The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine provides 76 per cent efficacy against symptomatic infection for three months after a single dose, with efficacy improving when a second jab is given later, according to a preprint study.
The paper - published this afternoon by Oxford University researchers - found the vaccine protects against hospitalisation for 12 weeks after the first dose is given.
"No-one in a population of 12,408 people vaccinated with a single dose of ChAdOx1 nCo-19 [the vaccine] was hospitalised with Covid-19 from 22 days after immunisation," Prof Katie Ewer, a member of the Oxford team, wrote on Twitter,
"This is the most important thing! 76% efficacy against symptomatic Covid-19 is great, but 0 people hospitalised is everything," she said.
The trial also showed that efficacy increases from 54.9 per cent when the doses are administered at an interval of less than six weeks, to 82.4 per cent when spaced 12 or more weeks apart.
Researchers said the findings supported the decision made by the UK to extend the interval between initial doses and booster doses of the shot to 12 weeks. Prof Andrew Pollard, chief investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial, and co-author of the paper said:
"It also supports the policy recommendation made by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for a 12-week prime-boost interval, as they look for the optimal approach to roll out, and reassures us that people are protected from 22 days after a single dose of the vaccine," he added.
The study also found that the vaccine may reduce transmission by 67 per cent after one dose, according to analysis of volunteers in the UK arm of the phase three trial.
Follow the latest updates below.
06:29 PM
Israel's vaccination rate slows as 70 per cent of over-60s receive jabs
Israel has slowed down its vaccination programme after a decline in appointments, prompting some clinics to offer a jab to all citizens.
Clalit, Israel's largest healthcare provider, allegedly had to dispose of 1,000 doses which expired due to a lack of patients, according to a report by Israeli broadcaster Channel 12.
It is understood that the slowdown is partly due to Israel having already vaccinated a third of its population, while around 70 per cent of over-60s have received both doses.
A spokesman for Clalit told the Telegraph that they were seeing a decrease in interest for vaccines and that younger age groups in particular seemed less eager to receive a dose.
“We recommend that everyone who wants to be vaccinated comes and gets the vaccine,” they added. “We are able to vaccinate up to 120,000 people per day and are doing everything we can.”
New York to resume virus vaccinations tomorrow as snowstorm moves north
New York is to resume vaccinations, Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced, after the city's biggest snowstorm in five years briefly halted the program.
The winter storm brought chaos to the United States east coast on Monday, cancelling thousands of flights, closing schools and forcing the postponement of Covid-19 vaccinations.
The National Weather Service said that by2pm this afternoon, 17.2 inches (43.7 centimeters) of snow had been recorded in Central Park.
De Blasio told reporters vaccination sites and school classrooms would reopen tomorrow.
He said centres would quickly make up the two days of cancellations, regretting that the federal government was still sending insufficient numbers of doses to the city.
"I wish we had so much supply that we would have to say 'woah', we have so much to do," the mayor told reporters.
"But unfortunately because supply is limited we'll be able to catch up on those appointments very quickly and then once again we will not have supply," he added.
People enjoy new fallen snow in Central Park - REUTERS/Mike Segar
06:15 PM
'We have a long way to go', says Northern Ireland's CMO
Northern Ireland's chief medical officer has urged all people who have been vaccinated against coronavirus to continue following public health measures.
Dr Michael McBride said those who have been inoculated, while protected themselves, may still be able to pass the virus on to others.
The warning came as Northern Ireland passed the landmark of 250,000 jabs administered. On Tuesday, 258,311 jabs had been given, with 233,429 first doses and 24,882 second doses.
However Dr McBride said difficult months still lie ahead.
"It will be some many weeks before we see the vaccine doing the heavy lifting in terms of reducing the number of people requiring hospital care," he said.
"We really do need to stick with this, we need to continue to follow all of the public health advice, abide by the restrictions. We have a long way to go."
He said there is increasing evidence of the spread of new variants in Northern Ireland, with the more infectious Kent strain now thought to account for 50-60% of cases in the region.
06:06 PM
Working day is two hours longer because of coronavirus
The average working day has lengthened by two hours because of Covid, a study has found, prompting fears that toiling into the night could become “the new normal”.
NordVPN Teams, which provides software to companies, compared load on its business servers in January to 2020, both before and after lockdown measures were introduced, and found that British workers have stretched their average working week by 25 per cent, an increase of 10 hours.
This is in contrast to countries like Denmark, Belgium and Spain, which had returned to their pre-quarantine levels of working in January.
Employees in the UK, Austria, Canada and the US are still working longer with a “sustained” two and a half hour increase to the average workday across those countries, it said.
In more vaccine news: Peru has approved Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for one year, according to a regulatory filing viewed by Reuters, amid a recent spike in cases that has brought local hospitals to the brink of collapse.
The one-year registration makes the Pfizer vaccine, co-developed with German partner BioNTech, the second to be approved this year by health authorities in Peru.
Regulators last week authorised the "exceptional" import and use of one million doses of a vaccine produced by Chinese laboratory Sinopharm. That batch is due to arrive on Feb. 9.
The announcements come amid a second wave of contagions that last week led interim President Francisco Sagasti to announce a total lockdown of the capital Lima and nine other regions.
Foreign Minister Elizabeth Astete said last week the government was "very close" to sealing a deal with the Pfizer laboratory to purchase 9.9 million doses of its vaccine. The first 1.8 million would arrive in Peru during the first quarter, she said.
Peru has also locked in agreements with AstraZeneca and has said it is in advanced negotiations with Johnson & Johnson to acquire five million vaccines later this year.
05:45 PM
Boris Johnson: Sir Tom's 'legacy will long live after him'
The Prime Minister has recorded a video message following the sad news that Captain Sir Tom Moore has died aged 100:
Captain Sir Tom Moore was a hero in the truest sense of the word. His legacy will long live after him. pic.twitter.com/0Zn56gThCC
Oxford vaccine protects against hospitalisation for three months
As we reported a moment ago, new trial data analysing the efficacy of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine in the three months after one jab has come out this afternoon - and the results are good news.
The jab provides 76 per cent efficacy against symptomatic infection for three months after a single dose, and protects 100 per cent against hospitalisation.
Prof Katie Ewer, who is part of the team behind the vaccine, has posted a useful thread going through the data on Twitter. Here's a key extract - you can read it in full here.
