Category Archives: Coronavirus

Millionaires call on governments worldwide to ‘tax us now’

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Group of 102 wealthy people say tax would help tackle gulf between rich and poor

More than 100 members of the global super-rich called on Wednesday for governments around the world to “tax us now” to help pay for the pandemic response and tackle the gulf between rich and poor.

The group of 102 millionaires and billionaires, including Disney heiress Abigail Disney, said the current tax system is rigged in their favour and needs to be rewritten to make taxation fairer for hard-working people and restore trust in politics.

Pay for the Health and Social Care Levy twice over every year – eliminating the need to raise national insurance on working people.

Cover the salaries of an additional 50,000 new nurses.

Pay for the permanent increase of universal credit.

Build 35,000 affordable houses and retrofit the UK’s draughtiest homes to reduce the cost of energy bills and help fight the climate crisis.

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Tory MPs openly discuss Johnson challenge as mood ‘turns dramatically’

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MPs from across party confident of enough letters to trigger leadership contest after Sue Gray’s report

The mood of Conservative MPs was hardening against Boris Johnson on Tuesday night, with open talk of how to oust the prime minister and who should succeed him as he gave a disastrous interview claiming not to have lied over Downing Street parties.

A string of Tory MPs from various ranks and wings of the party said they believed there would be enough letters to trigger a leadership contest after the publication of the Sue Gray report into allegations of lockdown breaches, with some reports on Tuesday night that it could come sooner.

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‘I put my arms around her’: doctor’s story captures anger at No 10 parties

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Prit Buttar, who tweeted about comforting grieving woman, says he wanted to show difference in experience between ordinary people and Downing Street

When Dr Prit Buttar, a retired GP, decided to break social distancing rules and offer his embrace to a bereaved woman, it was a gesture of core humanity. “Everybody on the team would have done exactly the same, Covid or no Covid,” he said from his study near Kirkcudbright.

He did not envisage, a year on, that his recollection of that moment would inspire a cathartic outpouring of similar memories from people across the UK, or that he would become a reluctant – though passionate – advocate for the fury and dismay of ordinary people at the boozy rule-breaking in the seat of power.

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France reports nearly half a million new cases, a record increase; Italy records 228,179 daily infections – as it happened

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France registers 464,769 new Covid-19 infections over the last 24 hours; Italy’s cases jump from 83,403 a day earlier

China’s postal service has ordered workers to disinfect international deliveries and urged the public to reduce orders from overseas after authorities claimed mail could be the source of recent coronavirus outbreaks, Agence France-Press reports.

In recent days, Chinese officials have suggested that some people could have been infected by packages from abroad, including a woman in Beijing whom authorities said had no contact with other infected people but tested positive for a variant similar to those found in North America.

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Hong Kong to cull thousands of hamsters after Covid found on 11

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Authorities call for animals to be surrendered for ‘disposal’ after traces of virus detected at pet shop

Hong Kong has ordered thousands of hamsters be surrendered for “disposal” after traces of Covid-19 were found on 11 animals in a pet shop.

The order includes pets that were bought days before Christmas be handed over, with a warning not to “kiss or abandon them on the street” as Hong Kong and mainland China attempt to sustain a zero Covid strategy, attempting to suppress all outbreaks internally while maintaining tight border controls with the outside world.

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New York and other north-eastern US states see a rapid fall in Covid cases

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Despite decreasing positivity rates, hospitals continue to struggle amid a surging patient load and staff shortages

New York City and some north-eastern US states appear to be seeing rapid decreases in their numbers of Covid-19 cases in recent days, raising the possibility that the Omicron wave has now already peaked in some parts of America.

In New York City the rolling seven-day average of new cases was less than 28,000 a day on 16 January, down from an average of more than 40,000 on 9 January.

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On Australia’s deadliest day of Covid pandemic, experts say we don’t know enough about who is dying

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Doctors say Australia must coordinate Covid-19 data nationally and pick up the game on testing, tracing, isolating and quarantining

Today is the deadliest day in Australia’s Covid pandemic. So far this year, about 30 Australians a day are dying with Covid.

