30th Dec 2020 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=168 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Mirror Online Care homes are still waiting for coronavirus jabs weeks after the Tories promised them. One boss warned they face a Covid tsunami as they battle the new virus variant. Raj Sehgal said Weve had no vaccines at all. And staff fear the growing crisis could leave them on their knees as they battle a worrying shortage of workers struck down by the virus. It comes as officials last night said approval of the Oxford vaccine was imminent which would be a gamechanger for care homes. Mr Sehgal who runs homes in Norfolk including Summerville House in Heacham said he was still desperately waiting for jabs despite those in care being identified as the most urgently in need of them. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/government-breaks-promise-urgently-vaccinate-23237051 30th Dec 2020

Lockdown Exit

South China Morning Post Hundreds of lowincome workers gather at a roadside in the central Chinese city of Wuhan at 4am each morning waiting for employers to come and offer them odd jobs. Most are looking for construction work. But eight months after the city lifted lockdown measures put in place to stop the spread of Covid19 many workers at the morning job market say there are still very few jobs and they are struggling to make a living. https://www.scmp.com/video/scmp-originals/3115677/wuhans-low-income-workers-struggle-find-jobs-eight-months-after-covid 29th Dec 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters UK Greeces tourism sector is expected to recover next summer following a dramatic fall in revenues due to the coronavirus pandemic this year a senior industry official said on Tuesday. Tourism is the main driver of Greeces economy accounting for about 20 of its output and employing one in five workers. Yannis Retsos head of the countrys tourism confederation said tourism revenues this year had reached 4 billion euros down from 18 billion in 2019 due to global travel restrictions to contain the spread of the coronavirus. We need to wait for the second half of the year to see some sort of action in tourism Retsos told a Greek radio station. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-greece-tourism/greece-hoping-for-tourism-recovery-from-summer-2021-after-pandemic-slump-idUKKBN293176 29th Dec 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters UK British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has approved placing more parts of the country into tier 4 restrictions as the country battles a new variant of COVID19 which scientists say can spread more rapidly The Times reported. Ministers were considering imposing the toughest measures on parts of southwest England and Cumbria where the variant appears to be gaining ground even though cases remain relatively low said the report. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-restrictio/britain-to-place-more-parts-of-country-in-tier-4-of-covid-curbs-the-times-idUKKBN29324A 29th Dec 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Chinese meat importers and processors have called on exporters in countries with COVID19 outbreaks to step up checks on shipments before they are sent to the worlds biggest market Chinas top industry group said. China has been importing a large quantity of meats this year and has detected virus on the packaging of cold chain products many times even as lots of disinfection has been done domestically Gao Guan spokesman for the China Meat Association said on Tuesday. It would be better to handle virus control at the point of origins and carry out disinfection at production plants as the cost would be lower and efficiency higher Gao said. China has ramped up disinfection and virus testing on frozen food after it found coronavirus on imported products and packaging. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-food/china-meat-association-calls-for-exporters-to-disinfect-shipments-to-prevent-covid-19-idUKKBN2930YW 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