Finally, reduction in any PCR+ (symptomatic or asymptomatic) of 54% after 2 doses, indicating the potential for reducing transmission. Overall, the Oxford/AZ vaccine has 76% efficacy against symptomatic COVID19 infection, prevents hospitalisation and reduces transmission! 🙂
Watch: Sturgeon announces schools in Scotland will reopen after February half-term
05:30 PM
Single dose of Oxford vaccine prevents hospitalisation with Covid for 12 weeks, trial finds
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine provides 76 per cent efficacy against symptomatic infection for three months after a single dose, with efficacy improving when a second jab is given later, according to a preprint study.
The paper - published this afternoon by Oxford University researchers - found that efficacy increases from 54.9 per cent when the doses are administered at an interval of less than six weeks, to 82.4 per cent when spaced 12 or more weeks apart.
Researchers involved in the trial said the findings supported the decision made by the UK to extend the interval between initial doses and booster doses of the shot to 12 weeks.
"These new data provide an important verification of the interim data that was used by more than 25 regulators... to grant the vaccine emergency use authorisation," said Prof Andrew Pollard, chief investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial, and co-author of the paper.
"It also supports the policy recommendation made by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for a 12-week prime-boost interval, as they look for the optimal approach to roll out, and reassures us that people are protected from 22 days after a single dose of the vaccine," he added.
The study also found that the vaccine may reduce transmission by 67 per cent after one dose, according to analysis of volunteers in the UK arm of the phase three trial.
05:12 PM
'Shot ship': Passenger ship repurposed as vaccination centre
An 89-year-old passenger ship, out of commission due to the pandemic, has been re-purposed as a Covid-19 vaccination centre for thousands of residents from cities on Lake Constance.
The 500-passenger MS Thurgau normally carries tourists and commuters between German and Swiss cities on Europe's third-largest lake. In coming weeks it will serve as a floating inoculation hub for northern Swiss towns Romanshorn, Arbon and Kreuzlingen.
Regional officials emphasided the ship's practicality since it can sail from harbor to harbor, earning it the nickname "vaccine vaporetto" with some locals.
"I've heard of a fondue ship, and a spaghetti ship, but this is my first shot ship," Switzerland's Health Minister Alain Berset told reporters just after the first people to be vaccinated walked the gangway.
Switzerland reported just over 1,600 new infections tidat, bringing its total to 526,000, with the cases of fast-spreading variants doubling every week. Nearly 8,800 people have died.
Aboard MS Thurgau there are two shot stations capable of vaccinating 24 people per hour - one every five minutes - or 168 people daily during a seven-hour shift.
MS Thurgau in Romanshorn - REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
05:05 PM
Watch: 'Critical' those in South African variant test areas stay at home, says Hancock
04:58 PM
As Covid creeps across Africa, ageing leaders are dropping like flies
Thanks to its young and mainly rural population, Africa has avoided the catastrophic coronavirus death tolls seen in the West, Will Brown and Peta Thornycroft write.
But as the virus silently creeps across the continent, ageing government ministers, officials and social elites in some African countries seem to be succumbing to Covid-19 at an alarming rate.
Take eSwatini, formerly Swaziland. With its population of 1.1 million, the southern African kingdom is one of the world’s smallest nations. But since the pandemic began it has lost two cabinet ministers and its Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini to Covid-19.
In South Africa, Zindzi Mandela, 59, the youngest child of Nelson Mandela, tested positive for Covid-19 in July and died shortly afterwards.
More recently, 62-year-old Jackson Mthembu, a much-loved cabinet minister within South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office died of the disease in Johannesburg.
Back to the sad news that Captain Sir Tom Moore, who shot to fame last year for walking laps of his garden to raise money for the NHS, has died after testing positive for Covid-19 at the age of 100.
Tributes have flooded in, here's a selection.
The Queen has sent a private message to his family:
The Queen is sending a private message of condolence to the family of Captain Sir Tom Moore.
Her Majesty very much enjoyed meeting Captain Sir Tom and his family at Windsor last year. Her thoughts and those of the Royal Family are with them. pic.twitter.com/nl1krvoUlW
France approves Oxford vaccine - but only for under 65s
France's top health advisory body has approved the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, four days after a green light given by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
But it said the shot should only be administered to those aged under 65, following similar decisions from Sweden, Poland and Germany (see 3:08pm).
The Haute Autorite de la Sante (HAS), an independent body whose recommendations are usually closely followed by the government, added that people aged 50 to 65 with health issues and medical staff should get priority access to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
04:34 PM
Afternoon news summary
Here's a quick look at today's developments:
First, in sad news, Captain Sir Tom Moore has died at the age of 100 after testing positive for Covid-19, his daughters Hannah and Lucy have said in a statement.
Door-to-door deliveries of thousands of Covid-19 tests aiming to catch cases of the South African variant are under way in eight areas in England.
This comes as officials have warned that the Kent coronavirus variant is mutating to mimic the South African variant - experts are concerned the latter may evade some vaccines.
The Government also said it will extend mass testing to Bristol and Liverpool after 43 "mutations of concern" were detected.
More than a hundred care homes in England have not been able to receive vaccines because they have current outbreaks, the Health Secretary has said.
In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has announced plans to reopen schools for the youngest children on February 22.
Michael Gove has warned that the EU caused "damage" in Northern Ireland and "eroded trust" by moving to block the free flow of vaccines on the island of Ireland.
And in research news, two studies have suggested that Covid-19 survivors may only need one jab, as who have already been infected with the virus had a far higher antibody response following vaccination.
And a quick look at the global headlines:
Russia's Sputnik V vaccine proved to be almost 92% effective in protecting against Covid-19, according to data published in the Lancet.
The European Union tightened its rules for visitors from outside the bloc, specifying that they would only be allowed in freely from countries with very few cases and almost none of the more transmissible variants.
Vietnam's health minister said a newly detected outbreak that has infected 301 people and spread to 10 provinces and cities was caused by the more contagious UK variant of the coronavirus.
Japan has said it will hold the Summer Olympics regardless of the situation with the pandemic, and plans to begin vaccinations in mid-February.
Sweden, Poland and France have followed Germany and approved the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine only for those under the age of 65.
And finally, the Netherlands plans to reopen primary schools and nurseries after a report showed young children are not more likely to spread the British variant of coronavirus.
04:16 PM
Captain Sir Tom Moore dies aged 100: How he inspired the nation
04:13 PM
How Capt Tom Moore captured our hearts in the hardest of times
For almost a century Tom Moore, an Army captain in the Second World War, had lived his life in pretty much total obscurity, writes Robert Mendick.
