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    Coronavirus - 16th May 2021

    Kitkat
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    Post by Kitkat Sun 16 May 2021, 18:01

    Summary for Sunday, 16th May

    • Jabs will be offered to those aged 35 and over in England next week
    • More than 20 million people in the UK have had two doses of a vaccine
    • Health Secretary Matt Hancock says Monday's lockdown easing "remains on track" because of "very high uptake rates of the vaccine"
    • He says the Indian variant is more transmissible and likely to become "dominant" in the UK but he is "confident" the jab works against it
    • Five people who have had a single jab have been hospitalised with the Indian variant in Bolton, and one who had received both
    • If the variant is 40-50% more transmissible than the Kent variant, the UK will have a "real problem", he adds
    • People are being urged to be very cautious about mixing as restrictions are lifted in England, Scotland and Wales on Monday
    • Indoor hospitality and entertainment venues will reopen and more people can meet outdoors, with limited indoor mixing also allowed
    • No 10 has defended its decision not to ban travel from India sooner, saying the UK has "some of the toughest border measures" in the world
    • But Labour's Yvette Cooper says the government should have put India on the travel "red list" much earlier


    Hello and welcome to our live coronavirus coverage this Sunday. We’ll bring you the latest developments as they happen.

    What are today's main developments?

    Let’s take a look at the main coronavirus developments so far this morning:


    Key developments today.

    • A decision on whether all legal restrictions can be ended in England next month will be made on 14 June, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, said.
    • It is “quite likely” the India variant of Covid-19 will become the dominant variant in the UK, Hancock said. He has defended the government’s delay of almost three weeks before putting India on its travel red list, a move only made after the cancellation of Boris Johnson’s planned visit to Delhi.
    • Concern is mounting over increased cases of the B.1.617.2 variant first detected in India, particularly in the north-west of England and parts of London, which could affect the future easing of lockdown restrictions. Hancock signalled the government would be prepared to implement a local lockdown in Bolton if one was needed to protect people.
    • Hancock insisted it was “appropriate” to continue with the major easing of restrictions in England on Monday despite concerns over the India variant. But he did not rule out that the easing of restrictions on Monday might have to be reversed if the variant proved to be very highly transmissible.
    • Five people who have had a single jab have been admitted to hospital with the India variant in Bolton, with one who had received both.
    • Over-35s in England would be able to book their Covid-19 jabs from some point in the coming days, Hancock said.
    • There have been a further 54 cases of coronavirus in Wales, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 212,149. Public Health Wales said there had been one further death, taking the total in the country since the start of the pandemic to 5,559.
    • Scotland has recorded another 292 cases of coronavirus and no new deaths. The latest daily figures from the Scottish government show the test positivity rate is at 2%.
    • Indonesia has suspended distribution of a batch of AstraZeneca’s vaccine to run tests for sterility and toxicity following the death of a 22-year-old man a day after immunisation, the health ministry said on Sunday.
    • Vietnam’s number of daily locally transmitted coronavirus cases rose by 187 on Sunday, a record for the second time this week, as many communities and districts nationwide imposed lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus. Most of those infected had been under quarantine before testing positive for the virus, the health ministry said in a statement.
    • Under step three of the UK government’s phased reopening, football fans will be back at games in England tomorrow.
    • The Samaritans are extending their help for frontline health and care workers in the UK amid rising demand for long-term support for stress and anxiety.
    • Singapore will close primary and secondary schools from Wednesday, with students shifting to home-based learning until the term ends on 28 May, as authorities try to rein in rising coronavirus infections. The fresh curbs come after Singapore confirmed 38 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases, the highest daily number in months.
    • Taiwan reported 206 new local cases of Covid-19 on Sunday, breaking the previous day’s record high of 180.
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    Post by Kitkat Sun 16 May 2021, 18:09

    I won’t be visiting my new grandchild, says expert

    Coronavirus - 16th May 2021 E2d35510

    Prof Adam Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said even though the rules were being eased for many of us on Monday, he would not be visiting his newborn first grandchild.
    He cited concerns over the Indian virus variant as one of the reasons people should continue to be cautious even though curbs are lifting.
    Speaking from France, where he is currently working, he told BBC Breakfast: “I have to say honestly that it worries me a great deal, we may be dealing with a significantly more infectious virus, there’s a high level of uncertainty around that but it is certainly a possibility.
    “And I can tell you that I, for one, when I am back in the UK next week, will be keeping myself to myself and not mixing with other people, and encouraging my family and friends to do likewise.
    “I think in the context we are now people should be being cautious, I think we really need to understand what’s going on better and I would urge people to be very cautious about mixing in the next couple of weeks.”
    Despite sounding a note of caution, Prof Finn said people in the UK continued to show great willingness to get the vaccine and that supplies were being used quickly without delays.

