9th Feb 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=195 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Health officials around the world gave their backing to the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID19 after a study showing it had little effect against mild disease caused by the variant now spreading quickly in South Africa rang global alarm. The prospect that new virus variants could evolve the ability to elude vaccines is one of the main risks hanging over the global strategy to emerge from the pandemic by rolling out vaccines this year. South Africa where a new variant now accounts for the vast bulk of cases initially announced a pause in its rollout of a million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. But it said on Monday it could still roll it out in a stepped manner giving out 100000 doses and monitoring it to see if it prevents hospitalisations and deaths. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain/global-health-officials-back-astrazeneca-vaccine-after-south-africa-study-rings-alarm-idUSKBN2A80ME 9th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian The Bank of England is braced for the possibility that a mood of national depression that engulfed Britain as it plunged into a third national lockdown will end with a spending spree when restrictions are lifted. In an interview with the Observer the Banks governor Andrew Bailey said there was a chance after being cooped up for so long people would go for it once the vaccine programme allowed the economy to reopen. Bailey said that while the crisis of the past 12 months had accelerated the shift to online shopping and would change working patterns the longterm structural impact on the economy would be less pronounced than the shift from manufacturing to services in the 1980s and 1990s. It wont be as fundamental as that he added. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/feb/07/britons-set-for-a-post-covid-spending-binge-says-bank-chief 8th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

Sydney Morning Herald When Australias online safety investigators are investigating coercive child sex abuse material which involves children being urged to perform sexual acts for the camera there is often a concerning common factor parents are having a conversation just metres away. Our investigators can hear the parents voices in the next room said Julie Inman Grant the countrys eSafety commissioner. This is happening under parents noses in the home. The commissioner is ramping up calls for parents to improve awareness of their childrens digital lives as young peoples reports of negative online experiences including unwanted contact cyberbullying and harassment have spiked during the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.smh.com.au/national/bad-online-experiences-for-children-invisible-to-parents-during-lockdown-20210208-p570hl.html 8th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

ABC.Net.au Police in Western Australia have charged a returning overseas traveller with failing to comply with a COVID19 quarantine direction and threatening to spit on security staff. South Australian man Dariusz Tarnowski allegedly left his quarantine hotel room last night and entered the emergency stairwell where he threatened to spit in the face of a security guard. The 48yearold travelled into Perth from Poland via Doha on January 28 and was ordered to quarantine in the hotel for 14 days. WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said he was arrested after security allegedly saw him leave his room. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-08/man-arrested-for-allegedly-threatening-hotel-quarantine-guards/13131578 8th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

New Zealand Herald People who felt distressed and lonely during the countrys lockdown last autumn were three times more likely to smoke more a new study has found. The results of the survey undertaken by University of Otago Wellington researchers professor Janet Hoek Dr Philip Gendall associate professor James Stanley Dr Matthew Jenkins and Dr Susanna EveryPalmer have been published in the international journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research. Dr EveryPalmer said people who felt lonely or isolated almost all the time were more than three times more likely to increase their cigarette intake than those who were never lonely https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/sharp-rise-in-smoking-linked-to-loneliness-in-lockdown/UYGHHDFRDLBGJ45FXMEPMPTDQI/ 8th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian Global business leaders and others rightly rate New Zealands Covid19 response as the best in the world. But is it equally right to simply credit Ardern and her government for this success Partly of course but another group deserve credit too iwi. When the country went into lockdown in March 2020 iwi on the East Coast of the North Island its west coast and its northerly tip swung into action distributing masks sanitizer written advice and food parcels to vulnerable people in their region. Crucially they also set up checkpoints to regulate movement in and out of their territory ensuring the virus had no chance to transmit as the country went about its restrictions. In the early days some New Zealanders were furious with that particular intrusion on their movements. But despite the small yet vocal backlash the government came around to the iwi initiatives. https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2021/feb/06/new-zealands-maori-tribes-deserve-recognition-for-their-part-in-vanquishingcovid-19 8th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Clothes retailers in Europe and America sit on excess inventory and cut back on spring orders. Sourcing agents face late payments. Garment factories in Bangladesh are on the rack. The global apparel industry reeling from a punishing 2020 is seeing its hopes of recovery punctured by a new wave of COVID19 lockdowns and patchy national vaccine rollouts.The pain is consequently flowing to major garment manufacturing centres like Bangladesh whose economies rely on textile exports. Factories are struggling to stay open. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-retail-apparel-orders-focus/what-recovery-clothes-retailers-cut-orders-while-factories-fight-to-survive-idUSKBN2A80KO 8th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters French tourists weary of their strict national lockdown are flocking over the border to Madrid where bars and restaurants are open and people can stay outdoors until 10 p.m. even as COVID19 batters Europe in a virulent third wave. Though it made maskwearing mandatory and slashed occupancy of public spaces by half Madrids conservative regional government has set one of Spains loosest curfews defying national recommendations to shut hospitality venues and nonessential shops. The citys countercurrent policies stand out in Spain which like France is being pummelled by a third infection wave. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-spain-tourists-idUSKBN2A80UG 8th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

USA Today on MSN.com Pfizer expects to nearly cut in half the amount of time it takes to produce a batch of COVID19 vaccine from 110 days to an average of 60 as it makes the process more efficient and production is built out the company told USA TODAY. As the nation revs up its vaccination programs the increase could help relieve bottlenecks caused by vaccine shortages. We call this Project Light Speed and its called that for a reason said Chaz Calitri Pfizers vice president for operations for sterile injectables who runs the companys plant in Kalamazoo Michigan. Just in the last month weve doubled output. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pfizer-expects-to-cut-covid-19-vaccine-production-time-by-close-to-50-25-as-production-ramps-up-efficiencies-increase/ar-BB1dsMWG 8th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

