Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

13 Aug

13 August 2020

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

Key Announcements   

• It’s A-level and vocational results day in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Gavin Williamson, Education Secretary, said on BBC Breakfast this morning that 90 per   cent of students would receive either the grade, or just a grade off of that submitted by their schools. 40 per   c ent of students will have reportedly received lower than their submitted grades.  
• A  study  carried out by Imperial College London has suggested that six per   cent of England’s population may have had coronavirus. People living in London were found to be the most likely to have had the virus, with 13 per   cent potentially having  covid antibodies. This compares with areas like the south-west of England, where it is though about three per   cent may have covidantibodies .  
• The death toll in England has been reduced to 41,329 (a reduction   of just  over 5,000), in light of readjusted counting methods. This will bring England’s methodology in line with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Previously, anyone who died following a positive test were included in figures, even if they had not died as a direct result of the virus.   

Regional/Devolved  

• Boris Johnson will be in  Northern Ireland  today , meeting political leaders, such as First Minister and Deputy First Minister, Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill. They will be discussing issues such as the fight against coronavirus; economic recovery; and the UK’s negotiations with the EU.  
• The Scottish Education Secretary, John Swinney, faces a no-confidence motion due to the controversy caused by exam results. It is expected, however, that the vote will be defeated.  
• NHS Orkney have said they are concerned that coronavirus is spreading rapidly across the islands.  
• In Wales, a last-minute change to exam procedures means that students will not receive a grade lower than that which they achieved at AS results.  

International  

• On Tuesday, Russia gave regulatory approval for a new coronavirus vaccine, less than two months after it began testing on humans. Ever since, international concern has been mounting, including from the WHO, who have reportedly sai d  they have not seen enough information  on the vaccine.  
• India has registered over 47,000 deaths from coronavirus .They have just experienced their biggest single-day of cases, of 66,999 cases.  
• New Zealand is readying itself for things to “get worse before it gets better”, following the confirmation of 1 4  new locally transmitted infections. The rise in infection numbers had come as a surprise, as there had previously been 102 days without locally transmitted infections.  

Stakeholders  

• The chief nurse for NHS England has made a call to students receiving A-level results today to apply and study nursing.   
• The British Ports association have said that new UK trade figured indicate the ” calm before the storm”  
• The Federation of Master Builders has said that the forthcoming Budget must help accelerate construction recovery, to boost both jobs and activity.