Joe Biden pleads with Americans to wear masks for 100 days after he takes office. 'It's not a political statement, it's a patriotic act,' says the president-elect. At an event announcing nominees for his health team, Biden pledged to vaccinate 100 million Americans in his first 100 days
Continue reading...Category Archives: Health policy
Beating the anti-vaxxers: how star power can help squash vaccine myths
Analysis: Vaccine hesitancy is growing, thanks in part to social media misinformation. Time for the Elvis approach?
The statement by the US president-elect, Joe Biden, that he would be happy to be publicly vaccinated against coronavirus to encourage people to follow suit – following similar pledges from Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton – highlights a fundamental concern in global health circles.
Vaccine hesitancy – as well as anti-vaccination activism, sometimes promoted by celebrities – is growing. Countries that were once measles-free are seeing new cases due to suspicion over vaccination. Vaccine hesitancy was listed a year ago as one of the World Health Organization’s 10 global health threats to watch, alongside Ebola and the threat of a global influenza pandemic. Coronavirus came instead.
Continue reading...UK likely to be first western country to license a Covid vaccine
Regulator expected to authorise Pfizer/BioNTech jab for emergency use within days
Britain is expected to become the first western country to authorise a coronavirus vaccine, raising the prospect of immunisations beginning weeks ahead of the rest of Europe.
The UK medicines regulator is set to license the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for emergency use within days, and possibly as soon as Wednesday. Britain has ordered 40m doses, of which 10m are expected to be available this year.
Continue reading...Pubs in Wales to close by 6pm under new Covid restrictions
First minister says virus spreading ‘incredibly quickly’ and firebreak gains being eroded
Pubs, bars and restaurants in Wales will be banned from selling alcohol and forced to shut early, as the Welsh first minister said Covid was spreading “incredibly quickly” across the country and that the gains made during its “firebreak” lockdown were being eroded.
Mark Drakeford said that unless strict new rules were brought in now, there could be as many as 1,700 preventable deaths this winter.
Continue reading...Nearly a third of English hospital trusts exceed first peak of Covid patients
Scientists warn that scrapping or relaxing tier system too quickly could imperil NHS
Nearly a third of England’s hospital trusts have exceeded their first wave peak of Covid patients undergoing treatment, as scientists warned that relaxing or scrapping the three-tier system too quickly could further hamper the NHS.
Hospital trusts in south Somerset and Devon last week treated more than twice as many Covid patients as they did at the peak of the first wave in spring, Guardian analysis shows. But, reflecting the fact that tier decisions are based on a range of data, both areas will go into tier 2 from Thursday.
Continue reading...Dominic Raab warns UK at risk of third wave of coronavirus – video
The UK is at risk of a third wave of Covid-19 in the new year if the right balance is not struck on restrictions, Dominic Raab has told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show.
The foreign secretary also refused to rule out the prospect of a third nationwide lockdown next year. The Commons will vote on Tuesday on whether to approve the three-tier system replacing the national lockdown
Continue reading...Nadhim Zahawi appointed minister in charge of Covid-19 vaccine rollout
UK business minister to take on additional role as NHS prepares for mass deployment
Nadhim Zahawi, a minister for business and industry, has been placed in charge of overseeing the deployment of the Covid-19 vaccine, Downing Street has announced.
No 10 said the Stratford-on-Avon MP would take on the role until at least next summer.
Continue reading...Hospitals in England told to prepare for Covid vaccine rollout in 10 days’ time
Exclusive: NHS could receive first deliveries of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine as soon as 7 December
Hospitals have been told to prepare for the rollout of a coronavirus vaccine in as little as 10 days’ time, with NHS workers expected to be at the front of the queue, the Guardian has learned.
NHS bosses said hospitals in England could expect to receive their first deliveries of a vaccine produced by Pfizer/BioNTech as soon as Monday 7 December, with regulatory approval anticipated within days.
Continue reading...Areas in England may go down a tier before Christmas, says Robert Jenrick
Jenrick insists some areas can ‘de-escalate’, but scientists say 16 December is too soon to decide
The communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, has insisted there is a prospect of some areas in England “de-escalating” from a higher to a lower tier of coronavirus measures before Christmas, despite scientists warning that the 16 December review will be too soon to make changes.
Many Conservative MPs reacted with anger after the government announced that 99% of the population in England would be placed under the top two tightest levels of restriction – tiers 2 and 3 – when the nationwide lockdown ends next week.
Continue reading...Boris Johnson: ‘If we ease off now, we risk losing control of this virus’ – video
Boris Johnson said he was sorry that most of England would exit lockdown into tiers 2 or 3 with the toughest restrictions. Johnson said the measures 'strike a balance' between limiting the spread of the virus and protecting freedoms. 'If we ease off now, we risk losing control of this virus,' Johnson added.
Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, urged people to 'have sense' over the festive period, and bluntly warned against hugging and kissing elderly relatives at Christmas
- UK coronavirus live
- Covid tiers: large parts of England in tier 3 restrictions after lockdown
- Fears of bleak winter unites those across England's tiers
Most of England to enter two toughest tiers when lockdown is lifted
Signs of growing parliamentary rebellion amid fears measures could stay in place until spring
The majority of England will enter the two toughest tiers of Covid restrictions from next week, ministers are set to announce, amid signs of a growing parliamentary rebellion and fears that the measures could remain unchanged until spring.
On Thursday Matt Hancock, the health secretary, is expected to say that most of the country will be placed into tiers 2 or 3, which imply significant restrictions on hospitality, after the national lockdown ends on 2 December.
Continue reading...Christmas and Covid: is mixing households a good idea?
The UK says three households can get together for festivities. Four Britons react – with relief, caution and despair
The UK government’s announcement to allow three households to meet together over five days at Christmas has attracted differing opinions. Many people fear that relaxing lockdown poses too great a risk to life, others are pleased they can see their family after being apart so long. One in four, according to a poll last weekend, would probably treat Christmas as they do normally, despite any restrictions.
The Guardian spoke to four people about their response to the news.
Continue reading...UK scientists warn of third wave of Covid after Christmas
Fears easing restrictions over festive period will lead to rise in cases and overwhelm NHS
Government scientists have warned the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions over Christmas could lead to a third wave of the pandemic, with increased transmission and unnecessary deaths.
Families across the UK will be able to gather in three-household groups of any size over Christmas, the government has announced, prompting warnings from scientists that the plan will almost inevitably result in a rise in the number of coronavirus cases.
Continue reading...Families bereaved by Covid say UK plan to allow Christmas mixing is ‘sheer madness’
Support group warns that large gatherings are too risky and calls for low-key festive period
People bereaved by Covid-19 have warned that allowing families in the UK to get together over Christmas is “sheer madness” and urged the public to have a low-key festive period rather than risk the grief they have endured.
Members of the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group told the Guardian that large family gatherings were too high-risk, with one grieving husband saying anyone prepared to mix family groups should also “prepare for a funeral”.
Continue reading...Michael Gove announces relaxation of Covid measures over Christmas – video
Families across the UK will be able to gather in three-household groups of any size over Christmas, Michael Gove announced, after the heads of the devolved governments agreed on a relaxation of Covid restrictions over the festive period.
The long-planned idea of 'Christmas bubbles' – which Gove insisted demonstrated a 'cautious approach' – was thrashed out in a meeting involving the four UK nations. It will allow people to travel around freely from 23 to 27 December, irrespective of what local tier of Covid restrictions they live in.
Continue reading...The five-day Christmas Covid bubble: how will it work?
New rules will mean you can’t change your bubble but there is no maximum size for the three permitted households
The government has announced that up to three households will be able to mix indoors and stay with each other overnight from 23 to 27 December under loosened coronavirus restrictions across the UK. But how exactly will these new “Christmas bubbles” work?
Continue reading...Five days of Christmas UK Covid plan lets groups of three households mix
Four UK governments agree relaxed rules, and scientists expect rise in cases to follow
Families across the UK will be able to gather in three-household groups of any size over Christmas, the government has announced, bringing warnings from scientists that the plan will almost inevitably see a rise in the number of coronavirus cases.
The long-planned idea of “Christmas bubbles” – which ministers said would require people to make a “personal judgment” over risk for older relatives and others – was thrashed out in a meeting involving the four UK governments.
Continue reading...Vaccine results bring us a step closer to ending Covid, says Oxford scientist
Latest breakthrough comes as PM says he hopes most at-risk could be immunised by Easter
The world is moving a step closer to ending the coronavirus pandemic, the scientist behind Britain’s first vaccine has declared, as Boris Johnson said he hoped the majority of those most at-risk could be immunised by Easter.
Successful trial results for the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, suggesting it could protect up to 90% of people, are the third set of promising findings in as many weeks. Before this year, there had never been a vaccine for a coronavirus.
Continue reading...The Covid vaccine results are great news, but it’s not all over yet
Oxford/AstraZeneca findings have certain advantages over those from other versions
Within weeks, the prospects of an end to the pandemic have changed utterly, with three vaccines against Covid-19 reporting good results in final clinical trials and at least one likely to be used before Christmas. But there are still huge challenges ahead.
The results from the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, which is absolutely central to the UK’s vaccination strategy, may at first glance look not as good as those of Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna – the two mRNA vaccines that have both reported 95% efficacy.
Continue reading...Sunak refuses to apologise for PPE contracts given to firms with ties to MPs – video
The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, declined to apologise for PPE contracts given to companies with links to MPs and ministers during the first wave of coronavirus.
Appearing on BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show, Sunak was questioned on the government's purchase of 50 million face masks from Ayanda Capital that were later deemed unusable for NHS workers.
'It was right to try to do everything we can, and I'm not going to apologise for us reacting in that way,' Sunak said.
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