27th Nov 2020 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=149 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Reuters The World Health Organizations top emergency expert said on Thursday the introduction of a COVID19 vaccine should allow the world to gain progressive control over the disease next year. Life as we used to know it I think thats very very possible but we will have to continue with the hygiene physical distancing. Vaccines do not equal zero COVID. Adding vaccines to our current measures will allow us to really crush the curve avoid lockdowns and gain progressive control over the disease Mike Ryan told RTE television in his native Ireland. We need to be absolutely aware that we need to reduce the chance that we could infect someone else in just organising households carefully around the Christmas festivities. The usual thing in Ireland of 15 people in the kitchen peeling potatoes and basting turkeys thats not what we should be doing. https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN286296?__twitter_impression=true 26th Nov 2020

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian Almost a dozen Queensland police officers have been forced into Covid19 isolation after they came into close contact with an infected man in hotel quarantine. The incident happened at the Rydges Hotel in South Brisbane on Sunday when police were called to check on a 41yearoldmans welfare police say. The man was later tested for the virus and returned a positive result a spokeswoman said. All 11 officers are in either home isolation or hotel quarantine and have tested negative for the virus. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/26/queensland-police-officers-forced-to-isolate-after-contact-with-covid-infected-man-at-hotel 26th Nov 2020

Lockdown Exit

abc.net.au South Australia went into a brief but drastic lockdown last week over fears a medihotel worker had contracted coronavirus merely by picking up takeaway at a suburban pizza shop. On Thursday a similar scenario was revealed as the likely cause of one of the states two new COVID19 cases both of which are part of a growing cluster. SA Health suspects a year 9 student picked up a pizza from the shop 12 days ago on Saturday November 14. Authorities were quizzed about why the girls case had not triggered a wider lockdown like last weeks and replied that circumstances were different with SA better placed to respond. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-26/student-got-coronavirus-ordering-a-pizza-but-no-lockdown-in-sa/12924252 26th Nov 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters UK British airline easyJet said domestic bookings for December had risen significantly this week compared to last week after news that some COVID19 restrictions in its home market would be eased. Englands current lockdown bans most international travel but when it ends on Dec. 2 people will be free to go abroad. Over Christmas COVID19 restrictions across the UK will be relaxed to allow families to mix for five days. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-easyjet/easyjet-says-domestic-bookings-rise-as-england-lockdown-ends-idUKKBN2860XG?il=0 26th Nov 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters UK Vaccines against COVID19 will take some steam out of the market for hygiene products but demand will remain above prepandemic levels as frequent handcleaning is here to stay an executive at Ecolab a leading firm in the sector said on Thursday. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-ecolab/cleaning-up-covid-19-vaccine-will-not-derail-disinfectants-market-industry-exec-says-idUKKBN2861YZ 26th Nov 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Maxine Kwok a violinist in Londons oldest symphony orchestra is delighted that rehearsals have resumed thanks to a rapid labfree COVID19 test that gives the musicians the confidence to work together again. It was so difficult not to play for months Kwok a member of the London Symphony Orchestra LSO said after being tested. But the moment that we were able to have this kind of testing at this regularity meaning we could just come back to work and feel comfortable and safe really made a huge difference for us Kwok told Reuters. I was so thrilled. I cant describe it really she added ahead of a rehearsal attended by around 40 musicians all masked and still observing social distancing rules. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-orchestra-testing/rapid-covid-19-tests-provide-lifeline-for-london-orchestra-idUKKBN2861OO 26th Nov 2020

Exit Strategies

BBC Plans are under way to allow Northern Irelands vaccination programme to begin next month according to the Health Minister Robin Swann. Without regulatory approval any plans at this stage are provisional. According to the Department of Health the vaccination programme will be on a phased basis and will run well into 2021. Plans include a public information campaign to encourage take up among the public. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55087961 26th Nov 2020

Exit Strategies

BBC People should limit their contact with others before Covid19 restrictions are relaxed at Christmas Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill has said. Across the UK three households can mix for five days from 2327 December. However Ms ONeill said it was important to reduce Covid19 transmission as low as possible. First Minister Arlene Foster said the next two weeks are crucial... so that we can all have the safest and the happiest Christmas possible. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55076772 26th Nov 2020

Exit Strategies

London Evening Standard Boris Johnson has warned of a new year national lockdown if coronavirus restrictions are not enforced over the winter months. The Prime Minister said the new tiered measures for England which will see millions of people living under the toughest curbs from next Wednesday are essential to keep the disease under control. He told a Number 10 news conference that he was sorry about the effect the tier system would have. But he said there was an escape route from the restrictions adding Your tier is not your destiny. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/new-year-national-lockdown-tiers-boris-johnson-b79382.html 26th Nov 2020

Exit Strategies

The Times Britains coronavirus recovery could be better than expected as households spend their pentup savings having a good time like in the Roaring Twenties experts have said. Official forecasts that the pandemic may cost the UK three years of economic growth may be too gloomy economists believe. Households have been saving during the crisis and the promise of a vaccine may allow life to return to normal faster than expected. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/britain-will-spend-its-way-out-of-crisis-with-lockdown-savings-k60v9zw2j 26th Nov 2020

