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Current coronavirus news from 6 p.m. on January 18th
People over 70 and clinically at risk are the next to line up for Covid-19 vaccines in the UK
People in the four UK countries aged 70 and over, as well as those at high clinical risk in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, will do so Receive invitations to vaccinate against covid-19 this week. “Today is a significant milestone in our vaccination program as we make it accessible to millions of people who are most at risk from Covid-19,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in one Explanation On Monday. “We still have a long way to go and challenges will no doubt lie ahead – but by working together we are making tremendous strides in the fight against this virus,” he said. People in the top two priority groups, which include nursing home residents and employees, those aged 80 and over, and frontline health and care workers, will continue to be prioritized first. That is true recommendations British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said this from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization. “If an area has already reached the vast majority of Groups 1-2, the program can now be opened to Groups 3-4,” Hancock said.
over 3.8 million people have received a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine so far in the UK. Nadhim Zahawi, the British minister responsible for introducing Covid-19 vaccines, told the BBC breakfast show that he believed that restrictions in England could be gradually relaxed, possibly two to three weeks after vaccination of people in the most vulnerable groups. However, he said it will depend on what we learn about the vaccine’s impact on coronavirus transmission: it’s still not clear whether vaccination will prevent people from passing the infection on to others.
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Meanwhile hospitals in England stay under pressure The admission of patients with Covid-19 and the number of patients requiring mechanical ventilation continue to increase. The latest figures from NHS England show that 10 out of 140 hospital trusts were at full capacity for the week ending January 10, up from four the week before.
Other coronavirus news
Straight 25 Covid-19 vaccine doses were given in low-income countries, compared to 39 million doses given to people in more affluent countries, according to World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described it as a “catastrophic moral failure”. All 25 doses were given in Guinea, the only low-income country to have given Covid-19 shocks to date. “It is not right for younger, healthier adults in rich countries to be vaccinated in front of health workers and older people in poorer countries,” he said at a meeting of the WHO Executive Board on Monday.
It is It is unlikely that Australia will fully open its borders in 2021According to Australian Health Minister Brendan Murphy, the majority of the population will be vaccinated against Covid-19. “I think we’ll be driving with significant border restrictions for most of this year,” Murphy told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday. “Even if a large part of the population is vaccinated, we don’t know if it will prevent the virus from being transmitted.” Quarantine requirements for travelers to Australia are also likely to remain in place for some time, he said.
Coronavirus deaths
The global death toll from Covid-19 has exceeded 2.03 million. The number of confirmed cases is loud. More than 95.1 million Johns Hopkins Universityalthough the true number of cases will be much higher.
Latest information on the coronavirus from New Scientist
Vaccine dates: The race to vaccinate as many people as possible against Covid-19 is on, but if countries don’t track who gets the vaccine, we can’t ensure the benefits are shared fairly, Layal Liverpool says.
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 even 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
The New York Times tracks the occupancy of hospital beds in England in an interactive graphic.
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 Victoria Station, London.
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
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP via Getty Images
15. January
Concern about new coronavirus variants detected in travelers from Brazil is growing
Travelers from countries in South America as well as from Portugal, Cape Verde and Panama are now Entry into Great Britain prohibited amid growing concerns about a new variant of the coronavirus first identified in people traveling to Japan from Brazil. The ban went into effect on Friday at 4:00 a.m. GMT. As with the other coronavirus variants identified in the UK and South AfricaThe new variant contains mutations in the coronavirus spike protein, which the virus uses to enter human cells. Both of these new variants are highly transferable, which has raised concerns that the variant, first found among travelers from Brazil to Japan, could also spread rapidly.
UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told BBC Radio 4 on Friday that the worrying variant does not “as far as we know” exist in the UK. In the Brazilian state of Amazonas, where the new variant is believed to have appeared for the first time, Hospitals are overwhelmed. There has been an increase in coronavirus cases and deaths in the city of Manaus. Severe oxygen starvation has been reported in some of the city’s hospitals. “There is no oxygen and a lot of people are dying,” a local health worker said on a video posted on twitter. “If someone has oxygen, please take them to the clinic. So many people die. “
Other coronavirus news
Some are seriously ill Covid-19 patients moved from hospitals in London to Newcastlebecause the intensive care units in London are running out of capacity. “Moving ICU patients long distances across the country is a clear indicator that the NHS in London has been overwhelmed by covid-19,” said Lucy Watson, Chair of the Patients Association Guardian. “At such a troubling and frightening time, the role of family liaison officers in maintaining contact between patients, their families and clinicians becomes even more important,” said Watson. “This is especially true for those whose loved ones die far away.”
Pfizer will be temporary Reduce shipments of its Covid-19 vaccine to Europe, developed in collaboration with BioNTech while upgrades are being made to increase production capacity. “We expected 43,875 doses of Pfizer vaccine in Week 3 (next week). Now we seem to be getting 36,075 doses, ”said the Norwegian Institute for Public Health (FHI) Reuters on Friday. “This temporary reduction will affect all European countries,” the FHI said, adding that it is currently unclear when Pfizer will return to maximum production capacity. Lots The nations of the European Union have complained that they receive fewer deliveries than expected.
China is Construction of a medical isolation center in Hebei Province to contain a new Covid-19 outbreak. The center is expected to provide space for 3,000 temporary wards with a capacity of several thousand people. China reported the highest daily surge in coronavirus cases in more than 10 months with 144 new cases on Friday. More than 28 million people are living under new lockdowns in Hebei and Heilongjiang provinces.
Coronavirus deaths
The global death toll from Covid-19 has exceeded 1.99 million. The number of confirmed cases is loud. More than 93.2 million Johns Hopkins Universityalthough the true number of cases will be much higher.
Mark Thomas / Shutterstock
January 14th
Record number of people waiting for non-covid-19 NHS treatment in England
The coronavirus pandemic has one “Catastrophic Effects” on Other Medical Treatments In England, the President of the Royal College of Surgeons Neil Mortensen said when data released by NHS England showed that millions of people were waiting for hospital treatment unrelated to Covid-19. Approximately 4.46 million people waited to start hospital treatment in England last November. This was the highest number ever recorded. “If we ever come out of this crisis, we will need sustained investment to treat all those who have been patiently waiting for treatment,” said Mortensen. The numbers from NHS England show this too 192,169 of these people had waited 52 weeks or more by November 2020 compared to only 1,400 people in the previous year.
Other coronavirus news
The majority of the people who have had Covid-19 and have recovered are protected from getting it again for at least five months according to a study of public health workers from Public Health England. in the Public Health England’s SIREN StudyBetween June 18 and November 24, 20,787 healthcare workers were regularly tested for the coronavirus. Those who tested positive for coronavirus antibodies at the start of the study – 6,614 of the participants – had an 83 percent lower risk of re-infection than those who tested negative at the start.
A The World Health Organization team has arrived in Wuhan, China, where the causes of the coronavirus pandemic are being investigated. China has its on Thursday first death from covid-19 since May 2020 in Hebei Province. The area is experiencing a new outbreak and tens of millions of people are newly locked.
UK Ministers are expected to: a Travel ban from Brazilfollowing the discovery of a new variant of coronavirus in people traveling from Brazil to Japan.
Coronavirus deaths
The global Covid-19 death toll has exceeded 1.98 million. The number of confirmed cases is loud. More than 92.5 million Johns Hopkins Universityalthough the true number of cases will be much higher.
Latest information on the coronavirus from New Scientist
Vaccination surge: Having a positive outlook, even on the day you receive a vaccine, and having strong social ties and happy relationships can help increase the levels of antibodies made in response to a shot.
