Coronavirus - 1st MAY 2021

• Care home residents in England will be able to make low-risk trips without having to self-isolate for two weeks on their return
  
• The rules will be relaxed from Tuesday, allowing for quarantine-free outings such as walks or garden visits
  
• Campaigners had threatened legal action, arguing that residents' human rights were being breached
  
• South Asian communities in England were more at risk of infection, severe illness and death during the second wave of the pandemic, compared with other ethnic groups, a study says
  
• A campaign is launched to raise money to build a memorial in St Paul's Cathedral to those who've died as a result of the pandemic
  
• India is due to begin vaccinating all adults over the age of 18 amid a deadly second wave of infections
  
• Australian citizens returning home from India could face up to five years in jail and fines after the journey is made temporarily illegal
  

• Care home residents in England will be able to leave their home for low-risk trips without having to self-isolate for 14 days afterwards, after the government announced it would relax measures from next Tuesday
  
• People from a South Asian background were at greater risk of infection, hospitalisation and death in the second wave of Covid than the first, compared with other ethnic groups, a study has concluded
  
• India is due to begin vaccinating all adults over the age of 18 amid a deadly second wave of infections, with more than 300,000 cases and over 3,000 deaths being reported daily. But many states are reporting a shortage of doses
  
• Australian citizens returning home from India could face up to five years in jail and fines after the government made the journey temporarily illegal
  
• A campaign is being launched to raise £2.3m to build a memorial inside London’s St Paul's Cathedral, to remember those who have died as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic
  

What the papers say

• The Times reports that family and friends will be allowed to hug in just over a fortnight in what it calls "the first significant easing" of social distancing rules.
  
• The paper predicts ministers will approve the next stage of the road map from 17 May and that it will include allowing people to have physical contact with other households for the first time in more than a year.
  
• The Daily Telegraph says 17 May is also the date that foreign travel will be allowed again - as the first step towards reviving the holiday industry – but it adds that only a "tiny handful" of countries will be on the approved list to start with.
  
• The Daily Express says a "green list" of countries which people can visit without any quarantine requirement will be published next week. Most European countries are expected to be on the amber list, according to the Telegraph.
  
• Meanwhile, the i newspaper claims scientists and No 10 are "increasingly" confident about mass gatherings without social distancing.
  
• And the FT Weekend warns that drinkers have downed so many pints since lockdown restrictions were eased that pubs are facing a beer shortage over the Bank Holiday weekend.
  

Relief as care home isolation rule axed for low-risk trips

Australians could face jail or fines if they return from India

Analysis: Care home day trip quarantine rules relaxed

Call for traffic light list of holiday destinations to be published

UK doctors offer virtual ward rounds to Indian hospitals

What's happening so far today?

• A government scientific adviser has warned that people need to be "patient for a short period" ahead of the next planned relaxation of Covid rules in England.
  
• Care home residents will be able to leave their home for low-risk trips without having to self-isolate for 14 days afterwards. The rules will be relaxed in England from Tuesday.
  
• India's vaccination push - to offer jabs to all adults - is being hit by chronic shortages, as the country reported more than 400,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day.
  
• MPs have called on the government to publish more details of the proposed traffic light system indicating the safety of travel destinations, ahead of the possible return to holidays abroad from 17 May.
  
• Australian citizens returning home from India could face up to five years in jail and fines after the government made the journey temporarily illegal.
  

It was the first time India’s daily case count had topped 400,000 after 10 consecutive days over 300,000. Deaths related to Covid-19 jumped by 3,523 over the past 24 hours, taking the total toll to 211,853, according to official data.
The world’s biggest producer of Covid-19 vaccines has a limited number of shots available, worsening a grim second wave of infections that has overwhelmed hospitals and morgues while families scramble for scarce medicines and oxygen.
The chief minister of the hard-hit state of Delhi yesterday implored people not to queue at vaccination centres, promising more vaccines would arrive “tomorrow or the day after”.
India’s eastern Odisha state said it had received a consignment of 150,000 shots but would only allow a few people to get shots due to lockdown restrictions preventing movement.
Meanwhile, a fire in a hospital about 115 miles south of Ahmedabad killed 16 coronavirus patients and two staff, the latest in a series of deadly accidents at hospitals.
A forum of scientific advisers set up by Modi administration warned Indian officials in early March of a new and more contagious variant of the coronavirus taking hold in the country, five scientists who are part of the forum told Reuters.
Despite the warning, four of the scientists said the federal government did not seek to impose major restrictions to contain the spread of the virus. Millions, largely unmasked, attended religious gatherings and election rallies that were held by Modi, leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition politicians.

