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    Coronavirus - 6th November

    Kitkat
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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 11:34

    Summary for Friday, 6th November

    • Everyone living or working in Liverpool will be offered repeat tests, whether or not they have symptoms of coronavirus
    • Mayor Joe Anderson said the two-week testing pilot could save lives and stop hospitals being overwhelmed
    • About 2,000 military personnel are helping deliver the tests in the city
    • Denmark has been taken off the UK's travel corridor list, with those arriving from the country now having to self-isolate for 14 days
    • It comes as Danish authorities say a lockdown will be introduced in some areas over a coronavirus mutation found in mink that can spread to humans
    • Students at the University of Manchester have torn down "prison-like" fencing erected around their campus
    • A further 378 deaths were reported in the UK on Thursday and 24,141 more have tested positive for coronavirus


    Good morning everyone. Welcome to today’s live coverage of the pandemic. Here’s a quick summary of the main headlines across the UK:


    City-wide Covid testing begins in Liverpool

    Liverpool has "absolutely nothing to lose" by taking part in the first trial of whole city coronavirus testing in England, the city's mayor has said.
    Everyone living or working in Liverpool will be offered repeat tests, whether or not they have symptoms.
    Mayor Joe Anderson said the testing pilot could save lives, stop hospitals being overwhelmed and "get the city out of tier three restrictions".
    The pilot will last for approximately two weeks, the government said.
    People will be offered a mix of existing swab tests and new lateral flow tests, which could provide a result in 20 minutes without the need to use a lab.
    New test sites have been set up across the city, in schools, universities, work places and care homes.
    Read more on this story here.

    What’s happening around the world?

    Here are some of the coronavirus stories from around the world:


    Armed forces in ‘supportive role’ in Liverpool

    The armed forces are in Liverpool in a “supportive role” to help with the mass testing getting under way there – they are not there to enforce people getting a test, an army commander says.
    Lieutenant General Tyrone Urch says troops are in the city at the invitation of the government and the city’s mayor to help with the roll out of the pilot.
    About 2,000 military personnel are helping to deliver the tests.
    “The thing that the military is able to do is, we’re very agile, we do lots of planning and I think that’s exactly what Liverpool city needs us to do,” Lt Gen Urch told Radio 4's Today programme.
    “We can help with planning, we’ll do some administering of some of the tests with the NHS and another thing we’re very good at is providing logistical support.”

    How are people in Liverpool being tested?

    We have a few more details about the mass testing beginning in Liverpool today. Six test centres have been set up in the city for people who don't currently have symptoms - with more sites being planned.
    They'll be open from 12:00 GMT until 19:00. Nasal swab tests are being carried out at those six sites.
    Liverpool City Council's website has all the details and can be found here.
    People who do have symptoms are being given appointments at different testing centres and shouldn't attend any of the sites intended for those who are symptom-free.
    Some of those tested will be given new lateral flow tests, which provide a result more quickly, without the need to use a lab.

    Analysis: Can mass testing save us from another lockdown?

    James Gallagher - Health and science correspondent, BBC News
    Mass testing is clearly being touted as a way of getting us much closer to a normal life and even of avoiding lockdowns in the future.
    Testing everyone - even those without symptoms - can be an incredibly powerful tool for rooting out the virus.
    Boris Johnson has promised a "massive expansion" in such testing in the UK - and Liverpool is the first city to trial it.
    But questions have been asked about the current tests and the overall strategy. So, what can mass testing realistically achieve?
    Sir John Bell, from the University of Oxford, is the government's adviser on life sciences and he says it "may well keep us out of trouble" but it is "very important we don't over-hype".
    Mass testing is similar to cancer screening - you take healthy people, test them and then you act early if there are any problems.
    But instead of finding the hidden cancer, you find people who have the virus who may not know it yet.
    The hope is this can be used to stamp out an outbreak, by getting everyone who tests positive to isolate, without turning to strict restrictions.
    Read more here.

