is followed by deceleration, control, elimination and eradication.

And yet some governments seem to be ignoring such phased steps, resigning themselves to the virus ripping through their populations indefinitely. According to their logic, "We need to learn to live with this virus." But what exactly does that look like, and how long will it last?

In some European countries, pandemic strategy continues to down-shift toward fewer mitigation measures, reduced quarantine periods and fewer restrictions on travel. In fact, in places such as Spain, the thinking is to treat Omicron more like the flu — despite public health officials, including WHO, cautioning against that approach. "I think we have to evaluate the evolution of Covid to an endemic illness, from the pandemic we have faced up until now," Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said last week.

In Britain, which flirted with a controversial "herd immunity" strategy at the start of the pandemic and has continued to raise eyebrows with its "keep calm and carry on" attitude to the virus, an Omicron spike threatened to put the country's health service on a "war footing." But now that the wave seems to have crested — 93,890 new cases were reported on Tuesday compared to 129,544 on the same day last week — the limited "Plan B" restrictions imposed in December, which included masks on public transport, will be eased next week.

"Decisions on the next steps remain finely balanced," Downing Street said in a statement, which emphasized that "the Omicron variant continues to pose a significant threat and the pandemic is not over."

Government workers investigate a pet shop that closed after some pet hamsters tested positive for the coronavirus in Hong Kong on January 18.

In other news:

Australia, New Zealand and the WHO are working on contactless ways to deliver aid to tsunami-hit Tonga, which is one of the few places in the world to have remained almost entirely Covid free.

Two of Pope Francis' top aides have tested positive for Covid-19, Reuters reports.

There are calls for France's education minister to resign after he announced stringent new Covid rules for schools from an Ibiza beach holiday. Here's what he had to say for himself: "In winter it's not at all like in summer."

Hong Kong plans to cull 2,000 hamsters over coronavirus fears. Pet owners are outraged.

YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED

Q: How can I tell if my mask is authentic?

A: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said Americans should wear the most protective masks they can, but there are The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said Americans should wear the most protective masks they can, but there are counterfeit respirators (specialized filtering masks such as KN95s and N95s) everywhere. Roughly 60% of the KN95 respirators evaluated during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a US federal agency that evaluates safety equipment, didn't meet the requirements.

Properly fitted KN95 and N95 respirators are designed to filter up to 95% of particles in the air, but only the latter are approved for health-care use in the US. KN95s are certified in China, which makes them trickier to vet, and it's a good idea to check whether the manufacturer has a valid lab report.

Here are a few signs that a respirator could be counterfeit, according to NIOSH

No markings at all on the filtering facepiece respirator

No approval (TC) number on filtering facepiece respirator or headband

No NIOSH markings, or NIOSH spelled incorrectly

Presence of decorative fabric or other decorative add-ons (e.g. sequins)

Filtering facepiece respirator has ear loops instead of headbands

You can look for further NIOSH approved products on the CDC website , as well as guidelines and example images detailing how to spot counterfeit masks.

Send your questions here. Are you a health care worker fighting Covid-19? Message us on WhatsApp about the challenges you're facing: +1 347-322-0415.

READS OF THE WEEK

A fourth vaccine dose may not protect you from Omicron

Early data out of Israel suggests that a fourth dose of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna coronavirus vaccine can bring an increase in antibodies -- more than what's been seen after a third dose -- but it still might not be enough to protect against breakthrough infections caused by the Omicron variant, Jacqueline Howard reports.

"These are very preliminary results. This is before any publication, but we're giving it out since we understand the urgency of the public to get any information possible about the fourth dose," Dr. Gili Regev-Yochay, director of the Infection Prevention and Control Unit at Sheba Medical Center, told reporters during a virtual news conference Monday about the data. She added that she supported giving fourth shots to vulnerable people who may see some benefit from it, but that the research probably was not enough to support a decision to dole it out to the wider population.

In December, Sheba Medical Center started trialing a fourth dose of the vaccines for healthy people ahead of the rollout of the additional booster shot to at-risk people, making it the first study of its kind. The research in Israel, an early leader in Covid vaccines, was being closely watched around the world as governments grapple with surging cases driven by Omicron.

A protester wears a mask depicting syringes during a rally against coronavirus measures in Geneva on October 9, 2021.

Europe's rule-breaking unvaccinated are falling out of society

Before Covid-19, Nicolas Rimoldi had never attended a protest. But somewhere along the pandemic's long and tortuous road, which saw his native Switzerland imposing first one lockdown, then another, and finally introducing vaccination certificates, Rimoldi decided he had had enough. Now he leads Mass-Voll, one of Europe's largest youth-orientated anti-vaccine passport groups.

