26th Jan 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=586 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Nursing Times Nursing students who have not been double vaccinated against Covid19 by April will not be able to undertake clinical placements risking their ability to complete their studies and join the register. New guidance published by Health Education England HEE on 21 January offers answers to frequently asked questions around what the upcoming change in vaccination rules will mean for the nursing student population. All patientfacing health and care workers in England unless medically exempt will be required to have two doses of the Covid19 vaccine by April or they risk being redeployed or losing their jobs altogether. Unvaccinated staff and students will need to have had their first dose by 3 February in order to meet the requirements. In recent weeks nursing leaders have called for the governments new mandate to be delayed amid concerns over the impact it will have on the workforce. https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/education/student-nurses-urged-to-have-covid-19-jab-or-risk-ability-to-join-register-24-01-2022/ 25th Jan 2022

Lockdown Exit

Sky News The World Health Organisation has criticised political leaders for comparing coronavirus to flu again and stressed it is still full of very nasty surprises despite restrictions lifting in the UK. Announcing the scrapping of Plan B measures in England last week Health Secretary Sajid Javid said that with Omicron in retreat we must learn to live with COVID as it could be with us forever. But Dr David Nabarro WHO special envoy on COVID19 warned that governments everywhere should not suggest the data has suddenly changed or the virus got incredibly weak. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-as-uk-restrictions-lift-what-challenges-do-we-face-before-the-end-of-the-pandemic-and-when-could-that-be-12524215 25th Jan 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters An Israeli government advisory panel has recommended offering a fourth COVID19 vaccine dose to all adults on condition that at least five months have passed since they received the third or recovered from the illness the Health Ministry said on Tuesday. Implementation of the measure which would significantly expand eligibility now limited to the over60s and other highrisk groups is subject to approval by the ministrys directorgeneral. It was not immediately clear when that might happen. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/israel-mulls-offering-4th-covid-vaccine-dose-all-adults-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE said they started a clinical trial to test a new version of their vaccine specifically designed to target the COVID19 Omicron variant which has eluded some of the protection provided by the original twodose vaccine regimen. Banking on volunteers in the United States the companies plan to test the immune response generated by the Omicronbased vaccine both as a threeshot regimen in unvaccinated people and as a booster shot for people who already received two doses of their original vaccine. They are also testing a fourth dose of the current vaccine against a fourth dose of the Omicronbased vaccine in people who received a third dose of the PfizerBioNTech vaccine three to six months earlier. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-biontech-launch-trial-omicron-targeted-covid-vaccine-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Associated Press New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is postponing her wedding after announcing new COVID19 restrictions Sunday following the discovery of nine cases of the omicron variant in a single family that flew to Auckland to attend a wedding. The socalled red setting of the countrys pandemic response includes heightened measures such as required mask wearing and limits on gatherings. The restrictions will go into effect on Monday. Ardern stressed that red is not lockdown noting that businesses can remain open and people can still visit family and friends and move freely around the country. Our plan for managing omicron cases in the early stage remains the same as delta where we will rapidly test contact trace and isolate cases and contacts in order to slow the spread Ardern told reporters. https://apnews.com/article/new-zealand-covid-restrictions-jacinda-ardern-wedding-plans-6f17d8f4cf4d54053b83f08616021f43 24th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Since the pandemic began almost two years ago the monster that is Covid19 has visited every corner of Earth killing more than 5.5 million people. But we have fought back with astounding speed and vigour and the situation today is very different from that in early 2020. Ten billion vaccine doses will have been administered worldwide by early February. The Covax scheme has delivered 1bn vaccines to lowerincome countries. As a result global daily deaths from the virus are at their lowest point in more than a year. So is the monster slain No. Covid19 will not just disappear. Only one human infectious disease has been eradicated from the planet smallpox and that took nearly 200 years. Polio is near to extinction but it has taken a 70year campaign. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/25/vaccines-best-weapon-covid-boosters 25th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

