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Coronavirus live news: WHO says UK variant detected in 60 countries as Beijing steps up Covid measures Coronavirus live news: WHO says UK variant detected in 60 countries as Beijing steps up Covid measures
(32 minutes later)
North Korean defector numbers plunge amid pandemic; UK coronavirus strain detected in at least 60 countries: WHO; Beijing introduces new Covid measuresNorth Korean defector numbers plunge amid pandemic; UK coronavirus strain detected in at least 60 countries: WHO; Beijing introduces new Covid measures
Japan aims to start vaccinating the general public against the coronavirus in May - just two months before the postponed Olympics - after targeted jabs for the most vulnerable, reports in local media said Wednesday. With the pandemic disrupting our learning, jobs, money and health, it’s no surprise many of us are feeling blue this January, Ruth Bushi reports.
Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said the government is hoping the majority of adults will be vaccinated by July, when the Games are due to open. Even without a pandemic, “this time of year is usually challenging for students anyway,” says Gareth Hughes, clinical lead of the advice site Student Space. The following tips won’t make you immune to financial hardship or job worries, but there are ways to ease the pressure:
AFP: Good morning from London. I’m Lucy Campbell, I’ll be bringing you all the latest global developments on the coronavirus pandemic for the next few hours. Please feel free to get in touch with me as I work if you have a story or tips to share! Your thoughts are always welcome.
Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.comTwitter: @lucy_campbell_
Two more Australian Open players have tested positive for Covid-19, government officials said, as authorities were at cross-purposes over who would pay for the tournament’s quarantine bill. A total of 10 people associated with the Grand Slam, including four players, have now tested positive for the virus, Reuters reports. More than 70 players and members of their entourages are confined to their hotel rooms for 14 days and unable to train for the 8-21 February Australian Open after passengers on three charter flights returned positive tests.A number of players have complained about the conditions, drawing a backlash from Australians, who have criticised the players for being “entitled” even as thousands of the nation’s citizens remain stranded overseas:
That’s it from me, Helen Sullivan, for today. If you’d like a break from the news why not read about these large, hummingbird-like, tear-drinking moths:
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had administered 15,707,588 doses of Covid-19 vaccines in the country as of Tuesday morning and distributed 31,161,075 doses.
Reuters:
Here are the key developments from the last few hours.
UK coronavirus strain detected in at least 60 countries:, says WHO. The UK coronavirus strain has been detected in at least 60 countries, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, 10 more than a week ago. With the global death toll now well past two million, and new variants of the virus causing deep concern, countries across the world are grappling with how to slow infections until vaccines become widely available.
Sadiq Khan: London missed out on early share of vaccine. A simplistic formula used to distribute coronavirus vaccines that did not take into account the size of GP practices has meant fewer people receiving one in London, according to the mayor, Sadiq Khan.
The new South African strain has now been reported in 23 countries and territories, the WHO also announced in its weekly update. Like the UK strain, it is believed to be more infectious.
North Korean defector numbers plunge amid pandemic. The number of North Koreans defecting to the South plummeted last year after Pyongyang closed its border in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Seoul’s unification ministry said Wednesday.The figure has been on a steady decline for some time but slumped to just 229 last year, the ministry said, far below the 1,047 of 2019.
Beijing steps up Covid measures. China’s capital Beijing said on Wednesday it will investigate all individuals who entered the city from abroad from 10 December and shut down a subway station after reporting the biggest daily jump in new cases in more than three weeks.
China’s National Health Commission said on Wednesday that a total of 103 new cases were reported on 19 January, down from 118 a day earlier. Northeastern Jilin province reported 46 new cases, however, setting another record in daily cases, while Hebei province surrounding Beijing reported 19 new cases. Beijing reported seven new cases, matching the total reported on 28 December.
Joe Biden memorialised the more than 400,000 Americans who have died from Covid-19 during a vigil in Washington DC late Tuesday afternoon, as many Americans took to social media in collective mourning.
Mexico reported its highest daily death toll since the coronavirus pandemic began, with 1,584 deaths confirmed Tuesday. There was also a near-record one-day rise in new virus cases of 18,894. Mexico has seen almost 1.67 million confirmed coronavirus infections and almost 143,000 test-confirmed deaths related to Covid-19. With the country’s extremely low testing rate, official estimates suggest the real death toll is closer to 195,000.
The chief of Japan’s coronavirus vaccination programme, administrative reform minister Taro Kono, denied media reports that vaccinations for the general population may start in May, as the country battles a third wave that has brought record numbers of infections and serious cases.Reuters reports that the government has said it would prioritise medical workers, the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions in its vaccine programme expected to start by the end of February, but has not provided a timeline beyond that.The timeline for the roll-out has garnered interest in Japan, with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga saying that the vaccines are key to a safe Olympics. Japan has arranged to buy 540 million doses from Western developers including Pfizer Inc , whose vaccine is expected to be the first to get regulatory approval.