Ukraine eases restrictions

In early April, Kyiv limited its public transport services, closed schools and kindergartens, theatres and shopping centres, and banned spectators from sporting events.
Starting from today, the capital will allow the operation of transport, cafes and restaurants, although passenger and customer numbers will be restricted. Wearing masks is still mandatory in transport and public places.
Shopping malls and sports clubs will be able to reopen, while schools and kindergartens will open from 5 May, local authorities said.
Last month, Kyiv recorded some of highest numbers of new infections among Ukrainian regions, but new cases dropped significantly last week.

Pakistan to reduce number of inbound international flights

Canada will get Pfizer vaccines from the US next week

Despite Canada’s tightly woven commercial ties with the U.S., it has been getting Pfizer’s vaccines from Belgium until now because U.S. authorities had kept supplies made in the U.S. for domestic use.
Prime minister Justin Trudeau repeated yesterday that starting next week, Canada will be receiving 2 million doses a week from Pfizer alone.
Vaccinations have ramped up in Canada in recent months. Every adult in Quebec will be eligible to make a vaccine appointment on May 14 and in Ontario, Canada’s largest province, every adult can book an appointment starting May 24.
Trade-dependent Canada previously lagged on vaccinating its population of 38 million because it lacks the facilities to manufacture the vaccine itself.
Pfizer has delivered almost 160 million doses to the U.S. from its Kalamazoo, Michigan, plant and that figure is expected to reach 200 million by the end of May.

How continental Europe is emerging from Covid lockdown

Health officials said they were planning to roll out mandatory inoculations for the 370,000 domestic helpers in the city, mostly poorly-paid women from the Philippines and Indonesia.
Those wanting to apply for work visas - or renew their current ones - would need to show they had been vaccinated, officials said Friday. If the plan goes ahead it would be the first time Hong Kong has directly tied working rights for foreigners to vaccines.
“This is clearly an act of discrimination and stigmatisation against migrant domestic workers,” said Dolores Balladares Pelaez, the chair of United Filipinos in Hong Kong.
Labour groups representing domestic workers said they were angered other foreigners – and locals working in environments such as care homes – were not also required to get vaccinated. “Again, we are being singled out and targeted,” Pelaez added.
Health officials announced the vaccination plan after two domestic helpers were found to be infected with one of the more virulent strains of the coronavirus. All domestic workers have also been ordered to get tested over the coming days – a measure that did not extend to the families they work for.
Hong Kong labour secretary, Law Chi-kwong, defended linking domestic worker visas to vaccination. “Of course they can choose not to work in Hong Kong as they are not Hong Kong residents,” Law said.

Thailand: New daily record of 21 coronavirus deaths in one day

The health ministry today reported 1,891 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 67,044 since the pandemic began last year, with 224 deaths. Thailand is fighting a fierce third wave of infections, the worst of the pandemic after a year of relative success in controlling the virus.
The new outbreak includes the highly transmissible B117 variant and has accounted for about half of its total cases and deaths during the pandemic. A slow rollout of vaccines has churned public frustration, with the 2.5m doses of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine received so far going mostly to medical and frontline workers and the most vulnerable.
Registration for vaccinating the general public begins today through mobile applications, with about 16 million people over 60 or those with pre-existing conditions like diabetes getting priority. By late afternoon, nearly 200,000 people across Thailand had registered and booked appointments to get vaccinated, health authorities said.

Impeachment for governor of Brazil's state Rio de Janeiro

Snooker World Championship final will play out to full crowd

Philippines receives first batch of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine

The 15,000 doses of Sputnik V, developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Institute, will be used in four cities in the capital region, the Philippines’ coronavirus hotspot, the health ministry said.
It was supposed to arrive on 25 April, but was delayed by logistical issues. The Philippines is negotiating to buy 20 million doses of Sputnik V, as part of its target to inoculate up to 70 million adults this year.
It has so far received 4.04 million vaccine doses, more than 86% of which were from China’s Sinovac Biotech and the rest from AstraZeneca through the Covax facility. More than 1.8 million doses had been administered as of 27 April, government data showed.

