the cdc announces a new requirement for travellers entering the u.s. from the united kingdom. donald trump spends the weekend playing golf, as many americans wait for much-needed help. and as the world faced unprecedented challenges, 2020 became a year we won't forget. we'll look at that global events that shaped our lives and

changed ourb thinking. welcome to all of you watching in the united states, canada, and around the world. this is cnn "newsroom. " ♪ the u.s. marks a christmas holiday unlike any in recent memory, in the shadow of a pandemic that keeps getting worse. just a few hours ago the cdc announced starting monday air passengers arriving from the u.k. must test negative for covid-19, as a response to the emergency of a new, possibly more transmiscible variable of the virus blamed for a surge of cases in england. and on christmas eve, a new record of hospitalizations. more than 1 million vaccinations

have been administered. but the country's top doctor says many more have to be given to achieve herd immunity. meanwhile, several states reported record numbers of new infections thursday, including arkansas and georgia and an all-time high in mississippi and arizona. christmas is traditionally celebrated communally. but they fear those will lead to more cases, followed by hospitalizations and more deaths. here's cnn's alexander field. even on this covid christmas, america's airports are packed full of people. >> i just came from denver. >> i can only say no so long. >> reporter: a new record set, nearly 1 million passing through

airports, according to the tsa. >> we've got lots of masks and hand sanitizer and head-rest covers and gloves and disposable everything. so, feeling good. >> reporter: dr. anthony fauci, who turns 80 is staying home and planning a family zoom and hopes others will follow. >> i really feel strongly that i need to practice what i preach to the country. >> reporter: but so many air travels are fuelling fears that we might see a surge superimposed on another surge and dark days ahead. hot spots are from maine to california, which has passed the eye-popping threshold of 2 million cases. the first of any state in the nation. >> a few months ago, we had five covid patients in the hospital and now we're up to 100. that shows within a couple of

months how much it's accelerated. >> reporter: december will soon be the deadliest month of the pandemic and we're careening towards 330,000 deaths. >> this is not the time to have large, indoor, maskless holiday parties. this is the time to hunker down. >> reporter: they project as many as 14,000 deaths by january 16th. er the institute upping its projections again after just one week. predicting as many as 67,000 deaths by april. their model suggests more than 33,000 live said will be saved from now until then by vaccination. 9.5 million doses have been delivered. just over a million doses have been administered, according to the cdc, much less than expected. >> reporter: here, frontline

workards are continuing to be vaccinated. that job will continue through the holidays. in another sign that this christmas will be unlike any other, along with letters to santa, pfizer says they've received letters from children, asking not only for enough vaccine for everyone but for one for santa. cnn. joining me now is cnn medical analyst and professor of emergency medicine, who is in portland, oregon. thank you so much for joining us here. a lot to talk about, about the new variance. given how the virus travels, how these were circulating, possibly months ago, is it safe to assume it is circulating here in the u.s.? and if so, does it mean we should change our behavior in any way? >> well, i do think it's likely it's here in the u.s. and there's reasons it wouldn't necessarily be detected.

because we do genetic sequences of a very small sample of virus in the u.s. i think that's due to change, according to the cdc. but up to now, we haven't aggressively tracked all the mutations. and they are things that happen routinely in viruses. they're constantly finding better ways to survive. the issue is could this mutation mean that the vaccine we're circulating is not as effective as the original test. the vaccine is pally cloenl. it stimulates a number of antibodies against the protein. and so, it's likely the vaccine will still be effective, if not, we're watching this constantly to see if that's the case and will have to make modifications. ultimately, the virus does the same thing, which is it's very good at attaching to our cells.

it is easily transmiscible between people. and so, the same things that keep the virus from spreading will keep any new variant from spreading, which is face washing -- hand washing and social distancinging. >> experts in hard-hit california say the spike now is from gatherings of people outside their households. i see cars lined up on my street. people have really big families or they're having christmas parties that they're not really supposed to be having now. what's your practical advice? >> i think if there's one thing we've learned over all the holidays that lead to surges in covid cases is that it's so hard to ask people to not celebrate and to not gather with their loved ones.

