Coronavirus - 22nd January 2021

Summary for Friday, 22nd January

• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will lead a Downing Street briefing at 17:00 GMT
  
• Government sources firmly downplay the idea of a universal £500 Covid payment for people in England required to self-isolate
  
• It's among suggestions listed in a leaked document from the Department of Health to encourage people with symptoms to stay at home
  
• Financial support for people needing to self-isolate is a “key weakness” in the UK pandemic strategy, a scientist advising the government says
  
• British retail sales saw their largest annual fall in history last year as the impact of the pandemic took its toll
  
• Sales fell by 1.9% in 2020, when compared with 2019, the largest year-on-year fall since records began in 1997
  
• The release of the next James Bond film No Time To Die is delayed for a third time because of the coronavirus pandemic
  
• French President Macron says from Sunday anyone arriving in France from the EU will need a negative test taken within 72 hours of arrival
  
• Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa, among many Australian Open stars to complain about quarantine rules, reveals she has coronavirus
  
• There is some evidence the new UK variant may be linked to a higher degree of mortality, PM tells press conference
  
• The chance of dying from it could be 30-40% higher than the old variant but data is uncertain
  
• There are more than 38,000 people in hospital, 78% more than at peak of the first wave, Boris Johnson adds
  
• The number of people catching the virus is “turning the corner” but from an exceptionally high level, chief medical officer Chris Whitty says
  
• A further 1,401 people have died in the UK with coronavirus within 28 days of a positive test
  
• UK R rate estimated to be between 0.8 and 1 - meaning the outbreak could now be shrinking
  

Latest across Europe

• EU leaders have agreed to keep internal borders open but say tighter travel restrictions may be needed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants extra restrictions for Covid hot spots that would be designated as “dark red” zones. EU leaders have agreed to work on a common vaccination certificate and will decide later whether it can be used for travel.
  
• French President Emmanuel Macron says from Sunday any traveller arriving in France from within the EU will require a negative PCR test taken at least 72 hours before arrival. Cross border workers and essential travel will be exempt. Meanwhile French health minister Olivier Véran has appealed to people to stop using home-made fabric masks – French health officials recommend medical masks are worn instead.
  
• A group of 14 British students staying in the Chamonix area of France have tested positive for Covid. The mayor of Vallorcine where they’ve been staying has texted all the town’s residents to trace anyone in touch with them.
  
• German health officials say the national death toll from Covid has climbed above 50,000 – with another 859 deaths in the past 24 hours. But infections have fallen in the past week, with an average infection rate of 115 per 100,000 people. Spain has registered a record 44,357 cases in one day.
  
• Dutch MPs have backed a 21:00 to 04:30 curfew from tomorrow night. The move required parliamentary backing because the government resigned a week ago.
  

Covid could continue to spread for decades - scientist

Coronavirus will continue to spread "probably for decades to come", a scientist says.
Paul Hunter is a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, where researchers have modelled the effectiveness of the UK immunisation programme, taking into account the new, more transmissible variant.
He tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Essentially we found that it’s going to be pretty much impossible to get to a level that we have herd immunity either with the vaccination or indeed with natural infection because of the chance that people will have second infections after their first one."
Herd immunity is when a large enough proportion of the population is immune to a disease that it provides indirect protection to others who are not, limiting its spread.
Prof Hunter says there is "no doubt" the vaccination programme will make "a huge difference" and help life get back towards normal.
“We do know that the vaccines are very good at stopping people getting severe illness and dying but don’t really know how well the vaccines work to stop the spread of infection," he says, adding that this means there will continue to be a risk to people who have not had the jab.

UK bans travel from Tanzania and DR Congo over Covid

Athuman Mtulya - BBC News, Dar es Salam
The UK is banning all arrivals from Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo from today, to stop the spread of the South Africa variant of Covid-19, Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, says.
"All passengers from these countries except British and Irish Nationals and third country nationals with residents rights will be denied entry," he said in a tweet.
"We are continuing to monitor Covid-19 rates and new strains of the virus across the globe, this alongside the suspension of travel corridors and pre-departure testing will help protect our borders," he adds.
Earlier this month passengers from 11 other southern African countries were banned from entering the UK for similar reasons.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) yesterday said the continent's Covid-19 death rate now stands at 2.5%, higher than the global average of 2.2%.
It listed Democratic Republic of Congo among 21 African nations with a death rate above 3%.
The authorities in Tanzania have downplayed the extent of the epidemic in the country and have not been releasing any data on infections or deaths.
In June last year, the Tanzanian President John Magufuli declared the country was "coronavirus-free" thanks to prayers by citizens.
However, the World Health Organization expressed concern over the country’s strategy on Covid-19.
The authorities from Tanzania or the DR Congo have not yet commented on the development.
More on coronavirus in Africa:

• Africa's long wait for the Covid-19 vaccine
  
• The man who declared victory over coronavirus
  

Summary

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

• South Africa will buy doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine at a price 2.5 times higher than most European countries, the health ministry said on Thursday. The continent’s worst virus-hit country has ordered at least 1.5m shots of the vaccine from the Serum Institute of India, expected in January and February.
  
