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Coronavirus live news: first travellers to leave UK quarantine hotels; France could impose regional lockdowns Coronavirus live news: first travellers to leave UK quarantine hotels; France could impose regional lockdowns
(32 minutes later)
Some of first people to check into quarantine hotels in UK ‘released’; French PM says worrying spread in 20 areas; global deaths pass 2.5mSome of first people to check into quarantine hotels in UK ‘released’; French PM says worrying spread in 20 areas; global deaths pass 2.5m
Poland will raise the upper age limit for people being given the AstraZeneca vaccine from 65 to 69, and will take Covid patients from neighbouring Slovakia, a health ministry spokesman has confirmed.
Wojciech Andrusiewicz told a news conference:
A number of countries have set upper age limits for the AstraZeneca vaccine, citing a lack of research into its effect on older age groups.
Andrusiewicz added that Poland would take in 10 Covid patients from neighbouring Slovakia, and stood ready to help the Czech Republic if necessary, according to Reuters.
Hello everyone, this is Yohannes Lowe. I’ll be taking over the live blog now so please feel free to drop me a message on Twitter if you have any coverage suggestions.
The European Union’s medicines regulator is set to recommend Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine early next month, reports Bloomberg news.
Approval from the European Medicines Agency is expected on 11 March, an EU official was reported to have told the news wire service.
The move would pave the way for authorisation of a fourth Covid-19 vaccine, alongside those from Moderna, AstraZeneca and a partnership of Pfizer and BioNTech.
Ivory Coast was due to receive a shipment of Covid-19 vaccines from the sharing facility Covax today, becoming the second country to benefit from a programme meant to ensure fairer distribution amid a global scramble.Ivory Coast was due to receive a shipment of Covid-19 vaccines from the sharing facility Covax today, becoming the second country to benefit from a programme meant to ensure fairer distribution amid a global scramble.
A plane carrying 504,000 doses was expected to touch down in the commercial capital Abidjan from 10:00am local time, according to the GAVI vaccines alliance, the World Health Organisation and other partners in the scheme. A plane carrying 504,000 doses was expected to touch down in the commercial capital Abidjan from 10am local time, according to the GAVI vaccines alliance, the World Health Organization and other partners in the scheme.
By the end of this year, Covax plans to deliver nearly 2 billion doses to over 90 low and middle-income countries, hoping to even a playing field that has seen wealthier nations vaccinate millions while comparatively few have received shots in poorer parts of the world. By the end of this year, Covax plans to deliver nearly 2bn doses to over 90 low and middle-income countries, hoping to even a playing field that has seen wealthier nations vaccinate millions while comparatively few have received shots in poorer parts of the world.
Mark Machin, head of Canada’s largest pension fund, received a Covid-19 vaccine shot in the United Arab Emirates ahead of millions of Canadians, according to the Wall Street Journal, as sources in the Canadian government described it as “troubling.” Mark Machin, the head of Canada’s largest pension fund, received a Covid-19 vaccine shot in the United Arab Emirates ahead of millions of Canadians, according to the Wall Street Journal, as sources in the Canadian government described it as “troubling.”
The chief executive of the $379 billion Canada Pension Plan Investment Board arrived earlier this month in the UAE with his partner and received the first dose of a vaccine while Canada continues to have one of the developed world’s slowest rollouts, the WSJ added. The chief executive of the $379bn Canada Pension Plan Investment Board arrived earlier this month in the UAE with his partner and received the first dose of a vaccine while Canada continues to have one of the developed world’s slowest rollouts, the WSJ added.
It reported “people familiar with the matter” had said that the 54-year-old received the Pfizer vaccine.It reported “people familiar with the matter” had said that the 54-year-old received the Pfizer vaccine.
The same sources added that he has told contacts he used local connections to obtain the vaccines, and he has remained in the UAE where he is due to receive his second dose in coming weeks.The same sources added that he has told contacts he used local connections to obtain the vaccines, and he has remained in the UAE where he is due to receive his second dose in coming weeks.
The Toronto Star and other outlets have updates The Toronto Star and other outlets have updates.
The circumstances in which the Dutch government introduced a Covid-19 curfew have been endorsed in the latest court ruling following a series of legal wrangles.The circumstances in which the Dutch government introduced a Covid-19 curfew have been endorsed in the latest court ruling following a series of legal wrangles.