The Guardian Bulgarias government has been accused of negligence for failing to prioritise over65s and people with preexisting health conditions in its Covid vaccine rollout in a case that exposes the low uptake of jabs in one of the EUs poorest member states. The Open Society Foundations OSF charitable group said it was filing a formal complaint to the humanrightsfocused Council of Europe alleging that Bulgarias government had put lives at risk possibly leading to thousands of avoidable deaths. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/25/putting-lives-at-risk-bulgaria-referred-to-rights-body-over-covid-vaccine-rollout 25th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Croatias conservative Most party handed 82 boxes of papers in to parliament on Monday carrying the signatures of 410533 people calling on the government to hold a referendum on whether to abolish COVID19 certificates. The government must check the signatures and if they are found to be valid the date for a referendum can be set. Croatia has one of the European Unions lowest vaccination rates with around 55 of its population inoculated against COVID19 ahead of only Bulgaria Romania and Latvia. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/croatias-conservative-party-initiates-covid-certificate-referendum-2022-01-24/ 25th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters As Germany gears up to make COVID19 vaccination compulsory in the healthcare sector the industry fears that resistance among some workers will exacerbate staffing shortages and leave many families reliant on carers in the lurch. Around 90 of medical staff in Germany are vaccinated compared to about 70 in the general population but that still leaves hundreds of thousands not vaccinated. Institutions and families that are heavily reliant on workers from eastern Europe where vaccination rates are lower have particular reason to be worried said Daniel Schloer the owner of the SunaCare GmbH agency that matches German families with Polish carers looking for work abroad. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/mandatory-covid-shots-could-deepen-german-nurse-shortage-say-care-companies-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Norway will end its system of mandatory COVID19 quarantines for nonvaccinated travellers and close contacts of infected persons replacing it instead with a daily test regime the government announced on Monday. Under the current rules anyone arriving in Norway from an area with a quarantine obligation and who cannot show proof of vaccination or having undergone COVID19 needs to quarantine for at least three days. Close contacts of infected people are required to quarantine for 10 days. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norway-scraps-coronavirus-quarantines-2022-01-24/ 25th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Bars restaurants and theatres in the Netherlands can reopen on Jan. 26 Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Tuesday further relaxing the countrys COVID19 restrictions despite record infection levels. Health Minister Ernst Kuipers said experts felt the reopening was possible in part because hospitalisations from the countrys Omicron wave have been lower than initially feared. We really are taking a risk today and we have to be clear about that Rutte said announcing the decision at a nationally televised news conference. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/netherlands-expected-ease-covid-curbs-despite-record-infections-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters German companies doing business in China are worried the Omicron coronavirus variant will trigger more strict lockdown measures from Beijing that could exacerbate supply chain problems the DIHK Chamber of Commerce said on Tuesday. The Chinese strategy with targeted lockdowns has been very efficient so far Jens Hildebrandt DIHKs executive board member in China told Reuters in an interview. But the more contagious Omicron variant could challenge the zeroCOVID approach by Chinese authorities especially as more Chinese citizens will travel across the country due to the upcoming holiday season Hildebrandt said. https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/german-firms-fear-supply-chain-pain-chinas-battle-with-omicron-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters South African investigators have flagged COVID19 contracts worth around 2.1 billion rand 137.12 million for possible corruption and fraud a report into corruption linked to the pandemic showed on Tuesday. President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the investigation into his governments coronavirus spending in 2020 following a spate of scandals that caused public outrage. Anger over corruption was one reason why the governing African National Congress last year recorded its worstever election result with its share of the vote dropping below 50 in municipal polls https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/safrican-corruption-probe-flags-covid-contracts-worth-137-million-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters The International Monetary Fund lowered its economic forecasts for the United States China and the global economy on Tuesday and said uncertainty about the pandemic inflation supply disruptions and U.S. monetary tightening posed further risks. We project global growth this year at 4.4 0.5 percentage point lower than previously forecast mainly because of downgrades for the United States and China Gita Gopinath the IMFs No. 2 official read from her blog. https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/imf-cuts-growth-forecasts-us-china-world-omicron-spreads-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Johnson Johnson on Tuesday forecast 3 billion3.5 billion in revenue for its COVID19 vaccine this year compared to 2.39 billion it generated in 2021 even as the drugmaker faces manufacturing issues and uneven demand for the shot. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/jj-expects-up-35-bln-covid-vaccine-sales-this-year-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg Hospitals are asking Congress to give them another 25 billion and hand out all previously allotted funds to shore up facilities ravaged by the omicron outbreak. The money would pay for training and extra security as hospitals cope with staff shortages higher costs and lost revenue the American Hospital Association said in a letter to congressional leaders. We are now in need of additional immediate support from Congress and the administration in order to continue standing strong and to be able to provide timely access to lifesaving health care to your constituents AHA Executive Vice President Stacey Hughes wrote in a letter dated Jan. 20. The current surge has impacted hospitals in ways not seen previously. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-24/hospitals-ask-congress-for-25-billion-amid-omicron-s-onslaught 25th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg Moderna Inc. and BioNTech SE two major providers of the Covid19 inoculations that rallied amid the pandemic have each tumbled roughly 40 since the start of January leaving them poised for the biggest monthly drops ever. Novavax Inc. fell as much as 22 on Monday alone and is down over 70 since early September. CureVac NV has tumbled too. Even pharmaceutical stalwarts have sold off with Johnson Johnson down 6.3 in a 10day slide. The healthcare giant is set to report earnings on Tuesday. Pfizer Inc. which along with its BioNTechpartnered vaccine makes its own Covid pill has dropped roughly 13 this month. With Omicron at peak levels and infections starting to fade it is unclear what the nearterm role for its antiviral will be should the variant pose as more manageable said Oppenheimer strategist Jared Holz. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-24/shot-maker-stocks-see-worst-month-ever-in-end-to-vaccine-trade 25th Jan 2022