    Test and Trace 'has made no difference to Covid spread'

    The NHS Test and Trace system has made no difference to the spread of coronavirus in the UK, a scientist has warned.
    James Naismith, professor of structural biology at Oxford University, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the system was only reaching a fraction of the people it should be.
    He said: "It hasn't been effective at all. The only ways we are currently able to control infection spreading are social restrictions.
    "Tracking and tracing hasn't really made any difference to the spread of the epidemic."
    He said the issue was that the testing system only identified just under half of those being infected.
    "You miss over half right at the start, and then as you walk through the various losses through the system you are actually reaching 20% of the contacts you want to reach overall."
    He added: "Given where we are now in infections, it is not until we get proper mass testing that the system can really recover."

    Foreign secretary self-isolating after Covid contact

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    The foreign secretary is self-isolating after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.
    Dominic Raab will work remotely during 14 days of isolation after being informed of a recent close contact's positive test on Thursday, his spokesman said.
    It comes as millions await the outcome of the US election - which has seen Donald Trump make unsubstantiated claims of election rigging.
    The foreign secretary says that "we need to be patient" and await the outcome of the election, insisting "we have full confidence in the checks and balances of the US system to produce a result".
    Raab also said he would not get "sucked in" to the debate around Mr Trump's actions.
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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 11:42

    The papers: 'Death toll graphs were wrong'

    The front pages of today's newspapers mainly focus on the US election - but the Daily Telegraph reports that the projections that informed the decision to introduce a second national lockdown in England have been "quietly revised" after an "error" was found.
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    Rishi Sunak has put £33bn into "saving jobs" as the UK grapples with rising coronavirus cases, according to the Daily Express. The chancellor says it is to help the country "build back better for a brighter future" and commends people for "digging deep and pulling together".
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    The Times runs a story which says the chancellor's new package of support for workers has been criticised by a leading economist as "wasteful and badly targeted". It came after Rishi Sunak announced the furlough scheme would be extended until the end of March.
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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 11:46

    Students felt 'lonely' and 'trapped' by fencing

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    We reported earlier that students at the University of Manchester tore down "prison-like" fencing erected around their campus on day one of England's new lockdown.
    The university has apologised after those living in its Fallowfield halls of residence woke up to find workers putting up "huge metal barriers".
    Students said the fences, placed between buildings, blocked off some entry and exit points and left them feeling trapped.
    First-year management student Megan, who did not want to give her surname, said: "There is fencing around the whole outside, we feel like it's completely unnecessary. It makes it feel like we're in a prison."
    Fellow first-year, English literature undergraduate Ewan, added: "There's no way you can relax there. You're in a completely different city and you do feel lonely there and trapped," he added.
    Ewan was among those who attended the protest where much of the fencing was torn down.
    "People were dragging them down and jumping on them," he said.
    "We walked on the grass that was restricted by the fences. We did a lap of the whole campus."
    Read more on this story here.

    Face masks and PPE found on Scotland's beaches

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    Seabirds have been found with face masks wrapped around their feet

    Face masks and disposable gloves have been found on almost a quarter of beaches in Scotland during an annual litter survey.
    The Marine Conservation Society, which organised the beach clean-up, said the amount of PPE (personal protective equipment) found was concerning.
    About 400 people took part in the clean-up on almost 100 Scottish beaches in September.
    The MCS said wildlife was put at risk by PPE, in which it could become entangled.
    Marine animals could also mistake masks and gloves for prey, filling their stomachs with materials which will not break down and could prove to be fatal.
    Read more on this story here.
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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 11:49

    Three members of one family die within a week

    Two brothers and their 74-year-old mother have died in the space of five days in Wales after all of them tested positive for Covid-19.
    David Lewis, 81, from Pentre, Rhondda Cynon Taf, lost his wife Gladys on Thursday last week. His son Dean, 44, died the next day and his other son Darren, 42, died on Monday.
    Mr Lewis is said to be "broken" after losing the three members of his family.
    They all lived in the same block of flats in Treorchy. Other members of the family are now self-isolating.
    Dean's widow, Claire Lewis, said the family were "devastated" and struggling to come to terms with what had happened.
    They had been careful to avoid catching Covid-19 because of Gladys and her husband David's age and because Darren had Down's syndrome.