A simplistic formula used to distribute coronavirus vaccines that did not take into account the size of GP practices has meant fewer people receiving one in London, according to the mayor, Sadiq Khan.A simplistic formula used to distribute coronavirus vaccines that did not take into account the size of GP practices has meant fewer people receiving one in London, according to the mayor, Sadiq Khan.
While areas such as Slough and Newcastle have successfully immunised 100% of their elderly care home residents, London is lagging behind in the vaccine race even as cases remain among the highest in the country.While areas such as Slough and Newcastle have successfully immunised 100% of their elderly care home residents, London is lagging behind in the vaccine race even as cases remain among the highest in the country.
The Guardian’s Dan Sabbagh and Peter Walker report:The Guardian’s Dan Sabbagh and Peter Walker report:
India started exporting coronavirus vaccines on Wednesday with the first shipment to the neighbouring Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, the foreign ministry said.India started exporting coronavirus vaccines on Wednesday with the first shipment to the neighbouring Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, the foreign ministry said.
“First consignment takes off for Bhutan!” Anurag Srivastava, spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, said on Twitter. “India begins supply of Covid vaccines to its neighbouring and key partner countries.”“First consignment takes off for Bhutan!” Anurag Srivastava, spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, said on Twitter. “India begins supply of Covid vaccines to its neighbouring and key partner countries.”
Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and the Seychelles are also expected to get the shots from the world’s biggest vaccine making country.Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and the Seychelles are also expected to get the shots from the world’s biggest vaccine making country.
The UK coronavirus strain has been detected in at least 60 countries, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, 10 more than a week ago, AFP reports.The UK coronavirus strain has been detected in at least 60 countries, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, 10 more than a week ago, AFP reports.
With the global death toll now well past two million, and new variants of the virus causing deep concern, countries across the world are grappling with how to slow infections until vaccines become widely available.With the global death toll now well past two million, and new variants of the virus causing deep concern, countries across the world are grappling with how to slow infections until vaccines become widely available.
The South African strain, which like the UK one is believed to be more infectious, has now been reported in 23 countries and territories, the WHO also announced in its weekly update.The South African strain, which like the UK one is believed to be more infectious, has now been reported in 23 countries and territories, the WHO also announced in its weekly update.
It added that the number of new deaths climbed to a record high of 93,000 over the previous seven days, with 4.7 million new cases reported over the same period.It added that the number of new deaths climbed to a record high of 93,000 over the previous seven days, with 4.7 million new cases reported over the same period.
The arrival of mass vaccination campaigns in the US and Europe had brought hope that the end of the pandemic was in sight; the European Union said Tuesday it was aiming to inoculate 70 percent of its adult population before the end of August.The arrival of mass vaccination campaigns in the US and Europe had brought hope that the end of the pandemic was in sight; the European Union said Tuesday it was aiming to inoculate 70 percent of its adult population before the end of August.
But many EU countries - and other nations including India and Russia - have struggled to get their inoculation programmes off the ground.But many EU countries - and other nations including India and Russia - have struggled to get their inoculation programmes off the ground.
The United States remains home to the world’s worst outbreak in overall numbers, and US President-elect Joe Biden made clear he would be taking no chances following his inauguration on Wednesday.The United States remains home to the world’s worst outbreak in overall numbers, and US President-elect Joe Biden made clear he would be taking no chances following his inauguration on Wednesday.
Recent days have also seen a renewed focus on the initial outbreak a year ago, with China defending its handling of the virus on Tuesday after independent experts criticised the speed of its response.Recent days have also seen a renewed focus on the initial outbreak a year ago, with China defending its handling of the virus on Tuesday after independent experts criticised the speed of its response.
The Australian Department of Home Affairs mistakenly sent outdated letters to visa applicants erroneously telling them to immediately book international return flights out of Australia in the middle of a pandemic or risk having their applications derailed.The Australian Department of Home Affairs mistakenly sent outdated letters to visa applicants erroneously telling them to immediately book international return flights out of Australia in the middle of a pandemic or risk having their applications derailed.
Ordinarily, the migration system requires applicants for some permanent visa types – including parent visas and partner visas – to be outside of Australia at the time they are granted.Ordinarily, the migration system requires applicants for some permanent visa types – including parent visas and partner visas – to be outside of Australia at the time they are granted.