Exit Strategies

Bloomberg Domestic helpers cooks cleaners and nannies in one are in high demand but a system that favors employers has some fearing theyll be jobless if they seek higher wages. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-01-25/hong-kong-push-for-covid-zero-creates-a-labor-shortage 25th Jan 2022

Partisan Exits

Bloomberg Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he would consider suing the federal government to allow use of two monoclonal antibody therapies for Covid19 after the Food and Drug Administration halted their use and said they dont work against the omicron variant. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said DeSantiss position was crazy when the government was still supplying the potentially lifesaving treatment just not the specific brands found to be ineffective. The FDA said Monday that it was rescinding authorization for the Eli Lilly Co. and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. monoclonal antibody treatments in the U.S. because they arent effective against omicron which has become overwhelmingly dominant in all regions of the country including Florida. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-25/desantis-touts-covid-treatments-after-fda-says-they-don-t-work 25th Jan 2022

Partisan Exits

The Independent Eric Clapton has sparked outrage online after claiming people who have had the Covid vaccine are victims of mass formation hypnosis during a recent interview. The 76yearold rocker previously claimed he suffered disastrous side effects allegedly due to the AstraZeneca vaccine saying his hands and feet were either frozen numb or burning and pretty much useless and he feared he would never play the guitar again. He also released an antilockdown single Stand and Deliver with Van Morrison in 2020. Speaking to The Real Music Observer in an interview uploaded to their YouTube channel on 21 January Clapton said he was feeling pretty good nine months after getting sick with the thing vaccine. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/eric-clapton-covid-vaccine-hypnosis-b1999967.html 25th Jan 2022

Partisan Exits

Evening Standard Londoners who threw birthday parties during the pandemic in spite of Covid19 lockdown restrictions have faced fines of more than 10000. Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced fresh Partygate scrutiny on Tuesday after it emerged a surprise celebration had been held in Downing Street in June 2020 to mark his 56th birthday. At the time groups of more than two people were banned from socialising indoors under government restrictions while the PM himself had publicly called for birthday celebrations to be postponed until the pandemic was under control. Enfield resident Torino Reid was fined 14000 when police broke up a gathering in the shed in his back garden which had been organised to mark his nieces birthday. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/birthday-party-boris-johnson-prosecution-covid-fines-lockdown-b978593.html 25th Jan 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters Spanish police said on Tuesday they had detained seven suspected members of an international criminal gang that created and sold forged COVID19 passports and negative tests. The Spanish arm of the ring which advertised its services on antivax instant message groups fraudulently added at least 1600 people to the national vaccination register with the help of health workers the investigation found. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spain-breaks-up-covid-passport-forgery-ring-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters An internal inquiry into allegations of lockdown parties at Boris Johnsons Downing Street office could be published as soon as Wednesday delivering findings that might determine the prime ministers future after police also launched an investigation. Johnson is fighting for his political life after allegations that he and staff partied at the heart of the British government in breach of rules they had themselves imposed to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Revelations of revelry including boozy parties in Downing Street suitcases of supermarket alcohol a broken childrens swing a wine fridge and jokes by staff about how to present such parties to reporters have hammered Johnsons ratings. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/we-understand-concern-over-uk-pm-johnsons-lockdown-birthday-party-minister-says-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Partisan Exits