Exit Strategies

CNBC Governments across Europe have been holding meetings in recent days to work out how they can allow families to get together at Christmas without risking a dreaded third spike in coronavirus cases. It comes as minilockdowns appear to be putting a cap on a second wave of infections that began after a summer of relaxed restrictions in the region. From family bubbles to no fireworks the U.K. France Italy and now Germany have released further details of what will and will not be allowed this Christmas and New Year. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/26/how-europeans-are-going-to-spend-christmas-this-year.html 26th Nov 2020

Exit Strategies

MSN.com France has done a better job of flattening a second wave of COVID19 infections that some of its European neighbours but it would be premature to talk about an end to the lockdown Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday. Castex said the R rate that measures the spread was now at 0.65 countrywide the same level France reached at the end of a threemonth confinement in the spring but that citizens must not lower their guard over the festive holidays. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/pandemic-weakening-more-in-france-than-elsewhere-in-europe-says-pm/ar-BB1bnS4k 26th Nov 2020

Exit Strategies

BBC When it comes to vaccine making India is a powerhouse. It runs a massive immunisation programme makes 60 of the worlds vaccines and is home to half a dozen major manufacturers including Serum Institute of India the largest in the world. Not surprisingly theres no lack of ambition when it comes to vaccinating a billion people against Covid19. India plans to receive and utilise some 500 million doses of vaccines against the disease and immunise up to 250 million people by July next year. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-55048925 26th Nov 2020

Exit Strategies

thejournal.ie Easing Covid19 restrictions in the coming weeks so people can spend Christmas with their families presents Ireland with genuine dilemmas Dr Mike Ryan of the World Health Organization WHO has said. Theres a genuine desire to offer people the hope of a celebration of Christmas and ensure that people have the opportunity to celebrate that to the extent possible with family but recognising movements and large gatherings can drive transmission the Executive Director of the WHOs Health Emergencies Programme said. https://www.thejournal.ie/mike-ryan-ireland-covid-19-christmas-5279455-Nov2020/?utm_source=twitter_short 26th Nov 2020

Exit Strategies

FRANCE 24 France aims to lift a nationwide lockdown on December 15 Prime Minister Castex said with shops authorised to reopen as early as Saturday after weeks of closure. https://www.france24.com/en/video/20201126-french-pm-details-plan-to-lift-coronavirus-lockdown 26th Nov 2020

Exit Strategies

The Independent Pubs in London will be allowed to open next week if they serve food after the capital was placed in tier 2 of the new restrictions. The move will delight MPs and businesses in London but is likely to kick off a political row as most cities in the North and Midlands face the harshest tier 3 curbs. Success in curbing Covid19 infections in Liverpool means it will drop into tier 2 but Manchester faces the toughest restrictions after lockdown ends on 2 December shutting pubs and restaurants except for takeaways. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/london-pubs-reopen-tier-2-food-b1762248.html 26th Nov 2020

Exit Strategies

Reuters UK Megeve in the foothills of Mont Blanc was gearing up to welcome back skiers before Christmas after a COVID19 lockdown was eased. But Frances government while allowing cinemas museums and theatres to reopen from Dec. 15 says its ski slopes must stay off limits until 2021 leaving those who make their living in the Alpine village frustrated and in some cases perplexed. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-france-ski/as-france-eases-lockdown-ski-resorts-left-out-in-the-cold-idUKKBN28610E 26th Nov 2020

Exit Strategies

The Guardian The majority of England will enter the two toughest tiers of Covid restrictions from next week ministers are set to announce amid signs of a growing parliamentary rebellion and fears that the measures could remain unchanged until spring. On Thursday Matt Hancock the health secretary is expected to say that most of the country will be placed into tiers 2 or 3 which imply significant restrictions on hospitality after the national lockdown ends on 2 December. As ministers grappled with the backlash a further 696 coronavirus deaths were announced on Wednesday the highest UK daily total since 5 May. Lockdownsceptic Tory MPs have seized on a newly published forecast from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility OBR which assumes months more of struggle to get to grips with the virus. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/25/most-of-england-will-enter-two-toughest-tiers-when-lockdown-is-lifted 26th Nov 2020

Partisan Exits

The Guardian If we are talking to someone whos uncertain about the vaccine we should try to be empathetic actively listen and focus on the benefits of taking it. And rather than contradicting them we should suggest places where they can find out additional information. If people feel respected and trusted they are more likely to listen and if they can find out on their own then they will have time to process and engage with it without feeling defensive. And there are broader behavioural science tactics that the government can use to improve the uptake of vaccines including making it seem like the default and showing it to be a social norm. This means using language that inherently assumes everyone will take the vaccines making people feel they are actively opting out rather than opting in. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/nov/26/heres-how-to-tackle-the-covid-19-anti-vaxxers 26th Nov 2020

Partisan Exits

The Times The hospitality industry has responded with fierce criticism of the new tier system warning that it will wipe out billions of pounds of trading and lead to huge numbers of job losses.The new tier https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lockdown-tiers-will-mean-hospitality-never-recovers-snc8bsqqb 26th Nov 2020

