26th Jul 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=419 lockdown_exit

COVID-19: Reopening nightclubs 'immoral and unethical', warns Independent SAGE expert

Sky News Reopening nightclubs is immoral and unethical as it will mean more coronavirus cases hospitalisations and deaths an expert has warned. Public health physician Dr Gabriel Scally who sits on the Independent SAGE panel suggested the government decided to open clubs on 19 July to try to achieve socalled herd immunity by more people getting infected. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-reopening-nightclubs-immoral-and-unethical-warns-independent-sage-expert-12362933 24th Jul 2021

Ministers Are Holding Their Nerve That Their Summer Covid Gamble Will Defeat The Third Wave

PoliticsHome MPs have set off for summer not knowing what they will return to in September the government having taken a foot off the brakes by removing all Covid legal restrictions this week as infections continue to rise. Ministers in England put all their faith in modelling that shows this new wave will peak in August and begin to come back down as more and more people become double jabbed and crucially before Covid hospitalisations overwhelm the NHS. They are looking to Scotland which caught the third wave ahead of the rest of the United Kingdom and hoping the same dramatic fall in cases it is experiencing now following a sharp increase at the start of the month is mimicked south of the border. https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/ministers-are-holding-their-nerve-that-their-great-covid-gamble-will-defeat-the-third-wave 24th Jul 2021

Pfizer Shot Halts Severe Illness, Allows Infection in Israel

Bloomberg Pfizer Inc.s Covid19 vaccine provided a strong shield against hospitalization and more severe disease in cases caused by the contagious delta variant in Israel in recent weeks even though it was just 39 effective in preventing infections according to the countrys health ministry. The vaccine developed with BioNTech SE provided 88 protection against hospitalization and 91 against severe illness for an unspecified number of people studied between June 20 and July 17 according to a report Thursday from the health ministry. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-23/pfizer-shot-just-39-effective-in-halting-delta-israel-says 23rd Jul 2021

Indonesia prepares more ICU units, waits to see if COVID curbs will be extended

Reuters Indonesia is preparing more intensive care units after logging several days of recordhigh COVID19 deaths last week while the country waits to see whether the government will extend or loosen tough restrictions due to expire on Sunday. Buckling under a Delta variantdriven wave of the virus Indonesia has become Asias COVID19 epicentre with hospitals deluged particularly on the densely populated island of Java. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-prepares-more-icu-units-waits-see-if-covid-curbs-will-be-extended-2021-07-25/ 25th Jul 2021

Australians may face longer lockdown after mass protests

Reuters Australias New South Wales logged its secondhighest daily increase in locally acquired COVID19 cases of the year on Sunday amid fears of a wave of new infections after thousands of people joined an antilockdown protest. In relation to yesterdays protests can I say how absolutely disgusted I was. It broke my heart Gladys Berejiklian the premier of the countrys most populous state told reporters. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australians-may-face-longer-lockdown-after-mass-protests-2021-07-24/ 25th Jul 2021

China's Sinovac evaluates vaccine plant in Chile

MSN.com Chilean authorities said on Friday that Chinas Sinovac had begun evaluating potential sites for the construction of a vaccine plant in Chile that could begin producing doses of the Chinese shot as early as the first half of 2022. Chile a global leader in vaccinating its citizens against the coronavirus has leaned heavily on the Sinovac vaccine in its fastpaced mass vaccination program. The Andean nation also helped spearhead clinical trials of the shot late last year. A delegation of executives from Sinovac this week visited potential sites for the factory near the capital Santiago and in Chiles northern desert. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/chinas-sinovac-evaluates-vaccine-plant-in-chile/ar-AAMusgR 25th Jul 2021

Why it may be a 'grave mistake' for FDA to wait much longer for full COVID-19 vaccine approval