Then in the days before his 100th birthday and gripped by the boredom of lockdown, he hit upon a modest plan to keep himself active and raise money for the NHS in the process.
Beginning on April 6 last year, he set out to complete 100 laps of his daughter’s back garden in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, over the course of the next ten days. The goal was to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together.
But the 99-year-old man on a mission caught the public’s imagination. Perhaps like never before.
By the time he reached his 100th birthday on April 30, the £1,000 target had been passed 32,000 times over.
Captain Tom, as Britain now knew him, had raised more than £32million, a world record and more than five times the previous highest amount set set on the JustGiving website.
Captain Sir Tom Moore dies after testing positive for Covid-19
Captain Sir Tom Moore has died at the age of 100 after testing positive for Covid-19.
The charity fundraiser was taken to Bedford Hospital on Sunday after being treated for pneumonia for some time and testing positive for Covid-19 last week.
In a statement, his daughters Hannah and Lucy said: "It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our dear father, Captain Sir Tom Moore.
"We are so grateful that we were with him during the last hours of his life; Hannah, Benjie and Georgia by his bedside and Lucy on FaceTime. We spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. We shared laughter and tears together.
"The last year of our father's life was nothing short of remarkable. He was rejuvenated and experienced things he'd only ever dreamed of."
The UK government has reported that an additional 1,449 people have died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, taking the total toll to 103,602 people since the virus reached Britain.
An additional 16,840 people have also tested positive for the coronavirus, which is the lowest daily rise since early December.
Today's figures compare to 20,089 cases and 1,631 deaths reported last Tuesday.
Official data also shows that 9.65 million people have been given the first dose of a vaccine, up from a figure of 9.29 million people announced on Monday.
04:02 PM
Wales calls for 'five nations' approach to travel quarantine rules
The Welsh Government has called for a "five-nations" approach to quarantine rules for travel.
It comes Nicola Sturgeon announced that Scotland will introduce a "managed quarantine" system, warning that the current UK government approach may miss emerging variants.
"We need a five-nations approach to this issue, with the administrations of the UK and the Republic of Ireland working closely together," a spokesman from the Welsh Government said.
"A joint approach would benefit all and bring greater protections to these islands. While we support quarantine for travellers from red-list countries, we believe this is the bare minimum, and any plans should go further.
"We will continue to make the case to the UK Government to do more to stop the risk and spread of new variants entering the UK."
03:55 PM
Today in photos
Peshawar, Pakistan:
School staff check the temperatures of students as they arrive on the first day of primary school, after the resumption of classes in Peshawar - BILAWAL ARBAB/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Wuhan, China:
Peter Daszak (R), Vladimir G. Dedkov( L) and other members of the WHO team investigating the origins of the Covid-19 coronavirus, leave the Hubei Center for animal disease control and prevention - Hector RETAMAL / AFP
Woking, UK:
A police officer is seen at Woking Fire Station, amid the mass-testing campaign to identify cases of new coronavirus variants - REUTERS/Hannah McKay
Moscow, Russia:
Units of a temporary Covid-19 facility of Hospital No 67 at Krylatskoye Ice Palace. - Valery Sharifulin/TASS
03:45 PM
Survivors of fatal avalanche fined €400 for breaking coronavirus rules
The survivors of an avalanche in which one skier died will be fined €400 each for violating coronavirus restrictions, Erica Di Blasi reports.
A group of ski mountaineers, who practise a variety of the sport that typically involves straying far from the pistes used by recreational skiers, were caught in an avalanche on Saturday at about 2,800m in the Cuneo area of northern Italy. One of the group was killed.
The skiers had come from another part of the Piedmont region, Verbano, and had in the process broken coronavirus rules.
At the time of the incident Piedmont was an "orange zone", Italy's middle tier, and in orange zones people are permitted to ski only in their local area. Piedmont moved down to the less restrictive "yellow" level of restrictions yesterday.
The eight survivors of the avalanche have been told by the Carabinieri, Italy's paramilitary police force, that they face fines of €400 each for breaking the rules.
03:38 PM
Hancock: 110 care homes haven't receive jabs due to outbreaks
More than a hundred care homes in England have not been able to receive coronavirus vaccines because they have current outbreaks, the Health Secretary has said.
Matt Hancock said there are 110 care homes across England where the vaccine programme has not yet started due to outbreaks.
On Monday, NHS England said elderly residents at more than 10,000 eligible care homes had been offered the jab, with the Prime Minister calling this a "crucial milestone".
Mr Hancock told the House of Commons on Tuesday: "I'm delighted that we've been able to reach so many care homes. I said in my statement that we have reached 10,307 care homes, that's in England.
"There are 110 care homes where the vaccination programme is still outstanding because they've had outbreaks and, for clinical reasons, the vaccination programme can't start there.
"But it will as soon as it's clinically possible."
03:28 PM
Watch: EU 'eroded trust' by moving to block vaccines to Northern Ireland, says Gove
03:22 PM
Global vaccination gaps 'akin to letting your worst enemy develop the Death Star
Campaigners have warned that a failure to accelerate vaccinations across the globe is "akin to letting your worst enemy develop the Death Star before you fight back".
Speaking after the UK rolled out a set of new measures to curtail the spread of new variants Romilly Greenhill, UK Director of ONE, said global vaccination coverage gaps will lead to many more mutations
"These dangerous new strains show that we’re in an arms race against the virus, one we must win," he said.
"Letting the virus evolve and mutate rather than doing everything needed to vaccinate the whole world as soon as possible is akin to letting your worst enemy develop the Death Star before you fight back,
"The only way to counter this danger is for all countries to massively increase the pace at which they are producing vaccines and come up with a plan to get doses to every corner of the planet as quickly as possible."
Mr Greenhill added that Britain should use it's leadership of the G7 to "play a key role" in developing a "workable plan to get vaccines to everyone who needs them around the world".
03:14 PM
Netherlands set to reopen nursery and primary schools
The Netherlands plans to reopen primary schools and nurseries after a report showed young children are not more likely to spread the British variant of coronavirus.
The government's Outbreak Management Team of experts recommended that schools reopen but warned the move would risk increased hospital and intensive care admissions.
Some members of the team argued against reopening schools, which were shut at the start of the second Dutch lockdown in mid-December.
Mark Rutte, the prime minister, is expected to announce on Tuesday night that primary schools and nurseries will reopen on February 8. Secondary schools and after-school clubs will remain closed.