• France introduces mandatory PCR tests for arrivals. French president Emmanuel Macron told his European Union counterparts France would make PCR tests compulsory for all travellers into France from Sunday, including from fellow EU countries, his office said on Thursday.
  
• EU introduces ‘dark red’ travel zones for hotspot areas. Covid hotspots the European Union will be labelled “dark red” zones, and travellers from those areas will be required to take a test before departure and undergo quarantine, citing the chief of the bloc’s executive.
  
• South African cabinet minister dies of coronavirus. South Africa’s president announced on Thursday that Jackson Mthembu had died from the coronavirus, becoming the first cabinet minister to succumb to the disease.
  
• Beijing launches mass testing as cases dip slightly. Beijing launched mass coronavirus testing in parts of city on Friday, while Shanghai was testing all hospital staff, as China battles the worst outbreak since March 2020. China reported a slight decline in new daily cases on Friday – 103 from 144 cases a day earlier.
  
• Mexico posted new one-day highs for the pandemic Thursday, with 22,339 newly confirmed coronavirus infections and 1,803 deaths from Covid recorded for the previous 24 hours. The recent surge in cases has swamped hospitals. Mexico City is the country’s epicentre of the pandemic, and its hospitals are at 89% capacity, while nationwide 61% of hospital beds are filled.
  
• The pandemic is placing “real pressure” on preparations for the Tokyo Olympics, the Australian prime minister has said, after a report claimed the Japanese government had privately concluded this summer’s Games will have to be cancelled.
  
• Japan’s cabinet approved draft laws to toughen coronavirus restrictions on Friday, a move that could threaten rule-breakers with fines and prison sentences for the first time since the outbreak began, AFP reports.
  
• Spain ICU admissions rise by 60% in a fortnight. Over the past fortnight, the number of people going to hospital rose by 82% while intensive care admissions increased by 60%, prompting some regions, such as Valencia to set up field hospitals.
  
• Supply delays could threaten start of Australia’s Covid vaccine rollout. The Australian government has left states and territories in the dark about how many Pfizer vaccines Australia will receive by mid-February, as other countries face supply issues.
  
• James Bond film No Time To Die has been delayed again as Hollywood grapples with the continued disruption caused by the pandemic.Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 will now arrive on 8 October, the official Bond Twitter account announced. It had been set to be released in April following multiple pandemic-enforced delays.
  

South African cabinet minister dies of coronavirus

South Africa’s president announced on Thursday that Jackson Mthembu had died from the coronavirus, becoming the first cabinet minister to succumb to the disease, AP reports.
The 62-year-old Mthembu in recent months had been a central figure in communicating to the public the South African government’s response to Covid. In announcing the death Thursday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called Mthembu “an exemplary leader.”
He tested positive on 11 January. Mthembu’s death comes as South Africa battles a second wave of the coronavirus that may be driven in part by a new variant of the coronavirus.
South African leaders paid trubute to Mthembu on Twitter, with former public protector Thuli Madonsela saying he “epitomised human decency.”

South Africa to pay 2.5 times more than EU for virus vaccine

South Africa will buy doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine at a price 2.5 times higher than most European countries, the health ministry said Thursday.
The continent’s worst virus-hit country has ordered at least 1.5 million shots of the vaccine from the Serum Institute of India, expected in January and February, AFP reports.
A senior health official on Thursday told AFP those doses would cost $5.25 (4.32 euros) each - nearly 2.5 times the amount paid by most European countries.
“The National Department of Health confirms that the price $5.25 is what was quoted to us,” deputy director-general of health Anban Pillay said via text message, without explaining the price difference.
European Union (EU) members will pay just 1.78 euros ($2.16) for AstraZeneca’s shots, according to information leaked by a Belgian minister on Twitter last month.
Bilateral deals between wealthier governments and coronavirus vaccine manufacturers have raised concern over price hikes and lack of supply for low- and middle-income countries.
The World Health Organization last year warned against “vaccine nationalism” and “price gouging” once a successful shot was found.

More on above story

(from AFP):
AstraZeneca France told AFP in November that its shots would be capped at 2.5 euros (around $3) per dose “to provide vaccines to the widest population, with as fair access as possible”.
The pharmaceutical giant did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the health ministry’s price quote.
South Africa’s AstraZeneca vaccine order is part of 20 million secured doses to be delivered in the first half of 2021.
The WHO-backed Covax facility is expected to provide shots for 10 percent of the population between April and June.
Other vaccines will be provided via the African Union and bilateral contracts with suppliers that have not yet been disclosed.
Around 2,000 South Africans participated in Trials for the AstraZeneca vaccine in 2020.

Self-isolation support ‘a key weakness’ in UK’s pandemic strategy

The financial support currently offered to people who have to self-isolate is a “key weakness” in the UK’s pandemic strategy, a scientist advising the government says.
Susan Michie, a professor of health psychology at University College London, tells BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that only 18% of people with symptoms are self-isolating for the full 10 days, with those on the lowest incomes least likely to stay at home.
Prof Michie, who is a member of the government’s Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours, says proposals for a universal £500 self-isolation payment for anyone who tests positive in England could get people the financial support they need quickly “without lots of complicated forms”.
However, she said £500 would not be enough for some people, such as single earners looking after a family, to cover their bills and put food on the table.
And a senior government source has cast doubt on the £500 idea - telling the BBC it was drawn up by officials but has not been considered by the prime minister.