    Vaccine passports inevitable, says airport boss

    The boss of the world's busiest airport for international passengers has said Covid passports are the only way to restart mass foreign travel.
    Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths told the BBC: "I don't think there is an alternative."
    Critics of the digital systems argue they discriminate against those who cannot get vaccinated.
    But Mr Griffiths says he is a complete supporter of the documents, which he says are "inevitable".
    "I think the problem is not the vaccine passport and its discrimination. It's the need to roll things out and have a proper globally equitable vaccine programme," he says.
    The World Health Organisation and World Travel & Tourism Council are among those opposed to vaccine passports amid fears they will create a "two-tier society".
    We've got more on the vaccine passport debate here.
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    Post by Kitkat Sun 16 May 2021, 18:11

    What's the roadmap for lifting lockdown?

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted it is safe to move to the next step of easing lockdown restrictions in England tomorrow. But he has warned the Indian variant means it could be "more difficult" to lift England's remaining restrictions in June.
    Here are some of the things that are changing tomorrow:

    You can find out how the easing of lockdown measures vary across the UK here.

    Latest from around the world

    Let's catch up with the latest coronavirus developments worldwide this Sunday:

    • Singapore's health ministry has confirmed 38 locally-transmitted Covid cases, the highest daily number since mid-September - the city-state has placed strict curbs on gatherings
    • Coronavirus restrictions on transportation and commercial activities are being eased in Pakistan, which introduced curbs for a week to stem the spread of the virus during Eid
    • Over the past 24 hours, Russia has officially recorded 8,554 new Covid cases, down from 8,790 the previous day. There were 391 deaths, up from 364, BBC Monitoring said
    • Mainland China reported 18 new Covid infections on 15 May, up from 14 a day earlier, the national health authority said on Sunday
    • The president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, has urged people not to panic buy after the island introduced its toughest ever coronavirus restrictions
    • Germany's government has re-classified the UK as a Covid risk region after the emergence of the Indian virus variant - it will not change much for travellers arriving in Germany from the UK
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    Post by Kitkat Sun 16 May 2021, 18:14

    What's been happening in the UK?

    If you need a recap on the day's coronavirus developments so far, here's where we are at:

    • People aged 35 and over in England will be offered coronavirus vaccinations from next week, the health secretary told the BBC
    • Matt Hancock told Andrew Marr that five people who'd received a single jab were hospitalised with the Indian variant in Bolton, as well as one person who had received both
    • He confirmed surge vaccinations would be going ahead in areas where there are spikes in the numbers of cases of the Indian variant
    • But Prof Adam Finn told Marr the JCVI had warned against surge vaccinations as they could do "more harm than good" by disrupting the rollout across the country
    • Prof Finn says: "You end up chasing the virus around and always arriving too late."
    • Early lab research from Oxford University suggests vaccines are effective against the Indian variant
    • Hancock says he is confident the latest easing of restrictions in England should go ahead tomorrow
    • But he does not rule out local lockdowns or a reversal of the roadmap if hospitalisations rise dramatically


    Another positive test announced at Eurovision

    A day after the first positive Covid test linked to this year's Eurovision Song Contest in the Netherlands was reported, a second positive case has been announced.
    A member of the Icelandic delegation tested positive for Covid-19 during routine screening on Sunday, the competition organisers announced.
    Alongside a member of the Polish delegation whose positive test was announced on Saturday, they will now isolate and both countries' delegations will quarantine and undergo testing.
    Neither delegation will attend the planned "turquoise" carpet event scheduled for later.
    Organsiers have gone to extreme lengths to protect this year's contest, the final of which airs on 22 May, after it was cancelled last year at the height of the first wave.
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    Post by Kitkat Sun 16 May 2021, 21:20

    Blackburn gets green light for surge vaccinations

    Coronavirus - 16th May 2021 32d68b10
    Surge vaccinations are already under way in Bolton

    Blackburn has been given the go-ahead to start surge vaccinations, the director of public health for Blackburn with Darwen Council says.
    Dominic Harrison tweeted he was "delighted to say that we now have a green light to rapidly increase vaccinations."
    He says the authority will receive an additional supply of more than 1,000 Pfizer jabs for the next two weeks for both high variant spread areas and all residents over 18, subject to eligibility.
    Earlier Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there were more than 1,300 cases of the Indian variant in total and it is becoming "the dominant strain" in areas including Blackburn and Bolton.
    On Friday, Harrison said he was "furious" the government had so far refused to allow extra vaccinations to halt the spread of the Covid-19 Indian variant.

