That’s it from me, Samantha Lock, for today’s blog.
Please follow along with all our coronavirus coverage here.
Also feel free to send tips or suggestions to me at samantha.lock@theguardian.com or via Twitter @Samantha__Lock
I’ll be back with you shortly.
Summary
Here’s a quick summary of the latest headlines:
- The US is set to boost vaccine manufacturing and produce at least a billion doses a year. The Biden administration is planning to dedicate billions of dollars to build up vaccine manufacturing in the US to produce at least a billion doses each year, in an effort to shore up global Covid-19 supply for poorer countries while also pre-empting future pandemics.
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Europe is the only region with increasing Covid deaths, the World Health Organization reports. Covid deaths rose 5% in the last week as deaths in all regions other than Europe remained stable or declined, and totalled 50,000 worldwide last week. Of the 3.3 million new infections reported, 2.1 million came from Europe.
- Sweden is introducing a digital Covid-19 vaccination certificate for public gatherings and events with more than 100 people indoors, authorities said Wednesday.
- Spain has approved the use of a Covid-19 booster shot for people between 60-69 years old and for health workers, as part of an effort to combat an uptick in infections.
- The Czech Republic and Slovakia both reported record daily new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, a day before the two European Union countries plan to approve new restrictions for unvaccinated people in response to rising infections.
- A fourth Covid wave is hitting Germany with ‘full force’, Merkel says. Germany reported 52,826 new infections on Wednesday - up by a third from a week ago and another daily record, while 294 people died,
- Belgium tightened its coronavirus restrictions, mandating wider use of masks in indoor settings and enforcing work from home, as cases rose in the country’s fourth Covid wave. The country has one of the highest cases per capita rates in the EU.
- The UK reported another 38,263 Covid infections and a further 201 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.
- Mandatory vaccine passports are set to be introduced in Northern Ireland.
- Covid deaths have decreased 17% in the Americas over the past week, but the most populous countries like the US, Brazil and Colombia are seeing a levelling of new infections after weeks of declining trends, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday.
- Hungary reported 10,265 new Covid-19 infections, its highest daily tally since the end of March.
A Florida man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for collecting nearly $1m in Covid-19 relief funds after submitting more than 100 fraudulent applications for himself and others, AAP reports.
Leonel Rivero, 35, was sentenced in Miami federal court, according to court records. He previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud. He was also ordered to pay over $1m in restitution.
Rivero owned a tax-preparation business and submitted approximately 118 fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan applications on behalf of himself and his accomplices, according to the criminal complaint. Those loan applications sought a total of more than $2.3 million, and Rivero and his accomplices received approximately $975,582, investigators said.
It’s Samantha Lock back with you and taking over from my colleague Tom Ambrose.
As usual, a quick rundown of where Australia stands with Covid before I begin.
The state of NSW has recorded 262 new Covid-19 cases and 3 deaths over the latest reporting period.
Victoria’s daily case numbers have jumped back over the 1,000 mark, with 1,007 new infections recorded in the state. Sadly, 12 people infected with the virus have died.
Australia is also hoping a tourism campaign lures travellers from Singapore when two-way quarantine-free travel resumes between the two countries, AAP reports.
From Sunday, fully vaccinated Singaporeans can arrive in Australia without quarantining as long as they return a negative Covid-19 test.
Brazil registered 11,977 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the country’s health ministry confirmed today.
It also recorded a further 373 Covid deaths in the last 24 hours.
Wales’ first minister has said there will be no changes to the nation’s Covid rules this week.
Mark Drakeford confirmed on Wednesday that restrictions would remain the same and the country would stay on alert level 0.
He thanked residents for helping to reduce record-high coronavirus case rates over the last three weeks.
But he warned of a fourth wave sweeping across Europe, and said extending the Covid Pass across the hospitality sector in future weeks remains an option should cases again soar.
The case rate in Wales has fallen to 507.4 per 100,000 people, and is no longer the highest in the UK, having dipped slightly below Northern Ireland where the case rate is 509.2.
Drakeford said:
Three weeks ago we were facing a very serious situation in Wales but everyone has pulled together and cases have fallen back from those record high levels.
I want to thank everyone for their hard work and the steps they have taken to protect themselves and their loved ones. Saying yes to the vaccine and crucially to the booster remains an essential step to help keep Wales safe,” he added.
As we start to plan for Christmas we need to keep on working together to bring coronavirus under control. The pandemic hasn’t gone away – a fourth wave is sweeping across Europe, with many countries introducing stricter restrictions once again.
We will do everything we can to keep Wales open and to keep Wales safe. This means keeping the option of extending the use of the Covid Pass if cases rise again and pandemic pressures on the NHS increase, to help keep the hospitality sector open and trading through the busy festive period.
Updated
In the United States, the White House says about 10% of eligible children aged 5 to 11 have received a dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccine since its approval for their age group two weeks ago.
At least 2.6 million kids have received a shot, White House Covid-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said on Wednesday, with 1.7 million doses administered in the last week alone, roughly double the pace of the first week after approval.
The Associated Press reported:
It’s more than three times faster than the rate adults were vaccinated at the start of the nation’s vaccination campaign 11 months ago.
Zients said there are now 30,000 locations across for kids to get a shot, up from 20,000 last week, and that the administration expects the pace of pediatric shots to pick up in the coming days.
Kids who get their first vaccine dose by the end of this week will be fully vaccinated by Christmas, assuming they get their second shot three weeks after the first one.
The Biden administration is planning to dedicate billions of dollars to build up vaccine manufacturing in the US to produce at least a billion doses each year, in an effort to shore up global Covid-19 supply for poorer countries while also pre-empting future pandemics.
As part of a public-private partnership, the government will draw on knowledge from companies that already use mRNA technology to make vaccines. Its ambitious goal is to get to a point where the US can produce at least a billion doses each year starting around mid-2022, according to the New York Times, which first reported the news.
“This is about assuring expanded capacity against Covid variants and also preparing for the next pandemic,” David Kessler, who leads vaccine distribution for the White House, told the Times.
“The goal, in the case of a future pandemic, a future virus, is to have vaccine capability within six to nine months of identification of that pandemic pathogen, and to have enough vaccines for all Americans.”
Sajid Javid’s criticisms fuelling abuse of doctors, says GPs’ chief
Sajid Javid’s criticisms of how GPs work have fuelled a rise in verbal and physical attacks on them and their staff, the leader of Britain’s family doctors has claimed.
Dr Richard Vautrey said comments by the health secretary and NHS bosses, alongside negative coverage of GPs in some newspapers, had wrongly made the public think they were “hiding away” from patients, and exposed staff to abuse.
Vautrey, the outgoing chair of the British Medical Association’s GPs committee, made the claim in an interview with the Guardian before the union’s decision on Thursday about whether to press ahead with industrial action in protest at a government edict that GPs in England must see any patient face to face if requested.