Universal self-isolation payment idea 'never made it near PM'

Ben Wright - BBC political correspondent
Government sources are firmly downplaying the idea of a universal £500 payment for people required to self-isolate.
One senior source says the idea was drawn up by officials but never made it near the prime minister.
It is understood there are fears in government that such a payment system could create perverse incentives.

Explained: Who has to self-isolate and for how long?

We're hearing a lot about self-isolation this morning as government sources deny reports that everyone who tests positive for Covid-19 could be paid £500 to stay at home.
A blanket payment would change the current system - which gives discretionary payments only to the lowest paid if they test positive or are contact-traced by the NHS.
Our explainers team has broken down when you need to self-isolate, how it works in practice, and what you might be paid at the moment.
Read more here.

No current plans for quarantine hotels - minister

Environment Secretary George Eustice has also been on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, where he was asked about whether the government is considering introducing “quarantine hotels”, where arrivals to the UK would be asked to self-isolate.
He told the programme: “We have considered these matters last week and the judgement was, that for now, the right thing to do is to require pre-travel testing."
However, he said there was a risk of new variants entering the UK, which could potentially challenge the efficacy of vaccines.
“So we have to be mindful of this and watch it very closely,” he added.
You can read more about the UK’s current restrictions on travel here.

Prime Minister to lead UK government Covid briefing

We've just had it confirmed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will lead a Downing Street briefing on coronavirus at 17:00 GMT.

France ready to help Eurostar

France has said it is ready to provide financial support for Eurostar, whose business has been hit hard by coronavirus-related travel restrictions.
The French government is in talks with the British government over the issue, its junior transport minister said.
"The state will be at Eurostar's side in order to maintain this strategic link between our two countries," Jean-Baptiste Djebbari told a parliament committee for sustainable development on Thursday.
"We are working with the English on mechanisms for proportional aide based on our involvement in Eurostar, so that we can financially sustain its business model," he said.
Earlier this week, a group of London business leaders wrote to the British government calling for financial support for the struggling rail firm, which runs rail services through the Channel Tunnel.
It reported in November that passenger numbers had been down 95% since March 2020.

Wedding party with 400 guests broken up by police

A wedding party with 400 guests was broken up by police in east London last night, with the organisers in line for a £10,000 fine for breaking Covid restrictions.
The guests fled the scene when officers arrived at the Yesodey Hatorah Girls Grammar School in Stamford Hill, where they found the windows covered.
The area is home to the UK’s largest Charedi, or ultra-orthodox Jewish community.
A Metropolitan Police statement to community leaders, seen by the BBC, says there was clear evidence of a wedding having taken place.
The Met says organisers will be reported for consideration of a £10,000 fine under coronavirus regulations, while other guests were issued with smaller fines.
Read more here.

School's 'horror' after 400 attended lockdown wedding

A London school that was used as a venue for a wedding attended by an estimated 400 guests (as reported above) has expressed its "horror" at the alleged lockdown breach.
Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls' School in Stamford Hill, Hackney, said it "had no knowledge that the wedding was taking place".
"We are absolutely horrified about last night's event and condemn it in the strongest possible terms," the school added.
It said an agreement with a third party to organise events on the premises had now been terminated.
Hackney's mayor, Philip Glanville, claimed similar incidents had taken place at the same venue before.
The Metropolitan Police said the organiser faced a £10,000 fine and that many of those in attendance fled the scene when officers arrived.
Indoor gatherings of households are banned under current lockdown laws in England.
Read more here.

Japan rejects report Games will be cancelled

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes - BBC Tokyo correspondent
The Japanese government and International Olympic Committee (IOC) are strongly denying a report in a British newspaper that the Japanese government is considering cancelling the delayed Tokyo Olympic Games, currently due to be held this summer.
The report in Friday's Times quotes a senior source inside the ruling coalition as saying the consensus inside the government is it will be too difficult to hold the games. A senior government spokesman says there is no truth in the report.
The governor of Tokyo goes further, suggesting she might lodge a formal complaint against the newspaper. IOC head Thomas Bach also chimes in - although his denial is slightly more equivocal.
"We have at this moment, no reason whatsoever to believe that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will not open on 23 July in the Olympic stadium in Tokyo," he says.
But the Times story is not the first to cast doubt on the rescheduled Tokyo Games: last week, a senior government minister was forced to reverse himself after saying a decision on the games could go either way.
And with new Covid cases in Japan running at over 5,000 a day, public opinion here is solidly against holding the games this year.

France introduces mandatory PCR tests for arrivals

French President Emmanuel Macron told his European Union counterparts France would make PCR tests compulsory for all travellers into France from Sunday, including from fellow EU countries, his office said on Thursday.

Reuters: Cross-border workers and land transportation will be exempt from that obligation, the French presidency added. The test will have to be carried out no later than 72 hours before departure, it said after a video summit of EU leaders.

