TOP HEADLINES

- More than a million people were tested in Slovakia on Saturday as part of the country's attempts to swab its entire population, defence minister Jaroslav Nad said.

- For a second day running anti-lockdown protestors clashed with police in Spain after the government imposed a six-month state of emergency earlier this week.

- The trial into the 2015 Charlie Hebdo massacre in France has been postponed until Wednesday after the primary suspect, Ali Riza Polat tested positive. 

- Portugal's government has urged people to stay at home except for work, school or essential shopping from Wednesday with Prime Minister Antonio Costa saying "we have a very tough month ahead of us. It is more likely we will add more municipalities than we drop from that list next time."

- Czechia's new cases rose by 11,428, bringing the nationwide tally to 335,102. Fatalities also rose by a further 173 people to 3,251. 

- Austria is to begin a second lockdown on Tuesday, which includes a rule that people must stay at home from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. apart from a few exceptions such as going to work.

- Thousands of people from trade unions and people fearing for their businesses gathered in the Italian city of Rome on Saturday night to ask the government to give workers affected by the new restrictions a universal income to overcome the crisis. 

- Greece had to implement stricter restrictions because scientists warned that "soon the new spread of the pandemic will shake the endurance of the national health system," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. 

- EU officials have warned European countries to be ready for stricter restrictions as infections continue to surge. EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said: "We need to pull through this, where needed, with restrictions on everyday life to break the chain of transmission."

- Russia's daily new infections rose by 18,665 in the past 24 hours, a new record since the start of the pandemic, as the overall tally rose to over 1.63 million.

- England's Catholic Church has criticized the government's decision to ban communal worship as part of the country's new lockdown restrictions, saying such gatherings had been of great help to people's wellbeing. 

- The number of new infections in Germany rose by 14,177 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 532,930, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute. 

CLICK: WHY THE ALPS FACE AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

ACROSS EUROPE

Natalie Carney in Munich

Germany will begin a four week "light lockdown" on Monday, which will limit the gathering of people outdoors to two households and see restaurants, pubs and bars only available for take away and delivery. 

Gyms and movie theaters will also be closed, but schools, nurseries and shops will be allowed to remain open. 

Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Mass also supports keeping land borders with neighbouring countries open.

These latest measures come into place days after a new record of daily infection was reached on Saturday of more than 19,000.

Numbers dropped slightly to Sunday's figures of 14,177.

Yet many are still not convinced by lockdown measures in general. Protests are scheduled in Berlin and Munich for Sunday.

A study conducted by The German Institute for Economic Research has found that the new restrictions are likely to cost the German economy around $22.5 billion.

Spain

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has condemned a series of violent protests in cities across the country. 

These incidents come days after the government extended the state of emergency for a further six months to curb the nationwide surge in infections.

Riot police shot blank bullets to try to disperse protectors who were setting fire to bins in Spain's capital, Madrid, while there was a second night of violence in the country's second largest city, Barcelona.

In the northern city of Logrono, more people showed their frustration for the new restrictions by attacking police with stones, setting fire to containers and looting stores, police said.

"Only from responsibility, unity and sacrifice will we be able to defeat the pandemic that is devastating all countries. Violent and irrational behavior by minority groups is intolerable. It is not the way," Sanchez tweeted.
 

UK

As the country braces itself for a second lockdown period from Thursday, a government  minister has admitted that it may last longer than four weeks. 

Cabinet minister Michael Gove admitted that the one month period could be extended beyond early December. 

The government has agreed a $2.2 billion fund for London's public transport operator to make up for revenue lost during the pandemic. 

"This six month funding deal will ensure tubes and buses are available for Londoners to make essential journeys,"  transport secretary Grant Shapps said. 

England's Catholic Church has criticized the government's decision to ban communal worship as part of its new restrictions, saying that such gatherings have helped people's wellbeing during the last few months. 
 

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