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Coronavirus live news: UK PM to end curbs as cases reach January highs; Indonesia says ‘no vaccine, no entry’ Coronavirus live news: UK PM to end curbs as cases reach January highs; Indonesia says ‘no vaccine, no entry’
(32 minutes later)
Starting on 6 July foreigners and nationals entering Indonesia must be vaccinated; Fauci says 99.2% of recent US deaths were unvaccinated; Boris Johnson set to press ahead with final lifting of restrictionsStarting on 6 July foreigners and nationals entering Indonesia must be vaccinated; Fauci says 99.2% of recent US deaths were unvaccinated; Boris Johnson set to press ahead with final lifting of restrictions
There’s a huge amount of opinions flying around this morning about the potential for England lifting all restrictions in two weeks time, based on the idea that the number of vaccinations will have reached a very high level. Which has raised this question from FT chief feature writer Henry Mance:
The race to obtain Covid-19 vaccine supplies has been likened to the Hunger Games as Australia’s rollout continues to lag behind similar nations, with only 7.2% of the population fully vaccinated.
As New South Wales confirmed 35 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the state’s health minister offered a frank assessment of the sluggish dynamics of the national rollout. “Until we get enough vaccine and enough GPs actually at the frontline able to provide that vaccine into arms, we will continue to have effectively the Hunger Games going on here in NSW,” Brad Hazzard said.
The Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, also expressed frustration as she confirmed four new locally acquired cases of the virus, telling reporters on Monday that Queensland would only be getting about 65,000 doses of Pfizer a week, with the bulk of the supply not due until October.
Palaszczuk sheeted home the blame to the Morrison government and urged Queenslanders to be patient. “We’re waiting on the commonwealth supply so we can make sure that you get your dosage,” she said.
The federal health minister, Greg Hunt – who once declared Australia was at “the front of the queue” when it came to Covid-19 vaccination supplies – acknowledged the environment was difficult.
“Look, in relation to vaccines, it is the most competitive global environment imaginable,” Hunt told reporters in Melbourne.
But the federal minister said last week was the biggest week of the Australian vaccination rollout, with 8.25m jabs administered. He said the government continued to “work very constructively with all the states and territories” and the daily inoculation statistics indicated the programme was continuing to ramp up.
Read more of our Australian politic editor Katharine Murphy’s report here: Australia’s race to secure Covid vaccine supply likened to Hunger Games as rollout crawls
To mask or not to mask looks like it is going to be one of the looming debates of the summer in England. The signals coming out of government today are very much in favour of avoiding using masks except in limited circumstances. Social care minister Helen Whately has just told the BBC that she is keen to stop wearing masks “as much”.To mask or not to mask looks like it is going to be one of the looming debates of the summer in England. The signals coming out of government today are very much in favour of avoiding using masks except in limited circumstances. Social care minister Helen Whately has just told the BBC that she is keen to stop wearing masks “as much”.
As a reminder, yesterday, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, British Medical Association council chairman took a very different view, saying:As a reminder, yesterday, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, British Medical Association council chairman took a very different view, saying:
A report from AFP here on the situation in China where the city of Ruili, home to more than 210,000 people, has been locked down again after the discovery of cases imported from Myanmar.A report from AFP here on the situation in China where the city of Ruili, home to more than 210,000 people, has been locked down again after the discovery of cases imported from Myanmar.
Ruili is a major crossing point from Muse in neighbouring Myanmar, which has seen escalating unrest since the 1 February military coup, raising fears that people will try to flood across the border into China to escape the violence. One of the three infected patients was a Myanmar national, according to health authorities in China’s Yunnan province.Ruili is a major crossing point from Muse in neighbouring Myanmar, which has seen escalating unrest since the 1 February military coup, raising fears that people will try to flood across the border into China to escape the violence. One of the three infected patients was a Myanmar national, according to health authorities in China’s Yunnan province.
