24th Mar 2022 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=626 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg Vaccine passports will probably become redundant as more people are inoculated against Covid and efforts to create a common standard are stymied by differing entry requirements the head of the worlds biggest airline alliance said. Theres no way that this has been integrated in one place Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Goh said in an interview in Singapore. If you look to the future if we were all vaccinated or if we were all 90 vaccinated why would you get a vaccination certificate There will come to a point where maybe you dont really need this. Efforts to create a vaccine passport to make travel easier have faced challenges because governments initially didnt recognize some vaccines Goh said. Airlines and governments also use many different technology platforms making it difficult to find a common standard he said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-24/vaccine-passports-redundant-as-more-inoculated-star-chief-says 24th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg President Joe Bidens Covid19 team warned that a lack of funding could leave the U.S. unprepared to administer fourth doses of vaccine as administration officials prepared to meet with Senate Democrats on the issue later Wednesday. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra budget director Shalanda Young and Bidens coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients are expected to attend the meeting according to a White House official who requested anonymity to give details that arent public. The push comes after the administration failed to secure around 15 billion in additional funding as part of an omnibus spending bill Biden signed earlier this month. Republicans demanded that new coronavirus funds be offset by canceling spending in other areas while House Democrats scuttled a bipartisan proposal to repurpose aid to states. That led to the proposal being stripped from the fiscal 2022 spending package enacted last week. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-23/biden-s-covid-team-warns-on-lack-of-funds-ahead-of-meeting 24th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Daily Mail Moderna announced Wednesday morning that it has successfully completed clinical trials for its COVID19 vaccine in children as young as six months old and soon plan to submit data to regulators to get its jab approved. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-10643553/Moderna-says-COVID-19-vaccine-safe-children-young-six-months-old.html 24th Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Al Jazeera English Article reports that South Africa the country in Africa worst affected by coronavirus has relaxed some of its remaining COVID19 restrictions dropping mandatory negative results for inbound fullyvaccinated travellers a move expected to boost tourism. On Tuesday President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement to scale down restrictions imposed since March 2020 as new infection rates slow and death rates decline. Travellers entering South Africa will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours said Ramaphosa. Previously all travellers entering the country were required to produce a costly negative PCR test. Inside the country vaccinated individuals or those that have a negative test result will be allowed back into sporting stadiums and music and theatre shows which will be permitted to operate at half capacity. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/23/s-africa-eases-covid-curbs-scraps-pcr-tests-for-jabbed-travelers 23rd Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters Indonesia will lift a ban on domestic travel during the Muslim holiday season of Eid alFitr in early May President Joko Widodo said on Wednesday after banning the annual tradition for two years during the pandemic. The decision to allow the annual exodus after the holy month of Ramadan is the latest in a series of measures aimed at easing COVID19 restrictions and reviving Southeast Asias largest economy. Indonesia a country of 270 million banned the mass travel known locally as mudik in early 2020 as it scrambled to contain the spread of coronavirus along with the rest of the world. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesias-annual-holiday-exodus-go-ahead-this-year-covid-cases-ease-2022-03-23/ 23rd Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Reuters New Zealand sports will welcome fullcapacity crowds when COVID19 rules ease this weekend after a bruising period for revenues. New Zealand capped crowds at 100 people for outdoor events while battling an outbreak of the Omicron variant but will lift the curbs from Saturday along with the need for fans to wear masks the government said on Wednesday. While Omicron is transmissible the natural ventilation of an outdoor seating reduces the risk Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/new-zealand-sports-welcome-back-crowds-covid-rules-eased-2022-03-23/ 23rd Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg Two years ago Prime Minister Boris Johnson locked down the U.K. instructing people to stay at home and imposing sweeping restrictions in a desperate effort to slow the surging coronavirus. Today lockdowns are history. But Covid19 remains. In recent weeks cases have risen anew driven by the highly infectious omicron BA.2 subvariant. On Wednesday the government reported more than 100000 new cases far above levels during the first wave in 2020 when testing was less widespread. The number has averaged almost 80000 over the past two weeks based on reportingdate figures. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-23/u-k-s-lockdown-anniversary-marked-by-another-virus-surge 23rd Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