In a clear victory for the government over a group called Viruswaarheid – virus truth – that opposes the lockdown, the appeals court also said that the 9pm-4:30am curfew introduced on 23 January was a proportional measure to tackle the Covid-19 crisis.In a clear victory for the government over a group called Viruswaarheid – virus truth – that opposes the lockdown, the appeals court also said that the 9pm-4:30am curfew introduced on 23 January was a proportional measure to tackle the Covid-19 crisis.
The outcome will have little effect on the government’s attempts to rein in the virus as it rushed fresh legislation through parliament to empower the curfew after a judge banned the measure, which sparked rioting when it was initially introduced.The outcome will have little effect on the government’s attempts to rein in the virus as it rushed fresh legislation through parliament to empower the curfew after a judge banned the measure, which sparked rioting when it was initially introduced.
The Hague court of appeal said in a statement announcing Friday’s decision that the curfew’s limitation of constitutional freedoms “is justified” to tackle the Covid-19 crisis.The Hague court of appeal said in a statement announcing Friday’s decision that the curfew’s limitation of constitutional freedoms “is justified” to tackle the Covid-19 crisis.
Rioting shook the Netherlands last month as protesters rampaged through towns and cities around the country after government introduced a night-time curfew.Rioting shook the Netherlands last month as protesters rampaged through towns and cities around the country after government introduced a night-time curfew.
More than 180 people were arrested on one night in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, where shops were vandalised and looted.More than 180 people were arrested on one night in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, where shops were vandalised and looted.
German army doctors were welcomed in Portugal when they came to help fight the pandemic but the fact that they are working in a clinic owned by a Chinese conglomerate has drawn criticism, reports Deutsche Welle (DW).German army doctors were welcomed in Portugal when they came to help fight the pandemic but the fact that they are working in a clinic owned by a Chinese conglomerate has drawn criticism, reports Deutsche Welle (DW).
The German broadcaster recalls that Germany was one of the first countries to react as pictures of ambulance queues outside Portuguese hospitals went around the world, and the government in Lisbon asked for help.The German broadcaster recalls that Germany was one of the first countries to react as pictures of ambulance queues outside Portuguese hospitals went around the world, and the government in Lisbon asked for help.
Portuguese authorities have said that the medics are also treating patients from the public health care system.Portuguese authorities have said that the medics are also treating patients from the public health care system.
A US Navy warship operating in the Middle East has a dozen cases of the novel coronavirus, while another warship in the region is investigating whether some of its members are also infected.A US Navy warship operating in the Middle East has a dozen cases of the novel coronavirus, while another warship in the region is investigating whether some of its members are also infected.
The USS San Diego, which has the confirmed cases, is at port in Bahrain. It sails with about 600 sailors and Marines onboard.The USS San Diego, which has the confirmed cases, is at port in Bahrain. It sails with about 600 sailors and Marines onboard.
The guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, which carries 380 sailors, is expected to pull into port for further testing.The guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, which carries 380 sailors, is expected to pull into port for further testing.
The US 5th Fleet posted a statement on Twitter:The US 5th Fleet posted a statement on Twitter:
A wave of corruption scandals have been exposing how the powerful and well-connected in South America jumped the line to get vaccines early, the New York Times reports.A wave of corruption scandals have been exposing how the powerful and well-connected in South America jumped the line to get vaccines early, the New York Times reports.
Public dismay is turning into anger, with the resignation of two ministers in Peru and another one in Argentina after receiving or giving preferential access to scarce vaccines.Public dismay is turning into anger, with the resignation of two ministers in Peru and another one in Argentina after receiving or giving preferential access to scarce vaccines.
An Ecuadorian minister also faces an investigation over the same issue.An Ecuadorian minister also faces an investigation over the same issue.
The NY Times reports that the scandals mirror similar affairs in Spain, Lebanon, the Philippines and the US but in Latin America the brazen nature of some of the cases has exacerbated the outrage.The NY Times reports that the scandals mirror similar affairs in Spain, Lebanon, the Philippines and the US but in Latin America the brazen nature of some of the cases has exacerbated the outrage.
A British citizen has been sentenced to two weeks in jail and fined 1,000 Singapore dollars ($753) for breaking a coronavirus quarantine order in Singapore.A British citizen has been sentenced to two weeks in jail and fined 1,000 Singapore dollars ($753) for breaking a coronavirus quarantine order in Singapore.
Nigel Skea is the first Briton to be jailed for flouting coronavirus rules in the city-state. A handful had their work passes revoked and paid fines.Nigel Skea is the first Briton to be jailed for flouting coronavirus rules in the city-state. A handful had their work passes revoked and paid fines.