The report is based on the results of an investigation into an outbreak of the British variant at a primary school in the village of Lansingerland. The investigation found children were not the main driver of new infections, as had first been feared.
Sweden joins Germany and Poland: AZ vaccine not give to over 65s
Back to vaccine news: Richard Orange reports that Sweden has followed Germany and Poland (see 12:10pm) and recommended the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is only used in those under the age of 65.
Sören Andersson, from Sweden's Public Health Agency of Sweden, said there is limited evidence of efficacy among those over 55. But he added his agency is confident the vaccine will also give protection to those who are slightly older.
"There are data results regarding immune responses in higher age groups that clearly indicate that you get an immune response that is comparable to younger people," he said. "This suggests that we can go over 55."
When the European Medicines Agency approved the vaccine on Friday, experts also stressed the lack of data on its effectiveness in the over 55s. But they concluded that protection was expected, so the vaccine can be given to older people - in line with UK regulators.
At Sweden's conference today, the agency also reported that genetic sequencing last week of virus samples taken across four regions had suggested that the so-called UK variant, B.1.1.7, was spreading.
The variant was identified in 250 of the 2,200 samples, indicating a prevalence of about 11 percent.
"It is probably that this variant is going to take over and dominate the number of cases," Sara Byfors, a division chief at the agency, said.
02:54 PM
Will Sturgeon's announcements cause trouble for Johnson?
According to Sky's political correspondent, Joe Pike, the answer to that question is yes.
-By introducing tougher border restrictions in Scotland meaning everyone arriving from abroad will go into 'managed quarantine'. -By starting the phased return of Scottish schools on 22nd Feb, a fortnight before England.
China arrests 80 people for producing counterfeit Covid jabs
Moving away from Scotland for a moment, Chinese police have arrested more than 80 people who were making counterfeit Covid-19 vaccines, state media has reported.
It comes as China races to inoculate millions before the Lunar New Year holiday.
The gang had been putting saline water into vials and selling them as Covid-19 vaccines in an operation that had been running since last September, according to Xinhua news agency.
Police swooped on several locations across Beijing and multiple cities in the eastern provinces of Jiangsu and Shandong, seizing "more than 3,000 fake Covid-19 vaccines on the spot," Xinhua said.
It has not been made public how many vaccines were sold, but police have traced where the vaccines ended up, it said.
02:43 PM
Sturgeon: We hope to start opening schools on Feb 22
Addressing schools, Nicola Sturgeon says that closing schools remains "necessary" to protect the country from Covid, but she is "acutely aware" of the knock on effects on children's mental health and parents balancing work and home learning.
She says she has to be "candid" that there is limited room for manoeuvre. But she says "if we all do agree to continue with restrictions for a little bit longer" she is optimist that schools can start to reopen before the end of the month.
From the 22 February, following the midterm break, there will be a phased return to school, she says - though these plans are subject to approval in two weeks time, depending on coronavirus data.
This includes:
A full time return of early learning and childcare for all children below school age;
Full time return to school for pupils in primaries 1 - 3
Part time return, "on a very limited basis", for senior phase pupils to allow in-school practical work that is necessary for the completion of national qualifications. This means initially only 5 to 8 per cent of secondary school children should be back
Sturgeon also spends a significant amount of time talking about expanding access to tests. She says those who work in schools and nurseries will be offered biweekly tests.
More broadly, she adds that everyone on an income below the real living wage will be able to access £500 of support to self isolate to ensure people stay at home.
02:36 PM
Scotland introduce 'managed quarantine' for all international arrivals
In order to minimise new strains "managed quarantine" must be more comprehensive, Nicola Sturgeon says, warning that the current UK government approach may miss emerging variants.
She says that, as a result, Scotland is introducing an across-the-board hotel quarantine system for anyone arriving directly into Scotland from any other country.
More details about when this will be operational and how it will be managed will be unveiled as soon as possible.
Sturgeon says that managing the introduction of new variants will also protect the vaccination roll out.
To date in Scotland 610,778 people have had their first jab - including 98 per cent of all residents in care homes, a "truly extraordinary uptake" far above the annual flu jab.
02:31 PM
Scotland: Lockdown extended until at least the end of February
Nicola Sturgeon starts her Holyrood by going through the latest statistics, suggesting they show "real progress" although continue to be fragile.
Pressure on the NHS continues to be severe, she adds, with the number of people in hospital still 30 per cent higher than the first peak. But admissions appear to have peaked are are falling, albeit slowly.
Ms Sturgeon warns that if restrictions were lifted now there is a "real risk" that they could rise rapidly - especially considering the new highly infectious variant - as cases remain higher than in the week before Christmas.
She adds that five cases of the South Africa mutation have been identified in Scotland - but they are all linked to travel. Across Scotland the UK variant now accounts for 73 per cent of cases.
On to schools - she hints that the Government hope to get children back in the classroom "before the end of the month".
To achieve this, though, current restrictions must be kept in place. She says she hopes they may be able to be eased in early March but will provide another update on this in two weeks time.
02:24 PM
Sturgeon set to speak to MPs
From one briefing to another - Nicola Sturgeon is expected to deliver an update on current restrictions in Scotland in the next few minutes.
Much of this is likely to be focused around reopening schools and nurseries.
You can watch live via the stream at the top of this blog.
02:17 PM
Watch: Door-to-door testing begins in Surrey to curb spread of virus
02:10 PM
Pfizer vaccine 'appears to be effective' against UK variant, B.1.1.7
A vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech appears to be effective against the UK variant, according to two lab studies.
But experts from the University of Cambridge found that when a mutation, known as E484K, was introduced to the variant, "substantially higher levels of antibody were required" to neutralise the virus.
According to the scientists, their findings, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, suggest the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine may be less effective when dealing with the E484K mutation.
It comes following the news of a report from Public Health England which revealed that a handful of cases of the UK variant have been shown to contain this mutation.
It was previously thought the E484K mutation was not present in the UK variant, also known as B.1.1.7.
"B.1.1.7 will continue to acquire mutations seen in the other variants of concern, so we need to plan for the next generation of vaccines to have modifications to account for new variants," said Professor Ravi Gupta, who led the study.
"We also need to scale up vaccines as fast and as broadly as possible to get transmission down globally."
02:06 PM
Recap: Scottish schools set for return as adviser hails 'progress' against Covid
Nicola Sturgeon is set to announce the return of Scottish schools, as the country makes "progress" against coronavirus, one of the Government's top advisers has signalled.