South China Morning Post The AstraZeneca shot has run into several setbacks including concerns about its efficacy against a Covid19 variant and its suitability for people over 65. The vaccine accounts for almost all of the 337.2 million vaccine doses the WHOled Covax scheme is preparing to begin shipping to some 145 countries https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3121071/coronavirus-who-says-dont-dismiss-astrazeneca-vaccine-after-south-africa 8th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

The Wall Street Journal World Health Organization officials expressed confidence that AstraZeneca PLCs Covid19 vaccine can prevent severe cases of the disease as well as hospitalizations and deaths despite questions about the protection it offers against a fastspreading strain of the virus first detected in South Africa. The remarks followed a release of information over the weekend about a small clinical trial of the vaccine in South Africa which prompted the government there to halt a planned rollout of the shot. The preliminary data which hasnt been published in detail suggested the vaccine may not prevent mild and moderate cases of Covid19 from a new variant that has become the dominant version of the virus in South Africa and the broader southern African region. The WHOs directorgeneral Tedros Ghebreyesus said the trials findings were clearly concerning news but stressed that they came with important caveats. https://www.wsj.com/articles/astrazenecas-covid-19-vaccine-defended-by-world-health-officials-11612821292 8th Feb 2021

Lockdown Exit

Al Jazeera English The OxfordAstraZeneca COVID vaccine prevents death and serious illness and is effective against the main variants of the virus in the United Kingdom a government official has said after South Africa suspended its rollout of the shots. Pointing out that the dominant strains in the UK were not the socalled South African variant junior health minister Edward Argar told UK broadcaster Sky News on Monday that the vaccine was highly effective and there was no evidence that it was not preventing hospitalisations and severe illness in the country. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/8/uk-says-astrazeneca-jab-prevents-covid-19-death-as-sa-halts-shots 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

The Independent Cambodia on Sunday received its first shipment of COVID19 vaccine a donation of 600000 doses from China the countrys biggest ally. Prime Minister Hun Sen his senior Cabinet members and Chinese Ambassador Wang Wentian were at Phnom Penh International Airport for a reception ceremony for the Sinopharm vaccine carried by a Chinese Air Force flight. Hun Sen had announced that he would be the first person to be vaccinated but backtracked last week saying the Chinesemade Sinopharm vaccine was effective only for people aged between 18 and 59 while he is 68. He said Sunday at the airport that he would urge younger members of his family as well as top officials and generals under 60 to get vaccinated Wednesday as an example to the public https://www.independent.co.uk/news/cambodia-gets-first-covid19-vaccine-from-key-ally-china-cambodia-hun-sen-china-vaccine-vaccine-b1798802.html 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

Sky News The governments vaccine amnesty has been criticised for not giving enough assurance to those who are too scared to access healthcare in the UK. The Home Office has promised no action will be taken against people in the UK illegally if they register with a GP to be vaccinated. It is part of a government effort to get as many people as possible vaccinated against the virus which has already caused the deaths of more than 112000 people in the UK. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-undocumented-migrants-likely-to-remain-fearful-despite-govts-vaccine-amnesty-offer-12212357 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

The Washington Post The first precious boxloads of the frozen elixir arrived in December bearing great promise for curtailing the pandemic that has paralyzed the region and the world. Nurses and firefighters got injections on live TV. Some of them cried. Watching at home many hopeful people cried too. But in the weeks that followed that hope was mixed with frustration then anger as it became clear that getting the potentially lifesaving vaccine would not be easy not nationally and not in the District Maryland and Virginia. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/vaccine-rollout-dc-maryland-virginia/2021/02/07/11d8c4a0-656d-11eb-8c64-9595888caa15_story.html 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

BBC News Id shout it from the street please have your vaccinations you dont know what were going through. This is a plea from Shamim Abbas of Newport who lost husband Ghulam and brotherinlaw Raza to Covid. The brothers died within hours of each other last April. Concerns have been growing in recent weeks about an apparent hesitancy from some people in black Asian and minority ethnic BAME communities to have the Covid19 vaccine. And even though the virus has had such a devastating impact on Shamims family some relatives have been unsure about having it. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55956997 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

The Star Several provinces began relaxing COVID19 restrictions on Monday amid what Canadas chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam described as hopeful signs of declining COVID19 activity. Loosened rules went into effect in Quebec Alberta and Nova Scotia while the Ontario government announced that restrictions in some parts of the province would start being eased on Wednesday. The number of new cases reported daily across the country is continuing to trend down Tam said in a statement. But she warned that these trends could reverse quickly and that new variants could rapidly accelerate transmission of COVID19 in Canada. https://www.thestar.com/politics/2021/02/08/quebec-nova-scotia-and-alberta-begin-relaxing-covid-19-restrictions.html 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

The Independent Boris Johnsons statement as quoted by Nadhim Zahawi News 7 February that this government wont be issuing Covid19 vaccination certificates because it is discriminatory and thats not how we do things in the UK we do them by consent is as fatuous as one would expect from him. I hereby publicly voice my consent to receiving a Covid19 vaccination certificate. I own a yellow fever vaccination certificate and have carried a variety of other vaccination certificates for travel purposes throughout my life. They do indeed discriminate between those who have had vaccinations and those who havent. That is precisely their public health purpose where international travel is concerned. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/letters/covid-vaccine-certificate-travel-ban-b1799358.html 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