Skea left his room at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore on three occasions last September, according to charge sheets. He was not wearing a mask.Skea left his room at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore on three occasions last September, according to charge sheets. He was not wearing a mask.
On one of the occasions, he climbed an emergency stairwell and entered a room that his Singaporean fiancee had booked. They spent nine hours together.On one of the occasions, he climbed an emergency stairwell and entered a room that his Singaporean fiancee had booked. They spent nine hours together.
Skea, who pleaded guilty to two charges of flouting the rules, arrived at the State Courts on Friday with Agatha Maghesh Eyamalai, whom he has since married.Skea, who pleaded guilty to two charges of flouting the rules, arrived at the State Courts on Friday with Agatha Maghesh Eyamalai, whom he has since married.
Eyamalai pleaded guilty to one charge of aiding Skea. She was sentenced to a week in jail.Eyamalai pleaded guilty to one charge of aiding Skea. She was sentenced to a week in jail.
District judge Jasvender Kaur said the sentences were meant to send a “clear message” that restrictions should be followed.District judge Jasvender Kaur said the sentences were meant to send a “clear message” that restrictions should be followed.
The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) recorded a deficit of $24.7m following the Covid-disrupted 2020 season, but its AGM has been told that National Rugby League (NRL) clubs and all state leagues have emerged from the pandemic financially secure.
The result comes after the NRL enforced drastic cost-cutting measures in response to the impact of Covid, including cutting a quarter of its staff across all roles in September.
The NRL also increased net payments for clubs by 300% to give them the financial support needed to stay viable and in a secure position for the future.
“This is in stark contrast to other sports which either reduced funding to their clubs or maintained the same level of funding in their clubs’ time of need, given the disastrous impact of Covid-19 on their other sources of revenue,” the meeting on Friday was told by Peter V’landys, the ARLC Chairman.
The owner of British Airways, International Airlines Group, has reported a record €7.4bn loss for last year, and called for the introduction of digital health passes for passengers to enable the airline industry to get back on its feet.
IAG said that passenger capacity last year was only a third of 2019 and in the first quarter of this year is running at only a fifth of pre-Covid levels. The airline group reported a total annual operating loss of €7.4bn (£6.4bn).
“Our results reflect the serious impact that Covid-19 has had on our business,” said Luis Gallego, the chief executive of IAG. “The group continues to reduce its cost base and increase the proportion of variable costs to better match market demand. We’re transforming our business to ensure we emerge in a stronger competitive position.”
A poll in the in the Republic of Ireland has found there is strong support for reopening society and the economy as soon as possible.
The latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI opinion poll also found that the zero-Covid approach, the focus of recent debate, is not endorsed by a large majority of respondents, who yearn for some kind of “normality” once the elderly and vulnerable people have been vaccinated.
The findings also recorded a widespread willingness to take the vaccine, with 80% saying they would take it tomorrow, and just 14% saying they would choose not to.
It comes as the head of Ireland’s health service, Paul Reid, has been reflecting on the past year. Ireland had “prepared well”, he said on Thursday.
But he added: “We all have to put our hand on our heart and take reflections on what hasn’t worked and what we could have done better.”
The Philippines’ health ministry has reported 2,651 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily increase in cases in more than four months, and 46 additional deaths.
In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed cases had increased to 571,327, while confirmed deaths were at 12,247.
The Philippines, which has south-east Asia’s second-highest Covid-19 caseload will take delivery of its first vaccines at the weekend, allowing it to kick off its inoculation programme.
A scientist involved advising the UK government has said there is little point in primary school children wearing facemasks.
Prof Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told BBC Radio 4: “Primary school children are the lowest risk both to themselves and to society.
“There is really good data coming out … that shows that children are half as likely to acquire the virus to a third as likely to acquire the virus.
“When it comes to transmitting they are probably half as likely to transmit it as adults. That risk actually gets smaller as you go into younger age groups. I am not a great fan of young children wearing facemasks.”
Hungary could consider tightening some lockdown restrictions as coronavirus infections are expected to rise “drastically” in the next two weeks, prime minister Viktor Orbán has told state radio.
Orbán also said all the 2.5 million to 2.6 million Hungarians who have registered for Covid-19 vaccinations so far would receive at least one dose by Easter, in early April.
Orban said he hoped to get vaccinated with a shot developed by China’s Sinopharm early next week.
“We need to radically limit travels outside Europe,” Orban said, including business travel.
