Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

14 Oct

14 October 2020

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

Key Announcements:

  • According to government data, the number of new confirmed cases of Coronavirus was 17,234 yesterday. 143 people sadly lost their lives due to virus.
  • The new three-tier Covid restrictions are now in force across England. The Liverpool city region is the only area so far under “very high” alert.
  • Yesterday evening, Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer gave a press conference in which he urged the government to enact a 2-3 week “circuit breaker” lockdown in order to end the sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in the UK.
  • Two of the government’s leading scientific advisers, Graham Medley and Matt Keeling, will this morning publish a paper arguing that thousands of deaths could be prevented if Boris Johnson implements a two-week lockdown over half-term. The Times has the story here .
  • A new study of the virus from UCL has found that it may cause sudden and permanent hearing loss . Thus far, only one case in the UK has been reported to have such effects, although a small number of similar reports have emerged from other countries.

Regional /Devolved

  • Northern Ireland will today announce wide-ranging new Covid-19 restrictions to try to contain exploding rates of infection. The Stormont executive is expected to unveil the plan in a statement to the region’s assembly at 10.30am today.
  • The Scottish Sun reports that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon may ‘toughen up’ the three-tier alert system after Scotland recorded its highest ever jump in new cases overnight . In a press conference yesterday, Sturgeon revealed that 1,297 cases had been recorded in the last 24 hours.
  • Regions with areas under “high alert” include Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Warrington, High Peak, Lancashire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Tees Valley, the North East of England, the West Midlands, Leicester, and Nottingham.
  • Only areas of the Liverpool City Region are under “very high alert”.
  • Further guidance, including a postcode search tool, is available here .

International

  • French President Emmanuel Macron will give a televised address this evening to set out how his government plans to minimise a second wave of the virus
  • The Netherlands has entered a “partial lockdown” set to last for four weeks . Restrictions include the limiting of social gatherings, the closing of bars and the banning of sales of alcohol and “soft drugs” at night.
  • In the Czech Republic , schools, bars and clubs are set to close for three weeks . The country currently has Europe’s highest new infection rate per 100,000 people.

Unconfirmed reports

  • The Times’ Tom Newton Dunn reports that Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle is urging MPs to stay away from Parliament as fears mount that it is again becoming a coronavirus hotbed. Hoyle has reportedly held a series of calls with vulnerable and older MPs in the last week to advise them of growing risk of contracting Covid on the Westminster estate.
  • The Telegraph reports that Johnson could order a two-week closure of pubs, restaurants and some other businesses if the three-tier plan fails to stop the spread of the virus.
  • Sky News reports that Greater Manchester and Lancashire are set to be the first areas moved from “high” to “very high” status . A ” Gold” meeting of ministers and advisers will reportedly be held today to decide whether new restrictions are needed.