REUTERS / Hannah McKay
13th January
British reports recorded 1,564 deaths in a single day
The United Kingdom reported 1,564 deaths from Covid-19 Within 28 days of a positive test on Wednesday, that was the highest daily increase since the pandemic began. The country also reported 47,525 new coronavirus cases. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the The government plans to open Covid-19 vaccination centers around the clock “as soon as we can”. “We have a huge network of 233 hospitals, 1,000 general practitioners, 200 pharmacies and 50 mass vaccination centers […] exceptionally fast, ”he told Parliament on Wednesday. “At the moment the limit is available.” On Tuesday 223,726 people received a dose of Covid-19 vaccinefrom 165,844 on Monday.
Thousands of hospital patients in England could be released early and sent to hotels In order to release beds for seriously ill Covid-19 patients, the Guardian reported. Some Covid-19 patients could be discharged straight from hospitals to nursing homes without a negative test if they were isolated for 14 days and showed no new symptoms. “This is a dire situation in which the NHS often doesn’t have good options. Early discharge of patients from the hospital is likely one of the few options the NHS has to address the magnitude of current needs, ”said Lucy Watson, chairwoman of the patients’ association Guardian.
Other coronavirus news
The USA recorded 4,327 deaths from covid-19 on Tuesday, the country’s highest daily surge since the pandemic began. On the same day, US officials recommended the states extend vaccination eligibility for people aged 65 and over with chronic diseases that make them more susceptible to Covid-19.
China saw his largest daily increase in coronavirus cases in more than five months on Tuesday. On January 12, 115 new confirmed cases were reported in the mainland – the largest daily increase since July 30, according to the National Health Commission.
There is Concerns about a new variant of the coronavirus first discovered in people traveling to Japan from Brazil. Boris Johnson said he was concerned about the variant and that steps were being taken to protect the country from new infections from abroad. The new variant differs from the highly transferable variants identified in the UK and South Africa.
The Israeli Ministry of Health reported that initial data point to the vaccine developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech reduces infections by 50 percent after 14 days. Israel has vaccinated nearly 2 million people so far – about 20 percent of the country’s population.
Coronavirus deaths
The global Covid-19 death toll has exceeded 1.96 million. The number of confirmed cases is loud. More than 91.8 million Johns Hopkins Universityalthough the true number of cases will be much higher.
Latest information on the coronavirus from New Scientist
UK variant: The faster-spreading coronavirus variant identified for the first time in Great Britain has officially reached nine US states and could soon lead to a massive increase in Covid-19 cases, which makes the increase seem minimal after the holiday, warned an expert.
Delay in vaccine doses: To quickly vaccinate more people, the UK is making people wait up to three months for a booster shot instead of the few weeks studies tested. Here’s what the evidence says about the situation.
Victoria Jones / PA Images
January 12th
The pandemic caused the UK death toll to rise to its highest level since World War II
Britain saw the largest increase in deaths in the country since 1940 during World War II. Last year there was approximately 697,000 deaths in the UKalmost 91,000 more than expected over the last five years. This doesn’t take into account the impact of the deaths in December 2020 as the numbers are only available through November. “Britain has one of the highest death rates in the world, with more deaths per million people than most other European countries or the US,” Richard Murray, executive director of the King’s Fund’s Health Charity, told the BBC. “It will take a public investigation to determine exactly what went wrong, but mistakes were made.”
Other coronavirus news
Despite record numbers of people in hospitals in England, the pressure is on the NHS can’t peak until next month, MPs were told. This is because the infection rate won’t drop as quickly as it did after the initial lockdown in March. “Because of the increased portability of the new strain, it will decrease more slowly,” said Chris Hopson, executive director of NHS Providers, which represents all NHS trusts in England. Hopson was referring to that highly transferable variant B.1.1.7, first identified in the UK in September. “It now looks like the peak of NHS demand may actually be February,” he said. “If that’s true, it basically means the NHS is at a higher level and longer under pressure than we expected a week ago.”
Germany’s lockdown could take another eight to 10 weeksas concerns grow over the spread of the British variant in the country.
Israel can start vaccinating children over 12 years of age against covid-19 within the next two months, if pharmacological testing shows it is safe, a local health official said.