Professor Jason Leitch, the national clinical director of the Scottish Government, said he had recommended that younger children should return to school soon - but older pupils may have to wait longer.
Ms Sturgeon, the First Minister, will update MSPs at 2.30pm on changes decided by the Cabinet.
"We're heading in the right direction," Prof Leitch told the BBC on Tuesday.
"I can break the secret - you definitely won't see all of lockdown lifted, but there is progress and therefore you've got to think, as public health advisers, what is the first thing you should do?
"The most important thing is children. That's what we've trailed in the last few weeks that, if we can, we will get some kids back to school."
In England, Boris Johnson has ordered ministers to ramp up preparations for the return to school, The Telegraph understands.
Prof Chris Whitty, England's Chief Medical Officer, has privately told the PM that Britain is likely past the peak of new infections.
01:56 PM
Rhino poaching fell amid coronavirus lockdown
The number of rhinos killed in South Africa last year dropped by 33 percent, official figures showed Monday, partly helped by a coronavirus national lockdown which severely limited movement by poachers.
But the gains were marginally reversed when movement restrictions were loosened.
At least 394 rhinos were slaughtered in 2020, down from the 594 recorded the previous year, Environment Minister Barbara Creecy said in a statement.
Most of the rhinos - 245 - were killed in the Kruger National Park, a tourist magnet bordering Mozambique.
"During the Covid hard lockdown period we had a significant reduction in poacher incursions into the Kruger," said Ms Creecy.
01:48 PM
School reopening must be based on 'solid criteria'
Nicola Sturgeon is set to give an update at 2:30 when she will address the return of Scotland's schools.
But, according to Professor Anthony Costello, of University College London's Institute for Global Health, the opening of schools "should be based on solid criteria of the risk from local community prevalence,"
He told the All-Party Group on Coronavirus today that the UK is diverse in risk and there would be various risks.
"I think in terms of opening schools, it should be based on solid criteria of the risk from local community prevalence" he said.
"In addition to all of that even if we have to keep some schools shut longer than others, putting in place a proper plan to support all of the kids and all of the children who need access to online learning because I am in no doubt this is having a devastating impact on our children and we have got to do something to ameliorate that - whether we can open schools or not."
01:43 PM
Snowstorm wreaks havoc on New York vaccine roll out
Moving away from the UK for a moment, a huge snowstorm has brought chaos to the United States' east coast.
Airports have been shuttered, schools closed and officials have been forced to postpone coronavirus vaccinations into as New York City steels itself for possibly one of its heaviest ever snowfalls.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued storm warnings from Virginia to Maine - home to tens of millions of people - as heavy snow mixed with wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour spurred blizzards along the eastern seaboard.
New York declared a state of emergency restricting non-essential travel, moved all children back to remote learning and rescheduled long-awaited vaccine shots as some parts of the city were hit by more than 18 inches (1.5 feet) of snow.
CNN meteorologists said that figure could reach two feet before the storm comes to an end.
A snow covered street in midtown New York - Angela Weiss / AFP
People push a taxi cab stuck on snow covered street - Angela Weiss / AFP
01:32 PM
Hancock: 'We must all keep at it'
Matt Hancock is speaking to MPs in the House of Commons.
He starts his statement by reiterating many of the stats we heard last night - including that 1 in 60 adults in England received a jab at the weekend and all eligible care homes, some 10,307, have been offered vaccines.
He says that today the Government published new guidelines outlining how MPs can help to increase the take-up of jabs in their area. He says that uptake is "directly linked" to how quickly life can return to normal.
Mr Hancock also addresses the roll out of mass testing to try to contain the South Africa variant - at least 105 cases have so far been identified across the UK. Today local authorities started to test some 80,000 people in eight areas.
He says that testing will also be boosted in Liverpool and Bristol - where 11 and 32 "mutations of concern" have been identified respectively.
"The message is more important than ever: stay at home, maintain social distancing and get tested... we must all keep at it."
On testing, the Health Secretary says that more and more employers are rolling out mass testing at work - including in Parliament (see previous post).
Mr Hancock ends with a note on HIV. It is currently HIV test week and he urges people to get tested for the virus. He also wishes Lord Norman Fowler a happy 83rd birthday - he was key in efforts to raise awareness about the disease in the 1980s.
The Health Secretary sasy the UK aims to eradicate transmission of HIV/Aids by the end of the decade. The fight against the virus demonstrates that "even when faced with a mountain of challenges, science, ingenuity and a mountain of effort" can lead us forward, Mr Hancock says.
01:21 PM
Lindsay Hoyle: Testing for MPs is a 'great step forward'
Testing for MPs and staff on the parliamentary estate has been a "great step forward", the Commons Speaker has said.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle said a 45-minute test was "part of a suite of measures introduced by House authorities to give reassurance to all those who have to be on-site".
"While we have asked Members to participate in business virtually, and House staff on the estate to be kept to a bare minimum, we have to accept that some people need to be here," he said.
"So, I am really pleased we are now in a position to enable every MP and staff member the chance of a test, to help stop this awful virus in its tracks.
"Almost overnight we have turned a large committee room in Portcullis House into a sanitised testing centre with clinical assistants working every weekday to keep safe those who have to be here."
Health Secretary Matt Hancock takes a coronavirus test at a new Covid-19 testing facility in the Houses of Parliament in London watched by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle - Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire
Mr Hancock is also due to address the Commons in the next few minutes. We will bring you the latest or you can watch live at the top of this liveblog.
01:14 PM
Trials 'could begin next week' to combine Sputnik V and Oxford jabs
One of the backers of the Sputnik V jab, which has been found to be 91.6 per cent effective in phase three trials (see 12:45pm), has said studies to combine the vaccine with the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot may start next week.
"We generally believe that two shots of different vaccines, AstraZeneca and Sputnik, may actually work better because immunity gets stronger," Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, told BBC Radio 4.
"We believe this is the best way to fight mutations."
He added that the UK has not yet approached Russia about using the vaccine, but "many EU nations" have.
"Once we have proven the efficacy of AstraZeneca-Sputnik combination, I think its possible to have a discussion with the UK," Dmitriev said.
He added that a single dose of the Sputnik V jab costs roughly £7, meaning it is one of the cheapest available - alongside the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
The Russian jab can also be stored in a fridge, making roll out substantially easier than for shots like Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine - which must be deep frozen.