so, expecting to not do it at all, seems impractical. we can aim for that. i know many are keeping their holiday celebrations small or skiping it, if they're able to do that. what we can ask people to do is if you are gathering, try to put some parameters on it. enforce face mask wearing. keep people spread apart, keep ventilation good. gather outside. if where you live allows that in terms of weather. keep gatherings on the shorter side. so, change what you're doing. make it a little different of a holiday in some ways, knowing the best pract really is to stay home. we can celebrate christmas in july, as the saying goes. it doesn't have to be right now. we're at the hardest part of this pandemic yet. >> i was reading a person that went to work while they were

sick was likely to have caused two separate outbreaks in your state of oregon. is the message not getting out that if you're sick, stay home? or is the problem that the government's various levels, aren't offering enough financial support for those that might have no choice or both? >> i think it's both of those things and other forces. i mean, this case that you're talking about was so tragic. this person went to work feeling sick and led to two separate outbreaks and one of the outbreaks led to seven deaths from covid. imagine how that person feels. i think that person probably -- i don't know who that is. we don't know the workplace. that hasn't been released. i imagine that person feels like a lot of us, which is it's probably going to be okay. how much do my actions really matter and if i don't go to work, my coworkers will have to

pick up extra work or i won't be able to support my family. i think are are so many forces leading us to behave like back to normal times. i had a cough and low-grade fever last week and it took everything in me to actually call in sick. because our practice is if you can be vertical, go to work. that is the culture in many workplaces. so, this habit of calling out sick, especially when you feel fine and look fine but you have a couple mild symptoms. i'm sure you don't normally call out sick when you have mild symptoms that you can ignore, take a few ibuprofen. you may not be perfect in remembering to stay home when you feel sick. >> thank you so much for joining us. appreciate it. >> my pleasure. have a great holiday. law makers are widely expected to ratify a historic post brexit trade deal.

thp break officially begins one week from today. negotiations came down to the wire but on christmas eve, the prime minister announced a trade deal with the e.u. had finally been reached. thousands of truckers bound for europe have been stranded for days, while awaiting covid-19 test results. and although they were caused by the pandemic, they show why getting a trade deal done before january 1st was so important. what happens next? >> so, finally, finally, a free trade agreement between the u.k. and the e.u. of course, no deal was very much an option. it is a zero quoted deal. and that means no taxes will be

charged and there is no limit on the number of goods. that's just a broad outlining of more than 2,000 pages, which politicians will have to go through before they go through parliament on thursday. and given a gift to the nation. take a listen. tonight, on christmas eve, i have a small present that anyone who may be looking for something to read in that sleepy post christmas lunch moment and here it is. hiding glad tideings of great joy because this is a deal. >> i think you can very much see the joy there from prime minister boris johnson. he truly feels he has delivered something that, at many times, did not seem possible. at many times, both seemed willing to set hard deadlines no

one could come back from and finally now an agreement. but the real litmus test will be the economy. how tefects and impacts people's lives. on the part of the e.u.'s commissioner, of course, she touted the deal as something free and balanced and fair. said it was important for both sides and that they will continue to cooperate on key issues like climate and security and other issues like that. finally the start of a new relationship but now, what happens next? and for many years, 4.5 years, we've been talking about this as a possibility hanging over this country. now, it is real and the question is will these very broad divisions created, will they now begin to heal? will the economy of this country be able to adapt to these new rules? 2,000 pages again. businesses on a week of

christmas only have a week to figure all of this out. >> i want to go back the situation with the back ups at the dover port. did these scenes of chaos lead to any change? or do they still face christmas waiting in their trucks? >> reporter: i think what happened at the port of dover is so extremely important to the fact that we reached a deal. we've talked about the worst-case scenario and that was falling off the cliff edge, the no-deal scenario. no agreement between the u.k. and the european partners and planes and trains would stop and goods wouldn't go. we saw it play out at the port of dover and it was terrible and chaotic and confusing and people were stranded in the middle, cut away from their families, vital goods on the line, supply chain was shut down.

it was a mess, absolutely a mess. and as in any personal relationship between two sides, sometimes you disagree, sometimes it blows up and at the port of dover, it really blew up. and you wonder, looking at the images of the chaos, how much it motivated e.u. decision makers, how much it was a wake-up call when you isolate britain, fail to have agreement and partnership between the u.k. and its neighbors. >> thank you so much in london. appreciate it. president trump is in florida for the christmas holiday and wasted no time hitting the golf course. but while he plays legislation to help millions and avoid a government shutdown, he's still waiting for his signature. we'll have more coming up. sens yet some say it isn't real milk. i guess those cows must actually be big dogs. sit! i said sit!

robinwithout the commission fees. so, you can start investing today wherever you are - even hanging with your dog. so, what are you waiting for? download now and get your first stock on us. robinhood.

kisave it slimeball.ting her congestion. i've upgraded to mucinex. we still have 12 hours to australia. mucinex lasts 12 hours, so i'm good. now move! kim, no! mucinex lasts 3x longer for 12 hours. stop your cough from interrupting, with dq cough and congestion. it's max strength formula coats your throat and provides powerful relief. new dayquil cough and congestion. the maxcoat daytime power through your cough medicine.

think you need to buy expensive skincare products [♪] to see dramatic results? try olay skin care. just one jar of micro-sculpting cream has the hydrating power of 5 jars of a prestige cream, which helps plump skin cells and visibly smooth wrinkles. while new olay retinol24... provides visibly smoother, brighter skin. for dramatic skincare results, try olay. and now receive 25% off your purchase at olay.com brand power. helping you buy better. it's looking like the demands that president trump has made for the latest covid relief bill won't be met. the question is will he sign it anyway? it's not just help for millions of americans but funding for the government. >> the urgently needed

coronavirus relief package, the government-funding bill just physically departed washington d.c. on a journey to florida where the president will have to decide what to do with it. what the president's going to do is very much an open question with republicans and democrats on capitol hill saying they have no sense, not from allies or anything the president has said or done, if the president is going to sign the bill. democrats imploring the president to sign the bill and challenging congressional republicans to join with them in addressing one of the president's concerns and that is expanding payments from 600 to $2,000 and republicans rejecting the idea, likely to vote against it when it comes to an up or down vote in the house. where does that leave things? nobody knows. it's in the hands of one individual and that person frustrated about whatever the deal was that came together.

multiple people make clear this is not a policy issue, this is a personal issue with the president. there's nothing law makers feel they can do to address the president's concerns. they have to wait and see. or as one told me, it's hope and pray time. there's no fallback, no plan b. this is the deal, a deal that took almost nine months to reach. a deal that law makers say have to stand. and hope plan a works at this point in time. the moratorium and it's a government-funding bill. if the president doesn't sign the bill by monday night, he's also shutting down the federal government. we'll see. bill mattingly, cnn, washington.

joining me now is cnn political commentator, alice stewart. thanks for coming on. >> the president essentially holding this bill hostage. the government will run out of money, time's running out. i want your reaction to the president sewing chaos at this late hour. >> and holding the american people hostage that need this covid relief. i talked to a lot of congressional republicans because in the weeks leading up to their voting for this bill, they were under the impression, this was president trump's bill, treasury secretary mnuchin was explaining what the president wanted and they were okay with voting for the terms that were agreed to by secretary mnuchin and nancy pelosi and some of the

aspects they didn't like. some of the spending but voted anyway, thinking this was the president's bill. now come to find out, he has been talking about vetoing his own bill. so, they're frustrated because they feel as though they've walked the plank and the president has thrown them overboard. there is relief in sight, if the president decides he wants to veto it. this is a bipartisan bill and had tremendous support for democrats and republicans. i see him getting that in the hands of people where it belongs. >> is that a dangerous move? overriding the president? >> not at this point, no. because at the end of the day, this is what the american people need. donald trump is a few weeks away from not being in the oval office anymore and the american

people are a few days away from losing precious benefits, money they need to keep a roof over their head and food on the table. and the reality is these members of congress are beholden to their constituents and they're getting calls and emails and pressed by people in their districts that they need help. at the end of the day, they're going to do what their constituents want and the president's frustration is going to take a backseat because help needs to be on the way and they worked really hard to agree to this package and they want to see it implemented. >> you brought up the constituents. since you're here in georgia, we're both in georgia where millions have already voted in the dual run-off election. as a republican strategist, you've been on the ground, trying to get two republicans elected.

do you think the chaos in washington, much of it of the president's making will effect the race? afterall, your candidates were running on this, basically before the president pulled the rug out from under them. >> i sure hope not because the integrity of our elections is paramount and the corner stone of our democracy. and anyone anyone says to undermine the voting process is unfortunate. and i know there's been talk about the last election was not valid, so don't come out in january. that's nonsense. people are motivated on both sides, republicans and democrats, because they want their voices to be heard. we had record numbers come out in the election in november and we're on tap to see record numbers in january. look, whether you're democrat or republican, everyone should come out and vote, and everyone should have their voice be

heard. i happen to think it's important to have a divided congress and check and balance on democrat leadership. but the most important thing is to vote, whether you're on the right or left. having your voice heard is the most important thing and having confidence and coming out to vote and knowing your vote will be counted is paramount. >> we'll have to leave it there. thank you so much for joining us, alice stewart. we appreciate it. new restrictions on travellers from the u.k. ahead, we'll dig into requirements thousands of flyers will have to meet before meeting for the new year. plus have high. they may not be able to take just anything for pain. that's why doctors recommend tylenol®. it won't raise blood pressure the way that advil® aleve or motrin® sometimes can. for trusted relief, trust tylenol®.

for the tter. whatever question i have i feel like there's an avenue to seek the answer. hit that app and you start a story, you're on an adventure. download a new book within seconds and it's ready to go. there's something for everybody on audible. i like short stories. short stories are easy. they're quick. i like long and like intricate stories, that's really what i love. audible originals. i like biographies. self-help. fantasy. true crime podcasts. i love it so much. i can literally listen to anything. i can do it any time. and any place. and you know, for as long as i like. getting really into a story can totally transform where you are and your mindset. it's really cool. every time i learn something new, it just fuels the curiosity to explore more,

to learn more. there's anything and everything. to start your free 30-day trial, just text listen 25 to 500500. to start your free 30-day trial, we doevery night.ght. i live alone, but i still do it every night. right after dinner. definitely after meatloaf. like clockwork. do it! run your dishwasher with cascade platinum. and save water. did you know an energy star certified dishwasher... ...uses less than four gallons per cycle. while a running sink uses that, every two minutes. that means even small loads can save water. so why not do it? run your dishwasher every night with cascade platinum. the surprising way to save water.

and welcome back to everyone in the united states, canada and around the world. the u.s. will require travellers from the u.k. to test negative for covid-19. the change was announced a few hours ago and goes into effect monday. it's an attempt to curb a new variant of the virus that spread in england. japan set a record for the third day in a row. more than 3700 new infections reported across the country and korea reporting more than 1200 new cases on thursday. well, christmas in europe is looking very different this year, as several countries across the continent are enforcing tough, new restrictions.

so, let's start with the new restrictions imposed in europe and on those flying here from the u.k. >> look, we knew it was never going to be the mare i should of christmases. so, if you look across the european union and the u.k., most countries are under some form of lockdown. anywhere between mild and severe lockdown. the steps they took vary country to country. there are so many i could quote, but in austria, for instance, they limited ski resorts to only access for locales, in france, they limited the number of people at christmas to six adults.

in germany, they did not freeze restrictions because coronavirus numbers are going up. so, it varies country to country. but in each time, governments have been trying to minimize family gatherings and social interactions. and in the u.k., there's been extra bad news, which is the american cdc, the centers for disease control has now required that any traveller from the u.k. present a negative covid test done within thirty-tree days of traveling to the u.s. this is going to further curtail travel. it was already seriously curtailed since march. but now with the cdc guidance, people have to get a negative test and show it to the airline. the airline has to confirm it. anybody who is positive, does not fly. anybody who does not want to do the test does not fly.

and anybody above the age of five. so, if you're in the u.k., you could be forgiven for thinking your country has been shut off from the rest of the world. there was a panic earlier this week and the weekend when we all found out about this new variance of covid, which appears to be more transmissable than previous variants. we're still waiting for scientific conclusion. but all signs point to the fact that the new variant is contagious, which is why several countries have cut their travel ties with the u.k. and the u.s. now wanting to see negative tests from u.k. travellers. several countries in latin america are already rolling out vaccines. they began vaccinating health care workers thursday. the region has been especially hard hit by the coronavirus.

here with more from bogue taw, columbia. >> reporter: and hope for millions fighting against coronavirus. at least three countries, mexico, costa rica, and chile have finally started their vaccination campaigns just on thursday, on christmas evil. it's much-welcome news for especially the health care workers. they have started vaccinating health care workers that are assisting patients and fighting against the virus on the very frontline. mexico, costa rica and chile. argentina has also received a much-welcome christmas present in the form of the vaccine itself, which finally arrived on bo bouenos aires on christmas eve. the russian vaccine arrived on a special flight from moscow to buenos aires and argentina will

soon join mexico, costa rica and chile in vaccinating health care workers and the population at risk. and while millions of latin americans are spending christmas under social distancing orders, some with a curfew and ban on the number who they can spend their christmas with. the news that the vaccine is finally arriving is very much welcome this time at christmas. for cnn, this is stefano president pozzebon. in bethlehem, the celebrations are smaller and more restrained. blame the pandemic. but as elliott tells us, people there still want to send a message of hope. >> reporter: midnight mass without the masses.

obely clergy get to attend christmas eve prayers. >> and the patriarch was about the only to receive and even here, far fewer marching bands than usual. capacity was capped at 200. and manger square would usually be heating with international tour rgss. but the concerts, performances, shops, hotels and restaurant would do their briskest trade of the year. the skies are closed to foreign visitors. >> this year is different from all year. because of the economic situation and the covid. it is a very sad situation.

>> as you can see christmas is so sad this year. not too many participants. but at least we have the spirit of christmas and this is what we wish for everyone. >> translator: i hope the new year will be better than this one and people around the world will get rid of this pandemic. even though there is a pandemic, it's beautiful here. you just need to wear your mask and come and enjoy it. >> reporter: they have manger square pretty much to themselves. in the church of the nativity, where they believe jesus was born, and it seems things can't get any worse. cnn, bethlehem. >> coming up, a look at the biggest news events of 2020. how the coronavirus shaped our

lives and. by pain? sleep, interrupted tonight, silence it with new zzzquil night pain. because pain should never get in the way of a restful night's sleep.p. new zzzquil night pain. silence pain, sleep sounundly. every minute. understanding how to talk to your doctor about treatment options is key. today, we are redefining how we do things. we find new ways of speaking, so you're never out of touch. it's seeing someone's face that comforts us, no matter where. when those around us know us, they can show us just how much they care. the first steps of checking in, the smallest moments can end up being everything. there's resources that can inform us, and that spark can make a difference. when we use it to improve things, then that change can last within us. when we understand what's possible, we won't settle for less.

the best thing we can be is striving to be at our best. managing heart failure starts now with understanding. call today or go online to understandheartfailure.com for a free heart failure handbook.

our special echo solution series is examining the food we eat and often waste. how we eat is often an issue. japan's government says the country uses more than 19 billion wooded chop sticks, mostly from china. but in one japanese town, they're making them with an unexpected source for the wood and they say it's better for the plant. >> reporter: these forests in the mountains of yoshino were planted by hand around 500 years ago. they have supported the town's local industries every since, including the craft of making disposable chopsticks.

today craftsman continue the tradition. he makes his out of wood left over from building houses. he says the trade has survived because the people give back what they take. >> translator: it's a cycle where we use trees from the mountains and return them to the mountains by planting more. >> reporter: the town's mayor and a seventh generation guardian of the forest, known as a yamamori. >> reporter: their job is to plant trees, namely ceder and cyprus. >> reporter: he makes sure only the small trees are cut down to give the bigger ones room to grow. cheaper options have led customers to look else wear.

around 90% of disposable chop sticks are now imported, he says, mostly from china. there the chop stick industry claims millions of trees a year. a designer hopes to shift the focus back without harming the forest. >> translator: if you see a bunch of chop sticks in the convenience store, you think it's fine to pick them up and throw them away. but i believe the perception of the product will be different if you discover the various steps in the process of making it. >> reporter: in late 2019, he cocreated a waribashi-making kit, sourced from the artisans who get a third of the profit. she hopes it will attract a new audience to the craftsman. and, their profit goes back to

the mountains. cnn. well, obviously, for many 2020 may be a year to forget but that's not likely. coming up, the great challenges the world faced in 2020 and why it will always be a year to remember. we do it every night. every night. i live alone, but i still do it every night. right after dinner. definitely after meatloaf. like clockwork. do it! run your dishwasher with cascade platinum. and save water. did you know an energy star certified dishwasher... ...uses less than four gallons per cycle. while a running sink uses that, every two minutes. that means even small loads can save water. so why not do it?

run your dishwasher every night with cascade platinum. the surprising way to save water. so you want to make the best that means selling everything. and eating nothing but cheese till you find the perfect slice... even if everyone asks you... another burger truck? don't listen to them! that means cooking day and night until you get... [ ding ] you got paid! that means adding people to the payroll. hi mom. that means... best burger ever. intuit quickbooks helps small businesses be more successful with payments, payroll, banking and live bookkeeping. for the better. whatever question i have i feel like there's an avenue to seek the answer. hit that app and you start a story, you're on an adventure.

download a new book within seconds and it's ready to go. there's something for everybody on audible. i like short stories. short stories are easy. they're quick. i like long and like intricate stories, that's really what i love. audible originals. i like biographies. self-help. fantasy. true crime podcasts. i love it so much. i can literally listen to anything. i can do it any time. and any place. and you know, for as long as i like. getting really into a story can totally transform where you are and your mindset. it's really cool. every time i learn something new, it just fuels the curiosity to explore more, to learn more. there's anything and everything. to start your free 30-day trial, just text listen 25 to 500500. to start your free 30-day trial, listerine® cleans virtually 100%. helping to prevent gum disease and bad breath. never settle for 25%. always go for 100.

bring out the bold™ secret stops sweat 3x more ♪yo yo yo yo yo yo start your day with secret. than ordinary antiperspirants. with secret you're unstoppable. no sweat. try it and love it or get your money back. secret. ♪ all strength, no sweat

snoetd happy birthday to you happy birthday ♪ ♪ doctor fauci ♪ happy birthday to you >> well, thank you. >> that was the unexpected birthday treat dr. fauci got when he turned 80. he was serenaded by a social-distant rescue squad as he left work. america's doctor, as he's been called, is sticking to his own advice. he won't have an in-person family celebration. well, it goes without saying that 2020 has been a year no one expected, from a global

pandemic, to a horrific explosion and the u.s. presidential election. and we go through this year of global challenge and change. >> it's been a year we'll never forget. in 2020 we witnessed paradigm-changing events, all under the cloud of the coronavirus pandemic and cnn was there every step of the way. >> he is very scared. >> reporter: a stretch of bad events started off the year. wildfires engulfed australia with apocalyptic scenes. >> we cannot see the fire but we can smell it and feel it. >> reporter: burning up to 73,000 square miles, about the size of the state of south dakota and killing an estimated 1 billion animals. >> this is not normal.

it's like the fire is on steroids. >> reporter: lives lost and thousands of homes destroyed. >> a day after claiming iran stopped a man -- >> reporter: the death of iranian general, qassem soleimani led to days of tension. >> saying there would be response from the iranians. >> reporter: threats of war and iran's retaliatory attack on the base housing u.s. troops. [ bleep] >> it's something. that we were ready for. >> reporter: after iran launched an attack, a ukrainian passenger train was shot down in iran, killing all 176 people on board. >> reporter: new video seems to show a missile strike. as a fast-moving projectile

flies across the sky before striking another object. >> reporter: cnn has obtained new footage that appears to show these the dramatic and extraordinary force of the impact as that ukrainian airline slammed to the ground. >> reporter: meanwhile, a strange new virus began to spread, a silent clock, counting down the time it would bring the world to its knees. >> 20 million people. that's what we're talking about. >> reporter: we noticed a good number of people rushing to the train station. this is located just a few blocks from the sea food market. the epicenter, according to the health officials of this virus. >> it was in december they said a test result from a patient quarantined at a hospital he worked showed a patient had a coronavirus. but hours after hitting send,

they tracked lee down, questioning where he got the information. >> reporter: dr. wen would pay for his life with his bravery, like thousands of other medical professionals on the frontlines all over the world. shutdowns followed across the globe, life as we knew it seemed to grind to a halt overnight. >> reporter: for the town, the month of march was a month of daily death. you just need to look at the death notices here. this woman died on the 7th of march. this man on the 8th of march. >> you see the ferocity of this disease but the silence at which it kills. >> reporter: empty flights, deserted city centers and cruise ships floated listlessly in the water, hoping desperately for a place to port.

like a grim reaper, taking victims. >> wife of many years passed away. >> reporter: this shows patients lying on the floor of a madrid hospital. >> if just watching the video is difficult, imagine going through the containers in person looking for your dad's body. >> reporter: on march 11th, the world health organization declared a global pandemic. >> it's not a word to use lightly. >> reporter: by then life as we knew it already long gone. millions across the world living for months under strict lockdowns to try to stop the spread of the virus. face masks became a familiar sight and social distancing, a way of life. in early august, lebanon was struck by a massive deadly explosion, sparked by the

detonation of thousands of tons of ammonium nite trait, injuring more than 6,000 others. >> something of this magnitude, so unnecessary. >> reporter: this is the rage felt by the new population to unprecedented levels. in 2020, cnn exclusively exposed a troll factory in guiana, backed by russia actively aiming to influence the 2020 u.s. presidential election. and it's not where you might have expected it to be. this is the compound where the operation has been based. no signs for an ngo. we're about an hour outside of the city. and a cnn investigation identified russian operatives, who trailed putin's nemesis before he was poisoned. >> i get out of the bathroom, go

over to the flight attendant and said to him i was poisoned, i'm going to die. >> reporter: after a difficult spring fighting the covid-19 pandemic, most of europe opened back up for the summer. but despite the short respite in the summer months, the virus back with a vengeance in the fall and winter. >> and they're putting the stricter lockdown in place earlier than anyone would have thought. >> a troubling headline from the u.k. worry growing over a new covid variant. >> the new variant that could be 70% more effective but not more deadly. >> french boarder is closed. all day long we've seen police office officers turning the 18 wheelers around with their goods. >> reporter: worldwide cases hit 73 million in december. there were 16.5 million in the united states alone and more than 1 million deaths globally.

oo uniting global goal, a vaccine. and by december, we saw the first approved vaccines administered. >> let the mass program begin. 19-year-old margaret keenum making history as the first in england and the world to receive the pfizer vaccine outside of trial. >> reporter: a moment of hope that 2021 will be the beginning of the end for a pandemic that spares no one. clarissa ward, cnn. >> well, that was thoroughly depressing and that wraps this hour of cnn newsroom. i'll be back in just a minute with more news.

it's a christmas like no other as people everywhere spend the holidays under extraordinary coronavirus restrictions. health authorities say anyone flying into the united states from britain will soon have to test negative for the virus. and a christmas storm is bringing extreme weather to the u.s. east coast. we'll tell you what states are affected. live from cnn world headquarters in atlanta, welcome to you our viewers here in the united states, canada and around the world. i'm kim brunhuber. this is "cnn newsroom.