Because he has chosen not to get vaccinated, student and part-time supermarket cashier Rimoldi is -- for now, at least -- locked out of much of public life. Without a vaccine certificate, he can no longer complete his degree or work in a grocery store. He is barred from eating in restaurants, attending concerts or going to the gym. "People without a certificate like me, we're not a part of society anymore," he said.

Faced with lingering pockets of vaccine hesitancy, or outright refusal, many nations are imposing ever stricter rules and restrictions on unvaccinated people, effectively making their lives more difficult in an effort to convince them to get their shots. In doing so, they are testing the boundary between public health and civil liberties -- and heightening tensions between those who are vaccinated and those who are not, Rob Picheta reports.

China is risking its economy with zero-Omicron approach

The Chinese government's unwavering insistence on stamping out any trace of the coronavirus is facing its biggest test yet as authorities grapple with Omicron's quickening spread. And it could cost the world's second-largest economy dearly this year, Laura He reports.

Covid-19 cases have been cropping up across China in recent days, including in major port cities like Dalian and Tianjin, prompting restrictions that could upend business operations in those places. In Beijing , a single Omicron case led to a snap lockdown and mass testing just weeks before the 2022 Winter Olympics. The rest of the world is also dealing with Omicron, but China is different because of how intent authorities are to prevent any widespread outbreak with their zero-Covid approach.

The strict strategy has so far been effective: China has recorded far fewer Covid-19 cases than many other nations during the pandemic, and its economy was the only major one to grow in 2020. But in the face of a more transmissible variant that is far more difficult to contain, and as the rest of the world learns to live with the virus, economists say China's zero-tolerance strategy is likely to do more harm than good in 2022.

TOP TIP

School closures are affecting children worldwide, according to research published Tuesday in JAMA Pediatrics that looked at children and adolescents from 11 countries, including Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Italy, Japan, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the US.

The research found kids experienced both mental and physical health problems -- anxiety, depression, lower physical activity, food insecurity and school disengagement -- linked to school closures and social lockdowns. Madeline Holcombe spoke with experts who had these tips for families trying to protect their children's mental and physical health amid the turmoil:

Find ways to get children out into the world safely, keep them busy and help build skills with them. Experts suggest activities like walking, outside playdates, meditation and yoga.

Create a stable routine to help mitigate negative impacts. Experts say that a sense of predictability and control is key to all of our wellbeing.

Focus on building connections and reassuring kids that they are still being taken care of by the adult world. Creating a safe and supportive home environment is the best thing families can do right now.

THIS WEEK'S PODCAST

Omicron has changed the shape of the pandemic. Will it end it for ...

(CNN) The world feared the worst when a worrying new coronavirus variant emerged in late November and ripped through South Africa at a pace not seen before in the pandemic.

But two months later, with Omicron dominant across much of the globe, the narrative has shifted for some.

"Levels of concern about Omicron tend to be lower than with previous variants," Simon Williams, a researcher in public attitudes and behaviors towards Covid-19 at Swansea University, told CNN. For many, "the 'fear factor of Covid' is lower," he said.

5-year-old does all this after school to protect her siblings from Covid-19

5-year-old does all this after school to protect her siblings from Covid-19 04:27

5-year-old does all this after school to protect her siblings from Covid-19

Omicron's reduced severity compared to previous variants, and the perceived likelihood that individuals will eventually be infected, have contributed to that relaxation in people's mindsets, Williams said. This has even caused some people to actively seek out the illness to "get it over with" -- a practice experts have strongly warned against.

But some within the scientific community are cautiously optimistic that Omicron could be the pandemic's last act -- providing huge swathes of the world with "a layer of immunity," and moving us closer to an endemic stage when Covid-19 is comparable to seasonal illnesses like the cold or flu.

"My own view is that it's becoming endemic, and it will continue to stay endemic for some time -- as has happened with other coronaviruses," said David Heymann, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

"All viruses try to become endemic, and to me this one looks like it's succeeding," he said.

A sign in the German city of Kassel reminds people to wear a mask.

Covid-19 has evolved with great unpredictability, and the variant that superseded Delta could have been more sinister, experts say; but the world ultimately got a dominant strain that is sweeping through populations with ease, without causing the same degree of hospitalizations, severe illnesses and deaths that previous variants have done.

