10th Dec 2020 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=158 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian Nine out of 10 people in 70 lowincome countries are unlikely to be vaccinated against Covid19 next year because the majority of the most promising vaccines coming onstream have been bought up by the west campaigners have said. As the first people get vaccinated in the UK the Peoples Vaccine Alliance is warning that the deals done by rich countries governments will leave the poor at the mercy of the rampaging virus. Rich countries with 14 of the worlds population have secured 53 of the most promising vaccines. Canada has bought more doses per head of population than any other enough to vaccinate each Canadian five times said the alliance which includes Amnesty International Frontline AIDS Global Justice Now and Oxfam. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/dec/09/nine-out-of-10-in-poor-nations-to-miss-out-on-inoculation-as-west-buys-up-covid-vaccines 9th Dec 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Rich countries have secured enough coronavirus vaccines to protect their populations nearly three times over by the end of 2021 Amnesty International and other groups said on Wednesday possibly depriving billions of people in poorer areas. Amnesty and other organisations including Frontline AIDS Global Justice Now and Oxfam urged governments and the pharmaceutical industry to take action to ensure intellectual property of vaccines is shared widely. The World Health Organization WHO has also called on governments repeatedly this year to make a vaccine protecting against COVID19 a public good. https://www.reuters.com/article/healthcoronavirus-vaccines/amnesty-rich-countries-have-bought-too-many-covid-19-vaccines-idUSL1N2IP0PI 9th Dec 2020

Lockdown Exit

Reuters UK Margaret Keenan the 90yearold British grandmother who became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer COVID19 vaccine outside of a trial said she feels great after being discharged from hospital on Wednesday. Pictures of Keenan went around the world on Tuesday as she received the shot during a short stay in her local hospital for heart checks. Video footage showed the former jewellery shop assistant wearing a light blue mask a grey cardigan and a blue Tshirt with a penguin in snow and the message Merry Christmas https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-keenan/british-grandmother-says-she-feels-great-after-pfizer-vaccine-idUKKBN28J2PQ 10th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

The Associated Press Morocco is gearing up for an ambitious COVID19 vaccination program aiming to vaccinate 80 of its adults in an operation starting this month thats relying initially on a Chinese vaccine that has not yet completed advanced trials to prove it is safe and effective. King Mohammed VI instructed the government to make the vaccine free according to a Royal Palace statement. The first injections could come within days a Health Ministry official told The Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/europe-rabat-coronavirus-pandemic-morocco-china-8841aae31ae7501bf1a51029134b6222 9th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Daily Mail Britain will remain in some form of lockdown until at least March despite the roll out of coronavirus vaccines Professor Chris Whitty has warned. The chief medical officer said not enough Brits will have been inoculated against Covid19 over the next three months to keep the most vulnerable out of hospitals. He urged people not to let their guard down now a jab had been approved saying it would be really premature and absolutely the wrong thing to do. However the CMO said the UK should have three or four vaccines against Covid19 by mid2021 raising hopes of returning to prepandemic normality by summer. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9034303/UK-three-four-Covid-19-vaccines-year-Chris-Whitty.html 9th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Reuters The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a oneweek extension of federal government funding giving lawmakers more time to haggle over a broader spending package with coronavirus relief. The move gives Congress seven more days to enact a broader 1.4 trillion omnibus spending measure to which congressional leaders hope to attach the longawaited COVID19 relief package. https://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSKBN28J1CA 9th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

The Independent Irans President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that U.S. sanctions are making it difficult for Iran to purchase medicine and health supplies from abroad including COVID19 vaccines needed to contain the worst outbreak in the Middle East. Last week Iran said it is working on its own vaccine with testing on human patients expected to begin next month. It plans to buy 20 million vaccine doses from abroad for a population of more than 80 million people. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/iran-says-us-sanctions-hinder-access-to-covid19-vaccines-iran-hassan-rouhani-vaccines-sanctions-sanctions-b1768515.html 9th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