“[These are] someone’s parents, grandparents, community leaders, people who contribute to our society,” the Burnet Institute director and chief executive officer, Prof Brendan Crabb, says.

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‘It’s a total disaster’: Omicron lays waste to India’s huge wedding season

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Distraught couples face prospect of cutting guest lists from more than 600 people down to just 20 after coronavirus variant took hold

Until 28 December, Heena Vashisht was a happy bride-to-be. The 28-year-old was pleased her family had put in place early all the arrangements for her wedding on 10 February, right down to the last candle. But her plans have been shredded by India’s Omicron surge. The nuptials can go ahead in New Delhi as planned, but only if she cuts her guest list down from 650 to 20.

“My own immediate family is 80. How can I reduce the guests to 20? The tension in my family is unbearable right now. No one knows what to do and my mother’s blood pressure has shot up with all the tension,” says Vashisht.

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Covid live: unvaccinated over-60s face monthly fine in Greece; UK reports another 84,429 cases and 85 deaths

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Un-jabbed older people in Greece face penalties starting at a €50; UK cases continue downward trend

Germany is reporting a daily rise of 34,145 confirmed coronavirus cases and 30 deaths, according to recently released figures from the Robert Koch Institute.

The numbers bring the cumulative total of infections to 8,000,122 and 115,649 coronavirus-related deaths.

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Moderna aims to launch single Covid and flu booster jab within two years

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Combined vaccine should be ready in time for winter infectious season in 2023, says drug firm’s chief executive

Moderna is aiming to launch a single booster vaccination that will protect against both Covid-19 and flu within two years, its chief executive has said.

Stéphane Bancel said that the combined vaccine – which will protect against Covid-19, influenza and RSV, a common respiratory virus – could be available before the winter infectious season in 2023.

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Woolworths suspends orders from South Australia meatworks allowed to operate with Covid-infected staff

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Abattoir had exemption from state government but supermarket giant halted orders for product after discussion with ACTU

Woolworths has suspended supplies from a South Australia meatworks that was given state government approval to operate while some staff were Covid positive.

Brad Banducci, chief executive of the supermarket giant, decided to halt taking product from the Teys Australia abattoir near Naracoorte after a telephone hook-up on Sunday with Michelle O’Neil, president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

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Winter Olympics tickets will not be sold as China seeks to contain Covid

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Tickets will instead by distributed to chosen groups amid first reported locally transmitted cases of Omicron

Tickets to the Beijing Winter Olympics will not be sold to the general public, but distributed to “targeted” groups, organisers have announced, in China’s latest attempt to control the spread of the highly-infectious Omicron Covid variant.

Beijing reported its first locally transmitted Omicron case over the weekend, piling renewed pressure on authorities in the run-up to the Games, which are due to start on 4 February and coincide with the lunar new year celebrations week, typically the biggest travel period of the year.

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Irish foreign minister orders inquiry into champagne party during lockdown

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Photo shows department officials drinking Moët & Chandon in June 2020 while strict rules were in force

The Irish foreign minister, Simon Coveney, has ordered an inquiry into a champagne celebration involving officials in his department at the height of the first Covid lockdown.

A photo of the celebration in June 2020 showed about 20 officials drinking Moët & Chandon champagne, without wearing masks or social distancing.

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Don’t buy from abroad, Chinese told as Covid threatens Olympics and holidays

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Authorities claim recent Omicron case in Beijing came from package sent from Canada

Chinese authorities are urging citizens not to order goods from overseas, in the latest extreme measure aimed at curbing Covid outbreaks only weeks away from the biggest holiday of the year and the start of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

The advisory on overseas packages was issued after authorities claimed that a recent Omicron infection detected in Beijing came from an international package sent from Canada.

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‘I have no intention of getting infected’: understanding Omicron’s severity

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Experts on whether getting Covid is inevitable and why, despite claims of ‘mildness’, the variant is highly dangerous

Leaders in the US have struck a pessimistic tone about the Covid-19 pandemic in recent weeks amid rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

Janet Woodcock, acting commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, recently testified before Congress that “most people are going to get Covid”. Dr Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to Joe Biden, has also said that Omicron “​​will ultimately find just about everybody” in terms of exposure, though vaccines make an important difference in who develops the illness.

