We’ll be closing today’s Covid blog but you can follow along with all the latest news here.
And you can tune in a little later for when we launch a new live feed in a few hours time.
Summary
- Delays to England’s vaccination rollout may mean some 12- to 15-year-olds may not get their Covid jab until February next year – 15 weeks after the government’s original target for offering the jab to all eligible teenagers, according to Labour.
- Total Covid-19 deaths across Europe are likely to exceed 2 million by March next year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said, adding that the pandemic had become the number one cause of death in the region.
- A third dose is likely needed to be fully vaccinated, Dr Anthony Fauci said, adding that the majority of Americans who have been vaccinated should receive the booster shot.
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Seven US doctors contracted Covid after attending an anti-vaccine summit in Florida.
- Justin Trudeau has said that his top priority for his new government is to get Covid-19 in Canada under control and get more people vaccinated as he pledged support to Canadian industries, which he said were still struggling due to the pandemic.
- According to an analysis of the Covid case rates across the UK, 75% of local authorities experienced a week-on-week rise in the seven days to 19 November.
- The UK reported a further 42,484 Covid-19 cases and 165 additional deaths, official data shows. The weekly tally was up by 9% to reach 297,658 who have tested positive.
- France announced that there were more than 30,000 Covid infections in the past 24 hours. On Monday, France reported 5,266 new cases.
- The Netherlands hit a new weekly record on Tuesday – with Covid cases rising by 39% – and intensive care unit admissions rising sharply. The figures show a 19% rise in hospital admissions over the last week and a 26% rise in intensive care unit admissions.
- Those in the UK were today urged to take a rapid Covid test before mixing in crowded indoor spaces, marking a change in government and NHS guidance. Previously, the guidance advised the public to use lateral flow tests twice a week.
- Spanish government researchers have signed a licensing agreement for their coronavirus antibody test to allow other manufacturers to make it. It is hoped that the move, which marks the first time a manufacturer has allowed its Covid test to be included in a World Health Organization technology pool, will boost testing in poor countries.
- German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s husband blamed the nation’s poor vaccination rate in part on “a certain German laziness and complacency”.
- The Netherlands has started transporting coronavirus patients to Germany in a bid to ease pressure on hospitals struggling to cope with a surge in cases.
Covid jab wait for 12- to 15-year-olds in England could be up to five months
Delays to the vaccination rollout mean some 12- to 15-year-olds may not get their Covid jab until February next year – 15 weeks after the government’s original target for offering the jab to all eligible teenagers, according to Labour.
Officials originally set October half-term as the target to invite those in the age group to receive the vaccine in schools after criticism that England was slow to approve it for children compared to other countries.
New analysis by Labour suggests however that if the vaccination of the 2.8m eligible 12- to 15-year-olds continues at the current rate, it could take until 7 February for some teenagers to be jabbed – a five-month wait for some.
Vaccination began in schools in September, but with high infection numbers and low vaccination rates, a growing number of walk-in vaccine sites have since been made available to speed up the process.
Read the full story here.
Hi I’m Samantha Lock and I’ll be taking over from Streisand Neto for the next short while.
First up, some numbers out of Australia for you.
The nation’s two most populous states of NSW and Victoria have released their daily Covid numbers.
Victoria has recorded 1,196 new cases and three deaths, while NSW reported 248 cases and two deaths.
That is it from me this evening. I will pass on to my colleague Samantha Lock. Thank you.
A third dose likely needed to be fully vaccinated, says Dr Antony Fauci
Dr Antony Fauci said an additional boost could become the standard in determining which American is fully vaccinated. A majority of Americans who have been vaccinated should receive the booster shot, he said.
Reuters reported Fauci and other disease experts are expecting Covid-19 will transition this spring from a pandemic in the United States to an endemic disease. An endemic disease means smaller, less significant, outbreaks of covid in the coming years.
Updated
Seven doctors contract Covid after attending Florida anti-vaccine summit
After attending anti-vaccine summit, seven anti-vaccine doctors contracted covid-19.
Littell told the Daily Beast that six other doctors among 800 to 900 participants at the event tested positive or developed Covid-19 symptoms “within days of the conference”.
Littell, an Ocala family physician, raised the suggestion that the conference was therefore a supers-spreader event but rejected it, vehemently saying: “No.”
Professor Tim Spector has told Sky News that covid cases should stay “fairly flat”. But expects cases will get “worse again” post-Christmas.
The head of the ZOE covid study app added that any significant rise would be driven by children infecting unvaccinated people.
“I think it’s going to be story of areas of the country that have these pockets of unvaccinated people that are going to suffer the most,” said Professor Spector.
Interesting data by the EU Commission.
Data shows us that the higher the vaccination rate, the lower the death rate. #COVID19 #VaccinesWork pic.twitter.com/mORrrQOPsj
— European Commission 🇪🇺 (@EU_Commission) November 23, 2021
Despite nearly 200 million Americans fully vaccinated, this upcoming Thanksgiving will still be celebrated with caution. The Associated Press reported regions in America are experiencing surges of Covid-19.
It brings attention to hospitals in Michigan which has reported about 3,800 covid patients in the beginning of the week.
According to the latest covid data tracker by CDC, Michigan is ranked the highest with 616 in a 7-day case rate per 100,000.
Updated
Good evening, it is Streisand here. I will bring you the latest covid headlines for the next couple of hours.
The Washington Post reported the Biden administration wants “as soon as possible” the federal appeals court to bring back its covid vaccination or testing requirement for private businesses.
The Justice Department said that the federal government should be allowed to address “the grave danger of Covid-19 in the workplace.”
Updated
Here's a summary of the latest developments ...
- Justin Trudeau has said that his top priority for his new government is to get Covid-19 in Canada under control and get more people vaccinated. In a speech outlining his legislative agenda for a new session of parliament after September’s election, the Canadian prime minster pledged support to Canadian industries, which he said were still struggling due to the pandemic.
- According to an analysis of the Covid case rates across the UK, 75% of local authorities experienced a week-on-week rise in the seven days to 19 November. The figures, calculated by PA Media, found that Torridge in Devon had the highest rate in the UK, followed by Mid Ulster in Northern Ireland and Gwynedd in Wales.
- Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has warned that European airlines face a slump in Christmas and early summer travel, claiming lockdown fears are putting people off booking holidays.