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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 11:52

    Lockdown should continue 'for months' in Merthyr Tydfil, says doctor

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    With 741 Covid cases per 100,000 people in the past week, Merthyr Tydfil has moved above Oldham and Blackburn in Lancashire as the worst-hit area in the UK.
    Now, a top doctor in the region has said Wales' so-called firebreak lockdown - due to expire on Monday - should continue for Merthyr Tydfill for "weeks, even months".
    Consultant haematologist at Cwm Taf health board, Dr Dai Samuel, said current measures are not working as "numbers are still rising".
    Read more here.
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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 11:54

    Summary from The Guardian
    Here are the key developments from the last few hours:

    • The United States has again recorded more cases in 24 hours than any country over the course of the pandemic, with 120,000 infections confirmed for Thursday 5 November. The country also recorded more than 1,000 deaths for the fourth time this week, with 1,200 people reported dead in the last 24 hours. The previous record for cases, also held by the US, was 102,000 the day before.
    • Globally, the world suffered the highest total one-day death toll of the pandemic so far, with 11,447 people lost in the last day. It also recorded more cases than ever before, partly as a result of rising cases in the US, but also because of Europe’s second wave, and more than 50,000 infections being recorded in India for the first time in 10 days.The global case total was 700,000, taking the world closer to 50m cases – a devastating milestone that we are likely to cross by the end of the week. Cases currently stand at 48,541,340.
    • Denmark removed from UK travel corridor, meaning arrivals must self-isolate. The UK’s secretary of state for transport, Grant Schapps, has removed Demnark from the country’s “travel corridor”, which means all arrivals from Denmark will need to self-isolate for 14 days, starting at 4am Friday morning.The reason for the removal is the spread of coronavirus to people from an outbreak among mink on mink farms in the country, Shapps wrote in a statement.
    • Slovenia anti-virus shutdown protest turns violent. A protest against Slovenia’s coronavirus shutdown sparked some of the most violent scenes the country has seen in years, as police moved in with teargas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. The rally of several hundred in the capital Ljubljana, organised by activists calling themselves the Slovenian branch of cyber group Anonymous, started late in the afternoon and led to several injuries and arrests as the protesters clashed with police.
    • China bars arrivals from France over virus fears. Beijing on Thursday banned foreign arrivals from France and a host of other countries, the latest in a growing number of entry bans as China closes itself off from a world still battling the coronavirus pandemic. Covid-19 first emerged in central China late last year, but Beijing has largely brought its outbreak under control through tight travel restrictions and stringent health measures for anyone entering the country.
    • WHO urged to invite Taiwan to key meeting. The World Health Organization is facing renewed pleas to allow Taiwan to participate in a key international meeting amid fears its exclusion could jeopardise efforts to rein in the coronavirus pandemic,
    • Greece will go back into lockdown from Saturday for three weeks to battle a second wave of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced. Under the measures, Greeks can only leave their homes if they make an official request via mobile phone and then receive authorisation.Only “essential shops” including supermarkets and pharmacies can stay open when the lockdown starts at 6am (0400 GMT) on Saturday, Mitsotakis said.
    • WHO warns of ‘explosion’ of virus cases in Europe. The World Health Organization in Europe on Thursday said it was seeing an “explosion” of coronavirus cases in the region and warned of a “tough time” ahead as mortality rates rose.“We do see an explosion.... in the sense it only takes a couple of days to have over the European region an increase of one million cases,” WHO’s regional director for Europe Hans Kluge told AFP.
    • The UK death toll from coronavirus rose by 378, taking the tally of people who died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 to 48,120, government data showed. As of 9am GMT on Thursday, there had been a further 24,141 lab-confirmed cases in the UK, taking the cumulative total of confirmed infections to 1,123,197.
    • Colombia’s lower house abruptly ended its session on and asked lawmakers to quarantine after a member tested positive for Covid-19. At least 150 lawmakers could potentially have been exposed, the chamber’s press office said. They have been told to avoid travel to their home regions and remain in Bogota while they wait 72 hours from potential exposure to have a test.
    • A dozen US states reported record one-day increases in Covid-19 cases, a day after the country set a record with nearly 105,000 new infections reported on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally. The outbreak is spreading in every region of the country but is hitting the Midwest the hardest, based on new cases per capita. Illinois reported nearly 10,000 new cases and along with Texas is leading the nation in the most cases reported in the last seven days.Other Midwestern states with record increases in cases on Thursday were Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Ohio. Arkansas, Maine, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah and West Virginia also set records for rises in new infections.
    • Ireland is on track to get its second wave of Covid-19 infections under control by the end of November when the government hopes to ease some of the strictest restrictions in Europe, a senior public health official said. “The way case numbers are behaving would suggest that case numbers are declining rapidly and that we are on target for the sort of end position we want to be in at the end of the six weeks,” on 1 December, Philip Nolan, the chair of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, told a press briefing.
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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 12:04