Orban flagged “very strict travel rules” to be worked out, and depending on the pace of new infections in coming days he said a tightening of current restrictions could become necessary.
The government has extended a partial lockdown until 15 March.
The rights of children and vulnerable people in police custody are being put at risk during the pandemic by problems with the remote provision of legal advice, according to a report by charities in England and Wales.
While suspects here normally have a right to a lawyer being present during police interviews, research shows that legal support was provided remotely to children and vulnerable adults in more than half of 4,700 police station interviews during a snapshot period last year.
Charities say the potential for miscarriages of justices is being stored up as a result of issues such as confusion among interviewees who sometimes felt pressured to agree to getting advice remotely. They say consent was sometimes ignored or not sought.
Some solicitors refused to attend in person even though the child or mentally vulnerable client was accused of a serious crime such as attempted murder or rape.
The findings come in a report by three charities – Fair Trials, Transform Justice and the National Appropriate Adult Network – which are calling for an end to remote legal assistance in police custody. (Read on )
Israel has administered at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose to 50% of its 9.3 million population, health minister Yuli Edelstein has said.
Israel counts East Jerusalem Palestinians, who have been included in the vaccine campaign that began on 19 December, as part of its population.
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip are not part of the Israeli campaign.
Edelstein said 35% of Israel’s population had received both doses of the Pfizer Inc. vaccine, putting them on course to receive a so-called “green pass” with access to leisure sites that the country has been gradually reopening.
Good morning from London. This is Ben Quinn picking up the blog now on a day when some of the first people to check into quarantine hotels after arriving into the UK from abroad are being ‘released’.
That comes as, separately, hundreds of thousands of people who were asked to shield in England are being invited for a Covid-19 vaccine jab.
The former Labour prime minister Tony Blair meanwhile urged the UK to take the lead in developing a new “health security infrastructure” that would ensure countries coordinate better in identifying emerging new threats as well as developing, testing and manufacturing vaccines and treatments.
World leaders could have cut the length of the Covid outbreak by three months if they had collaborated on vaccines, testing and drugs, he told the Guardian as he launched a report on preparing for the next deadly pandemic.
Items in the UK diary for the hours ahead include:
0930am The Covid-19 social impacts weekly survey from the Office for National Statistics (ONS)
1000am Hearings into Covid-19 regulations breaches at City of London Magistrates’ Court
Noon The ONS weekly Covid infection survey
I’ll be brining you coverage of those developments and continue to cover global news.
You can flag up any news stories that you feel we should be covering by emailing me contacting me on Twitter at @BenQuinn75.
The French prime minister, Jean Castex, has warned the government will impose new Covid measures, including weekend lockdowns in Paris and 19 other regions, from the start of March if signs of the coronavirus accelerating persist. France has also agreed with Germany to require coronavirus tests for workers commuting across their shared border.
South Korea has launched its vaccination campaign. The first injections of the AstraZeneca’s vaccine were given to nursing home workers and patients across the country.
Japan will decide on whether to relax its state of emergency in five prefectures on Friday, a week ahead of schedule, after a dramatic fall in new cases across the country.
The former British prime minister, Tony Blair, says the length of the Covid outbreak could have been cut by three months if world leaders had collaborated on vaccines, testing and drugs. Blair, who was Labour PM from 1997 to 2007, urged the UK to take the lead in developing a new “health security infrastructure” that would ensure countries coordinate better in identifying emerging new threats as well as developing, testing and manufacturing vaccines and treatments.
The Queen has said her Covid vaccine “didn’t hurt at all” and urged those wary of receiving the vaccine to “think about other people”. The 94-year-old was vaccinated along with her husband Prince Philip in January, telling health officials leading the rollout in a video call that she now felt “protected”.
The European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has warned against virus fatigue in member states. At a virtual summit, she reassured EU leaders over vaccine distribution, saying she would ban vaccines from leaving the EU if suppliers failed to deliver again.
In the US, Joe Biden has hailed the 50m coronavirus vaccine doses given since he took office, but warned that the country must not relax. “We’re halfway there: 50 million shots in 37 days,” Biden said, referring to his ambition of 100m doses in his first 100 days as president. “That’s weeks ahead of schedule.”
New Zealand has reported one new community case of Covid-19, though the infected person has been in quarantine since February 23. The latest Auckland outbreak, now a dozen people strong, has seen Australia declare the city a “hotspot” and close its borders to New Zealand citizens. Air New Zealand has halted all flights to Australia until Sunday, pending review.