14th Jan 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=177 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Al Jazeera English A major chunk of the global recovery in companies earnings recovery expected in the first quarter of 2021 is at risk of being pushed back further as coronavirus lockdowns and mobility restrictions in several countries cloud hopes of a swifter economic rebound investment banks said. China announced lockdowns in four cities and European countries unveiled tighter and longer coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday denting backtonormal hopes and sparking worries about further economic damage in 2021. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/1/13/global-recovery-at-risk-of-being-pushed-back-by-fresh-lockdowns 14th Jan 2021

Lockdown Exit

Aljazeera.com The WHO has urged countries to prioritise COVAX an initiative to secure vaccines for low and middleincome nations. The global rollout of COVID19 vaccines is widening the divide between the worlds rich and poor. The United Nations warns vaccine nationalism is on the rise as Europe the United States and many wealthier countries buy up millions of potential doses. The World Health Organization urged countries to prioritise COVAX an initiative to secure vaccines for low and middleincome nations. So how can we ensure protection for everyone Presenter Mohammed Jamjoom https://www.aljazeera.com/program/inside-story/2021/1/13/will-poorer-nations-miss-out-on-covid-19-vaccine 14th Jan 2021

Lockdown Exit

The Times The French sports minister has said she requires further government guarantees before France will be permitted to play in England and Ireland during the Six Nations. Roxana Maracineanu confirmed France would be given clearance to play their opening fixture of the championship against Italy in Rome on February 6. However she has concerns over Fabien Galthis squad travelling to face Ireland in Dublin on February 14 and England at Twickenham on March 13 because of the rapid rise in Covid19 cases in both countries. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/frances-six-nations-matches-at-risk-without-safety-guarantees-xgh8wsbgc 13th Jan 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters How can technology help companies worldwide return to work safely when lockdown ends At Siemens Ruth Gratzke is overseeing a Return with Confidence campaign to create safe and healthy indoor office environments. It addresses everything from elevators where you dont have to touch the buttons touchless interactions throughout the building or management of meeting rooms and desks around social distancing said Gratzke who is president of Siemens Smart Infrastructure U.S. a unit of Siemens AG. Its about using creative and new technologies looking at whats available in tech and giving people the confidence to return to the office. https://www.reuters.com/article/change-suite-siemens/return-with-confidence-using-tech-to-create-safe-offices-post-pandemic-idUSL1N2JN2P6 13th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg The U.S. government wants states to offer vaccines to millions more Americans as Covid19 infections continue to soar in a bid to bolster an immunization campaign thats off to a rocky start. In recommending that states start immunizing all residents 65 and older along with all those between 16 and 64 with medical conditions that make them more vulnerable to serious disease U.S. health officials are clearing a path for about 128 million more Americans to be vaccinated. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-13/u-s-vaccine-shift-stirs-fresh-unease-as-128-million-join-line 13th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

The Guardian The journalist and Labour peer Joan Bakewell is threatening the government with legal action over its policy to delay the second dose of PfizerBioNTechs Covid vaccine. Lady Bakewell 87 said there were grounds to show the decision taken by ministers to widen the gap between doses from the three weeks recommended by the manufacturer to up to 12 weeks was unlawful. She has instructed the law firm Leigh Day to start proceedings in response to the new dosing strategy and names the respondent as the health secretary Matt Hancock. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/12/joan-bakewell-legal-action-delays-second-covid-vaccine-dose 13th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Second shots of coronavirus vaccine could be delayed even further amid growing evidence that spacing out the doses improves their effectiveness. The NHS vaccination programme aims to immunise about 14 million people at greatest risk of Covid by midFebruary with second doses to be given up to 12 weeks later. But Public Health Englands head of immunisation Mary Ramsay told MPs on Wednesday that if infection data showed vulnerable groups such as the over80s were well protected by their first shot then second doses could be delayed to get a first jab to younger people as well. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/13/second-shots-of-covid-vaccine-could-be-delayed-further-in-england 13th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

MSN.com Just 43 per cent of people who develop Covid19 symptoms are getting a test according to shock new data. An ongoing UCL study has been tracking the social aspect of the pandemic and how the general public has been behaving and adhering to the everchanging rules and guidance. It started in midMarch 2020 and regularly quizzes more than 70000 Britons about their life in lockdown. Data shows a third of people requested a test every time they developed symptoms one in ten got a test only on some of the occasions when they had symptoms and 57 per cent never requested a test despite having symptoms https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/less-than-half-of-people-with-covid-19-symptoms-request-tests/ar-BB1cIDAX 13th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

Sky News Care homes are being asked to take COVID patients straight from hospitals without a recent test under new guidance. In a document seen by Sky News the NHS is now advising that patients can be moved from a hospital directly to a care home within 90 days of a positive COVID test or the onset of symptoms. Patients will not be required to have a further COVID19 test in the 48 hours prior to their discharge. But they will have to have completed a 14day isolation period and have shown no new coronavirus symptoms or had any no new COVID19 exposure https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-care-homes-asked-to-take-coronavirus-patients-straight-from-hospitals-without-recent-test-12186899 13th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