iNews In England the Government is pushing to speed up the rollout of Covid19 vaccines as the best chance for ending restrictions on everday life in the coming months. Ministers are reportedly targeting the goal of vaccinating 15 million people in the UK before it is possible to lift the rules designed to slow the spread of coronavirus. Matt Hancock has previously said that the restrictions would be removed once those who are particularly vulnerable to the effects of Covid19 have been protected. Rishi Sunak described the vaccination programme as light at the end of the tunnel. https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/ministers-push-speed-up-covid-19-vaccine-so-rules-can-be-lifted-809610 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Euractiv Hungary said it received 6000 doses of Russias controversial coronavirus vaccine on Monday 28 December in a new display of Budapests maverick vaccine policy. 6000 doses of Russian vaccine crossed Hungarys border with Slovakia Hungarian Foreign Minister Pter Szijjrt said in a Facebook video message. The consignment was taken to Budapest for a decision by Hungarian experts on how to use it he said without providing details on the vaccines potential rollout. The announcement comes after Hungary started vaccinations on Saturday ahead of most European Union countries after receiving its first delivery of the Belgianmade PfizerBioNTech coronavirus jabs. https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/hungary-receives-6000-doses-of-russias-coronavirus-vaccine/ 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Belfast Telegraph A 79yearold grandmother from Dublin has become the first person in the Republic to receive a coronavirus vaccination. Annie Lynch received the vaccine at St Jamess Hospital in Dublin. It was the first PfizerBioNTech Covid19 jab to be administered at four hospitals across the country St Jamess and Beaumont Hospital in Dublin Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Galway. Mrs Lynch said I feel very privileged to be the first person in Ireland to receive the vaccine. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/republic-of-ireland/79-year-old-grandmother-first-in-ireland-to-receive-coronavirus-vaccine-39910316.html 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Metro.co.uk All vulnerable Brits including everyone over the age of 50 could receive a coronavirus vaccine by the spring the chief executive of the NHS has said. Sir Simon Stevens said 22 million people being vaccinated so soon was a fresh chink of hope after a grim end to the year saw hospitalisations in England surpassing Aprils peak. Roughly 200000 people are being vaccinated every week at the moment but this is set to rise to one million by midJanuary the Daily Telegraph reports. But a study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine warns this must be doubled to two million if the UK is to avoid a third wave. https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/29/22-million-vulnerable-people-to-get-covid-vaccine-by-spring-13818317/ 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Uptake of the Covid19 vaccine has been high among those offered it doctors say despite fears that vaccine hesitancy could undermine efforts to control the pandemic. Experts have feared mass uptake of the jab could be jeopardised by widespread misinformation concerns among the public about the speed at which the vaccine has been developed and approved and lack of trust in vaccines and the pharmaceutical companies and governments calling for it. But for now at least it seems few are shying away from vaccination. Weve had reports from our members that despite inevitable teething problems to be expected when delivering a completely new and complicated vaccine at scale and speed the programme seems to be running well overall with very positive takeup rates so far said Prof Martin Marshall chair of the Royal College of GPs and a practising GP in east London. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/dec/29/covid-vaccine-uptake-high-despite-concerns-over-hesitancy 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Reuters U.S. Vice Presidentelect Kamala Harris received a COVID19 vaccination live on television on Tuesday as the incoming Biden administration seeks to boost confidence in the inoculation even while warning it will be months before it is available to all. Senator Harris who is Black and AsianAmerican will become the second highprofile person from an ethnic minority background to receive the vaccine after Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Dec. 18. Democratic Presidentelect Joe Biden who takes office on Jan. 20 has said he will make the fight against the coronavirus which has infected more than 19 million Americans and killed over 334000 his top priority. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa/harris-receives-covid-19-shot-in-bid-to-boost-us-vaccine-confidence-idUKKBN2931EJ 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

The Independent Vice presidentelect Kamala Harris has received her first dose of the Covid19 vaccine at United Medical Center in Washington DC. The centres registered nurse Patricia Cummings administered a shot of the Moderna vaccine into the incoming vice presidents left arm on Tuesday. That was easy she said laughing. I barely felt it. Presidentelect Joe Biden received a first dose of the vaccine on 21 December at ChristianaCares Christiana Hospital in Delaware. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/kamala-harris-covid-vaccine-b1780022.html 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian In October 2019 in those halcyon preCovid19 days a chart was published that ranked 195 countries according to their capacity to deal with outbreaks of infectious disease. Drawn up by the Washington DCbased Nuclear Threat Initiative and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore Maryland the 2019 Global Health Security Index GHSI placed the US and UK first and second respectively. South Korea came ninth New Zealand 35th and China 51st while a number of African countries brought up the rear. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/29/us-uk-covid-sars-vietnam-senegal-ebola 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

BBC News The first person in the world to be given the Pfizer Covid19 jab as part of a mass vaccination programme has received a second dose. Margaret Keenan was given the followup vaccine at University Hospital in Coventry earlier three weeks after the first. The hospitals chief executive Andy Hardy said the hospital was delighted to welcome Margaret back. Two doses of the vaccine are required to achieve full immunity. The grandmother who is originally from Enniskillen Co Fermanagh received a first injection on 8 December a week before her 91st birthday and described it as the best early birthday present. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-55478675 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

BBC News Members of the armed forces are to give remote support to secondary schools and colleges in England setting up mass Covid testing as the new term begins. Military personnel will hold webinars and give phone support to school staff. But head teachers say they need support on the ground and more time to make the plan workable. They are calling for a delay to the start of term. The government wants pupils to go back in the first two weeks of January but is keeping the situation under review. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55471095 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Evening Standard on MSN.com Military personnel will be drafted in to support coronavirus testing of school and college students in England if the Government withstands the growing pressure to delay the reopening of secondaries. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newslondon/pressure-grows-on-government-to-keep-schools-closed-despite-plans-for-military-to-help-coronavirus-testing-of-pupils/ar-BB1cjwqq 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

The New York Times From nursing homes in France to hospitals in Poland older Europeans and the workers who care for them rolled up their sleeves on Sunday to receive coronavirus vaccine shots in a campaign to inoculate more than 450 million people across the European Union. The inoculations offered a rare respite as the continent struggles with one of its most precarious moments since the pandemic began. Despite national lockdowns restrictions on movement shuttering of restaurants and cancellations of Christmas gatherings the virus has stalked Europe into the dark winter months. The spread of a more contagious variant of the virus in Britain has raised such alarm that much of continental Europe rushed to close its borders to travelers coming from the country effectively plunging the nation as a whole into quarantine. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/12/27/world/covid-19-coronavirus-updates 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

