Covid-19 Daily Bulletin

09 Sep

9 September 2020

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

Key Announcements:

  • From Monday 14 September, social gatherings of over six people will be illegal in England, both in and out of doors. The major change here is that police will now have powers to disband gatherings over six, with fines of £100 doubling up to £3,200. There are a number of exceptions – namely for schools, workplaces, weddings, funerals, professional sports teams, and families /support bubbles over six. Boris Johnson is expected to give a press conference this afternoon with further details about restrictions in England.
  • Since Sunday, there have been almost 8,400 new Covid-19 infections recorded across the UK.
  • Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, warned this morning on BBC Breakfast that about 25 per cent of people coming forward for tests are not eligible, meaning that demand is high. He has reminded the public that to be eligible for a test, a person must either be exhibiting Covid symptoms or have been specifically asked to do so.
  • The AstraZeneca and Oxford coronavirus vaccine has had its clinical trials put on hold, due to a participant coming down with an “unexplained illness”.
  • Labour Leader, Keir Starmer, has warned that the test and trace system is currently on the ” verge of collapse “, following a laboratory capacity issue which could take two weeks to be resolved.

Regional/ Revolved

  • Restrictions have been tightened in Bolton, where there has been the highest number of reported new coronavirus cases. Hospitality venues must be closed between 10pm and 5am each day; all food and drink venues are restricted to takeaway only; and it will be illegal for people to socialise with anyone outside of their own household.
  • In Scotland, new Covid cases have emerged in every mainland health board area in the past 24 hours, totalling 176 new cases. The First Minister has also said that over the next month, returning colleges and universities are likely to have the biggest impact on the number of cases.
  • In Wales, Caerphilly became the first county to go into local lockdown at 6pm yesterday evening. 132 people have tested positive in the country in the past week, meaning the case rate of 72.9 per 100,000 is amongst the highest in the UK. This comes alongside fears of test shortages, with the chair of the BMA, Dr David Bailey, saying that the queues at pop-up centres were “horrific”.

International

  • In Victoria, Australia, a retail boss has warned how the current ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown could result in 50 percent of small businesses being wiped out. The head of the Australian Retailers Association has said that he expects to see the “first signs of the economic collapse” in the next few weeks.
  • 5,531 new Covid cases were reported yesterday in Mexico, totalling infections to 642,860, according to health ministry data.
  • It has been warned the coronavirus pandemic could undo decades of progress in recuing child mortality, according to the UN. A UNICEF survey found that 68 percent of 77 countries reported a disruption in child health checks and immunisation.
  • Migrant camps in Greece, near Athens, have were placed in quarantine yesterday due to concerns about the spread of the virus amongst asylum seekers.
  • There have been a reported 3,168 new coronavirus cases reported in Spain in the past 24 hours.
  • There have been six new cases of Covid-19 through community transmission reported in New Zealand.

Stakeholders

  • The Labour Party have said that over half a million jobs are at risk, unless the Government makes a U-turn on the furlough scheme. Shadow chancellor, Anneliese Dodds, has urged MPs to vote today for a targeted extension to the scheme.
  • Following a report published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which stated that the £20 increase to Universal Credit had been a lifeline for families during the pandemic, the SNP are urging the Government to maintain this increase in the upcoming budget.
  • In a separate press release, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation are encouraging the Government to introduce a new COVID-19 Job Support Scheme and create new jobs. They have created a Covid-19 Pre-Vaccine Job Risk to help predict what jobs