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| Covid live news: UK rules out Austria approach of locking down un-jabbed; Dowden defends AstraZeneca profits | Covid live news: UK rules out Austria approach of locking down un-jabbed; Dowden defends AstraZeneca profits |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Oliver Dowden rules out locking down the unvaccinated and says AstraZeneca are entitled to profit from their investment | Oliver Dowden rules out locking down the unvaccinated and says AstraZeneca are entitled to profit from their investment |
| Germany’s coronavirus infection rate has risen to its highest level since the start of the pandemic, public health figures showed on Monday, as the three parties in talks to form a new government plan an expansion of measures to tackle the pandemic. | |
| The seven-day incidence rate - the number of people per 100,000 to be infected over the last week - rose to 303 from 289 the previous day, figures from the Robert Koch Institute showed on Monday. | |
| Paul Carrel notes for Reuters that the number of deaths increased by 43 to a total of 97,715. | |
| The three parties in talks to form a coalition plan to tighten proposed measures to tackle the spread of the new wave of infections, Greens co-leader Robert Habeck said before their plans go to parliament on Thursday. | |
| “We are expanding the toolbox compared to the proposals introduced in the first reading,” Habeck told broadcaster ARD. The measures will include contact restrictions, an amendment seen by Reuters showed. | |
| Florida lawmakers will meet on Monday for a week-long special legislative session called by the Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, with the goal of thwarting coronavirus vaccine mandates imposed by businesses or government agencies. | Florida lawmakers will meet on Monday for a week-long special legislative session called by the Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, with the goal of thwarting coronavirus vaccine mandates imposed by businesses or government agencies. |
| DeSantis recently announced he is running for re-election in 2022 but is seen by many as a potential presidential candidate in 2024 – particularly if Donald Trump decides not to run again. | DeSantis recently announced he is running for re-election in 2022 but is seen by many as a potential presidential candidate in 2024 – particularly if Donald Trump decides not to run again. |
| The special legislative session will be about “a combination of policy and politics”, said Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida, adding that DeSantis is following Trump’s lead in being staunchly against mask and vaccine mandates. | The special legislative session will be about “a combination of policy and politics”, said Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida, adding that DeSantis is following Trump’s lead in being staunchly against mask and vaccine mandates. |
| According to an agenda released by the governor’s office, a body of legislators dominated by Republicans will consider four bills to impose penalties on businesses and local governments that require workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19. | According to an agenda released by the governor’s office, a body of legislators dominated by Republicans will consider four bills to impose penalties on businesses and local governments that require workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19. |
| “No cop, no firefighter, no nurse, nobody should be losing their job because of these jabs,” DeSantis said in a media release, echoing a previous plea for first responders from other states to relocate to Florida if they do not wish to be vaccinated by mandate. | |
| “We’re going to be striking a blow for freedom,” DeSantis said. | |
| Read more here: Florida lawmakers’ special session aims to thwart Covid vaccine mandates | Read more here: Florida lawmakers’ special session aims to thwart Covid vaccine mandates |
| In the UK, Conservative party chairman Oliver Dowden has backed AstraZeneca’s controversial announcement that it is moving to seek a profit from its Covid vaccine sales. Britain’s biggest pharma firm late last week said it expects the vaccine to move to “modest profitability” as new orders are received. This morning on Sky News, asked about it, Dowden said: | In the UK, Conservative party chairman Oliver Dowden has backed AstraZeneca’s controversial announcement that it is moving to seek a profit from its Covid vaccine sales. Britain’s biggest pharma firm late last week said it expects the vaccine to move to “modest profitability” as new orders are received. This morning on Sky News, asked about it, Dowden said: |
| Mike Tildesley, the professor who specialises in infectious diseases at Warwick University and who has been a media regular during the pandemic in the UK has been on Sky News this morning. He was asked about his views on the outlook for Covid in the UK for the next few weeks and said he was “cautiously optimistic”: | |