Partisan Exits

The Wall Street Journal A growing number of governors are calling for another round of coronavirusrelief legislation from Washington saying they are unable to provide additional funds to small businesses amid budget shortfalls. The issue is gaining urgency as money from federal relief passed earlier this year runs out ahead of a yearend deadline to spend it. States have funneled hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid into everything from personalprotective equipment and hazard pay for frontline healthcare workers to schools and food banks. https://www.wsj.com/articles/midwestern-governors-seek-more-federal-covid-19-aid-for-businesses-11606395603 26th Nov 2020

Partisan Exits

POLITICO.eu From heroes to terrorists. In Italy the doctors and nurses lauded for their exhausting dangerous work in the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic are facing a new challenge conspiracy theories accusing them of faking the emergency. In one social media video two women tell the camera they are in the emergency room at Sacco Hospital in Milan one of the hardesthit cities in Italy. They want to prove that the ER is empty contrary to what is being reported by journalists who have sounded the alarm about a drastic uptick in cases. The women go inside the building showing viewers a calm empty interior. Next they walk back outside to demonstrate there are no ambulances lined up. Doctors journalists and politicians have been lying they say. They are terrorists. https://www.politico.eu/article/italy-coronavirus-doctors-face-conspiracy-theories/ 26th Nov 2020

Partisan Exits

Financial Times Antivax talk is worrying. However it is only talk. Social media has made this the wordiest era in history. Sharing conspiracy theories online is excitingly subversive making people feel they have taken the red pill and seen the truth. More telling though is their behaviour. In real life when things get serious almost everyone chooses vaccination. If Covid19 vaccines are found to be efficacious and safe and widely available my guess is that a very large proportion of people will ultimately take them says Vish Viswanath of Harvards School of Public Health. Even French behaviour is reassuring. Vaccination rates here have been rising 98.6 per cent of babies born in early 2018 received the hexavalent vaccine that protects against six illnesses including hepatitis B and tetanus. True its compulsory but parents still have to bring in their kids. Even in the US where parents can more easily refuse vaccinations only about 7 per cent or fewer adamantly oppose them depending on the vaccine says Viswanath. He adds This small group gets a disproportionate share of attention. https://www.ft.com/content/7ff00e10-c786-4ca0-842c-e7b52d2b237f 26th Nov 2020

Partisan Exits

AlJazeera As coronavirus cases surge again nationwide the United States Supreme Court has barred New York from enforcing certain limits on attendance at churches and synagogues in areas designated as hard hit by the virus. The justices split 54 for Wednesdays vote with new Justice Amy Coney Barrett in the majority. It was the conservatives first publicly discernible vote as a justice. The courts three liberal justices and Chief Justice John Roberts dissented. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/26/high-court-blocks-ny-coronavirus-limits-on-houses-of-worship 26th Nov 2020

Partisan Exits

Yahoo Finance UK The boss of JD Wetherspoon has accused the government of introducing a stealth lockdown in England through its tough new tier system. Tim Martin the founder and chair of the pub chain said almost half of his pubs would be forced to remain shut under new rules that come into force when lockdown ends on 2 December. The company has campaigned for pubs to revert to the rules agreed between the pub industry civil servants local authorities and health officials which were introduced when pubs reopened in July Martin said in a statement emailed to media. https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/jd-wetherspoon-tim-martin-stealth-lockdown-covid-19-uk-coronavirus-tier-restrictions-171743638.html 26th Nov 2020

Continued Lockdown

The New York Times The first coronavirus shutdown caught playhouses unawares but they learned lessons that stood them in good stead when the shutters came down again. What a difference a lockdown makes. By way of proof consider the terrific lineup of actresses brought together for Little Wars an imaginative if overly arch play by the American writer Stephen Carl McCasland that is streaming online through Dec. 3. Its run finishes the day after Englands second coronavirus shutdown is scheduled to be lifted at which point theaters in most regions will with luck be open again. Whereas streaming prospects during the first lockdown relied largely on recordings from theaters archives the preference now is for material fashioned for the strange era in which we find ourselves. The digital premiere of Little Wars testifies to the abundance of talented performers who can be drawn upon during the pandemic and to their desire to practice their craft against difficult odds. Im not sure McCaslands conceit would amount to as much as it does without the collectively hefty presence of such actresses as Linda Bassett Juliet Stevenson and Sophie Thompson all established theatrical names here. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/26/theater/london-UK-lockdown.html 26th Nov 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Guardian Students could be awarded financial compensation for lost teaching time during the Covid19 lockdown after the higher education complaints watchdog told an institution to pay 1000 to an international student. However the National Union of Students NUS described the process for dealing with complaints about university disruption during the pandemic as farcical and inadequate as the Office of the Independent Adjudicator published details of a handful of individual cases. About 200 complaints have been submitted to the ombudsman so far. Many more are expected as students can only take their case to the OIA if they have exhausted the internal complaints procedure at their own university. The NUS says the system must be simplified to speed up redress. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/nov/26/students-may-be-compensated-for-lost-teaching-during-uk-lockdown 26th Nov 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Guardian Significant sections of England including much of the north and Midlands have been placed in the top tier of new coronavirus restrictions the government has announced potentially putting ministers on a collision course with Conservative MPs. Only three areas Cornwall the Isle of Wight and Isles of Scilly are in the lowest level of the new rules which come into force when the Englandwide lockdown ends on 2 December and are intended to stay in force to the spring. This means that by population almost 99 of England will be in the top two tiers. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/26/large-parts-england-apparently-placed-tier-3-covid-restrictions 26th Nov 2020