The Hill The White House coronavirus task force this week warned governors that coronavirus vaccinations will not drive down the spread of COVID19 until late spring calling for states to emphasize the need for other mitigation measures. The current vaccine implementation will not substantially reduce viral spread hospitalizations or fatalities until the 100 million Americans with comorbidities can be fully immunized which will take until the late spring the task force wrote in its weekly report to states issued Tuesday and obtained by The Hill. Behavioral change and aggressive mitigation policies are the only widespread prevention tools that we have to address this winter surge the report adds. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/529528-white-house-task-force-vaccine-may-not-reduce-virus-spread-until-late 9th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

BBC All people who need to selfisolate or quarantine will only need to do so for 10 days from Thursday the Welsh Government has announced. The current period for those without the virus is 14 days which has been changed after medical endorsement. It will now apply to people who have tested positive for the virus or are at risk of having it including those returning from nonexempt countries. It means Wales will have a shorter isolation period than England. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55236684?at_custom4=FB42FED8-39FF-11EB-B567-A16596E8478F&ampat_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&ampat_custom3=%40WalesPolitics&ampat_medium=custom7&ampat_campaign=64&ampat_custom2=twitter 9th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

Yahoo.com Mexico plans to begin vaccinating its people against COVID19 at the end of the third week of December starting with health workers the government announced. President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador said the vaccines will be universal and free and also voluntary and he hopes the full population will be vaccinated by the end of 2021. Officials said that starting in February those over 60 will receive vaccinations followed by those over 50 in April and over 40 in May. They urged people with risk factors to get vaccinated first. https://news.yahoo.com/mexico-launch-covid-19-vaccinations-173447208.html 8th Dec 2020

Exit Strategies

au.finance.yahoo.com Mexico could order an additional 22 million doses of coronavirus vaccine from Johnson Johnsons Janssen unit under a memorandum of understanding signed this week Deputy Health Minister Hugo LopezGatell said. Janssen has begun its coronavirus clinical trials in Mexico and LopezGatell said the memorandum his government signed on Monday gave it the option of ordering additional doses. So there we could end up getting up to 22 million more vaccines from Janssen LopezGatell the governments coronavirus czar told a regular evening news conference https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/mexico-says-could-order-22-031448186.html 8th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

9News Two California megachurches have continued to defy the states coronavirus ban on indoor worship services rebranding themselves as strip clubs. News outlet DSIRN reported that Awaken Church in San Diego and Godspeak Calvary Chapel had both declared themselves strip clubs after their pastors took off a tie before their congregation. Strip clubs are currently allowed indoor patrons under California law. https://www.9news.com.au/world/coronavirus-california-churches-rebrand-as-strip-clubs-to-skirt-lockdown/8dea7811-5ab4-433b-9496-4f19c0bf7388 9th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

Reuters German intelligence agents have placed under observation a group of protesters against coronavirus restrictions citing the influence of radicals including farright Nazi admirers. The domestic intelligence service in the southwestern BadenWuerttemberg region put the Querdenken 711 group on a watchlist due to its increasing radicalisation the states interior ministry said on Wednesday. Querdenken 711 was founded early in the pandemic by IT entrepreneur Michael Ballweg in the affluent city of Stuttgart and helped begin a nationwide movement. https://www.reuters.com/article/germany-security-coronavirus-idUSKBN28J108 9th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

Reuters on MSN.com North Korea lashed out at South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyungwha for casting doubt over its claim that there were no coronavirus outbreaks there warning of consequences for her impudent comment https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/north-korea-berates-south-korea-s-top-diplomat-for-doubt-over-zero-covid-19-cases/ar-BB1bKJDu?MSCC=1604478389 9th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

The Independent on MSN.com North Korea lashed out at the reckless comments of a South Korean minister on Wednesday after Seoul openly questioned Pyongyangs claims to have not had a single Covid19 case. Kim Yojong the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jongun said South Koreas Kang Kyungwha risked further damaging the already strained relations between the neighbours for saying it is hard to believe the North Korean coronavirus success story. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/north-korea-says-south-will-e2-80-98pay-dearly-e2-80-99-for-questioning-its-covid-success-story/ar-BB1bLHoj 9th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