    Seven arrests at Paris airport over fake Covid test certificates

    Lucy Williamson - BBC News, Paris
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    Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris

    French prosecutors say they have dismantled a network offering fake coronavirus tests at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
    Seven people have been arrested for providing fake certificates showing negative results for the virus.
    It began with a passenger on a flight to Ethiopia, who checked in – as requested – with a certificate saying he was not infected with Covid-19.
    That certificate was found to be false, leading to the discovery of seven people, working as luggage-wrappers at the airport, who are alleged to have provided fake certificates to travellers who needed them.
    The local deputy prosecutor said 200 fake certificates, bearing the names of real Parisian medical laboratories, were found on the mobile phones of the accused, and would have been sold for between 150 and 300 euros each.
    The six men and one woman face charges of forgery and complicity in fraud, charges which carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 12:54

    Breaking News

    Covid infections in England 'stabilising' - ONS

    Robert Cuffe - BBC head of statistics
    Covid-19 infections in England appear to be "stabilising", according to the Office for National Statistics.
    The ONS infection pilot suggests there were 46,000 infections a day in homes in England in the week to 31 October.
    This figure is slightly less than last week’s (52,000).
    The ONS says that “incidence appears to have stabilised at around 50,000 new infections per day”.

    Further 1,072 cases recorded in Scotland

    Scotland's first minister begins her briefing by revealing there have been a further 1,072 positive tests for Covid-19 recorded in the past 24 hours.
    This takes the total number of positive cases in Scotland to 70,732.
    1,237 patients are in hospital with a confirmed case (down 15), with 98 being treated in intensive care (up three).
    There have been a further 31 deaths registered in the preceding 24 hours of people who had the virus, taking the total to 2,997 deaths in Scotland by that measure.
    Ms Sturgeon says the provisional data indicates the breakdown of new cases is as follows:

    • NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde: 460
    • NHS Lanarkshire: 210
    • NHS Lothian: 112
    • NHS Ayrshire and Arran: 75

    The remaining are spread across seven other health boards.

    Cases and deaths 'rising markedly' in Wales

    Wales' Health Minister Vaughan Gething is giving a briefing as the nation prepares to enter the final weekend of its two-week firebreak lockdown.
    He said "confirmed cases and deaths are rising markedly in Wales".
    Mr Gething said Office for National Statistics data suggested one in every 110 people had coronavirus in the last week of October, and that there had already been 81 deaths in November.
    There are "large variations" in the number of cases in different parts of Wales he said, noting the high rates in the South Wales valleys and lower rates in rural areas in the north and west.
    Our dedicated Wales live page can be found here.
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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 12:59

    Scottish restrictions to be reviewed on Tuesday

    Nicola Sturgeon says at her briefing that she has seen signs for "cautious optimism" regarding the situation in Scotland - but warns against complacency, and adds that cases still need to be driven down.
    While England and Wales are both under a national lockdown, Scotland is currently using its five-tier regional measures.
    Sturgeon says Scotland's restriction levels will be considered very closely over the weekend and into next week. Tuesday is the first review and she will set out the new proposals then.
    She adds that the furlough extension announced by UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Thursday was something the Scottish government had been calling for for some time and that it gave "much-needed assurance" to employees and businesses.
    However, the first minister says she "deeply regrets" that the chancellor's decision to extend the scheme took so long.