Bloomberg New York is appealing a ruling by a Long Island judge that its mask mandate for schools and other public places is an illegal end run around the state constitution. The maskwearing rule was issued Dec. 10 by the states health commissioner at the urging of Governor Kathy Hochul around the start of the omicron surge of the coronavirus pandemic. A group of parents sued to block the mandate saying their schoolage children shouldnt be forced to wear masks. On Monday Judge Thomas Rademaker ruled that Hochul and Health Commissioner Mary Bassett overstepped their authority saying the governor should instead seek the passage of a law. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-25/new-york-mask-mandate-ruled-unconstitutional-by-state-judge 25th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Wall Street Journal Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE have started a trial evaluating an adapted version of their Covid19 vaccine that targets the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The drugmakers said Tuesday they began enrolling adults ages 18 to 55 in the U.S. and South Africa to examine the safety tolerability and immune response generated by the vaccine if it is given either as a primary series or as a booster dose. One subject has already received the shot Pfizer said. Initial study results are expected in the first half of the year Pfizer said. The drugmaker could ask U.S. regulators for authorization and begin distribution in March should the Omicrontargeted shot prove to work safely Chief Executive Albert Bourla has said. Should the vaccine be needed Pfizer and BioNTech would still be able to manufacture 4 billion doses of the shot this year the companies said. https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-begins-study-testing-omicron-vaccine-in-people-11643111101 25th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Pharmaceutical Technology Australias health minister has announced that Novavaxs Covid19 vaccine will be rolled out across the country from February 21. The news comes just days after the Australian drugs regulator Therapeutic Goods Administration TGA provisionally approved the jab https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/novavax-covid-19-vaccine-rolled-out-australia/ 25th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

BioPharma-Reporter Pfizer and BioNTech expect to produce four billion doses of their COVID19 vaccine in 2022 regardless of whether the current vaccine or a new Omicron specific vaccine is needed. https://www.biopharma-reporter.com/Article/2022/01/25/Pfizer-and-BioNTech-maintain-production-estimates-of-4-billion-COVID-19-vaccine-doses-in-2022?source=patrick.net 25th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Financial Times Israels vaccine advisory panel has recommended a fourth dose of a Covid19 shot for all adults a world first as the country battles a surge in infections driven by the Omicron coronavirus variant. The move follows research showing fourth doses doubled protection against symptomatic Covid19 and increased protection against severe illness by three to five times compared with three doses. Other countries including the UK US and Chile have signed off on fourth doses for immunocompromised people such as those living with HIV or certain transplant recipients but have hesitated on launching a widescale second booster campaign. https://www.ft.com/content/8fa9fb5e-8aa8-40c0-a889-99d16e179644 25th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail People who have been vaccinated and catch Covid have super immunity Infection and vaccination in any order results in 10times more Covid antibodies Findings suggest virus will become mostly mild and bring about end of crisis https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10438873/Getting-infected-getting-Covid-triggers-super-immunity.html 25th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The BMJ A booster dose of a covid19 jab other than CoronaVac significantly increased antibodies in those who had received two doses of the Chinese vaccine a study funded by Brazils Ministry of Health has found. A booster dose of Pfizer Biontechs mRNA vaccine boosted antibody levels the most followed by Oxford AstraZeneca Janssen and a third dose of CoronaVac. All booster vaccines were effective and safe concluded the researchers at the University of Oxford who coled the study published in the Lancet. The findings will guide governments on how to boost their populations immunity in the face of the more infectious omicron variant. CoronaVac is manufactured by Chinese pharmaceutical Sinovac and is the worlds most administered coronavirus vaccine making up two of the 10 billion vaccine doses given globally. A preprint study has found CoronaVac to be less effective than mRNA vaccines and that its effectiveness drops further against omicron2 so the findings are a boost for the many countries in Africa Latin America and Southeast Asia that rely on the vaccine. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o210 25th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The BMJ The rapid spread of the omicron variant of SARSCoV2 could see an end to the pandemic in Europe with the variant likely to have infected 60 of people on the continent by March the World Health Organizations regional director for Europe has said. Its plausible that the region is moving towards a kind of pandemic endgame Hans Kluge told Agence FrancePresse on 23 January. Once the current wave subsides he said there will be for some weeks and months a global immunity either thanks to the vaccine or because people have immunity because of the infection and also lowering seasonal risk. We anticipate that there will be a period of quiet before covid19 may come back towards the end of the year but not necessarily the pandemic coming back Kluge said. https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o205 25th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