The Times The sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jongun has lambasted South Koreas foreign minister for casting doubt over Pyongyangs claim that the country has no coronavirus cases. North Korea closed its borders in January to avoid a spread of the virus and has insisted that it has had no cases. Experts have suggested that this is unlikely since the virus first emerged in China and North Korea relies on its neighbour for trade. Kang Kyungwha South Koreas foreign minister said that it was hard to believe that the North had had no cases. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/south-korea-questions-pyongyangs-claims-to-be-virus-free-sspmpf2n2 9th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

The New York Times One man left the house after an argument with his wife and walked 280 miles to cool off breaching Italys national curfew. Another man wandered outside his quarantine room in Taiwan for eight seconds and caught the attention of the authorities. Still another drove 19 miles for a butter chicken curry during a strict lockdown and was apprehended by the Australian police. All those actions ended up costing them thousands of dollars in penalties. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/09/world/coronavirus-covid-19-quarantine-fine.html 9th Dec 2020

Partisan Exits

Metro Concerns have been raised about Covid19 figures used by the Government to trigger a second national lockdown after they were dramatically lowered restrospectively. The Office for National Statistics ONS has dropped its estimate of the infection rate of coronavirus in England at the end of October by almost half. In its report which was used to provide key data to back the national restrictions the ONS estimated that 9.52 people per 10000 were catching the virus by October 17 a considerable spike from 4.3 people on October 3. https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/09/covid-data-which-forced-boris-into-second-lockdown-quietly-downgraded-13724636/ 9th Dec 2020

Continued Lockdown

RFI Frances government said Wednesday it would not necessarily end the countrys second coronavirus confinement as planned on 15 December if epidemic indictors did not reach targets. The comments came ahead of a meeting of the health defence council that decides on restrictions. France had planned to lift travel and movement restrictions and reopen cinemas theatres and museums on 15 December in the second of a threepart easing of lockdown if it met certain conditions were met. But with health officials warning the country was far off from a target of 5000 new infections per day President Emmanuel Macron was to meet with the senior ministers and officials comprising a special health defence council to discuss whether to change those plans. https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20201209-france-warns-it-could-delay-end-of-covid-lockdown-if-epidemic-does-not-improve 9th Dec 2020

Continued Lockdown

The Japan Times Daniel Auminto lost his job and then his home when the coronavirus pandemic sent the Philippines into lockdown. Now he and his family live on the street relying on food handouts to survive. Charities are struggling to meet the evergrowing demand for food as millions of families go hungry across the country. COVID19 restrictions have crippled the economy and thrown many out of work. Ive never seen hunger at this level before said Jomar Fleras executive director of Rise Against Hunger in the Philippines which works with more than 40 partners to feed the poor. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/12/09/asia-pacific/philippines-covid19-hunger/ 9th Dec 2020

Continued Lockdown

Lancashire Evening Post Police in Lancashire made more than 2000 arrests for offences linked to domestic abuse in that time with charities warning the problem is not going away. And figures reveal such cases make up a growing proportion of the work officers have to deal with. While comparable arrest figures for previous years were not available nationally the number of domestic abuse cases has risen steadily in recent years. https://www.lep.co.uk/news/crime/domestic-violence-surges-lancashire-during-lockdown-3062267 9th Dec 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters France will delay relaxing some COVID19 lockdown restrictions if necessary to stave off a third wave of infections government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday. France is due to reopen cinemas theatres and museums and allow citizens to move between regions on Dec. 15 but there are signs it may not meet preconditions to enter into the second phase of rolling back the curbs. If we consider that ... we must modify this second phase of lifting lockdown measures then of course we will do it Attal told CNews television. President Emmanuel Macron will discuss the matter with senior ministers on Wednesday. He had originally set a target of 5000 new infections per day and fewer than 3000 COVID patients in intensive care before the lockdown could be eased. https://uk.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-france-measures/france-says-will-delay-easing-of-lockdown-if-necessary-idUKKBN28J0S4 9th Dec 2020