The Wall Street Journal At the peak of the first wave in April the town had 70 Covid19 patients in its biggest hospitalout of 89000 inhabitantsincluding 33 in intensive care forcing doctors to cancel elective surgery. Now at the height of the far more devastating current surge patients number just 35 many transferred from other regions. Fifteen of them are in intensive care of whom fewer than half are Tbingen residents. The hospital hasnt canceled nonurgent surgery. Local authorities say such numbers are no accident. The town they point out started earlier than most German municipalities in carrying out frequent Covid19 tests on carehome staff residents and visitors. It subsidizes taxi rides for those over age 65 so they dont have to use public transit. Younger residents are discouraged from shopping between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. so as to avoid seniors having to mingle with people who are more likely to carry the virus without symptoms. https://www.wsj.com/articles/german-town-finds-a-blueprint-for-lowering-covid-19-deaths-11609257334 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Evening Standard Michael Gove has backed Chancellor Rishi Sunaks suggestion that tough coronavirus restrictions could be lifted if the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine is rolled out in the new year. Over the weekend the Chancellor hailed vaccination efforts as the key to unlocking the tier system which was toughened days before Christmas following the emergence of a new infectious strain of Covid19. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/covid-rules-michael-gove-oxford-vaccine-b533414.html 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg French retailers called for government support after sales failed to rebound fully from a second lockdown suggesting measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic are changing consumer patterns. Despite a good pickup in spending thanks to Black Friday discounts and yearend purchases many clothing shoe jewelry beautyproduct and perfume retailers face a drop in revenue of more than 20 in 2020 the French Council of Commerce a group of about 30 business federations said in a statement on Monday. Many shopkeepers could decide to put up the shutters for good to avoid racking up further losses and dragging out an insurmountable economic situation said William Koeberle chairman of the trade group. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-28/french-retailers-seek-aid-as-sales-fail-to-recover-from-lockdown 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Business Standard Belarus has become the first country after Russia to begin vaccination of people with SputnikV against Covid19 Russian Direct Investment Fund RDIF said on Tuesday. Belarus becomes the first country in the world after Russia to start vaccination of its people against COVID19 with SputnikV vaccine a tweet from the official handle of SputnikV stated. The SputnikV vaccine has been developed and produced by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/belarus-first-country-after-russia-to-start-sputnik-v-vaccination-120122900545_1.html 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Evening Standard The staggered reopening of schools in January is expected to go ahead as planned Michael Gove said on Monday. The Cabinet Office minister confirmed that secondary school pupils in Years 11 and 13 as well as children of key workers will return on January 4. All primary school children will also resume classes while other pupils will return a week later. Mr Gove told Sky News We always keep things under review but teachers and head teachers have been working incredibly hard over the Christmas period since schools broke up in order to prepare for a new testing regime community testing in order to make sure that children and all of us are safer. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/school-january-open-covid-michael-gove-b533421.html 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

STAT News As frustration over the pace of the Covid19 vaccine rollout continues to build health officials in Colorado on Tuesday reported the first known U.S. case of the variant of Covid19 discovered in the U.K. The U.K. variant appears to be more transmissible than other variants of the virus seen to date and has been detected in a number of countries worldwide. The Colorado case who is currently in isolation is a man in his 20s who has not left the country. The lack of a travel history means he contracted the virus in the U.S. suggesting undetected transmission of the new variant here. The discovery will only add to the urgency of the Covid19 vaccination campaign currently underway which some public health experts have criticized as going too slowly. https://www.statnews.com/2020/12/29/public-health-experts-grow-frustrated-with-pace-of-covid-19-vaccine-rollout/ 29th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

CIDRAP Pledging a more aggressive effort once hes in office Presidentelect Joe Biden today took aim at the slow rollout of COVID19 vaccines in the United States which reported its first confirmed United Kingdom variant case today. The two developments come as the nation braces for a postholiday surge alongside fears that the more transmissible UK variant could make matters worse https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/12/biden-criticizes-slow-vaccine-rollout-colorado-confirms-nations-first-uk 28th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

Bloomberg European governments are planning to track the number of people getting Covid19 vaccines to help chart a path out of the crisis. France will have a registry of people who get vaccinated and Spain will track people who refuse to get inoculated against the disease which has caused more than 400000 deaths in Europe. In Germany Chancellor Angela Merkels government is considering legislation to ensure unvaccinated people are treated fairly as the economy begins to open up. More than 21000 people in the country have already received the shot developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-29/spain-to-create-a-register-of-people-who-refuse-covid-19-vaccine?srnd=premium 29th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

BBC News At the start of the year the Chinese government faced two major challenges an unknown disease which threatened to tear through its population and a wave of voices online telling the world what was happening. By the end of 2020 a glance at Chinese statecontrolled media shows that both appear to be under control. The BBCs Kerry Allen and Zhaoyin Feng take a look back at the countrys online government censors who worked harder than ever to supress negative information the citizens that managed to break through the Great Firewall and how the propaganda machine rewrote the narrative. https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-asia-china-55355401 29th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