- There were a further 42,484 Covid-19 cases confirmed by labs in the UK and 165 additional deaths, official data shows. The weekly tally was up by 9% to reach 297,658 who have tested positive.
- France has announced that there were more than 30,000 Covid infections in the past 24 hours. On Monday, France reported 5,266 new cases.
- Coronavirus cases in the Netherlands hit a new weekly record on Tuesday – rising by 39% – and intensive care unit admissions rose sharply. The figures show a 19% rise in hospital admissions over the last week and a 26% rise in intensive care unit admissions.
- Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has urged people to get a Covid test before all social occasions as she called for an “extra effort” in the leadup to Christmas.
- People in the UK were today urged to take a rapid Covid test before mixing in crowded indoor spaces, marking a change in government and NHS guidance. Previously, the guidance advised the public to use lateral flow tests twice a week.
- Spanish government researchers have signed a licensing agreement for their coronavirus antibody test that means other manufacturers will be able to make it. It is hoped that the move, which marks the first time a manufacturer has allowed its Covid test to be included in a World Health Organization technology pool, will boost testing in poor countries.
- German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s husband has told of his astonishment that around a third of Germans are not vaccinated, blaming it in part on “a certain German laziness and complacency”. Joachim Sauer, who until his retirement four years ago was a professor of quantum chemistry, told Italian newspaper La Repubblica, as reported by its German partner Die Welt: “It’s astonishing that a third of the population is not following scientific evidence.”
- The Netherlands has started transporting coronavirus patients to Germany in a bid to ease pressure on hospitals struggling to cope with a surge in cases. Health authorities said that one patient was transferred by ambulance from Rotterdam to Bochum, a city 150 miles away in western Germany, this morning and that another would be transported to the same hospital later today.
- Europe’s coronavirus death toll is likely to exceed 2 million by March, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. The global health agency said that Europe remains “in the firm grip” of the pandemic. Daily deaths have risen to nearly 4,200 a day – double the figure for the end of September.
- Stormont ministers have agreed a series of new Covid measures for Northern Ireland. Ministers met this morning to continue discussions on proposals recommended by health minister Robin Swann.
That’s it from me for today. Handing over to my colleague Streisand Neto. Thanks for reading.
Updated
More detail from Reuters on Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau’s speech opening the new parliamentary session:
The best thing we can do for the economy remains ending the pandemic for good.
Trudeau says getting Covid-19 under control is top priority for Canada under new government
Justin Trudeau has said that his top priority for his new government is to get Covid-19 in Canada under control and get more people vaccinated.
In a speech outlining his legislative agenda for a new session of parliament after September’s election, the Canadian prime minster pledged support to Canadian industries, which he said are still struggling due to the pandemic.
Updated
Covid cases have increased in 75% of UK local authorities
According to an analysis of the Covid case rates across the UK, 75% of local authorities underwent a week-on-week rise in the seven days to 19 November.
The figures, calculated by PA Media, found that Torridge in Devon had the highest rate in the UK, with 697 new cases during the period (equivalent to 1,014 per 100,000 people), followed by Mid Ulster in Northern Ireland, with 1,277 new cases (857 per 100,000), and Gwynedd in Wales, which had 1,059 cases (846 per 100,000).
Moray had Scotland’s highest rate with 542 cases per 100,000 people.
The five areas in the UK with the biggest week-on-week rises were: East Hampshire, Richmondshire, Elmbridge, the Shetland Islands and Mid Ulster.
Ryanair boss warns of slump in Christmas and early summer travel amid lockdown fears
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has warned that European airlines face a slump in Christmas and early summer travel, claiming lockdown fears are putting people off booking holidays.
He said:
I think we’re in for a fraught period between now and Christmas where it looks like Europe is going to get very nervous again at the worst time of the year when people are making their Christmas travel plans.
I think it’s inevitable we will undermine confidence between now and Christmas, and that will disrupt Christmas and New Year when they would normally start booking their summer holidays.
Mark Sweney reports:
Scientists have reacted with scepticism to claims by AstraZeneca’s CEO that low uptake of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab among elderly Europeans could explain the current surge in Covid-19 infections in mainland Europe.
Guardian science correspondent Linda Geddes reports:
Philip Oltermann reports from Berlin:
A German football coach who resigned over allegations that he forged his vaccine certificate has drawn condemnation and derision after it emerged that he attended a carnival party this month that was exclusive to people who had received the jab or recovered from the virus.
Markus Anfang announced his resignation as the head coach of German second division club Werder Bremen on Saturday morning after the state prosecutor in the northern city revealed there were doubts about the authenticity of the document supposedly proving the 47-year-old had received two doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine.
Updated
The Catalonia region of Spain is to demand proof of Covid vaccination or a negative test for entry to bars, restaurants and stadiums amid rising infection rates.
Although 79% of Spain’s population is vaccinated and infection levels remain far below those in Austria and the Netherlands, authorities in Catalonia want to reduce risk of infection and “avoid overloading the health system”.
Catalonia, which already requires a Covid pass for nightclub entry, has a 14-day infection rate of 183 cases per 100,000 people, above the Spanish average of 132. Above 150 is viewed as “high risk”.
UK reports 42,484 new Covid cases and 165 additional deaths, as weekly cases rise by 9%
There were a further 42,484 Covid-19 cases confirmed by labs in the UK, official data shows.
The weekly tally was up by 9% to reach 297,658 who have tested positive.
Government figures showed a further 165 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Tuesday, bringing the UK total to 144,137.
Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics show there have been 169,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
Updated
Protesters in French overseas territories in the Caribbean opposing measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 have clashed again with security forces.
AFP reports:
Hardline opponents of measures that include compulsory vaccination for healthworkers on the island of Guadeloupe manned barricades of burning tyres while on Martinique police were targeted by gunfire.
Anger over the Covid measures imposed by Paris has fanned longstanding grievances in the territories that are popular with moneyed tourists but where poverty levels are far higher than in mainland France.
As a result residents have long felt marginalised by the central government.
Updated
France reports Covid infection surge
France has announced that there were more than 30,000 Covid infections in the past 24 hours, Reuters reports.
On Monday, France reported 5,266 new cases.
Updated
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday there could be a further 700,000 deaths from Covid-19 in Europe by March, taking the total to above 2.2 million, as the world body urged people to get vaccinated.