Bloomberg When the pandemic hit ministers were forced to act quickly to scale up testing capacity working with the private sector to secure the necessary services and supplies according to the National Audit Office NAO. As part of these efforts between January 2020 and December 2021 the Department of Health and Social Care DHSC and Public Health England PHE awarded 22 contracts to health company Randox or its strategic partner Qnostics Ltd with a maximum value of 776.9 million the watchdog said. By value almost all the contracts were for the provision of Covid testing services with less than 1 6.9 million for the provision of testingrelated goods it added. The NAO found that 60 of the total value of the contracts 463.5 million was awarded directly without competition under emergency procurement rules. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-24/uk-covid-test-contracts-national-audit-office-finds-inadequate-record-keeping 23rd Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Wall Street Journal Moderna Inc.s Covid19 vaccine safely induced robust immune responses in children ages 6 months to 5 years in a new study the company said though the shot had modest efficacy against the Omicron variant. Moderna said Wednesday the vaccines efficacy against symptomatic infections was 43.7 in children ages 6 months to 2 years and 37.5 in children ages 2 to 5. The efficacy rates were lower than seen during adult testing which took place before Omicron emerged but comparable to the realworld effectiveness of two doses of Modernas vaccine found among adults during the Omicron wave. https://www.wsj.com/articles/modernas-covid-19-vaccine-works-safely-in-young-children-company-says-11648036800?mod=hp_lead_pos4 23rd Mar 2022

Lockdown Exit

The Guardian The NHS is coming under significant pressure amid a rise in Covid cases in virtually every area of England the chief medical officer has warned with hospitalisations likely to continue increasing at least until April. Prof Chris Whitty said the mounting numbers of people becoming infected was likely to be largely driven by the new Omicron variant BA.2. The sharp resurgence of the coronavirus underlined that the crisis is not over Whitty added. Speaking at the annual conference of the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Public Health Whitty also said those hoping for an end point should not expect one with coronavirus likely to remain a threat to public health for decades. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/23/nhs-under-pressure-from-new-covid-wave-across-england-says-chris-whitty 23rd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

CBC News Canadas vaccine mandate which took effect in November 2021 to boost vaccination rates prevents unvaccinated Canadians from boarding a commercial plane or train in Canada to both domestic and international destinations. Now that COVID19 restrictions are fast disappearing some unvaccinated Canadians question why the federal government still maintains the mandate. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/unvaccinated-travel-canada-1.6393668 23rd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

South China Morning Post Schools must ensure 90 per cent of their students have received at least two vaccine shots against Covid19 if they hope to resume wholeday lessons in the classroom next month Hong Kongs education minister has announced. Confirming a previous Post report Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yunhung also said that all teachers and school staff must have received at least two vaccine doses before returning to campus unless they had a valid medical exemption. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3171485/coronavirus-hong-kong-schools-must-have-90-cent 23rd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

The Guardian With US health authorities braced for another potential Covid19 wave likely to be fueled by the subvariant of Omicron known as BA.2 the country is still deeply divided over its approach to its pandemic future even as restrictions have been relaxed across all states. Since scientists recorded the first case of the SarsCoV2 virus in the US just over two years ago politicization has been a hallmark of the American pandemic experience. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/23/us-divided-pandemic-covid-vaccines 23rd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

The Guardian New Zealand will do away with vaccine passes and vaccine mandates for some of the workforce in early April in a major loosening of the countrys tough Covid19 restrictions. The prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced the changes on Wednesday morning citing high vaccination rates better data to identify which environments are high risk and modelling that suggests the countrys Omicron outbreak would peak in early April. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/23/a-new-beginning-new-zealand-to-drop-covid-vaccine-passes-and-mandates 23rd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

EURACTIV In Poland the government wants to lift more pandemic restrictions although medical experts are concerned about not enough people being vaccinated against COVID19 for the country to develop herd immunity and the mass arrival of unvaccinated Ukrainians. Health Minister Adam Niedzielski told the media on 17 March that he had recommended that Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki abolish the maskwearing obligation in buildings. https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/polish-government-to-lift-more-covid-19-restrictions-despite-expert-concerns/ 23rd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Nursing Times The NHS Confederation is leading a call for ministers to provide clarity over Covid19 testing requirements for NHS staff and for access to free tests to remain in place for the workforce especially for those who are patientfacing. The concerns from organisations representing NHS staff come as Covid19 rates across the UK continue to spike with hospital admissions also on the rise. https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/coronavirus/ministers-urged-to-ensure-covid-19-testing-remains-free-for-nhs-staff-22-03-2022/ 23rd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

