Thanks for joining us and that’s all from me, Samantha Lock, for today.
We will be launching another live Covid blog a little later today but in the meantime you can catch up with all the latest developments here.
Thanks for following along and, as always, I appreciate your tips and reader insights. You can email me at samantha.lock@theguardian.com or via Twitter @Samantha__Lock
Summary
If you’ve just joined us here on the Covid blog, here is a wrap of all the latest international developments:
Europe:
- Italy will ease Covid restrictions for all visitors from European Union countries starting from 1 February, its health ministry said on Wednesday.
- Moderna has started testing an Omicron-specific Covid booster in healthy adults.
- In Denmark, the government announced it will scrap most pandemic restrictions next week, even as neighbouring Sweden extended its own measures for another fortnight.
- Police in Berlin have been authorised to crack down on protesters wearing badges resembling yellow star badges and other symbols associated with the Nazi era at demonstrations against vaccine mandates or other pandemic restrictions. Story here.
- The UK has reported a further 102,292 Covid infections and 346 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to the latest data from the government’s coronavirus dashboard. That compares with 94,326 cases and 439 fatalities in the 24 hours prior.
- Sweden will extend its current pandemic measures by another two weeks, the minister for health said on Wednesday, as Omicron is spreading at record speed. The curbs mean bars and restaurants have to close at 11pm and there is a cap of 500 people inside larger indoor venues.
- As pressure on hospitals eases, Austria will end its lockdown for people not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus on Monday, though some restrictions on public life will remain.
Middle East:
- Israel has broadened its eligibility for a fourth dose of the Covid vaccine to include adults under 60 with underlying medical conditions, their carers and others over 18 at significant risk of exposure to coronavirus.
United States:
- The United States has donated more than 400m vaccine doses to 112 countries, marking a major milestone in the White House’s goal of donating 1.2bn vaccine doses under president Joe Biden’s direction.
- The Americas have seen their highest daily Covid caseloads since the pandemic began, and Omicron has clearly become the predominant variant, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said.
Updated
Over in Kansas, US, a doctor-lawmaker who prescribed a parasitic worm treatment for Covid-19 symptoms has acknowledged that he is under investigation by the state medical board.
Conservative Republican state Senator Mark Steffen disclosed the Kansas Board of Healing Arts’ investigation of him during a Senate committee hearing. He was testifying in favour of a bill that would require pharmacists to fill prescriptions for both the anti-worm treatment ivermectin and the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for potentially dangerous off-label uses in treating Covid-19, the Associated Press reports.
During the committee’s two days of hearings, several Kansas doctors reported having trouble getting ivermectin prescriptions filled by pharmacists. Committee Chair Richard Hilderband, a conservative Republican from southeast Kansas, said he expects the bill to win the panel’s approval after it is debated next week.
“That is something between a doctor and a patient, on what their best way forward on care is,” Hilderbrand said.
While medical groups and health experts have worked to stamp out the use of ivermectin for treating Covid-19, hospitals around the nation have faced lawsuits over their refusal to give it to patients.
Ivermectin is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat infections of lice, roundworms and other tiny parasites in humans. The FDA has tried to debunk claims that animal-strength versions of the drug can help fight Covid-19, warning that large doses can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures, delirium and even death.
Speaking of Australia and the surrounding Pacific area, Australian and British and navy ships arrived in Tonga on Wednesday and attempted to deliver contactless aid ashore to avoid spreading Covid in a nation which has so far never had an outbreak.
Nearly two dozen sailors aboard the Australian ship HMAS Adelaide were reported to be infected on Tuesday, raising fears they could bring the coronavirus to the small Pacific archipelago devastated by an undersea volcanic eruption and a tsunami on 15 January.
Since the pandemic began, Tonga has reported just a single case of Covid-19. It’s one of the few countries in the world currently completely virus free. About 61% of Tongans are fully vaccinated, according to Our World in Data.
Meanwhile, the US announced it would provide an additional $2.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Tonga through the US Agency for International Development. The aid was in addition to an initial pledge of $100,000.
The Australian government said its ship had completed the 3,300-km (2,050-mile) voyage from Brisbane and would deliver supplies without contact with the local population to avoid infections.
“We appreciate the decision of the government of Tonga to enable HMAS Adelaide to dock and offload the humanitarian and medical supplies, and the high priority it has placed on Covid safety throughout the recovery process,” the statement said.
“The ship is undertaking an entirely contactless delivery of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief supplies.”
Hello it’s Samantha Lock back with you on the blog as my colleague Tom Ambrose calls it a night in London.
I’ll be bringing you all the international headlines from over here in Sydney, Australia.
Let’s start with a quick look at how Covid is unfolding Down Under.
Australia’s most populous state of NSW has recorded 29 deaths and 17,316 cases while Victoria recorded 15 Covid deaths and 13,755 cases.
Moderna has started testing an Omicron-specific Covid booster in healthy adults.
The company announced on Wednesday that the first participant had received a dose. Earlier this week, competitor Pfizer began a similar study of its own reformulated shots.
The Associated Press reported:
It’s not clear whether global health authorities will order a change to the vaccine recipe in the wake of the hugely contagious omicron variant. The original vaccines still offer good protection against death and severe illness. Studies in the US and elsewhere show a booster dose strengthens that protection and improves the chances of avoiding even a milder infection.
Moderna pointed to a small study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday that showed antibodies able to target omicron persisted for six months after a booster dose, although the levels were dropping.
Moderna’s new study will enrol about 600 people who already have received either two doses of the company’s original shots or two plus a booster dose. All the volunteers will receive a dose of the experimental omicron-matched version.
Brazil registers record number of daily Covid cases
Brazil has reported 224,567 new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, breaking the country’s previous record for daily infections, according to data released by the health ministry.
The South American country also reported 570 deaths from Covid. The previous record for daily cases was 204,854 on January 19.
Brazil has now registered a total of 24,535,884 cases and 624,413 deaths.
Italy will ease Covid restrictions for all visitors from European Union countries starting from 1 February, its health ministry said on Wednesday.
Minister of health Roberto Speranza has signed an order stating that travellers from EU countries will only need a “green pass,” it said in statement.
The Green Pass, is a document showing proof of Covid immunity through vaccination, previous infection or a negative test. On 14 December, Italy had ruled that all EU visitors had to take a test before departure, amid concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
According to the ministry, Speranza’s order also renews the go-ahead for travel to a number of non-European tourist spots, widening it to six other destinations: Cuba, Singapore, Turkey, Thailand (limited to the island of Phuket), Oman and French Polynesia.