Reuters reported that the total cumulative deaths from the respiratory disease in the 53 countries of the WHO’s European region have already surpassed 1.5 million, it said, with the daily rate doubling from late September to 4,200 a day.
Following a meeting of the Northern Ireland executive (see also 13:02), first minister Paul Givan said they were “very much united” in asking the public to help try to minimise the spread of coronavirus and that they had considered a number of papers from health minister Robin Swann.
He said:
We are all very much united in asking the public to play its part along with us as politicians, that we can take every effort to try and minimise the transmission rate of the coronavirus.
So we appeal again to redouble our efforts when it comes to trying to minimise some of those contacts, whenever it comes to having good ventilation, where you are meeting indoors try to meet outdoors more often.
And we are emphasising that need to work from home where you can and for employers to support that.
We recognise that in some circumstances that isn’t possible and practically people do need to be in their workplace.
He added:
There is hope that we can come through this period over the next number of weeks by making that collective effort and taking personal responsibility seriously.
The deputy first minister, Michelle O’Neill, said “now is the time for action to avoid further restrictions at a later date”.
She said:
These are uncertain times, but now is the time for action and if we want to achieve the best possible outcome right now, then now is the time to act. This is our best chance of avoiding further restrictions down the line. That is why we are asking people to comply. We are reinforcing measures around the work from home messaging if you can.
Swann said the agreed measures were about “keeping our society open and safe, but also delivering that message of hope in regards of where we can be.”
He added:
We are seeing what is happening in other countries across Europe, and we think, in regards to these early interactions now, that we can prevent those escalations in cases, also in hospitalisations and the additional pressures coming on our health service as well.
The time is now to take these actions so that in future we don’t have to take any further action and that is what the executive has agreed collectively.
Updated
Covid infections in the Netherlands break new weekly record
Coronavirus cases in the Netherlands hit a new weekly record on Tuesday – rising by 39% – and intensive care unit admissions rose sharply.
The figures show a 19% rise in hospital admissions over the last week and a 26% rise in intensive care unit admissions.
The Dutch health institute said 265 people had died of Covid in the last week, bringing the Netherlands’ overall death toll to more than 19,000.
It comes after the government introduced new parliament legislation that would allow them to restrict access for unvaccinated people to bars, restaurants and museums if cases keep rising.
Updated
Here’s more from PA Media on the updates to Scotland’s vaccine passport scheme (see also 14:50):
Scotland’s vaccine passport scheme will not be extended to cover more venues, Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.
The first minister said her cabinet considered widening the scheme to cover theatres, cinemas and and hospitality venues but decided this would not be “proportionate”, given its impact on businesses.
Vaccine passports came into effect in Scotland in October and require nightclubs and large venues to only allow entry to people who can show they have been double jabbed.
Sturgeon told MSPs this will remain the case for at least the next three weeks but that, from Monday, a negative lateral flow test will also allow entry.
She said: “This was a very finely balanced decision. However, I can confirm that at this stage we have decided not to extend the scope of the scheme.
“We have taken account of the fact that – although our situation is precarious – cases are currently stable and indeed slightly declining, and we have considered the inevitable impact vaccine certification has on the operation of businesses and concluded that, at this stage, extension would not be proportionate.
“We were also mindful of the need over the coming weeks of getting across the message that it is important to be vaccinated and tested ahead of socialising in any setting – including in homes and shopping centres, for example – not just in those that might be covered by a certification scheme.”
Updated
Sturgeon calls on Scottish public to take a Covid test before any social occasion as cases rise across Europe
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has urged people to get a Covid test before all social occasions as she called for an “extra effort” in the leadup to Christmas.
In a statement to MSPs about Covid, Sturgeon urged the public to get a lateral flow test before any social occasion and before going shopping in order to minimise the risk of transmission and to avoid a “new year hangover” of more cases, pressure on the NHS and further restrictions.
She also called on people to continue wearing face masks in shops and hospitality settings, open windows while socialising to ensure good ventilation and to work from home when possible.
She said Scotland’s Covid certification scheme would remain in place for at least a further three weeks and that from 6 December it will also allow people to show a negative test (currently only proof of vaccination can be shown).
By sticking to Covid restrictions, Sturgeon said she hopes it will allow people to have a “much more normal Christmas”.
France’s prime minister, Jean Castex, has been criticised as an example of how not to behave in a pandemic after testing positive for Covid-19.
Videos of the prime minster vigorously shaking hands with officials in an enclosed space in Paris on 16 November have been circulating online, with many pointing out that his actions went against French official guidance.
They also criticised him for calling the French Caribbean territory of Guadeloupe’s enforcement of Covid measures “irresponsible” while not following rules himself, reports the Associated Press.
Gabriel Attal, a government spokesman, defended the videos, saying: “We are all only human.”
Castex’s office said the 52-year-old contracted Covid from his 11-year-old daughter and is self-isolating for 10 days. AP reports that it is unclear whether Castex, who was vaccinated in the spring, has symptoms and that his office was not immediately available for comment.
Updated
UK public urged to take rapid Covid test before mixing in crowded indoor spaces in change to government guidelines
People in the UK were today urged to take a rapid Covid test before mixing in crowded indoor spaces, marking a change in government and NHS guidance.
Previously, the guidance advised the public to use lateral flow tests twice a week.
The new advice, released just over a month before Christmas, also advises people to take a rapid test before visiting a person who is at higher risk of getting seriously ill from Covid.
People who develop coronavirus symptoms continue to be encouraged to self-isolate and to get a PCR test.
According to the government website, around one in three people who have Covid do not have symptoms.
The advice says:
You are at higher risk of catching or passing on Covid-19 in crowded and enclosed spaces, where there are more people who might be infectious and where there is limited fresh air.
You may wish to take a rapid lateral flow test if it is expected that there will be a period of high risk that day.
This includes spending time in crowded and enclosed spaces, or before visiting people who are at higher risk of severe illness if they get Covid-19.
The guidance also urges people to let fresh air in for indoor meetings and to wear face masks in “crowded and enclosed areas where you come into contact with people you do not usually meet”.
Spain becomes first to sign WHO licensing agreement for Covid test
Spanish government researchers have signed a licensing agreement for their coronavirus antibody test that means other manufacturers will be able to make it.
