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美国各地的人们准备迎接即将到来的圣诞节和新年。今年，由于新冠疫情的原因，人们在庆祝的时候必须更有创意。

第一夫人梅兰妮·特朗普在圣诞节前夕来到位于首都华盛顿的国家儿童医院，向这里的儿童致以节日问候。 第一夫人在年终节日期间慰问儿童医院是一个延续了70年的传统。由于新冠疫情，多数儿童在各自的病房里聆听梅兰妮·特朗普阅读儿童读物并和她互动。

马萨诸塞州小镇斯托克布里奇因为美国画家诺曼-罗克韦尔的描绘而闻名遐迩。尽管这这位画家已经故去多年，但是他笔下里圣诞节彩灯和花环在这个镇里仍然随处可见。

巴洛特说：“往年这个时候，你会在街上看到麋鹿和唱圣诞颂歌的人们。今年不能这么做了。今年比往年安静一些，但仍然有很多人。很多人从世界各地赶来。”

在遭受新冠疫情重创的加利福尼亚州洛杉矶市，一处圣诞节前设立的灯展让人们可以在自己车里欣赏节日彩灯。 灯展创办人加森-史密斯说，很多参观者告诉他，灯展让他们有机会和家人共度节日。

他说：“人们有自己的节日传统。这些传统今年受到疫情影响。我们希望这个灯展可以让人们至少在半个小时左右的时间里忘掉一切，开开心心。”

灯展主办者说，迄今为止，已经有大约18万人来这里参观。

在美国西北部的西雅图市，由于新冠疫情，这里的圣诞老人今年必须格外有创意才能把节日的欢乐带给当地的儿童。外号“西雅图圣诞老人”的丹尼斯·卡米斯在街上搭建了一座球形的塑料帐篷。他在这个看似雪球的帐篷里和儿童互动。

他说：“我看到了一个地方广告，说是要花50美元才能和一个戴口罩的圣诞老人合影。这让我有了一个想法，在很多人遭遇困难的时候，我们绝对不能这么干。我希望出点力。”

卡米斯装扮圣诞老人已经15年。他通常是在节日期间受聘在私人活动中扮演圣诞老人。

他说，自己的收入每年都会捐出一部分给慈善机构。而今年，他会向几个急需帮助的家庭伸出援手。

DECEMBER 17, 2020 . In general, companies have the legal right to mandate that employees get a COVID-19 shot, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said Wednesday. More specifically, employers are entitled — and required — to ensure a safe workplace in which “an individual shall not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of individuals in the workplace.” That can mean a company requiring its workforce to be vaccinated.

The Americans with Disabilities Act limits an employer’s ability to require workers to get a medical examination. But the EEOC’s latest guidance clarifies that getting vaccinated does not constitute a medical exam. As a result, ordering employees to get a COVID-19 shot would not violate the ADA.

Not all employees must get vaccinated, according to the agency. Employees with either a disability or “sincerely held” religious beliefs that prevent them from getting inoculated are exempt, according to the EEOC, which is charged with enforcing laws against workplace discrimination.

“If they do require it, an employee can make a request for an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act or Title VII, and if they do request the accommodation, the employer has an obligation to see if accommodation is possible,” said Helen Rella, a workplace attorney at Wilk Auslander, a New York law firm.

In cases like these, an employer must attempt to make a reasonable accommodation for the worker, like allowing them to work from home, for example. If that’s not possible, however, and unvaccinated individuals pose a potential threat to either themselves or to others, a company has the right under employment law to exclude them from physically entering the workplace.

Notably, that doesn’t mean an employer may summarily fire a worker who declines to be vaccinated. They could be eligible for unpaid leave or other similar entitlements under federal, state and local laws, according to the EEOC.

Two of those incidents happened in the United Kingdom last week, and a third in Alaska on Tuesday. Another Alaska hospital employee had a brief but much less serious reaction on Wednesday.

The FDA said it is closely monitoring these situations and is teaming with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate what incited these responses. While that is being investigated, the FDA is working with Pfizer to update fact sheets and prescribing information to reflect the evolving information. The FDA said that would underscore an existing requirement — that facilities administering the vaccine must be capable of immediately treating any severe allergic reaction.

The vaccine developed by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and the German company BioNTech passed strict safety reviews during months-long randomized clinical trials involving tens of thousands of people. But three incidents of anaphylaxis — a sudden allergic response that can be reversed quickly with medication — are a complication for officials hoping to gain public acceptance of the vaccine.

“While the totality of data at this time continue to support vaccinations under the Pfizer [emergency use authorization] without new restrictions, these cases underscore the need to remain vigilant during the early phase of the vaccination campaign,” FDA vaccine expert Doran Fink said at the start of an all-day meeting of the FDA advisory committee examining a similar vaccine developed by Moderna, which is poised for emergency authorization in the coming days.

