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Latest coronavirus news from 4 a.m. on January 4th
England expects restrictions to tighten and Scotland announces national lockdown
Much of the UK is facing new lockdown measures as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there was “no question” that restrictions will be tightened in England and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced one strict new lockdown in Scotland from midnight on January 5th. Johnson is expected to announce stricter restrictions in England tonight in a television appearance that could include school closings and Tier 4 restrictions across the country. The UK recorded 58,784 new coronavirus cases and 407 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test on Monday. The Joint Biosecurity Center is expected to do this Increase in the country’s Covid-19 threat to 5 – the highest level.
Most Primary schools reopened in England today despite calls from unions and some councils to keep schools closed. Elementary schools in London and the South East of England will be closed until January 18th. Council presidents in many areas, including Manchester and Birmingham, said they would support the decision of school principals who consider it unsafe to reopen their schools.
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First Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccines administered in the UK
An 82-year-old man became the first person to receive the coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford in partnership with AstraZeneca as part of the UK’s mass vaccination program. Brian Pinker received the sting at Churchill Hospital in Oxford and 530,000 cans were ready to use by Monday. AstraZeneca has announced that it will deliver about 2 million doses of the vaccine every week until mid-January in Great Britain.
Other coronavirus news
Coronavirus cases in the UK continue to rise, and concerns about a variant of the virus first discovered in South Africa are growing. “I am incredibly concerned about the South African variant and that is why we have taken the steps we have been taking to restrict all flights from South Africa,” said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said BBC Radio. “It’s even more problematic than the new variant in the UK,” he said. John Bell at Oxford University he said telegraph There was a “big question” as to whether existing vaccines would be effective against the South African strain that contains mutations that affect part of the virus recognized by antibodies. However, he added that it should be possible to quickly manufacture new vaccines if this or a future variant of the coronavirus emerges that is resistant to the current ones. “It can be a month or six weeks before a new vaccine is available. Therefore everyone should stay calm. It’ll be fine, ”he said. “We’re going to play cat and mouse now because these aren’t the only two variations we’ll see. We’ll see a lot of variations.”
India approved two emergency coronavirus vaccines on Sunday, including the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine and a vaccine called Covaxin, which is being developed by Indian company Bharat Biotech. Gagandeep Kang from Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, spoke Concerns about India’s approval of Covaxin, as phase III studies with the vaccine have not yet been completed. Kang he said Indian times newspaper that she “has never seen anything like it” adding that “there is absolutely no efficacy data presented or published”.
Coronavirus deaths
The global Covid-19 death toll has exceeded 1.84 million. The number of confirmed cases is loud. More than 85.2 million Johns Hopkins Universityalthough the true number of cases will be much higher.
Latest information on the coronavirus from New Scientist
Inaccessible vaccines: Many African countries applied for Covid-19 vaccines as part of the COVAX initiative, but lack of funding could mean that they do not have enough vaccines to achieve herd immunity by 2024.
The bigger emergency: We all hope that 2021 will be the end of the pandemic. How we restart the world after Covid-19 will help shape our destiny as even bigger emergency looms – as dangerous climate change.
Important information about the coronavirus
Everything you need to know about the pandemic
Where did the coronavirus come from? And other Covid-19 questions were answered
What is covid-19?
You could be spreading the coronavirus without realizing you have it
Which Covid-19 treatments work and how close are we to achieving more?
What does it take to bring a Covid-19 vaccine into the world?
What to read, see and hear about coronavirus
Panorama: The race for a vaccine is a BBC documentary about the inside story of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine development against Covid-19.
Race against the virus: chasing a vaccine is a Channel 4 documentary that tells the story of the coronavirus pandemic through the eyes of frontline scientists.
The New York Times evaluates the progress of various vaccine candidates and potential drug treatments for Covid-19 and rates them for effectiveness and safety.
People from COVID-19 is a project shedding light on the experiences of key frontline workers in the UK’s fight against coronavirus through social media.
Belly Mujinga: In Search of Truth is a BBC Panoramic investigation into the death of Covid-19 transport worker Belly Mujinga after being reported coughed and spat on by a customer at London’s Victoria Station.
Coronavirus, explained on Netflix is a short documentary series that explores the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, efforts to fight it, and ways to manage mental health.
New Scientist Weekly provides updates and analysis on the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic. Every week on our podcast, specialist journalists from the magazine discuss the biggest scientific stories that hit the headlines – from technology and space to health and the environment.
COVID-19: The Pandemic That Should Never Have Happened And How To Stop The Next One by Debora Mackenzie is about how the pandemic happened and why it will happen again if we don’t do things differently in the future.
The rules of contagion is about the new science of contagion and the surprising forms of our life and behavior. The author Adam Kucharski is an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK. In his book, he examines how diseases spread and why they stop.
Previous updates
TOLGA AKMEN / AFP via Getty Images
December 17th
Regions in the east and south-east of England will be subject to tier three rules starting Saturday
Almost 70 percent of the English population will live under strict Tier 3 coronavirus rules from Saturday “The pressure on the NHS remains,” said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Thursday. Regions in the east and south-east of the country, including Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Hertfordshire, will move to third tier on Saturday, December 19, one minute after midnight, as will parts of Surrey, East Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire. “I know Tier 3 measures are difficult, but the best way for anyone to get out of them is to band together, not just follow the rules but do whatever it takes to stop the virus from spreading” so Hancock told Parliament. As of Saturday, 38 million people will be living in Tier 3 in the country, including other parts of England that are already subject to Tier 3 rules.
Hancock said cases in the south-east of England rose 46 percent in one week, with hospital admissions increasing by more than a third, while cases in the east of England rose two-thirds in one week and hospital admissions rose by almost half gone up. He also announced that Bristol and North Somerset could move up to the second tier and Herefordshire to the first tier on Saturday. “I think this is a wise precaution – to dampen virus transmission in the run-up to the 5-day Christmas break – and then limit the wider virus transmission that results from that break,” said Julian Tang of the University of Leicester, UK, in a Explanation.
Yesterday the British, Scottish and Welsh Governments had one joint declaration with advice on household mix for Christmas. “The safest way to spend Christmas is with your own household or existing support bubble in your own home – and we strongly recommend that you do so, if you can,” the statement said. It was also stressed that “the scientific advice is clear: the longer you hang out with others, the higher the risk you are of contracting the virus and spreading it” and that “if you intend to create a bubble, you should You keep the bubble small and your visits short “.
Other coronavirus news
Two Healthcare workers in Alaska developed allergic reactions after receiving the coronavirus vaccine developed by US company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, including a woman who had no history of allergies to vaccines and was hospitalized. Both people received treatment and have recovered. The woman’s reaction appears to be similar to the allergic reactions seen by two health care workers who were vaccinated in the UK last week. Following the two allergic reactions in the UK, officials from the US Food and Drug Administration said they would ask Pfizer to monitor severe allergic reactions and submit data on them later.
French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for the coronavirus. In a statement, the Élysée Palace said Macron would “self-isolate for seven days under the health protocol that applies to everyone” and continue to work remotely.
Coronavirus deaths
The global Covid-19 death toll has exceeded 1.65 million. The number of confirmed cases is loud. More than 74.4 million Johns Hopkins Universityalthough the true number of cases will be much higher.
Latest information on coronavirus from New Scientist
Permanent immunity: We are gradually getting answers to the big questions about immunity to Covid-19, e.g. For example, how long it takes, whether people can be re-infected, and whether vaccines stop transmission.
Coronavirus year in review: In an exceptional year for science, research on Covid-19 has shed bright light on the unknown.
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