Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

04 Jun

4 June 2020

A series of daily updates for CHO members regarding relevant updates pertaining to Coronavirus from home and abroad.

Key Announcements             

  • Business Secretary Alok Sharma has been  tested  for Coronavirus after falling ill during a debate in the House of Commons yesterday. He is  now  self-isolating at home .
  • The BBC is reporting  that a potential case of Coronavirus at Westminster is “causing real anger” as Senior Opposition figures suggest the government were wrong to scrap the hybrid model and remote participation.
  • A new survey  by Ipsos MORI has shown that half the UK have been struggling with sleep since the lockdown started.
  • In light of the BLM protests, there has been discussion over whether they break the lockdown rules. The BBC have reported  that “o fficers have the power to break up and ticket people for being part of a protest, on coronavirus health grounds “.  Boris Johnson has said people have the right to protest, but peacefully and abiding social distancing rules.
  • The Prince of Wales  has  spoken to Sky News  about  his experience with Coronavirus, saying  he was “lucky” to experience only mild symptoms  after contracting coronavirus in March.
  • Lookers, a car dealership, has announced it will cut up to 1,500 jobs (20% of its workforce) due to Coronavirus troubles.
  • Rethink Mental Illness’ new briefing‘Access to NHS mental health services for people with severe mental illness’ shows how people with pre-existing mental illnesses have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown.  Findings from a new survey of over 1,400 people reveal how the changes in access to mental health services have impacted those who most rely on it – from not being able to access vital medication, to the challenges of receiving remote support, or worse, no support at all.

Regional/   Devolved 

  • In Northern Ireland, the Stormont Executive are meeting later to confirm whether some planned changes to Northern Ireland’s lockdown can start on Monday. This is dependent on the R rate staying below 1, however, it is expected that vulnerable people advised to shield should be allowed outdoors from 8 June,  and that large retailers including car showrooms and shops in retail parks are aiming to reopen then, and  outdoor weddings with 10 people present  will also be allowed.
  • Due to this potential ease, Northern Ireland has seen a surge in demand for Perspex screens , of which demand is currently not being met.
  • The  Princess Alexandra Hospital  in Harlow Essex  faced ‘overwhelming demand’  for critical care services due to Coronavirus.  A report , marked private but published in hospital board papers, said there was a “high” of 33 Covid-19 positive patients being treated on ventilators.

International    

  • There are warnings millions of children – particularly in Africa and south-east Asia – could die from preventable disease  because of severe disruptions to vaccination programmes.
  • Global deaths pass 385,000 deaths.
  • Kenyan researchers have identified at least nine  strains of Covid-19 circulating in the country in efforts to track mutations of the virus.   The team of scientists analysed 122 genomes collected from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients in the capital, Nairobi, and the coastal city of Mombasa.
  • Nigeria’s aviation authority has announced plans to reopen five airports across the country for domestic flights on June 21.
  • Russia  has  reported 8,831 new cases of the novel coronavirus  today, taking the total number of infections across the country to 441,108. The country’s coronavirus crisis response centre said 169 people had died from the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,384.
  • China has stated  they will allow limited US passenger flights to commence.  This comes a day after Washington ordered the suspension of all Chinese travel into and out of the US.

Stakeholders

  • Welsh Lib Dems have welcomed  plans for phased school re-opening at the end of June.
  • Vicky Foxcroft MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Disabled People, commenting on the Government partial u-turn on proxy voting, said:   “This is a welcome, albeit partial, U-turn from the Government. Their chaotic and discriminatory plans would have left many MPs unable to vote.   However, the hybrid parliament featured online voting, which worked perfectly well and didn’t result in MPs wasting 45-minutes queuing when they could be helping constituents. This worked for everyone, including those who are clinically vulnerable, over-70s and those who may live with someone shielding. Returning to this model would send a strong message of inclusion, something many disabled people think is lacking from this Government.”
  • The Scottish Greens have asked  the Scottish Government not to relax lockdown rules on a Friday again, after last weekend saw over one thousand arrests and eight hundred dispersal orders issued by police using emergency coronavirus laws .

Unconfirmed reports