Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

15 Oct

15 October 2020

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

Key Announcements:

  • 19,724 people tested positive for Coronavirus yesterday, with 137 people sadly dying. There are currently 4,650 people in hospital in the UK with the virus.
  • The Health Secretary will deliver a statement to the Commons at 11:30am. He is expected to announce further restrictions for parts of the North of England.
  • A report from the National Institute for Health Research states that coronavirus patients could suffer permanent damage to the heart and lungs. It states thousands of people could be living with “ongoing Covid ” with varying symptoms.
  • Dame Louise Casey, former government advisor on homelessness, has warned that people in the UK face a “period of destitution” and argues that the government must roll out more extensive support measures to keep people in work.
  • The Department for Education is expected to set out details for students and universities shortly, which will allow them to return home for Christmas. The guidance is expected to minimise social contact for students in the two-week run up to Christmas.
  • The newspapers front pages can be viewed

Regional /Devolved

  • Greater Manchester and Lancashire may enter into the “very high” restrictions later today. Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, is speaking to the Prime Minister’s team this morning.
  • London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, is arguing that London should move into the tier 2 “high” alert level this week.
  • London MPs are expected to have a call with Health Minister, Helen Whately at 9:30am. Greater Manchester MPs are expecting to join a call at 10:45am.
  • From 6pm on Friday, new restrictions will come into force in Northern Ireland. Pubs, restaurants and cafes will only be allowed to offer takeaway services and beauty salons will shut.
  • Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is expected to extend the restriction barring households from mixing. They are also in the process of drawing up a tiered system, similar to the one in England.
  • First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, has said that he will go ahead with his proposed travel restrictions unless the Prime Minister acted. Under Drakeford’s proposal, people in tier 2 and 3 regions in England would not be allowed to travel to Wales.
  • Further guidance, including a postcode search tool, is available here .

International

  • President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has imposed a 9pm curfew in Paris and other major French cities, following a huge surge in cases.
  • Germany had a daily record number of cases yesterday, with 6,638 people testing positive.
  • The Czech Republic has also reported a record number of cases, with 9,544 people testing positive for the virus yesterday.
  • Bars and restaurants in Catalonia will close for 15 days from tonight, with other stricter measures affecting other areas of hospitality.
  • The World Health Organisation has said that young people may have to wait until 2022 to receive any potential vaccination.

Stakeholders

  • Head of the Police Federation in Wales , Mark Bleasdale, has warned the travel ban in Wales could be “unenforceable” : ” There will also be plenty of individuals travelling legitimately from areas which are not high risk, and this will only add to the other difficulties officers face when policing the existing regulations .”

Unconfirmed reports

  • The Times are reporting that Boris Johnson is working on a version of the circuit breaker proposal, timed to coincide with the school half term in England on 26 October.