POLITICO Europe BioNTechPfizer have launched a study of a new coronavirus vaccine that targets the Omicron variant the first retooled version of an EUapproved vaccine to begin clinical testing. As Omicron sweeps across Europe and the world fast becoming the dominant strain in many countries medicines regulators and public health bodies are in talks over whether existing vaccines provide enough protection. Omicron can dodge much of the defenses offered by a standard course of COVID19 vaccines especially as the immune response wanes. While boosting with the Wuhanstrain of vaccines has shown to protect against severe disease from Omicron most recent data suggests that even this protection starts to wane as well. COVID19 vaccinemakers have rushed to develop vaccines that specifically target Omicron which was first detected in southern Africa in November. While a global decision has not yet been taken on the composition of the nextgeneration of COVID19 vaccines medicines regulators have said revamped COVID19 jabs need to be tested in clinical trials to demonstrate what immune response they generate. https://www.politico.eu/article/biontech-pfizer-launch-omicron-covid-19-vaccine-clinical-trial/ 25th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Chile which already boasts one of the worlds highest COVID19 vaccination rates has agreed to purchase 2 million vaccine doses from Moderna Inc Chilean interim health minister Maria Teresa Valenzuela said on Monday. Chile has been hailed as a model for its response to the pandemic relying mainly on vaccines from PfizerBioNTech Sinovac and AstraZeneca for its inoculation program. The agreement with Moderna is subject to approval by the Institute of Public Health which will review the information on safety and efficacy in the coming weeks said Valenzuela. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/chile-purchase-2-million-moderna-covid-19-vaccine-doses-2022-01-24/ 25th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters A panel of the European drug regulator on Monday approved scaling up manufacturing of AstraZenecas AZN.L COVID19 vaccine. An existing manufacturing site operated by Universal Farma in Guadalajara Spain will add a second filling line for the vaccine the European Medicines Agencys human medicines committee said in a statement. The scaling up is expected to support the continued supply of the vaccine including for donations to third countries through COVAX. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/european-medicines-agency-panel-approves-scaling-up-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-2022-01-24/ 25th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Germany expects to receive 3.8 million doses of Novavaxs newly approved COVID19 vaccine Nuvaxovid by March 20 the health ministry said on Tuesday as the government looks to persuade unvaccinated Germans to get a shot. Germany will receive 1.4 million doses in the week of Feb. 21 and should receive the rest of the 3.8 million doses in the subsequent few weeks. Novavax is expected to deliver 34 million doses to Germany this year. The shipment is a part of the U.S. drugmakers deal to supply up to 200 million doses to the European Unions 27 member states. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-receive-38-mln-doses-novavaxs-new-covid-vaccine-q1-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