Continued Lockdown

BBC Germany is seeking an agreement with EU countries to keep ski resorts closed until early January in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus. Chancellor Angela Merkel told parliament that efforts were being made to reach a Europewide decision. Italy and France have expressed support for a coordinated approach. But Austria has voiced concern. Some of the early European coronavirus hotspots were at ski resorts helping spread infections across the continent. Last week the World Health Organization WHO warned that Europe faced a tough six months amid mounting cases. Renewed restrictions have led to a reduction in new infections in some countries but there are fears the pandemic could worsen over the winter. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55081476?fbclid=IwAR1qaKDipWNJar0xtsi69rHnL75douJv1P9tmek_SZidXPq-k9BwV4F3qDc 26th Nov 2020

Continued Lockdown

RFI Germany will extend its current measures to curb the coronavirus spread until 20 December. Unless there is a dramatic drop in infections they will likely go through early January Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday. Merkel said the measures introduced in early November including limits on private gatherings and the closure of restaurants leisure and cultural facilities cannot be lifted given current infection rates. The number of new infections in Germany has plateaued over the past two weeks with Octobers exponential growth brought to a halt. The steeply rising curve has become a flat one but this is only a partial success. We can by no means be satisfied she said. https://www.rfi.fr/en/europe/20201126-merkel-extends-germany-s-partial-lockdown-until-christmas 26th Nov 2020

Continued Lockdown

NPR Germany is extending its current coronavirus lockdown measures through midDecember Chancellor Angela Merkel announced this week. The country will remain under measures introduced in early November that include limits on private gatherings and it will keep bars restaurants and museums closed. Residents will be given some leeway around the Christmas holiday. Members of one household can meet up with 10 people between Dec. 23 to Jan. 1. Children under 14 are exempt. The overall restrictions are set to continue until Dec. 20 but its expected with the continued surge in infections that these rules will stay in place until early January Merkel said. https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/11/26/939255432/germany-extends-strict-lockdown-measures-with-eye-towards-reopening-ski-slopes 26th Nov 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters India Greece will extend its nationwide lockdown by a week until Dec. 7 as COVID19 cases continue to surge across the country a government spokesman said on Thursday. An increase in infections since October has forced the government to impose Greeces second national shutdown since the pandemic began. The country has registered a total of 97288 COVID19 cases and 1902 deaths during the pandemic with northern Greece hardest hit and hospitals operating at almost full capacity. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-greece-lockdown/greece-extends-nationwide-coronavirus-lockdown-by-a-week-idINKBN286184 26th Nov 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Independent Greater Manchester Birmingham and Bristol will fall under very high Tier 3 restrictions when Englands national lockdown ends in six days time the government has announced. It follows Boris Johnsons announcement earlier this week that while nationwide restrictions will expire on 2 December a tougher version of the regional tiered system will be reintroduced. Other areas that will be placed under the highest levels of coronavirus restrictions are vast areas of the northeast including Middlesbrough Darlington Newcastle upon Tyne and County Durham. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/manchester-tier-3-covid-rules-restrictions-b1762253.html 26th Nov 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Independent Germanys national shutdown is likely to extend into New Year to dampen the coronavirus pandemic Chancellor Angela Merkel has said. Given the high number of infections we assume that the restrictions which are in place before Christmas will continue to be valid until the start of January certainly for most parts of Germany Ms Merkel told parliament on Thursday. She added the increase in coronavirus cases was still much too high and the number of deaths a reason for concern. The country embarked on a socalled wavebreaker shutdown on November 2 shutting restaurants bars and leisure facilities but schools hair salons and shops remained open. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/germany-coronavirus-lockdown-extend-merkel-b1762109.html 26th Nov 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Greece will extend its nationwide lockdown until Dec. 7 as COVID19 cases continued to surge across the country government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Thursday. Greece has registered a total of 97288 COVID19 cases and 1902 deaths with the hardest hit area being northern Greece. Hospitals are operating at almost full capacity according to health ministry data. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-greece-lockdown-idUSL8N2IC1OH 26th Nov 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters French and German consumer confidence plunged in November as new coronavirus restrictions crushed any prospect of a quick return to normal in the euro zones two biggest economies data published on Thursday showed. Restaurants bars hotels and entertainment venues have had to shutter up this month in both countries under new restrictions to contain a new wave of COVID19 infections. While retail shops have remained open in Germany nonessential stores had to close in France. They will be able to reopen on Saturday under strict sanitary protocols. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-economy-consumersentiment/new-lockdowns-crush-french-german-consumer-confidence-in-november-idUSKBN2860XR 26th Nov 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters UK British pub operators Mitchells Butlers and Fuller Smith Turner said on Thursday they had cut around 1650 jobs and suffered millions in financial losses as the hospitality industry reels from new lockdowns. The British Beer Pub Association BBPA has warned of thousands if not tens of thousands of job losses if the government does not give pubs more freedom or grants to help them cover fixed costs in order to survive winter. MB which owns All Bar One Harvester and Browns said it had cut 1300 jobs. Smaller rival Fullers said its total number of employees had been reduced by 20 following about 350 job cuts the sale of its pizza chain The Stable and through natural attrition. The companies said they have enough resources to operate in the foreseeable future but the downside scenarios cast doubts about their ability to continue as going concerns. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-mitchells-butler-results/uk-pub-operators-report-losses-job-cuts-as-lockdown-pain-builds-idUKKBN2860MD 26th Nov 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters UK The proportion of British workers on furlough has jumped to its highest level since late June following the introduction of a temporary fourweek lockdown across England to reverse a second wave of COVID cases official figures showed on Thursday. Businesses reported that 15 of staff on average were on furlough between Nov. 2 and Nov. 15 up from 9 in the previous survey which covered the second half of October the Office for National Statistics said. https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-furlough/share-of-uk-workers-on-furlough-at-highest-since-june-as-second-lockdown-hits-idUKKBN2860ZO 26th Nov 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters UK German consumer morale fell further heading into December as a partial lockdown to curb a second coronavirus wave in Europes largest economy hit households income expectations as well as their willingness to buy a survey showed on Thursday. The GfK institute said its consumer sentiment index based on a survey of around 2000 Germans dropped to 6.7 in November from a revised 3.2 in the previous month. The reading missed a Reuters forecast for a narrower drop to 5.0. GfK consumer expert Rolf Buerkl said although retail shops had been kept open so far the closure of restaurants bars hotels and entertainment venues since Nov. 2 clouded consumers mood. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-germany-economy-consumersentiment-idUKKBN2860IR 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

