Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

07 Dec

7 December 2020

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

Key Announcements:

  • The number of people who tested positive for the virus yesterday in the UK was 17,272, with 231 people sadly losing their lives.
  • The latest R number is estimated at 0.8 to 1 with a daily infection growth rate range of -3% to -1% as of 4 December 2020.
  • Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is self-isolating after a member of his staff tested positive for Covid-19.
  • The UK will begin a mass vaccination tomorrow, starting with the elderly, health workers, and carers.
  • After lockdown ended last week, shoppers returned to store over the weekend – but research shows numbers were a quarter below 2019 levels.
  • In contrast, a Christmas market in Nottingham, which is in Tier 3, was told to close for the rest of the year following “unprecedented high footfall”.
  • Sources within the DHSC and MoD have told the Observer that military planes are ready to transport Covid vaccines into Britain, to avoid ports hit by Brexit as the deadline for a deal approaches

Devolved

  • Tough lockdown restrictions in Scotland are due to end on Friday, and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has hinted that she will announce major changes tomorrow.
  • Restrictions in Northern Ireland are due to end at midnight on 11 December.
  • Concerns have been raised that nearly one-in-four over-65s in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area are yet to be vaccinated against the flu.
  • Rapid coronavirus testing is being trialled in care homes in parts of Scotland to allow relatives to visit loved ones – concerns have been raised previously about the accuracy of lateral flow tests.

International

  • President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, tested positive for Covid-19 over the weekend and has since been admitted to hospital.
  • Around 85% of California’s 40m residents are under a strict stay-at-home order through Christmas, which started last night.
  • France released its coronavirus vaccination plan over the weekend, setting aside €1.5bn to make vaccine free for its population.
  • Bulgaria’s health system is reportedly on the brink of collapse due to coronavirus, as the country records the highest per capita death rate in the EU.
  • The New York Times are reporting that China have been pushing the idea that the virus emerged from Italy, rather than from their own country.
  • Chancellor Angela Merkel told German citizens in a video podcast that there was now “light at the end of the tunnel,” and also admitted that Germany would be going into 2021 with almost €180bn in fresh debt

Stakeholders

  • B&Q owner Kingfisher has said it will return £130m in business rates relief it had received from the government during the pandemic, after seeing a boom in sales since the first lockdown.