EU introduces 'dark red' travel zones for hotspot areas

Reuters reports that Covid hotspots the European Union will be labelled “dark red” zones, and travellers from those areas will be required to take a test before departure and undergo quarantine, citing the chief of the bloc’s executive.

“A dark red zone would show that in this zone, the virus is circulating at a very high level,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference after a meeting of EU leaders.

“Persons travelling from dark red areas could be required to do a test before departure, as well as to undergo quarantine after arrival.”

This system would apply to travel within the EU, she said.

Von der Leyen said that with infections rising and contagious variants of the virus spreading fast, non-essential travel should be “strongly discouraged” within the EU but essential workers and goods must be able to cross borders smoothly.

Spain ICU admissions rise by 60% in a fortnight

In Spain, the easing of travel restrictions over Christmas to allow families to get together caused a huge spike in infections, AFP reports, with the country counting record numbers of new cases as the pandemic’s third wave has taken hold.
And it is the hospitals that are counting the cost, government figures show.
Over the past fortnight, the number of people going to hospital rose by 82% while intensive care admissions increased by 60%, prompting some regions, such as Valencia to set up field hospitals.
And the rising caseload has medics worried, with Spain registering record new infection levels since Christmas, pushing the number of cases over 2.4 million and deaths to more than 55,000.
According to a study of 10,000 Spanish medics carried out by Hospital del Mar researchers, nearly half - 45 percent - suffered mental health issues following the first wave of the pandemic.
Around 28 percent presented signs of depression, a figure six times higher than in the general population, and 3.5 percent had considered suicide, the study showed.

Germany death toll goes past 50,000 after 859 new fatalities reported

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 17,862, down from yesterday’s reported total of 20,398, to 2,106,262, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed on Friday.
The reported death toll rose by 859 to 50,642, the tally showed.

Strict lockdown may be needed in France - government adviser

France will have to resort to a strict lockdown like those in Ireland and Britain if it fails to rein in the more contagious variants of the coronavirus, a French epidemiologist and government advisor has said.
Arnaud Fontanet, a member of the scientific council that advises the government on Covid-19 policy, also said on France Inter radio the country is in a “very tense situation with exhausted hospital staff”.
The French health minister, Olivier Véran, said last week the virus was still circulating at a “worrying” level but stopped short of recommending a third national lockdown, saying France’s nationwide 6pm curfew was sufficient for now.

Ireland faces lockdown for six more weeks - report

Ireland could be in lockdown for a further six weeks under plans being considered by authorities amid the spread of a new variant first identified in south-east England, the Irish Independent reports.
Ahead of discussions next week, Irish government ministers were said to be considering an extension of the highest level of coronavirus regulations until just before St Patrick’s Day.
Ireland’s Covid-19 death rate is at its highest level since the start of the pandemic with an average of 44 deaths a day in the past week, a senior health official said on Thursday.
“The number of deaths confirmed per day over the last seven days, 44, is the highest we have seen at any point during the pandemic,” Philip Nolan, head of the government’s Covid-19 modelling unit, told a news conference.
The infection rate, however, has fallen sharply from a pandemic high registered earlier in January. There were an average of 2,430 new cases over the past five days, down from a five-day average of 4,473 reported a week ago.
The January increase followed an easing of public health restrictions in December.

Hong Kong to put thousands into first lockdown - report

Thousands of Hong Kongers will be ordered to stay in their homes for the city’s first coronavirus lockdown, local media have reported, as authorities battle an outbreak in one of its poorest and most densely packed districts.
AFP reports:

The order bans anyone from leaving their apartment unless they can show a negative test where cases have surged in recent days, and will last until everyone within the designated area has been tested, the reports said.
The South China Morning Post said the measures would come in at midnight Friday into Saturday with some 1,700 police ready to enforce the lockdown covering some 150 housing blocks and up to 9,000 people.
Health officials declined to comment on the proposal at an afternoon press briefing but multiple local outlets reported the lockdown citing government officials throughout Friday.
Hong Kong was one of the first places to be struck by the coronavirus since it burst out of central China. It has kept infections under 10,000 with some 170 deaths by imposing effective but economically punishing social distancing measures for much of the last year.

Belgian government may ban tourist trips abroad

Belgium cannot yet lift coronavirus-related restrictions despite a stabilising of Covid infections and falling daily deaths, the health ministry has said, ahead of a meeting at which the government may seek to ban tourist trips abroad temporarily, Reuters reports.

With one of the world’s highest per capita death rates from COVID-19, Belgium has so far avoided a third wave of infections such as those seen in Britain and Germany. But the health ministry said the numbers remained too high to start easing measures.
The objective is to have fewer than 800 confirmed infections a day and fewer than 75 new hospitalisations a day for three weeks before starting to ease lockdown rules, a far cry from the current average of just under 2,000 infections a day.
“For the moment, the virus still has its hand in the game but we still have our two best players: vaccination and spring,” health ministry spokesman Yves Van Laethem told a news conference.
This week also marked the first time in a month that the number of people in hospital is rising again, particularly in the last few days, Van Laethem said. “The situation remains fragile, on a plateau too high for health systems, especially since the number of cases and hospitalisations no longer seems to be decreasing,” he said.
Belgium is not under a strict lockdown but bars, cafes and restaurants remain closed as well as gyms and cinemas, while home working is obligatory. The country of 11 million, home to the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, has officially recorded 20,620 Covid-related deaths so far.

