Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

20 Jan

20 January 2021

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

Key Announcements:

  • According to government statistics, the number of new confirmed cases of Coronavirus yesterday was 33,355. Sadly, 1,610 people lost their lives due to virus, a new record for UK.
  • 4,255,577 people have now had their first dose of the vaccine , with 456,866 having also had a second dose.
  • Boris Johnson has published a statement today congratulating President-elect Joe Biden, who will be sworn in later today. In the statement, Johnson said he looked forward to “working closely with his new administration as we defeat COVID and build back better from the pandemic”.
  • The Times reports Ministers are becoming increasingly concerned about the pace of the coronavirus vaccine rollout after a reduction in the supply of Pfizer-Biontech jabs. This comes after the number of people receiving their first dose on Monday fell for the third day in a row to 204,076 from a high of 324,000 on Friday.
  • New research has suggested that speaking to a friend when infected with the coronavirus could be as dangerous as coughing near them thanks to lingering particles. The research concluded that it was unsafe to stand without a mask two metres away from an infected person who is talking or coughing.
  • Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced yesterday that he will be self-isolating after being alerted by the UK’s NHS Covid-19 app. In a tweet, Mr Hancock said he would be working from home until Sunday, adding “we all have a part to play in getting this virus under control”.

Regional/Devolved

  • Scotland’s lockdown has been extended until at least the middle of February. This will see most school pupils to continue learning from home.
  • Three Welsh Senedd members have apologised for having a party on parliament premises, after reports emerged that a group of at least four drank together in the Senedd just days after the introduction of a nationwide hospitality alcohol ban in early December. Welsh Tory leader Paul Davies was the most high-profile of those named as involved so far, alongside two other Conservatives and Labour’s Alun Davies.
  • Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said the formula used to distribute coronavirus vaccines that did not take into account the size of GP practices has meant fewer people receiving one in London. Figures from NHS England showed that London had the lowest number of people – 388,437 – who had received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine despite being one of the largest NHS regions in England.

International

  • Israel’s coronavirus tsar has voiced concern that a single dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine may be providing less protection than originally hoped, as the country reported a record 10,000 new Covid infections on Monday.
  • US President Elect Joe Biden held a memorial for the 400,000 Americans who have died of Covid-19 last night. The memorial was hosted by Biden’s inaugural committee, which described the event as “a chance to reflect and honour those no longer with us”.
  • New Zealand health chief Ashley Bloomfield has warned that Covid-19 is unlikely to ever die out, even with vaccination efforts, but that it could become more transmissible and less deadly. He added, however, that vaccines would help humans develop immunity, adding to the natural immunity that people who have been infected will also develop.
  • The World Health Organisation has said that the UK coronavirus strain has been detected in at least 60 countries.

Unconfirmed reports

  • The Cabinet Office has reportedly begun building a detailed “unlocking framework” to gradually ease Covid restrictions area by area. It’s said to be likely that most of the country would automatically go back into Tier 4 to begin with.
  • Politico reports that Public Health England is likely to announce today that the policy introduced in schools two weeks ago of giving daily lateral flow tests to pupils and teachers who’ve been in contact with positive COVID cases, as an alternative to self-isolation, will be paused in most schools