Yahoo News Zeynep Tufecki a sociologist who has written extensively on COVID19 throughout the pandemic is a proponent of broadening vaccine mandates in the United States citing precedent in the healthcare sector the military and schools. Kentucky she notes in a piece published Saturday in The New York Times requires anyone working in a longterm care facility to be vaccinated against the flu and pneumococcal disease unless they have a medical or religious exemption Brown Universitys Dr. Ashish Jha another prominent voice during the pandemic also pointed to flu vaccine mandates in nursing homes as a reason to implement them for the coronavirus. But Tufecki acknowledged that the fact that the FDA has still not granted full authorization for the PfizerBioNTech Moderna and Johnson Johnson vaccines is an obstacle to imposing such requirements. https://news.yahoo.com/why-may-grave-mistake-fda-185000105.html 25th Jul 2021

Indonesia's Bali running out of oxygen as government ponders curbs

Reuters The Indonesian island of Bali is running out of oxygen for its COVID19 patients as infections surge the chief of its health agency said as Southeast Asias biggest country struggles with the regions worst COVID epidemic. Bali famous for its tourist beaches and temples along with the main island of Java and 15 other regions are under tight coronavirus restrictions due to expire on Sunday. The government is debating whether to extend them or not. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesias-bali-running-out-oxygen-government-ponders-curbs-2021-07-24/ 24th Jul 2021

'Get your freedom back': England manager Gareth Southgate urges young people to get Covid vaccines so we can 'open up' - with two thirds of 18-29s still to get first dose

Daily Mail England manager Gareth Southgate 50 told young people to get vaccine done He said the vaccination programme is our best route out of the Covid pandemic The heartfelt plea comes weeks after his England side lost the Euro 2020 final https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9820059/Get-freedom-England-manager-Gareth-Southgate-urges-young-people-Covid-vaccines.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailUK 23rd Jul 2021

France Mandates Vaccine Passport To Visit Eiffel Tower, Other Tourist Sites—And Restaurants Are Next

Forbes No sooner had the Eiffel Tower reopened to the public than a new hoop materialized through which tourists must jump if they want to visit the iconic Paris landmark. In a new initiative to fight what the French government calls a stratospheric rise in delta variant infections individuals must download and use a digital Covid pass to enter French museums movie theaters sports venues festivals top tourist attractions and more. A government mandate to use le pass sanitaire or health pass took effect yesterday at cultural and tourist sites across France as well as all events or places with more than 50 people. Visitors who turned up at the Eiffel Tower without proof of vaccination were offered onthespot Covid tests. https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2021/07/22/france-vaccine-passport-eiffel-tower-museums-restaurants/?sh=3bb7d7a36b6a&amputm_source=ForbesMainTwitter&amputm_campaign=socialflowForbesMainTwitter&amputm_medium=social 24th Jul 2021

Ministers plan for new restrictions within weeks as Covid rates in young adults hit record level

The Independent The coronavirus infection rate in young people has reached the highest for any age group since the pandemic began as the government drafts contingency plans to bring back restrictions within weeks. In the seven days before Covid restrictions were lifted 1154.7 infections per 100000 people were recorded among those aged 20 to 29 according to Public Health England with cases rising across every age group and region of the country. Weekly hospitalisations are also at their highest since early March. Officials in the Covid19 taskforce have been drawing up proposals that could see baseline measures such as maskwearing social distancing and guidance on working from home reintroduced in England by next month. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/covid-restrictions-cases-deaths-latest-uk-b1888037.html 24th Jul 2021

Large events such as Premier League matches could be open only to the fully-vaccinated

Sky News Large events such as Premier League games could be open only to fully vaccinated people from October under government plans. Talks are under way with the Premier League to discuss whether supporters who have not received both jabs could be barred from entry according to the PA news agency. The rule could also be used for lower divisions and other sports and for seated events with a capacity of more than 20000 people. https://news.sky.com/story/large-events-such-as-premier-league-matches-could-be-open-only-to-the-fully-vaccinated-12363347 25th Jul 2021

Covid-19: Children with special educational needs 'forgotten' during pandemic

BBC News Families of children with special educational needs and disabilities SEND felt they were forgotten in the response to the Covid19 pandemic. That is according to a report from the National Childrens Bureau NCB in Northern Ireland. Some families felt Covid19 was used as an excuse by some agencies not to provide services or to limit services. Some parents have previously said their children had regressed due to the withdrawal of services in lockdown. Disabled people across the UK also spoke about the devastating impact the pandemic had on their lives. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-57948640 25th Jul 2021