NI records highest weekly death toll since start of pandemic

Northern Ireland has recorded its highest weekly death toll since the pandemic began.
There were 156 deaths with Covid-19 in the week of 9 January to 15 January, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra), taking the total number of deaths during the pandemic to 2,186.
The agency said two days in January had seen the joint highest number of Covid-19 deaths occurring, with 28 deaths on 7 and 11 January respectively.
Yesterday, it was announced lockdown restrictions would be extended in Northern Ireland until 5 March.
However, the country's health minister has said it would be "unrealistic" to expect all the restrictions to be lifted on that date.

Zidane tests positive for Covid

Spanish football club Real Madrid say their coach, former French international Zinedine Zidane, 48, has tested positive for Covid-19.

China and the virus: One year on from the world's first lockdown

Wuhan endured one of the strictest lockdowns the world has seen

It's a sobering anniversary to mark, but one year ago the world saw its first coronavirus lockdown in the Chinese city Wuhan.
At the time, the wider world was shocked by the harsh restrictions and rigid enforcement. From late January until June, the city was effectively sealed off from the rest of the country.
But even though it came at a significant cost, it proved to be a highly successful method of tackling the virus.
One year on, China is often held up as one of the virus success stories - not least by Beijing itself. On New Year's Eve, crowds were able to gather in the city with balloons and festive outfits to count down to midnight.
So how exactly did China get from lockdown to here - and how has Beijing controlled its own story? We've looked back on the past year.

Chief rabbi condemns 400-person party at Jewish school

Guests fled when officers arrived at the school Stamford Hill, north London, where the windows had been covered

One of the most-read coronavirus stories today is about police discovering a wedding party in north London, where they said about 400 people had gathered.
The event was taking place at a strictly Orthodox Charedi Jewish school in Stamford Hill, where the windows had been covered, police said.
Now, the UK's chief rabbi has condemned the party. Ephraim Mirvis said the “overwhelming majority” of the Jewish community would be appalled.
Writing on Twitter he said: “This is a most shameful desecration of all that we hold dear. At a time when we are all making such great sacrifices, it amounts to a brazen abrogation of the responsibility to protect life and such illegal behaviour is abhorred by the overwhelming majority of the Jewish community.”
The chief rabbi is the spiritual leader of the United Synagogue, the largest umbrella group of Jewish communities in the country, and which is a different denomination to Charedi Judaism.

 

UK's R-number falls to 0.8-1

The reproduction number, or R rate, of coronavirus transmission has fallen and is now estimated to be between 0.8 and 1 across the UK, according to the government's science advisers.
The R-number is the rate at which a person with coronavirus passes it onto others. Anything below one means infections are in retreat.
Read more about the measure and how it is calculated here.

In charts: Latest coronavirus figures around the world

There have been more than 97 million confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide, with more than two million deaths, according to the latest figures from John Hopkins University.





The rollout of coronavirus vaccines offers some hope, with more than 50 countries now administering jabs.
However, progress varies across the globe. Of the 53 countries administering vaccines and publishing rollout data, 43 are high-income nations and 10 are middle-income. None is a low-income nation.

Hundreds more Army medics drafted into hospitals

More than 5,000 members of the Armed Forces are now working in hospitals, vaccine centres and testing centres across the UK, the government has said.
The Ministry of Defence called it the "largest ever peacetime resilience operation" and said it was now happening in all four nations.
It said 800 more military medics had been deployed to hospitals, joining the 1,600 already working alongside NHS staff. Meanwhile, 20 military teams are helping with vaccines and a further 21 are on standby.
Another 2,400 personnel are still helping with testing.
In hospitals, military medics are working in intensive care units and other roles helping patients, the government said. Military staff are also helping in non-medical roles and, in Wales, they are driving ambulances.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was "grateful" for the "extraordinary efforts" of the Armed Forces.

Testing rules for uni students changed 'to ease pressure on labs'

Sean Coughlan - BBC News, education and family correspondent
Covid testing plans for university students and staff are set to change this term, according to a letter sent to vice chancellors from the Department for Education.
Those who test positive on a lateral flow test will no longer need to take PCR test to confirm the result before having to self-isolate.
The letter says this requirement will be “temporarily removed" from next week "to help ease the pressure on PCR laboratory capacity”.
There will also be changes to how students are screened when they come back to campuses. Instead of taking two tests as an initial check, they will face continuous regular mass testing, with two tests to be taken each week.
Most students are not back on campus yet but are learning online with a delayed start to face-to-face teaching. Only courses which require hands-on training, such as medicine, have started in person.
There have been arguments over the reliability of lateral flow tests, with claims they are not accurate enough to be used as evidence that someone is free of infection - but other scientists yesterday made a strong defence of their value.

