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Togo on Tuesday extended a health state of emergency for 12 months to “take appropriate decisions” after a surge in new cases of coronavirus, AFP reports.
The West African state of 8 million people first declared a state of emergency in April 2020 and has extended it several times, allowing the government broader powers to tackle outbreaks.
The government had asked for a six-month extension, but the National Assembly unanimously approved 12 months.
“The National Assembly has taken on its responsibility by giving the government ample time to fight this battle,” said Yawa Djigbodi Tségan, the assembly president.
Togo has registered 23,778 cases including 207 deaths and 18,746 cured patients, according to official figures released on Monday, though the true figure is likely higher given the low testing rates.
But new infections and deaths have been on the rise in recent weeks.
Togo has received about 1.6 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines.
On Thursday, the government introduced new measures including closing places of worship and banning weddings, cultural, sporting and political events for a month.
Funerals are prohibited and bars and nightclubs have also closed for the same period. Land borders have been shut since March 2020.
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Zimbabwe’s parliament on Tuesday banned anyone not vaccinated against Covid-19 from attending church services, in the latest in a series of measures to boost uptake of the jab, AFP reports.
The country had already made the vaccine mandatory for civil servants and teachers earlier this month.
Getting vaccinated is also a prerequisite for trading in markets, working out at gyms, frequenting restaurants and sitting university exams.
“With regards to churches, Cabinet has resolved that only vaccinated congregants can attend,” said a statement issued after the cabinet meeting.
Zimbabwe’s undersupplied vaccine centres have struggled to keep up with growing demand fuelled by the jab-linked restrictions.
The country has so far relied on vaccine doses produced in China, India and Russia, but recently approved the emergency use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Just over 2.8 million of Zimbabwe’s 15 million inhabitants have so far received a first vaccine dose.
The country has recorded more than 126,300 coronavirus infections and at least 4,543 fatalities since the start of the pandemic.
Zimbabwe’s High Court earlier on Tuesday dismissed an application by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions to challenge the compulsory inoculation of workers.
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The Biden administration is advocating for state and local leaders to enact Covid-19 vaccine mandates, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday.
“We’re encouraging everyone ... from the private and public sector to take actions to require vaccination,” she said, when asked if the White House was encouraging states to enact their own vaccine mandates.
The US president Joe Biden last week introduced a federal vaccine mandate aimed at employees of big companies and all federal workers and contractors.
The mandate faces legal, political and enforcement challenges.
Previous vaccine mandates in the US have mostly been introduced by state and local governments, and related to public spaces and schools.
“Last week, as you know, we took big and strong actions as part of the tools that we have ... to boost vaccinations from the federal government,” Jean-Pierre said.
“We certainly advocate for local leaders to do the same,” she said, calling the push to vaccinate Americans against the spread of the coronavirus “a wartime effort.”
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A campaign is to begin next week to give booster shots to millions of people in the UK who received Covid vaccinations in phase one of the rollout.
Details of the campaign were unveiled by the health secretary, Sajid Javid, who said the programme would strengthen a “wall of defence” against Covid-19 during the winter months – after the government published advice by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
My colleague, Ben Quinn, has put together this explainer outlining how the booster campaign will work:
Over in Greece infection rates have shot up today with the country’s public health organisation, EODY, announcing 2,919 confirmed coronavirus cases – up from 1,608 on Monday.
The latest data reveal contagions spreading nationwide with the highly transmissible Delta variant turbocharging diagnoses in Thessaloniki, Greece’s northern metropolis, where 409 of the total number of new cases were reported.
By contrast EODY said 606 new cases – roughly a fifth of the total number – had been registered in Athens’ greater Attica region.
Tough measures, including a ban on all eateries and entertainment venues, went into effect across Greece on Monday as health officials attempt to rein in a fourth wave of the pandemic.
The new regulations, which require people to prove they have been vaccinated when they enter bars, cafes, tavernas and clubs, are set to be in place for the next six months eliciting fury among restaurateurs and other merchants who predict a massive drop in business.
Travellers who have not had the vaccine are also required to provide proof in the form of negative rapid or CPR tests before boarding boats, trains and planes.
To date around 55% in a population of roughly 11 million has been fully vaccinated, far below the 70% required to achieve herd immunity.
To date Greece has registered 620,355 confirmed coronavirus cases. There were 31 more deaths overnight bringing the total to 14,268.
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Netherlands to introduce 'corona pass' for entry to venues
The Dutch government on Tuesday announced it is easing Covid restrictions and will introduce a “corona” pass showing proof of vaccination to go to bars, restaurants, clubs or cultural events.
The prime minister Mark Rutte said most social distancing requirements will be dropped from 25 September. The move mirrors announcements in other European countries.
Rutte told a news conference he understood the emotional toll social distancing had taken on most people. “That is why I am happy that we today can announce that we can scrap social distancing as an obligation everywhere starting on Saturday, 25 September,” Rutte said, adding that it remains prudent for people to keep their distance.
The measures that remain will be a mask requirement for public transportation and schools, and a recommendation that people work from home when possible.