In September 2021, Italy had set up these so-called Covid-free tourist corridors: Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, Egypt (but only Sharm El Sheikh and Marsa Alam), Dominican Republic and Aruba.
Israel has broadened its eligibility for a fourth dose of the Covid vaccine to include adults under 60 with underlying medical conditions, their carers and others over 18 at significant risk of exposure to coronavirus.
An official statement said the health ministry’s director-general had approved the measures.
Earlier this month, as the Omicron variant swept the country, Israel began offering a fourth dose, meaning a second booster, of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to people over 60.
The United States has donated more than 400m vaccine doses to 112 countries, marking a major milestone in the White House’s goal of donating 1.2bn vaccine doses under president Joe Biden’s direction.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator, Jeff Zients, said the donation is four times larger than that of any other country.
Zients also revealed that the country hit another major milestone this week, with 70% of eligible seniors in the US having now received their booster shot. Half of all eligible adults in the country are now boosted.
“This is significant progress, as the doctors and data have made crystal clear. Vaccinations and boosters provide the best protection,” Zients said.
The daily averages of cases and hospital admissions have fallen over the past week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The current seven-day daily average of Covid-19 cases is approximately 692,400 cases per day, a 6% decrease from the previous week, while the seven-day average of hospital admissions is around 19,800 per day, an 8% decrease.
Also in Denmark, the government announced today that it will scrap most pandemic restrictions next week, even as neighbouring Sweden extended its own measures for another fortnight.
Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said that as of 1 February, Danes will enjoy free access to restaurants, cafes, museums and nightclubs, while mask use will cease to be mandatory.
“We say goodbye to the restrictions and welcome the life we knew before” the pandemic, Frederiksen said. “As of 1 February, Denmark will be open.”
Denmark currently requires face masks on public transportation, in shops, for standing clients in restaurant indoor areas, and for people entering hospitals, health care facilities and retirement homes. As of 1 February, the government will only recommend mask use in hospitals, health care facilities and homes for the elderly.
Frederiksen said that while the Omicron variant is surging in Denmark, it is not placing a heavy burden on the health system and the country has a high vaccination rate.
“It may seem strange that we want to remove restrictions given the high infection rates,” she said. “But fewer people become seriously ill.”
Hello. Tom Ambrose here, taking over the global Covid live blog for the next couple of hours. I’ll be bringing you all the latest coronavirus news as it happens.
Let’s start with the news that the BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant appears more contagious than the more common BA.1 sub-lineage, Danish health minister Magnus Heunicke has said.
“There is no evidence that the BA.2 variant causes more disease, but it must be more contagious,” Heunicke told a news conference today.
The BA.1 lineage currently accounts for 98% of all cases globally but in Denmark has been pushed aside by BA.2, which became the dominant strain in the second week of January. The UK Health Security Agency has designated BA.2 a variant under investigation, saying it could have a growth advantage.
Preliminary calculations suggest BA.2 could be 1.5 times more infectious than BA.1, Denmark’s top infectious disease authority, Statens Serum Institut (SSI), said in a note on Wednesday. However, an initial analysis by the institute showed no difference in the risk of hospitalisation for BA.2 compared to BA.1.
Summary
Here is a quick recap of some of the main developments from today so far:
-
Police in Berlin have been authorised to crack down on protesters wearing badges resembling yellow star badges and other symbols associated with the Nazi era at demonstrations against vaccine mandates or other pandemic restrictions. Story here.
- The Americas have seen their highest daily Covid caseloads since the pandemic began, and Omicron has clearly become the predominant variant, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said. There were more than 8 million new cases, 32% higher than the previous week, while fatalities throughout the region increased by 37%, with 18,000 new deaths caused by Covid. The US continues to have the highest number of new infections, although cases decreased by nearly one million over the last week, the regional health agency said on Wednesday. Mexico’s southern states have seen new infections triple and Brazil has seen new cases surge 193% over the last seven days, PAHO said.
-
The UK has reported a further 102,292 Covid infections and 346 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to the latest data from the government’s coronavirus dashboard. That compares with 94,326 cases and 439 fatalities in the 24 hours prior.
-
Lower vaccination take-up among some ethnic groups in England contributes to an increased risk of Covid-19 death, particularly for people from black African and Caribbean backgrounds, new ONS research suggests. [see 1.08pm].
-
Sweden will extend its current pandemic measures by another two weeks, the minister for health said on Wednesday, as Omicron is spreading at record speed. The curbs mean bars and restaurants have to close at 11pm and there is a cap of 500 people inside larger indoor venues. “We have an extremely high level of spread,” the health minister Lena Hallengren told a news conference. “The restrictions must remain in place for two weeks. If everything goes as planned and if the situation allows, the restrictions will be lifted after that.” [see 12.20pm].
-
In the UK, adults aged 18 to 69 who had received their first two vaccines appeared to be 41.1% less likely to report experiencing long Covid symptoms if they contracted the virus, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics. Story here.
-
The lower house of the German parliament began debating proposals to either require or robustly encourage residents to be vaccinated, as a new daily record of 164,000 Covid cases was reported. [see 11.36am].
- As pressure on hospitals eases, Austria will end its lockdown for people not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus on Monday, though some restrictions on public life will remain. Since 15 November, those not vaccinated against the coronavirus have been under lockdown restrictions, meaning they are only allowed to leave their homes for a limited number of reasons such as shopping for essentials or working. The measure, which was suspended over Christmas, has been criticised as very difficult to enforce. However, while that restriction on their movement will be lifted, the unvaccinated will remain barred from taking part in a range of leisure activities including eating in restaurants or shopping for non-essential items. [see 11.19am].
Updated
German police have been told to detain Covid protesters trivialising the Holocaust in acts to be classified as “secondary antisemitism”, our Berlin bureau chief Philip Oltermann reports.
Police in Berlin have been authorised to crack down on protesters wearing badges resembling the yellow Judenstern (Jews’ star) and other symbols associated with the Nazi era at demonstrations against vaccine mandates or other pandemic restrictions.
According to an internal update by the Berlin police antisemitism commissioner, first reported by the newspaper BZ Berlin, “the use of adapted ‘Jewish stars’ at gatherings can now be assumed to be a fundamental disturbance of public peace”.
Police in the German capital have been instructed to document, remove and confiscate the yellow star badges, which some German vaccine sceptics have taken to wearing with the superimposed words “ungeimpft” (“unvaccinated”) in order to draw a parallel between modern governments’ treatment of those who decline to take a jab against Covid-19 and the systematic stigmatisation of Jewish citizens in the Nazi era.
The police’s internal memo clarifies that wearing the blue and white Star of David, classified as a purely religious symbol, remains legal at demonstrations.