Before the pandemic 80% of consultations in England were face-to-face. That fell dramatically on government and NHS orders when the Covid pandemic struck, though in recent months it has risen again to 60%.
Good evening, I’m Tom Ambrose and I will be bringing you the latest Covid news from home and abroad over the next couple of hours.
We start with the news that the Czech Republic and Slovakia both reported record daily new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, a day before the two European Union countries plan to approve new restrictions for unvaccinated people in response to rising infections.
Thousands in the capitals of both countries, Prague and Bratislava, used Wednesday’s anniversary of the 1989 anti-communist Velvet Revolution to rally against their government’s upcoming coronavirus restrictions.
The protesters ignored social distancing and didn’t wear masks. Police didn’t intervene in Prague. In Bratislava, police said two officers sustained injuries after the crowd near the seat of the government detonated fire crackers.
The Czech daily tally soared to 22,479 new cases, eclipsing the previous record set 7 January by almost 5,000 and nearly 8,000 more than just a week ago. The country’s infection rate rose to 813 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, up from 558 a week earlier.
That’s it from me for today. Thank you all so much for reading along, writing in and generally keeping me company. My colleague Tom Ambrose will be along shortly to continue our coronavirus coverage, and I’ll see you all again tomorrow.
Fourth Covid wave hitting Germany with 'full force', Merkel says
Germany’s coronavirus situation is dramatic, the chancellor Angela Merkel has said, calling for an extra push on vaccinations ahead of a crisis meeting with federal and regional leaders to agree on measures to curb a fourth wave of the virus.
Germany reported 52,826 new infections on Wednesday - up by a third from a week ago and another daily record, while 294 people died, bringing the total to 98,274, as the pandemic tightens its grip on Europe.
The surge in infections comes at an awkward time in Germany with the conservative Merkel acting in a caretaker capacity while three other parties negotiate to form a new government after an inconclusive September election.
Merkel said a national effort was needed and appealed to federal and regional leaders meeting on Thursday to introduce steps to trigger tighter restrictions based on the number of infected people being hospitalised in a week.
A draft of the document to be discussed and seen by Reuters sets out steps, including forcing people to show proof of vaccination or recovery or a negative Covid test on public transport and at work and imposing tighter restrictions for leisure activities.
In addition, financial aid for companies and individuals hit by the crisis could be extended by three months to the end of March 2022.
Merkel appealed to vaccine-sceptics to change their minds and called for a speedier distribution of booster shots.
Merkel told a congress of German city mayors:
The fourth wave is hitting our country with full force. The number of daily new infections is higher than ever before... and the daily death toll is also frightening.
It is not at all too late to decide for a first vaccination. If enough people get vaccinated that is the way out of the pandemic.
Only 68% of people in Europe’s most populous country are fully vaccinated - lower than the average in western Europe due to a tradition of vaccine hesitancy, while 5% of the population has had a booster shot.
The Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats, who aim to form the next government, will also propose measures to fight the pandemic in a draft law to go to parliament on Thursday.
That would replace emergency powers, due to end on 25 November, which provide a national legal framework for restrictions. Merkel’s conservatives want to extend these powers instead.
Summary
Here is a quick recap of some of the main developments from today so far:
- Belgium tightened its coronavirus restrictions, mandating wider use of masks in indoor settings such as cafes and restaurants, and enforcing work from home, as cases rose in the country’s fourth Covid wave. The country has one of the highest cases per capita rates in the EU, at around one per hundred people over the past 14 days, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The prime minister Alexander De Croo said: “The alarm signals are all red.”
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Spain is now offering third doses of Covid vaccines to people aged 60 and over, expanding the booster shot programme from the previous age threshold of 70 as infections rise, the prime minister Pedro Sanchez said.
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The UK Health Security Agency said children aged between 12 and 15 should delay getting a Covid vaccine if they’ve recently had Covid to at least 12 weeks after they were infected. The advice brings guidance for 12 to 15-year-olds into line with that for 16 and 17-year-olds, who were advised to wait 12 weeks after infection before getting a shot when officials gave a go ahead for second doses for that age group. The UKHSA said that the increase in the gap, from previous guidance of a 4-week interval, could cut rare cases of a mild and usually short-lived side effect of heart inflammation known as myocarditis further.
- The UK reported another 38,263 Covid infections and a further 201 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to the latest data from the government’s coronavirus dashboard.
- Mandatory vaccine passports are set to be introduced in Northern Ireland after Stormont ministers voted by a majority to support the move. It is understood that, amid rising infections and increasing pressure on the healthcare system, the health minister Robin Swann wants to see enforceable Covid certification in operation across a range of hospitality settings from 13 December.
- Sweden plans to introduce a requirement for Covid vaccine passes at indoor events where more than 100 people attend, a step recommended by health officials warning of a rising tide of infections in coming weeks. “The spread is increasing in Europe. We haven’t seen it yet in Sweden, but we are not isolated,” the health minister Lena Hallengren said. “We need to be able to use vaccination certificates.”
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Also in Sweden, the Public Health Agency said it would reverse a widely-criticised decision to stop recommending testing for people who are fully vaccinated but show symptoms of Covid-19. Covid testing in Sweden has fallen by some 35% after the health agency announced in October that people displaying symptoms no longer needed to get tested if they were fully vaccinated against the virus. The recommendation drew heavy criticism at a time when the pandemic is gaining traction again across Europe.
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Hungarian doctors have warned of a “very sad Christmas” ahead and called for preventive measures as infections and hospitalisations continue to rise. Hungary reported 10,265 new Covid cases on Wednesday, its highest daily tally since the end of March, prompting the country’s Medical Chamber to call for a ban on mass events and mandatory mask-wearing in closed spaces. In a statement, the Hungarian Medical Chamber also said entry to restaurants, theatres and cinemas should be conditional on a Covid immunity certificate.
- The World Health Organization said coronavirus deaths in Europe rose by 5% in the last week, making it the only region in the world where Covid-19 mortality increased. In its weekly report on the pandemic, the WHO said Covid deaths in all regions other than Europe remained stable or declined, and totalled 50,000 worldwide last week. Of the 3.3 million new infections reported, 2.1 million came from Europe. It was the seventh consecutive week that Covid cases continued to mount across the 61 countries the WHO counts in its European region.
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The Czech Republic will ban people who have not been vaccinated against Covid from access to public events and services from Monday, the prime minister Andrej Babiš announced, and negative tests will no longer be recognised as qualification to enter events and service establishments. The restrictions, to be approved by the full cabinet on Thursday, come after a surge in new infections to a record 22,479 on Tuesday. “People have to finally believe that Covid kills,” Babiš said.
Belgium mandates indoor mask-wearing and working from home
Belgium tightened its coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday, mandating wider use of masks and enforcing work from home, as cases rose in the country’s fourth Covid wave, Reuters reports.
From Saturday, all people in indoor venues such as cafes and restaurants will need to wear a mask unless seated and the rule will apply to those aged 10 or older. The previous age threshold was 12.