The corona pass will be required for people aged 13 and up to enter venues such as restaurants, bars, cinemas, museums, concerts and festivals both indoors and outdoors.
Rutte explained that scientists on the team managing the Dutch outbreak believed the pass was necessary to avoid high-risk situations.
“It means that in some places that you will be able to show that you either have been vaccinated or that you have had corona and are immune because of that, or that you have been tested negative in the past 24 hours,” he said.
More than 70% of the Dutch population, or 12.6 million people, have received at least one dose, while 65% are fully vaccinated, according to the official data.
The government’s health advisory board on Tuesday said there was no need for a third, booster shot for the general population because vaccinations were still effective.
New infections have fallen to around 2,000 per day in the Netherlands, while roughly 450 patients with Covid are receiving treatment in hospital.
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Good evening from London. I’m Lucy Campbell, I’ll be bringing you all the latest global developments on the coronavirus pandemic for the next few hours. Please feel free to get in touch with me as I work if you have a story or tips to share! Your thoughts are always welcome.
Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.com
Twitter: @lucy_campbell_
Prof Chris Whitty has said those spreading myths about Covid-19 vaccines “should be ashamed” as he dismissed a tweet by rapper Nicki Minaj which claimed that her cousin’s friend was rendered impotent after the jab caused swelling in his testicles.
When asked about the musician making the baseless claim to her vast online following, England’s chief medical officer said it was important to stress that the overwhelming majority of people were ignoring unfounded stories about the vaccines.
“There are a number of myths that fly around … some of which are just clearly ridiculous and some of which are clearly designed just to scare. That happens to be one of them. That is untrue,” Whitty said during Tuesday’s Downing Street press conference.
Minaj, who has more than 22 million followers on Twitter, posted that a cousin had been told by a friend about unwanted side-effects of the vaccine. Impotence is not listed as a potential side-effect on the NHS website. Minaj also later said she suspects that she will eventually receive a jab.
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Summary
- The WHO warned that Africa has been left behind the rest of the world because of vaccine inequality, with its head Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus saying rich countries and pharmaceuticals have held up efforts to fairly distribute vaccines.
- The Russian president, Vladimir Putin is self-isolating after cases of coronavirus were detected among close contacts. The Kremlin has said that he will no longer travel to Tajikistan this week as planned for regional security meetings and will instead do them by video conference. He will self-isolate for “a certain period”, the Kremlin said.
- Turkey reported its highest number of cases since May and a near-record 276 deaths.
- A WHO official said the vaccine hub established in South Africa may need a year to replicate the Moderna vaccine, as talks with the company on sharing information have not progressed.
- Mauritius is battling an explosion of coronavirus cases. Hospitals are overwhelmed, ventilators in short supply and cemeteries are running out of space.
- The UK vaccines minister, Nadhim Zahawi, has said he is hopeful that the over-50s booster campaign will be the “last piece of the jigsaw” for ending lockdowns, as the government announced its winter plan for dealing with the coronavirus. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said it hoped the boosters would top up immunity. MRNA vaccines are being recommended, regardless of which vaccine was originally administered.
- Sierra Leone has ended a curfew in place since early July after infections dropped to single figures over the past few weeks.
- A Republican governor in the US, Kim Reynolds, has said she will appeal a temporary order by a federal judge allowing schools in Iowa to make face masks mandatory amid coronavirus. Meanwhile, in Florida, governor Ron DeSantis has threatened to fine cities and counties that force employees to get coronavirus vaccines.
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Australia has weathered the economic downturn from Covid-19 better than most developed countries but could face a slower recovery when community transmission is higher, the OECD has warned.
That is the conclusion of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s 2021 economic survey of Australia, the first since the former finance minister Mathias Cormann took the helm in June.
The OECD report also warned that Australia remained vulnerable to shocks including escalation of its trade disputes with China, decline in fossil fuel demand, and carbon tariffs that might be imposed by trading partners.
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With the number of cases high again in the US, the Associated Press has this look at the “dire situation” in hospitals.
Covid-19 deaths and cases in the US. have climbed back to where they were over the winter, wiping out months of progress and potentially bolstering President Joe Biden’s argument for sweeping new vaccination requirements.
The cases – driven by the delta variant combined with resistance among some Americans to getting vaccinated – are concentrated mostly in the south.
While one-time hot spots such as Florida and Louisiana are improving, infection rates are soaring in Kentucky, Georgia and Tennessee, fuelled by children now back in school, loose mask restrictions and low vaccination levels.
The dire situation in some hospitals is starting to sound like January’s infection peak: surgeries canceled in hospitals in Washington state and Utah, severe staff shortages in Kentucky and Alabama, a lack of beds in Tennessee, intensive care units at or over capacity in Texas.
The deteriorating picture nine months into the nation’s vaccination drive has angered and frustrated medical professionals who see the heartbreak as preventable. The vast majority of the dead and the hospitalised have been unvaccinated.
In Kentucky, 70% of the state’s hospitals – 66 of 96 – are reporting critical staff shortages, the highest level yet during the pandemic, the governor said.