    Hancock: most Bolton Covid patients eligible for jab but haven’t had it

    Jessica Elgot - Deputy policital editor, The Guardian
    The majority of people in hospital with Covid in Bolton were eligible for the vaccine but have not had it, Matt Hancock has said, saying that health authorities would go “door-to-door” offering jabs.
    His comments came as concern mounted over increased cases of the B.1.617.2 variant first detected in India, particularly in the north-west and parts of London, which could affect the future easing of lockdown restrictions.
    “I suppose the number one lesson from this episode is that if you are eligible, you should come forward and get the jab,” Hancock told Times Radio.
    “If you want to know why that’s important, the majority of people in hospital with coronavirus in Bolton this morning are eligible for the jab but haven’t had it yet – [that] is the strongest point of why it’s so important for everybody to come forward and get this jab.”
    Coronavirus - 16th May 2021 Read_m18
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    Post by Kitkat Sun 16 May 2021, 21:32

    Singapore to shut schools as Covid-19 cases rise

    Singapore will shut most of its schools on Wednesday after it reported the highest number of local Covid-19 infections in months, according to authorities.
    All primary, secondary and junior colleges will shift to home-based learning until the end of the school term on 28 May.
    "Some of these [virus] mutations are much more virulent, andthey seem to attack the younger children," Education Minister Chan Chun Sing told Reuters news agency.
    Singapore today confirmed 38 locally transmitted coronavirus cases - the highest daily number since mid-September - of which 18 are currently not linked.
    The island city-state has reported more than 61,000 Covid-19 cases, with most linked to outbreaks last year in foreign worker dormitories, and 31 deaths.
    "The sharp rise in the number of community cases today requires us to significantly reduce our movements and interactions in the coming days," Chan added.
    Until recently, Singapore had been reporting almost zero or single-digit daily infections locally for months.

    Taiwan brings in its toughest curbs yet amid infections spike

    Coronavirus - 16th May 2021 1c767c10
    Schools and other learning institutions are being disinfected across Taiwan

    Taiwan's government has imposed its toughest restrictions so far, as the island tries to battle a spike in coronavirus cases.
    The authorities are shutting down cinemas and entertainment venues until 28 May, while limiting gatherings to five indoors and 10 outdoors.
    President Tsai Ing-wen urged the public not to panic-buy basic necessities.
    Taiwan - which has so far survived the pandemic almost unscathed - on Sunday reported 207 new infections.
    The island of 23 million people has recorded 1,682 infections and 12 Covid-related deaths since the start of the pandemic.
    Taiwan's success battling Covid-19 has been largely attributed to early and strict border controls, a ban on foreign visitors and mandatory quarantine for all Taiwanese returning home.
    Read more here.
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    Post by Kitkat Sun 16 May 2021, 21:37

    Glasgow level 3 restrictions could be extended

    Glasgow may have to remain under tougher level three Covid restrictions for longer than a week, Scotland's national clinical director has warned.
    Prof Jason Leitch said the situation remained "fragile" as case rates continue to climb. The city's outbreak has been linked to the Indian virus variant.
    The latest seven-day average per 100,000 population in the city is 89.4 cases, well above the level two benchmark of 50 cases.
    All of mainland Scotland except Glasgow and Moray moves to level two on Monday.
    Level two means people will be allowed to meet up inside others' homes in groups of up to six people from up to three different households - and they can stay overnight.
    Read more here.

    Breaking News 

    UK records four Covid deaths

    There have been a further four coronavirus-related deaths in the UK, according to the government's daily statistics.
    That brings the total number of people to have died within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test to 127,679.
    A further 1,926 new infections have also been recorded in the UK.

    What is changing tomorrow?

    Lockdown rules are easing in England, Wales and most of Scotland on Monday, with pubs and restaurants able to serve customers indoors, and social distancing guidelines relaxed.
    Here is a breakdown of what restrictions are being lifted where.

    UK holidays: When, where.... and who with?