Nightclubs may have to test their guests if they want to let them dance mask-free.
People wanting to eat in a restaurant or go to the theatre already must present a Covid pass, showing vaccination, a negative test or recent recovery.
Most Belgians will also have to work from home four days a week until mid-December, and for three days after that.
Belgium has one of the highest cases per capita rates in the European Union, at around one per hundred people over the past 14 days, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
“The alarm signals are all red,” the prime minister Alexander De Croo told a news conference. “We had all hoped to have a winter without coronavirus, but Belgium is not an island.”
The new restrictions are still milder than the lockdown imposed on the unvaccinated in Austria and the shortening of bar and restaurant opening hours in the Netherlands.
De Croo said Belgium planned to give booster jabs, currently limited mostly to the elderly, to the wider population.
Belgium’s infections rise has been sharpest in the northern region Flanders, where vaccination rates are higher, prompting eased restrictions in October.
Updated
Spain is now offering third doses of Covid vaccines to people aged 60 and over, expanding the booster shot programme from the previous age threshold of 70 as infections rise, the prime minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday.
Spain has fully vaccinated 79% of its population, and started the campaign to administer booster shots last month, including for cancer patients, nursing home residents and other vulnerable groups.
“The meeting of the vaccines panel has just ended, and it has been agreed that a third dose of vaccination will be given to health and social-health professionals and for people over 60 years of age,” Sanchez told reporters during a visit to Turkey.
The country’s infection rate, as measured over the preceding 14 days, has been rising steadily since late October. It rose to 96 per 100,000 on Wednesday from about 89 on Tuesday, though remains well below levels in some countries like Austria, with over 1,400 cases per 100,000, or the Netherlands with over 900.
Spain reported 6,667 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total to 5,067,712 since the pandemic began, while the number of deaths rose by 30 to an overall 87,775.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said that children aged between 12 and 15 should delay getting a Covid vaccine if they’ve recently had Covid to at least 12 weeks after they were infected, Reuters reports.
The advice brings guidance for 12 to 15-year-olds into line with that for 16 and 17-year-olds, who were advised to wait 12 weeks after infection before getting a shot when officials gave a go ahead for second doses for that age group.
Currently, 12 to 15-year-olds are only advised to get an initial shot of Pfizer’s vaccine, which has been associated with rare, mild and usually short-lived side effect of heart inflammation known as myocarditis.
The UKHSA said that the increase in the gap, from previous guidance of a 4-week interval, could cut rare cases of myocarditis further.
“The Covid-19 vaccines are very safe. Based on a highly precautionary approach, we are advising a longer interval between Covid infection and vaccination for those aged under 18,” Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisations at UKHSA, said in a statement.
“This increase is based on the latest reports from the UK and other countries, which may suggest that leaving a longer interval between infection and vaccination will further reduce the already very small risk of myocarditis in younger age groups,” she added.
Children have had some of the highest rates of infection in England since schools went back at the start of September, although prevalence has fallen from its peak since a half-term school holiday at the end of October.
UKHSA said that current advice for at-risk children between 12-17 was unchanged, owing to their higher risk from Covid which would outweigh any benefit from delaying the shots.
Canada is set to announce it will no longer require travellers returning from short foreign trips to take PCR Covid tests, a government source has said.
Reuters reported that the source, who requested not to be named, said the change will affect those taking trips of 72 hours or less.
The travel industry complains that the requirement to take the tests, the most reliable commonly-used method of detecting Covid, is deterring tourism.
The official announcement is expected to be made on Friday.
Covid deaths have decreased 17% in the Americas over the past week, but the most populous countries like the US, Brazil and Colombia are seeing a levelling of new infections after weeks of declining trends, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday.
Mexico is reporting an increase in new deaths and in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago had a sharp rise in deaths as intensive care unit (ICU) beds fill with patients with Covid, PAHO said.
In an important milestone, half of the people in Latin America and the Caribbean have now been fully vaccinated against Covid, though coverage remains below 10% in Nicaragua and Haiti, PAHO director Carissa Etienne said.
“The Covid pandemic is still very active in our region,” she warned in a webcast news conference.
Countries across Central and South America have seen a decline in new infections, except for Bolivia, it said.
As Uruguay and Chile have relaxed pandemic restrictions, Covid cases have risen, even with their high vaccination coverage, the health agency said.
Etienne urged people in the region to get vaccinated and stick to social distancing and mask wearing as the holiday season approaches.
The UK has reported another 38,263 Covid infections and a further 201 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to the latest data from the government’s coronavirus dashboard.
That compares with 37,243 cases and 214 fatalities reported in the 24 hours prior.
Updated
Ministers vote to introduce vaccine passports in Northern Ireland
Mandatory vaccine passports are set to be introduced in Northern Ireland after Stormont ministers voted by a majority to support the move.
The PA news agency understands DUP ministers opposed the health minister Robin Swann’s proposal at the executive meeting on Wednesday. However, the other four executive parties – Sinn Féin, SDLP, Alliance and Mr Swann’s UUP – backed the move.
Swann wants to see enforceable Covid certification in operation across a range of hospitality settings from §3 December.
While the four DUP ministers voted against the proposal, the party did not deploy a cross-community voting mechanism that could have blocked the introduction of vaccine certification in the region.
The Department of Health is set to produce a further paper detailing how the policy will be rolled out.
PA Media understands Swann has proposed that passports are used to gain entry to nightclubs, hospitality premises that serve food and/or drink, cinemas, theatres and conferences halls.
Covid certificates would also be needed to access indoor events with 500 or more attendees where some or all of the audience is not normally seated.
They would be required for outdoor events with 4,000 or more attendees where some or all of the audience is not normally seated.
They would also be mandatory at all events of 10,000 or more attendees whether the audience is seated or not.
Swann is proposing that regulations needed for the law change come into effect on 29 November, with a 14-day grace period prior to becoming enforceable on 13 December.
Under the proposals, people wishing to gain entry to the venues would need to demonstrate evidence of Covid-19 vaccination, a negative lateral flow test result, or proof of a coronavirus infection within the previous six months.
A modelling paper from health officials presented to the Executive ahead of Wednesday’s meeting warned passports may not be enough to suppress rapidly increasing Covid case numbers, which have surged 23% in a week, and that “more severe restrictions” may need to be considered in mid-December to avoid hospitals being overwhelmed.
Swann’s proposals come amid escalating pressures on the region’s beleaguered health system.
Covid-19 transmission rates have soared in recent weeks, particularly among young people.
Making certification a legal entry requirement for hospitality venues has been credited with driving up vaccination rates among young people in the Irish Republic.
Proof of vaccination has already been required to access cinemas, nightclubs, theatres, concert halls and large events in Wales.
Scotland has similar requirements, though the government is considering whether to expand it to other sectors.
In England, the government ditched its plans for vaccine passports for access to nightclubs and large events, which had been due to start at the end of September. However, they could still be introduced under its so-called winter “plan B” if the situation deteriorates.