| Questioned on the situation with rising caseloads on the European continent overall, he said: | Questioned on the situation with rising caseloads on the European continent overall, he said: |
| He was also asked about the vaccination of children, with the news that Israel is following the lead of the US and other countries like Austria in sanctioning jabs for the five- to 11-year-old age group. On this he said: | |
| Prof Tildesley’s long-term prediction remains that “Covid is probably likely to become endemic and we probably are going to have to manage it with repeated vaccination campaigns for years to come.” | Prof Tildesley’s long-term prediction remains that “Covid is probably likely to become endemic and we probably are going to have to manage it with repeated vaccination campaigns for years to come.” |
| Agence France-Presse has an update from Cambodia, where prime minister Hun Sen made an unexpected announcement last night that all fully vaccinated international travellers, tourists and businesspeople could visit the whole of Cambodia freely without quarantine from today. | Agence France-Presse has an update from Cambodia, where prime minister Hun Sen made an unexpected announcement last night that all fully vaccinated international travellers, tourists and businesspeople could visit the whole of Cambodia freely without quarantine from today. |
| The decision overrode the previous reopening plan, under which popular beach spots Sihanoukville and the island of Koh Rong, as well as Dara Sakor – a Chinese-developed resort zone – were set to welcome visitors from 30 November. | The decision overrode the previous reopening plan, under which popular beach spots Sihanoukville and the island of Koh Rong, as well as Dara Sakor – a Chinese-developed resort zone – were set to welcome visitors from 30 November. |
| And the reopening of Siem Reap – the gateway to the world heritage-listed Angkor Wat complex – is brought forward from January. | And the reopening of Siem Reap – the gateway to the world heritage-listed Angkor Wat complex – is brought forward from January. |
| Hun Sen said travellers would have to show two negative Covid tests - one taken no less than 72 hours before travel and one on arrival in Cambodia. | Hun Sen said travellers would have to show two negative Covid tests - one taken no less than 72 hours before travel and one on arrival in Cambodia. |
| “When they arrive and we see they have received two doses of vaccine, we will take swabs for rapid tests. After results show they are free of Covid-19, they are allowed to travel across Cambodia,” Hun Sen said in an audio message posted on his Facebook page. | “When they arrive and we see they have received two doses of vaccine, we will take swabs for rapid tests. After results show they are free of Covid-19, they are allowed to travel across Cambodia,” Hun Sen said in an audio message posted on his Facebook page. |
| “I order the ministry of health, the ministry of tourism and relevant sectors to implement these measures from 15 November 2021 onwards,” he said, adding that the move was a quick way to re-open the country. | “I order the ministry of health, the ministry of tourism and relevant sectors to implement these measures from 15 November 2021 onwards,” he said, adding that the move was a quick way to re-open the country. |
| During his interview with Sky News this morning, Conservative chairman Oliver Dowden ruled out the UK government following the example of Austria and imposing lockdown conditions on people who are unvaccinated. He told Sky News: | During his interview with Sky News this morning, Conservative chairman Oliver Dowden ruled out the UK government following the example of Austria and imposing lockdown conditions on people who are unvaccinated. He told Sky News: |
| There were a couple of bits of Covid interest in Conservative chairmen Oliver Dowden’s first interview of the day in the UK, which was on Sky News. He – not quite definitively – ruled out any further Covid restrictions being imposed before Christmas. Although he did concede that this was the case last year, only for the government to change tack at the very last minute. He said this year the vaccine was the difference, and urged people to take booster jabs when called forward for them. He said: | There were a couple of bits of Covid interest in Conservative chairmen Oliver Dowden’s first interview of the day in the UK, which was on Sky News. He – not quite definitively – ruled out any further Covid restrictions being imposed before Christmas. Although he did concede that this was the case last year, only for the government to change tack at the very last minute. He said this year the vaccine was the difference, and urged people to take booster jabs when called forward for them. He said: |
