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Added on the 23/12/2017 16:56:00 - Copyright : Euronews EN
Thousands of Londoners line the banks of the River Thames and crowd on Westminster Bridge to have a glimpse of the clock faces on the Elizabeth Tower for the first time on New Year's Eve since 2016/17. The dongs of Big Ben also ring in the New Year for the first time since renovations began on the world famous landmark four years ago. IMAGES
London's iconic Beg Ben giant watchtower clock chimed once again at 9:00 AM GMT on Thursday morning, after over two months of silence. The famous chime was temporarily suspended on August 21 due to repairs underway on Elizabeth Tower, which houses the beloved clock. Westminister clockmakers are testing the bell throughout the day in order to make sure it strikes at exactly 11.00 GMT for Armistice Day commemorations on November 11. However, it will then go silent again for over a month, only being called into action once more to chime for the Christmas period, ringing from December 23rd until January 1st at 1 PM, after which it is expected to fall silent until repairs are completed.
Big Ben strikes 11 times to mark the start of the Two Minutes of Silence at 11 am on Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday - joining bells across the country and worldwide to commemorate those that lost their lives in the two world wars and later conflicts. IMAGES
16 states across the US broke a grim record on Friday, reporting their highest total of people hospitalized for COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Business Insider reports that since last fall, cases of COVID-19 have surged nationwide, particularly following the end of the holiday season. Alabama, Arkansas, Maryland, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia were hit hardest. Record hospitalizations were also seen this week in Arizona, California, Delaware, and Maine. The US Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for two COVID-19 vaccines at the end of 2020. However, a slow rollout means it will be many months before all who want a vaccination are immunized.
Surges of COVID-19 patients are threatening to overwhelm hospitals across the nation. CNN reports at least 123,639 people across the country were in the hospital with the novel coronavirus on Saturday. The COVID Tracking Project says that marks the 32nd consecutive day that the number of hospitalizations has exceeded 100,000. Cases skyrocketed after the Thanksgiving holiday. The fallout form Christmas and New Year's celebrations are still unfolding. Johns Hopkins University data reveals that as of Saturday, more than 20.4 million people have been infected with the virus in the US. At least 350,186 people have died from the illness.
London's Big Ben strikes 11pm - midnight Brussels time - as the Brexit transition period comes to an end and the United Kingdom officially leaves the European Union. IMAGES
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