Daily Mail The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC has announced it will start requiring all international travelers coming into the US to show proof of a negative COVID19 test in order to enter the country. Global testing requirements would be an expansion on a Trump administration policy barring UK travelers without a negative test from entry which was announced on December 24. The new rule first reported by The Wall Street Journal will apply to Americans returning home from abroad as well as visitors. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9139645/US-require-negative-COVID-19-tests-international-travelers.html 13th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Spain aims for all its nursing home residents to have received a first dose of vaccine against the coronavirus by the end of the week Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting. Since kicking off its vaccination campaign at the end of December and with new infections on the rise Spain has focused its efforts on inoculating elderly nursinghome residents who are particularly vulnerable to COVID19. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-spain/spain-aims-for-all-care-home-residents-to-get-first-covid-19-vaccine-dose-by-weekend-idUSKBN29H1P3 13th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters British airline easyJet said the National Health Service NHS would train hundreds of its cabin crew to administer COVID19 vaccines under a fasttrack scheme designed to help boost the countrys vaccination efforts. The government plans to vaccinate the elderly the vulnerable and frontline workers around 15 million people by midFebruary and is opening up centres and recruiting volunteers to help it meet its target. With travel at very low levels due to the lockdown many of easyJets 3000 cabin crew are not working but are both first aid trained and security cleared making them attractive candidates to the NHS to help with the programme. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-easyjet/easyjet-cabin-crew-to-help-with-uk-vaccination-programme-idUSKBN29I14R 13th Jan 2021

Partisan Exits

Al Jazeera English Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a coronavirus vaccine jab on December 19 kicking off a national rollout that has made Israel the worlds COVID19 vaccination drive leader. But while Israels vaccination campaign even includes Jewish settlers living deep inside the illegally occupied West Bank it will exclude the nearly five million Palestinians living under occupation there or in the blockaded Gaza Strip. They will have to wait for the cashstrapped Palestinian Authority PA which administers parts of the West Bank under interim peace agreements signed in the 1990s to provide the jabs. The Palestinian health ministry expects the first batches of the AstraZeneca COVID19 vaccine to arrive in the occupied West Bank and Gaza at the beginning of March more than two months after Israel began its rollout. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/13/how-will-palestinians-get-the-covid-vaccine 14th Jan 2021

Partisan Exits

BBC News A teacher is making online videos with children to tackle myths in South Asian communities about the safety of the Covid19 vaccine. A study recently found some ethnic minorities were targeted with inaccurate antivaccination messages. Neetal Parekh from Preston believes the language barrier is one reason why some older people have been scared to have the vaccine. She said many were being misled simply because they do not know enough. The 36yearold has created a collection of short videos of young children urging their grandparents to have the vaccine in a variety of South Asian languages such as Gujarati Hindi Punjabi and Urdu. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-55630726 13th Jan 2021

Partisan Exits

The Associated Press As the U.S. goes through the most lethal phase of the coronavirus outbreak yet governors and local officials in hardhit parts of the country are showing little willingness to impose any new restrictions on businesses to stop the spread. And unlike in 2020 when the debate over lockdowns often split along party lines both Democratic and Republican leaders are signaling their opposition to forced closings and other measures. Some have expressed fear of compounding the heavy economic damage inflicted by the outbreak. Some see little patience among their constituents for more restrictions 10 months into the crisis. And some seem to be focused more on the rollout of the vaccines that could eventually vanquish the threat. https://apnews.com/article/business-pandemics-new-york-andrew-cuomo-coronavirus-pandemic-5b8f0d337c32c914f49e42b545e6acce 13th Jan 2021

Partisan Exits

Daily Mail Deputy chief medical officer said extending gap would make little difference Kent strain cannot travel further through the air than regular variant he said Masks only needed in high risk indoor areas where Covid more likely to spread https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9142221/Jonathan-Van-Tam-shoots-calls-social-distancing-rule-extended-three-metres.html 13th Jan 2021

Partisan Exits

Brisbane Times A leading international human rights group has lashed the Victorian government for subjecting more than 3000 people in public housing towers to a mandatory lockdown and a heavyhanded police response to the states second wave of coronavirus cases. Human Rights Watch has said in its annual report that while Australia was a vibrant democracy with robust institutions police efforts to enforce lockdowns during the pandemic raised concerns over freedom of expression and the misuse of police powers. https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/harsh-measures-human-rights-watch-raises-concern-about-victorian-lockdown-20210113-p56tp2.html?ref=rss&amputm_medium=rss&amputm_source=rss_feed 13th Jan 2021

