Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

24 Jun

24 June 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 16,135 people tested positive for Covid-19 on 23 June, and 19 died within 28 days of a positive test. They also show 43,448,680 people had received a first dose of a Covid vaccine up to and including 22 June, and 31,740,115 had received a second dose.
  • This afternoon, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will give an update in the Commons on the foreign travel ‘traffic-light’ system, with more countries expected to be put on the green list. The travel industry is calling for scrapping quarantine for fully vaccinated people coming from amber countries.
  • Chancellor Angela Merkel told the German parliament that she would like to see all EU countries make British travellers quarantine on arrival to slow the spread of the Delta variant, a policy already in place in Germany.
  • Enhanced contact tracing and testing has been introduced after 41 cases of the new “Delta plus” Covid variant were found in various parts of the UK.
  • Fans attending the Euro 2020 semi-finals and final taking place in the UK will be exempt from rules on self-isolation and hotel quarantine following changes to domestic legislation.
  • More than two million people in England may have suffered from long Covid, according to a React study.
  • Environment Secretary George Eustice said the government wants all Covid restrictions, such as mask wearing, to be taken away “completely” at step four of its roadmap.
  • The Daily Mail reports that ministers are considering ditching the isolation requirement for double-vaccinated Brits and allowing children to travel back to the UK without facing quarantine.

Devolved

  • Scotland has the highest rate of coronavirus infections in the UK having recorded a daily case total of 2,969 yesterday. With two thirds of the cases is the 15—44 age range, behaviour expert Prof Stephen Reicher has suggested the surge could have been driven by men meeting up to watch Euro 2020.
  • Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced yesterday that the lifting of the remaining lockdown restrictions would be delayed by three weeks to 9 August.

International

  • Brazil has recorded a record daily high of 115,228 infections.
  • China has administered 24m doses of vaccine in one day, bringing the total to over 1bn.
  • Russia has reported 20,182 cases, the highest daily total since late January.

Stakeholders

  • The British Chambers of Commerce has called on the government to clarify its Covid policy beyond the 19 July.
  • Labour has criticised the government’s decision to change the Covid travel rules for attendees of UEFA semi- finals and final.