Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

24 Jul

24 July 2020

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

Key Announcements

  • New laws mandating the use of facemasks in shops and other enclosed spaces take effect in England today. Those not complying could face fines of up to £100.
  • According to a poll from the Mirror , strong compliance can be expected with two-thirds of the public believing that face coverings should be worn in all indoor public spaces.
  • Blackburn and Luton have been identified as “areas for intervention” by Public Health England due to a spike in cases of the virus. Consequently, both cities will not permit the re-open of gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres on Saturday.
  • Prime Minister Boris Johnson today celebrates his first anniversary in office. In a statement released overnight, Johnson said: ” Today I want to make this pledge: I will not let the virus hold this country back “, pointing to the impact of the pandemic on Brexit negotiations.

Regional /Devolved

  • Politico reports that Chief Secretary to the Treasury Steve Barclay will announce an additional £1.9 billion for Scotland in Edinburgh today, as part of a £3.7 billion package for the devolved nations to help them tackle the coronavirus.
  • Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has accused the prime minister of using the coronavirus pandemic “as some kind of political weapon” following his visit to Scotland yesterday. She said Johnson was “celebrating” the pandemic, after he claimed that Scotland would have faced economic disaster without support from the Treasury.

International

  • The number of COVID-19 cases in the US passed 4 million yesterday, after more than 1,100 new Covid-19-related deaths were reported in a single day on Wednesday for the first time since late May . Consequently, President Trump has cancelled the Jacksonville Republican national convention.
  • South Korea is expected to record 100 new coronavirus cases today, according to figures released by the Korea Centres for Disease Control. This would mark the first time that South Korea has reported more than 100 cases since the 1st of April .

Stakeholders

  • The head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Jagan Chapagain , said he was deeply concerned about the secondary effects of the pandemic on migration, as border closures and Covid-19 restrictions have driven millions into poverty.
  • According to a study from Co-op Insurance , almost a fifth of people aged 50 and over say that the COVID-19 pandemic has already or may impact their retirement plans .
  • In response to the latest NHS Test and Trace statistics, Dr Layla McCay , a director at the NHS Confederation , expressed concern that the programme was failing to reach those in ” the hardest hit areas “, risking a ” second peak that could seriously endanger public health “.
  • Responding to new weekly test and trace stats, Justin Madders MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Minister, noted that the Government are still “a long way off” their commitment to 24-hour turnaround for test results .
  • Senior Olympic official John Coates has reiterated that Tokyo must stage a simplified summer Games next year , but noted that there is still ” no clear picture of what shape the simplified Games will take ” given that the “situation with COVID… is constantly changing”.