Partisan Exits

Reuters Shared images of meagre food packages supplied to children by schools during Englands COVID19 lockdown prompted an outcry on Tuesday and led the government to warn private suppliers to raise their standards. With England in lockdown to try to control a surge in coronavirus cases the government has asked schools to provide free lunches for eligible children stuck at home. However images shared online of some of the food parcels were criticized by politicians celebrities and the public who questioned whether they contained enough food and nutrition for the number of meals they were supposed to cover. The outcry began when one Twitter user posted a parcel she said was expected to last 10 days of lunches containing a loaf of bread two potatoes two carrots three apples a tomato some dried pasta bananas cheese beans and other small snack https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-britain-schools/meagre-lockdown-food-parcels-for-english-school-children-provoke-outcry-idUSL8N2JN5A6 13th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Sky News Compliance with coronavirus rules has risen sharply since December and is now at its highest point since the first lockdown according to a major new survey seen by Sky News. The results cast doubt on the governments claims that rulebreaking is contributing to a rise in COVID19 deaths after ministers and senior police officers warned that enforcement would be increased to ensure compliance. But while the restrictions are being followed by most people the study confirmed rulebending remains as commonplace as throughout the pandemic with a large minority adding their own modifications to the rules especially when it comes to meeting other people and selfisolation time. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-compliance-with-restrictions-at-highest-point-since-first-lockdown-new-data-reveals-12186138 13th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

The Guardian Shops in Scotland have been ordered to stop nonessential clickandcollect services and alcohol consumption is to be banned outdoors in a further tightening of lockdown measures. Nicola Sturgeon the first minister said shops would be allowed to offer click and collect only for essential goods such as clothes shoes baby equipment books and homeware from Saturday 16 January. Takeaway outlets will be banned from allowing customers into the building. I must stress at the outset that the situation we face in relation to the virus remains very precarious and extremely serious she told MSPs. UK government ministers are considering restricting click and collect in England and Matt Hancock the health secretary joined Sturgeon in welcoming John Lewiss voluntary decision on Tuesday to suspend its collect services. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jan/13/scotlands-lockdown-tightened-with-click-and-collect-alcohol-and-takeaway-curbs-coronavirus 13th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

The Financial Times Parents in the UK face impossible choices between their livelihood and their childrens wellbeing according to campaigners and business groups who say employers have become less willing to grant furlough requests to help manage the pressures of home schooling. During the first national lockdown last spring parents were twice as likely to be furloughed as those without children according to analysis by the Office for National Statistics which also found that many of those still working could only manage by catching up in the early hours and late at night. Polling by the TUC found that one in six mothers mostly those in lowpaid jobs had no choice but to cut their hours. https://www.ft.com/content/9fd784ab-bba0-4af7-90bd-257ecfde6053 13th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Medical News Today One of the most challenging aspects of the COVID19 pandemic is the stubborn persistence of the SARSCoV2 virus. It may feel as though the situation is improving at times but when events force governments to enact new lockdowns the effect can be disheartening. A recent study by researchers at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom has explored some strategies for maintaining emotional wellbeing during lockdown. It suggests that the most effective strategy for managing the emotional burden of lockdown may be to train ones perspective forward toward positive aspects of the future. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/to-thrive-in-lockdown-keep-looking-forward 13th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

The Japan Times Over the past 15 years democracy across Asia has regressed. Although the region still has strong democracies like South Korea Japan and Taiwan many other leading Asian democracies and countries with democratic potential have slid backwards turning into nearautocracies or outright authoritarian states. While Thailand had been one of the freest states in Asia in the late 1990s and early 2000s it has suffered two military coups in the past decade and now is run by a parliamentary government that took power after a seriously flawed election in 2019. Bangladesh had built itself into a shaky but increasingly vibrant democracy by the early 2010s but in the past decade has deteriorated into a de facto oneparty regime with opposition activists civil society leaders and journalists jailed and murdered. The Philippines which had become a solid democracy in the decades following after the Marcos regime elected President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 and then witnessed mass extrajudicial killings crackdowns on media outlets and violent targeting of Dutertes political opponents. And in India the most populous democracy in the world recent years have included the Narendra Modi government undermining the independence of the judiciary and cowing independent media. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/01/13/commentary/world-commentary/coronavirus-asia-democracies/ 13th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Sky News Police are in talks with ministers to tighten the woolly and incredibly vague lockdown regulations around exercise a senior officer has said. Existing rules are a real challenge Owen Weatherill from the National Police Chiefs Council told a committee of MPs on Wednesday. The assistant chief constable who is leading the policing response to the pandemic in England and Wales was giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee. Mr Weatherill told members police were holding discussions with the Home Office and the Department of Health in the hope that they could give greater clarity to the public and also to our officers. He said Its really difficult to get the right balance I dont think theres a perfect answer for anybody because whichever way you frame it somebody will be disadvantaged. Thats the reality of what were dealing with here. There was a deliberate effort to try and make it flexible initially so there was a degree of freedom of choice for people and you could exercise some of the decisions you wanted to within certain ranges but that clearly is presenting other problems. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-police-in-talks-with-ministers-about-tightening-vague-lockdown-exercise-rules-12186804 13th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

New Zealand Herald A Canadian couple have been fined for breaching local lockdown laws after police caught a husband and wife out for a walk. Unusually the wife had leashed her husband for the excursion. She reportedly told officers that she was walking her dog when she was confronted by police. The incident occurred in the city of Sherbrooke in Quebec provice. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/covid-19-coronavirus-woman-walks-husband-on-leash-to-avoid-canadian-lockdown-law/CSFITLG6MC6VTF2XNYZKRSJKZI/ 13th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

iNews One week after schools in England closed key worker parents and NHS staff are missing out on facetoface education places for their children as schools attempt to adhere to broader key worker guidance while managing a problematic increase in attendance. Both teachers and parents told i that they were finding it increasingly difficult to manage demand for children to attend school. While schools in England closed for most pupils on Tuesday 5 January as with the first lockdown they remain open for vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers as well as for those children without digital devices or quiet spaces in their homes and the children of EU transition workers. https://inews.co.uk/news/education/school-key-worker-lottery-nhs-staff-lockdown-classroom-places-children-attend-rules-825944 13th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Africa Governments across Europe announced tighter and longer coronavirus lockdowns and curbs on Wednesday amid fears of a fastspreading variant first detected in Britain with vaccinations not expected to help much until the spring. Vaccines are being rolled out across the continent but not as quickly as many countries had wished and the effects are not expected until inoculations are widespread among the population. Italy will extend its COVID19 state of emergency to the end of April Health Minister Roberto Speranza said as infections show no sign of abating. Switzerland announced tighter measures to tackle new variants of the COVID19 virus and extended the closure of restaurants cultural and sport sites by five weeks to run until the end of February. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus/europe-extends-and-tightens-lockdowns-with-fingers-crossed-for-vaccines-idUSKBN29I1JZ 13th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Scotland will tighten its lockdown measures to restrict nonessential retailers from offering clickandcollect services and limit how takeaway food and drink can be sold from Saturday First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said. A national lockdown was announced for mainland Scotland on Jan. 4 shortly before UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced similar measures for England. Sturgeon said that a rapid increase of cases caused by a new variant of the coronavirus appeared to be slowing down but said it was not an indication that it was safe to ease lockdown adding that more needed to be done. Case numbers are still so high and the new variant is so infectious that we must be as tough and as effective as we possibly can be to stop it spreading Sturgeon said on Wednesday. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-britain-scotland/scotland-to-tighten-lockdown-rules-on-retail-and-takeaway-from-saturday-idUSL8N2JO3VZ 13th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Germany will not be able to lift all coronavirus lockdown curbs at the beginning of February Health Minister Jens Spahn said stressing the need to further reduce contacts to fend off a more virulent variant of the virus. The German cabinet on Wednesday approved stricter controls on people entering the country after a national lockdown was last week tightened and extended to the end of January. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-germany-spahn/germany-will-have-covid-curbs-beyond-january-health-minister-idUSKBN29I0TI 13th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Denmark on Wednesday extended hard lockdown measures by at least three weeks to limit the spread of the coronavirus in particular a more transmissible variant of the virus that is spreading in the Nordic country. Denmark has so far registered 208 cases of the new variant dubbed cluster B 1.1.7. which was first registered in Britain and has spread across Europe. It is the growth that is extremely worrying Health Minister Magnus Heunicke told a news conference late on Wednesday. This means that we will see a situation with sharply increasing infection rates later in the winter if the situation continues as it is now he said. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-denmark/denmark-to-extend-lockdown-measures-by-three-weeks-media-reports-idUSKBN29I239 13th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Reuters British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday tougher restrictions brought in last week were starting to have an effect on the spread of COVID in some parts of the country cautioning that it was still early days. What we are now seeing and its very very important to stress that these are early days we are now seeing the beginnings of some signs that that is starting to have an effect in many parts of the country but by no means everywhere and it is early days he told parliament. He also said he did not rule out bringing in even tougher restrictions to try to temper the spread of the coronavirus which has largely been driven by a new variant. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-johnson-re/lockdown-starting-to-have-an-effect-says-uk-pm-johnson-idUSKBN29I1KF 13th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

CNN International Early stage trials of Johnson Johnsons experimental coronavirus vaccine show it generated an immune response in nearly all volunteers with minimal sideeffects after a single dose. The company expects to report details of more advanced trials later this month and is hoping to apply for authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration soon after. Researchers who tested the vaccine in a combined Phase 12 trial mostly meant to show safety found either one or two doses of the vaccine generated both antibody and Tcell responses against the coronavirus. The trials were not designed to show whether the vaccine protected people against either infection or symptoms of coronavirus thats what the ongoing Phase 3 trials are designed to do. Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine an international team of researchers who tested the vaccine in around 800 volunteers said the early stage trials showed it was safe and probably should work. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/13/health/johnson-coronavirus-vaccine-early-trials/index.html 13th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters People who have had COVID19 are highly likely to have immunity to it for at least five months but there is evidence that those with antibodies may still be able to carry and spread the virus a UK study of healthcare workers has found. Preliminary findings by scientists at Public Health England PHE showed that reinfections in people who have COVID19 antibodies from a past infection are rare with only 44 cases found among 6614 previously infected people in the study. But experts cautioned that the findings mean people who contracted the disease in the first wave of the pandemic in the early months of 2020 may now be vulnerable to catching it again. They also warned that people with socalled natural immunity acquired through having had the infection may still be able carry the SARSCoV2 coronavirus in their nose and throat and could unwittingly pass it on. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-immunity/covid-19-infection-gives-some-immunity-for-at-least-five-months-uk-study-finds-idUSKBN29J004 14th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