David Attenborough was vaccinated against covid-19. The natural historian and television presenter is 94 years old.
Coronavirus deaths
The global death toll from Covid-19 has exceeded 1.95 million. The number of confirmed cases is loud Johns Hopkins Universityalthough the true number of cases will be much higher.
Latest information on the coronavirus from New Scientist
British variant spreads: Australian authorities have reacted quickly to contain potential outbreaks of a highly communicable variant of coronavirus. The more contagious variant B.1.1.7, which was first sequenced in the UK in September, has now reached at least 45 countries.
Missing vaccine data: Demographic data on vaccination programs could indicate problems early on. So far, no ethnicity figures have been published in England, although people of Black, Asian and Ethnic Background (BAME) are at higher risk from Covid-19.
SIMON DAWSON / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
11th January
Hospitals in England are struggling to cope with a growing number of Covid-19 patients
England’s chief physician on Monday issued a sharp warning about what the country can expect in the coming weeks and urged people to avoid any unnecessary contact with others. “The next few weeks will be the worst weeks of this pandemic in terms of NHS membership,” Chris Whitty told the BBC. He said there were more than 30,000 people living in hospitals with Covid-19 in England, compared to about 18,000 during the peak of the first wave in April last year. Hospitals across the country are taking exceptional measures to deal with the influx of people with Covid-19, including putti Trainees on stations and make nurses responsible for a larger number of patients as usual. The Southend Hospital in England has been forced to reduce oxygen consumption for treating patients since the hospital The oxygen supply has “reached a critical situation”.according to documents from the BBC.
“We really need to double up, that’s everyone’s problem. Any unnecessary contact you have with someone is a potential link in the chain of transmission that leads to a vulnerable person,” said Whitty. “We all, as individuals, must help our NHS and our fellow citizens by minimizing the number of unnecessary contacts we have.”
Other coronavirus news
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said 2 million people were vaccinated against covid-19 in the country so far, including about 40 percent of people over 80 and 23 percent of elderly nursing home residents. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock later said 2.3 million people in the country had received 2.6 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine. Britain now has published all the details of his vaccination programincluding his plan to have at least two million vaccinations a week in England by the end of January and to have vaccinated 15 million people by mid-February. “It’s a race against time because we can all see the threat our NHS is facing,” said Johnson.
A highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus first identified in the UK accounted for almost half the most recent sample of positive tests in Ireland according to the local authorities.
Coronavirus deaths
The global death toll from Covid-19 has exceeded 1.93 million. The number of confirmed cases is loud. More than 90.4 million Johns Hopkins Universityalthough the true number of cases will be much higher.
Latest information on the coronavirus from New Scientist
Vaccination target in the UK: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set a goal for February 15 by which 13.9 million vulnerable people are to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Manufacturing, security controls and distribution logistics will make this difficult.
Covid-19 puzzle: The coronavirus is a mystery on many levels, but we know the time to underestimate is over.
Victoria Jones / PA Wire / PA Images
January 8th
London Mayor Sadiq Khan urges Londoners to stay home “to protect our NHS”.
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has a Big event in London in response to rising coronavirus cases and hospital stays in the city. More than 100 firefighters have been drafted to drive ambulances in London to help cope with the increased demand. According to Khan, the London Ambulance Service is currently taking up to 8,000 emergency calls a day, compared to 5500 on a typical busy day. “Londoners continue to make great sacrifices and today I beg them to please stay home unless you absolutely have to go,” said London Mayor Sadiq Khan in one Explanation. “If we don’t take immediate action now, our NHS could be overwhelmed and more people will die. Stay home to protect yourself, your family, friends and other Londoners and protect our NHS, “said Khan. A major incident is an incident that poses a serious threat to the health of the population or causes a significant number or type of casualty for which special precautions must be taken. Serious incidents were previously reported in London because of the fire at Grenfell Tower in 2017 and terrorist attacks on Westminster Bridge and London Bridge.