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NSW Covid-19 update: Hazzard urges people to ‘give a damn about someone other than yourself’ – video

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NSW health minister Brad Hazzard has taken aim at the unvaccinated. ‘Can I just say to those people who have chosen not to get vaccinated, it’s time to give a damn about someone other than yourself', Hazzard said. ‘Give a damn about your community, your family and most particularly the health staff across New South Wales who you expect to be looking after you if and when you end up in our hospital system’. There were 29,504 new Covid-19 cases recorded from rapid antigen tests and PCR tests . However, 11,858 positive rapid antigen tests were from the previous seven-day reporting period, and were not necessarily detected in the past 24 hours. There were also 17 deaths, only one of which had received their booster shot

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Australia news live update: PM asked about double standard on Djokovic anti-vax concerns; 23 Covid deaths in Victoria, NSW as hospital cases rise

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Victoria reports 22,429 new Covid cases, six deaths and 1,229 people in hospital; NSW records 29,504 cases and 17 deaths, with 2,776 people in hospital; Scott Morrison discusses Novak Djokovic deportation; Australian surveillance flight to assess Tonga tsunami damage delayed; unions meet over workforce and supply chain shortages. Follow all the day’s news

Prime minister Scott Morrison has appeared on 2GB this morning, confirming Djokovic didn’t comply with entry requirements ... but that is not why his visa was cancelled.

Australia has very clear rules and Australians have been following those rules ... we apply our rules equally in this country and there was a very clear message sent – he wanted to come, he wasn’t vaccinated, well you’ve got to have a valid medical exemption and neither of those were in place. People make their own choices, and those choices meant you couldn’t come here and play tennis.

The idea someone could come and not follow those rules just was not on ... he was wrong, simple as that ... we didn’t give him an exemption, the federal government gave him no such exemption.

And that is that Mr Djokovic would be asked to leave, it is in the remit of the minister to do that, the judges reviewed the process and found the process the minister followed was legal. But to be quite frank, I am on the same page as Mr Djokovic. We’ll move on. And the things I will move on to are making sure to keep food on the shelves of supermarkets as ... people have been interested in the story, it’s been a ... soap opera. But now people are going to focus on the tennis, watch the tennis and also focus on looking after them and one of the big issues right now is making sure we keep food on the shelves at the grocery store.

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Covid live: Boris Johnson broke the law, says Keir Starmer; UK records 70,924 new cases

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Latest updates: UK Labour leader says PM broke lockdown rules and then lied; latest daily UK figures do not include Scotland

Streeting tells Trevor Phillips that the Labour party isn’t calling for a vote of no confidence in the government as it would rally the Conservatives.

“We could call a motion of no confidence in the government - we’ve been around the block with this before, that would galvanise the Conservative party.”

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Prada’s Milan fashion week show ends with Jeff Goldblum on the catwalk

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Hollywood heavyweights including Kyle MacLachlan bring coronavirus-hit week to a close

Prada called on Hollywood heavyweights Jeff Goldblum and Kyle MacLachlan to bookend its catwalk on Sunday afternoon, bringing a close to a quiet menswear fashion week that saw multiple brands cancel their shows in light of increasing Covid cases across Europe.

The appearance of the actors at the Fondazione Prada punctuated the second physical catwalk show from founder Miuccia Prada and her co-creative director Raf Simons since the latter came onboard in early 2020, marking an unprecedented union of two of the fashion industry’s most influential and famed designers.

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French parliament approves vaccine pass law to tackle Covid

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Law will require people to have a certificate to enter public places such as restaurants and cinemas

France’s parliament has given final approval to the government’s latest measures to tackle Covid-19, including a vaccine pass contested by anti-vaccine protesters.

Lawmakers in the lower house of parliament voted 215 in favour to 58 against on Sunday, paving the way for the law to enter force in the coming days.

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