    All of Wales is coming out of firebreak on Monday, confirms minister

    Vaughan Gething is asked if all areas of Wales are coming out of its firebreak lockdown on Monday, given the variance in rates of coronavirus across the country.
    He confirms the answer is yes, and that the government had been "very clear" about when the firebreak would start and end - adding there would have been a "massive breach of trust" if it were extended, which would have its own consequences in terms of people complying with guidance.
    The health minister said the government had always been clear a sustained reduction in cases would not be seen by the end of the two-week period, because of the time lag caused by the infection period.
    He stresses people cannot go back to how they were living their lives before, and that they have to reduce the number of contacts with others that they have. People have to be responsible and think "what should I do", he adds.
    Having a national set of rules is key, he says. But appropriate measures will be taken if there are "sustained, localised cases", adds Gething.

    One in every 90 people in England has Covid - ONS

    Coronavirus infections continue to rise in the UK but that increase appears to be slowing, latest data from the Office for National Statistics show.
    In the week to 30 October, the ONS says new daily infections in England stabilised at around 50,000.
    That means around one person in every 90 in England has Covid. In Wales and Scotland the figure is slightly lower.
    There, one in 110 people are testing positive for the virus.
    In Northern Ireland it is one in 75.
    You can read more about the weekly ONS infection survey here.
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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 13:07

    Friday lunchtime headlines

    Here's a round-up of the main coronavirus headlines this lunchtime:


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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 13:41

    'Leave gap of few days between seeing different people'

    More from the Wales press conference, as Wales' health minister urges people to leave gaps of a few days between seeing different people when the firebreak lockdown ends.
    Vaughan Gething acknowledged cases remained high in Merthyr Tydfil, Blaenau Gwent and Rhondda Cynon Taf in the south Wales valleys.
    He said: “Try to leave a gap of a few days between meeting different groups of people if you can. This will help to reduce the risk of spreading the virus widely and quickly."
    He said people should meet outside or in a public indoor space "where there are measures to protect you, such as cleaning regimes and social distancing".
    The Welsh Labour minister also said a £500 payment for those on low incomes who have to self-isolate would be launched “shortly”, despite criticism from opposition parties in Wales that the long-trailed policy is not already up and running.
    There's more from Wales here, where you can also follow the briefing.

    'More patients in Wales hospitals this week than at April peak'

    There were more patients with suspected and confirmed cases of coronavirus in Welsh hospitals on Wednesday than at the peak in April, Vaughan Gething adds.
    The health minister said: "I want to be clear, this does not mean that our NHS has become overwhelmed.
    "The NHS has capacity to respond to winter and pandemic pressures, including using field hospitals, but this was a significant milestone to reach."
    He said the rate of Covid-19 in Wales was now 252.8 cases per 100,000 people. In the over-60s, the rate is 179.6 per 100,000 people.

    At the scene in Liverpool as tests begin

    Phil McCann - BBC political reporter
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    There is a queue here at Liverpool Tennis Centre, snaking past the tennis courts.
    I've been speaking to a lady in the queue who said she has come along because she understands how important it is. This is one of the testing centres where people are coming without symptoms.
    They still stick swabs up your nose and down your throat unfortunately. But the big difference is what happens after.
    I've been inside here and it is like a hospital ward - apart from the army is in town because this is too big an operation for the council to carry out on its own.
    There are mobile booths so you have a little privacy. There is then a window in them and out the back, there are trestle tables where the army have kits so they can take the swab and put them through these rapid tests.
    They can have results, in some cases, within even 20 minutes. This is ground-breaking stuff in Liverpool.
    It certainly looks like a smooth operation at the moment. It will have to be, as the queue is only getting longer. If it works here it is likely to be rolled out across the country.
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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 15:58

    Is the University of Manchester a coronavirus hotspot?

    Reality Check
    The University of Manchester insists the fencing it erected around its Fallowfield campus was to keep people out. The students there accuse the university of “trapping” them within the campus.
    Either way, the prevalence of coronavirus at the university’s campuses has fallen dramatically in recent weeks.
    UoM's student population is around 40,000.
    In the week to 5 October, when classes were first getting under way, there were about 2,940 cases per 100,000 among UoM students.
    For the week ending 3 November, that figure has fallen to 162 cases per 100,000, according to data published by UoM.
    Data from Public Health England also shows that infection rates in the areas surrounding UoM student accommodation have tapered off.
    Between the week ending 3 October and week ending 31 October:

    • Fallowfield Central rates dropped from 5,256 cases per 100,000 to 527 cases
    • Hulme and University rates dropped from 1,283 cases per 100,000 people to 191 cases
    • Victoria Park rates dropped from 771 cases per 100,000 to 419 cases.