BBC News The public should have confidence in the UK vaccination programme the vaccines minister says despite a study showing the AstraZeneca jab may be less effective against the South African variant of Covid19. The study involved about 2000 people with an average age of 31. It showed the jab offered minimal protection against mild and moderate disease from the South African variant. AstraZeneca said it did not know whether the jab would stop severe illness because the study was predominantly on younger people. But the company said it could still be effective. Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi says the jabs appear to work well against the variants currently dominant in the UK. On Sunday he told the BBC that a booster in the autumn and annual vaccines could be needed to combat variants. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-55976703 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

BBC News Boris Johnson says he is very confident in the Covid vaccines being used in the UK amid concerns about the OxfordAstraZeneca jabs effectiveness against the South Africa variant. The vaccines are effective in delivering a high degree of protection against serious illness the PM said. A small study found the Oxford jab gave minimal protection against mild disease from the South Africa variant. But scientists are confident it will protect against serious disease. Some 147 cases of the South Africa variant have been found in the UK. However the Oxford vaccine has shown to provide good protection against the socalled Kent variant which remains the dominant strain in the UK. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-55983453 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

BBC News The Biden administrations recent investment of 230 million to expedite rapid production of the Ellume home Covid19 test represents an audacious step forward in mitigating the pandemic. Some experts have criticized it as a waste of money because this kit costs more than other alternatives and because of the timing of the investment. I believe the test is worth the extra cost due to its connectivity and the types of research it enables though all of these tests need to be evaluated against the other options. Throughout the pandemic public health officials have struggled to demonstrate the value and importance of measures such as mask wearing social distancing and vaccines. The ultimate result has been public skepticism poor uptake of helpful interventions and even outrageous conspiracy theories. We must learn from these missteps and design interventions that can be measured quickly and precisely. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p096d081 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

BBC News Workplace Covid testing is being offered to more companies in England for staff who cannot work from home during lockdown the government says. Businesses with more than 50 employees are now able to access lateral flow tests which can produce results in less than 30 minutes. Previously only firms with more than 250 staff qualified for testing. Health Secretary Matt Hancock urged businesses and employees to take up the offer to stop this virus spreading. When you consider that around one in three people have the virus without symptoms and could potentially infect people without even knowing it it becomes clear why focusing testing on those without symptoms is so essential he said adding that firms should regularly test staff. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55967069 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

Evening Standard What might the South African variant mean for plans to ease the lockdown Its probably too early to say. Its important to remember that according to the latest data only 147 cases of the South African variant B.1.351 have been found in the UK according to health minister Ed Argar this morning. This is an increase of 42 on the 105announced a week ago by Health Secretary Matt Hancock which sparked the surge testing in nine locations across England including West Ealing and Hanwell where Mayor Sadiq Khan visited today Tottenham Hale and Pollards Hill in Merton. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/south-african-variant-lockdown-restrictions-easing-when-b919009.html 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

POLITICO.eu Austria is easing its coronavirus lockdown after six weeks despite stubbornly high infection numbers. While the government is keeping bars restaurants and hotels closed and a nighttime curfew in place schools hairdressers and museums reopened on Monday under strict hygiene rules as testing capacities were expanded. The move came amid growing pressure on Vienna to lift at least some restrictions with data showing that Austrias economic downturn is particularly severe. In the fourth quarter of 2020 the economy contracted by 4.3 percent over the previous quarter amid slumping tourism the worst performance of any EU country for that period. https://www.politico.eu/article/austria-eases-lockdown-annoys-bavaria/ 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

Evening Standard Almost one in four adults in the UK have had their first dose of Covid19 vaccine Matt Hancock has said. The Health Secretary speaking at a Downing Street press briefing after new data showed that coronavirus deaths in the UK had hit a sixweek low. A further 333 fatalities and 14104 infections were reported on Monday. People over70 who have not yet received their first dose have been asked to contact the NHS to arrange their jab. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/covid-uk-coronavirus-live-update-lockdown-testing-south-africa-variant-b918881.html 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

FRANCE 24 Israeli barbershops and some other businesses reopened Sunday as the country began easing its third coronavirus lockdown Sunday amid an aggressive vaccination campaign. Early Friday the government announced it was lifting some restrictions imposed since December when the country saw a rise in Covid19 infections. Jerusalem barber Eli Aroas was among those reopening on Sunday morning the start of the working week. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210207-israel-begins-exit-from-third-virus-lockdown 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

The Guardian The UK governments decision to require overseas arrivals from high risk countries to selfisolate in hotels has triggered a debate on the effectiveness of enforced quarantine in governmentrun facilities. Some have balked at its cost and restrictive character while others have dismissed the measure as halfbaked and too little too late. My experience in a quarantine facility for Covid19 patients in South Korea might be illuminating in this regard. Last November I flew into South Korea to spend a holiday with my family. To sum up the complicated arrival process at Seoul I was required to download a Covid19 tracking app had my temperature checked and was whisked away by preapproved taxis to the public clinic nearest to my home to take a PCR test. I was then required to selfisolate for more than two weeks at home. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/05/south-korea-covid-quarantine-britain-tested-positive 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

The Japan Times As COVID19 spread around the world countries fought against the invisible threat by restricting peoples movements from entry bans and strict lockdowns to softer lockdowns like Japans state of emergency. Each government took a completely different approach in how to restrict the freedom of movement domestically and internationally. But in the end how should governments implement effective border control measures to restore the freedom of movement China was initially reluctant to disclose the actual situation of the COVID19 outbreak within the country which allowed many people to continue to travel freely across national borders. But after China imposed a lockdown in Wuhan the epicenter of the outbreak Beijing took extremely strict measures to curb the spread of the virus almost ignoring the freedom of movement of its own citizens and mobilizing every possible technology. Its strong enforcement capabilities stunned many people around the globe. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/02/07/commentary/world-commentary/api-opening-borders/ 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