“Our hospitals are at the brink of collapse in many communities,” said Dr Steven Stack, Kentucky’s public health commissioner.
The US is averaging over 1,800 Covid-19 deaths and 170,000 new cases per day, the highest levels respectively since early March and late January. And both figures have been on the rise over the past two weeks.
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Josh Halliday and Maya Wolfe-Robinson have this from Morpeth, the town in the north-east of England where more than 90% of adults are fully jabbed, with boosters likely to be taken up just as eagerly.
It is perhaps most famous for being the birthplace of the suffragette Emily Wilding Davison. But now Morpeth, nestled in the southern tip of Northumberland, can also claim to be leading the way on Covid vaccines.
More than 90% of adults in the market town have received maximum protection against the virus – the highest of anywhere its size in England – while Northumberland has the highest proportion of fully vaccinated residents in the country.
It means vulnerable people in Morpeth will be among the first in line when the NHS begins rolling out booster jabs next week, in a move announced by the health secretary, Sajid Javid, on Tuesday.
David Bawn, the Conservative mayor of Morpeth town council, said he was certain the boosters would be taken up as eagerly.
“We’re very sensible here,” he said on a bustling day of trade near the town’s medieval clock tower. “We do weigh things up but we do realise how important it is to get on with normality.”
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Turkey cases highest since May
The 27,802 new cases reported by Turkey are the highest since 4 May, according to health ministry data.
It also recorded near-record daily deaths of 276. Deaths have risen sharply since mid-July, not long after it removed many of its coronavirus measures.
Health minister Fahrettin Koca urged people to get vaccinated. Turkey has given at least one jab to 83% of the population, according to the Anadolu Agency news wire.
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My colleagues Ian Sample and Heather Stewart report that the UK government’s scientific advisers have urged ministers to bring in a “basket of measures” soon or risk daily hospitalisations of up to 7,000 next month.
With schools opening and office work returning, modellers on the Sage committee expect cases to rise in the coming months as people start to mix more freely, documents show.
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A new paper from Human Rights Watch (HRW) accuses a few rich countries of stalling a proposal that could address vaccine inequality after being lobbied by big pharmaceutical companies.
HRW’s Aruna Kashyap, associate business and human rights director:
Waiting for the benevolence of wealthy governments and pharmaceutical companies has dealt a deadly blow to basic rights ... It’s unconscionable that wealthy governments are reducing life-saving health care to a tradeable commodity and using their power at the WTO to make the right to health subservient to pharma and trade interests.
The push for a waiver of medical patents is back on the agenda this week with talks due to be held at the World Trade Organization, almost a year since it was first proposed by India and South Africa.
Yesterday, medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières called out the UK, EU (led by Germany), Switzerland and Norway as barriers to the proposal. Its supporters say it would allow vaccines to be produced more quickly by tapping into unused capacity around the world and take pricing out of the hands of pharmaceuticals.
The pharmaceuticals have however opposed the move and argued it would not help speed up vaccine production.
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Pupils in England who want the Covid jab but whose parents have refused consent will be told to go to mass vaccination centres rather than receive it in school, according to NHS advice already handed out to schools.
The details were laid out in a letter sent to headteachers by the Oxford health NHS foundation trust, which also clarifies that any child whose parent has given consent but refuses the vaccination themselves will not be forced to have it.
Schools are worried they could get caught up in family disputes over vaccination, and have sought confirmation from ministers that health teams responsible for delivering the vaccinations will keep school staff out of the line of fire by dealing with any consent issues.
The letter, seen by the Guardian, addresses some of those concerns. It says: “The wellbeing of all children attending for vaccination is of paramount importance. Any child, for whom a parent/carer has given consent, who refuses the vaccination themselves would not be coerced/forced to have it.”
Three million children in the UK aged between 12 and 15 will be able to get their first shot of coronavirus vaccine from next week. The UK’s four chief medical officers (CMOs) have said they should be offered a first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
So what are the benefits, what are the risks, and do children need to be vaccinated?
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Italy has recorded 72 more deaths, compared with 36 the day before, the health ministry has said. The daily tally of new infections rose to 4,021 from 2,800.
The country has registered 130,027 deaths since its outbreak emerged in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth-highest in the world. The country has reported 4.6m cases. Reuters reports:
Patients in hospital with Covid-19 – not including those in intensive care – stood at 4,165 on Tuesday, down from 4,200 a day earlier. There were 29 new admissions to intensive care units, down from 35 on Monday. The total number of intensive care patients fell to 554 from a previous 563.
Some 318,593 tests for Covid-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 120,045, the health ministry said.
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Just two African countries have met the target of vaccinating 40% of their population, which the WHO said it wants to help every country reach, its head, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said.
He said it is not because of a lack of expertise or capacity but because “they’ve been left behind by the rest of the world.”
Tedros said the Covax vaccine-sharing initiative has delivered 260m doses but progress has been slowed by richer countries tying up vaccine supplies.