It is hoped that the move, which marks the first time a manufacturer has allowed its Covid test to be included in a World Health Organization technology pool, will boost testing in poor countries.
The UN agency started the pool last year in a bid to encourage test, treatment and vaccine manufacturers to share their licences. But until this week, no manufacturers had signed up.
WHO director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said:
“I urge developers of Covid-19 vaccines, treatments and diagnostics to follow this example and turn the tide on the pandemic and on the devastating global inequity this pandemic has spotlighted.”
Less than 1% of the world’s coronavirus vaccines have gone to poor countries.
Updated
More from the Northern Ireland executive (see also 12:12), which said it is vital that people make safer choices - especially in the run up to Christmas.
It urged people to limit social contacts, meet outdoors where possible, ensure indoor meeting places are well ventilated and wear face masks in crowded places indoors.
The statement said:
We understand how difficult this situation is for everyone and we will be stepping up our public information campaign to encourage everyone to keep following the advice.
None of us wanted to be in this position, but this pandemic is unpredictable and it continues to pose a threat.
We have an opportunity to make a difference by working together to keep our society open and protect the health service.
Let’s do everything we can to ensure we halt the spread of Covid as we approach Christmas.
Merkel's husband blames vaccine hesitancy on 'a certain German laziness and complacency'
German chancellor Angela Merkel’s husband has told of his astonishment that around a third of Germans are not vaccinated, blaming it in part on “a certain German laziness and complacency”.
Joachim Sauer, who until his retirement four years ago was a professor of quantum chemistry, told Italian newspaper La Repubblica, as reported by its German partner Die Welt: “It’s astonishing that a third of the population is not following scientific evidence.”
He added: “Partly that’s down to a certain German laziness and complacency. The other group is people ... who are reacting ideologically to what they think of as a vaccine dictatorship.”
Around 68% of Germans have been vaccinated, putting the country behind countries including the UK, France, Portugal and Singapore.
Total deaths across Europe from Covid-19 are likely to exceed two million by March next year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said, adding that the pandemic had become the number one cause of death in the region.
Reported deaths have surged to nearly 4,200 a day, doubling the number being recorded in September, the agency said, while cumulative reported deaths in the region - which includes the UK – have already surpassed 1.5 million.
Describing the situation as “very serious”, the WHO said it expected “high or extreme stress” on hospital beds in 25 of the region’s 53 countries, with intensive care units (ICUs) in 49 countries set to come under similar strain.
On current trends, the region’s cumulative death toll would surpass 2.2 million by 1 March, it said.
With Europe again the centre of the pandemic, triggering tighter controls mainly on the unvaccinated and sparking heated debate in several countries about making vaccination obligatory, Austria this week became the first west European country to re-enter lockdown since inoculation began earlier this year.
The surge was being driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant which is now dominant across the region, the WHO said, fuelled by widespread relaxation of preventive measures, such as mask wearing and physical distancing, since summer.
With more and more people gathering indoors in the colder autumn weather, a large number still not vaccinated, and vaccine efficacy against severe forms of the disease waning, “many people are left vulnerable to the virus”.
Dr Hans Kluge, the WHO’s regional director for Europe, said it was essential that countries adopt a “vaccine plus” approach. “This means getting the standard doses of vaccine and taking a booster if offered,” he said, “but also incorporating preventive measures into our normal routines.”
In combination with the vaccines, Kluge said, wearing a mask, washing your hands, ventilating indoor spaces, keeping physical distance, and sneezing into your elbow were “simple, effective ways of gaining control over the virus”.
He added: “All of us have the opportunity and responsibility to help avert unnecessary tragedy and loss of life and limit further disruption to society and businesses over this winter season,” by avoiding “the last resort of lockdowns and school closures”.
The WHO said more than one billion vaccine doses had been administered in the WHO European Region and 53.5% of people had completed their inoculation programme, but added that the figure “hides wide differences between countries”, with some populations less than 10% vaccinated and others more than 80%.
The vaccines were “are a vital tool to prevent severe disease and death” and had saved hundreds of thousands of lives, it said, calling for governments to do more to increase coverage, including by working with behavioural and cultural scientists to understand individual and community reluctance.
But with the evidence growing that vaccines’ protection against infection and mild disease was declining, it urged that booster doses “should be given to protect the most vulnerable, including the immunocompromised, as a priority”, as well as to the over 60s and heath care workers as a precaution.
Data showed only 48% of people across the region wear a mask when they leave home, it said, estimating that 95% mask usage could prevent more than 160,000 deaths could that could otherwise occur before 1 March.
“Today, the Covid-19 situation across Europe and central Asia is very serious,” Kluge said. “We face a challenging winter ahead, but … all of us – governments, health authorities, individuals – can take decisive action to stabilise the pandemic.”
Dutch Covid patients transferred to Germany as hospitals struggle to cope
The Netherlands has started transporting coronavirus patients to Germany in a bid to ease pressure on hospitals struggling to cope with a surge in cases.
Health authorities said that one patient was transferred by ambulance from Rotterdam to Bochum, a city 150 miles away in western Germany, this morning and that another would be transported to the same hospital later today, reports Reuters.
Covid patients in Dutch hospitals are at their highest level since May and are predicted to rise further as infections hit record levels.
German hospitals have offered 20 beds to the Netherlands.
The Dutch government has announced plans to bring in further restrictions, leading to three nights of rioting (see also 09:36).
On Monday, 470 of 1,050 intensive care beds in the country were being used for Covid patients and hospitals are reducing normal care, including cancer treatments and heart operations.
The Northern Ireland executive has released a statement in which it says that it is clear from public health experts that “an intervention is now required” on Covid:
Covid-19 has once again taken a firm grip across our society. Community transmission of the virus is increasing. Hospital admissions are rising and modelling indicates that admissions will increase further in the coming weeks.
The clear advice from public health experts is that an intervention is now required.
Our people - individuals, families, communities and businesses - have been through so much during this pandemic. Our collective aim is to reduce pressure on our hospitals while allowing our society and the economy to remain open as fully and safely as possible.
That means we all need to take action to prevent a worsening of the situation that would potentially require more severe measures.
Here’s more from PA Media on Northern Ireland’s new Covid measures, including working from home recommendations:
People will be urged to work from home where possible as part of reinforced Covid measures agreed by the Northern Ireland executive.