Washington Post A citizen journalist who documented the desperation of residents in Wuhan at the height of Chinas coronavirus outbreak was sentenced to four years in prison Monday in a case that underlined Beijings extreme sensitivity to criticism of its pandemic response. In a closeddoor trial that lasted less than three hours authorities in Shanghai handed down the sentence to Zhang Zhan 37 for picking quarrels and provoking trouble a charge often used against dissidents. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-wuhan-journalist-trial-coronavirus/2020/12/28/01fac40c-48b7-11eb-97b6-4eb9f72ff46b_story.html 29th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

Sydney Morning Herald Trapped under quarantine and ravaged by allergies in a Perth hotel room Jenny DUbios slid into an internet vortex of conspiracy theories in the week before her Boxing Day escape. The selfdescribed fringe scientist shared with her Facebook followers articles about the dangers of 5G a post by an antifluoride group that suggested coronavirus was a hoax a video about the COVID19 test which was blocked by Facebook and support for Reignite Democracy Australia an activist group that sprang up in protest against the Melbourne lockdown. https://www.smh.com.au/national/how-conspiracy-theories-led-a-fringe-scientist-to-escape-quarantine-20201228-p56qhj.html 29th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

Reuters UK Riot police in Russia arrested a renegade priest in the early hours of Tuesday in a raid on a convent he had seized control of and accused him of driving children to suicide according to his lawyer. Father Sergiy whose real name is Nikolai Romanov gained prominence earlier this year after denying the existence of the COVID19 pandemic railing against church closures due to the lockdown and criticising the Russian Orthodox Church. He seized control of the Sredneuralsky womens monastery near Yekaterinburg in the Urals in June and refused to leave. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-russia-priest/russian-riot-police-arrest-renegade-priest-in-raid-on-convent-idUKKBN2930QK 29th Dec 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters on MSN.com Denmarks government will extend a hard lockdown for two weeks until Jan. 17 to limit the spread of COVID19 broadcaster TV2 reported on Tuesday citing unnamed sources. The extension will keep schools https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/denmark-to-extend-lockdown-measures-until-jan-17-tv2/ar-BB1ck2Nr 29th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters UK AstraZeneca has filed data with Chilean regulators for the emergency rollout of its COVID19 vaccine in the country and could get a green light weeks or even days after approval by European or American regulators the governments point person for vaccine procurement told Reuters. The UKbased company has been conducting latestage trials of its vaccine developed with Oxford University in Chile as well as in Brazil the UK the United States and South Africa. Chile has signed a deal to buy 14.4 million doses of the drug an amount that would vaccinate half that number of people or nearly 40 of the countrys population. Chile is already among the bestplaced in the region for vaccine deals with an agreement for 10 million doses from Pfizer BioNtech 60 million doses over three years from Chinas Sinovac and 7.6 million vaccine doses through the global vaccine distribution scheme COVAX. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-chile-astrazeneca/exclusive-chile-could-greenlight-astrazeneca-vaccine-within-days-of-us-uk-approval-government-says-idUKKBN2931QL?il=0 30th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters A new variant of the novel coronavirus does not appear to cause more severe illness than other variants according to a matched study bit.ly2X7cLgp by Public Health England. Scientists say the new variant can spread more rapidly. It was found in England in mid December and led to other countries imposing travel restrictions to the United Kingdom. Several other countries have reported variants. Under the study researchers compared 1769 people infected with the new variant with 1769 who had what they described as wildtype virus. The two groups were matched 11 on the basis of age sex area of residence and time of testing. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-variant/new-coronavirus-variant-does-not-cause-illness-more-severe-than-others-public-health-england-study-idUKKBN29401C?il=0 30th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Business Today Poonawalla says Covishield shows efficacy level of 95 per cent provided two shots are taken after a gap of 23 months AstraZeneca will make that public with documentation soon he adds https://www.businesstoday.in/coronavirus/serum-institute-vaccine-india-may-get-most-initial-covishield-stockpile/story/426314.html 29th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent Will COVID19 vaccines work on the new coronavirus variant Experts believe so but theyre working to confirm that. A coronavirus variant in the United Kingdom has caused alarm because of the possibility that it might spread more easily. But even if that turns out to be true experts say the COVID19 vaccines being rolled out will likely still work on the variant. Dr. Anthony Fauci the top U.S. infectious disease expert said data coming from Britain indicates the vaccines still will block the virus. But the U.S. also will do tests to be sure. Viruses often undergo small changes as they reproduce and move through a population. In fact the slight modifications are how scientists track the spread of a virus from one place to another. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/will-covid19-vaccines-work-on-the-new-coronavirus-variant-vaccines-covid19-experts-anthony-fauci-viruses-b1779812.html 29th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

MarketWatch Shares of biotech company Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. slid 55 Tuesday as investors responded to results from a Phase 12 trial of its COVID19 vaccine candidate that one analyst said were disappointing. San Diegobased Arcturus ARCT 54.17 said late Monday that it has received approval from the Singapore Health Sciences Authority to move ahead with a Phase 2 study of its ARCT021 vaccine candidate that will enroll up to 600 volunteers. The approval is based on Phase 12 trial data that showed the vaccine produced neutralizing antibodies after one dose although at lower levels than rival vaccine candidates. Arcturus is hoping its vaccine will not require a booster shot making it easier to administer than vaccines that require two doses. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/arcturus-therapeutics-shares-slide-37-in-premarket-after-covid-vaccine-data-are-deemed-underwhelming-11609250275 29th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent The daughter of the man leading one of Irans most infamous religious foundations today became the first person in the country to test its homegrown coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday. Tayebeh Mokbher appeared in good health afterward. I am happy not just because Im the first person to receive the vaccine but also that our countrys science has advanced so much she said in a segment broadcast on state television immediately after she took a jab of Blessed Coviran the countrys stillexperimental coronavirus vaccine. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/covid-iran-vaccine-coviran-sanctions-b1779956.html 29th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail Novavax has begun a large latestage study of its experimental COVID19 vaccine in the U.S. the drug developer said on Monday after delaying the trial twice due to issues in scaling up the manufacturing process. It will enroll up to 30000 volunteers across about 115 sites in the United States and Mexico with twothirds of them receiving the shot 21 days apart and the rest getting placebo the company said. Novavax lags behind other drugmakers in the global race for COVID19 vaccine with shots from Pfizer and Moderna authorized for emergency use in the United States. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9092849/Novavax-starts-late-stage-trial-COVID-19-vaccine-United-States.html 29th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Insider.co.uk A consortium that includes medical diagnostics company Omega is working with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency MHRA to enable approval for its Covid19 lateral flow antibody test. The Alvabased company is part of the consortium led by AIMlisted Abingdon Health developing the AbC19 Rapid Test. Abingdon which is Yorkbased said that while the UKs Department of Health and Social Care has first refusal of supplies of the test through a contract that runs to 14 February it is also working on potential international distribution. The UK Rapid Test Consortium liaising with customers and regulatory authorities across a total of 27 international territories to allow future use of the product outside of the UK. https://www.insider.co.uk/news/consortium-working-medical-authorities-approval-23233018 29th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian World Health Organization experts have warned that even though the coronavirus pandemic has been very severe it is not necessarily the big one and that the world will have to learn to live with Covid19. The destiny of the virus is to become endemic even as vaccines begin to be rolled out in the US and UK says Professor David Heymann the chair of the WHOs strategic and technical advisory group for infectious hazards. The world has hoped for herd immunity that somehow transmission would be decreased if enough persons were immune he told the WHOs final media briefing for 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/29/who-warns-covid-19-pandemic-is-not-necessarily-the-big-one 29th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Evening Standard on MSN.com Military personnel will be drafted in to support coronavirus testing of school and college students in England if the Government withstands the growing pressure to delay the reopening of secondaries. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newslondon/pressure-grows-on-government-to-keep-schools-closed-despite-plans-for-military-to-help-coronavirus-testing-of-pupils/ar-BB1cjwqq 29th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC News A surge in coronavirus cases in the UK is of extreme concern a health boss says as a record number of cases was reported for the second day running. On Tuesday 53135 new Covid cases were recorded as well as 414 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test. Not all data was reported in full over the Christmas period leading to a lag in some data but Public Health England said there had been a real increase. The health secretary said the NHS was facing unprecedented pressures. Ahead of an announcement on any changes to Englands tier restrictions on Wednesday Matt Hancock added in a tweet We must suppress this virus to protect our NHS save lives until the vaccine can keep us safe. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55475240 29th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Voice of America Britain must vaccinate 2 million people a week to avoid a third wave of the coronavirus outbreak a study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine LSHTM has concluded. Britain has had more than 71000 deaths from the coronavirus and has recorded more than 2.3 million cases of COVID19 infections as of late Monday according to Johns Hopkins University data. The most stringent intervention scenario with tier 4 restrictions Englandwide and schools closed during January and 2 million individuals vaccinated per week is the only scenario we considered which reduces peak ICU burden below the levels seen during the first wave the study said. https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/study-britain-must-vaccinate-2-million-week-prevent-third-covid-19-wave 29th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters UK Britain reported 41385 new COVID19 cases on Monday the highest number since testing became widely available in the middle of 2020 and hospitals have more COVID19 patients than during the first wave of the pandemic in April. We are entering a very dangerous new phase of the pandemic and were going to need decisive early national action to prevent a catastrophe in January and February Andrew Hayward professor of infectious disease epidemiology at University College London told the BBC. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain/uk-needs-tighter-covid-rules-to-avert-new-catastrophe-epidemiologist-warns-idUKKBN2930R0?il=0 29th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Tuesday initial data from an ongoing study of its experimental antibody cocktail for use in hospitalized COVID19 patients requiring lowflow oxygen show the therapy was sufficiently effective to warrant continuing the trial. The drugmaker said in September the cocktail a combination of two antibodies casirivimab and imdevimab reduced viral levels and improved symptoms in nonhospitalized COVID19 patients. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-regeneron-pharms/regenerons-covid-19-antibody-therapy-shows-promise-in-hospitalized-patients-idUKKBN29323N?il=0 29th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Fierce Pharma AstraZenecas early COVID19 trial data not only fell short of Pfizer and Modernas expectationbeating stats they raised a host of questions thanks to a dosing error in one group of trial patients. But with the U.K. suffering under a new viral strain and a quick vaccine approval expected CEO Pascal Soriot says AZ has a new winning formula. In the companys original phase 3 trial patients given a half dose followed by a full dose a month later were better protected than those who received two full doses. Soriot has said the company will need to conduct a new trial for U.S. authorization but across the pond Sky News reports a U.K. nod could come this week. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/astrazeneca-has-a-winning-formula-for-its-covid-19-vaccine-ceo-says 28th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