He said only 2% of the 5bn doses administered around the world were in Africa and warned that as as vaccine inequality persists, the threat remains of Covid-19 circulating and mutating.
"So far, #COVAX has shipped more than 260 million [#COVID19 vaccine] doses to 141 countries.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) September 14, 2021
But as you know, COVAX has also faced several challenges, with manufacturers prioritizing bilateral deals and many high-income countries tying up the global supply of vaccines"-@DrTedros
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Bob Enyart, a rightwing talk radio host in Colorado who urged people to boycott Covid vaccine, has died of coronavirus.
Enyart’s death was reported two weeks after the Denver Bible church said he and his wife had been taken to hospital.
“Pastor Bob and Cheryl are in … good hands and improving daily,” the church said then. “We anticipate and pray for a full recovery. We both grieve and rejoice together during this challenging time.”
In a Facebook post on Monday, Enyart’s co-host, Fred Williams, said: “It comes with an extremely heavy heart that my close friend and co-host of Real Science Radio has lost his battle with Covid.”
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South Africa vaccine hub may need year to replicate Moderna vaccine
It could take a year for the WHO’s vaccine hub in South Africa to produce a copy of Moderna’s vaccine without the company’s help, a WHO official told Reuters.
The hub was established to boost vaccine production in Africa for low and middle-income countries and help them produce vaccines themselves.
Moderna said it will not enforce its vaccine patents, opening the door for replication, but without information sharing the process will be lengthy.
“The talks [with Moderna] have not yielded any results,” Martin Friede, WHO Initiative for Vaccine Research coodinator, told Reuters.
“We have to make a choice now. The deadline is upon us; time to start ordering chemicals. We’ve chosen Moderna,” he said.
Indonesia will open its borders again to foreigners once it meets its target of having given 70% of the population at least one vaccine dose – a target it hopes to reach by November, the health minister said on Tuesday.
“So for us we concentrate on the first dose. If we can vaccinate 70% of the target population of 208 million, if we can hit 140-150 million, 70% with the first dose, then we can gradually start reopening,” health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told Reuters
Budi said border restrictions would be eased even further once 70% of the target population had received two doses.
No timeline has been set for reopening the popular tourist destination Bali but cabinet minister are keen for that to happen.
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Sierra Leone has ended a curfew in place since early July after infections dropped, AFP reports.
In its statement on Monday evening, the government said places of worship would now be open to people wearing masks, which will also be required in schools, public buildings and on public transport.
Bars and restaurants, which have also been closed since July, can allow entry to anyone who can prove vaccination.
Sierra Leone has officially recorded 6,385 cases and 121 deaths. The weekly numbers have been in the single digits in recent weeks, compared with hundreds in June and July.
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The Netherlands is expected to announce the rollout of vaccine passports and ease restrictions, effective from late September, Reuters reports.
The pass would be required for cultural events and restaurants. Masks are expected to remain necessary for public transport and schools.
At least 65% of the population have been fully vaccinated.
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Malaysia’s health ministry recorded 15,669 new cases on Tuesday, taking it past 2 million cases since the pandemic began.
Malaysia has recently suffered its worst outbreak of infection but the R number has dropped to 0.98. An R number below 1 is considered to be a sign that infections are dropping.
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The British health secretary, Sajid Javid, has said the government may need to reintroduce mandatory face masks and advise the public to work from home, as he set out the government’s plans for coping with Covid in England through the autumn and winter.
He told the House of Commons: “Any responsible government must prepare for all eventualities,” as he set out what he called the government’s “Plan B”, in the event that the virus surges.
He conceded that mask-wearing and vaccine passports for crowded venues could be introduced if necessary – as well as “communicating clearly and urgently to the public the need for caution”.
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The WHO’s representative in the Philippines has warned that hospitals could be overwhelmed if lockdown in the Manila Capital area is eased before vaccination coverage increases.
Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe said the government needed to be “very careful” about changes, according to local news site Rappler.
The Philippines has been suffering its worst outbreak of the pandemicwith the government planning to trial localised lockdowns in Manila from Thursday.
“We have significant population coverage within NCR [National Capital Region]. I believe it’s about 60% now. But this is not adequate at this point to relax quarantine positions,” said Abeyasinghe.
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England’s deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van-Tam, said vaccines had saved 112,000 lives in the UK.
“Our latest estimates are that since we began deploying these vaccines, they’ve probably averted in the region of 24 million cases of Covid in the UK and 112,000 deaths – so incredibly successful to date and remains so,” Van-Tam said at a Downing Street briefing.
“We’re not past the pandemic – we’re in an active phase still. We know this winter could quite possibly be bumpy at times.”
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As a Kenyan from a farming community that has experienced the ravages of the climate crisis, no one is keener to see a successful climate summit held in Glasgow than me. But this year, due to restrictions placed by the pandemic on those attending from the global south, I fear Cop26 will not be a success. It is because of this that it must be postponed until next spring.