Current Stormont advice for businesses to prepare for a return to office working is to be changed to encourage employers to support those staff who can work from home to do so.
Ministers met on Tuesday morning to sign off on a range of recommendations made by health minister Robin Swann.
They had adjourned discussions on the proposals on Monday evening and Mr Swann made some revisions to the plan overnight.
It is understood an initial proposal that would have seen ministers urge people who worked from home at the outset of the pandemic in March 2020 to do so again has been dropped.
The PA news agency understands that some ministers had expressed concern that advice could cause confusion as many sectors that were closed in March 2020 are now open and many workers do not have the option of remaining at home.
Much of the plan agreed by ministers focuses on reinforcing messaging around public health measures, such as face masking wearing, hand hygiene and limiting social contacts.
The agency also reports that first minister Paul Givan, deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill and health minister Robin Swann will give a rare joint press conference at Stormont this afternoon.
Europe Covid death toll likely to exceed two million by March, warns WHO
Europe’s coronavirus death toll is likely to exceed two million by March, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
The global health agency said that Europe remains “in the firm grip” of the pandemic. Daily deaths have risen to nearly 4,200 a day – double the figure for the end of September.
Reported Covid deaths have already exceeded 1.5m for the region’s 53 countries and the virus is the number one cause of death across Europe and central Asia.
The WHO said it expects there to be “high or extreme stress on hospital beds in 25 countries, and high or extreme stress in intensive care units (ICUs) in 49 out of 53 countries between now and March 2022”.
It predicted that under current trends cumulative reported deaths will reach over 2.2 million by spring.
Dr Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said:
In order to live with this virus and continue our daily lives, we need to take a ‘vaccine plus’ approach.
This means getting the standard doses of vaccine, taking a booster if offered, as well as incorporating preventive measures into our normal routines.
Taken together, wearing a mask, washing hands, ventilating indoor spaces, keeping physical distance and sneezing into your elbow are simple, effective ways of gaining control over the virus and keeping societies going.
All of us have the opportunity and responsibility to help avert unnecessary tragedy and loss of life, and limit further disruption to society and businesses over this winter season.
The WHO said the three main factors driving Europe’s high case rate are the highly transmissible Delta variant, the unvaccinated and waning immunity and the way some governments have indicated to people that the pandemic “no longer represents an emergency threat” and have eased restrictions.
Kluge added:
Today, the Covid-19 situation across Europe and central Asia is very serious.
We face a challenging winter ahead but we should not be without hope, because all of us – governments, health authorities, individuals – can take decisive action to stabilise the pandemic.
Updated
People in Northern Ireland to be encouraged to work from home under new Covid measures
Stormont ministers have agreed a series of new Covid measures for Northern Ireland.
Ministers met this morning to continue discussions on proposals recommended by health minister Robin Swann.
People will be encouraged to work from home where possible and the executive has instructed its Covid taskforce to look at issues around enforcing mask wearing and a system of rating businesses on their compliance to Covid measures, reports PA Media.
Yesterday there were three new Covid deaths reported in Northern Ireland and an additional 1,469 cases.
First minister, Paul Givan, tweeted:
The Executive has engaged constructively & agreed a number of measures that will step up our collective efforts against the spread of Covid. Whilst there is differences across society on the most effective measures, we can all make a contribution that will help make a difference.
— Paul Givan (@paulgivan) November 23, 2021
Hi, I’ll be looking after the blog for the next few hours. Please get in touch with any tips or suggestions: miranda.bryant@guardian.co.uk
Today so far
- Germany’s acting health minister Jens Spahn called for more public spaces to be restricted to those who were vaccinated or recently recovered from Covid-19 and also had a negative test, in a bid to contain the spread. Spahn did not rule out lockdowns, although he said this would be decided region by region. “The situation is not only serious, in some regions in Germany it is now dramatic,” Spahn told German Radio. “We are having to move patients around as the intensive care units are full and that doesn’t just affect Covid-19 patients.”
- Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, will be giving a statement to MSPs later today which is expected to confirm whether Scotland’s Covid passport scheme will be expanded from 6 December to additionally cover bars, restaurants, cinemas and theatres. Business leaders have warned it could wreck Christmas party bookings, citing the Scottish government’s own research suggesting almost a third of 18 to 29-year-olds could be denied entry.
- The Northern Ireland Executive is meeting again today to discuss the possibility of further Covid restrictions in the country. The uncertainty surrounding plans for Covid passports has been criticised by Hospitality Ulster, a trade group representing the sector. A spokesperson said “Those statements say to our workers: ‘You might not have a job before Christmas’ and it says to customers, ‘Stay away’”.
- UK Labour MP Sarah Owen has criticised anti-vaccine protests outside schools, saying “Children should just be able to go to school. I think they’ve had a horrible last two years. The last thing they should be doing is being confronted with people who are being aggressive, or who are looking to threaten them, or threaten teaching staff or their parents. It’s completely unacceptable.”
- Prof Sir Andrew Pollard has said that Covid-19 is no longer a disease of the vaccinated. Pollard, one of those behind the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, said “Among the general public, the pandemic is still regarded as a silent pestilence, made visible in the images of patients fighting for their next breath … This ongoing horror, which is taking place across ICUs in Britain, is now largely restricted to unvaccinated people.”
- Former UK “vaccine tsar” Kate Bingham, who stepped down from her role last year, has been highly critical of civil service and government preparedness for the pandemic, telling the Times newspaper: “The machinery of government is dominated by process, rather than outcome, causing delay and inertia. There is an obsessive fear of personal error and criticism, a culture of groupthink and risk aversion that stifles initiative and encourages foot-dragging. Currently, there is too much emphasis on ‘How will this play with the media or the select committee?’ rather than ‘What are we trying to achieve and how will we do it?’
- Police in the Netherlands said on Tuesday they had arrested at least 21 people during a fourth night of unrest over coronavirus measures, although the situation had calmed down. The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, has lambasted protesters as “idiots”.
- Israel has begun administering the coronavirus vaccine to children age five to 11. Media have reported low demand for the jabs, with prime minister Naftali Bennett expected to accompany his nine year old son David later today to get his shot in a bid to encourage parents to have their children vaccinated.
