Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

22 Dec

22 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 33,364, with 215 people sadly losing their lives.
  • The Prime Minister held a press conference yesterday evening in which he said he was working with the French Government to re-open the UK-France border to freight.
  • In the same press conference, Chief Scientific Officer Sir Patrick Vallance warned that it was likely restrictions would be increased across the country before they were decreased.
  • Talks are still ongoing between UK and France about re-opening the Dover-Calais crossing to the up to 1,500 lorries stuck queuing there – France’s Europe minister has said any plans will likely come into effect from Wednesday.
  • Government borrowing hit its highest November level on record at £31.6bn, as the UK continued to support the economy during the pandemic, according to the ONS.
  • Scientists from the Government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats advisory group (Nervtag) are investigating theories that the new variant of Covid-19 spreads more easily in children.

Devolved

  • Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called for an extension to the Brexit transition period, due to end in a weeks’ time.
  • The Stormont Executive voted against imposing a travel ban from Great Britain into Northern Ireland last night, but have issued guidance against all but essential travel.

International

  • More than 40 countries have now banned UK arrivals due to concerns over the new variant of Covid-19 – some additions to the list since our bulletin yesterday include Spain, India, Romania, Russia and Portugal.
  • WHO prepare to travel to Wuhan next month to investigate origins of Covid-19 – the scientist at the centre of claims that the coronavirus leaked from her lab has welcomed “any kind of visit”.
  • President-elect Joe Biden received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine live on TV yesterday.
  • Taiwan confirms its first case of local Covid-19 transmission since April.
  • Antarctica has recorded its first ever Covid cases, after 36 Chileans have fallen ill at a research base.
  • Australia’s Victoria has reported only one new case, new infections in NSW falls for a second day, and 350 people have been released in South Australia after being incorrectly quarantined.

Stakeholders

  • The FTSE 100 has reversed its losses and is now trading higher by 0.2 percent – the FTSE 250 is up more than 1 percent.
  • Royal Mail and Parcelforce have suspended all postal services to mainland Europe, excluding the Republic of Ireland.
  • Supermarkets are warning against panic-buying, with major stores Tesco and Sainsbury’s both saying all the Christmas food they need is already in the country.