| Hello, it is Martin Belam here in London, taking over from Samantha Lock in Sydney. I’ll be bringing you any Covid lines that emerge from the UK media round this morning as well as coronavirus news from around the world. Oliver Dowden, chairman of the Conservative party is doing the interviews for the government in the UK. Here are the latest UK figures. | Hello, it is Martin Belam here in London, taking over from Samantha Lock in Sydney. I’ll be bringing you any Covid lines that emerge from the UK media round this morning as well as coronavirus news from around the world. Oliver Dowden, chairman of the Conservative party is doing the interviews for the government in the UK. Here are the latest UK figures. |
| China is battling the spread of its biggest Covid-19 outbreak caused by the Delta variant as case numbers in the northeastern city of Dalian outpace anywhere else in the country, | China is battling the spread of its biggest Covid-19 outbreak caused by the Delta variant as case numbers in the northeastern city of Dalian outpace anywhere else in the country, |
| Chinese authorities said 32 new domestically transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms were reported for 14 November, which is a drop from the 89 reported the day earlier. | Chinese authorities said 32 new domestically transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms were reported for 14 November, which is a drop from the 89 reported the day earlier. |
| However, most of the reported cases were in Dalian. That brings the tally of local cases since 17 October to 1,308, Reuters calculations based on official data showed, surpassing the 1,280 local cases from a summer Delta outbreak. | However, most of the reported cases were in Dalian. That brings the tally of local cases since 17 October to 1,308, Reuters calculations based on official data showed, surpassing the 1,280 local cases from a summer Delta outbreak. |
| This marks China’s most widespread Delta outbreak, which has affected 21 provinces, regions and municipalities. While it is smaller than many outbreaks in other countries, Chinese authorities are anxious to block any further transmissions under the government’s zero-tolerance guidance. | This marks China’s most widespread Delta outbreak, which has affected 21 provinces, regions and municipalities. While it is smaller than many outbreaks in other countries, Chinese authorities are anxious to block any further transmissions under the government’s zero-tolerance guidance. |
| Since Dalian’s first local symptomatic patients from the latest outbreak was reported on 4 November, the port city of 7.5 million people has detected an average of about 24 new local cases a day, more than any other Chinese cities, according to Reuters calculations. | Since Dalian’s first local symptomatic patients from the latest outbreak was reported on 4 November, the port city of 7.5 million people has detected an average of about 24 new local cases a day, more than any other Chinese cities, according to Reuters calculations. |
| The Dalian outbreak has prompted China to confine nearly 1,500 university students to their dormitories and hotels in the city. | The Dalian outbreak has prompted China to confine nearly 1,500 university students to their dormitories and hotels in the city. |
| The order was issued Sunday after several dozen cases were reported at Zhuanghe University City and hundreds of students were transferred to hotels for observation, the Associated Press reports. | The order was issued Sunday after several dozen cases were reported at Zhuanghe University City and hundreds of students were transferred to hotels for observation, the Associated Press reports. |
| Students have been attending class remotely and having their meals delivered to their rooms. | Students have been attending class remotely and having their meals delivered to their rooms. |
| Israel gave the green light Sunday to start vaccinating children aged between five and 11 against Covid-19 using Pfizer/BioNTech jabs, following the example of the United States. | Israel gave the green light Sunday to start vaccinating children aged between five and 11 against Covid-19 using Pfizer/BioNTech jabs, following the example of the United States. |
| “The director general of the ministry of health... authorised the vaccination of children aged five to 11 years,” the health ministry said in a statement. | “The director general of the ministry of health... authorised the vaccination of children aged five to 11 years,” the health ministry said in a statement. |
| Israel was one of the first countries to launch a vaccination campaign last year using the jabs thanks to a deal with Pfizer that gave it access to millions of doses in exchange for data on the vaccine’s efficacy. | Israel was one of the first countries to launch a vaccination campaign last year using the jabs thanks to a deal with Pfizer that gave it access to millions of doses in exchange for data on the vaccine’s efficacy. |
| The vaccination campaign allowed the health authorities to fully vaccinate 5.7 million of the country’s 9 million population. | The vaccination campaign allowed the health authorities to fully vaccinate 5.7 million of the country’s 9 million population. |