The Independent The minister responsible for the coronavirus vaccine rollout has suggested annual jabs or a booster in the autumn could be required to combat new variants of the disease. Nadhim Zahawis remarks came as official government data showed on Sunday that over 12 million people in Britain had now received a first dose of a Covid vaccine putting the government on course to reach the 15 February target of inoculating 15 million in high priority groups. As Boris Johnson prepares to tell the nation how the government will begin unwinding the lockdown in two weeks Mr Zahawi insisted he was confident the NHS would be able to reach the new tough target of immunising all those over the age of 50 by May. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nadhim-zahawi-covid-oxford-vaccine-b1798878.html 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

Daily Mail Masks will be mandatory for teachers and senior school students in the Perth Peel and South West regions. Western Australia recorded no new cases of Covid on Sunday both within the community and in hotel quarantine. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9232905/Western-Australia-make-masks-mandatory-high-school-students-teachers.html 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

ABC News The WA Government has moved to restrict hotel quarantine security staff to one job only a week after the state was plunged into lockdown when a guard tested positive to COVID19. WA Premier Mark McGowan said letters stipulating the change in contract had gone out to the four security companies that provided staff to the nine quarantine hotels. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-08/wa-moves-to-stop-hotel-quarantine-guards-from-taking-second-jobs/13132486 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

The Independent The United States has administered more than 4.7 million doses of Covid19 vaccines to 3.8 million of its most vulnerable people in an effort to decrease hospitalisations and deaths caused by the novel virus. Those who are dying in large numbers last year are now on the path to protection said Andy Slavitt Joe Bidens senior coronavirus adviser during the White House Covid response team press briefing on Monday. People living in longterm care facilities alongside healthcare workers were prioritised above all others in the country to receive a Covid19 vaccine. This was after the country witnessed deadly spreads of the novel virus within these facilities last year. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-covid-vaccine-doses-latest-b1799305.html 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

BBC News Travellers entering the UK are set to be tested for coronavirus a few days after they arrive. The new expanded testing regime will be announced shortly. Enhancing the testing regime to cover all arrivals while they isolate would add another level of protection the Department of Health said. The move is designed to help to track any new cases which might be brought into the country and make it easier to detect new variants. It is in addition to the current rules which say travellers arriving in the UK whether by boat train or plane must show proof of a negative Covid19 test to be allowed entry. The test must be taken in the 72 hours before travelling and anyone arriving without one faces a fine of up to 500. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55989921 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

FiercePharma Has the vaccine hesitancy tide turned into a wave of vaccine excitement Possibly. A new W2O Group study using search and social data found that 80 of Americans are likely willing to get vaccinated. However vaccine makers still have their work cut out for themespecially among certain groups of peopleand messaging will be critical W2O Chief Data Officer Seth Duncan said. Out of four groups of people established for the study many of those who arent inclined to get vaccinated are politically rightleaning. Among the groupdefined as those who follow at least three rightleaning politicians journalists or news outletsonly 41 show a willingness to get a vaccine. That compares with 95 of center left 93 of the educated left and 91 of the apolitical groups who are ready to get vaccinated. https://www.fiercepharma.com/marketing/social-media-analysis-finds-80-americans-ready-for-covid-jab-but-vaccine-messages-will-be 8th Feb 2021

Exit Strategies

Stat News The Biden administrations recent investment of 230 million to expedite rapid production of the Ellume home Covid19 test represents an audacious step forward in mitigating the pandemic. Some experts have criticized it as a waste of money because this kit costs more than other alternatives and because of the timing of the investment. I believe the test is worth the extra cost due to its connectivity and the types of research it enables though all of these tests need to be evaluated against the other options. Throughout the pandemic public health officials have struggled to demonstrate the value and importance of measures such as mask wearing social distancing and vaccines. The ultimate result has been public skepticism poor uptake of helpful interventions and even outrageous conspiracy theories. We must learn from these missteps and design interventions that can be measured quickly and precisely. https://www.statnews.com/2021/02/08/a-digital-option-is-the-right-investment-for-at-home-covid-19-testing/ 8th Feb 2021

Partisan Exits

Al Jazeera English Facebook Inc. said it will take stronger steps to eliminate false information about Covid19 and vaccines on its social network a move that could remove major groups accounts and Instagram pages for repeatedly spreading misinformation. The company is acting on advice from the World Health Organization and other groups to expand its list of false claims that are harmful according to a blog post on Monday. Facebook will ask administrators of user groups to moderate such misinformation. Facebookowned Instagram will also make it harder to find accounts that discourage vaccination and remove them if they continuously violate the rules. The company this week will also include in its Covid19 information center details from local health departments about when and where people can get vaccinated. If Facebooks systems come across content that says the coronavirus is manmade or manufactured that it is safer to get the disease than to get the vaccine or that the shots are toxic dangerous or cause autism that content will be removed. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/2/8/facebook-instagram-to-ban-accounts-discouraging-vaccinations 9th Feb 2021

Partisan Exits

News.com.au Australia is a fortress of hope in a world conquered by COVID19. But even as vaccines raise the prospect of relief the siege is growing stronger. And the cracks in our defences are growing. Incompetence. Hesitance. Partisan politics. All are being blamed across the world for overwhelmed health systems stalled economies and soaring death rates. Australia has dodged these bullets. So far. https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/health/how-australia-beat-covid19-while-the-united-states-and-britain-broke/news-story/cbea21e4e3b56f0cad76e2baf018cb62 8th Feb 2021