In addition, police are also instructed to take action against other analogies that trivialise the Holocaust, which are to be classified as forms of “secondary antisemitism”.
Read the full story here: Germany to crack down on Covid protesters in yellow star badges
Updated
A quick snap from Reuters.
The Americas have seen their highest daily Covid caseloads since the pandemic began, and Omicron has clearly become the predominant variant, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said.
There were more than 8 million new cases, 32% higher than the previous week, while fatalities throughout the region increased by 37%, with 18,000 new deaths caused by Covid.
The United States continues to have the highest number of new infections, although cases decreased by nearly one million over the last week, the regional health agency said on Wednesday.
Mexico’s southern states have seen new infections triple and Brazil has seen new cases surge 193% over the last seven days, PAHO said.
Children in the Americas are facing the worst educational crisis ever seen in the region, with millions of children yet to return to classes, according to PAHO, which recommended that countries try to get them safely back to school to protect their social, mental and physical wellbeing.
It urged parents to get their children vaccinated. Many countries have already authorised and are safely administering Covid vaccines to adolescents, PAHO said.
Last week the WHO’s expert group on immunisation authorised the Covid vaccine developed by Pfizer for children aged five to 12, offering a roadmap for countries to roll out vaccines for them, the regional agency said.
Updated
UK records another 102,292 Covid cases and 346 deaths
The UK has reported a further 102,292 Covid infections and 346 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to the latest data from the government’s coronavirus dashboard.
That compares with 94,326 cases and 439 fatalities in the 24 hours prior.
Updated
Plastic PPE waste is to be given a second life as fresh PPE products or fuels as part of a new UK research project, PA reports.
Since the start of the pandemic, 8.4 million tonnes of plastic PPE waste, including respirators and masks, have been generated from 193 countries, and the majority has been dumped in landfill.
Now a partnership between Heriot-Watt University and PPE maker Globus Group will recycle some of the rubbish in a world-first collaboration.
Dr Aimaro Sanna, an assistant professor in chemical and process engineering at the Edinburgh university, said:
As the world strives to reduce its landfill, ocean impact and carbon emissions, this project is a significant step towards addressing the increased waste generated during the global pandemic.
At the moment much of the plastic PPE waste cannot be recycled mechanically, but the project between the university and the manufacturer will turn used plastic protective equipment into pyrolysis oil, which can then be refined into new commercial products like new PPE products or fuels.
The project will run for two years. Sanna said:
Initially, the research will help to recycle over 100 tonnes of product generated by the manufacturing process every year – the equivalent to 10kg of waste every hour.
However, our hope is that this new process will be adopted more widely. Many countries have been unable to process their plastic waste PPE properly.
Our groundbreaking research aims to address these challenges providing an exemplar technique for application globally.
Since the start of the coronavirus crisis, Globus Group has been producing 1bn masks for healthcare trusts across the UK, but the manufacturing process results in 7g of waste material per mask.
It is hoped the project will develop a process for cost and energy efficient recycling and repurposing of the PPE waste.
As part of the scheme to cut down on PPE waste, Globus Group has implemented thermal heating technology at its Alpha Solway factory in Golborne, near Manchester.
The machine heats and compacts the plastic polypropylene into large, reusable blocks. They are then collected and processed, providing raw materials to create new PPE products and reducing its waste by around 85%.
Pete Lee, the head of quality at the company, said the machine “is a fundamental part of our process to repurpose and utilise waste material to achieve a circular economy” and said the technology “will be a real gamechanger in the way we tackle our PPE waste”.
Updated
Many EU countries are opting to reopen despite record infections as the World Health Organization suggests Omicron may signal a more manageable phase of pandemic, our Europe correspondent Jon Henley reports.
The Netherlands has lifted its toughest Covid controls, Denmark is set to remove all restrictions within days and France will begin easing curbs next week, as many – but not all – EU countries move to reopen despite record infection numbers.
The moves come as data shows hospital and intensive care admissions are not surging in line with cases, and after the World Health Organization suggested the Omicron variant – which studies show is more contagious but usually less severe for vaccinated people – may signal a new, more manageable phase in the pandemic.
Dutch bars, restaurants and museums were allowed to reopen on Wednesday after the prime minister, Mark Rutte, said the government was “consciously looking for the limits of what is possible” as case numbers continue to hit new daily highs.
Intensive care admissions and deaths, however, have been falling in the Netherlands, and the health minister, Ernst Kuipers, said a decision to prolong restrictive measures would have risked “harming our health and our society”.
Cafes, bars and restaurants closed since mid-December can now reopen with reduced capacity and until 10pm as long as customers have a Covid pass, with cinemas, theatres, museums and sports events also allowed to welcome the public back.
The Danish government, which two weeks ago allowed cinemas and music venues to reopen after a month’s closure, also announced on Wednesday plans to scrap remaining domestic coronavirus controls from 1 February.
The move – which must be approved by parliament – will allow nightclubs to reopen, restaurants to serve alcohol after 10pm, and shops to lift limits on customer numbers. Vaccine passes will no longer be needed, and commuters may travel without wearing masks.
Like the Netherlands, Denmark has set successive recent daily infection records But while coronavirus-related hospitalisations have risen, health authorities say between 30%-40% of patients with a positive test are in hospital for other reasons than Covid.
“There has been a decoupling in the trend earlier in the epidemic, between increasing infection and increase in Covid hospitalisations,” the government’s expert advisory panel said. The number of Covid patients in intensive care has nearly halved since early January.
Belgium last week announced a slight easing of its restrictions from Friday despite record infections, with bars and restaurants allowed to stay open until midnight and indoor activities such as play areas and bowling alleys to reopen.
The country’s current Omicron wave is not expected to peak for a fortnight, but hospital admissions are rising at a far slower rate than infections and the number of patients in intensive care is falling. “The situation is manageable,” said Steven Van Gucht, a virologist.
France on Tuesday reported a new daily record of 501,635 new cases, but again, while hospital admissions have risen, only about half as many patients are in intensive care as during previous waves, and the number has been falling since 12 January.
The health minister, Olivier Véran, said the peak of the current coronavirus wave should be reached within the next few days, while the prime minister, Jean Castex, last week announced a timetable for lifting Covid restrictions from 2 February.
Castex said France’s vaccine pass, required since Monday to enter restaurants, cinemas and other public venues, would allow audience capacity limits for concert halls and sports and other events to be lifted, with working from home also no longer mandatory for many employees and face masks not needed outside.
The full story is here: Netherlands lifts toughest Covid curbs with Denmark and France set to follow
Updated
This report is from the PA news agency.