FiercePharma Pfizer partner BioNTech upped the pairs 2021 COVID19 output projection to 2 billion doses for 2021 up from a previous estimate of up from a previous estimate of 1.3 billion But how will the companies get there https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/jpm-how-did-pfizer-up-its-covid-19-vaccine-capacity-out-box-manufacturing-ceo-says 13th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Pharma Letter In a collective flexing of muscles over the controversy of how and when to dose the new COVID19 vaccines now appearing on global markets the leading pharma and vaccine lobbying bodies have come out strongly in favor of using the products as indicated by manufacturers and the various medicine regulators that have approved their use which so far has largely been on a conditionalemergency basis. In a joint statement issue this afternoon the biopharmaceutical industry said it acknowledges the considerable challenges governments are facing to urgently address the enormous strain the pandemic is placing on healthcare systems societies and economies. In light of the urgent need to reach as many people as possible with COVID19 vaccines there are emerging discussions regarding dosing strategies that may not be supported by the authorized labelling or published clinical data. https://www.thepharmaletter.com/article/covid-19-vaccine-dosing-schedules-should-be-adhered-to-say-stakeholders 13th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Johnson Johnson could deliver the first doses of its COVID19 vaccine to Europe in April an EU official told Reuters on Wednesday after a top lawmaker said the U.S. healthcare company was likely to seek EU regulatory approval in February. Clinical data on the vaccine has been assessed by the European Medicines Agency EMA since Dec. 1 under a rolling review to speed up possible approval. A senior EU official who is involved in negotiations with vaccine makers and spoke on condition of anonymity said the JJ shot could be available from April 1 in Europe. Earlier on Wednesday an EU lawmaker said JJ could seek EU approval for its oneshot vaccine in February. https://www.reuters.com/article/healthcoronavirus-vaccine-eu-johnsonjohn/update-1-jj-likely-to-apply-for-eu-approval-for-covid-vaccine-in-february-lawmaker-idUSL1N2JO0YQ 13th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The New York Times Johnson Johnson expects to release critical results from its Covid19 vaccine trial in as little as two weeks a potential boon in the effort to protect Americans from the coronavirus but most likely wont be able to provide as many doses this spring as it promised the federal government because of unanticipated manufacturing delays. If the vaccine can strongly protect people against Covid19 as some outside scientists expect it would offer big advantages over the two vaccines authorized in the United States. Unlike those products which require two doses Johnson Johnsons could need just one greatly simplifying logistics for local health departments and clinics struggling to get shots in arms. Whats more its vaccine can stay stable in a refrigerator for months whereas the others have to be frozen. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/health/covid-vaccine-johnson-johnson.html 13th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters on MSN.com Johnson Johnson is on track to roll out its singleshot coronavirus vaccine in March and expects to have clear data on how effective it is by the end of this month or early February the U.S. healthcare companys chief scientific officer said. Dr. Paul Stoffels in an interview on Tuesday also said JJ expects to meet its stated target of delivering 1 billion doses of its vaccine by the end of this year as the company ramps up production. Stoffels said it was premature to say how many doses would be available in March presuming the company receives emergency authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The New York Times reported earlier on Wednesday that JJ was experiencing manufacturing delays that would reduce the number of doses on hand initially. https://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/wellbeing/j-j-covid-19-vaccine-on-track-for-march-rollout-still-aims-for-1-billion-doses-this-year-executive/ar-BB1cJ1Ye 13th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail European countries that had stricter mitigation measures against COVID19 likely saved thousands of lives a new study finds. Nations such as Serbia Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina had closed schools and offices limited gatherings and implemented stayathome orders before cases began rapidly spreading across the continent the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention CDC revealed on Tuesday. Meanwhile countries such as the UK Belarus and Luxembourg implanted few to no restrictions allowing infections to spread relatively unchecked. Whats more the CDC found that sterner restrictions in most European countries could have led at least 74000 fewer deaths mostly in the UK France and Spain. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9140045/Stricter-COVID-19-restrictions-likely-saved-THOUSANDS-lives-European-countries-study-finds.html 13th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC News A coronavirus vaccine developed by Chinas Sinovac has been found to be 50.4 effective in Brazilian clinical trials according to the latest results released by researchers. It shows the vaccine is significantly less effective than previous data suggested barely over the 50 needed for regulatory approval. The Chinese vaccine is one of two that the Brazilian government has lined up. Brazil has been one of the countries worst affected by Covid19. Sinovac a Beijingbased biopharmaceutical company is behind CoronaVac an inactivated vaccine. It works by using killed viral particles to expose the bodys immune system to the virus without risking a serious disease response. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-55642648 13th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Lancet Although adults with asthma appear to have a reduced risk of severe COVID19 compared with younger populations1 women with asthma might represent a somewhat susceptible subgroup for severe COVID19 requiring hospitalisation.2 A study by Atkins and colleagues established female sex as an independent risk factor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 SARSCoV2 hospitalisation among patients with asthma in the UK.2 This study and three additional studies from Paris France Illinois USA and New York NY USA report that 3753 of all individuals hospitalised with SARSCoV2 were women.3 4 5 However 5671 of patients with asthma hospitalised for COVID19 were women in these studies https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(21)00007-2/fulltext 13th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail Mental health charity Minds daily website views rose from 9580 to 14167. Its chief executive Paul Farmer warned there was a mental health pandemic. YoungMinds parents helpline has received calls about anxiety and depression. Britain was plunged into a third national lockdown by Boris Johnson last week https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9141799/amp/Coronavirus-UK-Lockdown-creating-unprecedented-mental-illness-pandemic-experts-warn.html 13th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Sky News Almost half of intensive care workers have turned to alcohol or had suicidal thoughts during the coronavirus pandemic a new study suggests. The research shows that 45 of ICU staff polled met the clinical threshold for at least one of the following posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD severe anxiety or depression and problem drinking. One in eight 13 said they had experienced frequent thoughts of being better off dead or hurting themselves within the past two weeks. The study published in the Occupational Medicine journal surveyed 709 healthcare workers from nine intensive care wards across England in June and July 2020 but has not yet been peer reviewed. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-study-suggests-almost-half-of-icu-staff-have-turned-to-alcohol-or-had-suicidal-thoughts-12186480?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter 13th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Evening Standard Two million doses of the OxfordAstraZeneca jabs will imminently be delivered to the NHS a week as the vaccine rollout is dramatically stepped up a pharmaceutical boss said today. Tom KeithRoach president at AstraZeneca UK said 1.1 million doses of the companys Covid19 jab had been released to date. He told the Commons science and technology committee We are scaling up very rapidly and this will happen imminently to releasing two million doses a week. Were absolutely on track to do that and therefore deliver tens of millions of doses in the first quarter of the year. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/oxford-astrazeneca-jabs-delivery-two-million-nhs-b872566.html?utm_medium=Social&amputm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1610541947 13th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Classic FM A German concert hall commissioned a study which found that with the correct ventilation system arts venues are theoretically covidsafe at half audience capacity. Concert hall closures have been a heavy blow for musicians in Germany the UK and in all countries shaken by the coronavirus pandemic. And while there has been government aid it has rarely been enough to offset lost income from cancelled gigs. In the wake of ongoing closures in its region in north Germany the Dortmund Concert Hall decided to commission a study from scientific research organisation the Fraunhofer Society to investigate the spatial spread of aerosols and CO2 in a music venue. The study looks specifically at the risk of infection for audience members when attending concert halls and theatres. https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/coronavirus/german-study-finds-concert-halls-safe-half-capacity/ 12th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Metro Journalist Sara Sidner could barely speak during Tuesdays segment where she spoke about the Covid19 crisis in California. Sara broke down in tears following a news package about how the virus has disproportionately affected Black and Latino families. A clip that was shown on the programme centered around a family that had to hold a funeral for their mother in a parking lot. This is the 10th hospital that I have been Sara began as she choked back the tears. Im sorry she added. I apologise Im going to try to get through this. https://metro.co.uk/2021/01/13/cnn-reporter-breaks-down-as-she-grieves-for-families-affected-by-covid-13895598/?ico=more_text_links 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Globe and Mail Ontarios premier is defending his governments new stayathome order against criticism that the latest measure to fight COVID19 is not clear. Doug Ford stressed that the measure means people should use their best judgment to determine if they need to leave their home as virus rates surge. Under the order that takes effect Thursday Ontario residents will be required to stay at home except for essential activities such as accessing health care shopping for groceries or outdoor exercise. The government has also restricted hours of operation for nonessential retailers currently offering delivery and curbside pick up to between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. and a fiveperson cap on outdoor social gatherings. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-reports-2961-new-covid-19-cases-as-province-set-to-give-update/ 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Gazette on MSN.com Updated throughout the day on Wednesday Jan. 13. Questionscomments ariga@postmedia.com Top updates Quebec reports 2071 new cases 35 deaths as hospitalizations rise Quebec is recording more cases https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/covid-19-live-updates-quebec-reports-2071-new-cases-35-deaths-as-hospitalizations-continue-to-rise/ar-BB1cILF2 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Daily Mail 91st Luberhorn classic in Wengen Switzerland was cancelled earlier this week Covid outbreak infected 60 at resort half of the cases blamed on a single Briton World Cup races moved to Kitzbuehel but Austrian officials have since moved the races again now to Flachau after British mutant strain discovered in Tyrol https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9143225/British-tourist-blamed-Covid-19-outbreak-Switzerland-forcing-Ski-World-Cup-move.html 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Independent Doctors and nurses treating coronavirus patients in overstretched hospitals are increasingly suffering from mental health issues figures show as health chiefs warn staff will be pushed to their limit over the next few weeks of the pandemic. The number of doctors seeking psychiatric help through the British Medical Association has doubled since the pandemic began The Independent can reveal while new research shows that nearly half of all NHS staff in intensive care units ICUs are likely to meet the threshold for posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD anxiety or depression. And in a letter sent to doctors on Tuesday the UKs chief medical officers said that the weeks ahead are likely to be among the most challenging of all our professional lives and will push staff to the limits of their physical and mental endurance. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/mental-health-of-nhs-staff-placed-under-further-strain-as-cases-continue-to-rise-b1786170.html 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Associated Press The caskets are stacked three high in the Meissen crematoriums somber memorial hall piled up in empty offices and stored in hallways. Many are sealed with plastic wrapping others are labeled infection risk urgent or simply COVID. A surge of coronavirus deaths in this corner of eastern Germany has boosted business for crematorium manager Joerg Schaldach and his staff but nobody is celebrating. The situation is a little bit tense for us at the moment Schaldach said as another undertakers van pulled up outside. The crematorium would typically have 70 to 100 caskets on site at this time of year when the flu season takes its toll on the elderly https://apnews.com/article/international-news-germany-coronavirus-pandemic-8c7e851d63839244a0b888b950c0a402 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters The Spanish regions of Galicia La Rioja and Cantabria became the latest to tighten coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday amid a spiralling national infection rate that officials have blamed on lax adherence to the rules over Christmas. After a lull in contagion in late November cases skyrocketed through December and into early January doubling the incidence of the virus as measured over the past 14 days in just three weeks to 454 cases per 100000 people. Unlike European countries such as Britain and the Netherlands which have extended national lockdowns the Spanish authorities have repeatedly said a return to confinement is not necessary. Instead it has delegated regional authorities to deploy a mixture of curfews caps on group meetings and restrictions on business opening hours. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-spain/soaring-covid-19-cases-in-spain-prompt-more-regions-to-toughen-response-idUSKBN29I1RN 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