The UK government is aware of the issues facing those wishing to attend the conference in person, which is why it has offered vaccines to delegates unable to receive them in their home countries and to pay for their hotel quarantine. However, obstacles still remain. The vaccine rollout has been slow, and for those receiving the AstraZeneca jab, the deadline for receiving both doses within eight to 12 weeks of the conference starting has passed.
As one of the millions of unvaccinated Africans, the thought of travelling to Scotland, where cases recently spiked, is a scary one. The frustrating thing is that it didn’t need to be this way. The reason why only 1.4% of people in the global south have been vaccinated is because the G7 failed to waive patents on vaccines and rich countries have hoarded available shots.
- Mohamed Adow is the director of the climate and energy thinktank Power Shift Africa
Covid boosters to be offered to over-50s in UK, watchdog confirms
Covid boosters will be offered to all over-50s and those at severe risk of the disease as part of the “toolbox” of measures for controlling coronavirus over the autumn and winter following guidance from the government’s vaccine advisers.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said a third dose of vaccine would top up the immunity in those whose protection had likely waned since they completed their first round of shots earlier in the year.
Data from the UK suggests that protection provided by two shots of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines wanes within six months, though it is unclear what impact this has on cases of severe disease.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin is healthy, his spokesman said after it was announced he would have to self-isolate because of contact with someone infected, reports Reuters.
“Of course yes. The president is absolutely healthy,” said Dmitry Peskov, when asked.
“Of course we know who fell ill in the president’s entourage and the self-isolation [regime] does not directly affect the president’s work ... but it’s just that in-person meetings will not take place for a while. But that does not affect their frequency and the president will continue his activity via video conferences.”
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Here's a summary of the latest developments
- The Russian president, Vladimir Putin is self-isolating after cases of coronavirus were detected iamong close contacts. The Kremlin has said that he will no longer travel to Tajikistan this week as planned for regional security meetings and will instead do them by video conference. He will self-isolate for “a certain period”, the Kremlin said.
- A total of 659 coronavirus deaths were registered in England and Wales in the week ending 3 September, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This marked a 1% decrease on the previous week, but the ONS said the figure was affected by the August bank holiday.
- Government scientific adviser Calum Semple has warned that the UK faces a “rough winter” amid a combination of coronavirus, flu and other respiratory conditions making a comeback.
- Russia has reported 17,837 new coronavirus cases and 781 deaths in the last 24 hours.
- Mauritius is battling an explosion of coronavirus cases. Hospitals are overwhelmed, ventilators in short supply and cemeteries are running out of space.
- The UK vaccines minister, Nadhim Zahawi, has said he is hopeful that the over-50s booster campaign will be the “last piece of the jigsaw” for ending lockdowns, but that he is concerned about the incoming flu season.
- Children aged 12-15 will be given their first coronavirus vaccines from next week, Zahawi has confirmed.
- A Republican governor in the US, Kim Reynolds, has said she will appeal a temporary order by a federal judge allowing schools in Iowa to make face masks mandatory amid coronavirus. Meanwhile, in Florida, governor Ron DeSantis has threatened to fine cities and counties that force employees to get coronavirus vaccines.
- UK government adviser Prof Anthony Harnden has admitted that varying advice on vaccinating 12-15-year-olds will cause “uncertainty, hesitation and debate” for families.
- The UK vaccines minister, Nadhim Zahawi, has said that winter lockdowns will be an “absolutely last resort”. He said the government will instead rely on vaccines to attempt to move Covid-19 from a pandemic to an endemic.
- The number of workers on payrolls in the UK rose by 241,000 between July and August, marking a rebound above pre-pandemic levels, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports.
Handing over to my colleague Kaamil Ahmed now, thanks for reading.
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Nigeria is experiencing one of its worst cholera outbreaks in years, with over 2,300 people dying from suspected cases so far, potentially worsened by the coronavirus pandemic.
The outbreak, which has a higher case fatality rate than the last four years, is being exacerbated by the prioritisation of Covid-19 by state governments, reports the Associated Press.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, at least 69,925 suspected cholera cases were recorded as of 5 September in 25 of Nigeria’s 36 states and in Abuja, the capital.
The country is facing a coronavirus resurgence driven by the Delta variant, while less than 1% of the population has been fully vaccinated.
Cholera is endemic and seasonal in Nigeria and the country experiences regular outbreaks of other infectious diseases including yellow fever, Lassa fever and measles.
Outgoing Nigeria CDC director-general, Chikwe Ihekweazu, told AP:
We must remain conscious that these multiple outbreaks can further strain our health system.
But he said experiences of other health crises had helped Nigeria to prepare for coronavirus.
Prior investment in diagnostic capacity, case management, electronic surveillance systems, event-based surveillance, risk communication, logistic management systems and national/subnational workforce development have paid off significantly during Covid-19 pandemic.
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More from the Associated Press on Putin’s self-isolation:
Russian president Vladimir Putin is going into self-isolation because of coronavirus cases in his inner circle, the Kremlin said Tuesday.
The announcement came in the Kremlin’s readout of Putin’s phone call with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.
Putin has been fully vaccinated with the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V he received his second shot in April.
