The world is trying to isolate itself from Brazil, where a new strain of the Sars-Cov-2 coronavirus was recently detected. The number of people who have died from coronavirus during the pandemic has exceeded 2 million. To enter the UK, it will be necessary to present a negative test, and in one of the regions of Germany, mandatory wearing of N95 standard respirators is introduced. This and other news about the coronavirus situation around the world is in our daily roundup.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has exceeded 93.3 million since the beginning of the pandemic, with more than 2 million deaths. In several countries, particularly in Europe, the number of deaths continues to exceed 1,000 per day.
Hospitals in the Brazilian city of Manaus, capital of the state of Amazonas, have run out of oxygen due to a surge in infections. There are no beds, ventilators or oxygen masks available in the wards. Medical workers say they simply cannot help the new patients who continue to arrive. Brazil ranks third in the world in the number of people infected (8.3 million) and second in the number of deaths (207,000). Doctors fear that the recently discovered new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, already dubbed “Brazilian,” could push the country toward a complete catastrophe.
On Friday evening, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that as of Monday, January 18 at 04:00, the country will end free entry from all countries in the world with which there were previously mutual agreements on crossing the border without quarantine. This decision means that all incoming travelers must present a negative coronavirus test before departure and then self-isolate for 10 days upon arrival – or obtain another negative test after five days of isolation. The London airports are very deserted at the moment. Johnson explained that the new restrictions are intended to “protect against the risk of previously unrecognized strains of coronavirus. They will remain in effect until at least February 15. Earlier, the UK and several other countries temporarily banned passengers from South American countries, Portugal and Cape Verde. This is due to the emergence of a new, more contagious “Brazilian variant” that was discovered by Japanese scientists this week.
Portugal is a major transit point for travelers from South American countries to Europe. Travel to Britain from 15 countries on that continent, including Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru, was also temporarily banned. On Friday, it was announced that one of the variants of the “Brazilian strain” (there are only two) had already been detected in the UK, according to Professor Wendy Barclay of the Institute of Infection and Immunity at Imperial College London. However, the expert clarified that another variant has entered the country, not the Brazilian strain found in Japan, which is capable of spreading faster. The characteristics of the “Brazilian strain” have not been fully studied, but it is known to spread as quickly and be as contagious as the “British strain”.
The main concern of scientists is that as human immunity to Sars-Cov-2 increases, the virus will evolve to overcome the immune response of the human body. One such mutation – E484K – has been found in the “Brazilian” variant of the virus. However, there is currently no evidence that these new variants cause a more severe course of the disease or that vaccines do not provide immunity against them. The “Brazilian variant” was discovered by Japanese scientists while analyzing four tourists from Brazil during a routine check of all arrivals in Japan. Meanwhile, in Britain, there are first signs that the self-isolation measures are beginning to work: the number of new cases has begun to decrease in recent days, and the reproduction rate R has been lowered by government experts to an average of 1.2-1.3 across the country. A week ago it was estimated at 1-1.4. A value above 1 means that the number of new cases continues to rise. In London, however, this indicator has been falling and on January 11th it was between 0.9 and 1.2. A week earlier, it was between 1.1 and 1.4. The most severe restrictions were introduced in the British capital earlier than in most regions of the country. At the same time, the number of hospitalizations and deaths has not yet peaked, according to England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, at a government press conference on Friday. According to the government, 1280 people have died from Covid-19 in the UK over the past day. A temporary morgue opened in northwest London on Friday. It will be gradually expanded and is expected to reach its maximum capacity of 1,300 bodies by January 20. The number of pandemic victims in the British capital recently exceeded 10,000, according to Mayor Sadiq Khan. It cost £3 million to build a temporary mortuary. During the first wave of the pandemic, four temporary morgues were set up in London, but they were not needed at the time. The morgue, built in just over a week, consists of tents with refrigeration units. Similar temporary morgues have appeared in other English cities.
The number of people infected with Covid-19 in Germany has surpassed 2 million, with 1113 more infected people dying in the last 24 hours. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is convening a Covid summit with the leaders of the country’s 16 states, where she will propose tightening the already strict lockdown. As of Monday, Bavaria will introduce new requirements for medical masks: regular disposable masks will be recognized as ineffective, and respirators complying with the FFP2 standard (these masks are also called N95) must be worn indoors. It is expected that a similar measure will soon be extended to the entire country.
Portugal has declared a nationwide lockdown that will last until at least January 30. Schools, grocery stores, veterinary clinics, bakeries, flower shops and hotels will remain open. However, citizens are asked not to leave their homes without a valid reason.
Hungary could become the first European country to approve China’s CoronaVac vaccine. Prime Minister Viktor Orban is insisting on its use and urging the country’s pharmaceutical regulators to speed up the decision-making process.
The Kitzbühel ski resort in Austria has had an outbreak of Covid-19, which local officials say was caused by instructors from the United Kingdom. Now the resort is offering coronavirus testing to the entire district from its budget. Kitzbühel is the site of one of the World Cup ski races, the famous Hahnenkamm, which had to be moved to another Austrian region because of the outbreak.
Spain reports a sharp increase in the number of cases after the Christmas holidays. There are currently 19,000 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 in the country’s hospitals, most of whom were admitted in early January. At the same time, the vaccination campaign that began three weeks ago is gaining momentum. Yesterday, nearly 95,000 people were vaccinated in one day – more than the entire first week.
Many EU countries are not receiving the Pfizer vaccine in the quantities promised because the American company is delaying deliveries. Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia say the situation is unacceptable and undermines confidence in the vaccination process. They have called on the EU to put pressure on the pharmaceutical giant. Pfizer said that the delay is temporary and that the pace of deliveries depends on changes in manufacturing processes that had to be implemented to increase production of the vaccine.
China has recorded the highest daily number of new infections since March 1 last year – 144 patients (compared to 202 in March). This number may seem small compared to other countries’ statistics, but Chinese authorities consider it a worrying signal. Most of the infected people live in Hebei province, with a population of 22 million, and the infection can spread quickly.
Joe Biden, who will be inaugurated as President of the United States on January 20, plans to begin his term by providing the country with a comprehensive $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package. This includes a one-time payment of $1,400 to every American, an increase in unemployment benefits and other social services. 400 billion will be used for the vaccination campaign and other measures to combat the epidemic. To provide such amounts, the United States will have to significantly increase its national debt, but Biden intends to cover some of the expenses in the future by raising taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations.