European governments are battling to contain a wave of new coronavirus infections and dramatic rise in cases is expected after the Christmas and New Year's holidays. The spotlight remains in the UK, where a new strain of coronavirus is rapidly circulating, forcing the imposition of lockdowns in London and surrounding areas and prompting several European countries to close their borders. As of Tuesday, the UK reported more 39,237 new infections, pushing up the total to 2.1 million. Germany registered almost 25,000 new infections, bringing its total to 1.5 million. France recorded 14,929 new cases, out of a total of 2.5 million. Italy and Spain recorded nearly 13,000 new COVID-19 infections, pushing up the total to 1.9 million and 1.8 million, respectively.