    Apart from Fallowfield, which had a very high peak, the case rates for other student areas in Manchester are below the average for the city as a whole, which stood at 456 cases per 100,000 as of 31 October.

    Breaking News 

    R number for UK is now between 1.1 and 1.3

    The UK's R number - the average number of people each Covid-19 positive person goes on to infect - remains unchanged from last week and is still above 1.
    Newly-released data from the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) shows the estimate for R for the whole of the UK is between 1.1 and 1.3.
    When the figure is above 1, an outbreak can grow exponentially.
    An R number between 1.1 and 1.3 means that on average every 10 people infected will infect between 11 and 13 other people.

    London anti-lockdown protest leads to 190 arrests

    Police arrested 190 people at last night's anti-lockdown demonstrations in central London.
    Officers dispersed a large protest in Trafalgar Square at about 19:00 GMT, with small pockets of protests continuing through the night.
    One arrested person could face a £10,000 fine over their role in the demonstrations, the Met said.
    The other 189 people are being investigated for breaching new Covid-19 regulations and could be issued fixed penalty notices, the force added.
    Scotland Yard said protesters had "put the health of London and our officers at risk".
    Read the full story here.
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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 16:02

    Uni removes £11k fencing after protests

    Coronavirus - 6th November B1220a10

    The University of Manchester is removing the campus fencing it erected around one of it halls of residents after protests from students.
    It spent £11,000 on hiring barriers at its Fallowfield halls for four-weeks, which it said was in response to security concerns about non-residents accessing the site.
    The installation of the fencing sparked a protest among students who complained it was "prison-like" and left them feeling trapped.
    Work to remove the fencing began last night and will be completed later.
    Read the full story here.

    Birmingham hospital postpones operations due to Covid

    A Birmingham hospital has postponed all its non-emergency procedures because of an increase in the number of Covid-19 patients.
    Queen Elizabeth Hospital is currently treating 389 patients who have tested positive, with 36 in its Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
    That compares with 60 in-patients a month ago, and just five in ICU.
    University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust - which is the largest hospital trust in England - said cancer treatment and life-saving care would remain a "priority".
    It said the situation was likely to continue until the end of November, adding patients who were due to undergo surgery were being contacted to arrange new dates.
    Read the full story here.
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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 16:05

    13 more deaths in Wales

    There have been another 13 deaths in Wales, taking the total since the start of the pandemic to 1,982.
    Public Health Wales also said there had been a further 1,352 cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 58,279.
    Read more here.

    Italy imposes regional lockdown

    Much of Italy is now in lockdown, including the densely populated northern Lombardy region, after the Covid-19 death toll for 24 hours hit 445 - a six-month record.
    Italy has been split into three zones: red for high risk, then orange and yellow.
    The red areas are Lombardy, Piedmont and Aosta Valley in the north and Calabria in the south.
    The whole country has a night curfew.
    You can read more about the situation in Italy and other European nations here.

    Shops criticise rules on essential items

    A leading retail lobby group has questioned the government lockdown rules which state which shops are essential and what they can sell.
    The British Retail Consortium, which represents the industry, said the new guidance creates "arbitrary" lines over what is or is not essential.
    A supermarket can, for example, sell "non-essential" homeware if it is stocked on its aisles.
    But if the goods are situated on a separate floor, it must close the area.
    Tom Ironside, director of business and regulations at the BRC, said: "Unfortunately for many people, this means they cannot visit shops to get the items that are essential to them, from the home office equipment and electronics they need for work, or the pots, pans, fridges and freezers they need during lockdown."
    Read the full story here.
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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 16:07

    Covid deaths pass 1,000 in Northern Ireland

    The number of Covid-19 related deaths registered in Northern Ireland has passed 1000.
    According to the [url=https://www.nisra.gov.uk/sites/nisra.gov.uk/files/publications/Deaths Registered in NI - Week 43 2020.pdf]latest bulletin from the government statistics agency Nisra[/url], 51 deaths were registered in the week to Friday 30 October.
    That is nine more than the previous week, and takes the total to 1,023.
    Nisra also said the week to the 30 October saw Covid-19 related deaths in hospitals and care homes at levels last seen in April and May.
    Read the full story here.