Continued Lockdown

Reuters UK British employers recruited fewer permanent staff during an Englandwide lockdown last month and relied instead on temporary workers to plug the gap a monthly survey of recruiters showed on Wednesday. The number of permanent staff recruited fell for a second month in a row in November and dropped by its most since July when Britain had just emerged from its first coronavirus lockdown the Recruitment and Employment Confederation said. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-jobs/uk-firms-avoid-hiring-permanent-staff-in-november-lockdown-idUKKBN28J00T?il=0 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Washington Post Indias Health Ministry has announced that some COVID19 vaccines are likely to receive licenses in the next few weeks and outlined an initial plan to immunize 300 million people. Health officials said Tuesday that three vaccine companies have applied for early approval for emergency use in India Serum Institute of India which has been licensed to manufacture the AstraZeneca vaccine Pfizer Inc. and Indian manufacturer Bharat Biotech. Some of them may get licensed in the next few weeks federal Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/india-says-it-may-approve-vaccine-in-weeks-outlines-plan/2020/12/08/dae62994-39b4-11eb-aad9-8959227280c4_story.html 10th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The UKs medicine regulator said anyone with a history of anaphylaxis to a medicine or food should not get the PfizerBioNTech COVID19 vaccine giving fuller guidance on an earlier allergy warning about the shot. Any person with a history of anaphylaxis to a vaccine medicine or food should not receive the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. A second dose should not be given to anyone who has experienced anaphylaxis following administration of the first dose of this vaccine said June Raine chief executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency MHRA. Earlier it had warned that people with a significant allergic reaction to those things should not take the shot without specifying anaphylaxis. https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN28K01B 10th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent U.K. regulators say people who have a significant history of allergic reactions shouldnt receive the new PfizerBioNTech vaccine while they investigate two adverse reactions that occurred on the first day of the countrys mass vaccination program https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk-investigates-possible-allergic-reactions-to-covid19-shot-reactions-reactions-pfizer-people-coronavirus-vaccine-b1768574.html 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian The United Arab Emirates said a Chinese coronavirus vaccine tested in the federation of sheikhdoms has 86 efficacy in a statement that provided few details but marked the first public release of information on the performance of the shot. The announcement brought yet another contender into the worldwide race for a vaccine to end the pandemic a scientific effort in which China and Russia are competing with western firms to develop an effective inoculation. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/09/chinese-covid-19-vaccine-has-86-efficacy-uae-says 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

USA Today Two British people with severe allergies apparently had allergic reactions to PfizerBioNTechs COVID19 vaccine raising questions about whether it is safe for people with preexisting allergies. In response British regulators advised those with severe allergies to avoid the vaccine. It was not immediately clear what triggered the allergic reactions. Unlike some vaccines in the PfizerBioNTech vaccine there are no preservatives or egg products which have been known to trigger reactions with other types of vaccines. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/12/09/covid-pfizer-vaccine-allergic-reaction-uk/6505867002/ 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal Canada became the third country to authorize use of the Covid19 vaccine produced by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE racing ahead of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Europes main regulator to approve shots for its most vulnerable citizens. Canada will now begin its immunization rollout as early as next weeka daunting challenge for a sparsely populated country with the worlds secondlargest territory. The country is on schedule to begin inoculations next week with a portfolio of vaccine candidates that it argues is among the most diverse among large economies. https://www.wsj.com/articles/canada-authorizes-covid-19-vaccine-from-pfizer-and-biontech-11607531030 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Associated Press Canadas health regulator approved Pfizers COVID19 vaccine Wednesday days ahead of possible approval in the United States and said it hopes to start giving the shots next week. The vaccine made by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and Germanys BioNTech vaccine already has been authorized for use by the United Kingdom and Bahrain and officials have said they expect the U.S. authorization within days. This a momentous occasion said Dr. Supriya Sharma chief medical adviser at Health Canada. The geek in me is amazed. No one would have thought even when we looked back at the first discovery of the virus that less than a year later we would be authorizing and distributing a vaccine. https://apnews.com/article/canada-archive-coronavirus-pandemic-9cde42df20e80c50752768b6696d45d5 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC As the global race to produce a Covid19 vaccine continues China appears to have made huge strides with one of its vaccine frontrunners Sinovac already making its way abroad. Shipments of Beijingbased biopharmaceutical company Sinovacs Covid19 vaccine CoronaVac have arrived in Indonesia in preparation for a mass vaccination campaign with another 1.8m doses due to arrive by January. But the vaccine is yet to finish its latestage trials which begs the question what exactly do we know about this Chinese vaccine https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-55212787 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC People with a history of significant allergic reactions should not have the PfizerBioNTech Covid jab regulators say. It came after two NHS workers had allergic reactions on Tuesday. The advice applies to those who have had reactions to medicines food or vaccines the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said. The two people had a reaction shortly after having the new jab had treatment and are both fine now. They are understood to have had an anaphylactoid reaction which tends to involve a skin rash breathlessness and sometimes a drop in blood pressure. This is not the same as anaphylaxis which can be fatal. Both NHS workers have a history of serious allergies and carry adrenaline pens around with them. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55244122 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent Those working on the front lines against coronavirus during the UKs first lockdown were up to seven times more likely to become severely infected new research suggests. A University of Glasgowled study of more than 120000 employees aged 49 to 64 indicated that those in healthcare roles were seven times more likely to be hospitalised or killed with the virus. And those with jobs in the social care and transport sectors were found to be twice as likely to suffer such outcomes which the researchers said emphasises the need to ensure that key workers are adequately protected against infection. https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/uk-news/coronavirus-uk-health-care-workers-risk-b1768121.html 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

