A new variant of the virus has been found in Great Britain, strict restrictions will be introduced in London on Wednesday, extreme measures are being prepared in Germany, and the first phase of vaccination has begun in the USA. These and other news about the development of the situation with Covid-19 in the world – in our daily overview.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the current number of people infected with the coronavirus worldwide is 72.3 million, with 1.6 million deaths.
British doctors have identified a new variant of the coronavirus that could be transmitted more quickly from person to person, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Parliament. According to him, infections with this new strain of coronavirus have been reported in 60 districts of British hospitals. He said the strain was currently being studied at the Porton Down military laboratory near Salisbury. The minister added that the World Health Organization has already been alerted to the new strain. However, Hancock said, experts believe that promising vaccines against coronaviruses will be effective against the new strain. “We have identified about a thousand cases of infection with this variant, mainly in the south of England,” he said. The prevalence of the new strain may be explained by its faster transmission between people, Hancock added. But experts cannot yet say for sure. In addition, he said, there is currently no evidence that those infected with the new strain will experience a more severe illness. “Whatever the reasons, we must take decisive action quickly. Unfortunately, this is absolutely necessary to keep this deadly disease under control,” the Minister said.
This is what central London has looked like in recent days. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what’s next. The number of episodes. The end of the story: Promotional Podcasts.
London has been placed in the third (highest) category of epidemiological threat due to a sharp increase in the number of cases in the British capital. The decision was made following a briefing by the country’s health minister, Matt Hancock. He warned that the situation in the city is rapidly deteriorating and called on the government not to wait until Wednesday, when the scheduled regular review of the country’s district classification was scheduled. Along with London, some districts of Essex and Hertfordshire counties also fell into the third category. After the latest lockdown ended on December 2, Britain was divided into three categories: medium, high, and very high threat levels. Based on this, different regions maintained varying degrees of restrictive measures. Then London fell into the second category: people could meet in pubs and restaurants, a significant number of shops and establishments were open. Increasing the level of threat means the closure of catering establishments, they will continue to operate only for takeaway or delivery services. It will be possible to meet in open spaces in groups of no more than six people. Hosting guests at home will not be allowed. Earlier, the authorities wanted to leave a so-called “Christmas window” from December 23 to 27 so that Britons could celebrate the holidays with their family and friends. Now those plans will have to be abandoned.
Mass vaccination has begun in a number of countries around the world. The French government has proposed to the other countries of the European Union to donate 5% of the doses of vaccine purchased to countries that do not have the financial means to buy them. The COVAX project, supervised by the WHO, aims to provide 2 billion doses by the end of 2021 to vaccinate 20% of the poorest people in developing countries. If the EU supports France’s proposal, the donation will amount to 65 million doses.
The German authorities believe that the sharp deterioration in the situation is due to the pre-Christmas rush. Ahead of Christmas, Germany is once again in full nationwide lockdown after several weeks of easing measures. On Sunday, Angela Merkel said the country was experiencing a record number of cases and deaths. From Wednesday, shops selling non-essential goods, hairdressers, beauty salons and schools will be closed. Companies are advised to extend Christmas holidays for their employees and to offer work from home.
During the Christmas season, mobile medical brigades in Germany are offering free Covid-19 testing to anyone who wants it. Company gatherings in homes, including during the Christmas season, will be restricted. Celebrations in the streets and the sale of fireworks are also prohibited. “All of this will leave its mark on the holidays, we know that. But the situation forces us to take this step,” said Angela Merkel. The lockdown will last until January 10, but this period may be extended.
For the first time since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, schools in the capital of Sweden, Stockholm, are switching to online learning, affecting children over the age of 13. Students over the age of 16 throughout the country switched to distance learning a week ago. Authorities say additional measures are needed to contain the virus before Christmas. Sweden is the only country in Europe that has not imposed a lockdown. The number of infected cases continues to rise rapidly, and COVID departments and intensive care units in the capital’s hospitals are at 99% capacity. Doctors predict that hospitals across the country will soon run out of beds.
In similar tents outside hospitals in Sweden, patients arriving at intensive care units are tested for coronavirus to separate COVID patients from others as quickly as possible. Recently, Bloomberg reported that Sweden is also facing mass voluntary layoffs of medical staff. According to Sineva Ribiero, president of the Swedish Association of Professional Doctors, this is due to overworked hospital schedules. The shortage of medical personnel, especially nurses, was felt in the country even before the pandemic. With the influx of COVID patients, people have almost stopped taking vacations and weekends off, and the only way for them to relax is to simply quit their jobs, the publication writes. Scandinavian neighbors – Finland and Norway – have offered Stockholm any assistance they can, including medical personnel, equipment and, in some cases, transportation of patients. However, Swedish authorities say they are currently on their own.
In the United States, the first phase of the most extensive vaccination campaign in the country’s history begins. The first three million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have been distributed nationwide from a warehouse in the state of Michigan. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine for mass use. The decision was made urgently due to the critical situation in the country.
The first doses of the vaccine will be distributed equally among all 50 states. The first to receive the vaccine will be health care workers and elderly people over a certain age. Earlier, it was reported that members of Donald Trump’s administration would also be among the first, but later the president said that this decision had been revised.
Singapore has also approved the use of Pfizer-BioNTech. Authorities expect the first batch of the vaccine to arrive in the country by the end of December. The United Arab Emirates has also begun vaccinating its population, but has chosen to use a vaccine produced in China by the pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm. In the first phase, vaccinations will be offered in 45 clinics and hospitals in the capital, Abu Dhabi. Residents of the city can order the vaccination free of charge through district clinics. According to Johns Hopkins University, over the course of the coronavirus epidemic, more than 186,000 people have been infected in the UAE, with 618 deaths.
Authorities in South Korea tightened restrictions in Seoul and surrounding areas after the daily number of new cases exceeded one thousand. Schools in the region are returning to online learning until at least the end of December. A number of companies will close. South Korea is experiencing the most severe phase of the epidemic. Incidence and mortality rates have surpassed the previous peak in February of this year. In Japan, for the first time since the epidemic began, more than three thousand cases were registered in one day. According to Johns Hopkins University, a total of 181.6 thousand people have been infected in the country, with 2.5 thousand deaths. Compared to many countries in the world, these indicators are considered favorable, but the Japanese economy has suffered a serious blow.
In the coming weeks, several major airlines, including United, JetBlue, and Lufthansa, plan to launch a new smartphone application called CommonPass. It will be able to track each international passenger’s COVID-19 test history, results, and, potentially in the future, vaccination history. CommonPass will notify users of a specific airline’s flight rules, such as the requirement to present negative test results. The user uploads the required documents to the application and receives a special code that allows them to board. In October, United tested CommonPass on a flight from London Heathrow to New Jersey.
Moscow will not impose a curfew during the New Year’s holidays, Germany will tighten its lockdown until early January, and Italy will conduct vaccinations in “flower” tents. Read more about this and other news related to the coronavirus pandemic in our daily roundup.