Ruili will test all residents for the virus within two days and all “non-essential travel” will be banned until further notice, the local government said Monday.Ruili will test all residents for the virus within two days and all “non-essential travel” will be banned until further notice, the local government said Monday.
Only one member of each household can leave to buy daily necessities with permission during the testing period.Only one member of each household can leave to buy daily necessities with permission during the testing period.
Anyone who wants to leave the city must produce a negative virus test conducted within the past 72 hours, the local government said.Anyone who wants to leave the city must produce a negative virus test conducted within the past 72 hours, the local government said.
Thailand reported 6,166 new Covid infections on Monday, and 50 new fatalities, as the country struggles to contain its most severe outbreak since the start of the pandemicThailand’s daily cases have been steadily rising since early April, when its cumulative caseload was less than 30,000. It now stands at almost 290,000.Thailand reported 6,166 new Covid infections on Monday, and 50 new fatalities, as the country struggles to contain its most severe outbreak since the start of the pandemicThailand’s daily cases have been steadily rising since early April, when its cumulative caseload was less than 30,000. It now stands at almost 290,000.
The rise in cases has placed intense pressure on hospitals, especially in Bangkok, where the outbreak is concentrated. Currently, 2,199 people are being treated in intensive care units.The authorities have begun asking asymptomatic patients to isolate at home to free up beds for people who need treatment. Previously, anyone who tested positive was required to stay in isolation facilities, to avoid spreading the disease to others in their household.The rise in cases has placed intense pressure on hospitals, especially in Bangkok, where the outbreak is concentrated. Currently, 2,199 people are being treated in intensive care units.The authorities have begun asking asymptomatic patients to isolate at home to free up beds for people who need treatment. Previously, anyone who tested positive was required to stay in isolation facilities, to avoid spreading the disease to others in their household.
There is growing anger over the government’s handling of the pandemic this year, including its failure to quickly secure vaccines. The country’s mass vaccination campaign kicked off in June, but many in Bangkok have had their appointments delayed.Thailand is relying primarily on the AstraZeneca doses made locally by a royal-owned company, but production has been delayed. The company, Siam BioScience, was supposed to provide 10m doses a month, however this has since been revised down to between 5-6m doses.There is growing anger over the government’s handling of the pandemic this year, including its failure to quickly secure vaccines. The country’s mass vaccination campaign kicked off in June, but many in Bangkok have had their appointments delayed.Thailand is relying primarily on the AstraZeneca doses made locally by a royal-owned company, but production has been delayed. The company, Siam BioScience, was supposed to provide 10m doses a month, however this has since been revised down to between 5-6m doses.
Prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said last month that Thailand would aim to reopen in mid-October, in the hope of reviving the country’s devastated tourism sector. However, health experts have questioned whether this is feasible, given the country’s sluggish vaccination campaigns and worsening outbreak.About 10.5% of the population has received one dose, while 4% are fully vaccinated.Prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said last month that Thailand would aim to reopen in mid-October, in the hope of reviving the country’s devastated tourism sector. However, health experts have questioned whether this is feasible, given the country’s sluggish vaccination campaigns and worsening outbreak.About 10.5% of the population has received one dose, while 4% are fully vaccinated.
In the UK, Prof Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said people should continue to follow hygienic practices even after coronavirus restrictions had been lifted and use “common sense”.In the UK, Prof Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said people should continue to follow hygienic practices even after coronavirus restrictions had been lifted and use “common sense”.
Asked if he would still voluntarily wear a mask, PA Media reports he told BBC Breakfast: “I’ll be following the guidance as I have throughout.Asked if he would still voluntarily wear a mask, PA Media reports he told BBC Breakfast: “I’ll be following the guidance as I have throughout.
“There may be occasions in the next few months in a crowded environment where I might choose to wear a mask and I’m sure others will make similar choices. I think people have got very aware of infection control and good hygiene over the last 16 months.“There may be occasions in the next few months in a crowded environment where I might choose to wear a mask and I’m sure others will make similar choices. I think people have got very aware of infection control and good hygiene over the last 16 months.