Experts caution that there may be setbacks along the way -- just as Omicron's make-up was unexpected, the next variant could present a more serious public health risk and delay the end of the pandemic.

And many countries, particularly where vaccination coverage is low, could still face overwhelmed hospitals due to the current Omicron wave.

But a political urgency is appearing in much of the West to return societies to a sense of normality -- with the transmissibility of Omicron forcing leaders to choose between rolling back public health measures or seeing their workforces and economies risk grinding to a standstill.

And for the first time since the spread of Covid-19 stunned the world in early 2020, some epidemiologists and leaders are willing to entertain the prospect that the virus might be making steps toward endemic status.

'The rules of the game have changed'

The question that scientists and wider society will grapple with throughout 2022 is when Covid-19 will leave its current stage and enter endemicity.

A disease that is endemic has a constant presence in a population but does not affect an alarmingly large number of people or disrupt society, as typically seen in a pandemic.

JUST WATCHED Doctor debunks DeSantis' claim about Covid-19 vaccines Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Doctor debunks DeSantis' claim about Covid-19 vaccines 01:16

Experts don't expect Covid to fully disappear in any of our lifetimes. Instead, it will eventually reach a period similar to several other illnesses, where "most people will be infected as children, possibly multiple times, and as those infections accumulate, they build up an immunity," according to Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh and the author of a book about the early stages of the pandemic.

"That's the situation we're heading towards," he said. "Omicron is another dose of virus. We will all be on average less susceptible to disease having had that dose, or having had the vaccine."

That's why Omicron's reduced severity is so key -- it adds an extra layer of immunity, but doesn't come with the same risk of hospitalization that Covid-19 held for most of last year. Omicron is associated with a two-thirds reduction in the risk of hospitalization compared to Delta, according to a Scottish study. A separate paper from South Africa put the same figure at 80%.

"Well over half the world has now got some exposure to the virus or the vaccine. The rules of the game have changed from the virus's point of view," Woolhouse said.

Masks are required on public transportation in Russia.

And underlining experts' confidence is history -- though comparing the current scenario to previous pandemics is not an exact science, there is evidence from the past that viruses can be expected to evolve into less severe versions and eventually disappear into the arsenal of annual colds and influenzas.

"There are four other coronaviruses that have become endemic," Heymann said. "The natural history of infections" indicates that Covid-19 will be the fifth, he added.

"People have reinterpreted 'Russian flu' in the late 19th century as the emergence of a common cold-type coronavirus," added Woolhouse, referring to the 1889-90 outbreak that is estimated to have killed around a million people, but which ultimately became a common cold.

"The 'Spanish Flu' basically gave the whole world a very nasty dose of an H1N1 influenza virus" in 1918, he said. Now, "we get a wave of that virus pretty much every year."

Experts generally agree that Omicron moves us closer to that stage with Covid-19. But there is a big caveat that determines how fast we'll get there -- and it depends not on the current strain, but the one that comes next.

"It is an open question as to whether or not Omicron is going to be the live virus vaccination that everyone is hoping for, because you have such a great deal of variability with new variants emerging," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Monday.

"I would hope that that's the case," Fauci told the Davos Agenda, a virtual event this week held by the World Economic Forum, mirroring the cautious optimism that many epidemiologists are expressing. He added that the world was "fortunate" that Omicron didn't share more of Delta's characteristics.

But for all the positive indications, it "doesn't mean a new variant won't come up and force us backwards," Woolhouse said.

"I would not like to call which way the next (variant) would go, he added. "The next variant has to outcompete Omicron, and the main thing it will have to be able to do is evade natural immunity, and to evade vaccine-induced immunity," he said. "What we can't say in advance is how bad (it) will be."

An arms race towards endemicity

Epidemiologically speaking, Omicron has delivered some cause for optimism -- but much depends on how the virus evolves from here.

Pandemics do not move merely with the whims of a virus, however; they are also directed by human behavior and political acts. And as the pandemic's two-year anniversary in March edges closer, signs are emerging of an arms race towards endemicity.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who presided over one of the West's most effective vaccination rollouts, told radio station Cadena Ser earlier this month that it's time "to evaluate the evolution of Covid from pandemic to an endemic illness." His health minister said she has put that viewpoint to fellow European Union leaders.

Britain's education secretary Nadhim Zahawi, who previously oversaw the UK's vaccine rollout, added to Sky News that he wanted the UK to "demonstrate to the world how you transition from pandemic to endemic."

