Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

25 Jan

25 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 30,004 with 610 people sadly losing their lives.
  • The number of people who have received their first dose of a vaccine is 6,353,321 and the figure for the second dose is 469,660.
  • As of 22 January, the estimated R number is between 0.8 and 1.
  • During a press conference on Friday, Home Secretary Priti Patel announced that £800 fines would be issued to house parties of more than 15 people.
  • Conservative MPs are demanding clarity on school re-openings from Ministers.
  • Sunderland’s Nightingale Hospital has today opened as a Covid-19 vaccination centre.
  • Councils are to receive £23m to encourage high-risk groups, such as minority ethnic and older people, to take the vaccine.
  • The UK has identified 77 cases of the “South African variant” according to the Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who said these were linked to travellers arriving in the UK rather than community transmission.

Devolved

  • Scotland has had at least three identified cases of the South African coronavirus variant, prompting concerns over the effectiveness of the vaccine.
  • Those aged 70-79 in Scotland are due to begin receiving appointments for their vaccinations this week, after a supply issue led to a delay in mailing out appointment letters.
  • Reports of children living with domestic abuse in Scotland have risen since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the NSPCC.
  • The Welsh Government has unveiled a £17.7m rescue package to help spectator sports.
  • Yesterday, appointments at four vaccination centres across Wales were cancelled as snow caused travel disruption across the country.
  • Members of the military are to be brought in to help medical staff in Northern Ireland in the fight against Covid-19.
  • Northern Ireland is testing for the new “English” variant, thought to be about 50-70 percent more infectious, but say that capacity for testing is limited.

International

  • Boris Johnson is due to make a decision tomorrow on further border controls, as Cabinet members back tighter restrictions including escorting travellers to hotels for isolation.
  • France’s top medical adviser has warned that the country could enter a third national lockdown to combat coronavirus in the country.
  • New Zealand officials have said that its first community case for two months was the South African variant.
  • Australia has halted the New Zealand travel bubble over case of infectious new Covid variant.
  • Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrado, has tested positive for Covid-19.
  • In the US, President Biden will reinstate coronavirus travel restrictions on non-US travellers from Brazil, Ireland, the UK and 26 other European countries.
  • Police and protestors clashed in the Netherlands during an anti-curfew demo, more than 100 people have been arrested.

Stakeholders

  • Online retailer Boohoo has bought the Debenhams brand and website for £55m but will not take on stores or its staff, as the high street continues to suffer under coronavirus restrictions.
  • Fewer than 2,000 young people have so far started new roles under the Government’s £2bn Kickstart jobs scheme, which launched in September as part of efforts to stem the tide of youth unemployment during the pandemic – youth issues groups are calling on the Government to extend the scheme.