On Monday, the Russian president attended several public events. He met with the Russian Paralympians, attended military exercises conducted in coordination with Belarus, and met with with Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin is “absolutely healthy,” but will self-isolate after coming in contact with someone who contracted the virus. He didn’t clarify for how long Putin would remain in self-isolation, but assured that the president will continue working as usual.
Asked if Putin tested negative for the virus, Peskov said “of course, yes.”
Peskov didn’t say who among Putin’s contacts were infected, saying only that there were several cases.
For the latest UK politics and covid news, please follow Andrew Sparrow’s live blog:
Russian president Vladimir Putin reportedly self-isolating after coronavirus cases detected in entourage
Russian president Vladimir Putin is self-isolating after cases of coronavirus were detected in his entourage, reports Reuters.
The Kremlin has said that he will no longer travel to Tajikistan this week as planned for regional security meetings and will instead do them by video conference. He will self-isolate for “a certain period”, the Kremlin said.
659 coronavirus deaths registered in England and Wales in week ending September 3, says ONS
A total of 659 coronavirus deaths were registered in England and Wales in the week ending 3 September, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This marked a 1% decrease on the previous week, but the ONS said the figure was affected by the August bank holiday.
In the week ending 3 September, there were 89 care home resident coronavirus deaths in England and Wales, a slight decrease on the 92 the week before.
Around 1 in 13 (7.5%) of all deaths registered in England and Wales in that week mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate.
Overall, 159,333 people have died in the UK with coronavirus mentioned on their death certificate. The highest number was on January 19, when 1,484 people died.
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UK faces 'rough winter' says government scientific adviser
A government scientific adviser has warned that the UK faces a “rough winter” amid a combination of coronavirus, flu and other respiratory conditions making a comeback.
Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and professor of child health and outbreak medicine at the University of Liverpool, told BBC Breakfast:
“Now that we’re opening up society, we’ve got to … live with not just Covid but the flu will come back, RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] bronchiolitis will come back, so I think we’re going to have a bit of a rough winter.”
He said he couldn’t predict how Christmas will compare to last year’s, but that the NHS will have a “really tough time”.
He added:
It wouldn’t surprise me if local directors of public health may be suggesting use of face masks in shops and on public transport.
That’s the kind of thing that I would expect – some degree of regional common sense approach. If you see a high amount of virus in Liverpool or Manchester or Birmingham, then it wouldn’t surprise me if there was local leadership in that area.
He said the planned coronavirus booster vaccine campaign for the over-50s will “make a difference” for the frail and elderly and high risk people. He added: “It’s to try to give them an extra leg up to protect them.”
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Russia has reported 17,837 new coronavirus cases and 781 deaths in the last 24 hours.
The tourism industry in Bali is hoping for business to return after social restrictions were eased on Monday and the government is making plans to resume foreign travel.
Since its devastating peak in mid-July, when thousands died and there were over 44,000 new cases in one day, Covid cases in Indonesia have significantly fallen.
Senior government ministers said on Monday that restrictions in Bali would be downgraded to allow some tourist destinations to be opened and cinemas would be allowed to operate at 50% capacity, reports Reuters.
Indonesia’s tourism minister Sandiaga Uno said this week that his department was working on plans to reopen to foreign tourists but that timing had not yet been confirmed.
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Mauritius is battling an explosion of coronavirus cases, reports AFP.
Hospitals are overwhelmed, ventilators in short supply and cemeteries are running out of space.
It comes just three weeks before the island reopens to tourists.
In two months, cases have surged by more than five-fold to over 12,600 on Friday.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the nation has recorded 1,005 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Meanwhile, former prime minister Navin Ramgoolam, 74, has flown to India for coronavirus treatment.
Over-5os booster campaign hopefully 'last piece of the jigsaw', claims UK vaccines minister
The UK vaccines minister has said he is hopeful that the over-50s booster campaign will be the “last piece of the jigsaw” for ending the pandemic, but that he is concerned about the incoming flu season.
Nadhim Zahawi told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
This is probably the last piece of the jigsaw to allow us to transition this virus from pandemic to endemic and i hope by next year we’ll be in the position to deal with this virus... as we do with flu.
But, he said, people have to “remain vigilant” and he is “concerned” about flu season.
He said:
I am concerned, there’s not much flu circulating anywhere in the world and a bad flu year puts enormous pressure on the NHS but also we could lose 20,000-25,000 people to a bad flu season.
He said booster programme preparations have been “well under way” since 30 June, claiming that it will be “very ambitious”.
Where possible, he said they will try to “co-administer” the two vaccines - flu and the coronavirus booster.
On offering one dose of the vaccine to healthy 12-15-year-olds, he said the JCVI looked at data from the US and Israel for several months before making the decision.
If there’s a difference of opinion between parents and children on whether to get the vaccine, he said they will bring the child and parent together to attempt to seek joint consent. If they continue to disagree, the clinician will decide if the child is deemed competent to make their own decision. This, he claimed, would be “a very very rare occurrence”.
He said 89% of over 16-year-olds now have one dose and over 80% have had two doses. Over 50% of 16 and 17-year-olds now have the first dose.