Delays halt Pfizer jabs in parts of Europe

Vaccinations in parts of Europe are being held up and, in some cases, halted because of reduced deliveries of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Germany's most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, and several regions in Italy have suspended first jabs, while vaccinations for medics in Madrid have been stopped too.
As cases surge in many European countries, the US pharmaceutical firm has had to cut deliveries temporarily for the next few weeks because of work to increase capacity at its Belgian processing plant.
Germany has reached 50,000 Covid deaths and Spain has seen record infections.
Italy and Poland have threatened to take legal action in response to the reduction in vaccines.
The EU has ordered 600 million doses from Pfizer and has also authorised the Moderna vaccine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after an EU summit on Thursday night that quick delivery had to be ensured.
"We are determined to provide more predictability and stability to the delivery process and we look forward to more vaccines and more doses coming on stream soon," she said.
Read more about how Europe has been hit by vaccine delays.

'Cautious optimism' Scotland's lockdown measures are working

There are grounds for "cautious optimism" that lockdown measures in Scotland are working, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
At her daily briefing, she warned against complacency but said the figures on test positivity were the lowest for weeks.
There were 1,478 new cases recorded in Scotland in the past 24 hours, with the daily test positivity rate standing at 6.9%.
A further 71 deaths within 28 days of a positive test have also been recorded, while 2,053 people are in hospital with the virus, according to the latest figures.
Read more.

UK R number 'encouraging' but huge row 'coming'

Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter, a statistician at the University of Cambridge, says the drop in the UK's R number is “very encouraging” and it matches other data showing a decline in positive cases.
The government's scientific advisors have estimated the virus is reproducing at a rate of between 0.8 and 1 - anything below one means infections are in retreat.
He says cases are down to nearly half of where they were three weeks ago which is “enormously hopeful”, however he adds that he doesn't expect that to be reflected in the number of people in hospitals until the end of the month.
Asked about whether the government will come under increasing pressure to start relaxing the rules, he says: “The one thing I can be absolutely confident about is that by this time next month there is going be the mother of all arguments.”
“There will be enormous pressure to loosen things up” but he adds that would lead to a resurgence in the spread of the virus.

Macau confirms first case of Covid-19 in 209 days

Kerry Allen - BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analys



The island of Macau has confirmed its first case of Covid-19 in more than six months.
The patient is a 43-year-old woman who was returning home on a flight from Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday night.
She had previously been in Dubai, and tested positive twice during routine testing on arrival, the Macau Daily Times reports. She is currently exhibiting no symptoms.
The other 108 people on her Tokyo-Macau flight have now been told they must undergo three weeks of medical observation and isolation.
Macau has recorded 47 cases of Covid-19 in total since January 2020. It has reported no deaths.
However, while the island has been somewhat successful in combating the virus, by tightening its borders and requiring mandatory 14-day quarantines, its economy has taken a heavy hit over the last year.
Macau is home to 41 casinos and is known as Asia’s gaming hub. Its economy is reliant on gambling, especially from tourists, the bulk of whom come from the Chinese mainland.

• Macau: China's other 'one country, two systems' region
  

'Record number' of Covid hospital transfers

Jim Reed - BBC News
A record number of seriously-ill Covid patients are being transferred from over-stretched hospitals because of a lack of bed space, figures show.
Around one in 10 patients admitted to intensive care is now being sent to a different site, according to the body which audits critical care services.
In total, 392 Covid patients have been transferred this year.
This is more per week than in April 2020, during the the first wave of the pandemic.
Most transfers are between hospitals which are near each other - but some patients are thought to have been sent longer distances, with hospitals in Kent transferring to Devon, Bristol and Leeds.
Read more.

Man charged over scam vaccine texts

A 20-year-old man from Birmingham is to appear in court on suspicion of sending scam text messages related to the Covid-19 vaccine.
The man is due at Birmingham Magistrates' Court charged with fraud by false representation and possession of articles for use in fraud.
He was arrested on Thursday by officers from the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit - a specialist police unit funded by the banking industry.
In the UK, coronavirus vaccines are free of charge and available via the NHS.
Read more here about fake NHS vaccine messages being sent.

Tokyo 2020 Games may be held behind closed doors - Coe

We reported earlier about Japan denying a report in a British newspaper that it was considering cancelling the delayed summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
World Athletics President Lord Coe now says they may have to be held behind closed doors if they are to go ahead in Japan this year.
"I would love to have fans, noisy and passionate," Coe, who headed the London 2012 organising committee, tells the BBC.
"But if the only way we're able to deliver it is behind closed doors, I think everybody is accepting of that."
Read more here.

China updates dog-walking rules in epidemic prevention move

Kerry Allen - BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analyst
In an unusual development, top officials have approved the update of China's Law on animal epidemic prevention to include new, national rules for dog walkers.
According to the official People’s Daily, it is now mandatory for dog walkers to ensure that their dogs wear a tag and are kept on a lead, specifically "to prevent dogs from hurting people and spreading disease".
The official newspaper also says dog owners may face fines if they don’t vaccinate their pedigree chums for diseases such as rabies on a regular basis.
The official Xinhua News Agency notes that China’s current law has been in effect since 2008, and therefore pre-dates the coronavirus.
However, Xinhua also notes that China’s top legislature advised back in April that the law was updated as part of "enhanced efforts in monitoring epizootic-related diseases".
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress met on Wednesday to discuss revisions to this law.
In early 2020, there were grave concerns in China that animals, particularly wild ones, could have been a starting point for the coronavirus outbreak.
Some areas of China subsequently moved to impose laws banning the sale and consumption of animal meat amid concerns about animals leading to human disease.

