OVERVIEW: Italy COVID death toll worst in Europe, other developments

Italy surpassed the UK for the most deaths of any European nation due to the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday.

The southern European country registered 484 deaths in one day, one of its lowest daily tallies in nearly one month, but it pushed their total number of deaths to 64,520. The UK has recorded 64,267 so far, according to John's Hopkins University.

Italy was the first European country to be hit by the pandemic. More than half of the deaths from the pandemic in the country occurred during the first surge.

Some restrictions were recently lifted in Italy, prompting police to close off popular sites including Rome's Trevi fountain. ...

Germany recorded 16,362 new cases on Monday, an unusually high figure for the start of the week, when figures are usually low after reduced weekend testing.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for public solidarity on Monday, urging people to take the upcoming stricter lockdown seriously. The German government and heads of the 16 states agreed to impose harsher restrictions from Wednesday — the state of Saxony unilaterally went into an earlier lockdown on Monday.

 Germany announces stricter measures that will be implemented starting Wednesday.

The Dutch government is set to decide on stricter measures to control the spread of the virus on Monday.

The country saw its highest jump in daily cases since the end of October, with nearly 10,000 new cases in the previous 24 hours.

All bars and restaurants have been closed since mid-October, and people were urged to work from home. Schools and shops have stayed open. ...

Lithuania — with one of the highest infection rates in Europe — will enter a tough lockdown beginning on Wednesday.

Only essential stores will remain open and education will move to distance-learning. Residents will only be allowed outside their home to go to work, see a doctor, go shopping or to go to a funeral.

Human rights group Amnesty International has severely criticized Pakistan's response to COVID-19 in its overcrowded and often unsanitary prisons. ...

Eswatini Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini died in an South African hospital on Sunday from COVID-19.

Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku confirmed Dlamini's death, two weeks after he tested positive. Dlamini became prime minister in October 2018. He was appointed by the king, who names all of the ministers and controls parliament in the country formerly known as Swaziland.  ...

New Zealand hopes to open a travel bubble with Australia by April next year, said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday.

New Zealand closed its borders in March, and has required all international arrivals, including Australians, to undergo two weeks of isolation.