Updated
Dutch health authorities said on Wednesday they were running short of Covid tests, as the Netherlands registered more than 20,000 new cases for the second day in a row, the highest since the pandemic began, Reuters reports.
“We are coming up against the maximum of our capacity,” Jaap Eikelboom, head of Covid-19 operations at the National Public Health Service, said in a statement.
The service said it was working to expand test capacity amid a new surge that has caught health authorities and the prime minister Mark Rutte’s government off guard.
About 85% of the adult Dutch population is fully vaccinated.
The National Institute for Health (RIVM) on Tuesday reported a record of more than 110,000 new cases in the week ended 16 November, an increase of 44% from the week before, with the strongest rise among children aged 4-12.
Hospital admissions are rising and several are curtailing regular care to accommodate patients with coronavirus.
The latest wave began shortly after the government ended social distancing and other measures in September – a decision that has been reversed as cases surge.
Earlier this month, Rutte’s government reintroduced masks in stores, and last weekend it reimposed a partial lockdown, including closing bars and restaurants after 8pm.
But the impact of those measures has not yet been seen in the daily numbers.
Parliament met with Rutte on Tuesday night to debate whether to restrict access to indoor public venues to people who have a “corona pass” showing they have been vaccinated or already recovered from an infection.
Politicians were sharply divided on the idea, with some arguing that it discriminates unfairly against the unvaccinated and others arguing that it may be necessary anyway as a matter of public health.
No law has yet been proposed for a vote.
Updated
Sweden to introduce Covid vaccine passes for indoor events
The Swedish government plans to introduce a requirement for Covid vaccine passes at indoor events where more than 100 people attend, a step recommended by health officials warning of a rising tide of infections in coming weeks, Reuters reports.
Infection rates have soared across large swaths of Europe in recent weeks and while Sweden - hard hit at times earlier in the pandemic - has yet to record a similar surge, healthy agency modelling suggests infections will reach a peak in mid-December.
The centre-left government was preparing a bill to be put forward to parliament with the aim to having the vaccination passes in effect from 1 December, the health minister Lena Hallengren said.
“The spread is increasing in Europe. We haven’t seen it yet in Sweden, but we are not isolated,” she told a news conference. “We need to be able to use vaccination certificates.”
Sweden’s health agency said earlier on Wednesday it would reverse a widely criticised decision to stop recommending testing for people who were fully vaccinated but show symptoms of Covid. [see 12.16pm.]
Around 85% of all Swedes over 16 have received one dose vaccine and 82% have had two doses or more.
Sweden currently has the lowest number of patients with Covid in hospital and in intensive care in the European Union, relative to the size of the population, according to OurWorldinData, but has been hit hard by earlier waves.
Sweden has opted against lockdowns and relied mostly on voluntary measures aimed at social distancing.
It has seen several times higher deaths per capita than its Nordic neighbours but lower than most European countries that opted for strict lockdowns.
Several aspects of Sweden’s handling of the pandemic, such as poor testing, have been strongly criticised by a government-appointed Covid commission.
As Covid cases in the US begin to rise once more and health agencies consider booster shots for all adults, some states and cities are taking matters into their own hands and urging additional shots, advice that goes beyond current federal guidelines.
Leaders in Colorado, California, New Mexico, Arkansas, West Virginia, and New York City recommend that residents older than 18 seek an additional shot six months after their initial immunisation.
These states and cities have little in common, except their health systems have been stretched to a breaking point before during the pandemic – and one-third or more of their population is still unvaccinated.
Read more here:
Updated
Hungarian doctors have warned of a “very sad Christmas” ahead and have called for preventive measures as infections and hospitalisations continue to rise, Reuters reports.
The country reported 10,265 new Covid cases on Wednesday, its highest daily tally since the end of March, prompting the country’s Medical Chamber to call for a ban on mass events and mandatory mask-wearing in closed spaces.
In a statement, the Hungarian Medical Chamber also said entry to restaurants, theatres and cinemas should be conditional on a Covid immunity certificate.
“We must slow down the increase in the number of patients, a flooding of hospitals [with patients with Covid] or many families will have a very sad Christmas,” they said.
“Apart from a slowing vaccination campaign, we have not seen any preventive measures [to contain the pandemic].”
The daily tally is getting close to the peak of 11,265 reached during the third wave of the pandemic in a country with hardly any restrictions in place and where the vaccination rate is below the European Union average.
A new wave of infections has swept across central Europe with hospitals struggling to cope in some countries such as neighbouring Romania. Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland have all tightened rules on mask-wearing and introduced measures to curb infections.
In Hungary, the government of the prime minister Viktor Orbán, who is facing a close election in early 2022, has urged people to take up vaccines and announced mandatory inoculations at state institutions. It also empowered private companies to make vaccinations mandatory for employees.
But it has refrained from making mask wearing mandatory in closed spaces – apart from on public transport and in hospitals – and there are no other restrictions in place.
On Tuesday, the government said it was monitoring cases, and “if necessary will take further measures”.
The government has not replied to emailed Reuters questions.
The country of 10 million has reported 32,514 deaths from Covid since the start of the pandemic but only 5.78 million of its people are fully vaccinated. More than 1.66 million people have received a booster shot.
Updated
The European Union’s drug regulator said on Wednesday it could issue an opinion on Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine “within weeks” if the data it has received so far is sufficient to show the shot’s effectiveness and safety, Reuters reports.
The vaccine, called Nuvaxovid or NVX-CoV2373, has been under a rolling review since February making the speedy timeline for potential approval possible, the European Medicines Agency said.
If approved, the shot would be the region’s fifth coronavirus vaccine, joining those from Pfizer/BioNTech , Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
The major approval could come ahead of authorisation in the United States, where Novavax had to resolve manufacturing issues and expects to file for approval by the end of the year.
The EMA said two of its advisory panels were looking into various plans submitted by Novavax on risk management, and development and studies of the vaccine for use in children.
Novavax’s shot received its first emergency use approval earlier this month in Indonesia. The company has also sought backing from the World Health Organization.
The Philippines on Wednesday authorised emergency use of a version made by India’s Serum Institute.
Updated
The World Health Organization said coronavirus deaths in Europe rose by 5% in the last week, making it the only region in the world where Covid-19 mortality increased, AP reports.
The UN health agency said confirmed cases jumped 6% jump globally, driven by increases in the Americas, Europe and Asia.
In its weekly report on the pandemic issued late on Tuesday, the WHO said Covid deaths in all regions other than Europe remained stable or declined, and totalled 50,000 worldwide last week.
Of the 3.3 million new infections reported, 2.1 million came from Europe.
It was the seventh consecutive week that Covid cases continued to mount across the 61 countries the WHO counts in its European region, which stretches through Russia to central Asia.
While about 60% of people in western Europe are fully immunised against Covid, only about half as many are vaccinated in the eastern part of the continent, where officials are struggling to overcome widespread vaccine hesitancy.