Hungary to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for healthcare workers -PM

Reuters Hungarys government has decided to make COVID19 vaccinations mandatory for healthcare workers as part of efforts to contain the pandemic Prime Minister Viktor Orban told public radio on Friday. Already there are certain vaccines that are mandatory for people working in the healthcare sector ... we have now extended this to the coronavirus Orban said.. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/hungary-make-covid-19-vaccinations-mandatory-healthcare-workers-pm-2021-07-23/ 23rd Jul 2021

‘Everything pointing to’ need for a third Covid-19 vaccine dose, says Spanish health minister

EL PAS in English Speaking during a Onda Cero radio interview Carolina Darias went further than the official position of regulatory agencies and scientists also predicting the need for yearly boosters https://english.elpais.com/society/2021-07-23/everything-pointing-to-need-for-a-third-covid-19-vaccine-dose-says-spanish-health-minister.html 23rd Jul 2021

Italy imposes ‘green pass’ restrictions on unvaccinated people

The Guardian The Italian prime minister Mario Draghi has urged all Italians to get Covid19 jabs after his government approved restrictions on unvaccinated citizens as it scrambles to contain a resurgence of infections. Draghi told a press conference that the country needed to act quickly to avoid the kind of infection levels that are being seen in the UK and elsewhere in Europe as well as to protect the economy. From 6 August entry to stadiums museums theatres cinemas exhibition centres swimming pools and gyms will only be allowed upon presentation of a green pass. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/22/italy-covid-19-green-pass-vaccinations-restrictions 23rd Jul 2021

‘Not Out of the Woods’: C.D.C. Issues Warning to the Unvaccinated

The New York Times The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Thursday that the United States was not out of the woods yet on the pandemic and was once again at a pivotal point as the highly infectious Delta variant ripped through unvaccinated communities. Just weeks after President Biden threw a Fourth of July party on the South Lawn of the White House to declare independence from the virus the director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky called the now dominant variant one of the most infectious respiratory viruses known to scientists. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/22/us/politics/cdc-delta-variant.html?action=click&ampmodule=Top%20Stories&amppgtype=Homepage 23rd Jul 2021

COVID-19: Reopening nightclubs 'immoral and unethical', warns Independent SAGE expert

Sky News Reopening nightclubs is immoral and unethical as it will mean more coronavirus cases hospitalisations and deaths an expert has warned. Public health physician Dr Gabriel Scally who sits on the Independent SAGE panel suggested the government decided to open clubs on 19 July to try to achieve socalled herd immunity by more people getting infected. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-reopening-nightclubs-immoral-and-unethical-warns-independent-sage-expert-12362933 24th Jul 2021

Australia's Lorna Jane activewear fined $4 m for misleading COVID-19 claims

Reuters Athleisure clothing chain Lorna Jane Pty Ltd was fined A5 million 3.7 million by an Australian court on Friday after claiming its garments could prevent COVID19 which a judge labelled as exploitative predatory and potentially dangerous https://www.reuters.com/business/australias-lorna-jane-activewear-fined-4-m-misleading-covid-19-claims-2021-07-23/ 23rd Jul 2021

U.S. talk radio host with COVID-19 regrets vaccine hesitancy

The Globe and Mail A conservative talk radio host from Tennessee who had been a vaccine skeptic until he was hospitalized from COVID19 now says his listeners should get vaccinated. Phil Valentines brother Mark Valentine spoke at length on WWTNFM in Nashville on Thursday about his brothers condition saying he is in a critical care unit on supplemental oxygen but not on a ventilator. Phil Valentine has had an afternoon talk radio show on the station for years. First of all hes regretful that he wasnt a more vocal advocate of the vaccination Mark Valentine said of his brother. For those listening I know if he were able to tell you this he would tell you Go get vaccinated. Quit worrying about the politics. Quit worrying about all the conspiracy theories. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-us-talk-radio-host-with-covid-19-regrets-vaccine-hesitancy/ 23rd Jul 2021

