Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

30 November 2020

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

Key Announcements:

• According to a major study by Imperial College London and Ipsos Mori, which was based on swabbing more than 100,000 people between 13-24 November, coronavirus infections in England have fallen by about a third over lockdown.
• The Prime Minister is set to publish analysis of the health, economic and social ramifications of the measures taken to suppress COVID-19 ahead of a Commons vote on tomorrow.
• Arcadia Group, which owns Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis, Evans, Outfit and Burton, is expected to enter administration in the coming hours after the weekend failed to bring a last-minute rescue deal for Green’s retail businesses. Green has come under pressure from MPs and unions to use his private fortune to “make good” the huge shortfall in his retail empire’s pension scheme ahead of the company’s expected collapse into administration.
• The BBC is reporting that the Legatum Institute has said the £20 a week uplift in universal credit should remain in place beyond March.
• The Independent is reporting that interim guidance published by Public Health England details that residents and staff in care homes for the elderly will be first in line for coronavirus vaccines.
• NHS bosses plan to enlist celebrities and “influencers” with big social media followings in a major campaign to persuade people to have a Covid vaccine amid fears of low take-up, the Guardian has reported.
• Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary, has warned that England is at risk of a third wave of coronavirus in the new year if the right balance is not struck on restrictions.
• The BBC has reported that the mass Covid testing of students, so they can go home safely for the Christmas break, is starting at many universities across the UK.

Devolved/Regional

• Researchers at Queen Mary University have found that London’s dirty air increases the risk of catching Covid-19.
• London has suffered the biggest fall in job opportunities among Europe’s biggest cities, according to a report showing that national capitals across the region have been damaged most by Covid-19, the Guardian has reported.
• BBC News NI understands that the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme could begin by mid-December in Northern Ireland.
• The mass Covid testing of students at Scotland’s universities is beginning in an effort to make sure they are safe to return home for Christmas.
• The Herald has reported that Nicola Sturgeon will unveil a £100m blueprint to tackle poverty over the winter – as she will insist the pandemic has exposed a challenge of “no longer accepting problems as inevitable”.
• Patients needing urgent care will be encouraged to call 111 rather than turn up at A&E, under a new scheme to be rolled out in Scotland, which will also keep patients safe from Covid, the BBC reports.
• BBC Wales has reported that new Covid guidance for hospitals could see more patients receiving face-to-face visits from loved ones, as NHS Wales has given health boards and hospices flexibility to allow visits based on local levels of Covid-19.
• Wales is potentially facing levels of unemployment not seen since the recession of the early 1990s, according to new modelling.
• David Morris MP has said that Lancaster could be moved into a lower tier than the rest of Lancashire when the government reviews its Covid-19 rules in December.
• Hull City Council Leader Stephen Brady has said that Tier three is the “right place” for Hull due to high coronavirus rates in the city.

International

• The Guardian reports that Thailand is racing to track down about 200 people in its northern provinces to stop a potential coronavirus outbreak, after three Thai nationals entered the country illegally from Myanmar and tested positive days later.
• America could face its “darkest days” in modern medical history if the coronavirus crisis is not brought under control, a top medic has warned , as a top US disease expert has warned that the US could see “surge upon surge” of coronavirus cases as people return home from the Thanksgiving holiday.
• Japan will be saddled with a bill of almost $2bn to cover the additional cost of postponing the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to the coronavirus.
• Reuters has reported that China’s factory activity expanded at the fastest pace in more than three years in November, while growth in the services sector also hit a multi-year high, as the country’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic stepped up.
• Al Jazeera has reported that Iraqi schools have opened their doors to 10 million students for the first time since the country entered a COVID-19 lockdown in late February.

Stakeholders

• Labour is calling on the Government to set out a credible plan for GCSE and A-level exams as new data from the House of Commons Library shows that over 8.7m children face entering tier two and three restrictions.
• Responding to the latest Coronavirus update from Wales’ First Ministers, Darren Hughes, Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation said: “Pressure in our hospitals is not going away. The number of people in our hospitals with Coronavirus is very significant… There is light at the end of the tunnel, as we have seen positive news around vaccinations, although nothing has been confirmed yet. However, even if the vaccine is approved, we know this will not happen overnight and there are huge logistical challenges ahead for us to roll out a mass vaccination programme.”
• Labour has called on the Government to suspend peak fares and provide mass coronavirus testing for transport workers over Christmas to help avoid ‘travel chaos and to keep families safe during the festive period.