EurekAlert! The first lockdown led to a significant increase in symptoms of depression among children highlighting the unintended consequences of school closures according to a new study from the University of Cambridge. In response to the COVID19 pandemic the UK Government implemented a national lockdown involving school closures and social distancing. There has been widespread concern that these measures would negatively impact child and adolescent mental health. To date however there is relatively little direct evidence of this. The most direct way of measuring the association between the onset of lockdown and childrens mental health is to follow the same individuals over a length of time and look for changes socalled longitudinal changes. https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-12/uoc-sii120820.php 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail Vaccine from stateowned company Sinophar is one of four made by China UAE officials today claim the phase three trials show it is 86 effective No data on the vaccine has yet been publicly released despite its approval Vaccine is a weakened form of virus and UAE has been running trials since July Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid AlMaktoum received an unnamed jab and reports claim so too has North Korea leader Kim Jong Un https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9033685/UAE-registers-Chinas-Sinopharm-vaccine-says-86-effective.html 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

STAT News My career as a hospital epidemiologist has been based on science and evidence which I believed to be the touchstones of my work. But Covid19 has taught me that fear gutwrenching allconsuming fear like the fear of dying from a horrific respiratory virus can be much more powerful than science. We cant conquer this fear unless we acknowledge and respect it. Im no stranger to my work keeping me awake at night. In prepandemic times I sometimes lost sleep over issues like a spike in staph infections in a particular intensive care unit https://www.statnews.com/2020/12/09/to-defeat-covid-19-we-must-acknowledge-the-fear-it-engenders/ 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

FiercePharma When the FDA released a 53page briefing document on Pfizers COVID19 mRNA vaccine candidate yesterday most readers zeroed in on the shots high efficacy in a wide range of demographic groups. Wall Street analysts dug a bit deeper. Their conclusion A few red flags in the FDA documents will likely generate some discussion at Thursdays advisory panel meeting but not enough alarm to scuttle an emergency authorization. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/pfizer-s-covid-vaccine-data-raise-some-questions-but-shouldn-t-scuttle-fda-nod-analysts 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Britains medicine regulator warned people with significant allergies not to get PfizerBioNTechs COVID19 vaccine after two people suffered adverse reactions but was set to give more detailed guidance on Wednesday based on reviews of those cases. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-britain-vaccine-idUSKBN28J1D1?taid=5fd0ec555b1bc70001e4054c&amputm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amputm_medium=trueAnthem&amputm_source=twitter 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