Lower vaccination take-up among some ethnic groups in England contributes to an increased risk of Covid-19 death, particularly for people from black African and Caribbean backgrounds, new research suggests.
Most ethnic minority groups have continued to experience greater rates of death involving Covid during the third wave of the virus compared with people identifying as white British.
These differences have been attributed mostly to social and demographic factors, including geography, type of residence and health.
But levels of vaccination coverage are now contributing to the elevated risk of death observed in some groups, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
It is the first time vaccination take-up has been linked in this way with estimates of mortality rates.
We’ve updated our ethnic contrasts in deaths involving #COVID19 covering the period since the rollout of the vaccines started in Dec 2020.
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) January 26, 2022
The risk of COVID19 death has continued to be higher in most ethnic minority groups than in the White British group https://t.co/T2xbAxzpDB pic.twitter.com/JuulIVs5Cd
Throughout the period between 8 Dec 2020 and 1 Dec 2021, the rate of death involving #COVID19 was consistently highest for the Bangladeshi ethnic group, followed by the Pakistani ethnic group.
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) January 26, 2022
Since the start of the third wave (from 13 June 2021 onwards), the rate of death involving #COVID19 in the Bangladeshi group was 4.4 and 5.2 times greater than White British for men and women respectively https://t.co/T2xbAxzpDB pic.twitter.com/nFZ82mm9uR
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) January 26, 2022
Commenting on today’s release, Senior statistician for the Health and Life Events Division at the ONS, Vahé Nafilyan said: (1/2)
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) January 26, 2022
⬇️ pic.twitter.com/YEzsxwAwOY
Vahé Nafilyan continued: (2/2)
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) January 26, 2022
⬇️ pic.twitter.com/CkOSScj29l
Between 13 June and 1 December 2021, the risk of death involving Covid for black African males in England was 1.4 times greater than that for white British males, after adjusting for age, demographic factors and certain pre-existing conditions.
But after also adjusting for vaccination status - to reflect if someone has received a first, second or third dose – this difference was found to have been eliminated.
A similar pattern was evident for black Caribbean males, with the risk 1.7 times greater before adjusting for vaccination status, but no excess risk after.
For black African and Caribbean females, the risk of Covid death before adjusting for vaccination was estimated at 1.8 and 2.1 times greater than white British females respectively – but again, this excess risk disappeared after accounting for vaccine take-up.
The figures suggest that, once adjusted for vaccination status, there is no evidence that the risk of death involving Covid-19 is greater for people from these ethnic groups than for the white British ethnic group, the ONS said.
People identifying as black African and Caribbean have the lowest vaccination rates among people over the age of 50, however.
Differences in vaccination coverage between these two groups and the white British group “explain a large part of the excess risk”, the ONS added.
Overall the ONS found that, during the third wave of the virus, the fully adjusted risk of Covid-19 mortality – including vaccination status – is similar to the white British group for all ethnic groups, except the Bangladeshi group (2.2 times greater for males and 2.1 times greater for females) and for Pakistani men (1.2 times greater).
Vahe Nafilyan, senior statistician in the ONS health and life events division, said:
Today’s analysis shows that since the vaccination programme began, the risk of death from Covid-19 has continued to be higher in most ethnic minority groups than in the white British ethnic group.
As already highlighted in our analyses of earlier periods, these differences in mortality are largely explained by socio-demographic and economic factors and health.
For the first time, we show that the lower vaccination coverage in some ethnic groups also contributes to the elevated risk of Covid-19 death, particularly in the black African and black Caribbean groups.
Updated
A further 145 deaths from Covid were registered by National Records of Scotland, the official statistics agency, over last week, as the country saw a fresh peak of fatalities linked to the pandemic.
NRS said the 145 deaths recorded in the seven days to Sunday 23 January – including where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate as a suspected or probable factor – was 10 higher than the previous week. That brings Scotland’s total under that measure to 12,283 fatalities.
These fatalities, while lower than the last peak of 167 weekly deaths during the Delta wave in September, and well below the 663 recorded in April 2020, are continuing to rise while the overall number of Omicron cases in Scotland have fallen.
This is due to a lag between initial infections leading to hospitalisations and deaths, which now run at a much lower ratio due to the vaccinations programme, much more successful hospital treatments and the lower lethality of the Omicron variant.
Related: Scotland to relax strict work-from-home guidance from Monday
Updated
Sweden extends pandemic curbs by two weeks as Omicron spreads
Sweden will extend its current pandemic measures by another two weeks, the minister for health said on Wednesday, as the Omicron variant is spreading at record speed.
The curbs mean bars and restaurants have to close at 11pm and there is a cap of 500 people inside larger indoor venues.
“We have an extremely high level of spread,” the health minister Lena Hallengren told a news conference. “The restrictions must remain in place for two weeks. If everything goes as planned and if the situation allows, the restrictions will be lifted after that.”
Sweden has seen some 270,000 confirmed cases in the last seven days but limited testing means the health agency believes the real number could be over half a million.
The spread of the virus has put strain on the healthcare system but much less than during previous waves. The number of patients treated in intensive care have been between 90 and 120 people for the past four weeks.
Sweden stood out early in the pandemic by opting against lockdowns, instead relying on voluntary measures focused on social distancing and good hygiene. It has seen deaths per capita much higher than Nordic neighbours but lower than most European countries that opted for lockdowns.
Updated
In the UK, adults aged 18 to 69 who had received their first two vaccines appeared to be 41.1% less likely to report experiencing long Covid symptoms if they contracted the virus, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics.
This figure is based on data up to 30 November 2021 and a comparison with people in the same range who were unvaccinated, the ONS said.
“Longer follow-up time is needed to assess the impact of booster doses and the Omicron variant,” the ONS added.
Our new analysis shows in adults aged 18-69 years, receiving two doses of a #COVID19 vaccine before infection was associated with a 41.1% decrease in the odds of reporting long COVID symptoms, relative to being unvaccinated when infected https://t.co/fE3YwGbB9T pic.twitter.com/mvSJDy1JBI
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) January 26, 2022
This analysis is based on data to 30 November 2021, and longer follow-up time is needed to assess the impact of booster doses and the Omicron variant.
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) January 26, 2022
We cannot say if #COVID19 vaccination caused the changes in the likelihood of self-reported long COVID https://t.co/fE3YwGbB9T
Updated
German parliament debates compulsory vaccination as Covid surges
The lower house of the German parliament prepared to debate proposals to either require or robustly encourage residents to be vaccinated on Wednesday, as a new daily record of 164,000 Covid cases was reported, Reuters reports.