The WHO said infections have been falling in Africa, the Middle East and south-east Asia since July.
Within Europe, the highest numbers of new cases were in Russia, Germany and the UK, the WHO said. It noted that deaths jumped by 67% in Norway and by 38% in Slovakia.
The health agency previously described Europe as being the epicentre of the ongoing pandemic and warned that there could be 500,000 more deaths by January if urgent actions aren’t taken.
In the last week, Austria, the Netherlands and other countries reintroduced some lockdown measures to try to slow infections, while the UK decided to roll out booster doses to everyone over the age of 40.
Updated
The number of Covid-related deaths in Scotland has continued to fall from a recent peak in late summer, with 115 deaths recorded during the week ending Sunday 14 November, 25 fewer than the previous week.
National Records of Scotland, the government records agency, said that brought the total number of deaths where Covid was mentioned on the death certificate up to 11,933. The latest surge in fatalities by that measure peaked at 167 in early September, as Scotland experienced a significant surge in Covid infections.
NRS said its assessment of deaths among different ethnic groups showed Scots of Pakistani origin were 3.7 times more likely to die of Covid, relative to the population as a whole, Chinese-origin Scots 1.7 times more likely to die. White British residents not of Scottish origin were 0.8 times less likely to die.
Some studies show people of Asian heritage are genetically far more susceptible to the Delta variant than other ethnic groups, but poverty and other health issues, including a higher proportion of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, could also be a factor within Scotland.
Updated
A year after he left hospital, Ray Connolly is still getting over the Covid that almost killed him. But, he writes, “I’m not going to waste another minute of my life”.
Here are some extracts:
I was in a wheelchair when they brought me home at the end of September 2020. I had been in intensive care for 102 days. For the first two months my wife, Plum, had not been allowed to visit, instead receiving daily reports on my condition – recurrent delirium, two heart attacks, stents, kidney dialysis, pneumonia, memory loss and tracheotomy – all brought on by Covid.
Three times she was told I wouldn’t be resuscitated if I suffered any further deterioration and she had come to dread the ringing of the phone. But only when I got home did I fully realise how much she and the families of other Covid patients had suffered.
Until I was ill, all I liked to do was to work; writing was my hobby as much as my job. There was always another project.
Now I realise that I’ve travelled in the US and France far more than in the UK. There’s so much here to do, so much architecture and country to be admired, so much gardening to enjoy, so many books to read and so many family and friends to see.
I’ve been given a second chance. I’m not going to waste it.
You can read his full story here:
Czech Republic to ban unvaccinated people from public events
The Czech Republic will ban people who have not been vaccinated against Covid from access to public events and services from Monday, the prime minister Andrej Babiš has announced, and negative tests will no longer be recognised as qualification to enter events and service establishments.
The restrictions, to be approved by the full cabinet on Thursday, come after a surge in new infections to a record 22,479 on Tuesday.
Many European countries, including Czech neighbours Germany, Austria and Slovakia, have recorded rises in infections and have started tightening curbs on unvaccinated people.
Slovakia reported a record number of cases on Wednesday, and Hungary and Poland had the highest numbers in more than six months.
“From that time [Monday] only vaccinations and having recovered from Covid will be recognised when it comes to services and public events,” Babiš said, adding:
People have to finally believe that Covid kills.
The Czech Republic, with a population of 10.7 million, has observed relatively light restrictions in the latest Covid wave, with the government pledging no school closures or lockdowns.
The government has resisted tightening rules while in transition to a new administration, but the worsening situation in hospitals has made it consider restrictions on unvaccinated people.
Hospitals reported 4,425 patients with coronavirus on Tuesday, fewer than half the record highs seen in March, and 661 people in intensive care, the Health Ministry said.
The country has recorded a total of 31,709 Covid deaths, with the daily count mostly over 60 in the past days.
Its vaccination rate has lagged those of other countries, with 57.6% of the population fully vaccinated versus an EU average of 64.9%, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
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The US is planning to invest billions of dollars in expanding Covid vaccine manufacturing capacity to have at least a billion doses by the second half of next year, the New York Times reports, citing top White House advisers.
The announcement, to be made on Wednesday, comes as the Biden administration faces pressure from activists to increase the vaccine supply to poorer countries.
The investment in vaccine production is part of a private-public partnership to address vaccine needs at home and around the world and also to prepare for future pandemics, Dr David Kessler, who oversees vaccine distribution, and Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, told the Times.
The plan is estimated to cost several billion dollars and will be paid for with funds from the American Rescue Plan Biden signed into law in March, Kessler told the paper.
“This is about assuring expanded capacity against Covid variants and also preparing for the next pandemic,” Kessler added.
“The goal, in the case of a future pandemic, a future virus, is to have vaccine capability within six to nine months of identification of that pandemic pathogen, and to have enough vaccines for all Americans,” he said.
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Sweden’s Public Health Agency said it would reverse a widely-criticised decision to stop recommending testing for people who are fully vaccinated but show symptoms of Covid-19, Reuters reports.
Covid testing in Sweden has fallen by some 35% after the health agency announced in October that people displaying symptoms no longer needed to get tested if they were fully vaccinated against the virus.
“The Public Health Agency has decided to recommend that the regions offer testing to everyone who is 6 years and older who gets symptoms that may be Covid-19,” it said in a statement.
The recommendation not to test people who were vaccinated but showed symptoms drew heavy criticism at a time when the pandemic is gaining traction again across Europe.
Prof Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, has written for the Guardian about how Seoul has probably the best Covid response in the world. At the start of the pandemic, South Korea pursued a zero-Covid policy. How this could affect the west’s response to the next pandemic?
Here is an extract:
South Korea has attracted a lot of attention for following a specific “east Asian” playbook of maximum suppression: I wrote about this in March 2020, pushing countries to follow the “Seoul model”, and again in May 2020, laying out the key components of the strategy.
This involved finding Covid cases through mass testing, tracing contacts, and supporting isolation to ensure chains of transmission were broken. This was supported by strict travel restrictions to prevent new cases being imported, and strong messaging to the public about wearing masks in public spaces, and the dangers of a new infectious disease.
The government worked to protect its people (not to enrich its own interests) and the response was pre-emptive, organised like clockwork, and efficiently delivered. South Korea had experienced Mers, another coronavirus, and understood the dangers of a hands-off approach.
As a short-term strategy, maximum suppression helped buy time for scientists to get to work, and therefore find a sustainable exit from the crisis. In 2020, it allowed numerous vaccines to be developed and approved, followed in 2021 by several promising therapeutics that keep people out of hospital and safer from descending into severe disease.
Once these new tools became available, the medium- to longer-term strategy evolved, too. The next step after zero Covid has been a focus on vaccinating the population to a high threshold, and acquiring antivirals that can be given in outpatient care to keep the burden off healthcare services. The pivot from maximum suppression to mass vaccination was a rational and logical shift to achieve a successful transition out of the pandemic.