    Limits on where you can stay - and who with - are also being relaxed significantly.
    Take a look at what is changing and where you can travel in England, Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland.
    UK holidays: When, where and who with?
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    Post by Kitkat Sun 16 May 2021, 21:43

    Turkey to ease some restrictions from Monday

    The Guardian
    Turkey will start easing its strict lockdown on Monday by allowing movement during the day while keeping overnight and weekend curfews in place, the Interior Ministry said in a directive on Sunday.
    President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday Turkey would gradually ease out of a full lockdown imposed two-and-a half weeks ago, and lift restrictions more significantly in June.
    Turkish authorities tightened coronavirus measures after the number of daily cases soared above 60,000 in April, one of the highest rates globally, and deaths reached nearly 400 a day, Reuters reports.
    Until June 1, people will have to remain at home between 9 pm and 5 am during weekdays and from Friday evening until Monday morning, aside from meeting basic shopping needs, the ministry directive said.
    It said inter-city travel will be allowed outside of curfew hours, while restaurants and cafes will be limited to takeaway services. Shopping malls will open on weekdays but facilities such as sports clubs and cinemas will remain shut, it added.
    The surge in cases has threatened to hit its lucrative summer tourism season, and has already prompted the switch of the Champions League final from Istanbul to Portugal, while Formula One called off the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix on Friday.
    The number of daily new cases has fallen to 11,000, sharply down from last month but still above the target of 5,000 Erdogan set at the start of the lockdown. Around 10.8 million people have been fully vaccinated, or 13% of the population, with 14.9 million having received only a first dose.

    For those hoping to travel overseas from the UK from tomorrow

    Here is a handy Q&A from PA Media.
    There are green, amber and red lists for international travel.
    Why are the lists important?
    They determine the quarantine and coronavirus testing requirements people will face when returning home once the ban on overseas leisure travel is lifted on Monday 17 May.
    Why is everyone talking about the green list?
    Travellers returning from a country on that list will not need to quarantine, and will only be required to take one post-arrival coronavirus test.
    Sounds good. What locations are on it?
    It consists of Portugal, Gibraltar, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, plus several small remote islands which are British overseas territories.
    So I can go on holiday to anywhere on that list?
    Not quite. Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei and the Faroe Islands have severely restricted entry criteria.
    Then where can I go?
    Portugal plans to welcome UK tourists who have had a recent negative test, have recovered from the virus and therefore have antibodies, or had both doses of a vaccine. Gibraltar will not require UK visitors to be tested or vaccinated, whereas Israel will initially reopen its border on May 23 only to groups of foreign tourists who have had both jabs. None of these destinations will require arrivals to quarantine.
    What about the amber list?
    That covers the most popular holiday destinations such as Spain, France, Italy and Greece. Transport secretary Grant Shapps said “you should not be travelling to these places right now”. On Sunday health secretary Matt Hancock told Times Radio people should not travel to places on the amber or red lists “unless it’s absolutely necessary, and certainly not for holiday purposes”.
    What if I go against that guidance?
    People returning from amber countries must take two post-arrival tests. They are also required to self-isolate at home for 10 days, although they can reduce that time if they take an additional negative test on day five.
    How about the red list?
    Those returning from a red list country must stay in a quarantine hotel for 11 nights at a cost of £1,750.
    Will the lists change?
    The lists will be amended every three weeks, but Boris Johnson said on Friday he did not expect new countries to be added to the green tier “very rapidly”.
    How does the government decide which countries are on each list?
    There are four key tests that the government will take into account when deciding how to categorise a country within the traffic light system. These include the percentage of the country’s population to have been vaccinated, the rate of infection, the prevalence of variants of concern and the country’s access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing.
    What about vaccine passports?
    Grant Shapps confirmed that people in England will be able to demonstrate they have had both doses of a vaccine through the NHS app. The Welsh government said vaccination status certificates will be available from Monday May 24 for people in Wales who have had both doses and need to urgently travel to a country that requires proof of having been vaccinated.
    Can people living in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland go on a foreign holiday?
    People in Scotland will be allowed to travel abroad for leisure from 24 May. Non-essential travel from Northern Ireland to the common travel area – which consists of the UK, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, will be allowed from the same date. While Wales will allow international travel from Monday aligned with England’s traffic light system, the Welsh government’s concerns about reimporting the virus mean it is advising people not to travel abroad during 2021.
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    Post by Kitkat Sun 16 May 2021, 21:49