Partisan Exits

CNN Breaches of selfisolation rules are rampant across the UK. Up to 20000 people a day are failing to stay home when instructed to according to Dido Harding who is in charge of the countrys coronavirus Test and Trace scheme. These numbers are moving a lot Harding told a parliamentary committee this week adding that circa 20000 people a day were currently not isolating. Harding said she was also concerned about people who were experiencing symptoms but had avoided being tested. For the British government the lack of compliance is a significant worry. https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/07/uk/lockdown-breakers-covid-economy-gbr-intl/index.html 8th Feb 2021

Partisan Exits

Outlook India Greeces leftwing opposition leader has accused the countrys prime minister of showing contempt for lockdown rules after attending a large outdoor lunch gathering. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on a weekend visit to the Greek island of Ikaria attended an outdoor lunch hosted by a local lawmaker. A video of the event posted on social media showed at least 25 people in attendance while traditional island music with drums and bagpipes could be heard in the background. The government toughened lockdown measures at the weekend expanding curfew hours to start at 6 pm in greater Athens and Greeces secondlargest city Thessaloniki in response to a surge in COVID19 infections that started in late January. https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/greek-pm-accused-of-flaunting-lockdown-rules/2025920 8th Feb 2021

Partisan Exits

Sky News Police chiefs have warned they will respond robustly to antiChinese hate crimes amid concerns there could be a surge in offences once lockdown ends. The COVID19 AntiRacism Group CARG has told Sky News it is witnessing worrying levels of hate speech online linked to the pandemic and it fears this will turn into violence when coronavirus restrictions are eased. One Chinese health worker told the survey Patients and people in general say that COVID19 originated from China and that being of Chinese descent is culpable for the pandemic. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-nhs-staff-fall-victim-to-anti-chinese-hate-crimes-amid-fears-violence-will-rise-when-lockdown-ends-12206686 8th Feb 2021

Partisan Exits

The Age A 76yearold man charged with inciting an antilockdown protest in Melbourne during Victorias second wave of COVID19 has argued his case should be heard in the High Court of Australia. Solihin Millin was arrested on August 28 last year and charged with incitement over a freedom rally protest against Victorias lockdown restrictions held at the Shrine of Remembrance and Albert Park on September 5. Police raided his home and seized multiple items including two laptops a computer and two mobile phones. https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/man-charged-with-incitement-over-lockdown-protest-wants-case-heard-in-higher-court-20210208-p570jb.html 8th Feb 2021

Continued Lockdown

Metro Boris Johnson refused to rule out extending lockdown further if the South African variant of coronavirus continues to spread. The suggestion comes amid revelations the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is less effective against the mutation though scientists say it still protects against severe disease. Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies SAGE adviser Professor Mike Tildesley claimed this finding means more restrictions might be needed for longer. And when pressed on whether there may need to be a delay to easing restrictions if the vaccine is proved to be less effective the prime minister said vaccines are going to offer a way out and remain of massive benefit to our country. https://metro.co.uk/2021/02/08/longer-lockdown-not-ruled-out-if-south-african-covid-variant-spreads-14043377/ 8th Feb 2021

Continued Lockdown

Wales Online Covid19 case rates for the four nations of the UK have dropped to their lowest level since before Christmas with some regions of England recording rates last seen in early December new analysis shows. In London the sevenday rate has fallen to its lowest since December 8 while the figure for southeast England is at its lowest since December 7. While a handful of local areas across the UK have recorded a weekonweek rise in the latest figures most of the increases are small. https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/covid-19-cases-now-back-19793503 8th Feb 2021

Continued Lockdown

CBC.ca The U.K. is four weeks into its third and toughest lockdown since the start of the pandemic. The latest lockdown came into effect Jan. 6 as a variant of the coronavirus first detected in September in Kent rapidly became the most common form of the virus in England and spread to other countries. Valerie Hillier talks about life in lockdown Britain https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/uk-lockdown-valerie-hillier-1.5903014 8th Feb 2021

Continued Lockdown

Al Jazeera English South Africa is looking to roll out the OxfordAstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine in a stepped manner to assess its ability to prevent severe illness according to a key adviser to the countrys government. On Sunday almost a week after receiving its first one million doses the continents hardesthit country said it would put on hold its use of the vaccine after research showed it was only minimally effective in preventing mildtomoderate illness against a variant of the coronavirus now dominant in South Africa. Speaking to a briefing of the World Health Organization WHO Salim Abdool Karim cochair of the countrys Ministerial Advisory Committee MAC on COVID19 said it was too early to say whether the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and drugmaker AstraZeneca vaccine would still be effective in preventing serious disease as there was not yet enough data on its effectiveness in older people against the variant. South Africa paused its rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine for now while determining the next steps and could vaccinate 100000 people with the shot to see how well it works on preventing hospitalisations and deaths. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/8/south-africa-to-roll-out-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-in-steps 8th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Bloomberg CanSino Biologics Inc.s experimental coronavirus shot has an efficacy rate of 65.7 at preventing symptomatic cases based on an analysis from latestage trials making it the latest vaccine candidate to show some protection against Covid19. The shot codeveloped by the Chinese military and the Tianjinbased biotech company proved effective against symptomatic Covid19 based on a multicountry analysis first posted on Twitter by Faisal Sultan Pakistans health adviser on Monday. CanSino later forwarded Sultans announcement in a statement. The final stage trail included 30000 participants and was also 90.98 effective in preventing severe disease Sultan said. A vaccine needs to afford at least a 50 protection rate to be considered effective as mandated by the worlds leading drug regulators and the World Health Organization. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-08/pakistan-says-cansino-s-covid-vaccine-shows-65-7-efficacy 8th Feb 2021