And that move is already well underway in countries such as Denmark, where Covid rules were ditched and then re-introduced last year. Tyra Grove Krause, an official at the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) that deals with infectious diseases in the country, told local network TV2 this month that Omicron could "lift us" out of the pandemic and return Danes to normalcy within two months.

"Those governments that have achieved a high degree of population immunity through the privilege of vaccination or the burden of infection now have a wider range of choices than they did at the start of 2021," said Thomas Hale, associate professor at Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government, and the academic lead of its Covid-19 Government Response Tracker

Many countries are starting to act as if Covid is already endemic. England resisted new restrictions despite record-breaking infection figures in recent weeks, and though hospitalizations and deaths have risen, its health care sector appears to have survived the peak of the Omicron wave without recording the high admissions seen during previous variants.

A volunteer paints hearts on the UK's National Covid-19 Memorial Wall.

Early real-world examples like this could give other nations the confidence to strip back restrictions and, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson proposed this month, "ride out" the Omicron wave. "Many countries have looked to the UK, because they see that the UK has some degree of permissibility" in restrictions, Heymann said.

That approach is quickly becoming more commonplace. Covid-related financial aid is soon set to end in France as restrictions are eased; "We are announcing [to people in France] that the pandemic will perhaps be behind us by mid-February," French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced Thursday.

Driving this push is the ravaging impact that Omicron is having on essential workforces -- a development that has changed the calculus of governments. Faced with dilemma of tackling transmission or keeping their countries running, leaders have swiftly moved to slash isolation periods.

"Clearly taking people out of the workforce -- particularly schools and healthcare -- is one costly impact," of Omicron, Hale said. "Of course it is preferable to prevent widespread transmission in the first place, though for many countries now facing Omicron this point is now moot."

That means that an increasing number of countries are looking to "transfer the risk assessment to their populations," Heymann said -- relaxing rules and encouraging self-testing, personal decisions on mask-wearing, and even individual assessments among infected people of how long they need to isolate.

Many experts still encourage restrictions to reduce transmission, at least while the Omicron wave is with us. But Williams noted that populations are increasingly moving away from that view.

"The way Omicron has been represented in some media reports, and even indirectly by some politicians -- who were a bit too quick to emphasize the 'we need to learn to live with it' message -- have contributed to this now quite widespread view that Omicron is less worrisome," he said.

The problem with that approach, many warn, is that some parts of the world are less able to take on a relaxed approach.

"By definition a pandemic is not over until it's over, for everyone, everywhere," Williams said. "Our attention now should increasingly focus on getting enough vaccines to those in low- and middle-income countries."

Vaccination coverage is lower in many poorer regions of the world -- particularly in eastern Europe, central Asia and large parts of Africa -- leaving those places especially susceptible to worrying new variants or more severe waves of hospitalizations.

"A pandemic has various components to it in various countries," Heymann said. "I think countries will become endemic at different rates."

And that adds an extra layer of uncertainty to the question of whether Omicron will hasten the end of the pandemic.

"Health systems around the world will have to be cognizant" of the risks of Covid even if it soon starts to act and feel more like a seasonal cold, Woolhouse said.

"The world has changed -- there's a new human pathogen there, and it's going to continue to cause disease for the foreseeable future," he concluded. "We were always going to be living with Covid. it was never going to go away -- we knew this from February 2020."

"What we didn't know, and still don't fully, is exactly what that looks like."

Europe's unvaccinated are going underground as leaders tighten ...

But somewhere along the pandemic's long and tortuous road, which saw his native Switzerland imposing first one lockdown, then another, and finally introducing vaccination certificates , Rimoldi decided he had had enough.

Because he has chosen not to get vaccinated, student and part-time supermarket cashier Rimoldi is -- for now, at least -- locked out of much of public life. Without a vaccine certificate, he can no longer complete his degree or work in a grocery store. He is barred from eating in restaurants, attending concerts or going to the gym.

"People without a certificate like me, we're not a part of society anymore," he said. "We're excluded. We're like less valuable humans."

As the pandemic has moved into its third year, and the Omicron variant has sparked a new wave of cases, governments around the world are still grappling with the challenge of bringing the virus under control. Vaccines, one of the most powerful weapons in their armories, have been available for a year but a small, vocal minority of people -- such as Rimoldi -- will not take them.

Faced with lingering pockets of vaccine hesitancy, or outright refusal, many nations are imposing ever stricter rules and restrictions on unvaccinated people, effectively making their lives more difficult in an effort to convince them to get their shots.