UK announces another 1,401 deaths and more than 40,000 cases

The UK government has announced a further 1,401 people have died with coronavirus within 28 days of a positive test.
That takes the total by that measure to 95,981.
There have also been a further 40,261 daily cases - the first time in six days that the number reported has been over 40,000.
Meanwhile, more than five million people in the UK have received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine - 5,383,103,according to the latest government figures.
Some 409,855 people received the first dose on Thursday, which is the highest number given in the UK in a 24-hour period so far.

Hope that UK lockdowns are working

Michelle Roberts - Health editor, BBC News online
The latest data on the spread of coronavirus in the UK offers hope that the lockdown measures are having some impact, despite record numbers of cases and a more infectious variant circulating.
The R number is at or below 1 which tells us the number of new people getting infected is hopefully decreasing. On average, every 10 people with the virus will be passing it on to between 8 and 10 others.
This latest pandemic wave appears to be receding, but slowly and not everywhere. In some parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland and the Midlands, infections are still growing.
There is no suggestion lockdown measures can be eased any time soon. Hospitals are feeling the strain of treating large numbers of people who are seriously ill with Covid in addition to managing all the other "usual" urgent conditions, such as heart attacks and strokes. It will take many weeks for the situation to improve for the NHS.

16:30

Latest developments ahead of PM's briefing

Let's take a look at some of the latest coronavirus headlines in the UK ahead of today's No 10 briefing from Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his top medical and science advisers.

• The epidemic appears to be shrinking in the UK, with new data suggesting the country's R number is at or below one for the first time since early December
  
• Office for National Statistics figures also suggest cases are decreasing slightly or levelling off across Britain
  
• But case numbers may be rising in Northern Ireland
  
• Police broke up a wedding party in north London where they said about 400 people had gathered - prompting outrage from community leaders
  
• No 10 says there are no plans to pay everyone in England who tests positive for Covid £500 to self-isolate, despite reports saying ministers were considering the policy
  
• And the release of the next James Bond film has been delayed for a third time because of the pandemic
  

We'll bring you all the updates from the PM's news conference when it begins at 17:00 GMT.

Funeral for 'hero' paramedic who died with Covid

Tony Chadbourne worked for East Midlands Ambulance Service for more than 20 years

A funeral has been held for a "hero" paramedic who died after contracting coronavirus.
Tony Chadbourne, known as Chad, died with the virus just before Christmas.
The 46-year-old worked for East Midlands Ambulance Service in the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire Divisions for 23 years.
His funeral took place in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, with a procession through the town and colleagues holding a minute's silence at the same time.
Chadbourne's family have described him as "an NHS hero" who had three major loves in his life - his family and friends, watching Nottingham Forest and England play football, and his role as a paramedic.
His life was celebrated by the club on Wednesday night before their game against Middlesbrough, with the players wearing warm-up T-shirts featuring his picture.
Read more.

 

Cuba aims to use its own vaccine for whole island

Will Grant - BBC News, Havana
The Cuban government says it is confident to be able to vaccinate its entire population with its own vaccine, “Soberana 2”, by the end of the year. Though testing is still ongoing, it also hopes to produce 100 million doses for other nations in Latin America.
The communist-run island has a great deal of experience in coming up with its own solutions, not least in medicine. The decades-long US economic embargo has forced it to become self-reliant and find creative solutions to challenges posed by sanctions on everything from medical equipment to drug components.
Cuba also has vaccine experience. For example, the renowned Finlay Institute in Havana was credited with finding the first vaccine against meningococcus B.
Though the island's Covid-19 numbers remain low by the standards of some nations, they are creeping upwards. Having brought the spread of the virus almost completely under control at one stage last year, it has noticed a deterioration since re-opening to tourism.
Havana is now once again under a strict lockdown and the population are growing weary of a situation that has exacerbated the relentless economic hardship.

PM: New variant 'associated with higher degree of mortality'

The PM begins by saying that the government has tried to update the public as soon as possible to changes to scientific data on the coronavirus.
He says it "now appears there is some evidence that the new variant... may be associated with a higher degree of mortality".

What did we learn from today's press conference?

Friday's coronavirus briefing was led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
He was joined by Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, and Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser.
Here's what they told us:

• There is some evidence that the new variant of the virus is associated with higher mortality, as well as being more infectious
  
• For an average man in his 60s, the risk of dying with the original virus is 10 in 1,000 cases. Evidence suggests the risk with the new variant is 13 or 14 deaths in 1,000 cases, but this is uncertain
  
• The number of people in hospital with Covid is 78% higher than it was in the first peak in April
  
• Vaccines appear to be effective against the UK variant, but there is concern about their effectiveness against variants from South Africa and Brazil
  
• At the moment, people who have had a vaccine must stick to social distancing rules. The vaccine prevents severe disease but may not prevent people catching and spreading the virus - especially as there is a lot of virus in the community
  
• Restrictions will not be lifted until infections have fallen, but there are no plans to tighten them
  

Risk of death from UK variant may by up to 50% higher - scientist

Early evidence suggests the variant of coronavirus that emerged in the UK may be up to 50% more deadly, according to the scientist whose research led to today’s government announcement.
Nick Davies, assistant professor of mathematical modelling at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme the estimate that the risk of death increased by 30% was "uncertain".
"We think it could be anywhere between 10 to 50%, according to our analysis,” he said.
Mr Davies – a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M), which feeds into the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) – said it would be very important to get a variety of different streams of evidence, looking at the problem in different ways.
However, he added that “a number of groups have looked at the data in a number of different ways, and unfortunately come to similar conclusions”.