The countries that followed this model – South Korea, Taiwan, and even their Pacific neighbours, Australia and New Zealand – are now managing to vaccinate their populations and protect both lives and livelihoods.
Each person that wasn’t infected in 2020, thanks to these maximum suppression strategies, could live on into the phase we are now in: where vaccines and therapeutics are allowing people who catch Covid to survive, when they might otherwise have died.
You can read the full piece here:
The mulled wine is brewing and the chestnuts are ready to roast, but with Covid-19 cases soaring the festive season is hanging in the balance for Germany’s famous Christmas markets.
As the government scrambles to respond to a dramatic rise in infections over the past two weeks, some of the traditional markets have already been cancelled while others are still waiting nervously for decisions.
The Striezelmarkt in Dresden, the oldest Christmas market in Germany, which draws about 3 million visitors annually, is due to open on 22 November.
Stallholders have already built their wooden huts and are busy hanging decorations and assembling wooden figures. But they might have to take it all down again at any moment.
“I can’t describe what we are going through at the moment,” Karin Hantsche, who has been selling traditional gingerbread at the market for 32 years, told AFP. “We are not sleeping at night, we are so nervous and tense.”
The state of Saxony has said the markets can go ahead, but local authorities in Dresden are due to meet on 25 November and could take a different view.
The central government and the leaders of Germany’s 16 states are also due to meet this week to discuss new national measures.
With the country’s seven-day incidence rate striking a new record high for the 10th day in a row on Wednesday, they are expected to agree new restrictions such as limiting large gatherings to those who have been vaccinated or recovered from the disease.
But these rules would be impossible to implement at the Striezelmarkt, which has no perimeter fence or entrance controls.
For Hantsche, whose company brings in 50% of its income over the Christmas period, the closure of the market would be a disaster. “Not everyone will survive this, and for me I can’t say yet,” she said.
“We are prepared to immediately lay everyone off again if the pandemic situation requires it. But we need some form of compensation for costs, and at the moment we do not have that.”
Christmas markets have been an annual fixture in Germany since the 15th century, when craftsmen and bakers were given special permission to ply their wares in town squares in the run-up to Christmas.
In pre-pandemic times, the markets drew about 160 million visitors annually and brought in revenues of €3-5bn, according to the BSM stallkeepers’ industry association.
Most German cities cancelled their Christmas markets last year as Covid-19 cases began spiralling, despite the financial losses.
Munich on Tuesday became the first major German city to cancel its 2021 Christmas market, with several smaller markets already cancelled across Germany.
Others are still planning to go ahead, but with restrictions: in Leipzig there will be no alcohol, while in Nuremberg, the market will be pared down and split across several locations.
Markus Harich, who has been selling traditional festive mulled wine and other drinks at the Striezelmarkt for 30 years, is busy putting the finishing touches to his wooden hut.
“We are in a very difficult situation at the moment,” he said. “We don’t know what will happen next. Will we open at all? Will the regulations be changed?”
He too has had “sleepless nights” worrying about the future of his business. “The goods are ordered, but nobody is giving us any information … At the moment we have really been left alone in a vacuum.”
Ulrich Poetschke, who sells traditional artwork from Germany’s Erzgebirge region, spends most of the year preparing for the festive season because “the most important business for us is the Christmas business”.
“We are hearing different news every day about whether the market is taking place, so it is a very, very difficult situation for the traders,” he said.
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Good morning from London. I’m Lucy Campbell, I’ll be bringing you all the latest global developments on the coronavirus pandemic for the next eight 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_
Today so far
- Seoul has reported a record number of daily coronavirus cases, as a recent surge centred on the capital of South Korea strains medical services a fortnight after the country eased social distancing rules as part of its “living with Covid” project.
- Hungary reported 10,265 new Covid-19 infections today, its highest daily tally since the end of March. The country has had limited restrictions in place and the country’s vaccine take-up is below the EU average at 60%.
- The Czech Republic reported 22,479 new coronavirus cases, the highest tally recorded in the country of 10.7 million since the pandemic started. The country is celebrating the 17 November anniversary of the Velvet Revolution.
- Germany’s disease control agency reported 52,826 new coronavirus cases today, as infection rates continue to climb. The seven-day average is at 41,052 cases, the highest it has been during the pandemic. Acting health minister Jens Spahn has called on doctors not to be too strict about waiting at least six months before giving patients vaccine booster shots.
- Covid infections in Austria have hit a new daily record, with daily infections rising to 14,416. It is the first time they have passed the 14,000 mark. On Monday, the country introduced lockdown regulations targeted specifically at the unvaccinated.
- A health department paper in Northern Ireland has warned that adherence to Covid guidelines by the public is declining and that there has been very low uptake of Covid certification on a voluntary basis by the hospitality sector. The paper goes on to say that without a significant decline in community transmission in the next three weeks “there is a risk that more severe restrictions will need to be considered from mid-December to avoid hospital capacity from being overwhelmed”.
- Latest polling suggests that the public in Switzerland will continue back the Covid laws that the government introduced in March in a referendum being held on 28 November. Broadcaster SRG suggests the law will be confirmed with 61% backing it, 38% opposed and 1% undecided.
- Willie Walsh, the director general of the International Air Transport Association, has told the Commons transport select committee that the UK’s testing requirements for international arrivals have “suppressed demand” and caused “great confusion”.
- Delivery and logistics firm FedEx has announced it is closing its operations base in Hong Kong over the city’s quarantine requirements.
- Strict new Covid-19 restrictions come into force for visitors to Beijing. All visitors to the capital must now show a negative Covid test result from the past 48 hours, while flights from higher risk areas within China will be cancelled or limited to one a day at reduced capacity
- In Greece, the ERT news network is carrying an announcement that prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to make a televised address about the pandemic tomorrow.
- The US has signed contracts worth roughly $1bn to secure the antibody-based Covid-19 treatment Sotrovimab from GSK and Vir Biotechnology. The pharmaceutical companies, while announcing the deal, said supply was expected by 17 December.
- Aucklanders will be allowed to leave the city this summer after months in lockdown, the New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has announced, but public health experts warn it could lead to a torrent of Covid-19 spreading into other parts of the country.
That’s it from me, Martin Belam, for today. I will be back with you tomorrow. Lucy Campbell will be here shortly.
Updated
New daily Covid cases in Austria pass 14,000 for first time; Salzburg running out of ICU beds
Coronavirus infections in Austria have hit a new daily record. Daily infections rose to 14,416 on Wednesday, official data showed. It is the first time they have passed the 14,000 mark. The peak of the biggest wave of infections before this was 9,586 about a year ago, when the country went into full lockdown.
On Monday, the country instituted a lockdown for those not fully vaccinated, aimed at halting the surge. Roughly 65% of Austria’s population is fully vaccinated against the virus.