CIDRAP Few healthcare workers in the UK who recovered from COVID19 and had immunoglobulin G IgG antibodies against the virus were reinfected over the next 6 months according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The prospective longitudinal cohort study involved measuring levels of IgG antibodies against the coronaviruss spike protein and nucleocapsid in symptomatic and asymptomatic healthcare workers at Oxford University Hospitals undergoing COVID19 testing. Testing began Mar 27 and followup ended on Nov 30. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/12/study-covid-antibodies-may-fend-reinfection-6-months 28th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Times Nicola Sturgeon has warned revellers to stay at home on Hogmanay as Scotland recorded the highest daily number of cases since the pandemic began. The number of people testing positive for Covid19 has doubled in 24 hours from 967 reported yesterday to 1895 today. There has also been a 12 per cent rise in hospital cases from 973 on Christmas Day to 1092 today the highest figure since November 27 when there were signs that the second wave was abating. Epidemiologists fear household mixing at Christmas coupled with a new and more infectious strain is fuelling the second wave. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/covid-19-in-scotland-nicola-sturgeon-tells-hogmanay-revellers-to-stay-at-home-and-halt-coronavirus-spread-vv38d5fh5 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

BBC News Health workers are back in the eye of the storm as coronavirus cases continue to rise NHS Englands chief executive Simon Stevens has said. It has been the toughest year for the NHS which has treated 200000 severely ill Covid19 patients he added. Hospitals in England are currently treating more Covid patients than at the peak of the first wave in April. A government scientific adviser has warned national restrictions are needed to prevent a catastrophe. On Monday a record 41385 new Covid cases were reported in the UK though it is thought the infection rate was higher during spring when testing was much more limited. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55470496 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Evening Standard There are now more coronavirus patients in Englands hospitals than there were during the peak of the first wave of the pandemic new figures show. As of 8am on Monday there were 20426 patients in the countrys NHS hospitals compared to the 18974 patients recorded on April 12 NHS England revealed. The sobering update comes after the UK recorded its highest daily number of Covid19 cases to date with 41385 infections confirmed as of 9am on Monday according to the Department of Health. Meanwhile Londons Nightingale hospital has been stripped of its beds as medics warn there are not enough staff to run the facility the Telegraph reported. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/covid-patients-england-nightingale-hospitals-b538294.html 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters The United States topped 19 million COVID cases on Monday as hospital intensive care units were full to overflowing across much of California a major U.S. virus hot spot portending an extension of strict stayathome orders imposed this month. California Governor Gavin Newsom said mandatory constraints on social gatherings and business activities would almost certainly be renewed for at least three more weeks in Southern California encompassing the states biggest metropolitan areas and its agricultural heartland the San Joaquin Valley. Newsom said a formal decision on continuing the stayathome orders among the most stringent in the United States would be announced on Tuesday based on trends projected by health authorities for the coming weeks. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa/new-covid-lockdowns-likely-in-southern-california-as-icus-stay-filled-idUSKBN29302Y 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Metro The UK has recorded 53135 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours in the biggest daily rise since the pandemic began. It is the first time daily cases have surpassed 50000 and is over 10000 more than yesterdays record high of 41385. The figures from the Department of Health show another 414 people have died within 28 days of testing positive compared to 357 on Monday. It brings the total death toll to 71567 one of the highest in the world. https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/29/uk-records-over-50000-new-covid-cases-and-another-414-deaths-13821763/ 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Independent Dr Anthony Fauci has warned that he believes the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is yet to come as December becomes Americas most deadly month for Covid19. Speaking to anchor Dana Bash on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday morning Dr Fauci the nations top infectious disease expert and part of the White House coronavirus task force warned US residents to brace for a surge of cases in the new year. We very well might see a postseasonal in the sense of Christmas New Years surge or as Ive described it a surge upon a surge Dr Fauci said on Sunday. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/dr-anthony-fauci-coronavirus-pandemic-b1779336.html 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg Spain became the fourth European country to record more than 50000 coronavirus deaths as nations across the region start to roll out a vaccine. Fatalities from the disease rose to 50122 on Monday according to Health Ministry figures. Some 408 people have died from the virus in the past week. Cases diagnosed over the last 24 hours amounted to 2822 bringing the total to 1.88 million. Spain is one of the countries in Europe to be hit hardest by the pandemic forcing the government to impose a state of emergency in March. When it emerged from a strict national lockdown three months later management of the pandemic was placed in the hands of regional governments. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-28/spain-s-virus-deaths-surpass-50-000-amid-holiday-restrictions?srnd=prognosis 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