“Some of the habits we’ve developed – washing hands more frequently, not going to work or not going to see people if you are feeling unwell – those are habits that it would be really great to continue because it will keep Covid under control, but also other infections as well.”“Some of the habits we’ve developed – washing hands more frequently, not going to work or not going to see people if you are feeling unwell – those are habits that it would be really great to continue because it will keep Covid under control, but also other infections as well.”
He added: “Many people will use common sense and if they want to be cautious, particularly over the next few weeks as infection rates are still high, then wearing a mask would be very appropriate.”He added: “Many people will use common sense and if they want to be cautious, particularly over the next few weeks as infection rates are still high, then wearing a mask would be very appropriate.”
The complexity of New York’s economic recovery from Covid will take years to unpick. Before the pandemic Americans spent 5% of their working time at home. By spring 2020 the figure was 60%. It’s a seismic shift that has hit office-laden Manhattan particularly hard. The Partnership for New York City predicts that only 62% of office workers will return, mostly three days a week, by September.The complexity of New York’s economic recovery from Covid will take years to unpick. Before the pandemic Americans spent 5% of their working time at home. By spring 2020 the figure was 60%. It’s a seismic shift that has hit office-laden Manhattan particularly hard. The Partnership for New York City predicts that only 62% of office workers will return, mostly three days a week, by September.
Banks, which have mostly ordered a full return to the office, are facing pushback from workers, who point to higher levels of happiness and productivity from working at home. But it is also a way to return production overheads to the labor force. The conflict will take time to resolve and could trigger a crisis in commercial property values if the workers win.Banks, which have mostly ordered a full return to the office, are facing pushback from workers, who point to higher levels of happiness and productivity from working at home. But it is also a way to return production overheads to the labor force. The conflict will take time to resolve and could trigger a crisis in commercial property values if the workers win.
Tourism, which contributes $60bn to the city’s economy annually, remains anemic. The hit to the city’s leisure and hospitality sector, which peaked at 300,000 jobs in December 2019, is severe. A statewide report issued on Friday found that New York had lost 2m jobs during the pandemic and unemployment in May stood at 8.2%, far above the pre-pandemic level and well above the national average of 5.9%.Tourism, which contributes $60bn to the city’s economy annually, remains anemic. The hit to the city’s leisure and hospitality sector, which peaked at 300,000 jobs in December 2019, is severe. A statewide report issued on Friday found that New York had lost 2m jobs during the pandemic and unemployment in May stood at 8.2%, far above the pre-pandemic level and well above the national average of 5.9%.
But others have prospered. The report found personal income in New York had risen 12.8%, hitting $1.6tn in the first quarter of 2021, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and seeing a more than 50% increase from the final quarter of 2020.But others have prospered. The report found personal income in New York had risen 12.8%, hitting $1.6tn in the first quarter of 2021, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and seeing a more than 50% increase from the final quarter of 2020.
At the same time, the movement of people in the city has been profoundly altered. As public transport use dropped, road traffic surged. The New York City area now officially has the worst traffic in the country, according to survey for Texas A&M’s Transportation Institute.At the same time, the movement of people in the city has been profoundly altered. As public transport use dropped, road traffic surged. The New York City area now officially has the worst traffic in the country, according to survey for Texas A&M’s Transportation Institute.
Read more of Edward Helmore’s report from New York here: New York’s patchwork recovery masks vast inequities laid bare by CovidRead more of Edward Helmore’s report from New York here: New York’s patchwork recovery masks vast inequities laid bare by Covid
Luxembourg’s prime minister Xavier Bettel was admitted to hospital yesterday following a positive Covid-19 test at the end of June, according to local media reports. Luxembourg’s prime minister Xavier Bettel remains in hospital having been admitted yesterday following a positive Covid-19 test at the end of June, according to local media reports.