FiercePharma While some of the leading players in the race for a COVID19 vaccine are racing toward the finish line a range of smaller challengers is still hoping to carve out a market niche in the coming months. One of those New Yorks Covaxx is rolling out its first swath of supply dealsand touting its shots logistics advantage. Covaxx has inked a trio of deals with three South American nations to provide up to 140 million doses of its COVID19 vaccine at a price tag of 2.8 billion as the drugmaker prepares to enter phase 23 testing later this year. Brazil Ecuador and Peru have all signed on to receive Covaxxs shot dubbed UB612 pending regulatory approval. Covaxx is ramping up production to produce 100 million doses in the first half of 2021 and then make a massive leap to churn out 1 billion doses by the end of the year. https://www.fiercepharma.com/manufacturing/covaxx-inks-supply-deals-worth-2-8b-lead-up-to-coronavirus-vaccine-mid-stage-trials 25th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Britain on Friday asked its medicine regulator to assess Oxford University and AstraZenecas COVID19 vaccine candidate for temporary supply a step towards beginning a rollout before the end of the year. AstraZeneca expects 4 million doses to be available in Britain by the end of next month and health minister Hancock is targeting the rollout to begin before Christmas. We have formally asked the regulator to assess the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine to understand the data and determine whether it meets rigorous safety standards Hancock said in a statement. This letter is an important step towards deploying a vaccine as quickly as safely possible. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-astrazeneca-britai/britain-asks-regulator-to-assess-oxford-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-idUKKBN287006 27th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent on MSN.com Volunteers who received two of the potential coronavirus vaccines in the US have spoken out about the sideeffects they experienced following their jabs. This month Moderna and Pfizer announced their vaccine candidates had been tested to 94.5 per cent and 95 per cent efficacy respectively. Jennifer Haller who was injected on 16 March with Modernas experimental vaccine in Seattle told WVPITV she only experienced mild sideeffects as a result. I had two doses of the vaccine four weeks apart she told the broadcaster. Each time my arm was pretty sore the next day but besides that I personally didnt experience any other side effects. Ms Haller was the first person to receive a shot of Modernas candidate at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute as part of the first human trial of a vaccine to prevent the virus. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/medical/volunteers-discuss-side-effects-after-receiving-moderna-and-pfizer-covid-19-vaccines/ar-BB1boklz 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters on MSN.com AstraZeneca is likely to run an additional global trial to assess the efficacy of its COVID19 vaccine its chief executive Pascal Soriot was quoted as saying on Thursday after questions over the results from its latestage study. Instead of adding the trial arm to an ongoing U.S. process a new study would be run to evaluate a lower dosage that performed better than a full amount in AstraZenecas studies Soriot was quoted as saying in a Bloomberg News report. Now that weve found what looks like a better efficacy we have to validate this so we need to do an additional study Soriot was quoted as saying. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/ceo-says-astrazeneca-likely-to-run-new-global-trial-of-covid-19-vaccine-bloomberg-news/ar-BB1bo66z 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

ABC Vaccinations against COVID19 in Africa might not start until the second quarter of next year the continents top public health official said Thursday adding that it will be extremely dangerous if more developed parts of the world vaccinate themselves and then restrict travel to people with proof of a vaccination. The director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention John Nkengasong told reporters that I have seen how Africa is neglected when drugs are available in the past. And he warned that its clear the second wave of infections is here on the continent of 1.3 billion people. Africa last week surpassed 2 million confirmed coronavirus infections. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/africa-cdc-sees-covid-19-vaccinations-2nd-quarter-74414469 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Business Insider The UK pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is likely to run a second global trial to assess its COVID19 vaccines efficacy its CEO told Bloomberg News on Thursday. AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford announced Monday that preliminary results indicated their twodose vaccine could be up to 90 effective at preventing COVID19. But the team later said an error in the trial left some participants with halfdoses instead of full doses. Experts said that error cast doubt on the validity of the efficacy rate and warranted further study. https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-second-covid-19-vaccine-trial-2020-11 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The New York Times Earlier this month Farah Khemili popped a wintergreen breath mint in her mouth and noticed a strange sensation a bottom tooth wiggling against her tongue. Ms. Khemili 43 of Voorheesville N.Y. had never lost an adult tooth. She touched the tooth to confirm it was loose initially thinking the problem might be the mint. The next day the tooth flew out of her mouth and into her hand. There was neither blood nor pain. Ms. Khemili survived a bout with Covid19 this spring and has joined an online support group as she has endured a slew of symptoms experienced by many other long haulers brain fog muscle aches and nerve pain. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/26/health/covid-teeth-falling-out.html 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