Updated
12-15-year-olds will get first coronavirus doses next week, UK vaccines minister confirms
Children aged 12-15 will be given their first coronavirus vaccines from next week, the UK’s vaccines minister has confirmed.
Nadhim Zahawi told BBC Breakfast:
The NHS has been making plans that will hopefully be able to see the first vaccinations take place after consent, because obviously you need the information and the letters to go out and to receive that consent, by the 22nd of this month.
He said further details of the booster programme would be laid out by the prime minister Boris Johnson and health secretary Sajid Javid later today.
In the US, a Republican governor has said she will appeal a temporary order by a federal judge allowing schools in Iowa to make face masks mandatory amid coronavirus.
Kim Reynolds, governor of Iowa, tweeted:
We will appeal and exercise every legal option we have to uphold state law and defend the rights and liberties afforded to any American citizen protected by our constitution.
— Gov. Kim Reynolds (@IAGovernor) September 13, 2021
It comes after a federal judge ordered the state to immediately stop enforcing a law passed in May that stops school boards from enforcing face masks.
The temporary restraining order will be in effect until the court orders a preliminary injunction, reports Reuters.
Coronavirus has killed more than 6,300 people in Iowa and the state has had over 450,000 cases.
Meanwhile, in Florida, governor Ron DeSantis has threatened to fine cities and counties that force employees to get coronavirus vaccines (see 07:15).
UK government adviser admits varying advice on vaccinating 12-15-year-olds will cause 'uncertainty, hesitation and debate' for families
More from the UK on the vaccination of 12-15-year-olds:
Prof Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), has admitted that varying advice on vaccinating 12-15-year-olds will cause “uncertainty, hesitation and debate” for families.
He told the BBC Today Programme:
What we tried to do right the way through the pandemic as a committee is to be open and honest with the public and give them the best advice possible...
I think the public in the end will appreciate our honesty and I think they will also appreciate the CMOs’ perspective, and the Government offering them choice.
I agree it will cause uncertainty, hesitation and debate within families, but sometimes life isn’t black and white, and this is one of those situations.
He said parents and children must be “properly informed” and their decisions over vaccinations should be “respected”.
Updated
A government scientific adviser has warned that the UK infection and deaths data “doesn’t bode well” for winter.
Speaking in a personal capacity, Prof Ravi Gupta of the University of Cambridge, a co-opted member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group that advises the government, has told Sky News that the infection and deaths data “doesn’t bode well for going into winter at all”.
Speaking in a personal capacity, he said scientists warned the prime minister to “take this slowly” when restrictions were eased in July or face a “knock-on effect” in the future.
Now, he said, the UK is seeing “the result of that advice not being heeded and we’re now in a position where we’re talking about lockdowns again. With the correct planning, this could have been avoided.”
He also suggested that children should be vaccinated:
We need to remember that when people die then the entire family is affected, including young people.
So by doing nothing we are also putting those children though very difficult times.
Lockdown will be an 'absolutely last resort', says UK vaccines minister
The UK vaccines minister has said that winter lockdowns will be an “absolutely last resort”.
Nadhim Zahawi said the government will instead rely on vaccines to attempt to move Covid-19 from a pandemic to an endemic.
He told Sky News:
Lockdowns will be an absolutely last resort.
What we’re trying to do at the moment is to transition this virus from pandemic to endemic through a massive vaccination programme.
It comes as prime minister Boris Johnson prepares to announce a winter coronavirus plan later today expected to include booster jabs and flu vaccinations.
Zahawi also said that 12-15-year-olds would only be able to opt to have the vaccine against their parents’ wishes after having a meeting with a clinician.
He said children will be given leaflets to share with their parents and that parents will be sent a consent form.
He added:
On the very rare occasion where there is a difference of opinion between the parent and the 12-15 year-old, where the parent for example doesn’t want to give consent but the 12-15 year-old wants to have the vaccine, then the first step is the clinician will bring the parent and the child together to see whether they can reach consent.
If that is not possible, then if the child is deemed to be competent...Gillick competence as it is referred to, then the child can have the vaccine.
More on the UK employment figures:
Jonathan Athow, ONS deputy national statistician for economic statistics, said that around 1.5m people in the UK were still on furlough in August and that it is unclear what will happen to their jobs when the scheme ends this month.
He told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
The furlough scheme comes to an end in September and we still see significant numbers of people on furlough in August.
Our own numbers were that it’s around 1.5m, from surveying businesses.
Roughly half of those people are on partial furlough, but half of them were actually on full furlough, and we don’t know what’s going to happen to them when the scheme ends at the end of September.
He added:
You might well be at risk of losing your job.
UK employment rate back to above pre-pandemic levels, reports ONS, but warns recovery 'isn't even'
The number of workers on payrolls in the UK rose by 241,000 between July and August, marking a rebound above pre-pandemic levels, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports.
Jonathan Athow, ONS deputy national statistician for economic statistics, said the overall employment rate is continuing to recover - especially among younger workers - and unemployment has fallen.