“We learned of these cases through established safety surveillance systems that worked exactly as designed, and FDA is coordinating with the CDC to further investigate the cases in the U.S., and to communicate our findings in a timely manner,” Fink said.

Fink said the data does not suggest new restrictions on use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are required. Unlike traditional vaccines, these do not include preservatives and do not include ingredients grown in chicken eggs.

Two cases of anaphylaxis occurred last week in the United Kingdom, involving health-care workers with a history of severe allergic reactions. They fully recovered after treatment.

A third incident happened Tuesday at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, Alaska. A health-care worker with no prior history of severe allergic reactions suffered shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat and flushed skin. The first symptoms began 10 minutes after receiving the vaccine injection.

The worker was treated overnight. By the next morning she was stable and not on medication. She then stayed a second night in the hospital “under observation,” according to a hospital statement. “She is still encouraging her colleagues to get the vaccine,” the statement added.

That was the first and, as of Thursday afternoon, only reported case of anaphylaxis since the vaccines began to be administered Monday nationwide.

Another employee at Bartlett Regional Hospital who received the vaccine Wednesday “experienced eye puffiness, lightheadedness, and scratchy throat ten minutes after being injected with the vaccine,” according to a statement from the city of Juneau. He was given a standard treatment of epinephrine, Pepcid and Benadryl and “felt completely back to normal within an hour and was released,” the statement said.

The hospital said that case was not considered anaphylaxis.

Vaccine expert and pediatrician Paul Offit of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said Wednesday that, among all vaccines, about 1 in 1 million vaccinations triggers a severe allergic reaction. The guidance for this new vaccine requires people to be monitored for 15 minutes after the injection to see if they have a reaction, or 30 minutes if they have a history of severe allergic responses.

Milder side effects, such as fever, headache, fatigue and pain at the injection site, have also been reported by volunteers in randomized trials, particularly after the second dose and among younger people who tend to have more robust and reactive immune systems. Those side effects go away in a day or two and are not considered a cause for concern.

欧盟委员会主席冯德莱恩周三表示，在欧盟医药局批准辉瑞与德国生物公司联合开发的疫苗上市后，预计27国可以在年底以前，在同一天开始接种新冠疫苗。冯德莱恩周三在欧洲议会表示，一周之内，首批疫苗将会被允许上市，接种随之开始。

在德国施压下，欧盟医药局把原定12月28日决定是否批准辉瑞疫苗上市的时间提前了一个星期。德国目前正在面临第二波新冠疫情的袭击，周三，该国24小时内死于新冠疫情人数多达创纪录的952人，27728人确诊。德国政府下令，除了生活必须的商店可以开门，一般性商业全部停止营业，一直到1月10日。

法国已于12月15日取消禁足，可在全国随便旅行，但夜晚实施宵禁。法国24小时确诊有所增加，达致17615人，周二为11532人，周三共有292人丧生，但医院重症病房压力继续减轻。法国总理卡斯泰周三表示，从12月份最后一周开始，法国开始第一阶段接种。从现在起到年底，法国将收到第一批116万支疫苗，到元月5号左右，再会收到200多万支。三月份开始第二阶段，对1400万人进行接种。政府计划春季结束后，再对所有人注射疫苗。

在英国，已有13万七千人注射了疫苗，在伦敦，星期三， 酒馆、餐馆、旅店被迫关闭，这是新冠疫情大流行之后，该国第三次采取如此措施，约翰逊首相呼吁英国人要’千万当心’，尤其老年人更要注意保护，但英国政府决定维持圣诞期间境内旅行的计划。

在丹麦，三分之二的城镇实施了半禁足，但初中、高中，以及酒馆和餐馆，文化和体育活动中心被关闭。在荷兰，持续五个星期的禁足令周二起正式实施。

西班牙首相周三形容本国疫情形势令人担忧，他不排除在节日期间采取更严格的禁足措施。

巴黎2020年12月17日 – 法国总统府周四表示，总统马克龙新冠病毒检测阳性。这是法国总统府爱丽舍宫今天12月17日宣布的消息。

总统府声明指出，马克龙在首次出现症状后，进行了聚合酶链式反应(PCR)检验，周四确诊为阳性。

总统府称，根据对所有人的规定，马克龙未来七天将进行隔离。在隔离期他将继续工作，并在他活动时保证遵守社会距离。

总统府称马克龙将通过远程继续工作和履行职责，目前还不清楚他是如何感染上新冠病毒的。

总统府表示，马克龙的办公室正在确认与他接触的人员，以进行通知。