Such travel is highly risky during the Covid-19 pandemic, however, which was recognised by the federal government when it introduced temporary time extensions to prevent unnecessary travel by visa applicants:Such travel is highly risky during the Covid-19 pandemic, however, which was recognised by the federal government when it introduced temporary time extensions to prevent unnecessary travel by visa applicants:
The number of North Koreans defecting to the South plummeted last year after Pyongyang closed its border in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Seoul’s unification ministry said Wednesday.The number of North Koreans defecting to the South plummeted last year after Pyongyang closed its border in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Seoul’s unification ministry said Wednesday.
The figure has been on a steady decline for some time but slumped to just 229 last year, the ministry said, far below the 1,047 of 2019.The figure has been on a steady decline for some time but slumped to just 229 last year, the ministry said, far below the 1,047 of 2019.
The vast majority of Northern defectors first travel to neighbouring China, sometimes staying there for years before making their way on to the South via third countries, and only a handful directly cross the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula, AFP reports.The vast majority of Northern defectors first travel to neighbouring China, sometimes staying there for years before making their way on to the South via third countries, and only a handful directly cross the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula, AFP reports.
But the North has a ramshackle health system that would struggle to cope with a major disease outbreak and imposed a strict border closure last January to try to protect itself from the virus that first emerged in China, its key ally.But the North has a ramshackle health system that would struggle to cope with a major disease outbreak and imposed a strict border closure last January to try to protect itself from the virus that first emerged in China, its key ally.
The North has not confirmed a single case of Covid-19 - although experts have long said it is unlikely to have escaped the pandemic - and in September the commander of US forces in the South said Pyongyang had issued shoot-to-kill orders in its border areas to prevent the virus entering the country.The North has not confirmed a single case of Covid-19 - although experts have long said it is unlikely to have escaped the pandemic - and in September the commander of US forces in the South said Pyongyang had issued shoot-to-kill orders in its border areas to prevent the virus entering the country.
“It looks like the number of (North Korean) people entering the South decreased due to the effects of North Korean-Chinese border control and restrictions of movement from third countries due to Covid-19,” Seoul’s unification ministry said in a statement.“It looks like the number of (North Korean) people entering the South decreased due to the effects of North Korean-Chinese border control and restrictions of movement from third countries due to Covid-19,” Seoul’s unification ministry said in a statement.
Inter-Korean relations have been in a deep freeze following the collapse of a summit in Hanoi between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump in 2019 over what the nuclear-armed North would be willing to give up in exchange for a loosening of sanctions.Inter-Korean relations have been in a deep freeze following the collapse of a summit in Hanoi between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump in 2019 over what the nuclear-armed North would be willing to give up in exchange for a loosening of sanctions.
South Korea may secure additional coronavirus vaccines for 20 million people from US drugmaker Novavax Inc, President Moon Jae-in said, according to a statement from the presidential office on Wednesday.Reuters reports that Novavax entered into a development and supply agreement for its vaccine with South Korea’s SK bioscience Co last year, according to a statement in August.Moon visited SK bioscience’s work site on Wednesday and said that the agreement between Novavax and SK bioscience “raised the possibility of securing vaccines for an additional 20 million people,” the statement said.That is in addition to the vaccines that the South Korean government has secured so far.The country has secured 106 million doses to allow for coverage of 56 million people, more than the 52 million residents of the country, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency director Jeong Eun-kyeong said earlier this month.Despite this, South Korean authorities have been working to secure additional vaccine volumes because of lingering uncertainties surrounding inoculation, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said last week.South Korea may secure additional coronavirus vaccines for 20 million people from US drugmaker Novavax Inc, President Moon Jae-in said, according to a statement from the presidential office on Wednesday.Reuters reports that Novavax entered into a development and supply agreement for its vaccine with South Korea’s SK bioscience Co last year, according to a statement in August.Moon visited SK bioscience’s work site on Wednesday and said that the agreement between Novavax and SK bioscience “raised the possibility of securing vaccines for an additional 20 million people,” the statement said.That is in addition to the vaccines that the South Korean government has secured so far.The country has secured 106 million doses to allow for coverage of 56 million people, more than the 52 million residents of the country, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency director Jeong Eun-kyeong said earlier this month.Despite this, South Korean authorities have been working to secure additional vaccine volumes because of lingering uncertainties surrounding inoculation, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said last week.
In sport news:In sport news:
Dean Smith has described the “very scary” scale of the Covid-19 outbreak that forced Aston Villa’s entire squad into isolation this month but says he is in favour of continuing the season.Dean Smith has described the “very scary” scale of the Covid-19 outbreak that forced Aston Villa’s entire squad into isolation this month but says he is in favour of continuing the season.
