Coronavirus - 7th February 2021

Summary for Sunday, 7th February

• Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi says the government has no plans for a "vaccine passport", saying it would be "discriminatory"
  
• An annual booster jab, in the same way the flu vaccination is organised, is being planned for future years, he says
  
• Workplace Covid testing is being offered to more companies in England, for staff who cannot work from home during lockdown
  
• Businesses with more than 50 employees are now able to access lateral flow tests, which can produce results in less than 30 minutes
  
• Early trials suggest the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine offers limited protection against mild disease caused by the South Africa variant
  
• The firm said it could not yet properly establish if the jab would stop severe disease caused by the variant as most in the study were young and healthy
  
• A vaccine for the South African strain should be ready by the autumn, says Prof Sarah Gilbert, the Oxford vaccine lead researcher
  
• Tributes are paid in China to Li Wenliang, a doctor who raised the alarm about the country's coronavirus outbreak and died a year ago today
  

Good morning

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. We’ll be bringing you updates throughout the day. Here are the main UK headlines this morning:

• Workplace Covid testing is being offered to more companies in England, the government says, for staff who cannot work from home during lockdown. Businesses with more than 50 employees are now able to access lateral flow tests
  
• GPs in England will be paid an additional £10 by the NHS for every housebound patient they vaccinate against Covid-19
  
• Early trials suggest the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine offers limited protection against mild disease caused by the South Africa variant - although the firm said it believed the vaccine could protect against severe disease
  
• Online travel agent Lastminute.com has failed to keep to a promise to refund people for holidays hit by the pandemic
  
• And more than 11 million people in the UK have now had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine
  

'Wuhan whistleblower' remembered one year on

Sunday marks the first anniversary of Dr Li's death

Tributes have been paid to the Chinese doctor who raised the alarm about the country's coronavirus outbreak, one year after he died with Covid-19.
Thousands paid tribute on social media to Li Wenliang, as we reached the first anniversary of his death on 7 February 2020.
Dr Li, an eye doctor in Wuhan, died after contracting Covid-19 while treating patients.
He had tried to warn fellow medics of a disease that resembled Sars - another deadly coronavirus - but was told by police to "stop making false comments" and was investigated for "spreading rumours".
His death prompted a rare wave of grief and public anger over the Chinese government's handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
Only when anger reached fever pitch was Dr Li exonerated and honoured as a hero by the Chinese government.
"Dr Li, history and the people will never forget you!," said one message posted in the comments of Dr Li's final entry on his personal page on Weibo - the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.
"I thought everyone would have forgotten you after a year," another wrote. "I was wrong, you live forever in the hearts of the Chinese people."
More than 105 million people have since been infected with coronavirus and 2.3 million have died with Covid-19 worldwide.

WHO hopeful world leaders will commit to sharing vaccines

David Nabarro, a Special Envoy on Covid-19 for the World Health Organization, says he is hopeful all world leaders will commit to a “fair sharing” of vaccines.
Speaking on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, he says: “In the end it’s one virus affecting the whole world, we’re all at risk.”
He says the priority for vaccines everywhere is getting them to the people who are most at risk of dying but politicians believe their "primary duty" is to vaccinate all of their population.
He calls on citizens to pressure their politicians to encourage them to make sure everyone in the world has what they need.
Asked about the UK’s decision to delay the second dose of the vaccine, against the advice of WHO, he says the WHO's advice was based on what the manufacturer did but “we’re learning all the time”.
He says it is "wonderful" the "UK’s bravery" over the extended interval seems to be associated with even greater protection.
"That’s how we’re doing Covid at the moment, we’re all learning together."

Covid crisis dominates as Ecuadoreans vote for new president

Yaku Pérez wants to become Ecuador's first indigenous president

Voters in Ecuador are going to the polls to choose a new president, with the country reeling from the effects of the Covid pandemic.
Many voters say they are more preoccupied with day-to-day survival than with politics, with one survey suggesting nearly 50% remain undecided on who to opt for out of the 16 presidential candidates.
Ecuadoreans say their main concern in the election is how the new leader will tackle the country's crippling health and economic crisis.
Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost, creating a climate of uncertainty that newspaper El Universo said could fuel abstention in the voting.
"The economic crisis generated by the pandemic, unemployment and the fear of potential infections are some of the factors [...] that have provoked disinterest in the election," it reported.
While promising to get a grip on the Covid-19 crisis, the leading candidates have also pledged to work to revitalise the economy and lift Ecuadoreans out of poverty.
Read more here.