Reuters has sent a snap saying that he was undergoing additional tests and would remain under observation for 24 hours as a precaution. Reuters has sent a snap this morning reiterating that he was undergoing additional tests and would continue to remain under observation for 24 hours as a precaution.
Bettel took part in a two-day EU summit in Brussels at the end of June, where participants included Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Mario Draghi and other European leaders.Bettel took part in a two-day EU summit in Brussels at the end of June, where participants included Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Mario Draghi and other European leaders.
Reuters state that Luxembourg’s state ministry could not immediately be reached for comment. Reuters state that Luxembourg’s state ministry could not immediately be reached for further comment this morning.
By the way, worth a reminder that Boris Johnson might be the prime minister of the UK, but that his move today will only apply to England. Politico’s London playbook had a quick round-up of the state of play elsewhere in the UK:By the way, worth a reminder that Boris Johnson might be the prime minister of the UK, but that his move today will only apply to England. Politico’s London playbook had a quick round-up of the state of play elsewhere in the UK:
Of course, you’ll note that this is all framed very differently when you write “where some freedoms are still curbed” as opposed to “where some pandemic precautions are still in place.”Of course, you’ll note that this is all framed very differently when you write “where some freedoms are still curbed” as opposed to “where some pandemic precautions are still in place.”
Here’s the key quote from social care minister Helen Whatley from her Sky News appearance this morning. She said:Here’s the key quote from social care minister Helen Whatley from her Sky News appearance this morning. She said:
It is one of the UK’s health ministers Helen Whately who is doing the media round this morning. She’ll be out and about attempting to justify why it seems the hawks on reopening have the upper hand in the wake of Matt Hancock’s departure.
As a reminder, we are expecting a press conference from Boris Johnson in Downing Street today where he is expected to announce the end of all legal Covid restrictions in England from 19 July, and also the dropping of any mandatory face mask or social distancing measures.
It has been teased out to PA Media and other media outlets that Johnson is expected to say:
It still remains unclear in the coming weeks how you are meant to manage your own risks and exercise a judgment to maintain social distancing from people if they are determined not to socially distance themselves from you.
The latest data on the government’s own dashboard suggests case numbers have risen by nearly 70,000 or 67% in the last seven days. Hospitalisations however, remain at a much lower rate of increase – nevertheless showing a 24% rise in a week.
Alongside the press conference, the government will publish the results of its reviews into the use of so-called vaccine passports and the future of social distancing guidance, Downing Street confirmed. Health secretary Sajid Javid will also address the Commons later to update MPs on any changes.
Good morning, it is Martin Belam here in London. Indonesia will provide free telemedicine services to coronavirus patients with mild symptoms, its health minister said today, in an effort to reduce pressure on a healthcare sector inundated by record numbers of Covid cases.
With records most days last week and deaths surpassing 500 on several of those, Indonesia is battling one of Asia’s worst Covid epidemics, fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant first identified in India. [see 6.43am]
Reuters reports that remote services will be provided from Tuesday by telehealth firms such as Alodokter and Halodoc and will include free consultations and medication delivery, health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told a news conference.
“Positive Covid-19 patients can get medical services on time without waiting in line at hospitals, so that hospitals can be prioritised for patients with medium, heavy, and critical symptoms,” he said.
Hospital bed occupancy was at 75% nationwide as of 2 July, the health ministry said, but some hospitals on the most populous island of Java have reported over 90% capacity, including in the capital, Jakarta.
In Australia, isolation orders related to an unvaccinated student nurse who worked across two Sydney hospitals while infectious with Covid-19 are continuing to wreak havoc on staffing levels, with more than 600 health professionals deemed as close contacts so far.
The Guardian understands that more than 500 staff at Royal North Shore hospital and more than 120 staff at Fairfield hospital are now isolating and unable to work after being identified as a close contact of the 24-year-old student nurse who worked from 24-28 June across the two hospitals while infectious.