    Indonesia suspends distribution of a batch of AstraZeneca’s vaccine

    Indonesia has suspended distribution of a batch of AstraZeneca’s vaccine to run tests for sterility and toxicity following the death of a 22-year-old man a day after immunisation, the health ministry said on Sunday.
    The “CTMAV547” batch consists of 448,480 vaccine doses that arrived in the south-east Asian nation last month – part of a delivery of more than 3.85m doses from the Covax facility backed by the World Health Organization.
    Some of the doses had been distributed in the capital city, Jakarta, and the province of North Sulawesi, as well as given to the military, the ministry said in a statement.
    A national committee in charge of monitoring the effects of vaccination launched an investigation earlier this month after the 22-year-old man in Jakarta died a day after receiving an AstraZeneca shot.
    The man received his dose from the CTMAV547 batch, health ministry spokeswoman Siti Nadia Tarmizi told Reuters.
    “This is a form of caution by the government to ensure the safety of this vaccine,” she said in a statement, adding that distribution of other batches of AstraZeneca vaccines would not be affected.
    The batch test could take at least two weeks, said the head of the vaccine monitoring committee, Hindra Irawan Satari.
    “After it is proven that it is sterile and does not contain toxins, the use of the vaccine will be resumed. The fastest we can get the results will be in two weeks,” he said.
    AstraZeneca Indonesia said it “respects” the government’s decision about the temporary suspension.
    “We share the government’s value that patient safety is the highest priority and AstraZeneca has robust processes in place for the collection, analysis, and reporting of adverse events,” it said in the statement.

    Algeria to reopen its air and land borders on 1st June

    Algeria will reopen its air and land borders on 1 June, but strict measures will be imposed to limit the spread of the coronavirus, the presidency announced on Sunday in a statement reported by Retuers.
    Only five flights a day from and to Algerian airports will be allowed “with full adherence to strict precautions”, it said in a statement after a cabinet meeting chaired by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
    Algeria closed borders and suspended all flights in March 2020 when the number of Covid-19 infections started to increase, but domestic flights resumed in December last year.
    The North African country has so far recorded 125,311 coronavirus cases, including 3,374 deaths.
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    Post by Kitkat Sun 16 May 2021, 21:54

    Saudi Arabia scraps quarantine requirement for vaccinated travellers

    The Guardian
    Saudi Arabia has announced that travellers flying from most countries will no longer need to quarantine if they have been vaccinated against Covid-19, Reuters reports.
    Visitors from 20 other countries – including the United States, India, Britain, Germany, France and the United Arab Emirates – remain banned from entering the kingdom, however, under measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
    People who have already had Covid-19 and recovered will also no longer be required to quarantine in hotels.
    Currently, all travellers need to quarantine for seven to 14 days depending on which country where they are coming from, and provide negative PCR tests.

    As foreign travel rules ease, what is required to enter the UK?

    Jamie Grierson - Home affairs correspondent, The Guardian
    When the UK reopens for foreign travel on Monday, a number of requirements for entry to the UK will be in force, involving a number of different types of tests and certificates.
    The black market for pandemic-related products, including fake negative Covid tests and fake vaccination certificates, is booming.
    Border officials have warned that an estimated 100 fake negative Covid tests were being caught each day even before the borders are opened further for foreign travel.
    Read more
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    Post by Kitkat Sun 16 May 2021, 21:56

    What's happened in the UK today?

    We are going to be wrapping up our live updates on coronavirus soon and we've been pleased to bring you some good news on the vaccine front. Here's what else has been going on:

    • The UK hit the 20 million mark for the number of people who have received two doses of the vaccine
    • Those aged 35 and over in England will be able to book their jab next week
    • And early data from Oxford University indicates that jabs are effective against the Indian variant
    • It's becoming the dominant strain in Bolton and Blackburn, where surge vaccinations are happening
    • If the variant is 40-50% more transmissible than the Kent variant, the UK will have a "real problem", Health Secretary Matt Hancock says
    • But he says he is confident the UK can go ahead with tomorrow's lockdown easing measures because vaccine take-up is high and he's confident it will work against the Indian variant
    • But he joined leaders in England, Scotland and Wales in urging caution as restrictions are lifted


    And what's happening around the world?


    • Taiwan's government has imposed its toughest restrictions so far, as the island tries to battle a spike in coronavirus cases
    • Indoor entertainment venues are being shut until 28 May and gatherings are limited to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors
    • Meanwhile, Singapore will shut most of its schools on Wednesday until 28 May after it reported the highest number of local Covid-19 infections in months
    • There's been a second positive Covid test linked to this year's Eurovision Song Contest in the Netherlands - those infected belonged to the Icelandic and Polish delegations
    • And Germany's government has re-classified the UK as a Covid risk region after the emergence of the Indian virus variant - but it will not change much for travellers arriving in Germany from the UK


    Thank you and bye for now

    Thank you for following our updates today. They were brought to you by George Bowden, Jennifer Meierhans, Jo Couzens, Paul Gribben and Vanessa Barford.
    Join us tomorrow as we bring news of lockdown measures easing in England, Scotland and Wales - as well as all the coronavirus developments from around the world.
    Have a good evening.

      Current date/time is Thu 28 Mar 2024, 23:56