In doing so, they are testing the boundary between public health and civil liberties -- and heightening tensions between those who are vaccinated and those who are not.

Nicolas Rimoldi at a protest this year. He says his movement, which campaigns against vaccine passports, is "not anti-vax" and that people who have been vaccinated attend its demonstrations.

"We will not allow a tiny minority of unhinged extremists to impose its will on our entire society," Germany's new Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said last month, targeting the violent fringes of the anti-vaccine movement.

Vaccine passports have been in place for months to gain entry to hospitality venues in much of the European Union. But as Delta and Omicron infections have surged and inoculation rollouts have stalled, some governments have gone further.

Austria imposed Europe's first lockdown for the unvaccinated and is scheduled to introduce mandatory shots from February 1.

Germany has banned unvaccinated people from most areas of public life, and the country's Health Minister, Karl Lauterbach, warned in December that: "without mandatory vaccination I do not see us managing further waves in the long term."

And France's President Emmanuel Macron last week told Le Parisien newspaper that he "really wants to piss off" the unvaccinated. "We're going to keep doing it until the end," he said. "This is the strategy."

Rule-breaking and subterfuge

The scientific basis for anti-Covid measures is solid: Vaccines have been proven to reduce transmission, substantially slash the likelihood of serious illness and decrease the burden on healthcare systems.

Many of the restrictions also have broad public support -- Switzerland's were recently backed comfortably in a referendum -- as majority-vaccinated populations tire of obstacles blocking their path out of the pandemic.

And real-world data shows that impact; European countries with highly vaccinated populations, such as Spain and Portugal, have been less badly affected by more recent waves of infection and have been able to open up their economies, while those with stuttering rollouts have faced severe restrictions and spikes in hospitalizations.

But the latest rounds of curbs have fueled anger among those unwilling to take a shot, many of whom are now slipping out of society -- or resorting to subterfuge and rule-breaking to create their own communities, citing their right to "freedom."

"On Monday I was with 50 people eating in a restaurant -- the police wouldn't be happy if they saw us," Rimoldi told CNN, boasting of illegal dinners and social events with unvaccinated friends that he likened to Prohibition-era speakeasies -- but which public health experts describe as reckless and dangerous.

Thousands of people have attended protests in Paris against France's "Pass Sanitaire" vaccine passport.

Attendees will hand in their phones to avoid word of their meetings getting out, and will visit restaurants, cinemas or other venues whose owners were sympathetic to their cause, he said. "Yes, it's not legal, but in our point of view the certificate is illegal," Rimoldi added unapologetically.

"[Some] people have a very twisted idea of what freedom is," said Suzanne Suggs, professor of communication at the University of Lugano's public health institute. "They're arguing it's their individual right to harm others."

Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said "the vast majority of people everywhere" were supportive of measures to combat Covid.

"These people are the exceptions," he said. "But what can you do? You don't really want to make martyrs of these people -- if they choose to (gather), they're putting themselves and others at risk."

'A two-class society'

"We live in a two-class society now," Rimoldi told CNN. "It's horrible. It's a nightmare."

But if life as an unvaccinated person in Europe is a nightmare, it is one from which Rimoldi and his followers could easily wake up. Unlike in poorer parts of the world where some are desperate to receive doses, access to Covid-19 vaccines is plentiful in the EU.

The effects of the shots have been clear for some time; across Europe, regions with lower rates of vaccine uptake have suffered more severe waves of hospitalizations and deaths.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in November that the lives of 470,000 people in Europe aged 60 and over have been saved by vaccines since the rollout began, though it has cautioned against vaccine mandates except as "an absolute last resort ... only applicable when all other feasible options to improve vaccine uptake have been exhausted." WHO's regional director for Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge, warned in December that: "What is acceptable in one society and community may not be effective and acceptable in another."

Rimoldi insists that his group is "not anti-mask" and "not anti-vax" -- concerned purely with democracy and legality, rather than the science of the vaccine -- though its social media pages have recirculated extreme anti-vaccination websites.

"At our demonstrations there's many people who are fully vaccinated," he claimed, adding: "They say, 'Hey, the government lied to us'" about vaccine rollouts meaning the end of Covid restrictions.

He was unwilling to discuss the vaccine itself, saying only that he refused it as a matter of principle. "We don't talk much about the vaccine ... that's not one of the topics we discuss," he said when asked whether he agreed the shots had done more good than harm.

Several campaigners CNN spoke to also expressed concerns that each new set of rules imposed in the name of halting the spread of coronavirus was part of a "slippery slope" of never-ending restrictions.

