Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

15 Jan

15 January 2021

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 48,682, with 1,248 people sadly losing their lives.
  • 2,918,252 have received their first dose of the vaccine, up to and including the 13 January.
  • Travellers from South America, Portugal and Cape Verde are now barred from entering the UK, amid fears over the new ‘Brazilian variant’.
  • The UK economy shrank by 2.6 percent in November, as lockdown restrictions reduced economic activity, but the decline was not as bad as some feared.
  • Marcus Rashford has been joined by celebrity chefs and other household names in a demand for a review of free school meals, amidst this week’s controversy.
  • Coronavirus infection rates are falling across England for almost all age groups but hospital admissions remain at record levels, figures from PHE show.
  • According to Whitehall sources , all over-50s could be vaccinated by the end of March under plans to increase the provision of coronavirus jabs.
  • Fake news is likely to be causing some people from the UK’s South Asian communities to reject the Covid vaccine, a leading doctor and campaigner has warned .

Devolved

  • Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon acknowledged yesterday that tougher lockdown restrictions could be considered if new rules don’t work.
  • Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford is expected to announce stricter measures for supermarkets, after meeting with retailers.
  • People travelling into Wales from abroad will have to take a mandatory coronavirus test 72 hours before departure.
  • NI First Minister Arlene Foster confirmed in a press conference that people travelling internationally to NI will have to test negative before departure.
  • Hospitals across NI have suspended most visiting in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.

International

  • US President-elect Joe Biden has announced a $1.9tn (£1.4tn) stimulus package to tackle the pandemic and revive the economy.
  • EU leaders will discuss plans next week to draw up coronavirus vaccine passports in order to restart international travel.
  • France will impose a 6pm curfew this weekend as President Macron’s government tries to contain the pandemic without resorting to a third lockdown.
  • For the second consecutive day Australia has recorded zero community transmission – on a day when more than 750,000 cases were recorded around the world.
  • More than 2m Covid cases have now been officially reported in Germany since the start of the pandemic and 1,113 deaths have been registered in the past 24 hours.
  • Portugal has gone into lockdown overnight, at least until 30 January.
  • Israel has now inoculated 2 million people against coronavirus

Stakeholders

  • Small businesses are awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on insurance pay-outs for those forced to close during the first national lockdown.
  • Ministers face calls to extend the deadline for purchasing a house in England using the help-to-buy loan scheme, as buyers face losing thousands of pounds because of Covid-related delays in construction.
  • The Labour Party are calling on the Government to enable cash payments for free school meals