In London, the highest level of quarantine remains in place due to the highly contagious new strain of coronavirus. The WHO has approved the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
The number of infections caused by the new strain of coronavirus could increase two to three times, scientists warn. The United Kingdom has changed its vaccination plan, extending the interval between the first and second doses of the vaccine to three months. This and other news about the coronavirus pandemic around the world are in the daily review of the Russian service of the BBC.
During the coronavirus pandemic that began one year ago, more than 1.8 million people worldwide have died from Covid-19. In total, more than 83 million people have been infected with the coronavirus.
Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine against Covid-19 has become the first drug in the world to receive emergency use authorization from the WHO. The WHO statement notes that the quality, safety and efficacy of the vaccine have been evaluated by experts from different countries around the world. “They [WHO experts] have concluded that the vaccine meets all mandatory safety and efficacy parameters. Its benefits in the fight against COVID-19 outweigh the potential risks,” the World Health Organization said in a tweet. Drugs for which the results of all necessary tests are not yet available, but which are needed to combat epidemics, are granted emergency use authorization. At the World Health Organization, it was emphasized that such an approval would remove a number of obstacles to the supply of the vaccine to a number of countries, including developing countries.
New Year’s celebrations in most countries around the world took place against a backdrop of restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. In almost all major cities, from Sydney to New York, mass parties and celebrations were canceled. On the streets of French cities, the curfew, which began at 8 p.m. local time on December 31, was enforced by some 100,000 police officers.
In Paris, thousands of police officers made sure that people did not gather for New Year’s parties. The center of London was also deserted on New Year’s Eve. Earlier, the authorities of the British capital urged residents and guests of the city to stay at home and celebrate the New Year with their families. Festive fireworks were organized in several areas of the city.
Scientists from Imperial College London have concluded that the reproduction index of the new strain of coronavirus spreading in the UK may be 0.4-0.7 points higher than the reproduction index of the usual strain. This means that for every 10 people infected with the new strain of coronavirus, they are likely to infect an “additional” 4 to 7 people. As researchers note, although this value does not seem to be significantly different from the reproduction index of the main strain, it actually changes the situation for the worse. If in November the reproduction index of the main strain in Great Britain was 0.9, and two to three weeks after the introduction of the lockdown – 0.6, then with the new strain these figures would be 1.6 and 1.3, respectively. This means that with the same measures, the number of infections would be at least twice as high.
The United Kingdom has changed its vaccination schedule. Previously, it was assumed that there would be a three-week (21-day) interval between receiving the first and second components of the Pfizer vaccine (as well as the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca). However, it was later decided to extend this interval to three months. This decision has caused outrage among some doctors and patients. The British Medical Association said it was unfair, especially to patients who were already scheduled to receive the second component of the vaccine.
The UK authorities consider it a priority to vaccinate as many people as possible with the first component of the vaccine and then continue with the second dose. To date, more than one million Britons have received the first component of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The first patient vaccinated against Covid-19 in the UK, 91-year-old Margaret Keenan, has already received the second component of the vaccine. According to the country’s Ministry of Health, it is currently important for as many people as possible to receive the first component of the vaccine, as it provides the greatest protection against the coronavirus. The second component mainly affects the duration of the vaccine’s effectiveness. The Ministry also noted that increasing the interval between receiving the second component of the vaccine from three weeks to three months will not have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the vaccination.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson noted in his New Year’s address that in 2021, British citizens will be able to return to their usual way of life, which they lost in 2020, and their usual pastimes, including going to theaters and restaurants.
More than one million people in the United Kingdom have already received the first dose of the vaccine. According to the Prime Minister, although the epidemic is unlikely to end in the coming weeks or even months, there is already clarity about when and how we will approach the end of the pandemic. On Thursday, 55,892 new cases of Covid-19 infection were reported in the UK.
The number of new COVID-19 cases in Russia on the first day of the new year was 27,039. Confirmed 536 deaths of patients with Covid-19, a total of 57,555 people have died from coronavirus infection in the country since the beginning of the pandemic.
The Japanese authorities have no intention of postponing the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, which are scheduled for the summer. Previously, it was decided not to hold the 2020 Olympics due to the pandemic. The Olympic Games begin in Tokyo on July 23 and the Paralympics on August 24.
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At the end of December, the curve of Covid-19 cases in Japan began to rise. The number of new infections in Tokyo exceeded one thousand in one day for the first time. However, according to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, this trend should not affect the hosting of the games. He promised that the authorities will take care of the safety of the participants and spectators of the sports competitions. The Prime Minister believes that hosting the Games will become a symbol of global solidarity. During the entire period of the pandemic in Japan, more than 239,000 cases of Covid-19 were registered and 3,337 people died from coronavirus infection in the country. The cost of organizing the Olympic Games increased by $2.6 billion due to the need to take measures to prevent the spread of infection during the sports competitions. The Tokyo Olympics could be the most expensive in history. Public opinion polls commissioned by NHK show that the majority of Japanese support postponing or canceling the games.