‘People are dying who did not have to die’: anger grows in Guatemala as Covid surges

The Guardian The pandemic is at its worst moment yet in Guatemala and discontent is growing. New cases have been spiking hospitals are saturated and the vaccination rate is among the very lowest in all of the Americas. Only 1.6 of the population is fully vaccinated and confirmed Covid19 deaths surpassed 10000 this week. While prosecutors investigate alleged corruption related to test and vaccine procurement activists and opposition parties are calling for the president to resign. Throughout this whole disastrous situation corruption has been the constant said doctor Zulma Caldern health defender at the Human Rights Ombudsmans Office an autonomous state institution. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jul/25/guatemala-covid-coronavirus-anger-president?utm_term=Autofeed&ampCMP=twt_b-gdnnews&amputm_medium=Social&amputm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1627204452 25th Jul 2021

Reluctance and distrust define vaccine attitudes in Gaza

Al Jazeera English More than five months since the arrival of the first batch of COVID19 jabs in the Gaza Strip the vaccine rollout in the besieged coastal enclave has been met with general distrust and in many cases outright refusal. According to data from Gazas health ministry some 98000 people or just less than five percent of the two million population have so far received a shot. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/23/reluctance-and-distrust-defome-vaccine-attitudes-in-gaza 23rd Jul 2021

White House blames Facebook and YouTube for spreading vaccine misinformation

Reuters The White House has YouTube not just Facebook on its list of social media platforms officials say are responsible for an alarming spread of misinformation about COVID vaccines and are not doing enough to stop it sources familiar with the administrations thinking said. https://www.reuters.com/technology/white-house-sees-youtube-facebook-judge-jury-executioner-vaccine-misinformation-2021-07-23/ 23rd Jul 2021

French protesters march against vaccine mandates and passes

CBS News Some 160000 people including farright activists and members of Frances yellow vest movement protested Saturday across the country against a bill requiring everyone to have a special virus pass to enter restaurants and mandating COVID19 vaccinations for all health care workers. Similar protests were held in neighboring Italy. Police fired water cannons and tear gas on rowdy protesters in Paris although most gatherings were orderly. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/france-protest-covid-virus-pass-vaccine/ 25th Jul 2021

Vietnam's biggest cities tighten restrictions as COVID-19 cases surge

Reuters Vietnam will extend a lockdown in Ho Chi Minh City until Aug. 1 and impose stricter restrictions in the capital Hanoi from Saturday as the Southeast Asian country battles its worst wave of COVID19 infections. After successfully containing the virus for much of the pandemic Vietnam has been facing a complicated outbreak of the virus with southern business hub Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding provinces accounting for most new infections. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vietnams-ho-chi-minh-city-extends-virus-lockdown-aug-1-2021-07-23/ 23rd Jul 2021

PHE upgrade Delta variant’s risk level due to reinfection risk

The Guardian Public Health England has upgraded its risk assessment of the Delta variant after national testing data revealed it is more likely to cause reinfections than the Alpha variant which was first identified in Kent. The health agencys analysis found the risk of reinfection with Delta may be 46 greater than with the Alpha variant with the highest risk seen six months after a first infection when second cases caused by Delta were 2.37 times more common than with Alpha. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/23/phe-upgrade-delta-variants-risk-level-due-to-reinfection-risk 23rd Jul 2021

AstraZeneca scours supply chain for more vaccine doses for Thailand, SE Asia

Reuters AstraZeneca Plc is scouring its global supply chain to try and boost COVID19 vaccine supplies to Thailand and Southeast Asia its representative for the country said on Saturday amidst speculations of local production shortfalls. https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/astrazeneca-scours-supply-chain-more-065430842.html 24th Jul 2021

Indian Delta variant surge is projected to peak in mid-October with up to 240K infections daily