However, he warned that “this recovery isn’t even”. With areas such as London and the hospitality and arts and leisure sectors still “well down on pre-pandemic levels.”
Athow said:
Early estimates from payroll data suggest that in August the total number of employees is around the same level as before the pandemic, though our surveys show well over a million are still on furlough.
However, this recovery isn’t even: in hard-hit areas such as London and sectors such as hospitality and arts and leisure the numbers of workers remain well down on pre-pandemic levels.
The overall employment rate continues to recover, particularly among groups such as young workers who were hard hit at the outset of the pandemic, while unemployment has fallen.
Vacancies reached a new record high. Not surprisingly, this is driven above all by hospitality, the sector with the highest proportion of employers reporting their job openings are hard to fill.
The number of employees on payroll rose by 241,000 in August 2021; this took the total just past its pre-pandemic peak https://t.co/2pSt3xLMeC pic.twitter.com/DlI4iEsSrd
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) September 14, 2021
There were also record numbers of job vacancies in August. The ONS reports that in August there were more than 1.1m vacancies for the first time ever.
There were an estimated 1.03 million job vacancies in June to August 2021, up from 764,000 in the previous three months.
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) September 14, 2021
Early figures for August show there were more than 1.1 million vacancies that month for the first time ever https://t.co/jdYToe6z7O pic.twitter.com/lrVhDzRhZY
Updated
The governor of Florida has threatened to fine cities and counties that force employees to get coronavirus vaccines.
Ron DeSantis said: “If a government agency in the state of Florida forces a vaccine as a condition to employment, that violates Florida law.”
“And you will face a $5,000 fine for every single violation,” he added. “That’s millions and millions of dollars potentially in fines.”
The US state has recorded more than 3.4m cases and over 49,000 deaths, reports Reuters.
Hi, I’m looking after the coronavirus global liveblog for the next few hours. If you have any tips or suggestions, please get in touch: miranda.bryant@guardian.co.uk
New China outbreak grows
New local Covid infections have more than doubled in China’s southeastern province of Fujian, which is battling the country’s latest coronavirus outbreak.
The National Health Commission said on Tuesday that 59 new locally transmitted cases were reported for 13 September, up from 22 infections a day earlier.
In just four days, a total of 102 community infections have been reported in Fujian, a province bordered by Zhejiang to the north and Guangdong to the south.
China’s last outbreak, which affected mainly Jiangsu, ended about two weeks ago, with no new local cases reported in the eastern province. That outbreak lasted a month:
UK health secretary to set out details of booster plan on Tuesday
Boris Johnson is to confirm the start of a booster jabs programme for the over-50s on Tuesday after government scientists finally approved vaccinations for older schoolchildren.
British health Secretary Sajid Javid will set out the details of the plans in a Commons statement on Tuesday.
Setting out a widespread acceleration of the vaccine programme before what ministers concede will be a difficult second winter coping with the virus, the prime minister will also signal his opposition to any further lockdowns this year.
In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, the prime minister will highlight the need to keep some measures in reserve, which could include a return to compulsory mask-wearing in some settings, telling people to work from home where possible and the reintroduction of social distancing across England.
Updated
Summary
Hello and welcome to today’s live coronavirus coverage.
British health Secretary Sajid Javid will set out the details of England’s booster shot plans when he unveils the Government’s winter Covid plan in a Commons statement on Tuesday.
Meanwhile new local Covid infections have more than doubled in China’s southeastern province of Fujian, which is battling the country’s latest coronavirus outbreak.
The National Health Commission said on Tuesday that 59 new locally transmitted cases were reported for 13 September, up from 22 infections a day earlier.
Here are the other key recent developments:
- More evidence is needed that booster jabs will significantly reduce serious cases before governments go ahead with campaigns for third jabs, a new study involving US and WHO health experts said. At the moment, such campaigns are not justified, according to the scientists.
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Children aged 12 to 15 will be offered vaccines in the UK, its chief medical officers decided. The first doses should be administered immediately.
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China imposed new restrictions in the south-eastern Fujian province, with measures including mass testing, suspended transport services and closures of bars and cinemas.
- Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières called for a waiver of vaccine patents to allow more jabs to be produced and delivered to poorer countries. It said the UK, EU, Switzerland and Norway should stop blocking a proposal being negotiated at the World Trade Organization.
- Singapore’s health ministry has reported 607 new locally transmitted Covid cases – the highest since August last year.
- The UK government pulled out of a deal with the French pharmaceutical company Valneva to purchase its Covid-19 vaccination, the company has said.
- Ho Chi Minh City, at the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in Vietnam, is to extend restrictions until the end of September. Authorities said the measures were needed to isolate clusters, speed up vaccinations and stop hospitals from being overwhelmed.
- The fully vaccinated accounted for just 1.2% of all deaths involving Covid-19 in England in the first seven months of this year, which is being seen as an encouraging sign that the vaccine is effective in reducing deaths.
- About a million children in New York returned to school today, with compulsory masks and mandatory vaccination for teachers, as the city ends remote working.