National Herald AstraZeneca and Oxford University have acknowledged a manufacturing error that is raising questions about preliminary results of their experimental COVID19 vaccine. A statement describing the error on Wednesday came days after the company and the university described the shots as highly effective and made no mention of why some study participants didnt receive as much vaccine in the first of two shots as expected. In a surprise the group of volunteers that got a lower dose seemed to be much better protected than the volunteers who got two full doses. In the lowdose group AstraZeneca said the vaccine appeared to be 90 per cent effective. In the group that got two full doses the vaccine appeared to be 62 per cent effective. Combined the drugmakers said the vaccine appeared to be 70 per cent effective. https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/international/astrazeneca-manufacturing-error-clouds-vaccine-study-results 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Nairametrics The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the African Union announced they have been in talks with China and Russia over the possibility of vaccine partnerships to ensure that Africa is not left behind when vaccines become available. This was disclosed by John Nkengasong Africa CDC Chief at the Bloomberg Invest Africa online conference. https://nairametrics.com/2020/11/26/covid-19-african-union-in-talks-with-china-and-russia-over-vaccine/ 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

ABC News Forced into lockdowns to prevent the spread of coronavirus families of people with dementia have been left heartbroken that being isolated appears to have contributed to the deterioration of their loved ones. For Verity Jausnik coronavirus restrictions meant she was unable to spend quality time with her elderly mother Vivien Viv Russell. Ms Russell 72 has lived with early onset dementia for a decade but an accelerated deterioration of her condition during the lockdown of her aged care home has meant she has lost her ability to remember her family particularly her grandchildren. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-26/dementia-deterioration-faster-coronavirus-lockdowns-aged-care/12920344 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian Ministers are facing calls to publish scientific advice on the relaxing of Covid19 rules over Christmas amid warnings that a single infectious guest could infect a third of those at a household gathering. Under rules revealed by the prime minister on Tuesday up to three households can form a bubble for five days over Christmas. It prompted some scientists to speak out warning that mixing will inevitably lead to an increase in infections come the new year leading to deaths. Some said the government should have put greater emphasis on the dangers and potential control measures. Now experts have called for the government to release advice given by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies Sage. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/25/scientists-ask-to-see-evidence-behind-relaxing-uks-christmas-covid-rules 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Financial Times Disquiet is growing over the way that Oxford university and AstraZeneca have handled the early readout from trials of their coronavirus vaccine which much of the developing world may rely on to emerge from the pandemic. The results were hailed a success for showing an average efficacy of 70 per cent a figure reached by pooling the results from cohorts on two different dosing regimens. One set of participants received two identical doses a month apart while the other group received a halfdose and then a full dose. The efficacy for the first larger group was 62 per cent. In the second subgroup it was 90 per cent. It has emerged that administration of the halfdose started with a mistake. It was then given to a smaller number of participants than those who received two full doses making the discovery of its greater effectiveness look like a lucky break. https://www.ft.com/content/4583fbf8-b47c-4e78-8253-22efcfa4903a 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian Statistics show how worldbeating tracing scheme fails to follow up on Covid19 cases at every step. It was in May that Boris Johnson promised the UK would have a worldbeating testandtrace operation in place within weeks. Our testandtrace system is as good as or better than any other system anywhere in the world he doubled down in July. But nearly half a year after the system was established thousands of Covid19 cases still go undetected each week leaving severe lockdown restrictions as the only option to prevent hospitals across the country from collapsing. The Guardian has analysed the latest figures on the performance of test and trace to show how people at risk of spreading the virus go missing at every step of the process. https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2020/nov/26/untested-untraced-how-three-quarters-of-covid-contacts-slip-through-cracks?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mirror The widely criticised NHS Test and Trace system is still failing to reach two in five coronavirus contacts and remains near a record low new figures show. Of the 347575 close contacts of someone who has tested positive in the week to November 18 only 60.3 were reached and told to selfisolate. This is down slightly from 60.7 in the previous week and is also just above the alltime low of 60.1 for the week to October 14. It is well below the 80 target. Positive Covid19 cases in England fell 9 in the latest week the first weekonweek drop since the summer. For cases managed by local health protection teams 99.0 of contacts were reached and asked to selfisolate in the week to November 18. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/nhs-test-trace-misses-40-23071252 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail CDC researchers found that 6 of more than 3000 health care workers they tested had antibodies to coronavirus. Within 60 days when they were retested 28 of the health care workers had antibody levels so low that they could no longer be detected. Researchers warn this suggests that using antibody testing likely undercounts how many people have had COVID19 and that plasma has a short shelf life https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-8986839/Antibody-testing-likely-undercounts-past-covid-infections-28.html 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters UK Days after grabbing headlines with its COVID19 vaccine for the world AstraZeneca is facing tricky questions about its success rate that some experts say could hinder its chances of getting speedy U.S. and EU regulatory approval. Several scientists have raised doubts about the robustness of results showing the shot was 90 effective in a subgroup of trial participants who by error initially received a half dose followed by a full dose. All we have to go on is a limited data release said Peter Openshaw a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London. We have to wait for the full data and to see how the regulators view the results he said adding that U.S. and European regulators might possibly take a different view from each other. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-astrazeneca-data/analysis-questions-over-astrazenecas-covid-19-vaccine-data-risk-delaying-approval-idUKKBN2861WO 26th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