BBC News A surge in coronavirus cases in the UK is of extreme concern a health boss says as a record number of cases was reported for the second day running. On Tuesday 53135 new Covid cases were recorded as well as 414 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test. Not all data was reported in full over the Christmas period leading to a lag in some data but Public Health England said there had been a real increase. The health secretary said the NHS was facing unprecedented pressures. Ahead of an announcement on any changes to Englands tier restrictions on Wednesday Matt Hancock added in a tweet We must suppress this virus to protect our NHS save lives until the vaccine can keep us safe. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55475240 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

RFI English Despite the positive news of the rollout of a Covid19 vaccination campaign the French are ending 2020 with the threat of a possible 3rd lockdown which could be implemented on a regional or local basis. Covid19 infection rates coming out of Frances Grand Est region have been troubling Macron administration triggering an emergency meeting of a health defense council this Tuesday. It is not yet known whether new lockdown measures will be decided at todays gathering but regional politicians already have their own idea of what the outcome may be. https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20201229-new-year-lockdown-fears-grow-as-health-task-force-decide-fate-of-france-s-covid-hit-regions 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

FRANCE 24 English President Emmanuel Macron meets with Frances health council on Tuesday to consider whether to reimpose lockdown restrictions for a third time amid concern over a rise in Covid19 cases. France eased restrictions imposed during a second lockdown on December 15 but the average number of daily coronavirus cases has not fallen below a key 5000 threshold set by the government. Although the number of new infections appeared to have fallen over the Christmas holidays only 2960 new coronavirus infections were reported on Monday down from 8822 on Sunday and 3093 on Saturday officials fear the figures are misleading. Many of the countrys testing facilities closed over the holidays and the drop could simply be due to fewer people getting tested. https://www.france24.com/en/france/20201228-france-may-impose-third-national-lockdown-if-covid-cases-continue-to-rise 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

New York Times Facing record case and hospital numbers and a threatening variant strain Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure to shut schools and reimpose national restrictions measures he once decried. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/29/world/europe/uk-coronavirus.html 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

International Business Times South Africa banned alcohol sales and made masks mandatory in public from Tuesday tightening restrictions after a surge in coronavirus cases as more countries joined in mass vaccination campaigns to beat the pandemic. https://www.ibtimes.com/south-africa-imposes-new-virus-measures-vaccines-roll-out-3111329 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

South China Morning Post Filipino workers returning from the countries which include the UK China and Singapore are exempted from the ban the Philippine labour chief says Meanwhile Indonesia is finalising deals to secure 50 million doses of coronavirus vaccines from drugmakers Pfizer and AstraZeneca https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3115630/coronavirus-south-korea-reports-highest-daily-deaths-amid-third 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

NBC News Russias death toll from Covid19 could be three times higher than previously thought according to one of the countrys leading politicians. New data released by Russian statistics agency Rosstat Monday showed that the number of deaths from all causes between January and November had risen by 229700 compared to the same period last year. After the figures were released Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova was quoted by Russias Interfax agency as saying that more than 81 percent of this increase in mortality over this period is due to Covid19 and consequences of the disease. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-s-covid-19-death-toll-could-be-3-times-n1252461 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Japan Today The United States topped 19 million COVID cases on Monday as hospital intensive care units remained filled to overflowing across much of California a major U.S. coronavirus hot spot portending an extension of strict stayathome orders imposed this month. California Gov Gavin Newsom said mandatory constraints on gatherings and business activities would almost certainly be renewed for at least three more weeks in Southern California encompassing the states biggest metropolitan areas and its agricultural heartland the San Joaquin Valley. Newsom said a formal decision on continuing stayathome orders among the most stringent in the United States would be announced on Tuesday based on trends projected by health authorities for the coming weeks. https://japantoday.com/category/world/new-covid-lockdowns-likely-in-southern-california-as-icus-stay-filled 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