Daily Mail Concerns are rising about the highly infectious Delta variant as it races across the United States. A mathematical model predicts a new peak in October that could approach the highs in January. On the worst end of the projection new cases could hit 240000 a day and daily deaths could top 4000. The sevenday average of daily new cases in the US has risen 166 in the past two weeks. Epidemiologist says that Delta is 200 more contagious than the original virus first identified in China. Delta now accounts for more than 82 of all new US cases and will soon make up nearly all cases. Even as virus surges some states are moving to withhold daily numbers and only report weekly https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9821491/Indian-Delta-variant-surge-projected-peak-mid-October-240K-infections-daily.html 25th Jul 2021

J&J’s COVID-19 shot scores safety backing from CDC experts but booster need left for FDA

Fierce Pharma Johnson Johnsons COVID19 vaccine presents greater benefits than it does safety risks especially amid the quickly spreading Delta variant a key CDC expert panel decided. However the panel said that a ruling over the need for a booster added to all COVID shots will have to start with the FDA. The CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices ACIP decision came after an hourslong discussion over a handful of GuillainBarr syndrome cases reported after JJs jab. The independent group of experts were also tasked with reviewing the need for booster shots specifically for people with compromised immune systems. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/j-j-s-covid-19-shot-scores-safety-backing-from-cdc-experts-but-need-for-boosters-left 23rd Jul 2021

Eight-week gap between first and second Pfizer vaccine doses ‘a sweet spot’

ITV News An eightweek gap between the first and second doses of the PfizerBioNTech Covid19 vaccine is a sweet spot when it comes to generating a strong immune response while protecting the UK population against the Delta variant of coronavirus scientists have said. In a new study funded by the Department of Health and Social Care DHSC researchers have found that when compared to a fourweek gap a 10week interval between the doses produces higher antibody levels as well as a higher proportion of a group of infectionfighting cells in the body known as helper T cells. However when all the pros and cons are taken into consideration such as soaring cases of the Delta variant and society opening up eight weeks is the optimum interval. https://www.itv.com/news/2021-07-23/eight-week-gap-between-first-and-second-pfizer-vaccine-doses-a-sweet-spot 23rd Jul 2021

EU regulator endorses use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine in teens

Reuters Europes medicines regulator on Friday recommended approving the use of Modernas MRNA.O COVID19 vaccine in 12 to 17year olds paving the way for it to become the second shot okayed for adolescent use in the bloc. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/eu-regulator-endorses-use-moderna-covid-19-vaccine-teens-2021-07-23/ 23rd Jul 2021

COVID-19: Daily tests could be as effective in controlling transmission as isolation, study says

Sky News Daily testing of pupils who have been exposed to COVID19 could be just as effective as isolating groups according to a study. Research by the University of Oxford found that testing as an alternative to the 10day isolation policy currently used can reduce COVIDrelated school absences by 39. Around 200 secondary schools and colleges in England took part in the trial with one group isolating for 10 days and the other taking rapid lateral flow tests for seven days. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-daily-tests-could-be-as-effective-in-controlling-transmission-as-isolation-study-says-12361740?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter 23rd Jul 2021

Now PHE spots another variant: 16 Brits have tested positive for 'Colombian' strain

Daily Mail In the UK 16 people have tested positive for a Covid variant called B.1.621. It is thought to have originated in Colombia and has mutations of concern. But there is no proof it is deadlier or makes vaccines less effective PHE said https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9818687/Now-PHE-spots-variant-16-Brits-tested-positive-Colombian-strain.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailUK 23rd Jul 2021

Covid-19: One in 75 people has virus in England- ONS

BBC News The UK has reported 36389 new coronavirus infections and a further 64 deaths within 28 days of a positive test earlier data showed infections still rising in the UK with community swab tests in England show one in every 75 people has the virus https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-57939401 23rd Jul 2021

New Zealand Suspends Travel Bubble With Australia As Sydney COVID-19 Cluster Grows

NPR New Zealand on Friday suspended its quarantinefree travel bubble with Australia for at least eight weeks due to a growing COVID19 cluster in Sydney. New Zealand recently imposed quarantine restrictions on travelers from New South Wales Victoria and South Australia states where lockdowns have been introduced to contain delta variant clusters. https://www.npr.org/2021/07/23/1019670316/new-zealand-australia-travel-bubble-covid-cluster-sydney 23rd Jul 2021