Around 75% of the population have received at least one dose of a vaccine – less than in western European peers such as France, Italy or Spain, where the equivalent figures are 80%, 83% and 86% – and the vaccination campaign is stuttering.
The proposals being debated include requiring all adult residents to be vaccinated against Covid, or only those over the age of 50, or merely requiring all those who have not been vaccinated to receive counselling.
Early on in the coronavirus pandemic, Germany was more successful than many of its peers in limiting infections through case tracking, strict lockdowns and quarantines.
But public discontent has been growing, with regular protests by those opposed to ongoing restrictions that exclude the unvaccinated from many indoor activities.
The highly contagious Omicron variant has sent cases soaring in recent weeks. The 166 deaths recorded on Wednesday took Germany’s cumulative toll to 117,126.
The German Hospital Federation chairman, Gerald Gass, said the number of patients in normal hospital wards with Covid had increased significantly. In North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, the number rose by 37% in a week.
“This development will affect all federal states shortly,” Gass told Reuters, adding that he was in favour of compulsory vaccination while the end of the pandemic was not in sight.
Protests were expected in front of the Reichstag parliament building before and during the debate, with around 1,600 police officers due to be deployed to the area, the broadcaster RBB reported, citing Berlin police.
Opponents of compulsory vaccination say it violates the second article of the constitution, which guarantees citizens control over their own bodies.
According to an Allensbach survey published on Wednesday by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper, the share of those who could imagine themselves taking part in protests against anti-Covid measures had doubled to 12% in the space of a year.
Updated
Austria ends lockdown on unvaccinated as pressure on hospitals eases
As pressure on hospitals eases, Austria will end its lockdown for people not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus on Monday, though some restrictions on public life will remain, Reuters reports.
New daily Covid infections are rising, driven by the Omicron variant, and hit a new record above 30,000 on Wednesday, the health minister Wolfgang Mückstein told a news conference. He added that they would peak in the next two weeks at around 35,000 to 40,000.
The occupancy rate of hospital and intensive-care beds, however, has been falling, Mückstein said, leading experts to view the lockdown for the unvaccinated as no longer necessary:
We came to the conclusion that the lockdown for unvaccinated people in Austria is only justifiable in the event of the threat of an imminent over-burdening of intensive-care capacity.
Since 15 November, those not vaccinated against the coronavirus have been under lockdown restrictions, meaning they are only allowed to leave their homes for a limited number of reasons such as shopping for essentials or working.
The measure, which was suspended over Christmas, has been criticised as very difficult to enforce.
However, while that restriction on their movement will be lifted, the unvaccinated will remain barred from taking part in a range of leisure activities including eating in restaurants or shopping for non-essential items.
Those measures will continue to form part of government efforts to increase the vaccination rate, which is among the lowest in western Europe.
Updated
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 few hours. Please feel free to get in touch with me as I work if you have a story or tips to share! Your thoughts are always welcome.
Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.com
Twitter: @lucy_campbell_
Today so far
- Two-thirds of people recently infected with the Omicron variant say they had Covid previously, according to a new British study. Almost two out of every three Covid-positive participants reported having had Covid before, according to the findings published by the Imperial College London. “Among the 3,582 swab-positive individuals reporting whether or not they had had previous infection, 2,315 (64.6%) reported a confirmed previous infection,” the report read.
- The prevalence of Covid in the UK has fallen overall in recent weeks, but has risen in school-age children, say researchers who have warned the uptick could pose a risk to adults. The latest data from the React-1 study, which is based on more than 100,000 swabs from randomly selected individuals in England collected between 5 and 20 January this year, shows that the overall weighted prevalence of Covid was 4.41%
- Around nine in 10 young teenagers in the UK are likely to have Covid-19 antibodies, new analysis by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) suggests. The ONS figures are based on a sample of blood test results.
- The self-isolation period in Wales is to be cut to a minimum of five full days, the Welsh government has said. The new rules come in to force from Friday 28 January, and mean people will be able to end their isolation as long as they have two negative lateral flow tests on days five and six.
- Denmark aims to scrap all remaining Covid-19 restrictions next week, the most far-reaching easing of curbs yet seen among the Nordic countries.
- A wave of Covid record setting is going across central and Eastern Europe. Among countries setting new daily records for cases today are Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Russia and Romania. Russia has cut the isolation time for Covid contacts from 14 days to seven.
- Germany’s lower house of parliament is discussing the proposal to make vaccination mandatory later today. Options before lawmakers include requiring all adult residents to be vaccinated against Covid, or only those above 50, or merely requiring all those who have not been vaccinated to receive counselling.
- The Australian navy’s largest ship has docked at disaster-stricken Tonga and was allowed to unload humanitarian supplies in the South Pacific nation – despite crew members being infected with Covid-19, officials have said.
- South Korea’s daily new coronavirus cases has exceeded 13,000 for the first time, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
- The US Department of Labor said it will withdraw its Covid-19 vaccine-and-testing requirement for large employers after the supreme court blocked the rule.
It is a very lively day in British politics, as Downing Street awaits the delivery of Sue Gray’s report on No 10’s alleged lockdown parties. Andrew Sparrow is, of course, following that keenly for us.
Lucy Campbell will be here shortly to continue this live blog, with all the latest coronavirus news from the UK and around the world. I will see you again tomorrow.
Updated
Around nine in 10 young teenagers in the UK are likely to have Covid-19 antibodies, new analysis by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) suggests.
The estimates, which are for children aged 12 to 15, range from 88% in Wales to 91.7% in Scotland, with 90.9% in England and 90.7% in Northern Ireland. It is the first time figures have been published for this age group.
Ian Jones reports for PA Media that the presence of coronavirus antibodies suggests someone has had the infection in the past or has been vaccinated. It takes between two and three weeks after infection or vaccination for the body to make enough antibodies to fight the virus.
The ONS figures are based on a sample of blood test results for the week beginning 3 January 2022.
The very high level of antibodies among young teenagers reflects both the prevalence of coronavirus in this age group in recent months and also the impact of the vaccination programme.
First doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been available for 12 to 15-year-olds since September 2021.
The ONS said said there is a “clear pattern” between vaccination and testing positive for Covid-19 antibodies but “the detection of antibodies alone is not a precise measure of the immunity protection given by vaccination”.
I mentioned earlier that Poland’s deputy health minister Waldemar Kraska had warned that the country would set a new daily cases record today [see 9.22am]. Reuters now have the official figure – 53,420. It means Poland joins Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Russia and Romania in hitting its highest infection rate of the pandemic.
“We have to be ready for a further rise in cases, even above 60,000,” a health ministry spokesperson told a news conference.