- India, a country of 1.35 billion which has struggled to curb the virus’ spread throughout much of its densely populated urban areas, reported the smallest rise in Covid infections for 18 months on Tuesday. Another 7,579 new cases were recorded - despite fears that huge festival gatherings in recent weeks would spark a new surge.
- France’s prime minister Jean Castex tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday, hours after returning from a visit to neighbouring Belgium.
- Greece has imposed strict new Covid curbs, aimed at reducing Covid-19 infections that have pushed death rates to almost twice the EU average. The new restrictions went into effect as authorities struggled to convince older Greeks in particular to have the jab.
- Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca, has said that the company’s plan to move to making profit on Covid vaccines will not hit the world’s poorest countries, and will not come into effect for some time. He said “We will of course adapt to every circumstance and countries that have low purchasing power will be supplied at no profit or very low price and others will be a bit more.”
- Slovakia’s prime minister Eduard Heger is “intensively” considering a possible three-week lockdown amid a jump in Covid-19 cases, his office has said.
This is it from me, Martin Belam, today. Miranda Bryant will be here shortly.
The Northern Ireland Executive is meeting again today to discuss the possibility of further Covid restrictions in the country. After yesterday’s meeting Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said: “The Health Minister presented a paper to Ministers who met this morning to consider it. While the meeting was constructive and progress was made, it was agreed more work was needed. The Executive will meet again in the morning to finalise the approach.”
The uncertainty surrounding plans has been criticised by Hospitality Ulster, a trade group representing the sector. Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster this morning, Colin Neill from the body said: “Those statements say to our workers: ‘You might not have a job before Christmas’ and it says to customers, ‘Stay away’. We have seen abuse [over Covid restrictions] and the abuse levels are escalating. The vast majority of hospitality venues do not have doormen and we can’t ask our staff to take abuse.”
As mentioned earlier, Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, will be giving a statement to MSPs later today which is expected to confirm whether Scotland’s Covid passport scheme will be expanded. Business opens in the Scottish parliament at 2pm, and Sturgeon will speak shortly after that.
PA Media is carrying a range of quotes from her opponents this morning who are very against the proposal.
The Scottish Conservative leader, Douglas Ross, said there is “no evidence to suggest vaccine passports do anything to stop the spread of Covid-19”.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats leader, Alex Cole-Hamilton, said vaccine passports should be abolished and demanded a full parliamentary vote before any changes to coronavirus restrictions come into force.
He said the SNP and Greens have not provided any factual evidence to show the current scheme is keeping Scotland safer, adding “no wonder it has been attacked by everyone from health experts to civil liberties groups.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s announcement, a Scottish government spokesperson said: “The situation around the pandemic is serious so we are being open about all of the options available to us that may be required to protect the public.”
Updated
Talking of Covid data in the UK, the Office of National Statistics has released the deaths in England and Wales bulletin for the week ending 12 November 2021. The ONS said:
- 12,050 deaths were registered in England and Wales; this was 500 more deaths than the previous week and 16.6% above the five-year average.
- Of the deaths registered in England and Wales, 1,020 mentioned “novel coronavirus (Covid-19)”, accounting for 8.5% of all deaths; this was an increase in the number of deaths on the previous week, though a drop in the proportion (995 deaths, 8.6% of all deaths).
- From the week ending 13 March 2020 to the week ending 12 November 2021, the number of excess deaths above the five-year average in England and Wales was 125,909.
Updated
Andrew Sparrow has the UK politics live blog for today. I’ll be continuing here with UK Covid updates, as well as coronavirus developments from around the world.
Here are the latest UK figures for Covid, by the way. Week-on-week, the caseload is up by 8.4%. Deaths are down by 5.2%, and hospital admissions are down by 4.5%. There are 8,024 patients in UK hospitals, with 911 requiring ventilation.
Dutch police said on Tuesday they had arrested at least 21 people during a fourth night of unrest over coronavirus measures, although the situation had calmed down.
Agence France-Presse reports that small groups caused trouble in Zwolle, Groningen and Roosendaal on Monday night, though not on the scale of violence that rocked major cities at the weekend.
Police in the northern city of Zwolle arrested 13 people after declaring an emergency situation. The suspects were detained for offences including possession of fireworks, disobeying police orders and having no ID, broadcaster RTL said.
More than 150 people have now been arrested across the country during protests against coronavirus measures that came into force on 13 November.
The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, has lambasted protesters as “idiots” who turned to “pure violence”. Rutte told Dutch media that their actions had “nothing to do with demonstrating” but were “a pure explosion of violence directed against our police, against our firefighters, against ambulance drivers”.
Updated
When the UK’s jab programme began, expectant mothers were told to steer clear – so Samantha Willis decided to wait until she had had her baby. Two weeks after giving birth, she died in hospital:
It never crossed either of their minds that Samantha would fall seriously ill with Covid. She was only 35 and in good health, with no underlying conditions. Samantha was unvaccinated – she had received advice against getting jabbed at an antenatal appointment. “They gave her a flyer telling her there wasn’t enough research on the Covid vaccine in pregnant women,” says husband Josh. He found the flyer among her things recently. It read: “The vaccines have not yet been tested in pregnancy, so until more information is available, those who are pregnant should not routinely have this vaccine.”
Later, when the guidance changed to advocate vaccination in pregnant women, Samantha was nearer her due date. “We thought: people are off school, she’s on maternity leave, it’s pretty safe now,” says Josh. “We decided she would get it after her pregnancy.”
They had been careful; they had come so far. Samantha was due to give birth in less than a month. Their positive Covid tests, while a mild inconvenience, were nothing to be unduly concerned about. “It didn’t even cross our minds that we would get sick,” says Josh.
Read more of Sirin Kale’s latest piece in our Lost to the virus series: Samantha Willis was a beloved young pregnant mother. Did bad vaccine advice cost her her life?
As my colleague Samantha Lock mentioned earlier, Israel has begun administering the coronavirus vaccine to children age five to 11.
Associated Press have a quick snap saying that Israeli media reported low demand for the shots on the first day they were available to this age group. The Israeli prime minister, Naftali Bennett, was expected to accompany his son David, nine, later today to get his jab in a bid to encourage parents to have their children vaccinated.
Children age five to 11 make up nearly half of active cases in Israel. Officials hope the new inoculation campaign will help bring down the numbers and perhaps stave off a new wave.