UK reports 15,845 new cases, 373 deaths

A further 15,845 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the UK, taking the total to 3,945,680, according to government figures.
This compares to 21,088 last Sunday.
The number of deaths within 28 days of a positive test rose by 373, bringing the UK death toll to 112,465. There were 587 last Sunday.
New cases have decreased by 24.3% in the last seven days, while deaths have fallen by 23.3%.
Sunday’s figures tend to be lower because of reporting delays over the weekend.

410 more deaths in English hospitals

A further 410 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 75,767, NHS England said on Sunday.
Patients were aged between 28 and 100. All except nine, aged between 42 and 79, had known underlying health conditions. The deaths were between April 19 2020 and February 6, with the majority being on or after February 3.
There were 29 other deaths reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.

461 more coronavirus cases in Wales

There have been a further 461 cases of coronavirus in Wales, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 196,060. Public Health Wales reported another 28 deaths, taking the total in Wales since the start of the pandemic to 4,989.
Public Health Wales said a total of 589,622 first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine had now been given. The agency said 2,606 second doses were also given.
In total, 85.3% of those over 80 have received their first dose of the vaccine, along with 78.4% of care home residents and 81.9% of care home staff.

Scotland reports 584 new coronavirus cases

584 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded along with a further seven deaths from the disease.
The latest figures published by the Scottish Government showed that 6.9% of those tested for the virus were confirmed as having Covid-19. Meanwhile 1,710 people are in hospital with recently confirmed coronavirus, a reduction of 19 from the previous day.
That includes 108 people in intensive care, with this total having fallen by nine in the past 24 hours.
A total of 839,266 people have received their first dose of the Covid vaccine, an increase of 52,389 from the previous day (see figures in previous post). There are now 10,582 Scots who have had both doses of the vaccine, an increase of 250.

Russia reports 16,048 new cases

In Russia 16,048 new coronavirus cases and 432 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, against 16,627 cases and 497 deaths the previous day. Those figures continue a downward trajectory on both fronts.

China reports 11 new Covid cases on Saturday

Mainland China reported 11 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, down from 12 cases a day earlier and the lowest daily increase since mid-December, the national health authority said on Sunday.
The National Health Commission said only one of the new cases was locally transmitted and it was identified in China’s north-eastern Jilin province.

Further increases in new Covid cases and deaths in Germany

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 8,616 to 2,284,010, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday. The reported death toll rose by 231 to 61,517.

Malaysia reports 3,731 new cases on Sunday

Turning now to Malaysia, health authorities reported 3,731 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, raising the total number of infections so far to 242,452.
Reuters said there were also 15 new deaths reported, taking the cumulative fatalities to 872.

Austria tightening border controls

Austria said on Sunday it was tightening border controls to all neighbouring countries, saying non-essential travel should be prevented during the pandemic.
The move to tighten border controls comes as the country is gearing up to cautiously loosen some restrictions this coming week, including letting non-essential shops and schools reopen.
“The border controls are meant to break the chain of infection which through new virus mutations has grown more dangerous,” Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said in a statement reported by Reuters. “During the pandemic, travel should be kept to an absolute minimum.”
The interior ministry said that it had been in contact with German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer over the new border measures and that talks with ministers in other countries were to follow. Austria shares borders with Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia.
Austria reported 1,317 new infections on Sunday, bringing the total to 420,644 since the outset of the pandemic. Twenty-two people died, raising the country’s total COVID-19 fatalities to 7,906, according to official figures.

Summary of latest events

Here are some of the key developments of the last few hours, from the UK and around the world:

• A further 410 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 75,767, NHS England said on Sunday.
  
• In Scotland, 584 new cases of coronavirus were recorded along with a further seven deaths from the disease. There were also a further 461 cases of coronavirus in Wales and 28 deaths.
  
• Relaxations of coronavirus restrictions were enacted in Israel and Jordan, with barbershops and some other businesses opening in Israel and pupils returning to school in Jordan.
  