ZDNet The European Medicines Agency EMA the EU regulatory body in charge of approving COVID19 vaccines said today it was the victim of a cyberattack. In a short twoparagraph statement posted on its website today the agency discloses the security breach but said it couldnt disclose any details about the intrusion due to an ongoing investigation. EMA is currently in the process of reviewing applications for two COVID19 vaccines one from US pharma giant Moderna and a second developed in a collaboration between BioNTech and Pfizer. https://www.zdnet.com/article/eu-agency-in-charge-of-covid-19-vaccine-approval-says-it-was-hacked/ 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Evening Standard People with a history of significant allergic reactions have been told not to take the PfizerBioNTech Covid19 vaccine after two NHS workers who received the jab had adverse reactions. NHS England confirmed that two staff members who were administered doses on Tuesday on the first day of the mass vaccination programme suffered an allergic reaction. Both staff members have a significant history of allergic reactions to the extent where they need to carry an adrenaline autoinjector with them it is understood. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/warning-patients-pfizer-biontech-covid-allergic-reactions-b229762.html 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech said on Wednesday that documents related to development of their COVID19 vaccine had been unlawfully accessed in a cyberattack on Europes medicines regulator. The European Medicines Agency EMA which assesses medicines and vaccines for the European Union said hours earlier it had been targeted in a cyberattack. It gave no further details. Pfizer and BioNTech said they did not believe any personal data of trial participants had been compromised and EMA has assured us that the cyber attack will have no impact on the timeline for its review. https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN28J2Q7?__twitter_impression=true 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail Pfizer Incs first shipment of its vaccine to the US will include 2.9 million doses and another shipment 21 days later with the same amount. The jabs will be going to 636 locations mostly large healthcare systems with enough storage capacity. Gen Gustave Perna said he has set aside a reserve of 500000 doses from the total supply of 6.4 million available to the US. At an Operation Warp Speed briefing on Wednesday HHS Secretary Alex Azar said hed be willing to get vaccinated publicly The team said they have not considered who would receive the very first vaccine or where. The FDA will meet Thursday and Friday and are expected to approve the vaccine by the end of the week https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9036185/Pfizers-shipment-coronavirus-vaccine-include-2-9-million-doses-FDA-approval.html 9th Dec 2020

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters A health officials warning that anyone getting vaccinated against COVID19 with Russias Sputnik V vaccine should give up alcohol for almost two months has caused a backlash among some Russians who call the request unreasonable. Anna Popova head of the consumer health watchdog told the Komsomolskaya Pravda radio station on Tuesday that people should stop drinking alcohol at least two weeks before getting the first of two injections. They should continue to abstain for a further 42 days she advised. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-russia-vaccine-alcoho-idUSKBN28J239?taid=5fd11fddf0e12b00013d9b95&amputm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amputm_medium=trueAnthem&amputm_source=twitter 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

NBC News Brazil reported 51088 additional confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours and 842 fatalities from COVID19 its Health Ministry said on Tuesday marking the highest death toll since Nov. 14. The South American country has now registered 6674999 cases since the pandemic began while its official death toll has risen to 178159 according to ministry data. Brazil has the worlds third highest case count after the United States and India and second highest death toll. Easing quarantines in Brazilian cities have led to crowded bars and restaurants giving some the impression that life has returned to normal. With the approaching holiday season experts worry that COVID19 will spread even faster. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/brazil-registers-highest-covid-19-daily-death-toll-almost-month-n1250548 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Daily Mail on MSN.com Governor Gavin Newsom is now bringing in hundreds of hospital staff from outside the state and preparing to restart emergency hospitals that were created but barely used when the coronavirus surged last spring to cope with the new surge. The sevenday rolling average for new cases in the countys most populous state has doubled over the past two weeks to 23000 a day. During the summer surge average infections in California peaked at 10000 per day. https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/californias-hospitals-close-to-breaking-point-as-covid-19-surges/ar-BB1bMDHp 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Belfast Telegraph A spike in Covid19 cases is inevitable as people mix over the Christmas holidays the Tanaiste has said. Leo Varadkar said if further restrictions are introduced in January it wont be done lightly. Referring to a rise in coronavirus cases following gatherings in the US and Canada for Thanksgiving Mr Varadkar said it gives an indication on how the virus will spread over the festive holidays. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/republic-of-ireland/christmas-spike-in-covid-19-cases-inevitable-39845282.html 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Sky News The UK has reported another 533 deaths with COVID19 and 16578 new cases of the virus in the last 24 hours. That compares to 12282 cases and 616 deaths on Tuesday according to government data. It means the total number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus is now 62566. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-another-533-deaths-reported-and-16-578-new-cases-12156229 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Daily Mail Department of Health figures show the number of cases rose by 2.5 per cent compared to last Wednesday. Deaths however fell by 17 per cent compared to last week after 533 were recorded by health chiefs. Covid19 cases in Briton have been plateauing since Englands national lockdown was lifted on December 2 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9035449/UK-records-16-578-cases-coronavirus-533-deaths.html 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

