Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

16 Mar

16 March 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 5,089. Sadly, 64 people died having testing positive for the virus within 28 days.
  • As of the 14 March , 24,453,221 people had received the first dose of a vaccine in the UK. A total of 1,610,280 people had received a second dose of vaccine.
  • The World Health Organisation has urged countries not to pause the roll out of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. This comes after several EU countries halted their roll outs of the jab as a precautionary measure due to concerns of blood clots.
  • An Imperial College London professor has warned the halting of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is a disaster for the vaccine rollout in Europe.
  • France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia and Cyprus all suspended the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine yesterday.
  • It is being reported that the role of the scientific advisory body SAGE shall be reviewed when the pandemic is over.
  • The Department of Health and Social Care have announced that surge testing shall be deployed in targeted areas of Harrow and Southwark in order to control and supress the potential spread of the covid-19 variant first identified in Brazil.

Devolved

  • Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is set to announce dates for the end of the “stay at home” rule and the reopening of shops and hospitality in Scotland . Sturgeon is set to address MSPs this afternoon.
  • First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford has said that a public inquiry into the Welsh Government’s handling of covid-19 should be held when the “pandemic is behind us.”
  • Northern Ireland Education Minister Peter Weir wants primary school pupils in year groups P4 to P7 to return to the classroom on 22 March. It is being reported that Weir shall recommend the move when ministers review restrictions later today.

International

  • The government has announced that Ethiopia, Oman, Somalia and Qatar have been added to the Red list for England. This follows data showing an increased risk of importation of variants of concern. Portugal and Mauritius have been removed from the list.

Stakeholders

  • Experts in the UK have said that there should be an increase in the number of individuals being offered a covid-19 vaccination over the coming days. NHS sources have said that the number of jabs being given is expected to top 4m this week.