Nine Villa players and five backroom staff members tested positive as the virus swept through the club, leading to illness and anxiety as well as the closure of the training ground, the postponement of two Premier League matches and the deployment of youth players to fulfil the FA Cup tie against Liverpool:Nine Villa players and five backroom staff members tested positive as the virus swept through the club, leading to illness and anxiety as well as the closure of the training ground, the postponement of two Premier League matches and the deployment of youth players to fulfil the FA Cup tie against Liverpool:
In case you missed it: China’s health authorities have again stepped up anti-pandemic measures in response to its ongoing outbreak - the worst since early 2020, and just weeks away from the start of Chinese New Year. Authorities said today there were 103 new cases confirmed on Tuesday, including 88 local transmissions.
The numbers are dropping in Hebei province - it recorded 19 new cases - but there is concern about a worsening situation in Jilin, which recorded 46. Millions more people have been put under lockdown, in Songyuan city, and Harbin city in Heilongjiang has temporarily shut down businesses and public venues.
Heilongjian reported 16 cases on Tuesday, the same number of officials who have been disciplined in the province for “being slack” according to state media title the Global Times. According to the report the 16 officials had been irresponsible and paralysed in their thoughts, with “formalism and bureaucracy” resulting in the county’s cluster.
Authorities appear to be very concerned about cases in the capital Beijing. Beijing is surrounded by Hebei province, and strict entry rules sought to keep the outbreak out of the city.
However with seven cases on Tuesday, the city’s authorities are now investigating all individuals who entered Beijing from overseas from 10 December. Of the seven cases, six lived in Daxing district and the local subway station has been closed. Further restrictions on Beijing are expected.
More on vaccinations in India now:
Indian authorities hope to give vaccines to 300 million people. The recipients are to include 30 million doctors, nurses and other front-line workers, to be followed by 270 million people who either are over 50 or have illnesses that make them vulnerable to Covid.India on 4 January approved the emergency use of two vaccines, one developed by Oxford University and UK-based drugmaker AstraZeneca, and the other by Bharat Biotech. The regulator took the step without publishing information about the Indian vaccine’s efficacy.Bharat Biotech has still not published data on its vaccine’s effectiveness but said it is complying with clinical trial guidelines.The regulator maintains the vaccine is safe and gave its approval in the belief that it could be more effective in tackling a new variant of the coronavirus found in the U.K. The regulator and the company have said efficacy data will be published after ongoing late clinical trials conclude.
India’s homegrown coronavirus vaccine developer Bharat Biotech on Tuesday warned people with weak immunity and other medical conditions including allergies, fever or a bleeding disorder to consult a doctor before getting the shot — and if possible avoid the vaccine.AP: The company said those receiving vaccinations should disclose their medical condition, medicines they are taking and any history of allergies. It said severe allergic reactions among vaccine recipients may include difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and throat, rapid heartbeat, body rashes, dizziness and weakness.
The vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech ran into controversy after the Indian government allowed its use without concrete data showing its effectiveness in preventing Covid. Tens of thousands of people have been given the shot in the past three days after India started inoculating health care workers last weekend in what is likely the world’s largest coronavirus vaccination campaign.India vaccinated 148,266 people on Monday, taking its total to 381,305, the health ministry said.
One of South Africa’s most beloved food writers died from coronavirus in January, AP reports.
Dorah Sitole’s latest cookbook was widely hailed in December as a moving chronicle of her journey from humble township cook to famous, well-traveled author.In “40 Years of Iconic Food,” Sitole engagingly described how she quietly battled South Africa’s racist apartheid system to find appreciation, and a market, for African cuisine. Her book became a holiday bestseller, purchased by Blacks and whites alike.Sitole’s career started in 1980 at the height of apartheid when she was hired by a canned foods company to promote sales of their products by giving cooking classes in Black townships. She found that she loved the work.
In 1987, Sitole became the country’s first Black food writer when she was appointed food editor for True Love, one of the few publications for the country’s Black majority.Sitole received numerous awards for her contribution to South African culture.
In one of her last interviews, Sitole said the highlight of her four-decade career was her trip across the continent.“I had always wanted to travel through Africa and I had no clue what to expect,” she said on Radio 702. “It was almost like you don’t know what you are going into, and then you find it. I loved every moment and every country that I went to, I loved the food and the experience.”Sitole is survived by her children Nonhlanhla, Phumzile and Ayanda.