iNews Admissions to hospital of patients with Covid19 are rising in four out of seven NHS regions of England despite the monthlong lockdown in November official figures have shown. The increases are in London east of England south east and the Midlands suggesting a third wave of the epidemic could be threatening the NHS just before the Christmas relaxation period. https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/covid-cases-hospital-admissions-figures-england-nhs-regions-despite-lockdown-788328 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Evening Standard Londoners might be facing Tier 3 lockdown restrictions just a week before Christmas as data shows infections are up in two thirds of the capitals boroughs. The latest Public Health England data shows infection rates are rising in the capital with cases per person up by half in certain areas of the city. Some officials are reportedly now voicing concern about London. Rates in some areas were rising even before lockdown was lifted on December 2 and before Londoners enjoyed the first weekend of slightly eased measures. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/london-facing-tier-3-before-christmas-b209285.html 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Independent German Chancellor Angela Merkel advocated tougher restrictions on public life and pleaded with her compatriots to cut down on socializing as the country reported its highest singleday death toll of the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday. Germany is gradually moving toward a tighter lockdown at least for a limited period after Christmas as new virus cases remain stubbornly high and are even beginning to creep higher despite a partial shutdown that started on Nov. 2. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/germany-lockdown-covid-merkel-update-b1768550.html 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Chancellor Angela Merkel is throwing her weight behind calls for a fuller lockdown in Germany that would include closing shops after Christmas telling legislators that vaccines alone would not majorly alter the pandemics course. Olivia Chan reports. https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/with-record-deaths-germany-may-tighten-l-id722876011 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Evening Standard Every single Londoner was today urged to join the battle to keep the city out of Tier 3 as official figures showed Covid19 cases rising in more than two thirds of boroughs. MPs and Mayor Sadiq Khan called on millions of people across the capital to stick to social distancing selfisolation mask wearing and good hygiene rules and guidance to reverse the latest coronavirus surge. The number of confirmed cases is increasing across east London apart from Redbridge which saw a very small decrease in the week to December 3 compared to the previous seven days. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-tier-3-warning-coronavirus-cases-rising-b228912.html 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Associated Press South Korea has reported 686 new cases of the coronavirus tying its secondhighest daily jump since the emergence of the pandemic as a resurgence driven by the greater capital area threatens to erase hardwon gains against the virus. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Wednesday that 536 of the new cases were reported in the Seoul metropolitan area where new clusters of infections have been popping up from seemingly everywhere including restaurants markets saunas hospitals longterm care facilities and army units. https://apnews.com/article/03e6283b415c195631490ce91b83085d 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

pharmaceutical-technology.com Global coronavirus infections pass 68.3 million. Meanwhile the global coronavirus death toll has passed 1559000 according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. US Covid19 infections have passed 15 million. Record cases in at least three states Arizona Alabama and Ohio pushed the cumulative case load to over 15 million according to a Reuters tally of state and county data. Meanwhile the US coronavirus death toll is 286338 according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/special-focus/covid-19/international-update-global-covid-cases-pass-68-3-million-more-than-15-1-million-in-us/ 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The West Australian The number of people who have died in Germany after catching the coronavirus has surged to 590 marking the highest daily death toll for the country in the pandemic yet. The figure reported by the Robert Koch Institute RKI the national agency for disease control beat the last record of 487 by more than 100. The RKI added 20815 new coronavirus cases to the countrys tally of confirmed infections which amounts to 1218524 so far. The daily rise in new cases last Wednesday was lower at 17270 providing further proof that a partial lockdown put in place in early November has failed to break Germanys second wave of infections https://thewest.com.au/news/health/germany-records-highest-covid-death-toll-ng-s-2041395 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

