Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

25 May

25 May 2021

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

Key Announcements:

  • UK government data shows 2,439 people tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday, and three people died within 28 days of a positive test. They also show 38,070,038 people had received a first dose of a Covid vaccine up to 23 May, and 22,895,556 had received a second dose.
  • The government changed its Covid guidance for Bedford, Blackburn, Bolton, Kirklees, Leicester, Hounslow and North Tyneside on its website on Friday, advising people to only travel for essential purposes and maintain stricter social distancing rules. However, the changes were not accompanied by a formal announcement, leaving local MPs and authorities to find out from media reports.
  • Domestic tourism is forecast to be worth £51.4bn in 2021, half of its 2019 level, while spending by foreign tourists is expected to fall from £28.4bn to £6.2bn, according to VisitBritain calculations.
  • Cabinet ministers have written to all councils in England, urging them to allow Parkrun events to resume.
  • Minister for Equalities Kemi Badenoch and award-winning GP Dr Farzana Hussain will issue a joint call for people to take the vaccine when they are offered it. The call comes as a third government report on Covid-19 disparities shows that vaccination confidence among ethnic minorities has improved, but 30 per cent of black or black British adults reported vaccine hesitancy.

Devolved

  • Around half of the people who were due to get a Covid jab at the mass vaccination centre in Glasgow this weekend failed to turn up, BBC reports . Efforts to increase vaccination had been made following a rise in cases.
  • Clackmannanshire’s Covid-19 rate has overtaken Glasgow city’s, which makes it the highest in Scotland.
  • Dr Frank Atherton, the Welsh government’s chief medical officer, said that “people should be worried” about the resurgence in Covid, urging people to social distance and wear masks.

International

  • The US has issued a travel warning for Japan over the Covid-19 surge, weeks before the Tokyo Olympics are due to start.
  • In Ireland, outdoor hospitality is expected to return on 7 June, but serving people indoors may not be allowed until July, rules are expected to be published on Tuesday.
  • Austria has banned direct flights from Britain, Reuters

Stakeholders

  • Bolton South-West MP, Yasmin Qureshi (Lab) commented about the change to coronavirus guidance in hot spots: “I was not told about this new guidance and I don’t think anybody was. I have only just found out … and it just shows the incompetence of the government in dealing with this.”
  • Bolton West MP, Chris Green (Con) tweeted on Monday night: “I suspect that we found out at the same time tonight. I’ll be getting clarification in the morning.”
  • The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) said it was crucial that surgical services in Northern Ireland are not “stood down” again, as statistics show one in four people there is on a waiting list.

Unconfirmed reports

  • The Telegraph reports that from June 21 fully vaccinated people will still have to isolate for 10 days if they come into contact with someone who is infected.
  • The Guardian reports that up to 8,700 patients died after catching Covid-19 in English hospitals while being treated for another medical problem, according to NHS data obtained by the Guardian.
  • The Mail reports that 123 UK companies worth £36bn have been sold off to private equity firms during the pandemic