“England headed back into lockdown. Mexico City’s hospitals hold more virus patients than ever. Germany reported one of its highest daily death tolls to date Tuesday. South Africa and Brazil are struggling to find space for the dead. Even pandemic success story Thailand is fighting an unexpected wave of infections.” Pandemic haunts new year as virus growth outpaces vaccines.

+ “The number of patients in hospitals in England is now 40% higher than at the first peak in April. When everybody looks at the position people understand overwhelmingly that we have no choice.” Boris Johnson tightens the lockdown as One Person in 50 in England Now Has Covid.

+ One of the big issues in England, and increasingly across the world, is the new variant of the virus. The vaccine should still work. The trouble is that the new variant is spreading a lot faster than the original. Zeynep Tufekci: The Mutated Virus Is a Ticking Time Bomb.

+ LA County paramedics told not to transport some patients with low chance of survival.