UK government 'has not missed deadline' on overseas travel

Isle of Man border opens to allow family visits

Analysis: Vaccinating India could take years

India: Deaths after oxygen shortage at one hospital and a fire at another

Analysis: India's leaders oppose a lockdown as Covid crisis deepens

'My aunt died sitting in her chair because of a lack of oxygen'

UK records seven Covid deaths

While India is desperate for oxygen, its politicians deny there’s even a problem

:Left Quotes: If you are lucky enough to get one, it takes up to a week to get the result. Until it arrives, if you have a severe case of Covid and need hospitalisation, you can’t be admitted to a hospital because you don’t have the paperwork to prove you are positive.
Delhi’s state government imposes a curfew to break the chain of transmission. Thirteen months on from the imposition of the first lockdown, it’s clear that we aren’t back to square one; we have been transported, unaccountably, to some strange circle of hell.

Kenya lifts lockdown as infection rate falls

Curbs on travel in the capital Nairobi and four surrounding counties are to be lifted, and schools will be allowed to reopen. Religious services will resume with some restrictions, while political gatherings would still be banned, he said in a speech.
An evening curfew that currently starts at 8pm will now be 10pm. The changes will be in effect from midnight on Saturday, Kenyatta said. Under the restrictions now being relaxed, Nairobi and surrounding counties were treated as one zone, with residents barred from traveling to other areas.
Cases in Kenya, the richest country in East Africa, have fallen from last month’s peak but it is still among the top five nations in Africa reporting new infections and deaths, according to a Reuters tracker.
Kenya reported 497 new infections and 17 deaths within the past 24 hours, according to the latest health ministry data released on Friday. Overall, the country of 53 million has recorded nearly 159,000 cases and around 2,700 deaths.

Cambodia begins vaccination drive of half a million people

The country, which had been one of the least affected by the pandemic, is seeing a rise in coronavirus cases that has seen the total number of infections jump from about 500 to 13,790 since late February, including all 96 of the deaths it has recorded.
Phnom Penh is under lockdown until 5 May and has declared some districts of the capital “red zones”, banning people from leaving their homes except for medical reasons.
Senior military official Eth Sarath said 471,573 people would be inoculated with China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac shots during a one-month campaign led by the military, according to a Ministry of Defence statement posted on Facebook.
“To date, more than 1.3 million Cambodians, including foreigners, diplomats and civil society workers in Cambodia, have been vaccinated,” the defence ministry said.
Soeung Senkaruna, senior human rights worker at local rights group ADHOC, criticised the use of the military, saying people might feel intimidated.
“Whether they want it or not, seeing soldiers like these, they are worried, they are scared in case they do not want to make a decision, do not want to get the jab,” he said.

The Netherlands delays easing of lockdown as pressure remains high

Turkish police arrest over 200 people at May Day marches

Portugal's flight restrictions extended until 16th May

Travellers from countries where 500 or more cases per 100,000 people have been reported over a 14-day period - which also include South Africa, France and the Netherlands, among others - can only enter Portugal if they have a valid reason, such as for work or healthcare, the government said. They must then quarantine for 14 days.
People from countries where the incidence rate is 150 or more Covid-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, such as next-door Spain and Germany, can also travel by plane to Portugal only for essential reasons.
They will have to present proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure for Portugal. Those without a test will have to take one upon arrival and wait for the result at the airport.
Portugal’s 1,200-km-long land border with Spain reopened today after more than three months of restrictions and border checks.

India must go into lockdown for several weeks

Prime minister Narendra Modi’s government has resisted imposing a national lockdown after a nationwide shutdown a year ago caused widespread human suffering and a painful economic hit.
“I think the most important thing in the immediate is to get oxygen, get supplies, get medication, get PPE, those kinds of things,” the Indian Express daily quoted Fauci as saying in an interview. “But also, one of the immediate things to do is to essentially call a shutdown of the country,” he said.
“And if you shut down, you don’t have to shut down for six months. You can shut down temporarily to put an end to the cycle of transmission,” he added. No one likes to lock down the country... But if you do it just for a few weeks, you could have a significant impact on the dynamics of the outbreak.”
Many states have imposed heavy restrictions on activity, particularly in the western state of Maharashtra and the capital New Delhi where hospitals are at breaking point. The capital extended its shutdown for another week today.