In London, there are more than 7,000 people in hospital with covid-19, which is more than half of the capital’s occupied beds. The National Statistics Office appreciates this one in 30 people in the whole city had the virus on January 2nd. It is estimated that infections in London, as well as England and the UK overall, are increasing by up to 6 percent daily. The newest all over the UK official estimate of the R number is between 1.0 and 1.4, which means that every 10 infected are infected infect an average from 10 to 14 others.
Other coronavirus news
Provisionally Search suggestions The Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech is effective against the highly transferable new variants of the coronavirus identified in the UK and South Africa. Antibodies isolated from the blood of 20 people who received the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine continued to neutralize viruses that harbored one of the key mutations in laboratory tests. The research has not been peer-reviewed. Concern that Covid-19 vaccines will not work against the variant identified in South Africa initiated the introduction of tests for newcomers from abroad to England and Scotland, according to British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
A The third Covid-19 vaccine has been approved for use in the UK. The UK has ordered an additional 10 million doses of the mRNA vaccine developed by US company Moderna, in addition to 7 million it pre-ordered last year. However, the delivery of the additional cans is unlikely to take place before spring.
More than 4000 people died in the US of covid-19 in a single day for the first time since the pandemic began. According to the COVID Tracking Project, the country recorded 4,033 deaths from Covid-19 on Thursday and topped its previous record of 3,903 deaths on December 30.
Greater Brisbane in Australia was placed under a strict ban after a case of the highly transferable British variant was discovered on Thursday.
Coronavirus deaths
The global death toll from Covid-19 has exceeded 1.90 million. The number of confirmed cases is loud. More than 88.3 million Johns Hopkins Universityalthough the true number of cases will be much higher.
NEIL HALL / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
January 7th
Hospitals in England have cut their services as almost a third of patients have coronavirus
There is 26,467 Covid-19 patients hospitalized in Englandalmost a third of all people in the hospital. Viele Krankenhäuser mussten Routineoperationen absagen, um eine wachsende Anzahl von Menschen mit Covid-19 aufzunehmen. Die BBC berichtete, dass es Anzeichen dafür gibt, dass dies auch für die Krebsbehandlung beginnt. “Die Auswirkungen der Pandemie beseitigen andere Krankheiten wie Krebs und Herzerkrankungen”, sagte Rupert Pearse, Intensivberater am Royal London Hospital gegenüber der BBC. “Wir kämpfen wirklich darum, die Qualität der Patientenversorgung zu gewährleisten, die wir unserer Meinung nach verdienen”, sagte Pearse.
Die Zahl der Covid-19-Patienten in englischen Krankenhäusern ist seit Weihnachten durchschnittlich um mehr als 50 Prozent gestiegen tägliche Krankenhausaufenthalte jetzt mehr als 3000 pro Tag – dreimal so viel wie bei Atemwegserkrankungen üblich.
Andere Coronavirus-Nachrichten
Birmingham könnte Die Vorräte an Coronavirus-Impfstoffen gehen zur Neige Laut lokalen Führungskräften von Pfizer und seinem Partner BioNTech bereits am Freitag entwickelt. Die Stadt wurde noch nicht mit dem Impfstoff versorgt, der von der Universität Oxford in Zusammenarbeit mit AstraZeneca entwickelt wurde. In einem Brief an den britischen Gesundheitsminister Matt Hancock forderten die Staats- und Regierungschefs von Birmingham mehr Klarheit über das Impfprogramm gegen Covid-19 in ihrer Stadt. “Es bleibt unklar, wer für die Überwachung des Impfprogramms in Birmingham verantwortlich ist und wen wir für Fortschritt und Lieferung zur Rechenschaft ziehen sollten”, hieß es. In einem Briefing am Dienstag sagte der britische Premierminister Boris Johnson, 1,3 Millionen Menschen in Großbritannien seien bisher mit einer ersten Dosis und Daten von NHS England geimpft worden heute veröffentlicht In der Woche zum 3. Januar erhielten 308.541 Menschen in England einen Stich. Die Regierung beabsichtigt, bis Mitte Februar 13 Millionen Menschen in vier Prioritätsgruppen zu impfen.