01:08 PM
Happy Birthday JVT
Moving away from the seemingly never ending vaccine and variant news, today is Jonathan Van Tam's birthday.
The deputy chief medical officer has become a firm favourite for his endless metaphors - often involving football or trains.
This is a fun insight into his student days via Times Radio:
On Jonathan Van Tam's birthday, a Times Radio listener says Van Tam was a university contemporary of his and remembers him dancing to Van Halen’s 'Jump' at a party.
Vaccines for new variants 'can be created in weeks'
Vaccines to tackle new strains of coronavirus could be created for laboratory testing in just three weeks, a leading scientists has said.
Professor Robin Shattock, who is leading Covid-19 vaccine research at Imperial College London, said scientists are working on vaccines which could counter new variants like the one that emerged in South Africa.
After being redesigned for lab testing, it could take two to three months to get the vaccines to the manufacturing stage, he added.
Prof Shattock told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We can go from seeing these changes to making a new vaccine in the laboratory in a period of about three weeks.
"But then to actually get them manufactured, that would take two to three months to get to the manufacturing stage and into the clinic - that's still quite fast."
He added that scientists at Oxford University are already working on vaccines that are effective against new variants.
12:51 PM
Sputnik trial results 'clear', British virologists say
Two British virologists - Polly Roy and Ian Jones - have written a commentary in the Lancet which was published alongside the phase three trial results fro Sputnik V.
In it, they note that "the development of the Sputnik V vaccine has been criticised for unseemly haste, corner cutting, and an absence of transparency."
But the pair add: "The outcome reported here is clear and the scientific principle of vaccination is demonstrated, which means another vaccine can now join the fight to reduce the incidence of Covid-19."
Sputnik showed 'high efficacy' in participants aged 18 and older
Continuing from the previous post, experts involved in the development of the Sputnik V vaccine say it has shown "high efficacy" in the phase three clinical trials.
Dr Inna V Dolzhikova, co-lead author, from the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia, said: "Our interim analysis of the randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial of Gam-COVID-Vac in Russia has shown high efficacy, immunogenicity, and a good tolerability profile in participants aged 18 years or older."
Here are some key details on how the trial, results of which have been published in the Lancet today:
The trial included a total of 21,977 adults. 16,501 received the vaccine, 5,476 the placebo.
From 21 days after receiving the first dose - the day of the second dose, 16 cases of symptomatic Covid-19 were confirmed in the vaccine group, and 62 cases in the placebo group - equivalent to an efficacy of 91.6%.
The median follow-up was 48 days from the first dose, so the study cannot assess the full duration of protection.
Researchers say the vaccine induced a robust antibody response and T-cell response with data from 342 and 44 participants, respectively.
Six of the 342 participants did not mount an immune response following vaccination, possibly due to older age or individual characteristics, according to the study.
The trial included 2,144 participants more than 60 years old, and vaccine efficacy was 91.8% in this group.
The vaccine was well tolerated and safety data from 1,369 of these older adults found that the most common adverse events were flu-like symptoms and local reaction.
Authors say further research is needed to understand the efficacy of the vaccine on asymptomatic Covid-19, and transmission.
12:36 PM
Breaking: Russia Sputnik V vaccine 91.6% effective
Russia's vaccine is 91.6% effective against symptomatic coronavirus, interim trial results suggest.
No serious adverse events were deemed to be associated with vaccination, and most reported adverse events were mild, including flu-like symptoms, pain at the injection site and weakness or low energy.
Interim data from the phase three trial of the Covid-19 vaccine from Russia, Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V), suggests a two-dose regimen of the vaccine offers 91.6% efficacy.
The preliminary findings, published in The Lancet, are based on analysis of data from nearly 20,000 participants, three quarters of whom received the vaccine and one quarter received a placebo.
The jab is a two-part vaccine that includes two adenovirus vectors - recombinant human adenovirus type 26 (rAd26-S) and recombinant human adenovirus type 5 (rAd5-S) - which have been modified to express the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
12:33 PM
Death rates related to alcohol surge to new high
Death rates from alcohol reached a new high in the first nine months of 2020, new figures show.
New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that there were 5,460 deaths related to "alcohol-specific causes" between January and September last year.
This is a 16.4% increase compared with the same nine-month period in 2019.
The ONS said the alcohol-specific death rate in England and Wales reached its highest peak since 2001 in the first three months of the year.
The rate reached 12.8 deaths per 100,000 people between January and March and remained at this level between April and September, the ONS said.
But addiction charities have predicted that death rates could rise further still as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Unfortunately, we expect these figures to rise even further after the difficulties we all faced in 2020," said Nuno Albuquerque, head of treatment at the UK Addiction Treatment Group.
"We know first-hand how many people have struggled with their relationship with alcohol since the Covid-19 crisis. Our treatment facilities across the country admit more clients for alcohol addiction than any other substance and all our beds are almost full."
12:27 PM
Ursula von der Leyen refuses to resign over AstraZeneca vaccine row
Ursula von der Leyen has refused to apologise for the coronavirus vaccines row that led to Brussels threatening a hard border on the island of Ireland and demanded she only be judged in three years' time when her term of office is over.
The under-fire European Commission president made clear she would not quit over the fiasco and defended the slow pace of the EU’s vaccination rollout compared with Britain, insisting it was “safer”, in newspaper interviews aimed at quelling growing criticism of her across the bloc.
Mrs von der Leyen, whose time as Germany’s defence minister was dogged by failure, was asked how things had gone so badly wrong a week after her commission attacked AstraZeneca for failing to fulfil vaccine orders.
"People are very stressed by the ongoing corona pandemic. I fully understand that anger and emotions," she said. “In politics there are always ups and downs and even more so in times of crisis, but what matters is the final assessment."
"Let's wait until the end of the term to see the successes and mistakes and then we will take stock," Mrs von der Leyen, whose five-year term finishes at the end of 2024, added.
Mrs von der Leyen will face MEPs from pro-EU European Parliament parties in behind closed meetings about the affair this evening.
Poland to give AstraZeneca vaccine only to people aged 18-60
Poland will use the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine only for people aged 18-60, the Polish prime minister's top aide Michal Dworczyk has said this morning, following a recommendation from the country's medical council.
This comes after Germany said last week will not use the Oxford vaccine in people aged over 65 over fears it may not be effective in older age groups.