In an attempt to combat the surge, Poland has stepped up testing, performing a record 173,000 official tests in 24 hours. It has also said older primary and secondary schoolchildren must switch to remote learning from Thursday.
The Australian navy’s largest ship has docked at disaster-stricken Tonga and was allowed to unload humanitarian supplies in the South Pacific nation – despite crew members being infected with Covid-19, officials have said.
Associated Press report that nearly two dozen sailors aboard the HMAS Adelaide were reported infected yesterday, raising fears the mercy mission could bring the coronavirus to the small archipelago devastated by the recent undersea volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami on 15 January.
Since the pandemic began, Tonga has reported just a single case of Covid-19 and has avoided any outbreaks. The Australian government said in a statement:
We appreciate the decision of the government of Tonga to enable HMAS Adelaide to dock and offload the humanitarian and medical supplies, and the high priority it has placed on Covid safety throughout the recovery process. The ship is undertaking an entirely contactless delivery of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief supplies.
Denmark proposing to end all remaining Covid restrictions next week
Denmark aims to scrap all remaining Covid-19 restrictions next week, the most far-reaching easing of curbs yet seen among the Nordic countries.
In a letter addressed to parliament, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said the government intends to follow recommendations issued by an expert panel on Tuesday to scrap all restrictions. Reuters note that the proposal is still subject to parliamentary approval.
Poland is another country setting Covid records. Deputy health minister Waldemar Kraska said it will report a record number of new Covid-19 cases today, with the daily count rising above 50,000 and expected to climb in coming days,
Kraska told website interia.pl that the highly transmissible Omicron variant currently accounted for around 40% of cases.
“The fifth wave is gaining momentum. Today we will have over 50,000 new SARS-CoV-2 infections,” Kraska said.
“This is a record number, and in the coming days there will be further increases in infections, which we can see from the number of referrals for PCR tests (...) and in the number of tests performed.”
Germany sets new record of 164,000 daily Covid cases as parliament to discuss compulsory vaccines
Germany today reported a new record of 164,000 Covid-19 infections in one day, as the lower house of parliament prepared to debate proposals to either require or robustly encourage residents to be vaccinated.
Around 75% of the population has received at least one dose of a vaccine – less than in other western European countries such as France, Italy or Spain, where the equivalent figures are all over 80% – and the vaccination campaign is stuttering.
Reuters report that the proposals being debated include requiring all adult residents to be vaccinated against Covid, or only those above 50, or merely requiring all those who have not been vaccinated to receive counselling.
Early on in the coronavirus pandemic, Germany was more successful than many of its peers in limiting infections through case tracking and quarantines. But since last summer, vaccine-scepticism and a falloff in regional coordination have taken their toll, and public discontent has grown.
Opponents of compulsory vaccination say it violates the second article of the constitution, which guarantees citizens control over their own bodies.
Russia reported a record daily number of Covid-19 today, for the sixth consecutive day. Reuters report that new daily cases jumped to 74,692, up from from 67,809 a day earlier. The government coronavirus task force also reported 657 official deaths from coronavirus in the last 24 hours.
Speaking of airlines, if you missed it, we had this report from Arthur Neslen earlier:
At least 100,000 “ghost flights” could be flown across Europe this winter because of EU airport slot usage rules, according to analysis by Greenpeace.
The deserted, unnecessary or unprofitable flights are intended to allow airlines to keep their takeoff and landing runway rights in major airports, but they could also generate up to 2.1 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions – or as much as 1.4 million average petrol or diesel cars emit in a year – Greenpeace says.
“The EU Commission requiring airlines to fly empty planes to meet an arbitrary quota is not only polluting, but extremely hypocritical given their climate rhetoric,” said Herwig Schuster, a spokesperson for Greenpeace’s European Mobility for All campaign.
“Transport emissions are skyrocketing,” he said. “It would be irresponsible of the EU to not take the low-hanging fruit of ending ghost flights and banning short-haul flights where there’s a reasonable train connection.”
When the Covid pandemic began, the European Commission cut the benchmark for flight operations that airlines must meet to keep their slots open from 80% to 25%. But last December, Brussels upped the benchmark to 50%, rising again to 64% in March.
Read more of Arthur Neslen’s report here: Airlines flying near-empty ‘ghost flights’ to retain EU airport slots
More passengers took Wizz Air flights over the Christmas period despite the rise of the Omicron variant, and the carrier said it was cautiously optimistic about the continued recovery of air travel during the spring.
The budget airline reported it carried 7.8 million passengers during the three months to the end of December, even more than it did in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic, while its planes were more than three-quarters (77%) full.
Read more of Joanna Partridge’s report here: Wizz Air passenger numbers rise to 7.8m despite Omicron fears
Self-isolation period in Wales to be cut to a minimum of five days
The self-isolation period in Wales is to be cut to a minimum of five full days, the Welsh Government has said. The new rules mean people will be able to end their isolation as long as they have two negative lateral flow tests on days five and six.
Health minister Eluned Morgan confirmed the changes would come into force from Friday 28 January, the same day the country is expected to complete the move to alert level zero. PA Media note that it will bring the nation in line with the measures in place in England and Northern Ireland.
Morgan said: “After carefully reviewing all the available evidence, we believe that testing on days five and six together with five full days of isolation will have the same protective effect as a 10-day isolation period.
“But it is really important everyone self-isolates and uses lateral flow tests in the way advised to ensure they protect others from the risk of infection.”
The minister said that while isolation was important to prevent transmission of the virus, long periods of isolation could “have a negative impact on our mental health and can be damaging for our public services and the wider economy”.
Those who test positive on either day five or day six will still have to continue to self-isolate until they have two negative tests taken 24 hours apart or until day 10, whichever comes first.
Updated
India celebrates Republic Day with festivities curtailed by anti-Covid measures
Thousands of people gathered in New Delhi early this morning to watch a display of the India’s military power amid the annual Republic Day spectacle – however the event was curtailed due to Covid-19.
Associated Press report that nearly 500 schoolchildren, folk dancers, police and military battalions, floats and stunt performers on motorbikes paraded from the presidential palace down the refurbished tree-lined boulevard of Rajpath.
President Ram Nath Kovind received salutes from the marching columns, which included a camel-mounted regiment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, government ministers and foreign diplomats attended. Republic Day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the country’s constitution on 26 January 1950.
Because of the risk of the coronavirus, authorities shortened the usual parade route, which normally culminates at the 17th century Red Fort. The number of people watching the parade was limited and included only fully vaccinated adults and children over 15 who have had at least one dose of vaccine. All spectators were required to wear masks and observe social distance.