China’s capital Beijing said on Wednesday it will investigate all individuals who entered the city from abroad from 10 December and shut down a subway station after reporting the biggest daily jump in new cases in more than three weeks, Reuters reports. The measures come amid what has become the country’s most severe outbreak since March 2020 ahead of the key Chinese Lunar New Year holiday season, when hundreds of millions travel, raising fears of another major wave that could bring the country back into a debilitating standstill.
The National Health Commission said on Wednesday that a total of 103 new cases were reported on 19 January, down from 118 a day earlier. Northeastern Jilin province reported 46 new cases, however, setting another record in daily cases, while Hebei province surrounding Beijing reported 19 new cases.Beijing reported seven new cases, matching the total reported on 28 December. Of these new patients, six patients live in Daxing district and the city’s subway operator said it shut down the Tiangong Yuan metro station located nearby the Daxing patients as part of prevention measures.Communist Party-backed Beijing Daily said the capital’s party and government leadership met late Tuesday and agreed to further tighten monitoring, minimise public gatherings and reduce passenger loads in public transport.
More now on the situation in Mexico, via AP:
The army has been given responsibility for transporting and guarding vaccines in Mexico, but a private security firm was apparently in charge inside the hospital.Before Tuesday, Mexico had received only about 750,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and several people have been sanctioned for cutting lines to get doses.
Mexico’s total amount so far is enough to vaccinate about half of the country’s 750,000 front-line medical personnel, all of whom will need two doses.Also Tuesday, authorities launched a campaign urging people to return rented oxygen tanks they no longer need, saying enormous demand amid the pandemic has created a shortage of the cylinders.The consumer affairs agency launched an online campaign under the slogan “Return Your Tank, For The Love of Life.”
With hospitals in Mexico City and other states overwhelmed by a wave of Covid-19 cases, many families have turned to treating their relatives at home with supplementary oxygen, creating spot shortages of tanks and oxygen for refills.But once patients recover, the agency said, many people simply keep the cannisters just in case someone else falls ill.“By doing this they are depriving other patients of something they need at a given moment, and cannot get,” the agency said.The shortages of oxygen, like those of vaccines, has also led to thefts.On Tuesday, police in the town of Tultepec, just north of Mexico City, chased down a small freight truck carrying dozens of oxygen tanks, after the truck was reported stolen. Two suspects were detained at the scene.
Van Morrison will challenge the Northern Irish government in court over its “blanket ban” on live music in licensed venues arising from coronavirus restrictions, his lawyer said on Tuesday.
AFP: Solicitor Joe Rice said the Northern Irish singer-songwriter, who has released several protest songs against Covid-19 rules in recent months, will ask the high court in Belfast to review the policy.
“We will be seeking leave for judicial review to challenge the blanket ban on live music in licensed premises in Northern Ireland,” Rice said. “We’re not aware of any credible scientific or medical evidence to justify this particular blanket ban … and we’re going to challenge this in the high court.”
The UK, the country worst-hit in Europe by the virus, is struggling with its third and deadliest wave, blamed on a new strain believed to be highly infectious.
Devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which have responsibility for health policy, have all imposed strict lockdown measures at various stages of the health crisis.
The Northern Irish executive in Belfast has introduced regulations that prohibit live music in indoor licensed venues in Northern Ireland:
Covid-19 is unlikely to ever die out, even with vaccination efforts, but it could become more transmissible and less deadly, New Zealand’s director general of health has warned.
“If you think about influenza, which was first recorded in 1172 I think, in Europe … these viruses don’t tend to die out … They change over time and in fact what we are seeing with these new variants with the Covid-19 virus is that they tend become more transmissible and less deadly over time,” Dr Ashley Bloomfield told the AM Show on Wednesday.
However, Bloomfield said that vaccines would help humans develop immunity, adding to the natural immunity that people who have been infected will also develop.
He also warned if some of the new variants of Covid-19 escape managed isolation and quarantine, the impact could be greater than it was last year. These mutations have been detected in New Zealand’s managed isolation facilities:
If you fancy a break from the bad news, why not spend a few minutes thinking about sphinx moths (also known as hawk moths):
Mexico reported its highest daily death toll since the coronavirus pandemic began, with 1,584 deaths confirmed Tuesday. There was also a near-record one-day rise in new virus cases of 18,894, AP reports. Mexico has seen almost 1.67 million confirmed coronavirus infections and almost 143,000 test-confirmed deaths related to Covid-19. With the country’s extremely low testing rate, official estimates suggest the real death toll is closer to 195,000.The country’s Defense Department, meanwhile, said four doses of coronavirus vaccine were stolen at a public hospital in Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City, probably by a hospital employee or with the aid of an employee.“This theft was able to be carried out through the dishonesty and greed of a member of the hospital’s vaccination staff,” the department said in a statement.