FiercePharma What will it take to distribute the first 6.4 million doses of Pfizers COVID19 mRNA vaccine if all goes according to plan and they ship in midDecember Alex Azar secretary of health and human services acknowledged during a press conference Tuesday that the logisticswhich include the need for ultracold storagewill be far from easy. But Azar and two other top officials running the governments Operation Warp Speed effort to speed COVID19 vaccine distribution did their best to boost the publics confidence. The FDA has scheduled a meeting to review Pfizers vaccine on December 10 and if its authorized as expected it could start shipping within 24 hours Azar said. In addition to speeding the vaccine to healthcare workers CVS Health has said they expect to be vaccinating residents of nursing homes one of the top priority groups within 48 hours of FDA authorization he said. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/feds-covid-19-mrna-vaccine-distribution-pfizer-s-dry-runs-predict-a-very-do-able-process 25th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

FiercePharma Riding a wave of interest in mRNAbased vaccines Germanys CureVac is looking to rapidly drive manufacturing of its own shot candidate. After announcing a plan to bring more partners on board CureVac has knotted the first of those deals to the tune of 100 million doses. CureVac has tagged German chemical company Wacker to churn out drug substance for its mRNAbased COVID19 vaccine with the goal of adding 100 million doses per year to the biotechs stockpile the partners said this week. Wacker will produce those doses at its Amsterdam facility starting in the first half of 2021 the companies said. The firm plans to ramp up its manufacturing capacity to meet that demand and is prepared to expand in the future to add more doses. https://www.fiercepharma.com/manufacturing/curevac-ties-up-wacker-to-churn-out-more-than-100m-doses-mrna-coronavirus-vaccine 25th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

CIDRAP Largescale seroprevalence studies conducted over the summer show that through September less than 1 in 10 of Americans had evidence of previous coronavirus infection researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC reported yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine. In the nationwide seroprevalence survey researchers from the CDCs COVID19 Response Team tested blood serum samples from people in 50 states the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico during four periods from July through September looking for the presence of detectable antibodies for SARSCoV2 the virus that causes COVID19. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/11/less-10-americans-had-covid-september-study-finds 25th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

STAT News Over the last few weeks the United States has surpassed 100000 Covid19 cases a day and reached the staggering milestone of 10 million cases. This is both sobering and humbling. While there has been encouraging news about progress in the development of Covid19 vaccines making sure that Americans have confidence in these vaccines is crucial to helping bend the curve of infections and getting us back to some semblance of normalcy. According to researchers writing in The Lancet we will need a majority of Americans to have the confidence to get vaccinated for Covid19 vaccines to be effective in moving the U.S. toward populationlevel control of viral spread. As Anthony Fauci has noted If you have a vaccine that is highly effective and not enough people get vaccinated youre not going to realize the full important effect of having a vaccine. https://www.statnews.com/2020/11/25/covid-19-vaccines-confidence-building-biopharma-industry/ 25th Nov 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

CIDRAP Two studies published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine found that two oncepromising but largely discredited COVID19 treatments hydroxychloroquine and convalescent plasmadidnt prevent infection or lead to clinical improvement. No compelling data The first study an openlabel trial led by researchers at Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol in Barcelona Spain involved randomly assigning clusters of healthy adults with highrisk closecontact exposure to a COVID19 patient to either 800 milligrams mg of hydroxychloroquine followed by 6 days of 400mg doses or usual care. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/11/studies-find-no-covid-benefit-preventive-hydroxychloroquine-or-convalescent 25th Nov 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Wall Street Journal Italys troubled south which was largely spared earlier on in the pandemic is now struggling to copeso much so that the government is turning for help to a medical charity used to working in war zones. The Milanbased nongovernmental organization Emergency is best known for assisting war victims in countries such as Afghanistan or Ebola patients in Sierra Leone. It has now agreed to help confront the crisis in Italys poorest region of Calabria where the dysfunctional health care system is illequipped to deal with a viral outbreak. https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-italys-south-warzone-doctors-are-called-to-the-rescue-amid-covid-19-upsurge-11606397699 26th Nov 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Brussels Times South Korea on Thursday reported 583 new cases of Covid19 infection the highest daily number in eight months and which authorities now call the third wave of the epidemic. The majority of new infections were recorded in Seoul 208 new infections and in the surrounding province of Gyeonngi 177 new cases according to data from the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention KCDC. https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/belgium-all-news/health/142680/coronavirus-south-korea-faces-a-third-wave/ 26th Nov 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Japan Today South Korea reported its highest daily number of coronavirus cases since March on Thursday with a surge of new infections sparking fears of a major third wave. Officials announced 583 new cases after several weeks of fresh infections ranging between around 100 and 300. The latest cases have mostly been clusters at offices schools gyms and small gatherings in the greater Seoul area the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. https://japantoday.com/category/world/south-korea-virus-cases-hit-highest-level-since-march 26th Nov 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