Reuters report that the situation is worst in two of Austria’s nine provinces, Upper Austria and Salzburg, where hospitals are coming under increasing strain. Salzburg has said it is preparing for a triage situation when the number of people needing intensive care beds exceeds supply, though that stage has not yet been reached.
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PA Media is carrying quotes from Willie Walsh, the director general of the International Air Transport Association. He has told the Commons’ transport select committee that the UK’s testing requirements for international arrivals have “suppressed demand” and caused “great confusion”.
He said: “I think the restrictions were excessive for too long a period and continue to discourage people principally because of the cost of testing – even though it’s been reduced now where an antigen test is required rather than a PCR test. There’s no justification for the continued use of these tests based on the data.”
He added: “The recovery is definitely being hampered by the bureaucracy associated with UK travel, where a lot of other countries have simplified their procedures.
“Where we see restrictions relaxed or removed, there’s an immediate response in terms of passenger demand, and that’s been witnessed right across the world.”
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Germany registers 52,826 new Covid cases
Germany’s disease control agency reported 52,826 new coronavirus cases today, as infection rates continue to climb. The seven-day average is now at 41,052 cases, the highest it has been during the pandemic.
Reuters report that the Robert Koch Institute said 294 more people died in Germany of Covid-19 since the previous day, bringing the country’s pandemic official death toll to 98,274.
Acting health minister Jens Spahn has called on doctors not to be too strict about waiting at least six months before giving patients vaccine booster shots.
This chart from yesterday’s Robert Koch Institute bulletin gives an idea of the regions most affected in Germany, although authorities may take some encouragement from the fact that a few of the lines on the chart look as if they may be beginning to dip.
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In Greece, the ERT news network is carrying news that prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to make a televised address about the pandemic tomorrow.
It is anticipated that he will call on Greek citizens to keep getting vaccinated, and take booster jabs, and will also call for greater caution in the next few weeks in order to avoid having to put in extra measures before Christmas.
Earlier this week, many hospitality venues owners in Greece remained closed in protest against anti-Covid measures and seeking greater financial assistance from the government.
Updated
Andrew Sparrow has launched our UK politics live blog for today. He will have his hands full with the continued fallout from Tory sleaze accusations and prime minister’s questions. I’ll continue here with the latest UK Covid developments, as well as coronavirus developments from around the globe.
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Germany's acting health minister: Covid has increased economic dependence on China
An interesting little quote here from Germany’s acting health minister Jens Spahn this morning. He has said that the Covid-19 pandemic has increased Germany’s economic dependency on China in many areas.
“We have experienced and had to experience how dependent we have become on China,” Spahn said at an economic conference organised by the Süddeutsche Zeitung daily, pointing to rising imports of face masks and medical precursors from China.
“This alone would be worth discussing on an economic summit on its own, the question of how we can at least become a bit less dependent on China again in the 2020s,” Reuters note Spahn added.
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Hungary reports highest daily caseload since March with over 10,000 new infections
Hungary reported 10,265 new Covid-19 infections today, its highest daily tally since the end of March, the government said on its official coronavirus website.
Reuters note that the daily tally is getting close to the peak of 11,265 reached during the third wave of the pandemic in a country that has hardly any restrictions in place, and where the vaccination rate is below the European Union average.
This map gives an indication of caseload rates across Europe, where several countries are seeing their highest level of infection, or close to the highest level, since the pandemic began.
Updated
FedEx to close operations in Hong Kong over strict quarantine rules
Agence France-Presse is reporting that delivery and logistics firm FedEx have announced it is closing its operations base in Hong Kong over the city’s quarantine requirements.
“As the global business environment continues to evolve and with the pandemic requirements in Hong Kong, FedEx has made the decision to close its Hong Kong crew base and relocate its pilots,” FedEx said in a statement to Hong Kong’s public broadcaster RTHK.
A company memo written by system chief pilot Robin Sebasco said “The decision to close the Hong Kong base reflects this constant evolution and is designed to provide a measure of stability to these team members, as there is no clear timeline when life may return to normal in Hong Kong.”
FedEx says it will continue to serve Hong Kong with pilots based in Oakland, California.
Hong Kong requires the majority of visitors to quarantine for 14 or 21 days after arrival. Earlier this week, Cathay Pacific told its air crew that when returning to Hong Kong they should avoid unnecessary social contact for 21 days after arrival, and isolate at home for the first three days. The rules do not apply to everyone.
Updated
A quick snap from Reuters here, that the US has signed contracts worth roughly $1bn to secure the antibody-based Covid-19 treatment Sotrovimab from GSK and Vir Biotechnology. The pharmaceutical companies, while announcing the deal, said supply was expected by 17 December.
Britain’s GSK said the deal brought the total number of doses secured of the treatment, branded Xevudy, to more than 750,000 globally, adding that the US would have an option to buy additional doses through March 2022.
Updated
Seoul reports record daily case count amid recent surge in South Korea
Seoul has reported a record number of daily coronavirus cases, as a recent surge centred on the South Korean capital strains medical services a fortnight after the country eased social distancing rules as part of its “living with Covid” project.
Seoul recorded 1,436 new infections on Wednesday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. At 3,187, the nationwide caseload came close to the record of 3,270 set in late September.
While South Korea has experienced relatively few cases and deaths since the start of the pandemic, 21 deaths were reported on Wednesday, the 16th day in a row of double-digit fatalities that included a record 32 on Saturday, the agency said. The number of critically ill Covid-19 patients is at an all-time high of 522, it added.
With 76.1% of greater Seoul’s ICU beds for Covid patients occupied, the government is facing criticism that it eased restrictions too soon – including allowing larger social gatherings and longer indoor dining hours – in an attempt to revive the pandemic-hit economy.
“Medical workers have been stretched thin as serious cases have risen at a fast pace. It is safe to say that beds for critical cases are fully occupied,” Jeong Hye-min, a professor at Seoul National University hospital, was quoted as saying by the Yonhap news agency.
Evidence that serious cases and deaths are rising among older people who were vaccinated early this year has prompted officials to speed up booster shots for people who received their second dose more than six months ago.
The gap between the second and third jabs will be reduced from six months to four months for people in their 60s or older, as well as for care home residents and those receiving long-term hospital care. People in their 50s will be eligible for booster shots after five months.
South Korea has reported 402,775 cases and 3,158 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
A dramatic fall in infections meanwhile is continuing in neighbouring Japan, a trend many experts attribute to its high rate of vaccination – with more than three-quarters of the 125 million population fully jabbed – and widespread mask-wearing. Japan reported 154 cases on Tuesday, compared with more than 25,000 in mid-August. There were 15 in Tokyo – half the capital’s daily total a week ago.
Updated
Switzerland is having a referendum later this month on whether the public backs the government’s anti-Covid measures. They had been approved earlier in the year, but those opposing the measures have forced a second vote, which will take place on 28 November.
Reuters reports a poll this morning from broadcaster SRG that suggests the law will be confirmed with 61% backing it, with 38% opposed and 1% undecided.