But vaccine passports or some form of certification -- the measures that Rimoldi and others protest loudly -- appear to have aided rollouts. A study by the University of Oxford, published in December, found that such policies have led more people to take up the shot in France, Israel, Switzerland and Italy.

Alexander Schallenberg, the former Austrian Chancellor who imposed a lockdown on his country's unvaccinated population, said in November that its vaccine uptake was "shamefully low." At the time around 65% of Austria's population was fully inoculated against Covid-19 -- one of the lower rates in the EU -- but recent stricter measures have seen that rate rise to over 70%.

Germany has banned unvaccinated people from some public spaces, and is moving towards imposing mandatory vaccines.

Families divided

As controls have tightened, groups such as Rimoldi's have become increasingly disruptive; few weekends now pass without loud protests in European cities. And anger at restrictive Covid measures has led many who previously considered themselves apolitical to join in.

Even before the pandemic, vaccine hesitancy in Europe was strongly correlated to a populist distrust of mainstream parties and governments. One study published in the European Journal of Public Health in 2019 found "a highly significant positive association between the percentage of people in a country who voted for populist parties and the percentage who believe that vaccines are not important and not effective."

But leaders of anti-restriction movements are presenting their campaigns as more inclusive and representative than those studies would suggest.

"We have farmers, lawyers, artists, musicians -- the whole range of people you can imagine," Rimoldi said. Mass-Voll is aimed specifically at Swiss young people, and boasts that it has amassed more followers on Instagram than the official youth wings of any of the country's major political parties.

Christian Fiala, the vice president of Austria's MFG party, which was formed specifically to oppose lockdowns, mask-wearing and Covid passports, told CNN: "It's really a movement which comes from the whole population."

MFG caused a ballot box shock last September, winning seats in one of Austria's provincial parliaments. "Most of those who voted for us have never been really politically active in that sense, but they are so upset," he said. "People are really fed up being locked in."

In France, vaccination uptake is higher but those opposed to Covid rules are no quieter. Bruno Courcelle said he was not overly involved in politics before the pandemic -- now the 72-year-old mathematics lecturer is a regular at demonstrations against the vaccine, lockdowns and other Covid control measures.

His stance has left him at odds with family, friends and colleagues. Speaking to CNN before Christmas, Courcelle was preparing for an uncomfortable festive family dinner.

"The rest of my family got vaccinated," he said, adding that he has had several arguments with relatives who fail to understand why he has joined the ranks of the anti-vaccination protesters.

"My wife said 'Please, do not say anything [at the table],'" he said. "I will not start such a discussion myself ... [but] I will not stay silent letting leftists say their stupid things."

Courcelle's own opinions are radical, extremist and, when they purport to rely on scientific claims, are easily debunked.

He disputes the well-established effectiveness and safety of the vaccines, and claims nations are slipping into a "totalitarist (sic) world" distinguishable from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union only in the sense that it is global, rather than nationalistic.

But Courcelle, who works part-time at the University of Bordeaux, where he has emeritus status, said he was comfortable cutting ties with those who disagree with him.

His increasingly public opposition to the Covid-19 vaccine, and to restrictions on unvaccinated people, have left him isolated at work. "This is disappointing," he said. "I've sent emails to my close colleagues [about the vaccine] ... I had only one response, which was negative."

When he attends protests, though, he says he finds people he understands.

Suggs said this is one of the reasons for the movements' ongoing appeal. "It's like a fraternity or being a fan of a football club." People skeptical of government messaging are "looking for something social, and these groups have done an excellent job at inviting whoever will come," she said.

"I have met new people who share [my] opinions," said Courcelle.

A protester wears a mask depicting syringes during a rally against coronavirus measures, Covid-19 health pass and vaccination in Geneva on October 9, 2021.

Fuel on the fire

Two years on, and with opinions becoming more entrenched by the day, some experts fear it may be too late to bridge the divide between the authorities and those who have become vociferously opposed to vaccination measures.

"Those people who are against vaccination are going to be even louder whenever they're told: 'You vaccinate, or you die.' That fuels their fire," said Suggs.

"But I think if we continue to communicate in a way that tries to not upset them, then we don't do the rest of the population justice," she added. "They're harming people's health, they're causing deaths, and they are threatening the economy."

"These groups are small, they're very loud, but they're very appealing because they have answers to questions that other people are not answering," Suggs said.

And they are "not going away," warned McKee. "We need to make a very strong argument that being vaccinated is a manifestation of social solidarity," he said, adding that anti-vaccine protesters "undermine the solidarity that is so important for any country that is facing a threat."