Last Friday Europe's medicines regulator recommended approving AstraZeneca and Oxford University's Covid-19 vaccine for anyone over the age of 18, the third vaccine to be cleared for use in the European Union.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said there were not yet enough results for people over the age of 55 to determine how well the vaccine would work for this group, but that protection was expected so the vaccine can be given to older people.
12:03 PM
More cases of South African variant unconnected to travel expected
There will be more South African variant cases not linked to international travel, a professor has warned.
At the moment there are 11 cases not linked to travel in the UK, and 107 in total.
But Professor Nick Loman, Professor of Microbial Genomics and Bioinformatics at the University of Birmingham said: "We'll expect to see more cases because we're only sequencing a proportion of the total number of cases, so there will be more than 11.
"It's pretty difficult to know everywhere it's been. But it's inevitable that a small fraction of people will transmit and those outbreaks can get pretty big."
Door-to-door testing begins on Tuesday targeting 80,000 people in the eight postcode areas where the 11 cases have been detected.
11:57 AM
Singapore limits contact-tracing data access after outcry
Singapore's parliament has passed legislation limiting the use of data collected for coronavirus contact-tracing after the government admitted it could be accessed by police, sparking privacy concerns.
The city-state last year rolled out a programme called "TraceTogether" for tracking close contacts of Covid-19 patients that works via both a phone app and dongle, but uptake was initially slow.
It rose to more than 80 percent of residents after government assurances the data would only be used to fight the virus and a decision to make it mandatory for accessing some public places.
But there was an outcry last month when officials admitted police could access information gathered in the scheme as part of investigations, and had already done so during a murder probe.
On Tuesday, lawmakers approved legislation limiting the cases in which police can get hold of the data.
It did not cut them off entirely but will give them access only during investigations into seven categories of serious offence, including possession of firearms, terrorism and rape.
11:45 AM
Giving forests back to communities could halt the next pandemic
Giving hunters in Central Africa control over their forests could help reduce the intensity of wildlife destruction and stop 'spillover' events, experts believe.
Read Jack Losh's dispatch from Moloukou, Central African Republic, here - or watch the video below:
11:38 AM
Southport to start testing for South Africa variant tomorrow
Testing to identify cases of the South African variant, 501Y.V2, will begin in Southport, Merseyside, Wednesday, the council has said.
A Sefton Council spokesman said a site for a mobile testing unit was being finalised and a team of people to deliver and collect home testing kits was being mobilised.
Supplies of testing kits are due to be received by the borough later today and will be delivered to people's homes from Wednesday, the authority said.
Director of public health Margaret Jones said: "Finding cases of the new South African Covid-19 variant and reducing the number of people who could be exposed to it is vital, which is why we are focusing testing facilities on the area and trying to make it as easy as possible for people to get tested.
"Anyone over 16 within the area can go along and get tested without an appointment and I would urge them to do so as soon as possible so we can nip any spread of the new variant in the bud."
Southport is one of eight areas where enhanced testing is being rolled out - see the post at 7:31am for the full list.
11:27 AM
Latest ONS figures: More than 5,000 excess deaths in week ending 22 Jan
For more on those deaths figures outlined in the previous post, the ONS has put together this Twitter thread digging into the numbers. Here are the headline figures:
Of the 18,676 deaths registered in Week 3, 8,422 mentioned #COVID19 on the death certificate (45.1% of all deaths).
Latest ONS figures: 'By now there must be well over 127,000 Covid deaths'
Earlier this morning the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics estimated that deaths in the week ending January 22 were 5,460 higher than the five-year average.
In total 18,676 fatalities were reported and almost half involved Covid-19.
The University of Cambridge's Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter explains the key elements of these figures here:
“The latest ONS data reveals that over 117,000 deaths involving Covid had occurred by 22nd January in the UK, so by now there must be well over 127,000.
“7,592 deaths with Covid as the primary underlying cause were registered in England and Wales in the week ending January 22nd. And yet only there were only 5,586 excess over the five-year average. So this means there was a substantial deficit of around 2,000 non-Covid deaths, that’s around a sixth of the 12,000 that usually occur.
“This positive finding will be partly due to social distancing almost eliminating flu, but also because so many vulnerable people, who would have died this winter, have already been part of the 75,000 excess deaths in 2020.
“The major shift towards deaths in private homes continues to grow: normally we would expect around 2,900, but 4,300 were registered, nearly 50% extra. Around 900 of these extra deaths did not involve Covid.
“Over 1,800 deaths with Covid were reported in care homes – even at the peak of the first wave, there were only three weeks in which this figure was exceeded.”
11:19 AM
France: 20% of infections in Paris linked to Kent variant
The highly contagious variant first detected in Britain now accounts for up to 20% of infections in the wider Paris region, a leading hospital executive has warned, calling for more restrictive measures to rein in the disease.
"We have initial results in the Paris region and they are not good", Remi Salomon, head of the medical committee of Paris hospitals group AP-HP told franceinfo radio. "We were at 6% to 7% on Jan 7, we reached 15% to 20% last week."
"The variant will take over, we know it and that's why the current measures will not be enough", Salomon said.
Last week President Emmanuel Macron held off from imposing a third national lockdown, instead toughening Covid-19 border controls and reinforcing a nightly curfew.
But French health authorities reported 4,347 new infections over the previous 24 hours on Monday. The seven-day moving average of daily new cases, which evens out daily reporting irregularities, now stands at 20,515 - the highest since November 23.
But the government, who will hold a dedicated coronavirus cabinet meeting on Wednesday, is hoping to avoid a third national lockdown, local media has reported.
11:10 AM
Global news summary
Just joining us? Here's a look at the international headlines to be aware of this morning:
The Tokyo 2020 President has said Japan will hold the Summer Olympics regardless of the situation with the Covid-19 pandemic, the government prepared to extend a state of emergency.
European Union curbs on exports of coronavirus vaccines could delay Japan's inoculation drive, ministers have warned.
The European Union has tightened its rules for visitors from outside the bloc, specifying that they would only be allowed in freely from countries with very few coronavirus cases and almost none of the more transmissible variants.
A team of investigators led by the World Health Organization has visited an animal health facility in China's central city of Wuhan in the search for clues about the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The United States government promised undocumented migrants the same access to vaccines as other civilians and said inoculation centres would be immigration enforcement-free zones.
Malaysia's government extended a lockdown and broad movement restrictions by two weeks as a surge in infections has pushed the cumulative total past 200,000 cases.
Dubai will start vaccinating people with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the state media office said, after receiving its first shipment from India.