The law was originally passed in March and expanded financial aid to people hit by Covid and laid the foundation for certificates the government requires for people to enter bars and restaurants and attend certain events.
Updated
Here’s a recap of the situation in Northern Ireland, where PA Media has been reporting overnight that they have seen a paper from the Department of Health which has informed Executive ministers that positive cases have risen by 23% in a week.
The paper says hospital admissions have risen by 19% in the last week, while occupancy is up 10%. The conversion rate of cases to hospital admissions has risen above 2% for the first time since early September, and is now estimated at around 2.8%.
The paper says an increase in admissions is inevitable in the coming week and will continue to rise beyond that if cases numbers are not reduced. Officials warn that community transmission is at a “high level and increasing rapidly”.
The Health Department experts state that without further intervention “as soon as possible”, modelling suggests hospital capacity may be exceeded in mid-December, if the current trajectory follows a central pathway.
The paper states: “Evidence suggests that adherence to guidelines by the public is declining and that there has been very low uptake of Covid certification on a voluntary basis by the hospitality sector.”
It states the need for immediate measures to increase adherence to current mitigations – such as face mask use and work-from-home guidance.
It says those mitigations will be unlikely to bring the reproduction rate below one unless they are accompanied by “widespread use of Covid certification across higher risk settings”.
Robin Swann, Northern Ireland’s health minister, has previously proposed that mandatory Covid-19 passports become enforceable from 13 December. PA says it understands that Swann is proposing that passports are used to gain entry to nightclubs, hospitality premises that serve food and or drink, cinemas, theatres and conferences halls. The passport issue has sharply divided the five-party coalition in Belfast.
PA reports that the paper warns that without a significant decline in community transmission in the next three weeks “there is a risk that more severe restrictions will need to be considered from mid-December to avoid hospital capacity from being overwhelmed”.
Updated
Czech Republic records highest ever daily Covid caseload of 22,479
17 November is usually a day of great celebration in the Czech Republic, as people remember the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution that ended the communist government in Czechoslovakia.
However, the day has started with some worrying news. Reuters report that the Czech Republic reported 22,479 new coronavirus cases for Tuesday, the highest tally recorded in the country of 10.7 million since the pandemic started.
The seven-day rolling average of case numbers is at 11,313, as opposed to the level of a week ago, when it stood at 7,878.
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Hello, it is Martin Belam here in London, taking over from Samantha Lock in Sydney. Here’s a reminder of the Covid situation in the UK. According to the government’s own data dashboard, case numbers are up over 14% on the previous week, but deaths were down 10% and hospitalisations were down 4% on the previous week.
The UK media round is being handled for the government by international trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan. I’ll bring you any Covid lines that emerge from that, as well as the latest coronavirus developments from around the world.
Updated
Easing of New Zealand Covid rules could lead to summer crisis, experts warn
Aucklanders will be allowed to leave the city this summer after months in lockdown, the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has announced, but public health experts warn it could lead to a torrent of Covid-19 spreading into other parts of the country.
Our reporter in New Zealand, Eva Corlett, has the full story here.
Beijing tightens Covid entry rules ahead of Olympics
Strict new Covid-19 restrictions come into force for visitors to Beijing on Wednesday.
All visitors to the capital must now show a negative Covid test result from the past 48 hours, while flights from higher risk areas within China will be cancelled or limited to one a day at reduced capacity, the AFP reports.
The restrictions also reportedly include Covid tests every three days for the more than 30,000 people working with cold-chain imports in the city.
“Beijing is the capital and has strong regional and international connections … The virus must not be introduced into Beijing and it must not spread in Beijing,” city spokesman Xu Hejian said at a press conference on Tuesday.
With less than 100 days to go to the games in February, China is bracing for a challenge to its zero-Covid strategy when thousands of international athletes descend on Beijing after months of strict border controls.
No spectators from outside China will be allowed to attend the Olympics, which will be held from 4 February in a “closed-loop” bubble.
And the estimated 2,900 athletes must be fully vaccinated or face 21 days’ quarantine upon arrival. They will also be tested daily.
Updated
Welcome back to our live Covid news blog this Wednesday.
I’m Samantha Lock and I’ll be with you for the next short while to give you a rundown of all the latest headlines.
First up, in a move that may go towards closing the vaccination gap between the world’s wealthiest and poorest nations, US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has announced a deal to make its antiviral Covid-19 pill available more cheaply in the world’s least-wealthy countries.
The company will allow generic manufacturers to supply its Paxlovid pill to 95 low-and middle-income nations covering about 53% of the world’s population, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.
Strict new Covid restrictions will also come into force in Beijing from Wednesday for visitors to the Chinese capital, requiring negative tests and dramatically cutting domestic flights, the AFP reports.
With less than 100 days to go to the Winter Olympics in February, China is bracing for a challenge to its zero-Covid strategy when thousands of international athletes descend on Beijing after months of strict border controls.
- Auckland, New Zealand, is set to lift Covid travel restrictions in December.
- Anthony Fauci, the top infectious diseases public official in the US, said on Tuesday that if America further ramps up vaccination rates and those already immunised take booster shots that it is feasible Covid-19 could be reduced from a pandemic emergency to endemic status next year.
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Pfizer has announced it is asking US regulators to authorise its experimental antiviral Covid-19 pill, Paxlovid, which has been shown in clinical trials to cut the risk of hospitalisation and death for adults by almost 90%.
- The Philippines has approved the emergency use of the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine, Reuters reports.
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India’s daily Covid-19 deaths rose by 301, bring the total death toll to 464,153 the health ministry said.
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Germany reports another 52,826 confirmed coronavirus cases and 294 death, the Robert Koch Institute reports.
- Slovakia is planning new restrictions on unvaccinated people in an effort to tame the latest surge of coronavirus infections that has caused a “critical” situation in the country’s hospitals, the prime minister said Tuesday.
- People in Ireland are being asked to work from home where possible from Friday and bars, restaurants and nightclubs will introduce a midnight closing time on Friday as a raft of new restrictions is agreed by the government in the face of rising hospitalisations.
- Thousands of restaurant owners in Greece shut their businesses in a nationwide protest against recent measures that fine establishments for serving customers without proper documentation of their vaccination or test status.
- The UK has recorded another 37,243 Covid cases in the last 24 hours, and a further 214 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. That is compared with 39,705 infections and 47 deaths reported the day before.
- Scotland’s Covid passport scheme could be extended to cinemas, theatres and bars next week if that helped avoid a harsher lockdown closer to Christmas, Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.
- Portugal may bring back some measures to stop the spread of Covid in the run-up to the holiday season as infections soar across Europe, prime minister Antonio Costa said.
- In Germany, plans are under way for the introduction of tighter restrictions on people who have so far chosen not to be vaccinated. Munich became the first major German city to cancel its upcoming Christmas market, blaming the “dramatic” coronavirus resurgence. Berlin introduced restrictions for those who are unvaccinated on Monday.
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