Fast die Hälfte der Bewohner eines Pflegeheims in East Sussex in England starb an covid-19 In der Weihnachts- und Neujahrsperiode, in der mehr als ein Drittel der Mitarbeiter während des Ausbruchs ebenfalls positive Tests durchführte, Wächter berichtet. Von den 27 Bewohnern des Pflegeheims Edendale Lodge in Crowhurst starben 13 seit dem 13. Dezember mit bestätigter oder vermuteter Covid-19. Prime minister Johnson told parliament on Wednesday that 10 per cent of care home residents and 14 per cent of staff had so far been vaccinated against the disease. “That clearly needs to be stepped up,” he said.
As coronavirus vaccines continue to be rolled out across the US, health officials have stressed that the risk of severe illness and death from covid-19 still outweighs the risk of developing a severe allergic reaction to the vaccine. In the US, 29 people have so far developed anaphylaxis after being vaccinated against covid-19 and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it currently appears that cases are occurring at a rate of about 5.5 per 1 million vaccine doses administered.
Coronavirus deaths
The worldwide covid-19 death toll has passed 1.88 million. The number of confirmed cases is more than 87.3 million, according to Johns Hopkins University, though the true number of cases will be much higher.
Latest on coronavirus from New Scientist
Why covid-19 has been such a nightmare: Humans have faced pandemics before, but some unusual features of covid-19 and modern society have conspired to create the perfect storm this time.
Max Willcock/EMPICS Entertainment/PA
6 January
UK reports 1041 deaths from covid-19 in a single day
The UK reported 1041 deaths from covid-19 within 28 days of a positive test on Wednesday, the highest daily figure since 21 April, when 1224 deaths were reported. There were 62,322 new cases of coronavirus reported on Wednesday. “This upward trend of cases (and hospitalisations and deaths) is likely to continue for another 2-3 weeks as the impact of social mixing during Christmas/New Year continues to be felt,” said Julian Tang at the University of Leicester in a Erklärung.
A quarter of all deaths in England and Wales in the week leading up to Christmas were due to covid-19. New figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that 2912, or 25 per cent, of the 11,520 deaths registered across England and Wales in the week ending 25 December mentioned covid-19 on the death certificate. Wales has been under a lockdown since 23 December and England and Scotland both entered nationwide lockdowns on Tuesday.
Other coronavirus news
A World Health Organization (WHO) team sent to China to investigate the origins of the coronavirus pandemic has been denied entry to the country. Speaking at a news conference in Geneva, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “I’m very disappointed with this news, given that two members had already begun their journeys and others were not able to travel at the last minute, but had been in contact with senior Chinese officials.”
Coronavirus cases and hospitalisations are surging in California. The state recorded more than 74,000 new coronavirus cases on Monday and 21,597 people were hospitalised, both record daily increases since the start of the pandemic. “It is getting harder and harder for healthcare workers to care for those coming to the hospital with gunshot wounds, heart attacks, strokes and injuries from car accidents,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis told the Los Angeles Times.
People arriving in the UK from abroad may soon be required to show a negative coronavirus test in order to enter the country. A spokesperson for the Department for Transport told the BBC: “With a new strain of the virus on the loose in South Africa and a more infectious variant already widespread in the UK we need to do more.” The Department for Transport said full details of additional measures, which may also include testing before departure, remain to be agreed. Certain travellers, such as haulage drivers, may be exempt.
The European Medicines Agency has recommended a covid-19 vaccine developed by US company Moderna for authorisation in the EU. The vaccine has already been authorised for emergency use in the US.
Coronavirus deaths
The worldwide covid-19 death toll has passed 1.87 million. The number of confirmed cases is more than 86.7 million, according to Johns Hopkins University, though the true number of cases will be much higher.
Latest on coronavirus from New Scientist
Mutant viruses: Mutated variants of the coronavirus making their way around the world are causing covid-19 to spread faster, and one may be able to evade current vaccines.