France's President Macron appears to have moved on from appealing to the refuseniks' sense of solidarity -- instead he's now hoping to annoy reluctant French citizens into getting their shots by requiring proof of vaccination for access to a range of everyday activities.

"I'm not going to put them in jail, I'm not going to forcibly vaccinate them, and so, you have to tell them: From January 15, you will no longer be able to go to the restaurant, you will no longer be able to have a drink, go for a coffee, to the theater, you will no longer go to the movies," Macron told Le Parisien.

But his plan -- and his choice of words -- have angered opposition politicians and vaccine opponents alike.

Austria, the first EU country to pursue compulsory Covid jabs, has seen several large protests against the plan.

The small posse of hardcore anti-vaccine protesters in France "are more visible, more motivated and vocal" than at earlier points in the pandemic, according to Jeremy Ward, a sociologist and researcher at France's National Institute of Health and Medical Research.

"They are an issue," he said. "In France, many people don't trust public institutions and public health agencies ... A lot of them end up in hospitals, taking up beds that they could have avoided." Ward estimates that between 5 and 10% of France's population is staunchly against the vaccine; a large rally against the vaccine pass, approved by France's lower house last Thursday, took place in Paris on Saturday.

Those who refuse to get inoculated may accuse vaccine passport-wielding politicians of turning them into second-class citizens, but the French President, like many of his European counterparts, is unrepentant.

Macron insists those who do not protect themselves and those around them from Covid-19 by getting vaccinated are "irresponsible" and thus deserving of such a fate.

"When my freedom threatens that of others, I become irresponsible," he said. "An irresponsible person is no longer a citizen."

NATO allies put forces on standby as tensions rise over Ukraine ...

(CNN) NATO announced on Monday that some member countries are putting forces on standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to eastern Europe as the United Kingdom and the United States ordered diplomats' families to withdraw from Ukraine amid concerns of a Russian invasion .

The developments underscore growing fears of a possible Russian incursion, following months of military maneuvering by Moscow that has set off a tit-for-tat series of escalations with NATO, a military alliance of Western powers.

Russia has been building up forces and equipment near its border with Ukraine since last year, and is sending troops into neighboring Belarus for joint exercises next month that Ukrainian officials fear could serve as a "full-fledged theater of operations" from which to launch an attack.

US intelligence officials have said they don't know whether Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to invade Ukraine.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied it is planning to do so , but has argued that NATO support for the country constitutes a growing threat on Russia's western flank.

Ukrainian soldiers in a front line trench near pro-Russian separatists take shelter from the extreme cold.

After high-level talks between Moscow and Washington wrapped earlier this month without any breakthroughs over the tens of thousands of Russian troops amassed on Ukraine's border, prospects of de-escalation and future diplomacy have been cast into doubt. Now the Biden administration is weighing whether to deploy as many as 5,000 US troops, according to a senior defense official , to shore up NATO allies in Eastern Europe and the Baltics.

On Monday, both NATO and Russia pointed the finger at each other for the ratcheting tensions.

"Tensions are escalating due to concrete actions taken by the US and NATO," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, referring to NATO's announcement

"I mean the informational hysteria that we are witnessing -- it is generously framed by a huge amount of false information, just lies and fakes," Peskov added.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a Monday statement that the alliance would continue to take necessary measures "to protect and defend all Allies, including by reinforcing the eastern part of the Alliance." He added: "We will always respond to any deterioration of our security environment, including through strengthening our collective defence."

The NATO statement said that in recent days, a flurry of member states had announced deployments to the region. They include Denmark sending a frigate to the Baltic Sea and four F-16 fighter jets to Lithuania, the Netherlands deploying two F-35 fighter aircraft to Bulgaria, France expressing its readiness to send troops to Romania and the US considering increasing its military presence in the East.

Stoltenberg cautioned in a news conference on Monday that the moves were defensive and proportionate -- and that NATO was "not threatening Russia."

There was no suggestion in the statement that the troops would be used to assist Ukraine, which is not a NATO member.

NATO, Europe and the US have been united in their opposition to any further Russian incursion in Ukraine, promising to lend support to Ukraine and hand down "massive costs" for Moscow in the event they make a move. But the shape of that response and what steps they might take are still unclear.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday warned that "a single additional Russian force" entering Ukraine "in an aggressive way" would result in a severe response by the US and its allies. His comments came after US President Joe Biden muddled the message of severe consequences last week, saying at a news conference that a "minor incursion" might not trigger the same response from NATO as an invasion. The President later clarified that any Russian troops crossing Ukraine's border would constitute an invasion.

