Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

09 Mar

8 March 2021

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

Key Announcements:

  • The Prime Minister led the Downing Street press briefing last night and spoke of the “crucial first step” in coming out of lockdown, as children returned to schools and colleges. He warned that the return of schools would likely increase the R rate.
  • The number of people who tested positive for the virus yesterday in the UK was 4,712 with 65 people sadly losing their lives having tested positive for the virus within 28 days.
  • The number of people who have received their first dose of a vaccine was 22,377255 and the figure for the second dose was 1,142,643 as of 7 March.
  • The NHS has announced that the network of emergency Nightingale hospitals set up to cope with a surge of Covid-19 cases is to close from April.
  • Number 10 have clarified that pupils with a positive home test could return to school after a negative lab tests, despite Children’s Minister Vicky Ford saying otherwise yesterday morning.
  • Inspectors have delivered a damming verdict on Covid protection, fire safety and living conditions at Home Office accommodation for asylum seekers in barracks.

Devolved

  • First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will update MSPs about the state of the pandemic and lockdown, and is expected to announce a slight easing of restrictions to allow more people to meet outdoors.
  • NI Education Minister Peter Weir will propose the scrapping of plans to pull P1-P3 children back out of class – pupils returned on Monday and were due to returned to remote learning from 22 March.
  • Wales will announce the results of its latest review on lockdown restrictions later this week, though any changes of rules are expected to be minor and gradual.

International

  • The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that fully vaccinated Americans can visit with other vaccinated people without with masks or social distancing.
  • China has launched a health certificate programme for Chinese international travellers, creating what many are calling the first in ‘virus passports’.
  • Italy have surpassed 100,000 coronavirus deaths a year after imposing the world’s first national lockdown.
  • New Zealand have established an independent advisory group to review its handling of the most recent coronavirus outbreak and “sharpen” its ongoing response.

Stakeholders

  • The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has reportedly shown promising signs of neutralising the Brazil variant in lab testing.
  • Oil giant BP has told office-based staff they will be expected to spend two days a week working from home after lockdown restrictions ease.
  • Pavement licenses for pubs, restaurants and cafes will be extended for about a year to help hospitality when it reopens, after Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick penned a letter to English councils urging them to do “everything possible” to get high streets ready.