EL PAS in English The feared third wave of the coronavirus after Christmas is getting worse in Spain and is forcing the countrys regional governments to take action. After relaxing restrictions for the holiday season which saw a spike in social interaction and given the rise in daily infections and increased pressure on hospitals coronavirus measures are once again being revised. On Tuesday the central Health Ministry reported 25438 new cases and added 408 fatalities to the official death toll. Whats more the 14day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100000 inhabitants now stands at 454 well about the 250limit that the ministry considers to be extreme risk. The effect of last weeks Kings Day celebrations is yet to be seen in the figures. https://english.elpais.com/society/2021-01-13/spanish-regions-ramp-up-coronavirus-restrictions-as-third-wave-takes-hold.html 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

EL PAS in English Spain is being plunged into a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic and the countrys hospitals are beginning to suffer as a result. There are currently more than 17600 Covid19 patients being treated 64 up on the figure before Christmas and the number of people in intensive care units ICUs has risen 39 since December 24. Epidemiologists are warning that the curve of infections will continue to rise while some experts are calling for a home lockdown in order to stop the transmission of the virus and avoid hospitals becoming overwhelmed. The relaxation of restrictions in December and the rise of social interaction over the Christmas period are behind this third wave which comes hot on the heels of the second one which was seen in the autumn. The Health Ministry reported 25438 new infections and added 408 victims to the overall death toll on Tuesday while the 14day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100000 inhabitants is currently at 454 for the whole of Spain. https://english.elpais.com/society/2021-01-13/third-coronavirus-wave-gains-pace-in-spain-with-25500-new-infections-and-408-covid-related-fatalities.html 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Metro US France will likely have to consider more restrictions on peoples movements soon to limit the spread of the UK and South African variants of the coronavirus JeanFranois Defraissy head of the scientific council advising the government on the epidemic said on Tuesday. There will probably be and these are political decisions a certain number of tougher measures to take Defraissy told TF1 television. The government is currently pondering whether to impose a third national lockdown https://www.metro.us/france-likely-to-have/ 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian A dramatic rise in coronavirus cases in Tokyo has reignited speculation about the Olympic Games which are due to open in the city in just over six months time. Japan widened its coronavirus state of emergency to cover more than half the population on Wednesday as surging infections sparked warnings of intense pressure on hospitals. The prime minister Yoshihide Suga said antivirus measures introduced in the greater Tokyo region at the centre of the latest wave of cases would be expanded to include seven other prefectures. Suga said he would take every measure to protect lives adding that all nonresident foreign nationals would be banned from entering Japan until the emergency measures were lifted. Japan had previously permitted business travellers from 11 Asian countries where case numbers appeared to be under control. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/13/tokyo-2020-head-says-impossible-to-delay-olympics-as-public-opposition-grows 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

CNN Japan will expand its state of emergency to seven more prefectures Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday. The country reported 4527 new cases and 51 deaths Tuesday bringing the national total to almost 300000 with a death toll of 4158. More than 61500 patients are in hospitals across the country which have been struggling to deal with a spike in cases brought on in part by freezing winter temperatures. Tokyo previously among the worst hit areas reported 970 new cases Tuesday the first time the Japanese capitals daily tally has dropped below 1000 in over a week. The total number of confirmed cases in Tokyo now stands at 77133. https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/13/asia/japan-coronavirus-emergency-olympics-intl-hnk/index.html 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