More international travel restrictions looking likely

Nick Eardley - Political correspondent
With new variants emerging in different parts of the world, it’s worth highlighting Boris Johnson’s comments about borders.
It seems pretty clear ministers are considering more restrictions on people coming into the UK – to stop those variants coming into the UK if possible.
In the PM’s words, the UK may have to further to “protect our borders”.

Higher mortality of new variant 'reflected in hospitals'

There is still “a lot of uncertainty” about just how severe the new UK variant is, according to another of the government's scientific advisers.
Prof Peter Openshaw, a member of the government's Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies, said the figures given during the Downing Street briefing suggested an increase of something like 30 to 40% in terms of mortality which “really ties in with what we’re seeing in the hospitals”.
Speaking to Radio 4’s PM programme, he said: “It is obviously a blow. We were rather hoping that this virus was going to be quite genetically stable.
“The realisation that this virus is capable of relatively fast mutation and development of new variants… has been a bit of a setback for us.”

Police revise wedding party guest list down to 150

One of today's top stories about coronavirus in the UK has been police discovering people gathered at a wedding party in north London last night.
Originally the police said 400 people had attended - but they have now revised that number down to 150.
In a statement, the Met Police said: "Although initial calls suggested some 400 people had attended the wedding, it is now believed that approximately 150 people were in attendance."
The organisers of the wedding party - which was held at a strictly Orthodox Charedi Jewish school in Stamford Hill - face fines.
The Met said one organiser would be reported for consideration of a £10,000 fine while five other attendees were issued with £200 fixed penalty notices.
"This afternoon, an investigation has been launched to identify those others responsible for organising and who attended the wedding," the Met added.
Read the full story here.

Corrie and Emmerdale face Covid disruption

The famous Rovers Return pub on the set of Coronation Street

TV soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale are both seeing their filming schedules hit by the pandemic.
An ITV spokeswoman confirms Emmerdale stopped filming last week after some members of the team tested positive for Covid-19.
She adds they will return to filming on Monday.
Meanwhile, Coronation Street will pause filming for two weeks on Monday "to undertake some rewriting of stories and scripts as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic".
However, the break will not affect its TV schedule and the show will still be on six times a week, a statement adds.

Andy Murray 'gutted' to miss Aussie Open over quarantine

Former tennis world number one Andy Murray will miss the Australian Open having failed to find a "workable quarantine" as he recovers from coronavirus.
The 33-year-old Briton was set to fly out to Melbourne last week, but was not allowed to travel on a charter flight after being found to have Covid-19.
The Victorian state government has put in place strict measures to allow players to fly into the country for the tournament, which starts on 8 February.
Murray says: "Gutted to share that I won't be flying out to Australia to compete at the Australian Open.
"We've been in constant dialogue with Tennis Australia to try and find a solution which would allow some form of workable quarantine, but we couldn't make it work.

What's happened today?

It's been another fairly busy day for coronavirus news, with Boris Johnson giving a press conference earlier. Here's a recap of the top headlines:

• Early evidence suggests the variant of coronavirus that was first identified in the UK might be more deadly. Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the announcement at the No 10 briefing tonight. But there's still huge uncertainty around the numbers, and evidence shows that vaccines will still work. Here's our latest story with what we know
  
• There's some good news about the infection rate.The UK's Covid epidemic appears to be shrinking for the first time since early December - with the R number now estimated to be between 0.8 and 1
  
• The vaccine rollout in parts of Europe is encountering some problems, because of a reduction in deliveries of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Some vaccinations have been suspended in parts of Germany, Italy and Madrid in Spain. Pfizer said last week it was delaying shipments for the next few weeks because of work to increase capacity at its Belgian processing plant
  
• Police have revised down the number of people they estimate attended a wedding party in north London last night. Originally they said 400 people were there, but they have since clarified it was more like 150. The size of the rule-breaking party appalled many people
  
• Tennis star Andy Murray will miss the Australian Open. He tested positive for coronavirus last week and was not allowed to travel on a charter flight to Melbourne. He had hoped to find a way to get there safely and quarantine until he could compete, but a solution has not been found.
  

That's it from us

We're closing our live coverage of the pandemic for today. Thanks for following and we'll be back tomorrow with more updates throughout the day.

Our coverage was brought to you by: James Clarke, Martha Buckley, Becky Morton, George Bowden, Alexandra Fouché, Katie Wright, Gavin Stamp, Lucy Webster and Francesca Gillett.