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pharmaphorum Chinas national regulator has approved Sinovac Biotechs COVID19 vaccine for use by the general public. This is the second vaccine approved by Chinas National Medical Products Administration NMPA. Both of the vaccines along with another experimental vaccine from Sinopharm have been used in Chinas vaccination programme. More than 31 million doses have been administered mainly targeting groups at higher infection risks while a fourth experimental vaccine from CanSino Biologics has been given to military personnel. Brazilian clinical trial results published last month showed the vaccine dubbed Coronavac is just over 50 effective. https://pharmaphorum.com/news/china-approves-sinovacs-coronavirus-vaccine/ 8th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Times Saving the world was for Dr Katalin Kariko always a sideline. After a busy year producing the worlds first and currently most effective coronavirus vaccine she is keen to return to the day job. We have very important projects and many of them were pushed aside due to the pandemic she says. Patients she adds are waiting. Those projects from personalised cancer medicine to curing allergies have arguably become more important due to what she has done in the past 12 months. Because today a lot more people think they will actually work. In January 2020 Kariko was one of the team at BioNTech a German pharmaceutical company. They had a technology that they thought could make a fast and simple vaccine. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/more-medical-breakthroughs-on-the-way-thanks-to-biontech-coronavirus-vaccine-xpn7ksdzs 8th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

BBC News Scientists are developing booster jabs to tackle Covid19 variants a health minister says amid concerns about the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccines efficacy against the South Africa strain. The vaccine provides good protection against the dominant Kent variant in the UK. But a small study suggests it offers minimal protection against mild disease from the South Africa variant. Some 147 cases of this variant have been found in the UK. Health minister Edward Argar said the government was anticipating that an annual jab could be required to combat variants of coronavirus. He also said there was no evidence the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine was not effective at preventing severe illness from the South African variant which scientists have warned could become more widespread in the UK. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55976037 8th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent Evidence is mounting that having COVID19 may not protect against getting infected again with some of the new variants. People also can get second infections with earlier versions of the coronavirus if they mounted a weak defense the first time new research suggests. How long immunity lasts from natural infection is one of the big questions in the pandemic. Scientists still think reinfections are fairly rare and usually less serious than initial ones but recent developments around the world have raised concerns. In South Africa a vaccine study found new infections with a variant in 2 of people who previously had an earlier version of the virus. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/new-variants-raise-worry-about-covid19-virus-reinfections-infection-study-people-training-infection-b1799314.html 8th Feb 2021

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Belfast Live Northern Irelands Chief Medical Officer has given his full backing to Northern Irelands Covid19 vaccine programme and said They are protecting people from Covid19 and saving lives. Dr Michael McBride was responding to differing reports on the effectiveness of the vaccines in particular AstraZenecas. But he urged people to be confident in the vaccines being rolled out in Northern Ireland right now and urged everyone eligible for the shot to have it. Dr McBride said The AstraZeneca and PfizerBioNTech vaccines are protecting people from Covid19 and saving lives. https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/health/astra-zeneca-pfizer-covid-19-19793824 8th Feb 2021

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Aberdeen Evening Express Using symptomrelated searches through Google could allow experts to predict a peak in cases on average 17 days in advance a group from University College London UCL said. Analysing internet search activity is already used to track and understand the seasonal flu. Using data on Covid19 web searches in a similar way alongside more established approaches could improve public health surveillance methods. Adding to previous research that has showcased the utility of online search activity in modelling infectious diseases such as influenza this study provides a new set of tools that can be used to track Covid19 said lead author Dr Vasileios Lampos. https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/uk/web-searches-could-help-detect-covid-19-outbreaks-early-study-says/ 8th Feb 2021

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Cambridge Independent Two Cambridgebased biotechnology companies have been instrumental in the development of a gamechanging platform for lateral flow LF tests that could be vital in the fight against Covid19. Largescale Covid19 antibody screenings with high specificity and sensitivity such as the LF test could provide public health authorities with reliable data to monitor the impact of regional and national lockdown restrictions and provide evidence of antibody generation after vaccine immunisations. The platform is underpinned by Activotec a laboratory equipment supplier based in Comberton while Excivion is developing novel vaccines from St Johns Innovation Centre. https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/business/cambridge-firms-underpin-game-changing-lateral-flow-test-for-covid-19-9155758/ 8th Feb 2021

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Scientific American The worlds attention is rightly focused on news of COVID19 vaccine updates from eligibility to supply. But we will make a critical error if we ignore the need for treatments as well as vaccines. Vaccines may not reach everyone for many years. Vaccines will not protect everyone. And as infection surges threaten to overwhelm hospitals and nursing homes immediate remedies are needed. So it is vitally important we continue to research treatments to limit and cure COVID19. Consider the flu which is targeted annually with widely available and effective vaccines. But since no vaccine is perfect there remains a significant need for flu therapies such as Tamiflu and Relenza because these drugs prevent hospitalizations and save lives. We need Tamiflulike and Relenzalike drugs for COVID19. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vaccines-alone-are-not-enough-to-beat-covid/ 8th Feb 2021

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Sky News Another half a million or so people will today bare their shoulder and have a vaccine against COVID19. Its a triumph of science and logistics. But will it end the pandemic Just a few weeks ago the answer would have been an unqualified yes. But the evolving virus has knocked the confidence of many scientists. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-shape-shifting-coronavirus-is-knocking-the-confidence-of-scientists-12212424 8th Feb 2021