Vaccinated people make up 75% of recent COVID-19 cases in Singapore, but few fall ill

Reuters Vaccinated individuals accounted for threequarters of Singapores COVID19 infections in the last four weeks but they were not falling seriously ill government data showed as a rapid rampup in inoculations leaves fewer people unvaccinated. While the data shows that vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe cases it also underscores the risk that even those inoculated could be contagious so that inoculation alone may not suffice to halt transmission. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vaccinated-people-singapore-make-up-three-quarters-recent-covid-19-cases-2021-07-23/ 23rd Jul 2021

Three states are seeing about 40% of the country's new Covid-19 cases

CNN This week just three states Florida Texas and Missouri three states with lower vaccination rates accounted for 40 percent of all cases nationwide Zients said at a White House news conference. For the second week in a row one in five of all cases occurring in Florida alone. And within communities these cases are primarily among unvaccinated people. But Florida is one of five states with the highest case rates that had a higher rate of people getting vaccinated compared to the national average he said. https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/22/health/us-coronavirus-thursday/index.html 23rd Jul 2021

Covid-19: 'More than 60% admitted to hospital not vaccinated'

BBC News More than 60 of people admitted to hospital in Belfast in recent weeks due to Covid19 have not been vaccinated according to the medical director of the Belfast Trust. Chris Hagan explained that there were also rising numbers of young patients in the 2039 age group. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-57940347?at_medium=custom7&ampat_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&ampat_campaign=64&ampat_custom2=twitter&ampat_custom4=0672C2C8-EB8C-11EB-A7A1-C3AB4744363C 23rd Jul 2021

Covid cases are set to start rising exponentially again within days, warn experts after hopes were raised by first drop in two months

Daily Mail Todays case numbers mark a 17.8 drop on the number last Thursday and first time theyve fallen since May. Another 84 victims announced and 788 hospital admissions with both up by roughly a third on last Thursday. But experts said while drop in cases is positive it doent take into account effects of ending curbs on July 19. Professor Paul Hunter an epidemiologist said we could see return to exponential growth by end of next week https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9815661/Britains-daily-Covid-cases-rising-exponentially-DAYS-professor-warns.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailUK 23rd Jul 2021

Turkey's daily coronavirus cases jump to 11094, highest since May

Reuters Turkeys new coronavirus cases climbed above 10000 for the first time since midMay on Friday and hit a level of 11094 according to health ministry data which also showed 60 people died due to COVID19. If you want tomorrow to be better than today comply with the measures. Get vaccinated Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter as he released the data. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-daily-coronavirus-cases-jump-11094-highest-since-may-2021-07-23/ 23rd Jul 2021

Bangladesh reenters 2-week strict COVID-19 lockdown

Xinhua Starting Friday morning Bangladesh entered its most severe nationwide lockdown to curb the rampant spread of COVID19. Authorities decided to impose the strict lockdown from July 23 to Aug. 5 after relaxing restrictions for a week on the occasion of Eid alAdha festival which was celebrated here Wednesday. None will be allowed outdoors unless it is urgent a police officer said Friday at a makeshift checkpoint in capital Dhaka as members of the law enforcement agencies including army troopers returned to the streets to prevent peoples movements http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/2021-07/23/c_1310081321.htm 23rd Jul 2021

COVID 'the straw that broke the camel's back': Big increase in alcoholic liver disease deaths during pandemic

Sky News Deaths from alcoholic liver disease increased by an unprecedented 21 during the first year of the pandemic compared with 2.9 between 2018 and 2019. Sky News speaks to someone who lost her sister to the disease as well as a recovering alcoholic who had to have a liver transplant. After years of drinking Martin Rhodes will be 11 years sober on 7 September. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-the-straw-that-broke-the-camels-back-big-increase-in-alcoholic-liver-disease-deaths-during-pandemic-12363309 25th Jul 2021