    Non-emergency operations cancelled in Manchester

    Earlier, we reported that Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital was postponing all non-emergency procedures due to Covid - and roughly 300,000 people waiting for operations in Greater Manchester could now face a similar situation.
    The Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust says that it is cancelling some non-urgent operations in the area so it can treat emergency cases - including patients with Covid-19.
    A statement from the trust read: “We have had to take the difficult decision to pause some of our planned procedures including some surgery and outpatient appointments.
    "This decision will be kept under review and has been taken for the safety of all our patients as currently we must treat more patients who are attending our hospitals with Covid-19 who require specialist and critical care support."
    It added: “We have written to those people who are affected by this decision and local GPs and will be contacting them directly with revised dates for their appointments and procedures."
    Kitkat
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    Coronavirus - 6th November Empty Re: Coronavirus - 6th November

    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 16:55

    Breaking News

    Further 355 Covid deaths recorded in UK

    A further 355 deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19 within the previous 28 days have been reported in the UK.
    This brings the UK total to 48,475.
    The government added that, as of 09:00 GMT on Friday, there had been a further 23,287 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK.
    It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 1,146,484.
    Separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies for deaths where Covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show there have now been 64,000 deaths involving Covid-19 in the UK.

    Covid hospital admissions 'plateauing' in parts of NI

    The number of Covid-19 patients needing hospital care in Northern Ireland's north west is slowing down, health chiefs have said.
    It's a region that for a time in October had the UK's highest coronavirus infection rate.
    The Western Trust's director of acute hospitals, Geraldine McKay, said there is now a plateau in admissions to Londonderry's Altnagelvin Hospital.
    But the number of patients needing intensive care remains high, she said.
    "Critical care is still moving up and is under pressure at this moment in time so that is where we find ourselves, but patients coming into hospital with Covid seems to have plateaued," Ms McKay said.
    Sixty-three coronavirus patients are currently being treated at the hospital, 11 of them in the intensive care unit.

    How have case rates changed in Wales' firebreak?

    The case rates - the number of positive tests per 100,000 people over seven days - helps us look at where infections are spreading and how fast.
    There have been worries over how the number of cases have risen in the Heads of the Valleys, with Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Blaenau Gwent seeing cases start to spike and become among the worst in the UK.
    Wrexham and around Swansea and Neath Port Talbot have also seen rises during the firebreak period.
    But there are signs of improvement in the most recent sets of figures.
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    Coronavirus - 6th November Empty Re: Coronavirus - 6th November

    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 17:26

    Birthday party organiser in Wolverhampton fined £10,000

    The organiser of a birthday party attended by as many as 60 people has been handed a £10,000 fine for flouting lockdown rules.
    West Midlands Police released body-worn video footage from officers in Wolverhampton, showing dozens of revellers exiting a venue.
    Inside were balloon arches, food and drinks scattered on tables, and a kitchen piled high with soft drinks and alcohol, despite the premises having no alcohol licence.
    West Midlands Police said: "This was a blatant breach of coronavirus law."
    It added the fine was "necessary" given it was a "critical time for the health of the city".
    There are 289 cases per 100,000 people in Wolverhampton.
    Tweet  West Midlands Police:

    :Left Quotes:  We've issued another £10,000 fine - this time to the organiser of a big birthday bash. This is what we found when we were called to the function room in #Bilston on 31 October.

    Coronavirus - 6th November Click_11
    Get the full story HERE
    Kitkat
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    Post by Kitkat Fri 06 Nov 2020, 18:31

    That's all for today...

    Here's a recap of the day's top stories:


    Thanks for joining our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, we'll be back on Monday morning.

    Today's reporters were Lauren Turner, Cherry Wilson and Hamish Mackay. The editor was Holly Wallis.

      Current date/time is Thu 28 Mar 2024, 09:58