CNBC Africa South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said restrictive COVID19 regulations that have weighed on the nations struggling economy for two years would be removed on Wednesday with the national state of disaster also to end soon. The state of disaster currently regulates the countrys COVID19 rules and has been in place since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. Its extension last week until April 15 drew criticism from businesses hard hit by its measures. https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/south-africas-ramaphosa-eases-covid-19-restrictions-to-lift-economy/ 23rd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Mexico is sticking to its plan to package domestically the Russian COVID19 vaccine Sputnik V because health matters are separate from political conflicts President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said. In October staterun vaccine company Birmex signed an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund RDIF which markets Sputnik V to package the product in Mexico. Were going to continue with our plan commitments made are kept said the president who has ruled out imposing economic sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/mexico-sticking-plan-package-russian-covid-19-vaccine-2022-03-22/ 23rd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters The U.S. Travel Association urged the White House to lift COVID19 travel restrictions and repeal a mandate requiring masks on airplanes and in other transit modes by April 18 according to a letter seen by Reuters. In a letter to Dr. Ashish Jha the incoming White House COVID response coordinator the group called for an immediate end to the predeparture testing requirement for all fully vaccinated inbound international persons and ending the mask mandate by April 18 or announcing a plan and timeline to repeal the federal mask mandate within the subsequent 90 days. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-travel-industry-urges-white-house-lift-covid-restrictions-mask-mandate-2022-03-22/ 23rd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

Reuters Hong Kong is looking to resolve a problem over a ban on airlines which bring in COVIDpositive passengers as it eases travel curbs that have sealed off the city for two years its leader said on Wednesday. The government said this week a ban on flights from nine countries Canada India Pakistan Nepal Britain the United States France Australia and the Philippines would be lifted on April 1 but it was not clear if airlines would face a twoweek ban if they bring in infected people as is currently the case. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hong-kong-hopes-resolve-coronavirus-flight-ban-rule-frustration-grows-2022-03-23/ 23rd Mar 2022

Exit Strategies

CIDRAP A handful of Asian countries that were hit later by Omicron variant surges are in different phases of their outbreaks with South Korea seeing a possible peak. In US developments White House officialsbracing for a possible fresh spike in infectionswarned that current funding shortfalls could block the government from buying enough COVID19 vaccine for fourth doses for the general population. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/03/asian-hot-spots-battle-omicron-us-eyes-supply-4th-vaccine-doses 22nd Mar 2022

Partisan Exits

The Independent A judge is one of more than 150 New York court employees who face potential firing or other punishments over their refusal to take the coronavirus vaccine. The New York Daily News reports that Justice Jenny Rivera of the states Court of Appeals is among four judges who are still refusing to take the coronavirus vaccine. Ms Rivera was appointed to the states highest court by former Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2013. The states Office of Court Administration cant fire the judges but they can be referred to the Commission on Judicial Conduct for their refusal to comply with the states vaccine mandate. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/judge-new-york-coronavirus-vaccine-b2041714.html 23rd Mar 2022