ABC News Every morning Declan Gregg covers himself from head to toe in PPE mask goggles gloves and a full gown before climbing into an ambulance and heading to the first call of the day. An Australian paramedic based in Crawley south of London he knows the first job will inevitably be a coronavirus patient. As will the next job and the one after that. Hospitals across the United Kingdom are overflowing as case numbers and deaths soar to new records every day with the mutant more transmissible strain of the virus spreading rapidly. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-13/australian-paramedic-in-the-uk-covid-19-crisis/13047238 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Switzerland on Wednesday tightened measures to tackle new variants of the COVID19 virus spreading across the country while stopping short of the full lockdown neighbouring countries have adopted to choke off the pandemic. The wealthy Alpine country also eased rules for pandemichit businesses to apply for state aid which will force the government to ask parliament to top up the latest 2.5 billion Swiss franc 2.82 billion pot of money for hardship cases. Governments across Europe have announced tighter and longer coronavirus lockdowns over fears about a fastspreading variant first detected in Britain with vaccinations not expected to help much for another two to three months. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-swiss/swiss-boost-coronavirus-restrictions-shy-away-from-full-lockdown-idUSKBN29I1TZ 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

HuffPost UK More people have now died during the second wave of coronavirus in the UK than the first the latest government figures reveal. From the beginning of the pandemic up to September 1 when three people died of Covid the lowest number since the pandemic began 41565 people died within 28 days of a positive test. Since then at least 43196 more people have died Wednesdays figures show. Meanwhile analysis by the PA news agency of separate figures published by the UKs statistics agencies for deaths where Covid19 has been mentioned on the death certificate together with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days suggest there have now been 100000 deaths involving coronavirus in the UK https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/uk-coronavirus-second-wave-deaths-surpass-first-wave_uk_5ffea16fc5b63642b7004ef9?ncid=tweetlnkukhpmg00000001&ampguccounter=1 13th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian The Italian health ministry has been criticised after a draft of the countrys new pandemic plan revealed medics would be permitted to choose which patients receive lifesaving care. This is the first time Italy has updated its pandemic plan since 2006. The absence of an adequate plan is thought to have contributed to Italys coronavirus death toll of more than 79000. The draft copy of the pandemic plan for 202123 seen by the Guardian stipulates that while health workers are obliged to provide the best and most appropriate care to patients there are circumstances that may make it necessary to prioritise who to try to save. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/12/italian-medics-life-saving-treatment-new-pandemic-plan-2006-covid 12th Jan 2021

New Lockdown

New York Times When a handful of new coronavirus cases materialized this month in a province surrounding Beijing apparently spread at a village wedding party the Chinese authorities bolted into action. They locked down two cities with more than 17 million people Shijiazhuang and Xingtai. They ordered a crash testing regime of nearly every resident there which was completed in a matter of days. They shut down transportation and canceled weddings funerals and most significantly a provincial Communist Party conference. By this week the lockdowns expanded to include another city on the edge of Beijing Langfang as well as a county in Heilongjiang a northeastern province. Districts in Beijing itself the Chinese capital also shut down. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/world/asia/china-covid-lockdown.html 13th Jan 2021

New Lockdown

NPR Eleven million people are under lockdown in Hebei province after a new cluster of coronavirus infections. Since Jan. 2 Hebei has reported more than 600 new positive cases 544 of which were from the capital city of Shijiazhuang. To identify all potential patients health officials have completed one round of mass testing of all the citys residents and a second one is being carried out this week. The province also postponed its annual legislative meeting because of the flareup. Liaoning province which has had a small number of new virus cases this month also postponed its meeting. Hebei provincial authorities have doubleddown on travel restrictions and quarantine measures hoping to contain the virus ahead of the Lunar New Year next month. Anyone leaving Hebei province must show a negative COVID test done no more than three days prior. https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/01/13/956282429/province-in-china-on-lockdown-after-biggest-coronavirus-spike-in-months 13th Jan 2021

New Lockdown

Reuters Tunisia will impose a fourday national lockdown from Thursday along with lesser measures lasting until Jan. 24 to combat a sharp rise in COVID19 cases Health Minister Fouzi Mehdi said on Tuesday. The situation is very critical and the vaccination will not come before February Mehdi said. Other measures will include rotating staffing in state jobs to reduce people in offices and transport school closures longer curfew hours and the removal of all chairs from cafes. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-tunisia/tunisia-to-lock-down-for-four-days-from-thursday-idUSKBN29I0R2 13th Jan 2021

New Lockdown

Reuters China posted its biggest daily jump in COVID cases in more than five months on Wednesday stepping up containment measures that have seen four cities put under lockdown as the worlds second biggest economy scrambles to head off a new wave of infections. Most of the new cases were reported near the capital Beijing but a province in far northeast China also saw a rise in infections official data showed amid a resurgence that has seen more than 28 million people placed under home quarantine. While the Chinese city of Wuhan was the initial epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic which first emerged there in late 2019 China had in recent months largely kept COVID19 at bay. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-cases/as-china-covid-19-cases-rise-millions-more-placed-under-lockdown-idUSKBN29I03G 13th Jan 2021

New Lockdown

Daily Mail Heilongjiang in northeast China announced to enter an emergency state today The province banned its 37m residents from leaving unless absolutely necessary Shijiazhuang in Hebei ordered 11m people to undergo citywide testing again The province emerged as Chinas new epicentre in the latest COVID19 outbreak China recorded 107 new native cases today the highest daily tally since last July https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9142215/Coronavirus-China-Chinese-province-37million-declares-emergency-combat-COVID-19.html?ito=social-twitter_mailonline 13th Jan 2021