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CIDRAP The B117 SARSCoV2 variant identified in 33 states thus far will dominate other strains in the coming weeks triggering major COVID19 surges such as those seen in Portugal and the United Kingdomunless the United States immediately scales up surveillance and mitigation efforts according to a study published yesterday on the preprint server medRxiv. A team led by scientists from the Scripps Research Institute sequenced SARSCoV2 genomes from 10 states using US COVID19 testing facilities to track the emergence and spread of B117 the more transmissible and lethal variant that was first discovered in the United Kingdom in September and likely introduced to the United States during holiday travel. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/02/scientists-us-act-now-leash-virulent-covid-variant 8th Feb 2021

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CIDRAP South Africa recently received 1 million doses of AstraZenecaOxford COVID19 vaccine and was poised to start vaccinating healthcare workers but yesterday health officials announced a pause for the rollout to investigate early findings that it offered little protection against mildtomoderate disease caused by the B1351 variant strain thats dominant in the country. New questions about the vaccine come as World Health Organization WHO advisers this week consider it for emergency use listing which if approved would pave the way for lower income countries to receive their first doses though the COVAX program. The first shipments through COVAX depend on 350 million doses of AstraZenecaOxford vaccine. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/02/south-africa-pauses-astrazeneca-vaccine-rollout-amid-variant-covid 8th Feb 2021

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FiercePharma With an upsized production goal of 2 billion COVID19 vaccine doses this year Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech arent resting on their laurels now that their shot Comirnaty has emergency nods in the U.S. Europe and beyond. As the companies continue to build out capacity manufacturing efficiency is getting its own boost Pfizer revealed. The time it takes the company to produce a COVID19 vaccine batch could soon be cut from 110 days to an average of just 60 Chaz Calitri vice president of sterile injectables told USA Today. We call this Project Light Speed and its called that for a reason he said. Just in the last month weve doubled output. One element teed up for acceleration is DNA productionthe first step in Pfizers vaccine manufacturing process Calitri explained. Making that DNA originally took 16 days but the process will soon take just nine or 10 days he said. https://www.fiercepharma.com/manufacturing/pfizer-to-nearly-halve-covid-19-vaccine-production-timeline-sterile-injectables-vp 8th Feb 2021

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FiercePharma Demand outpacing COVID19 vaccine supplies has already been a problem for players with authorized products including Pfizer and AstraZeneca. But an Indian drugmaker known for its generics is reporting similar issues over a shot still kicking around the clinic. Cadila Healthcare also known as Zydus Cadila has more orders for its plasmid DNAbased COVID19 vaccine ZyCoVD than it can makeand so far its still on the hunt for partners to hit a production target of 200 million doses Indian outlet Moneycontrol reports. We have always believed that this DNA platform offers the most safe and efficacious way of handling such a large pandemic and we are very happy to see the strong response we are getting from different countries Sharvil Patel managing director of Cadila Healthcare said according to Moneycontrol. https://www.fiercepharma.com/manufacturing/india-s-cadila-hit-more-covid-19-vaccine-orders-than-it-can-fill 8th Feb 2021

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BMJ What do we know about the E484K mutation The E484K mutation is not a new variant in itself its a mutation which occurs in different variants and has already been found in the South African B.1.351 and Brazilian B.1.1.28 variants. The mutation is in the spike protein and appears to have an impact on the bodys immune response and possibly vaccine efficacy. On 1 February Public Health England PHE announced that the Covid19 Genomics COGUK consortium had identified this same E484K mutation in 11 samples carrying the UK variant B.1.1.7 sometimes called the Kent variant after analysing 214159 sequences. Where has it been identified in the UK PHE confirmed to The BMJ that they have now identified 11 cases of the UK B1.1.7 variant carrying the E484K mutation around the Bristol area and 40 cases of the original SARSC0V2 virus carrying the same E484K mutation in the Liverpool area. Public health officials are carrying out enhanced contact tracing additional laboratory analysis and testing in these areas. Is this mutation something to worry about E484K is called an escape mutation because it helps the virus slip past the bodys immune defences. Ravindra Gupta at the University of Cambridge and colleagues have confirmed that the new B.1.1.7 plus E484K variant substantially increases the amount of serum antibody needed to prevent infection of cells.2 We already know that the B.1.1.7 variant is more transmissible so a combination of a faster spreading virus that is also better at evading immunity is worryingif it isnt stopped it would outcompete the older B.1.1.7 variant. https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n359 5th Feb 2021

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FiercePharma It didnt take long before a morale boost for AstraZenecas COVID19 vaccine was overshadowed by disappointment over its waned protection against a newly emerged coronavirus variant. A new study has found AZs COVID19 shot offered minimal protection against mild to moderate disease caused by the B.1.351 variant which was first identified in South Africa the University of Oxford the original developer of the vaccine said Sunday. The finding has prompted the pair to update their vaccine dubbed AZD1222 to target variants of the coronavirus with mutations similar to B.1.351. In the meantime South African authorities have halted rollout of the vaccine as they try to figure out the best way forward. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/astrazeneca-oxford-race-to-update-covid-19-vaccine-as-study-flags-weak-action-against 8th Feb 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Stat News Variants is the latest term to leap from the infectious disease lexicon to the general public as a result of the coronavirus as the effects of mutations on transmission and vaccines have emerged as top global concerns. But researchers like Emma Hodcroft a molecular epidemiologist at the University of Bern have been looking out for genetic changes to the SARSCoV2 coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic. The virus like any virus has picked up mutations as it spread but its only been in the past few months that it has been altered in ways that could dramatically shift the dynamics of the Covid19 pandemic. https://www.statnews.com/2021/02/08/variants-expert-in-viral-evolution/ 8th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Financial Times On his first day in isolation after contracting Covid19 Mexicos president Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador had a call with Vladimir Putin. Whereas his first call with President Joe Biden three days earlier had been friendly and respectful Lpez Obrador gushed about the genuine affection from the Russian president as Mexico prepared to receive 24m doses of Russias Sputnik V vaccine. Foreign diplomacy does not usually interest Lpez Obrador but this time it was urgent Mexico one of the worlds worsthit countries faced a threeweek halt in vaccines from BioNTechPfizer and needed more fast. https://www.ft.com/content/c9b329c3-b467-40c6-8565-e0abb961b206 8th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