Updated
Sturgeon warned over economic impact of expanding Scotland's Covid passport scheme
In Scotland we are expecting to hear from first minister Nicola Sturgeon whether there will be an extension to the Covid passport scheme. It currently covers nightclubs and large venues. The suggestion is that from 6 December it would also include smaller venues including bars, restaurants, cinemas and theatres.
The Herald is leading this morning with a warning over the potential impact to the Christmas economy. Their Scottish political editor Tom Gordon writes:
Business leaders have warned it could wreck Christmas party bookings, citing the Government’s own research suggesting almost a third of 18 to 29-year-olds could be denied entry.
Dr Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “This is a critical time for Scotland’s businesses as we enter the Golden Quarter over the festive period where many businesses make most of their earnings for the year, and our members remain concerned about the impact that an expansion of Covid-19 restrictions and vaccine certification will have on them financially.
“The suggestions of a return to table service in hospitality, caps on venue capacity and the reintroduction of curfews would in reality mean a return to an economic, if not social, lockdown which would cause severe economic harm to Scotland’s businesses at a critical point in their recovery.”
Germany's acting health minister describes situation as 'dramatic'
Here’s the latest from Reuters on the situation in Germany, where the acting health minister called on Tuesday for further restrictions to contain a “dramatic” surge in coronavirus cases as the country’s infection rate hit a record high and the United States advised against travel there.
The seven-day incidence rate - the number of people per 100,000 to be infected over the last week - hit 399.8 on Tuesday, up from 386.5 on Monday, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed.
Acting health minister Jens Spahn called for more public spaces to be restricted to those who were vaccinated or recently recovered from Covid-19 and also had a negative test, in a bid to contain the spread.
Spahn did not rule out lockdowns, although he said this would be decided region by region. Some regions such as the hard-hit Saxony and Bavaria are already taking measures such as cancelling Christmas markets.
“The situation is not only serious, in some regions in Germany it is now dramatic,” Spahn told German Radio. “We are having to move patients around as the intensive care units are full and that doesn’t just affect Covid-19 patients.”
The surge in cases in Germany, and in neighbouring Denmark, prompted the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday to advise against travel to the two countries, raising its travel recommendation to “Level Four: Very High”.
We’ve got a fascinating piece today from Ami Vitale and Wanjiku Kinuthia about an initiative to bring healthcare to remote areas of Kenya via camel.
Access to healthcare is expensive and, in an emergency, villagers are forced to walk for hours to the nearest health facility. For women, the lack of facilities, combined with patriarchal attitudes, means they have had no control over their reproductive health. But Communities Health Africa Trust (Chat) organises mobile healthcare outreach to poorly served communities such as Lekiji. Chat identifies vulnerable communities with limited access to health facilities and significant family planning needs, and brings health provision and education to their door.
Lack of roads is no barrier to their work. If they cannot reach the communities by car, they switch to an older form of transport: camel. In the past three years Chat has reached more than 100,000 people with behaviour-changing messages that focus on family planning but include TB, HIV and Covid prevention services across 14 counties in Kenya.
It’s a (mostly) uplifting piece – and has some great photos.
Read more here: Camels bearing healthcare deliver hope in Kenya – photo essay
Ukraine’s ministry of health have provided their latest Covid update, stating that 12,729 new confirmed cases of Covid (including 1,058 cases in children and 231 cases in healthcare workers) were recorded on 22 November.
The seven-day average for daily news cases is running at 17,202. That is trending down from 21,174 a week ago.
Понад 10 млн українців завершили імунізацію від COVID-19!
— Ministry of Health of Ukraine (@MoH_Ukraine) November 23, 2021
За добу 22 листопада в Україні:
- зафіксовано 12 729 нових підтверджених випадків COVID-19;
- 270 258 людей вакциновано проти COVID-19.
Докладно: https://t.co/gJC0kZvekI pic.twitter.com/lVXxEk3xuM
Here’s an updated map showing the latest caseload incidence across Europe.
Pascal Soriot, the chief executive of AstraZeneca, has spoken to Sky News this morning, and said that the company’s plan to move to making profit on Covid vaccines will not hit the world’s poorest countries, and will not come into effect for some time. He said:
You have to remember that the orders we are taking today will be delivered next year. We still have a lot of orders at no profit to deliver. So they will be delivered next year.
But you know, we will of course adapt to every circumstance and countries that have low purchasing power will be supplied at no profit or very low price and others will be a bit more.
We always knew that some vaccines would be sold at a profit and we made the decision from day one that we would partner with Oxford and deliver this vaccine around the world at no profit so everybody could access it much as possible.
Updated
Our Long Read today is part of a new series called Reconstruction after Covid, and it comes from Kwame Anthony Appiah, the British-born, Ghanaian-American philosopher and cultural theorist who is professor of philosophy and law at New York University. He writes:
Public-health experts predict that, as an indirect consequence of the Covid pandemic, twice as many people around the world could be at risk of dying from malaria. There could be 400,000 extra deaths from TB in the next few years, and half a million extra deaths from HIV. Across much of the world, in short, the response to the coronavirus has ushered in a shadow pandemic. The coronavirus’s real death toll, then, has to be calculated not just in deaths from Covid, but also in deaths that would otherwise have been prevented, from malaria, TB, HIV, diabetes and more.
This shadow pandemic isn’t simply a story about disease – it’s about poverty, hunger, truncated education and stunted lives. A suggestive comparison can be made with the climate crisis. In the affluent world, some people think of climate breakdown as a matter of how long the air conditioning stays on, but for many in the developing world, it’s already a matter of floods, droughts and famine.
These disparities between the global north and south are likely to be a feature of crises to come. The tale of two pandemics, then, is a tale of two international orders. The post-pandemic challenge, in turn, is to take seriously the rhetoric of an “international community”, and integrate the two into one.
Read more here: Kwame Anthony Appiah – A tale of two pandemics: the true cost of Covid in the global south
In the UK, Labour MP and member of the health select committee at parliament Sarah Owen has been on Sky News. She was asked about three things. Firstly on AstraZeneca suggesting they would offer tiered pricing and still offer vaccines not-for-profit to developing nations, and the risk of new variants developing due to vaccine inequality, she said:
We are in a global pandemic, the clue is in the title and we need an international response. So moves from AstraZeneca that you’re talking about just now are very welcome because we need to ensure that everyone across the world has access to a vaccination.