Nurses, as well as administration staff and other healthcare workers, are among the isolating workers.
The situation is so severe at Royal North Shore hospital, where five wards are affected, that health authorities are understood to be trying to move nursing staff from nearby hospitals to help fill the shortfall in services.
The number of isolating close contacts related to the student nurse has swelled since Wednesday, when about 100 initial staff and patients were sent into isolation following a positive result being returned late on Tuesday.
Brett Holmes, general secretary of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, said the isolation orders have had “a large burden” on an “already strained” workforce.
New Zealand has narrowly avoided having to put its Covid vaccination rollout on ice, with the largest shipment yet of Pfizer vaccines arriving two days ahead of schedule.
The shipment of 150,000 doses is the first in the batch of 1m doses arriving this month and will allow the health officials to ramp up the programme.
The country had distributed nearly all of its supply of the Pfizer storage and was at risk of running out by Wednesday.
Prime minister Jacinda Ardern told RNZ’s Morning Report the country had been expecting the vaccines to arrive on Tuesday, which would have meant “working very close to the wire”.
“So this means we will be able to keep the rollout cranking along and that we won’t see any change in people’s booked vaccinations,” Ardern said.
The vaccines will be transported to district health boards around the country today.
Parts of Indonesia lack oxygen supplies as the number of critically ill Covid patients who need it increases, the nation’s pandemic response leader said Monday, after dozens of sick people died at a public hospital that ran out of its central supply, AP reports. “Due to an increase of three to four times the amount (of oxygen) needed, the distribution has been hampered,” said Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the coordinating maritime affairs and investment minister.The government is asking oxygen producers to dedicate their full supply to medical needs and will import it if needed, Pandjaitan said at the virtual news conference.This statement comes after Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikit said the government guaranteed oxygen supply for Covid patients on 26 June.At least 63 Covid patients died during treatment at Dr. Sardjito General Hospital in Yogyakarta city since Saturday — 33 of them during the outage of its central liquid oxygen supply even though the hospital switched to using oxygen cylinders during that period, hospital spokesman Banu Hermawan said.“Their deteriorating condition contributed the most to their deaths,” Hermawan said.
In the UK, Transport for London (TfL) has recorded a £100m plunge in advertising revenue across its network of tube stations, trains and buses after Covid-19 pandemic restrictions kept commuters away from travelling to work.
TfL’s advertising estate – which comprises more than 100,000 billboards, posters and panels throughout the capital’s tube and rail network, in trains and on buses and shelters – is one of the largest and most valuable in the world.
However, with journeys in the city at record low levels at the height of the pandemic, advertisers disappeared, resulting in commercial income plummeting by more than two-thirds to £50m in the year to the end of March. It stands in stark contrast to 2019, when TfL’s advertising income recorded annual growth to £158.3m:
America’s top infectious disease expert says about 99.2% of recent Covid deaths in the United States involved unvaccinated people. And Dr. Anthony Fauci says “it’s really sad and tragic that most all of these are avoidable and preventable.”He told NBC’s “Meet the Press” it’s frustrating “where you have a formidable enemy” in the coronavirus and “yet we do have a countermeasure that’s highly, highly effective. And that’s the reason why it’s all the more sad and all the more tragic why it isn’t being completely implemented in this country.”
Fauci cited the reasons for opposition to the vaccine by some Americans, whether it’s “ideological” or whether some “are just fundamentally anti-vax or anti-science.”
He said the country does “have the tools to counter” the pandemic and he’s asking people to “put aside all of those differences and realise that the common enemy is the virus.”Fauci noted the United States is “very fortunate” that it has “enough vaccines to vaccinate essentially everybody in the country. And there are people throughout the world who would do anything to get vaccines.”The United States has registered over 605,000 deaths in the pandemic, the highest national toll in the world.