News24 Japan on Monday detected a coronavirus variant found in South Africa the government said the first such discovery in a nation that has already identified more than a dozen cases of another variant that is spreading rapidly in Britain https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/coronavirus-variant-from-south-africa-found-in-japan-20201229 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Metro Hundreds of backpackers risk being stripped of their visas and deported from Australia after a huge party was thrown on a beach on Christmas Day. Shocking footage from Sydney shows around 300 people many believed to be British travellers chanting next to Bronte Beach wearing Santa hats and what appear to be England football shirts. Australian immigration minister Alex Hawke said he was shocked and would be very happy to deport those caught disobeying public health orders in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Absolutely under the migration act if someone is threatening public safety or health their visa can be cancelled and revoked Mr Hawke said on 2GB this morning. https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/29/australia-could-deport-hundreds-of-brits-after-super-spreader-party-13820893/ 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

ABC News The new figures show more than 186000 Russians have died from COVID19 This is up from the 55265 the country had officially reported. The countrys health authorities previously only counted COVID19 deaths confirmed by autopsy https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-29/russia-admits-to-worlds-third-worst-coronavirus-death-toll/13018842 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters India Moscow will extend the school holiday by one week until Jan. 17 in hopes of stabilising the situation regarding new coronavirus infections and avoid new COVID19related restrictions the Russian capitals mayor said on Tuesday. Russia which launched a voluntary vaccination programme with the Russianmade Sputnik V vaccine earlier this month has resisted imposing a strict lockdown as it did early this year relying on targeted measures instead. https://in.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-russia-cases/update-1-moscow-extends-school-holiday-amid-rise-in-coronavirus-infections-in-russia-idINL1N2J90U3 29th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters UK Hospitalisations for COVID19 continued to rise on Monday in France as President Emmanuel Macron and some senior cabinet ministers are to review the health situation on Tuesday amid another surge in cases that has spurred fears of a third lockdown in the country. The French Health Ministry reported that the number of people admitted to hospital for COVID19 rose by 25 on Monday to 24678 while patients in intensive care the most important measure of a health systems ability to deal with the pandemic went up by 44 to 2703. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france/covid-19-hospitalisations-continue-to-rise-in-france-idUKKBN2921PU 28th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

CIDRAP Developments with variant SARSCoV2 continued to dominate global COVID19 news today with the United Kingdom reporting more recordhigh case numbers and new reports revealing more about the prevalence and risk. Meanwhile a new risk assessment from European health officials said the UK variant may have emerged in September and is expected to push hospitalizations and deaths higher and more countries reported the detection of the South African variant virus. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/12/variant-virus-gains-bigger-foothold-uk-cases-surge 28th Dec 2020

New Lockdown

The Irish Times A Government Minister has said an exponential rise in hospital admissions with Covid19 the presence of a new coronavirus variant in Ireland and a tripling in the number of referrals for Covidtesting strongly suggest a return to a full Level 5 lockdown is imminent. Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said that the State like many other countries found itself in a dark and worrying place in relation to Covid19 right now. He was speaking shortly after Ministers were notified a Cabinet meeting has been hastily arranged for Wednesday afternoon to discuss the deteriorating situation as regards the Covid19 pandemic. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/ireland-is-in-dark-place-on-covid-19-and-full-level-5-lockdown-may-be-imminent-harris-says-1.4447070 29th Dec 2020

New Lockdown

Geo News The Punjab government has imposed a smart lockdown in district Lahore controlling the entry and exit of people in certain areas of the city identified as coronavirus hotspots on Tuesday. There has been a constant increase in positivity percentage and prevalence of COVID19 in the Province of Punjab during last two weeks which poses a serious and imminent threat to public health read a notification from the Primary and Secondary Health Department issued today. https://www.geo.tv/latest/327098-punjab-govt-imposes-smart-lockdown-in-lahores-coronavirus-hotspot-areas 29th Dec 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters Beijing has reported 16 infections and three asymptomatic cases since Dec. 18 when the first cases were found. Most of the cases were in Shunyi which has banned couriers from entering residential compounds. Six villages three buildings and one industrial zone were among the areas locked down a Beijing municipal official told a news conference. While Beijings new cases are modest in number compared with June and July municipal authorities have beefed up steps to rein in the coronavirus which has surfaced in three districts where hundreds of thousands of residents have been tested. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-beijing-idUSKBN2930TL 29th Dec 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters UK France will not enforce a new lockdown for the time being to curb the spread of the coronavirus but it could soon impose an earlier curfew in eastern areas of the country the worsthit by infections the health minister said on Tuesday. Were ruling out the idea of a lockdown for now whether it be nationally or locally Olivier Veran said on France 2 public TV channel. But we will propose an extension of the curfew that could start at 6 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. in all the areas where it will be deemed necessary Veran said. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-france-infections/no-new-lockdown-in-france-for-now-despite-spike-in-virus-cases-idUKKBN2931U8?il=0 29th Dec 2020