| The authorities had already begun vaccinating minors aged 12 to 17 but decided to lower the age threshold in the wake of trials by Pfizer and recommendations from a panel of Israeli scientists. | The authorities had already begun vaccinating minors aged 12 to 17 but decided to lower the age threshold in the wake of trials by Pfizer and recommendations from a panel of Israeli scientists. |
| The ministry will announce the date for the start of inoculations for young children in coming days. | The ministry will announce the date for the start of inoculations for young children in coming days. |
| Classrooms across the Philippines are filling up with students again for the first time in nearly 2 years. | Classrooms across the Philippines are filling up with students again for the first time in nearly 2 years. |
| Children have been allowed back for face-to-face learning from Monday as the country begins its pilot implementation of limited in-person classes. | Children have been allowed back for face-to-face learning from Monday as the country begins its pilot implementation of limited in-person classes. |
| This makes the Philippines one of the the last countries in the world to return to in-person classes after Venezuela reopened schools in late October. | This makes the Philippines one of the the last countries in the world to return to in-person classes after Venezuela reopened schools in late October. |
| President Rodrigo Duterte initially approved 120 basic education schools for the dry run, with 20 private schools scheduled to begin their limited in-person classes on 22 November, local publication ABS-CBN reported. | President Rodrigo Duterte initially approved 120 basic education schools for the dry run, with 20 private schools scheduled to begin their limited in-person classes on 22 November, local publication ABS-CBN reported. |
| Students are checked for their body temperature, required to fill out a health declaration form, proceed to hand washing stations and sit in chairs with installed plastic barriers inside classrooms. During recess time, students are given meals that they eat on their respective seats. They were not allowed to leave their seats unless they needed to go to the restroom. | Students are checked for their body temperature, required to fill out a health declaration form, proceed to hand washing stations and sit in chairs with installed plastic barriers inside classrooms. During recess time, students are given meals that they eat on their respective seats. They were not allowed to leave their seats unless they needed to go to the restroom. |
| In September, the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF urged education authorities to reopen schools as soon as possible in countries where millions of students were still not allowed to return to classrooms 18 months into the Covid-19 pandemic. | In September, the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF urged education authorities to reopen schools as soon as possible in countries where millions of students were still not allowed to return to classrooms 18 months into the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| Hello and welcome back to our Covid blog this Monday as we start the week. | Hello and welcome back to our Covid blog this Monday as we start the week. |
| I’m Samantha Lock and I’ll be with you to deliver all the latest headlines. | I’m Samantha Lock and I’ll be with you to deliver all the latest headlines. |
| As Europe battles its fourth and fifth wave of the virus, Austria is the first nation in the region to place millions of people not fully vaccinated against coronavirus in lockdown as of Monday. | As Europe battles its fourth and fifth wave of the virus, Austria is the first nation in the region to place millions of people not fully vaccinated against coronavirus in lockdown as of Monday. |
| The drastic move is part of an effort to deal with a surge in infections, the country’s chancellor has said while describing the nation’s vaccination rate as “shamefully low”. | The drastic move is part of an effort to deal with a surge in infections, the country’s chancellor has said while describing the nation’s vaccination rate as “shamefully low”. |
| Anti-vaccination demonstrators protested against the annoucement at the Ballhausplatz in the capital of Vienna on Sunday. | Anti-vaccination demonstrators protested against the annoucement at the Ballhausplatz in the capital of Vienna on Sunday. |
| Meanwhile, Israel will go ahead with a vaccination drive for children aged 5 to 11 against Covid-19. | Meanwhile, Israel will go ahead with a vaccination drive for children aged 5 to 11 against Covid-19. |
| The decision, announced by the health ministry on Sunday, followed approval by an expert panel last week after the US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use of Pfizer’s and BioNTech’s vaccine for the age group at a 10-microgram dose. | The decision, announced by the health ministry on Sunday, followed approval by an expert panel last week after the US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use of Pfizer’s and BioNTech’s vaccine for the age group at a 10-microgram dose. |