Thousands join May Day protests across France despite restrictions

About 300 rallies were organised in Paris and other cities including Lyon, Nantes, Lille and Toulouse. In the French capital, trade unionists were joined by members of the “Yellow Vest” movement that triggered a wave of anti-government protests three years ago and by workers from sectors hit hard by pandemic restrictions such as culture.
Marchers, most wearing masks in line with Covid-19 rules, carried banners reading: “Dividends, not unemployment benefits are the income of lazy people” and “We want to live, not survive”.
“Loads of money is going to those who have plenty and less tor those who have nothing as reflected in the unemployment insurance reform plan that we want scrapped,” Philippe Martinez, head of the CGT labour union said.
Most demonstrations were peaceful, although Lyon police scattered a group of about 200 people who were throwing fireworks, the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes prefecture said on Twitter.

Thousands also join May rallies all over Spain

Wearing masks and observing social distancing, demonstrators marched through the streets waving banners although in many places, numbers were capped to ensure anti-Covid measures were respected.
The main demonstration in Madrid, which was limited to 1,000 people, began at midday local time under the slogan “Now it’s time to deliver” with the participants marching from the town hall to the city’s Puerta del Sol square.
Seven government ministers attended the march, including labour minister Yolanda Diaz as well as representatives of the three left-wing parties running in Tuesday’s regional election in Madrid.
At the rally, union leaders Pepe Alvarez of the UGT and the CCOO’s Unai Sordo urged the government to honour commitments delayed by the pandemic, such as repealing a controversial labour reform, raising the minimum wage and approving a law on equal pay.
Alvarez said it was critical to ensure the funds were used “to face up to the needs of its citizens and ... to make a change to its production model”.

May Day gatherings and protests in Belgium

The so-called “Boum 2” protest, organised online, is a follow up to an action last month that was broken up by police with horses and water cannon, causing injuries. Ahead of the event, prime minister Alexander de Croo had urged the crowds to stay away, and hundreds of officers were deployed.
By late afternoon, AFP reporters in the Bois de la Cambre, a large park in the city, saw fireworks set off and some missiles thrown as police moved in. “We’re here to protect our freedom. Masks? I don’t wear them anymore. I want to be free,” said an 18-year-old high schooler from Flanders.

As a police car rolled onto the grass close to the heart of the gathering, the merry-makers chanted: “Freedom, Freedom.” A helicopter and a drone hovered overhead, but the protesters’ music all but drowned out police demands for masking and social distancing.
“It’s been a year,” a 21-year-old from the capital told AFP. “A whole year we can’t go out. After a while you need an alternative.”
Belgium is under its second national lockdown as a coronavirus prevention measure and bars and restaurants have been shut since late October. But a vaccination drive is picking up speed and outdoor dining and drinking is due to resume on 8 May , and authorities have appealed for calm.
Norton, a 23-year-old cook who has lost his restaurant job, said the plan was not to provoke violence but to demand an end to what he called “illogical” anti-virus measures.

What rules are likely to change in England from 17 May?

• People can meet in groups of up to 30 outdoors
  
• Six people or two households can meet indoors
  
• Domestic overnight stays allowed with people not in your household or bubble
  
• Pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues can seat customers indoors
  
• Up to 30 people can attend weddings or other life events, such as christenings
  
• Outdoor entertainment still subject to restrictions, such as outdoor theatres and cinemas, can now open
  
• Indoor entertainment including museums, theatres and cinemas can open
  
• Performances and large events can restart, but with limits on audience numbers
  
• Hotels, hostels and B&Bs can reopen
  
• International leisure travel may resume
  
• Adult indoor group sports and exercise classes can restart
  

Covid variants prompt surge testing in London's Tower Hamlets

18 covid patients killed in fire in hospital ward in Western India

India on Saturday set yet another daily global record with 401,993 new cases, taking its tally to more than 19.1 million. Another 3,523 people died in the past 24 hours, raising the overall fatalities to 211,853, according to the Health Ministry. Experts believe both figures are an undercount.

What's been happening in the UK and around the world?

• Lockdown has been extended for another week in Delhi, as India grapples with record coronavirus cases and a shortage of vaccines
  
• The country is also facing a devastating lack of medical oxygen and hospital beds
  
• Several people died at a hospital in Delhi when they were left without oxygen for about 80 minutes before re-supply tankers arrived, according to local media reports
  
• And a fire in a Covid-19 hospital ward in the western city of Bharuch killed 18 people - the latest in a number of deadly hospital fires across the country this week
  
• Surge testing has been launched in the Tower Hamlets area of London after the discovery of several cases of the Brazilian and South African variants
  
• Care home residents in England will be able to make low-risk day trips without having to self-isolate for two weeks on their return, from Tuesday
  
• A campaign is launched to raise money to build a memorial in St Paul's Cathedral to those who've died as a result of the pandemic
  

Goodbye for now

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