Partisan Exits

Reuters New York Mayor Eric Adams is set to lift the citys COVID19 vaccine mandate for performers and professional athletes as early as this week Politico reported on Wednesday a rule that has come under growing criticism by local sports teams. The mandate imposed by former Mayor Bill de Blasio is part of a larger order that all privatesector workers in New York City must show proof of vaccination pro athletes included. Politico reported that Adams was expected to lift those restrictions among the harshest in the United States during a news conference on Thursday. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/new-york-city-mayor-set-lift-vaccine-mandate-athletes-performers-report-2022-03-23/ 23rd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Washington Post Vaccine maker Moderna announced Wednesday its twodose pediatric coronavirus vaccine was safe in young children toddlers and babies in a study. But the effectiveness of the shot in children 6 months to 5 years old was more of a mixed picture because of the challenge presented by the highly transmissible omicron variant. In a trial of the vaccine the shot met the main criteria the company and regulators had defined for success generating immune defenses equivalent to or better than those that protected young adults before the omicron variant emerged according to a Moderna news release. But in the face of omicron the immune defenses mustered by two doses in adults were less robust particularly in preventing infections and the same pattern was seen in children with vaccine efficacy of about 40 percent. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/03/23/moderna-says-its-coronavirus-vaccine-young-children-is-safe-efficacy-is-more-complicated-picture/ 23rd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Health Europa Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are testing remdesivir in a pill form to understand how effective it is for treating COVID19. Remdesivir is an RNA polymerase inhibitor that disrupts the production of viral RNA preventing the multiplication of SARSCoV2 it has been given to half of all hospitalised patients with the disease. It works by blocking the machinery the virus needs to make copies of itself and spread throughout the body. The scientists explored whether a pill form of remdesivir could be developed and the benefits that it could provide. Currently remdesivir is administered intravenously however an oral version of this medication could extend its benefits to outside the hospital. https://www.healtheuropa.eu/study-examines-the-effectiveness-of-remdesivir-in-a-pill-form-for-covid-19/114301/ 23rd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

The Independent The Covid19 pandemic could lead to a rise in tuberculosis infections around the world as some patients will have gone undiagnosed amid the crisis an expert has warned. Dr Laura Cleghorn of the University of Dundee said there is a pressing need to develop new treatments for illness which some wrongly think of as a disease of yesteryear. The Universitys Drug Discovery Unit DDU has received a 5 million 3.8 million grant from the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation to speed up the delivery of drug candidates. The primary focus of the work which will take place over three years will be on tuberculosis TB however researchers will also work on developing treatments for malaria and future viral pandemic diseases. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/bill-melinda-gates-foundation-university-of-dundee-dundee-b2042078.html 23rd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters South Koreas drug safety agency said on Wednesday that it has decided to give emergency approval for the use of Merck Co Incs COVID19 treatment pill for adults the Yonhap news agency reported. The molnupiravir tablet branded as Lagevrio is the second oral antiviral to be authorised in South Korea after Pfizer Incs Paxlovid. Lagevrio will only be allowed for patients who are aged 18 or older and not pregnant but cannot not use injection medications and the highly effective Paxlovid the report said. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/skorea-gives-emergency-approval-adult-use-mercks-covid-pills-yonhap-2022-03-23/ 23rd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Novavax Inc said on Tuesday its COVID19 vaccine has got emergencyuse authorization from the Drugs Controller General of India for children aged 12 to 17 years. The authorization is a global first for the age group for the vaccine which is manufactured and marketed in India by the Serum Institute of India under the brand name Covovax. Novavax last month said its vaccine was 80 effective against COVID19 in a latestage trial testing the shot in 2247 teens aged 12 to 17 years. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/novavax-says-its-covid-vaccine-gets-india-authorisation-teens-2022-03-22/ 23rd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters.com Moderna Inc is sponsoring sumo flags in its first such promotion in Japan as the COVID19 vaccine maker seeks to wrestle market share from compatriot Pfizer Inc. The U.S. firms introduction to the broader Japanese public was set back after some of its doses last year were found to be contaminated although it has clawed back market share since with the help of a governmentendorsed programme. Now as the government plans a fourthdose vaccination programme Moderna is looking to sumo to boost its public appeal as it seeks to expand beyond COVID19 shots. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/covid-vaccine-maker-moderna-flags-japan-ambition-with-sumo-sponsorship-2022-03-23/ 23rd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Seattle biopharma company HDT Bio Corp has sued Indian generic drugmaker Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd in U.S. court for allegedly stealing RNAdelivery technology to use in its COVID19 vaccine. HDTs lawsuit filed Monday in Seattle federal court also said Emcure was planning to go public in India based on the stolen technology and misappropriated trade secrets that HDT licensed to an Emcure subsidiary. The lawsuit adds to a growing number of recent intellectualproperty disputes involving Pfizer Moderna and others over the use of mRNA technology in COVID19 vaccines. https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/lawsuit-says-indias-emcure-stole-covid-19-vaccine-secrets-ipo-2022-03-22/ 23rd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Antibodies in kids after COVID last 6 months or more Most children and adolescents with COVID19 antibodies after SARSCoV2 infection usually still have the antibodies in their blood more than half a year later new data shows. Starting in October 2020 researchers in Texas recruited 218 subjects between the ages of 5 and 19. Each provided three blood samples at threemonth intervals. More than 90 were unvaccinated when they enrolled in the study. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/most-unvaccinated-children-lack-antibodies-after-covid-gsk-vaccine-shows-promise-2022-03-21/ 23rd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters Moderna Inc said on Wednesday it will ask regulators to authorize its COVID19 vaccine in children younger than 6 years old based on data showing it generated a similar immune response to adults in its clinical trial. The Omicron variant of COVID19 was predominant during Modernas pediatric trial and the drugmaker said two doses were around 38 effective in preventing infections in 2 to 5 year olds and 44 effective for children 6 months to under 2 years old. It said these figures were consistent with the lower effectiveness against Omicron seen in adults who had received two doses of its vaccine. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/moderna-seek-regulatory-approval-covid-shot-very-young-children-2022-03-23/ 23rd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