On the worsening situation in Europe, and whether it posed a risk to the UK, she said:
We’ve always got to be scanning the horizon. For new variants. For changes. And possible solutions, new solutions for dealing with this pandemic. And we can’t take our eye off the ball particularly as we’re staring down the barrel of winter again.
Finally on anti-vaccine demonstrations outside of schools in the UK, and the education secretary Nadhim Zahawi not backing calls for exclusion zones, she told Sky News:
Children should just be able to go to school. I think they’ve had a horrible last two years. The last thing they should be doing is being confronted with people who are being aggressive, or who are looking to threaten them, or threaten teaching staff or their parents. It’s completely unacceptable. Children should just be able to go to school.
'How worried should we be about surging COVID cases across some parts of Europe?' - #KayBurley
— Sky News (@SkyNews) November 23, 2021
Health Select Committee member Sarah Owen says "we have always got to be scanning the horizon for new variants" and "we can't take our eye of the ball".https://t.co/AePWqBFQeF pic.twitter.com/iSrZPoZzzy
Updated
Covid patients in ICU now almost all unvaccinated, says Oxford scientist
Covid-19 is no longer a disease of the vaccinated, the head of the Oxford jab programme has said.
The “ongoing horror” of patients gasping for breath in hospital is now “largely restricted” to people who are unvaccinated, according to Prof Sir Andrew Pollard.
Even though the more transmissible Delta variant continues to infect thousands, most of those who are fully vaccinated will experience only “mild infections” that are “little more than an unpleasant inconvenience”.
Writing for the Guardian, Pollard said: “Among the general public, the pandemic is still regarded as a silent pestilence, made visible in the images of patients fighting for their next breath … This ongoing horror, which is taking place across ICUs in Britain, is now largely restricted to unvaccinated people.
“Generally, Covid-19 is no longer a disease of the vaccinated; vaccines tend to limit its suffocating affliction, with a few exceptions.”
Read more of our health editor Andrew Gregory’s report: Covid patients in ICU now almost all unvaccinated, says Oxford scientist
Hello, it is Martin Belam here. The Times in London is leading today with criticism of the civil service in the UK by former “vaccine tsar” Kate Bingham, who stepped down from her role last year. She writes:
Across government there is a devastating lack of skills and experience in science, industry, and manufacturing – the very skills needed to work with innovators to bring an unproven medicine from the laboratory safely and effectively into people’s arms.
The Vaccine Taskforce was created to fill this void. We rapidly assembled a team with the knowledge and relationships with the pharmaceutical industry vital to developing and manufacturing vaccines. With a “wartime” mandate from the prime minister, we could cut through the normal obstacles of decision-making. But these obstacles remain firmly embedded, and they must be urgently overcome. We need to build a peacetime capability for dealing with major healthcare threats.
The machinery of government is dominated by process, rather than outcome, causing delay and inertia. There is an obsessive fear of personal error and criticism, a culture of groupthink and risk aversion that stifles initiative and encourages foot-dragging.
Currently, there is too much emphasis on “How will this play with the media or the select committee?” rather than “What are we trying to achieve and how will we do it?”
Slovakia eyes Covid lockdown possibility
Slovakia’s prime minister Eduard Heger is “intensively” considering a possible three-week lockdown amid a jump in Covid-19 cases, his office said on Monday.
The idea has been put forward by the Health Ministry, and Heger said expert opinion would be key in any decision.
The European nation is seeing some of the biggest rises in new cases in the world on per capita basis, his office said in emailed statement to Bloomberg on Monday.
Slovakia’s inoculation rate is also below the EU average. It’s former premier Robert Fico has publicly decried the use of face masks and participated in protests against coronavirus-related measures.
The move would mirror steps taken by neighbouring Austria to curb the rise of coronavirus-related deaths and new infections.
Hi. I’m Samantha Lock and I’ll be with you for the next hour or so to run through all the latest Covid developments you might have missed.
India, a country of 1.35 billion which has struggled to curb the virus’ spread throughout much of its densely populated urban areas, reported the smallest rise in Covid infections on Tuesday.
Another 7,579 new cases were recorded - the smallest rise in 18 months despite huge festival gatherings in recent weeks, government data reports.
Authorities credit rising vaccinations and antibodies from prior infections.
However, the situation in Europe is not showing signs of improvement.
- Slovakia is considering a possible three-week lockdown, prime minister Eduard Heger said.
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US health officials are not currently recommending lockdowns or economic restrictions to curb rising Covid-19 cases, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday.
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France’s prime minister Jean Castex tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday, hours after returning from a visit to neighbouring Belgium.
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France reported 5,266 daily new Covid-19 infections on Monday, pushing the seven-day moving average of new cases to an almost three-month high.
- France also sent police to Guadeloupe to quell violent Covid protests.
- Germany and the Netherlands are set to face tougher Covid restrictions.
- Germany issues stark warning. “Probably by the end of winter, more or less everyone in Germany will be vaccinated, cured or dead,” German health minister, Jens Spahn, said.
- The UK reported an additional 44,917 new Covid cases and 45 new deaths.
- Young people and women have taken the hardest psychological and financial hit from the pandemic, a YouGov survey has found.
- Greece imposes strict new Covid curbs, aimed at reducing Covid-19 infections that have pushed death rates to almost twice the EU average. The new restrictions went into effect as authorities struggled to convince older Greeks in particular to have the jab.
- Israel started rolling out vaccinations for five- to 11-year-olds in a bid to bring down rising Covid infections.
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Italy’s health minister announced that Italians will be able to get a Covid booster five months after their first vaccination cycle.
- The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response accused the UK of throwing unused vaccines “down the drain”.
- Boris Johnson says the UK government is “concerned” about Covid, but that there is nothing to suggest that the country should bring back restrictions, despite rising cases across Europe.
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India’s total Covid-19 cases reached 34.53m, death toll reaches 466,147, the health ministry said.
- Syrian test shortage: Officials in the Kurdish-controlled part of northeast Syria say they ran out of Covid tests two weeks ago and they are struggling to monitor the spread of the virus, Reuters reports.
- Experimental chewing gum may reduce virus spread, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania say.
- Canada to end Covid policy of turning back asylum-seekers.
Updated