• Austria tightened border controls to all neighbouring countries, saying non-essential travel should be prevented during the pandemic.
  
• The UK has no plans to introduce vaccine passports, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said, arguing that such a measure would be discriminatory.
  
• Kate Bingham, former Chair of the UK Government’s Vaccine Taskforce, gave a wide-ranging interview to two European newspapers, saying that Brexit was not the reason for the relative success of the UK’s approach compared to the EU’s but adding that “to get 27 countries all to agree is very difficult”.
  
• The United Arab Emirates will temporarily only vaccinate residents and citizens who are elderly or who have certain health conditions, following a spike in infections over the past weeks, state media said on Sunday.
  
• Researchers told the Guardian that herd immunity can no longer be the goal for Covid vaccines following the news that the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine does not stop people with the South African variant becoming mildly or moderately ill.
  
• European Central Bank (ECB) chief Christine Lagarde rejected calls to cancel debts run up by eurozone members to buttress their economies during the Covid-19 crisis.
  

Beach rave 'astoundingly irresponsible', say police

Formby Beach is famous for hosting rare wildlife

About 100 people have been branded "astoundingly irresponsible" by police after attending an illegal beach rave at a popular Merseyside destination.
Officers were called after midnight to reports of loud music at Formby - a National Trust site - where they seized DJ equipment and lighting and fined 64 people for breaching Covid rules.
Deputy Chief Constable Serena Kennedy says: "Those who attended the event in Formby last night were astoundingly irresponsible."
It is "as important as ever that our communities in Sefton and across Merseyside stick to the national lockdown rules", she adds.
Managed by the National Trust, the sandy beach and neighbouring woodland is famous for its wildlife, including rare red squirrels and lizards.

 

UK surpasses 12 million vaccinations

The UK government has announced another 373 people have died with coronavirus, within 28 days of a positive test, taking the total by that measure to 112,465.
However, there tends to be fewer deaths reported on Sundays, due to a reporting lag over the weekend.
There have also been a further 15,845 positive daily cases.
Latest figures show 12,014,288 have now received a first dose of a Covid vaccine across the UK, with 549,078 people getting the jab on Saturday.

Liverpool match moved to Hungary over Germany travel ban

The Puskas Arena in Budapest is the new host for the Champions League match

Liverpool's Champions League match against RB Leipzig will now be played in Budapest, Hungary, after the English team were banned from travelling to Germany.
Germany has prohibited most travel from countries hit hard by new variants of Covid-19, including the UK.
Bundesliga club Leipzig were told on Friday that the fixture "did not meet the requirements for an exception".
The first leg of the last-16 tie will take place at Budapest's Puskas Arena on the original date of 16 February.

What has happened today?

As the live page draws to a close, here is a summary of the main news stories today.

• More than 12 million people in the UK have now had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, with the government on track to deliver its promise for 15 million people in the top four priority groups to receive their first dose by 15 February
  
• Amid concerns about vaccine effectiveness against the South African variant, Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said the government would bring in an “annual” vaccination, or booster, in order to deal with variants. He ruled out plans to issue so-called "vaccine passports", saying it would be "discriminatory"
  
• Prof Sarah Gilbert, lead developer behind the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, says she and her team are working on tweaking the jab for the South African variant and it was "very much likely that we can have a new version [of the vaccine] ready to use in the autumn"
  
• The number of first vaccines given in one day in Scotland has passed 50,000 for the first time and Scottish health secretary Jeanne Freeman aims to have every adult in Scotland vaccinated for Covid "in the summer". New figures released by the Scottish Government show a total of 839,266 people have now had their first jab
  
• Workplace Covid testing is being made more widely available in England, for staff who cannot work from home during lockdown. Firms with more than 50 employees can now access the rapid-result testing. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has urged businesses and employees to take up the offer.
  
• Tributes have been paid to the Chinese doctor who raised the alarm about the country's coronavirus outbreak, one year after he died with Covid-19. Thousands paid tribute on social media to Li Wenliang, an eye doctor who first tried to warn medics about the Sars-like virus.
  

Thanks and goodbye

That’s all from the live page today, thanks for joining us. We’ll be back tomorrow morning to bring you all the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic.

Today’s live page writers were Francesca Gillett, Victoria Lindrea and Katie Wright. The editor was James Clarke.