Indonesia is requiring foreign visitors to be fully vaccinated as one of the entry requirements as the country tries to curb the spread of coronavirus, AP reports. Ganip Warsito, National Task Force for Covid-19 Mitigation Chief, said Sunday that starting on July 6, both foreigners and Indonesian nationals entering the country have to show digital or physical proof that they have been fully vaccinated.
The obligation to show vaccination cards can be excluded in some cases, including diplomatic visas and service visas, and during official visits at ministerial level.The government is also extending the quarantine time for foreign travelers from five days to eight days.Indonesia recorded 27,233 new cases and 555 deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours. It brings the total to 2,284,084 cases and 60,582 death tolls as of Sunday.
Boris Johnson is to announce that the lifting of most remaining Covid-19 restrictions in England will go ahead on 19 July amid a backlash from government scientific advisers who have warned that doing so would be like building new “variant factories”.
Despite cases having risen to their highest level since January 2021, the prime minister is set to press ahead with the final stage of unlocking in two weeks.
In a Downing Street press conference on Monday afternoon, he is expected to announce that, with 86% of adults in the UK having had at least a first jab, the government will move from relying on legal curbs to control people’s behaviour to letting individuals make their own decisions.
Changes to be announced include allowing fully vaccinated adults to travel to amber list countries without having to self-isolate when they return; making the wearing of face masks voluntary, apart from in hospitals and other healthcare settings; and no longer requiring fully vaccinated adults to self-isolate if they have come into contact with an infected person.
Aubrey Allegretti and Linda Geddes report:
Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic with me, Helen Sullivan.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to announce that the lifting of most remaining Covid-19 restrictions in England will go ahead on 19 July amid a backlash from government scientific advisers who have warned that doing so would be like building new “variant factories”.
Meanwhile Indonesia is requiring foreign visitors to be fully vaccinated as one of the entry requirements as the country tries to curb the spread of Covid. Both foreigners and Indonesian nationals entering the country will have to show digital or physical proof that they have been fully vaccinated.
More on these stories in a moment. In the meantime, here are the other key recent developments:
Coronavirus has killed at least 3,972,934 people around the world since it first emerged in China in December 2019, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on Monday set to confirm the fourth and last step to lifting lockdown will go ahead on July 19, despite warnings that doing so would be like building “variant factories”.
The UK has recorded 24,248 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, according to official figures.There were a further 15 deaths, bringing the overall death toll to 128,222. Meanwhile, 86 % of adults have had their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 63.8% received both doses.
The Oakland zoo in northern California has administered an experimental Covid-19 vaccine to animals deemed at highest risk. The two-dose jab has been approved by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and distributed to nearly 70 zoos.
Brazil has seen recorded 27,783 new Covid-19 cases and 830 new deaths in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Sunday.The news comes as8tens of thousands took to the streets of the South American country’s biggest cities on Saturday to demand the removal of President Jair Bolsonaro, who they deem responsible for the death of over half a million people.
Iran announced today it was reimposing coronavirus restrictions on major cities, as the spread of the highly contagious delta variant spurs fears of another devastating surge in the nation, the Associated Press reports.
Russia has recorded 25,142 new Covid-19 infections on Sunday - the highest number since January 2. The news comes after Covid deaths in the country hit at a record high for five days in a row this week. President Vladimir Putin has for now refrained from calling another lockdown.
South Africa recorded more than 26,000 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, its highest daily number since the pandemic broke out.
Bangladesh recorded 153 deaths, its highest daily toll yet, in the 24 hours to this morning, the Dhaka Tribune reports.
The Luxembourg prime minister, Xavier Bettel, was admitted to hospital on Sunday morning. Bettel tested positive for coronavirus last week.
Schools in England are “bleeding out” with thousands of teachers having to isolate under a bubble system that is harming the most vulnerable children, ministers have been warned, The Guardian’s Josh Halliday reports.