BBC Coronavirus infection rates in England are continuing to show signs of levelling off but the picture across the UK is mixed according to data from the Office for National Statistics. In Wales and Northern Ireland infections have been decreasing in recent weeks but in Scotland they seem to be rising. After lockdown ends in England most areas face tougher tier restrictions https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55084985 26th Nov 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Washington Post The United States two largest states broke the nationwide record for most new coronavirus infections reported in a single day on Wednesday with California tallying 18350 and Texas nearly 16100 around 3000 and 1000 cases more than the previous high respectively. The new records come amid a trio of surging metrics infections virus hospitalizations and deaths are all on the rise across the country. Wednesday was the 33rd consecutive day that the United States set a new record in its sevenday average of reported cases according to data compiled and analyzed by The Washington Post. Nearly 90000 people are currently in hospitals with covid19 another record. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/11/25/coronavirus-covid-live-updates-us/ 26th Nov 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

BBC Six members of Pakistans cricket team have tested positive for Covid19 while on tour in New Zealand. All six have been moved from managed isolation into quarantine and the teams exemption from socialdistancing rules for training has been suspended. Health officials said all 53 members of the visiting squad were tested on arrival in the country. New Zealand widely praised for its pandemic response had previously seen a total of 2040 cases and 25 deaths. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-55083091 26th Nov 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters UK Britain recorded 17555 new coronavirus cases on Thursday and 498 new deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID19 test official data showed. Both measures were lower than on Wednesday when there were 18213 new coronavirus infections and 696 deaths. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-cases/britain-records-17555-new-coronavirus-cases-498-new-deaths-idUKKBN2861XZ 26th Nov 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

CIDRAP The global surge in COVID19 cases slowed a bit last week for the first time in months though deaths from the virus continued a steady rise the World Health Organization WHO said in its latest weekly situation report. Led mainly by continued levels in the Americas and Europe the pandemic total topped 60 million cases. In the United States hospitalizations continued to surge with 88080 Americans currently receiving inpatient care for COVID19 up from 85836 the day before according to the COVID19 Tracking Project. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/11/pace-global-covid-19-rise-slows-deaths-still-climbing 25th Nov 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

STAT News In New Jersey doctors and nurses say that they feel better prepared to deal with the coronavirus than in the spring when so little was known about it. Because it was hit so hard in the first wave New Jerseys per capita death rate remains the highest in the country. But the recent numbers are discouraging. On Sunday the state reported 3968 new cases of the coronavirus more than double the 1743 new cases reported on Nov. 1. And the states hospitalization rates have tripled in the past month from 732 on Oct. 17 to 2446 on Nov. 17. While they are far short of the 8000 who were hospitalized in April as the days shorten the temperature drops flu season deepens and the holidays loom many depleted frontline workers are preparing for another season of difficulty. https://www.statnews.com/2020/11/25/new-jersey-hospitals-brace-for-covid19-surge/ 25th Nov 2020

New Lockdown

The New Indian Express Uttarakhands Dehradun district will be locked down on Sundays from this week to contain the spread of COVID19. Only shops selling essentials like medicines fruits vegetables milk petrol pumps and LPG agencies will be allowed to open. Weekend lockdown had been temporarily suspended in the district due to the festive season. COVID19 cases have been on the rise in Uttarakhand with Dehradun district reporting the maximum number of infections in the state for several weeks. https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/nov/26/covid-sunday-lockdown-to-return-in-dehradun-from-this-week-2228295.html 26th Nov 2020

New Lockdown

The Times of India In Uttar Pradesh State health minister Jai Pratap Singh ruled out night and weekend lockdowns or sealing of border areas in the state. Target and random sampling he added will continue in vulnerable areas. There is no question of a night or weekend lockdown or any steps towards sealing of borders. All rules of unlock will continue to apply. We will however continue with target sampling in designated areas such as urban slums jails sweet shops malls and other highrisk areas. Random testing at the borders will also continue Singh said. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/noida/no-lockdown-on-weekends-or-border-sealing-minister/articleshow/79417444.cms 26th Nov 2020

New Lockdown

Scroll.in If there is a Covid19 surge can a lockdown be far behind As a fresh wave of the coronavirus sweeps through North and West India again speculation is rife that some states will once again go back to the bluntforce tool that people across the world have to come to associate with the virus lockdowns. The Delhi government has shot down the possibility of a fresh lockdown despite cases spiking and rumours in the city markets. But Maharashtra has kept the door open. A decision deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said would be taken shortly. Rajasthan Gujarat Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh on the other hand have already clamped down with night curfews and weekend lockdowns. https://scroll.in/article/979363/covid-19-should-indian-states-consider-lockdowns-again-even-as-a-last-resort 26th Nov 2020