Disrupted senses: Loss of smell and taste is one of the most consistent symptoms of covid-19, and this anosmia reveals important details about how the coronavirus works.
Anthony Devlin/Bloomberg via Getty Images
5 January
Lockdowns imposed in England and Scotland to try to curb surging virus cases
Strict new nationwide lockdowns came into force in England and Scotland, which cabinet office minister Michael Gove said could last in some form until March. UK prime minister Boris Johnson announced the new lockdown rules for England during a televised address on Monday evening, saying that vaccination of key groups of people by mid-February could allow the restrictions in England to be eased. But on Tuesday, cabinet office minister Michael Gove erzählte Sky News: “We can’t predict with certainty that we’ll be able to lift restrictions in the week commencing [15 to 22 February]. What we will be doing is everything we can to make sure that as many people as possible are vaccinated, so that we can begin progressively to lift restrictions. I think it’s right to say that, as we enter March, we should be able to lift some of these restrictions – – but not necessarily all.” The top four priority groups for vaccinations include older care home residents and their carers, people over 70, frontline health and social care workers, and clinically extremely vulnerable people.
The UK reported 60,916 new daily coronavirus cases on Tuesday, surpassing 60,000 daily new cases for the first time since the start of the pandemic. One in 50 people in England and one in 30 in London are estimated to have the coronavirus, according to the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics, England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty said during a televised briefing on Tuesday. By comparison, one in 900 people were infected in early September.
In Tuesday’s press conference, Johnson said that 1.3 million people in the UK have so far received the first dose of a covid-19 vaccine. However, more than 4 million doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech were delivered to the UK before the end of 2020, das Financial Times berichtet, prompting questions about the gap between the number of vaccine doses secured and the number of people who have been vaccinated. Asked about the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca in partnership with the University of Oxford, of which the government has said it hopes to have 2 million doses a week by the end of January, NHS England director Stephen Powis told the Financial Times: “Certainly this month we’ll be able to get up to that sort of number but that would depend on supplies. We’ll be delivering it as soon as we get it.”
Other coronavirus news
Researchers in South Africa are investigating whether a new variant of coronavirus spreading in the country might be resistant to existing covid-19 vaccines. “It’s a theoretical concern. A reasonable concern […] that the South African variant might be more resistant,” Shabir Madhi, who led trials of the Oxford/AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine in South Africa, told the BBC. Madhi said it was unlikely that the mutation in the South African variant would render current vaccines useless but said it might weaken their impact.
Deutschland will extend its nationwide lockdown until at least the end of January. After a partial lockdown introduced in early November failed to sufficiently reduce infections, Germany entered a second nationwide lockdown on 16 December, which was originally due to be lifted on 10 January.
Coronavirus deaths
The worldwide covid-19 death toll has passed 1.85 million. The number of confirmed cases is more than 85.8 million, according to Johns Hopkins University, though the true number of cases will be much higher.
James Veysey/Shutterstock
4 January
England expected to tighten restrictions and Scotland announces national lockdown
Much of the UK faces new lockdown measures as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there is “no question” that restrictions in England will be tightened, and Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a strict new lockdown in Scotland starting at midnight on 5 January. Johnson is expected to announce tougher restrictions in England this evening in a televised appearance, which could include schools being closed and Tier 4 restrictions across the country. The UK recorded 58,784 new coronavirus cases on Monday and 407 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, and the Joint Biosecurity Centre is expected to be raising the country’s covid-19 threat level to 5 – the highest level.
Die meisten primary schools in England reopened today, despite calls from teaching unions and some councils to keep schools shut. Primary schools in London and south-east England remain closed until 18 January. Council leaders in many areas including Manchester and Birmingham said they would support the decision of head teachers who think it is unsafe to reopen their schools.
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 programme. Brian Pinker received the jab at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford and 530,000 doses were ready for use on Monday. AstraZeneca has said it expects to supply about 2 million doses of the vaccine every week by the middle of January in the UK.