On Wednesday, India’s health ministry reported 285,000 new cases, including both delta and omicron variants, and 665 deaths across the country in the past 24 hours, with a test positivity rate of 16.16%.
Hungary sets new daily record for Covid cases as Omicron wave continues
Hungary’s daily tally of new Covid-19 infections has jumped to a record 20,174 today, but Reuters report that government data shows the number of patients being treated in hospital has remained at a relatively low level. There are 3,145 coronavirus patients in hospital now, including 164 on ventilators, the government said.
Andrew Sparrow is up and running early for us today with the UK politics live blog. You can find that here.
I will be continuing on this blog with coronavirus news from around the world.
Updated
Study warns that rise in Covid cases among school-age children in UK could pose risk to adults
The prevalence of Covid in the UK has fallen overall in recent weeks, but has risen in school-age children say researchers who have warned the uptick could pose a risk to adults.
The latest data from the React-1 study, which is based on more than 100,000 swabs from randomly selected individuals in England collected between 5 and 20 January this year, shows that the overall weighted prevalence of Covid was 4.41%, with 99% of positive tests involving the Omicron variant.
The team note the overall prevalence is more than three-fold higher than the previous round in December 2021.
“[It] is by far the highest we’ve seen throughout the pandemic,” said Prof Paul Elliott of Imperial College London, and who led the study.
The team add among those aged 75 years and older the prevalence increased almost 12-fold between rounds, however Elliott noted prevalence was highest in the latest round of the study in children aged 5-11 years, at 7.81%.
While the team add that during January, prevalence overall was found to be decreasing, among children aged 5-17 it rose. That, they write is “likely the consequence of the peak occurring during the end-of-year school break, causing a delay to school-based transmission among children,” noting the rise could pose a risk to adults.
“Clearly there is a risk of transmission from the children to adults, even though currently the adults the rates are decreasing,” said Elliott.
The study also reveals around two-thirds of those who tested positive in the latest round reported previously having had a confirmed Covid infection – although the Elliott noted that could have been at any point during the pandemic, meaning not all may be true reinfections. However the team say the finding suggests there are certain groups have an ongoing higher risk of being exposed to the coronavirus.
While the researchers say vaccination remains the mainstay of the defence against Covid, particularly given the protection it offers against hospitalisation, other approaches might be needed.
“Further measures beyond vaccination may be required if the very high rates of Omicron infection persist, despite Omicron appearing to be intrinsically less likely to cause severe disease,” they write.
Here’s the video clip of UK foreign secretary Liz Truss – complete with awkward pause – denying that she attended or was invited to any parties during lockdown.
. @KayBurley: Did you go to any parties?
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 26, 2022
Liz Truss: "I didn't."
Were you ever invited?
"No."
Latest: https://t.co/AY0HGxVv2R #KayBurley
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/gaY8S3BhAN
The key lines from UK foreign secretary Liz Truss on Sky News are that she has reiterated her 100% support for the prime minister, she has said that she herself attended no parties during lockdown, and she also said – albeit with a slight pause – that she had not been invited to any parties during lockdown. She declined, when asked, to call for Labour leader Keir Starmer to also be investigated by police over having a beer in a constituency office.
Beyond that she said “I’m not going to prejudice the findings of the Sue Gray report, or indeed, the police investigation” or words to that effect quite a lot. She said:
I believe that he’s done a fantastic job as prime minister, whether it’s delivering Brexit, delivering the Covid vaccines, the booster programmes. We’ve now got a much faster growing economy than many of our competitors, thanks to his work, and I believe that’s what we should focus on … I don’t think it’s helpful to speculate on specific claims or specific accusations about what may or may not have happened.
A quick snap from Reuters here that the Czech Republic has recorded 39,614 new Covid-19 infections for its highest daily tally since the pandemic began, health ministry data showed on Wednesday.
Tuesday’s figure is the week’s second highest in the nation, after 30,367 infections were found on Monday in the country of 10.7 million people, which is bracing for an expected peak in Omicron infections this month.
Our political editor Heather Stewart has five things to look out for from the Sue Gray report when it is published. She identifies these key questions:
- What was the prime minister’s direct involvement in lockdown breaches?
- What does Gray say about the culture in No 10 and who is responsible?
- Which senior civil servants and advisers are named – and shamed?
- Are any other ministers, aside from Johnson, implicated?
- Has Gray found evidence of carousing upstairs in the flat Johnson shares with his wife, Carrie?
You can find her answers here:
“We will absolutely publish the findings of the report … unless there is some specific issue” is the line that UK foreign secretary Liz Truss has immediately taken on Sky News this morning over the Sue Gray report. Asked whether Boris Johnson would have to resign if he had broken the law or misled parliament, she said:
The prime minister has appeared before parliament. He has apologised for what has happened. He has admitted that mistakes were made, and I 100% support him and want him to continue as prime minister.
Hello from London. It is Martin Belam here taking over from Samantha Lock. As you know by now, I usually bring you quotes and key lines from whichever government minister in the UK is on the airwaves. Sky News and Times Radio are promising they will have Liz Truss on, although Good Morning Britain are suggesting they haven’t had any minister confirmed.
'As often happens when there's a big news story around for the Government, they disappear.'
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) January 26, 2022
Currently, a Government Minister will not be appearing on GMB this morning. We invite any Minister to come on and answer your questions.@susannareid100 | @adilray pic.twitter.com/FX09DXFxr3
Speaking of reinfections, here is a handy guide compiled by Guardian science correspondent Nicola Davis.
According to the latest figures for England from the UKHSA, from the start of the pandemic up to 9 January this year there were 425,890 possible reinfections, with 109,936 found in the week ending 9 January, accounting for almost 11% of all cases that week.
Read the full analysis below.
Updated
Two-thirds of people with Omicron in England had Covid before, study finds
Two-thirds of people recently infected with the Omicron variant say they had Covid previously, according to a new British study.
The REACT (REal-time Assessment of Community Transmission) research team swap-tested thousands of volunteers across England.
Almost two out of every three Covid-positive participants reported having had Covid before, according to the findings published by the Imperial College London on Wednesday.
“Among the 3,582 swab-positive individuals reporting whether or not they had had previous infection, 2,315 (64.6%) reported a confirmed previous infection,” the report read.
The researchers concluded that past infection was associated with a high risk of reinfection with Omicron.
However, more work is needed to determine how many of the results are true reinfections or PCR tests which may have picked up old traces of the virus.
Risks of infection were found to increase among people living in large compared to single-person households, those in more deprived areas and among people of Asian, Black and other ethnicities, according to the findings.