Reuters The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Type 2 diabetes risk rises after COVID19 People may be at increased risk for developing diabetes for up to a year after a diagnosis of COVID19 according to two studies. One study used data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to track more than 181000 adults with COVID19 for a year after recovery https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/risk-type-2-diabetes-rises-after-covid-organ-transplant-donors-who-had-covid-2022-03-23/ 23rd Mar 2022

Scientific Viewpoint

CIDRAP In the first study published in JAMA Internal Medicine Kaiser Permanente Northern California researchers analyzed the electronic medical records of 43886 pregnant women who delivered from Mar 1 2020 to Mar 16 2021. Average patient age was 30.7 years 33.8 were White 28.4 were Hispanic 25.9 were Asian or Pacific Islander 6.5 Black 0.3 American Indian or Alaska Native and 5 were multiracial or of another race. Among these women 1332 3.0 tested positive for COVID19 from 30 days before conception to 7 days after delivery. Infected women were more likely than their uninfected peers to be younger and Hispanic and to have had multiple babies a higher neighborhood deprivation index and obesity or chronic high blood pressure. Before universal COVID19 testing of pregnant women admitted for delivery was implemented in the healthcare system in December 2020 the positivity rate was 1.3 compared with 7.8 after. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/03/covid-19-pregnancy-tied-poor-maternal-outcomes-preterm-birth-fetal-death 22nd Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian Several European countries lifted their coronavirus restrictions too soon the World Health Organization WHO has said and as a result are now witnessing sharp rises in infections probably linked to the new more transmissible BA2 subvariant. Hans Kluge director of the WHOs Europe region said countries including Germany France Italy and Britain had lifted their Covid curbs brutally from too much to too few. Infections are rising in 18 out of the regions 53 countries he said. Kluge told journalists in Moldova on Tuesday that more than 5.1 million new cases often linked to the BA2 variant which experts say is about 30 more contagious and 12496 deaths have been reported in the region over the past seven days. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/22/rising-covid-cases-europe-curbs-lifted-too-soon-world-health-organisation 23rd Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

ABC News Queensland health authorities say they are concerned about the increasing spread of COVID19 as the state recorded a more than 15 per cent rise in new case numbers in a day. The state recorded 10476 new known cases in the latest reporting period compared to 8881 yesterday. It is the highest daily jump in cases since January 29. Seven more COVIDrelated deaths were recorded. There are 252 people being treated in hospital for symptoms including seven in intensive care. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-23/qld-coronavirus-covid19-cases-spike/100920902 23rd Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Hong Kong reported 12240 new cases of COVID19 on Wednesday down from more than 14000 the previous day as the city starts to ease some of the worlds most stringent restrictions that have triggered an exodus of people and hurt business. The government reported 205 new deaths. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/hong-kong-reports-12240-new-covid-19-cases-2022-03-23/ 23rd Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Independent Article reports that the number of new coronavirus cases globally increased by 7 in the last week driven by rising infections in the Western Pacific even as reported deaths from COVID19 fell the World Health Organization said. There were more than 12 million new weekly cases and just under 33000 deaths a 23 decline in mortality according to the U.N. health agencys report on the pandemic issued late Tuesday. Confirmed cases of the virus had been falling steadily worldwide since January but rose again last week due to the more infectious omicron variant and the suspension of COVID19 protocols in numerous countries in Europe North America and elsewhere. Health officials have said repeatedly that omicron causes milder disease than previous versions of the coronavirus and that vaccination including a booster appears highly protective. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ap-world-health-organization-geneva-hans-kluge-europe-b2042060.html 23rd Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Sky News Levels of COVIDrelated pupil absences in state schools in England have more than tripled leading to concerns over how it may impact grades. In total 201600 pupils were off for COVIDrelated reasons on 17 March up from 45100 on 3 March the latest government figures show. The rate of COVIDlinked absences rose to 2.5 of students on 17 March up from 0.7 on 3 March. The rising COVID cases have prompted concerns from headteachers about the potential impact absences will have on grades. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-soaring-virus-related-absences-in-englands-state-schools-could-seriously-damage-exam-grades-headteachers-say-12572784 23rd Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