| Britain expected to extend Covid booster programme to under 50s. | Britain expected to extend Covid booster programme to under 50s. |
| Brazil reports lowest end of week Covid death toll in over a year. | Brazil reports lowest end of week Covid death toll in over a year. |
| Egypt’s national research body said on Sunday that it will start clinical trials for a domestically made coronavirus vaccine. | Egypt’s national research body said on Sunday that it will start clinical trials for a domestically made coronavirus vaccine. |
| UK firm to trial T-cell Covid vaccine that could give longer immunity against Covid-19. An Oxfordshire-based company Emergex will soon start clinical trials of a second-generation vaccine against Covid-19, an easy-to-administer skin patch that uses T-cells to kill infected cells and could offer longer-lasting immunity than current vaccines. | UK firm to trial T-cell Covid vaccine that could give longer immunity against Covid-19. An Oxfordshire-based company Emergex will soon start clinical trials of a second-generation vaccine against Covid-19, an easy-to-administer skin patch that uses T-cells to kill infected cells and could offer longer-lasting immunity than current vaccines. |
| UK officials have compiled a ‘Covid exit strategy’ from April called Operation Rampdown, leaked documents reveal. Under the plan, the government could wind down testing and people would no longer be forced to isolate if they are ill from April, leaked documents reveal. | UK officials have compiled a ‘Covid exit strategy’ from April called Operation Rampdown, leaked documents reveal. Under the plan, the government could wind down testing and people would no longer be forced to isolate if they are ill from April, leaked documents reveal. |
| Three snow leopards died of complications from Covid-19 at the Lincoln children’s zoo in Nebraska. | Three snow leopards died of complications from Covid-19 at the Lincoln children’s zoo in Nebraska. |
| Germany to return to work from home amid rising infections. The measure is being reintroduced under draft legislation seen by AFP on Sunday, after the home working restriction was lifted at the beginning of July. | Germany to return to work from home amid rising infections. The measure is being reintroduced under draft legislation seen by AFP on Sunday, after the home working restriction was lifted at the beginning of July. |
| In the UK more than two million people received their Covid-19 booster in the past week, with health officials describing the numbers as record-breaking. NHS England said 2.1 million boosters were delivered between November 6-12, an increase on the 1.7 million boosters given out during the previous seven days. | In the UK more than two million people received their Covid-19 booster in the past week, with health officials describing the numbers as record-breaking. NHS England said 2.1 million boosters were delivered between November 6-12, an increase on the 1.7 million boosters given out during the previous seven days. |
| China donated 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine on Sunday to Syria, which has one of the world’s lowest inoculation rates and what the UN called an alarming rise in cases. | China donated 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine on Sunday to Syria, which has one of the world’s lowest inoculation rates and what the UN called an alarming rise in cases. |
| Japan’s economy has shrunk much faster than expected as supply shortages hit and global production bottlenecks pose increasing risks to the export-reliant nation. | Japan’s economy has shrunk much faster than expected as supply shortages hit and global production bottlenecks pose increasing risks to the export-reliant nation. |
| Outcry in China after Covid health workers kill a pet dog while owner was in quarantine. | Outcry in China after Covid health workers kill a pet dog while owner was in quarantine. |
| China reported 52 new confirmed coronavirus cases for 14 November compared with 89 a day earlier, its health authority said on Monday. There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll unchanged at 4,636. | China reported 52 new confirmed coronavirus cases for 14 November compared with 89 a day earlier, its health authority said on Monday. There were no new deaths, leaving the death toll unchanged at 4,636. |
| Cambodia reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travellers on Monday, two weeks earlier than originally planned, as it emerges from a lengthy lockdown bolstered by one of the world’s highest rates of immunisation against Covid-19. | Cambodia reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travellers on Monday, two weeks earlier than originally planned, as it emerges from a lengthy lockdown bolstered by one of the world’s highest rates of immunisation against Covid-19. |