The research programme, commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and carried out by Imperial College London, is in partnership with Ipsos MORI and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
South Korea hits new daily case record
South Korea’s daily new coronavirus cases has exceeded 13,000 for the first time, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
The record of 13,012 comes just a day after the tally topped 8,000 for the first time amid a rapid spread of the Omicron variant and despite an extension of tough social distancing rules.
Omicron is likely to account for more than 90% of new infections over the next few weeks, with the daily numbers surging to 20,000 to 30,000 or more, health officials said. The variant became dominant in the country last week.
“Going forward, our top priority is to reduce critically ill patients and deaths,” prime minister Kim Boo-kyum told an inter-ministry meeting on Wednesday.
A new testing policy has taken effect in four designated cities on a pilot basis, under which only priority groups can take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test while others should get a rapid antigen test first at a local clinic.
The programme will be expanded on 29 January to include some 256 state-run testing stations nationwide, and then hundreds of local clinics starting 3 February, Kim said.
The government has also cut mandatory isolation for people who have been vaccinated but tested positive to seven days from 10, as part of efforts to free up resources for serious cases.
The Netherlands to ease restrictions, reopen bars and restaurants
The Dutch government will today further ease Covid restrictions despite record numbers of infections, with restaurants, bars and theatres set to re-open on Wednesday.
Prime minister Mark Rutte told a news conference on Tuesday:
The Netherlands has missed you.
Today we are taking a big step to further unlock the Netherlands. That feels contradictory while the contamination figures are going through the roof, and we have to be clear that we are taking a risk.
Rutte said the decision was in response to “great tensions” with the hospitality and cultural sectors over a virtual lockdown imposed days before Christmas.
Anger mounted after shops, gyms, hairdressers and sex workers were allowed to resume business on 15 January, but other venues had to stay shut. Cafes in several cities opened in defiance of the restrictions the weekend before last, while dozens of museums even opened as well as beauty salons for a day in protest, Agence France-Presse reports.
The European country is currently seeing record numbers of coronavirus cases, with new infections running at around 60,000 a day, fuelled by the Omicron variant.
However, intensive care admissions and deaths have been falling.
Cafes, bars and restaurants can open again until 10pm, so long as patrons have a Covid pass, wear masks when not seated, and capacity is reduced, the government said.
Cinemas, theatres and museums may also welcome back customers, but nightclubs must stay closed for the time being.
Fans can also return to football matches and other professional sports, but stadium capacity will be limited.
Quarantine rules for schools will also be relaxed, with classes no longer having to shut if three or more cases are confirmed, and children under 18 need no longer isolate after contact with an infected person.
Summary
Hello it’s Samantha Lock back with you on the blog to unravel all the latest Covid developments.
Amid the chaos surrounding alleged Downing Street lockdown breaches it may be easy to forget we are still in the midst of a global pandemic.
However, the saga is set to enter a new phase with an official report by senior civil servant Sue Gray due to be published in the coming days.
Arch-critics of prime minister Boris Johnson are hopeful that Gray’s findings will be damaging enough to trigger what they believe will be the final trickle of letters needed to get to 54 and force a no confidence vote.
Just across the UK border in the Netherlands, the Dutch government will further ease Covid restrictions despite record numbers of infections, with restaurants, bars and theatres set to re-open on Wednesday.
“The Netherlands has missed you,” prime minister Mark Rutte told a news conference on Tuesday. “Today we are taking a big step to further unlock the Netherlands. That feels contradictory while the contamination figures are going through the roof, and we have to be clear that we are taking a risk.”
The Netherlands has so far endured some of Europe’s toughest Covid restrictions.
Here are all the global Covid developments from the past 24 hours:
Europe:
-
Boris Johnson said he welcomes a police inquiry into Downing Street parties and will help “draw a line” under matters. Earlier, Metropolitan police said they would begin investigating parties held at No 10 during coronavirus lockdowns. The development piles further pressure on the prime minister after fresh revelations of two more gatherings, including one to celebrate his birthday.
- Sue Gray’s inquiry report is reportedly set to come this week after the Met said there is no need to hold material back.
- The UK reported 439 deaths within 28 days of a Covid-positive test. That’s the highest tally since February 2021. Tuesday’s data showed 94,326 new daily cases. The figures are often higher on a Tuesday when most deaths at the weekend are included in the tally. Last Tuesday, 438 deaths were reported.
- The UK’s health secretary, Sajid Javid, said 77,000 NHS workers remain unvaccinated, and Covid policies – including on mandatory jabs for NHS staff – should be kept “under review”.
- Scotland will allow people to return to offices from Monday, in a “phased” plan announced by Nicola Sturgeon. The first minister asked employers to begin a phased return to work by introducing hybrid working next week after a continuing decline in Omicron variant cases in Scotland, in an update to MSPs at Holyrood.
- Italy’s daily cases have more than doubled in a day to 186,740. This is up from 77,696 a day earlier, the health ministry said. The number of deaths jumped to 468 from 352, though more tests had been taken in the past day than on Monday.
- In Germany, the anti-vaccination movement is ramping up, with thousands of people taking part in weekly protests across the country. More than 2,000 rallies were held on Monday.
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Russia has cut the isolation time for Covid contacts from 14 days to seven, amid a surge in infections driven by the Omicron variant. On Tuesday, daily cases reached the record high of 67,809, official figures show.
- Doctors have discovered an “antibody signature” that can help identify patients most at risk of developing long Covid.
- Malta will start to scrap a requirement for people to present a vaccination certificate for entry to restaurants and other venues from next month.
- Bars, restaurants and theatres in the Netherlands can reopen on 26 January, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said, further relaxing restrictions despite record infection levels.
United States:
- The US Department of Labor said it will withdraw its Covid-19 vaccine-and-testing requirement for large employers after the Supreme Court blocked the rule.
- An appeals judge has temporarily restored New York’s mask mandate on Tuesday, a day after a judge in a lower court ruled that Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration lacked the constitutional authority to order people to wear face coverings.
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Elton John has postponed two farewell concert dates in Dallas, Texas, after contracting Covid-19.
Asia:
- South Korea’s daily count of new cases topped 8,000 for the first time, despite the recent extension of strict social-distancing rules.* Two years since its first infection, Australia recorded one of its highest number of Covid-related deaths in a day.
- Japan expanded regions subject to tighter curbs to cover 70% of the country, as the government tried to counter a record wave of Covid-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant.
Middle East:
- An Israeli government advisory panel has recommended offering a fourth vaccine dose to all adults, on condition that at least five months have passed since they received the third or recovered from the illness.
Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, have begun testing a vaccine specifically designed to fight the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the companies have announced.
Updated
