Sadiq Khan urges PM to shut all London schools as cases spiral December 14, 2020 Sadiq Khan has called on the government to consider shutting all schools and colleges in London until January, following a “significant” spike in coronavirus cases among teens. In a letter to Boris Johnson, the mayor of London said “urgent consideration must… be given to closing secondary schools, sixth form and FE colleges a few days [...]
GPs to begin offering coronavirus vaccines from today December 14, 2020 GPs across England will begin administering coronavirus vaccinations today as the next stage of the vaccine rollout gets under way. The NHS said that GP surgeries in 100 locations would receive doses of the vaccine today, with some expected to begin inoculations this afternoon. A majority, however, are expected to begin offering the treatment from [...]
Astrazeneca to buy US drugs firm Alexion for $39bn December 12, 2020 Astrazeneca has agreed to buy US drugmaker Alexion in a $39bn (£29.5bn) cash and share deal, as the British pharmaceuticals giant bolsters its presence in the immunology field. The Cambridge-headquartered firm, which is currently one of the frontrunners in the Covid vaccine arena, announced this afternoon that Alexion shareholders would receive $60 in cash and [...]
Trump announces vaccine rollout ‘in less than 24 hours’ December 12, 2020 The first Americans will be vaccinated against coronavirus in the next 24 hours, President Donald Trump has announced, as the US last night authorised the Pfizer/Biontech vaccine for emergency use. In a video message posted on Twitter, Trump said the first doses of the “medical miracle” drug would be “free [of charge] for all Americans”. [...]
London records highest jump in Covid cases in England as Tier 3 pressure mounts December 11, 2020 London recorded the biggest leap in the proportion of people testing positive for coronavirus in the week to 5 December, cranking up fears of tighter restrictions for the capital ahead of the Christmas period. Figures released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the level of Covid in London jumped from around 1 [...]
Breaking: Self-isolation period slashed to 10 days from Monday December 11, 2020 The self-isolation period for contacts of people who have tested positive for coronavirus will be cut from 14 days to 10 days from Monday. The change will also apply to people forced to quarantine after returning to the UK from high-risk countries. It means people across the four nations who have already been self-isolating for [...]
Test and Trace to scrap 14-day isolation period for Covid contacts December 11, 2020 People who have been in contact with someone who tested positive with coronavirus will be given daily Covid tests instead of having to isolate for a fortnight under new government plans. The Test and Trace pilot scheme is being trialled in several schools, businesses and universities across the country. Close contacts of people with Covid-19 [...]
Astrazeneca to test combining Covid-19 vaccine with Russia’s Sputnik jab December 11, 2020 Astrazeneca has announced it will experiment with combining its Covid-19 vaccine with Russia’s Sputnik V jab, in a move that scientists believe could significantly boost efficacy. In its statement this morning, Astrazeneca said it was considering assessing combinations of different vaccines, and would soon begin exploring with Russia’s Gamaleya Institute, which developed Sputnik V. Peer-reviewed [...]
Spending watchdog urges government to ‘stop throwing money’ at NHS Test and Trace December 11, 2020 The UK’s spending watchdog has urged ministers to “stop throwing money” at NHS Test and Trace, after the beleaguered system last month received an extra £7bn in funding despite repeatedly failing to achieve targets. In a scathing report on the programme’s performance so far, the National Audit Office (NAO) slammed Test and Trace for failing [...]
‘Don’t blow it now’: Matt Hancock urges caution as cases catapult in London December 10, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock has urged the public not to “blow it” by ignoring Covid restrictions, as new infections continue to surge across London, Essex and Kent. Speaking at a Downing Street press briefing, Hancock said the latest official figures showed “a worrying rise in infections” in London. The health secretary said the government faced difficult [...]