BBC News A team of vaccine tracers have been brought in as the number of Covid infections in a county almost trebled in three weeks. Latest data shows more than 11045 cases were recorded in Hertfordshire in the seven days to 16 March representing a rate of 923.7 per 100000 of the population. It is almost three times the 328.6 case rate recorded on 28 February. The new team aims to boost vaccination levels across the county. Hertfordshires director of public health Jim McManus warned that the case rate had changed quite dramatically in recent weeks with cases increasing in most age groups including the more vulnerable over60s the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-60849265 23rd Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters About oneinthree COVID19 cases in the United States are now caused by the BA.2 Omicron subvariant of the coronavirus according to government data on Tuesday that also showed overall infections still declining from Januarys record highs. Despite the rise of the extremely contagious subvariant also seen in other countries U.S. health experts say a major wave of new infections here appears unlikely. U.S. COVID19 infections have receded sharply since January although a resurgence in parts of Asia and Europe have raised concerns that one will follow in the United States given previous patterns during the two years of the pandemic. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/omicron-sub-variant-ba2-makes-up-349-covid-variants-us-cdc-2022-03-22/ 23rd Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Hong Kong reported 12240 new cases of COVID19 on Wednesday down from more than 14000 the previous day as the city starts to ease some of the worlds most stringent restrictions that have triggered an exodus of people and hurt business. The government reported 205 new deaths. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/hong-kong-reports-12240-new-covid-19-cases-2022-03-23/ 23rd Mar 2022

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Article reports that South Koreas total coronavirus infections topped 10 million or nearly 20 of its population authorities said on Wednesday as surging severe cases and deaths increasingly put a strain on crematories and funeral homes nationwide. The country has been battling a record COVID19 wave driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant even as it largely scrapped its once aggressive tracing and quarantine efforts and eased social distancing curbs. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency KDCA reported 490881 cases for Tuesday the second highest daily tally after it peaked at 621205 on March 16. The total caseload rose to 10427247 with 13432 deaths up 291 a day before. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skoreas-total-covid-cases-top-10-million-crematoria-funeral-homes-overwhelmed-2022-03-23/ 23rd Mar 2022

New Lockdown

Reuters Authorities in the Chinese city of Shanghai have denied rumours of a citywide lockdown after a sixth straight increase in daily asymptomatic coronavirus cases pushed its count to record levels despite a campaign of mass testing aimed at stifling the spread. The latest outbreak in Chinas wealthy commercial hub remains tiny by global standards. But its testing campaign with many people locked in residential compounds for days is part of Beijings national dynamic clearance policy to stamp out flareups as quickly as possible. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-reports-2667-new-covid-cases-march-22-vs-2338-day-earlier-2022-03-23/ 23rd Mar 2022

New Lockdown

Reuters Chinas top steelmaking city Tangshan implemented a temporary lockdown on Tuesday to avoid further cases of COVID19 as infections surged the local government said in a statement. Residents should not leave their houses or buildings except for tests or emergencies pending further announcement the government said. Tangshan reported 15 confirmed locally transmitted cases from March 1922 and 79 asymptomatic cases while Hebei province where Tangshan is located had 331 confirmed cases and 2454 asymptomatic cases as of March 22 data from the provincial health authority showed. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinese-steelmaking-hub-tangshan-enters-lockdown-covid-cases-rise-2022-03-23/ 23rd Mar 2022