Other coronavirus news
Coronavirus cases in the UK are continuing to surge, with concern growing about a variant of the virus first detected in South Africa. “I’m incredibly worried about the South African variant, and that’s why we took the action that we did to restrict all flights from South Africa,” UK health minister Matt Hancock told BBC radio. “It’s even more of a problem than the UK new variant,” he said. John Bell at the University of Oxford told the Telegraph there was “a big question” as to whether existing vaccines would be effective against the South Africa variant, which contains mutations that affect part of the virus that is recognised by antibodies. However, he added that it should be possible to make new vaccines quickly, if this or any future variant of the coronavirus emerges that is resistant to the current ones. “It might take a month, or six weeks, to get a new vaccine, so everybody should stay calm. It’s going to be fine,” he said. “We’re now in a game of cat and mouse, because these are not the only two variants we’re going to see. We’re going to see lots of variants.”
Indien approved two coronavirus vaccines for emergency use on Sunday, including the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and a vaccine called Covaxin being developed by Indian company Bharat Biotech. Gagandeep Kang at the Christian Medical College, Vellore in India expressed concerns about India’s approval of Covaxin, as phase III trials of the vaccine haven’t yet been completed. Kang told the Times of India newspaper that she had “never seen anything like this before”, adding that “there is absolutely no efficacy data that has been presented or published.”
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The worldwide covid-19 death toll has passed 1.84 million. The number of confirmed cases is more than 85.2 million, according to Johns Hopkins University, though the true number of cases will be much higher.
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TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images
17 December
Regions in the east and south-east of England face tier three rules from Saturday
Almost 70 per cent of England’s population will be living under strict tier three coronavirus rules from Saturday as “pressures on the NHS remain”, said UK health minister Matt Hancock on Thursday. Regions in the east and south-east of the country, including Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Hertfordshire will move into tier three one minute after midnight on Saturday 19 December, as will parts of Surrey, East Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire. “I know that tier three measures are tough, but the best way for everyone to get out of them is to pull together, not just to follow the rules, but to do everything they possibly can to stop the spread of the virus,” Hancock told parliament. There will be 38 million people in the country living in tier three from Saturday, including other parts of England already under tier three rules.
Hancock said cases in the south-east of England had risen by 46 per cent in a week, with hospital admissions up by more than a third, while cases in the east of England had gone up by two-thirds in a week and hospital admissions had risen by nearly half. He also announced that Bristol and North Somerset would be able to move down to tier two on Saturday and that Herefordshire would also be able to move down, to tier one. “I think this is a wise precautionary measure – to damp down virus transmission in the lead up to the Christmas 5-day relaxation – and afterwards, to restrict wider virus transmission coming out of this break,” said Julian Tang at the University of Leicester, UK, in a Erklärung.
Yesterday, the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments released a joint statement with advice on household mixing during Christmas. “The safest way to spend this Christmas is with your own household or your existing support bubble in your own home – and we strongly recommend that this is what you do if at all possible,” the statement said. It also stressed that “scientific advice is clear: the longer you meet others for, the higher the risk of you catching and spreading the virus” and that “if you do intend to form a bubble, you should keep the bubble small and your visits short”.
Other coronavirus news
Zwei 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 did not have a history of allergies to vaccines and who was admitted to hospital. Both individuals received treatment and have recovered. The woman’s reaction appears to be similar to the allergic reactions experienced by two healthcare workers who were vaccinated in the UK last week. Following the two allergic reactions in the UK, US Food and Drug Administration officials said they would require Pfizer to monitor severe allergic reactions and submit data on this later on.
French president Emmanuel Macron tested positive for the coronavirus. In a statement, the Élysée Palace said Macron would “self-isolate for seven days in line with the health protocol applicable to everyone” and that he would continue to work remotely.
Coronavirus deaths
The worldwide covid-19 death toll has passed 1.65 million. The number of confirmed cases is more than 74.4 million, according to Johns Hopkins University, though the true number of cases will be much higher.
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