U.S. News & World Report The highly contagious coronavirus variant that drove Britain into lockdown in December is now spreading quickly across the United States a new study shows. What has been dubbed the B.1.1.7 variant is doubling its prevalence every nine days in this country https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-02-08/british-covid-variant-gaining-strong-foothold-in-the-united-states 8th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Metro A Sage scientist warned for further restrictions after a study found the OxfordAstraZeneca jab was less effective against the highly infectious South African variant. https://metro.co.uk/2021/02/08/uk-could-face-tougher-restrictions-if-south-african-covid-continues-to-spread-14040733/ 8th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Daily Mail on MSN.com The troublesome Brazilian variant of coronavirus will inevitably end up in Britain scientists have warned amid fears it could make vaccines less effective. Cases of the mutant strain which shares a mutation with the South African variant have already been spotted in France Italy the Netherlands and the Faroe Islands. Health ministries in Germany and Spain claim to have also discovered cases of the dangerous strain. Experts now say it is only a matter of time before the variant dubbed P1 lands on Britains shores because ministers cant rely on border controls to lock it out. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/brazilian-covid-strain-spotted-in-france-italy-and-faroe-islands/ar-BB1duOAy 8th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Huffington Post UK Usually we would go home from an awful shift and maybe have a drink or a meal with a friend maybe go to the gym maybe play some music and laugh. And then we are recharged and ready for when we go back to our next shift and we are able to deal with all the awfulness again. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/evert-doctor-frontline-nhs-mental-health_uk_601be9a8c5b67cdd1a75d876 8th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters France reported a fall in new COVID19 infections on Sunday for the fourth successive day. Health ministry data showed there had been 19175 new confirmed COVID19 infections in the past 24 hours compared with 20586 the previous day. But the data also showed the number of patients being treated in hospital for the disease had risen to 27694 from 27369 the previous day following a fourday decline. The number of COVID19 patients in intensive care also rose increasing to 3272 from 3225 the day before. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-france-casualties/update-2-france-reports-fresh-fall-in-number-of-new-covid-19-cases-idUSL1N2KD0FF 8th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian Some UK care workers are having to take holiday when they are off sick with Covid or see already low wages fall to 96 per week raising fears they may not selfisolate. Staff on the minimum wage claim to have been offered only statutory sick pay when ill with Covid or selfisolating. This contravenes government policy that they should be paid in full to limit infection spread. One care worker involved in an ongoing outbreak at a nursing home involving several fatalities told the Guardian the employer does not provide sick pay so the worker and other infected colleagues had to take holiday to prevent their earnings falling. One colleague took holiday pay to maintain earnings while very ill with Covid in intensive care the care worker said. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/08/uk-care-workers-use-leave-avoid-losing-pay-sick-covid 8th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

CIDRAP According to the COVID19 case tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University the United States reported 86928 new cases yesterday and 1268 deaths marking the first time since Nov 2 daily case counts have fallen below 100000. But daily cases are still higher than the average during the summer peak warned Rochelle Walensky MD Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC during todays White House coronavirus task force briefing. Walensky said hospitalizations were also still at record levels. There are 81439 COVID19 patients in US hospitals according to the COVID Tracking Project. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/02/daily-covid-19-cases-fall-below-100000-cdc-head-says-stay-vigilant 8th Feb 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Washington Post The coronavirus variant that shut down much of the United Kingdom is spreading rapidly across the United States outcompeting other strains and doubling its prevalence among confirmed infections every week and a half according to new research made public Sunday. The report posted on the preprint server MedRxiv and not yet peerreviewed or published in a journal comes from a collaboration of many scientists and provides the first hard data to support a forecast issued last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that showed the variant becoming dominant in the United States by late March. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/ukvariant-coronavirus-us-spread/2021/02/07/a197dbc2-680a-11eb-8468-21bc48f07fe5_story.html 7th Feb 2021

New Lockdown

The Times President Macrons reluctance to impose a third lockdown risks plunging France into the sort of tragedy that hit Britain in December according to one of his top scientific advisers. Professor Arnaud Fontanet director of the epidemiological research unit on emerging diseases at the Pasteur Institute in Paris became the latest figure to warn that the country could pay a heavy price for Mr Macrons insistence on keeping shops and schools open and travel unrestricted. Mr Macron has introduced some restrictions but stopped short of a lockdown of the sort brought in last spring and autumn. Members of Mr Macrons Scientific Council told him last month that the measures were unlikely to be sufficient and urged him to put France into full lockdown. Although Olivier Vran the health minister backed the advice Mr Macron refused to heed it. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/delaying-french-lockdown-risks-repeat-of-british-tragedy-president-macron-is-warned-99pk8xb8f 8th Feb 2021