The New York Times The United States has recorded its most coronavirusrelated deaths over a weeklong period as a brutal surge gathers speed across the country. With a sevenday average of 2249 deaths the country broke the previous mark of 2232 set on April 17 in the early weeks of the pandemic. Sevenday averages can provide a more accurate picture of the viruss progression than daily death counts which can fluctuate and disguise the broader trend line. The United States is approaching 300000 total deaths with nearly 283000 recorded according to a New York Times database. The nation is averaging nearly 200000 cases per day an increase of 15 percent from the average two weeks earlier and has recorded over than 15 million total cases. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/12/07/world/covid-19-coronavirus 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters India Swedens government on Wednesday proposed new temporary legislation to expand its powers to fight the coronavirus pandemic giving it greater leeway to implement and enforce lockdown measures such as closing shopping malls and gyms. The legislation which will be submitted for review to relevant stakeholders before a vote in parliament would come into force on March 15 next year and be valid for just over a year the coalition said in a statement. Since summer and early autumns lull in the pandemic a second wave of the virus has swept the Nordic country with infections hitting daily records while hospitalisations and deaths have also shot up over the past two months. https://in.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-sweden-legislation/swedish-govt-to-ask-parliament-for-tougher-powers-to-fight-pandemic-idINL8N2IP219 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters UK New confirmed coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours in France jumped to 13713 on Tuesday from 3411 on Monday and 8083 last Tuesday health ministry data showed. On the 11th day after the government eased a nationwide lockdown the number of people in intensive care however fell by 110 to 3088 bringing it closer to a 25003000 government threshold that is one of the conditions for further lockdown easing. https://uk.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-france-casualties/french-new-coronavirus-cases-jump-to-13717-idUKKBN28I2TD 9th Dec 2020

Coronavirus Resurgence

South China Morning Post Chief Executive Carrie Lam adopts powerful new tool to combat an escalating fourth wave of the virus and urges residents to stay home as much as possible Authorities tighten socialdistancing restrictions with restaurants to end dinein service at 6pm and gyms to close as 100 new cases confirmed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3112968/coronavirus-hong-kong-tighten-social-distancing 8th Dec 2020

New Lockdown

The Times of India Ukraine will introduce tight lockdown restrictions in January hoping to stop the rapid spread of coronavirus infection Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said on Wednesday. The measures which include the closure of schools cafes restaurants gyms and entertainment centres and a ban on mass gatherings will be in force from January 824 Shmygal told the tlevised government meeting. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/ukraine-will-introduce-tight-lockdown-restrictions-in-january/articleshow/79646283.cms 9th Dec 2020

New Lockdown

Edmonton Journal The Alberta government is imposing the kind of severe lockdown measures that have worked to stop COVID19 spread in places like Canadas Maritime provinces Australia New Zealand and Taiwan jurisdictions which in the past two weeks have had zero COVID19 deaths. Compare that to Alberta and B.C. each with 35 deaths per million in the past two weeks Quebec with 51 per million and Manitoba with 124 deaths per million with all of those death rates trending up quickly. https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/david-staples-albertas-new-measures-can-wipe-out-covid-but-how-far-should-we-go 9th Dec 2020

New Lockdown

Reuters Chancellor Angela Merkel threw her weight behind calls for a fuller lockdown in Germany that would include closing shops after Christmas telling legislators that vaccines alone would not majorly alter the pandemics course in the first quarter. Europes largest economy has been in partial lockdown for six weeks with bars and restaurants closed but shops and schools open. That has stopped the coronaviruss exponential growth but infection levels remain at a high level. Speaking in parliament on Wednesday Merkel said regional leaders should follow scientific guidance which has called for people to further reduce their contact with others. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-germany-pandemic/merkel-pushes-for-tougher-german-lockdown-idUSKBN28J0Y8 9th Dec 2020