CNN reported last week that the US military goal would be to "meet the capability" NATO allies in the region are asking for, a defense official said . On Monday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that as many as 8,500 US troops have been put on heightened preparedness to deploy.

Local residents Marinka, Ukraine, walk past an apartment building destroyed during fighting in 2015 between the Ukrainian army and Russian-backed separatists. Fighting is still ongoing.

The mobilization of Western forces comes amid a significant uptick in Russia's military movements, not only on Ukraine's border -- where the Ukrainian Defense Ministry says there are now 127,000 Russian troops stationed -- but elsewhere in Europe. The Russian Defense Ministry announced last week that 140 ships and 10,000 servicemen would take part in sweeping exercises from the Pacific to the Atlantic, including off Ireland's southwest coast in February. The ministry said the main purpose of the drills is to protect Russia's national interests in the world's oceans, TASS state news agency reported

Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney told reporters on Monday that he had raised concerns with Moscow about Russia's plans. "This isn't the time to increase military activity and tension in the context of what's happening with and in Ukraine at the moment," Coveney said.

Coveney and other European Union foreign ministers met in Brussels to discuss the security situation in Ukraine and what action to take should Russia cross into Ukrainian territory; Blinken joined by video link following talks with Lavrov in Geneva. EU foreign ministers want to send a clear message to Russia that if it decides to invade Ukraine it will be hit by the "most comprehensive" package of sanctions and restrictions ever prepared by the EU, Coveney said.

But while NATO countries ramp up readiness and the EU discusses heightened security concerns, Ukraine's own government has not, at least outwardly, signaled the same sense of urgency. In a call with the President of the European Council Charles Michel on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country will not succumb to provocations, but would "keep calm."

Zelensky and his government have previously downplayed the danger of a Russian invasion, noting that the threat has existed for years and has not become greater in recent months. The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has been rumbling since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and fomented a rebellion in Ukraine's east. Despite a cease fire in 2015, the two sides have not seen a stable peace.

Ukraine on Monday criticized the US' decision to withdraw diplomats' families and reduce staff levels at the US Embassy in Kyiv , with Oleg Nikolenko , spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, saying in a tweet: "We believe such a step to be a premature one & an instance of excessive caution."

But other countries are also taking precautions in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital. The UK Foreign Office also announced Monday that some British Embassy staff and dependents were being withdrawn from Kyiv in response to "growing threats from Russia." UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday that the intelligence around the situation in Ukraine was "gloomy" but that war was not inevitable.

Speaking to reporters at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday, the bloc's chief diplomat Josep Borrell said Europe will seek to simmer tensions between Russia and Ukraine through diplomacy first but warned Moscow it is prepared to take action if necessary. He also urged for calm, stressing the need to avoid "alarmist reactions that could that could lead to an escalation. We don't want people to have a breakdown on this."

Borrell added that the EU had no current plans to evacuate diplomatic staff and their families from Ukraine.

Ten Things You Need to Know Today: 17 July 2022 | The Week UK

Savile judge calls for Westwood probe

The former judge who led the review of the Jimmy Savile scandal at the BBC has backed an independent investigation into the corporation’s handling of complaints about the DJ Tim Westwood. Dame Janet Smith said an impartial figure must examine complaints after the director-general, Tim Davie, at first insisted that the BBC had seen “no evidence” of Westwood’s alleged wrongdoing. Although Davie’s tenure has been stricken by scandal, this is the first time he finds himself “closely involved,” said The Sunday Times.

Photos: Wildfires in Europe

Thibaud Moritz/AFP/Getty Images Firefighters try to control a forest fire in Louchats, France, on July 17. In pictures: Wildfires in Europe

Thibaud Moritz/AFP/Getty Images Firefighters try to control a forest fire in Louchats, France, on July 17.

As Europe sees record-high temperatures, fire services across the continent are fighting to control huge wildfires in various countries.

Hundreds of deaths have also been blamed on the soaring heat that scientists say is consistent with climate change.

The extreme heat is now moving east across the continent, leaving a trail of destruction in many rural areas and exposing a lack of preparedness, even in some of Europe's biggest cities. The European Forest Fire Information System said 19 European countries were at "extreme danger" for wildfires on Wednesday, July 20, across an expanse stretching from Portugal and Spain in the southwest to Albania and Turkey in the southeast.