FierceBiotech The ultimate COVID19 vaccine will be able to tackle all emerging coronavirus strains easy to store and quick to manufacture. And yes theres still time for the stragglers who were beaten to the punch by Pfizer BioNTech and Modernaat least according to the companies still trying to get in line. Not to mention just 60 of the world has been vaccinated according to the University of Oxfords Our World in Data database. The rates are higher in richer regions like the U.S. and EU while the need is great in less developed nations. But the window to contribute to the vaccine fight is closing. A new report from Morningstar sees demand for boosters remaining heavy in 2022 but dissipating over 2023. If a company isnt already filing for authorization theyd better get on it. JeanFrancois Toussaint Ph.D. head of research and development for Sanofi Pasteur said 20 billion doses of existing vaccines are expected to be available this year. So where does that leave remaining companies like Toussaints that have shots in the pipeline https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/does-world-need-more-covid-19-vaccines-these-companies-think-there-s-still-room-for 24th Jan 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian More than twothirds of the common sideeffects people experience after a Covid jab can be attributed to a negative version of the placebo effect rather than the vaccine itself researchers claim. Scientists in the US examined data from 12 clinical trials of Covid vaccines and found that the nocebo effect accounted for about 76 of all common adverse reactions after the first dose and nearly 52 after the second dose. The findings suggest that a substantial proportion of milder sideeffects such as headaches shortterm fatigue and arm pain are not produced by the constituents of the vaccine but by other factors thought to generate the nocebo response including anxiety expectation and misattributing various ailments to having had the jab. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jan/18/nocebo-effect-two-thirds-of-covid-jab-reactions-not-caused-by-vaccine-study-suggests 18th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Independent The number of deaths involving coronavirus registered each week in England and Wales has climbed to its highest level for 10 months. A total of 1382 deaths registered in the week ending January 14 mentioned Covid19 on the death certificate according to the Office for National Statistics ONS. This is up 50 on the previous seven days and is the highest number since 1501 deaths were registered in the week to March 12 2021. The sharp weekonweek jump in deaths is likely to have been affected by the bank holiday on January 3 when register offices were closed leading to a backlog of registrations needing to be cleared the ONS said. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/england-wales-covid-ons-omicron-b2000125.html 25th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters South Koreas daily new coronavirus infections topped 8000 for the first time on Tuesday as the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads rapidly despite the extension of tough social distancing rules. The figure of 8571 on Monday exceeded the previous peak of 7848 in December the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency KDCA said as Omicron became dominant in the country last week though it is less deadly than previous variants. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skoreas-daily-covid-19-count-exceeds-8000-first-time-kdca-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Japan expanded regions subject to tighter coronavirus curbs to cover 70 of the country on Tuesday as the government tried to counter a record wave of COVID19 cases caused by the Omicron variant. The measures already in force in 16 prefectures will take effect in a further 18 including the western prefectures of Kyoto and Osaka and remain in place until the middle of next month. Nationwide cases rose above 60000 for the first time since the pandemic began a tally by broadcaster Fuji TV showed on Tuesday with the capital Tokyo posting 12813 new cases while the region of Osaka reported 8612 both records. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-panel-approve-extending-covid-curbs-more-regions-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Australia on Tuesday recorded one of its highest number of deaths in a day from COVID19 as an outbreak of the highlyinfections Omicron variant tore through the country which marked two years since its first infection of the coronavirus. Though Australias states and territories are refraining from a return to the lockdowns which have defined the countrys pandemic response the most populous state New South Wales extended a mask mandate by a month an example of the continuous disruption brought by the virus. The same state which came out of more than three months of hard lockdown in October had vowed never to return to social distancing measures since its population had met a target of more than 90 vaccinated. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-marks-two-years-since-first-covid-case-with-another-high-death-count-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters About two dozen cases of COVID19 have been recorded among the crew of an Australian warship expected to arrive in coronavirusfree Tonga on Wednesday to deliver humanitarian aid Australian authorities said on Tuesday. Tonga hit by a massive volcanic eruption and a tsunami on Jan. 15 has asked for aid to be delivered without human contact amid concerns a COVID outbreak would be devastating for the tiny Pacific island nation. Australias Defence Minister Peter Dutton said 23 personnel aboard the HMAS Adelaide have tested positive for COVID. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/covid-cases-reported-australian-aid-vessel-sailing-virus-free-tonga-2022-01-25/ 25th Jan 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Bloomberg Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed with regional leaders to keep Germanys current pandemic restrictions in place to help tackle a record surge in infections while raising the possibility of relaxing some curbs once the wave subsides. The country must stay the course on vaccinations and socialdistancing restrictions Scholz said Monday in Berlin after regular talks with the countrys 16 state premiers. We need to continue to be cautious. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-24/germany-eyes-looser-pandemic-curbs-after-omicron-surge-ebbs 25th Jan 2022

New Lockdown

Bloomberg Almost two dozen crew on board an Australian Navy ship on its way to provide relief to the Pacific island of Tonga have been diagnosed with coronavirus potentially hampering aid efforts to the Covidfree nation. Australias Defence Minister Peter Dutton said 23 personnel on the HMAS Adelaide had been infected in an interview on Sky News on Tuesday. The ship left from Brisbane on Friday with a 600strong crew as well as humanitarian and medical supplies to assist Tonga in the wake of a volcanic eruption. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-25/covid-outbreak-hits-australian-ship-heading-to-virus-free-tonga 25th Jan 2022