10:58 AM
Mutation of 'most concern' occurred spontaneously in UK variant
The coronavirus mutation "of most concern" has occurred spontaneously in the UK variant, a professor of outbreak medicine who is part of a panel that advises the British government said on Tuesday.
The E484K mutation, which occurs on the spike protein of the virus, is the same change as has been seen in the South African and Brazilian variants that have caused international concern.
"The mutation of most concern, which we call E484K, has also occurred spontaneously in the new Kent strain in parts of the country too," said Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, said on BBC radio.
He was referring to the UK variant, which scientists call B.1.1.7 and which was first detected in the southern English county of Kent.
The fact that the E484K mutation had occurred spontaneously in Britain had already been reported in a technical briefing published by Public Health England, but this had not been widely noticed outside of scientific circles.
"A limited number of B.1.1.7 VOC (variant of concern)...genomes with E484K mutation have been detected," said the summary of the briefing.
Semple was speaking in the context of an interview about the issue of how to suppress the South African variant.
10:47 AM
The Health Secretary to make a statement at 1:30pm
Matt Hancock will speak about Covid-19 in the Commons this afternoon.
Watch and follow live here:
10:30 AM
Aston Villa 'extremely proud' that Villa Park will be used as NHS vaccine centre
Aston Villa Football Club have announced that Villa Park will now be used as a regional Covid vaccination centre for the NHS.
According to a statement released by the F.C., Villa Park will play a pivotal role as one of the vaccination hubs in the Birmingham area.
The new centre will be capable of delivering thousands of jabs per week, with flexibility to scale the operation up or down depending on supply.
Christian Purslow, Aston Villa’s CEO, said: “We are a club which takes great pride in serving the local community. There is no better way to do that at this time than by providing one of the vital vaccine centres in the city.
“We offered the use of Villa Park to the NHS immediately and we are really pleased that our stadium was chosen to carry out these life changing jabs as we hopefully progress towards a return to a more normal way of life.
“A large number of our staff will be working as volunteers in the programme and we would encourage everyone within our community who receives an offer from the NHS to have a vaccination at Villa Park to please do so.”
We are extremely proud to announce that Villa Park will be used as a regional COVID vaccination centre by the NHS.
Dubai to start vaccinating using AstraZeneca shots
Dubai will start vaccinating people with the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, the state media office said, after receiving its first shipment from India.
Dubai is already inoculating residents, free of charge, with the Pfizer-BioNTech and China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) developed vaccines.
10:14 AM
Weekly Covid deaths of care home residents 'at highest level since end of April'
Weekly registered deaths of care home residents involving coronavirus have passed 2,000 and are at their highest level since the end of April, new figures show.
There were 2,364 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 in the week ending January 22, the Office for National Statistics said.
This includes residents who died in care homes, hospitals and other settings.
This is up 37.5% from the previous week, and is the highest weekly number since the week ending May 1.
A total of 33,215 care home residents in England and Wales have now had Covid-19 recorded on their death certificate, the ONS said.
Screen grab dated from Twitter/@Boris Johnson of Downing Street issued film of the Prime Minister watching Jeanette, a 97-year-old care home resident receiving her first dose of the vaccine - Downing Street/Twitter/PA
10:07 AM
Portugal experiences surge of cases after letting loose at Christmas
After avoiding the devastation seen in nearby countries during the first wave of Covid-19, Portugal is currently reeling from a severe spike in infection, believed to have been sparked by an excessive relaxation of restrictions at Christmas and the rapid spread of the UK variant.
The number of deaths from Covid in January alone – 5,576 – constituted 45 per cent of the total caused by the virus in Portugal since the start of the pandemic.
These are the latest case rates per 100,000 people as of 29 January:
09:58 AM
Japan set to extend state of emergency
Japan is set to extend a state of emergency in Tokyo and other regions for another month on Tuesday, seeking to keep the upper hand over a COVID-19 outbreak even as daily case numbers begin to edge down.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to formally announce the extension to March 7 later in the day following a recommendation from an expert coronavirus response panel.
"The number of new coronavirus cases is falling, but caution is still needed," Katsunobu Kato, chief cabinet secretary, told reporters before the panel met. Kato added that hospitals remained full and the death rate had not fallen.
Japan has reported a total of just under 392,000 COVID-19 cases, including just over 5,800 deaths.
09:52 AM
Teachers in Turkey to be vaccinated
Teachers in Turkey will get Covid-19 vaccinations in February as they prepare for a nationwide gradual re-opening of schools as of March 1, the education minister, Ziya Selcuk, said on Tuesday.
President Tayyip Erdogan announced the re-opening on Monday after a cabinet meeting, saying some in small villages would resume general education on Feb. 15 while other grades and age groups would re-open on March 1.
In a TV address, Selcuk said all pre-schools would also re-open full-time on Feb. 15, while other grades will start March 1. "We plan to administer vaccines to our teachers, who will be starting in-person education, throughout February," he said.
Primary school students will attend class twice a week, while students in grades 8 and 12 - who are studying for high school and university exams - will attend full-time.
09:39 AM
Volunteers to start door-to-door test delivery in Woking
Around 150 volunteers are due to start the door-to-door delivery of coronavirus testing kits in Woking to help identify any cases of the South African variant in the Surrey town.
A first briefing was held on Monday morning outside the fire station, with local officials hoping the operation will take four or five days.
Plans involve delivering PCR tests, which are not compulsory, for some 9,500 residents living in an area within the GU21 postcode.
Volunteers will drop off testing kits and return later in the day to collect them before the tests are sent off to a lab to be examined for the South African strain.
Homes will be revisited on another occasion if people are not in.
A spokeswoman for Surrey County Council said the tests are to be completed by members of households over the age of 18.
09:37 AM
Virologist said those who have had Covid may only need one vaccine shot
People who have already had Covid might only need one shot of vaccine, new research has suggested.
Those who had previously infected showed far higher levels of antibodies than others, after both their first and second shots.
“I think one vaccination should be sufficient,” Florian Krammer, a virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and an author of the study told the New York Times.
“This would also spare individuals from unnecessary pain when getting the second dose, and it would free up additional vaccine doses.”
09:36 AM
Chinese vaccine syringe makers struggling to meet high demand
Chinese syringe makers are struggling to keep up with demand as ambitious vaccine rollouts strain production lines.
Huge orders from overseas are seeing companies expand manufacturing and put up prices, but some orders will not be fulfilled until the summer, Reuters reported.
China and India are the world powerhouses of syringe production, but the arrival of vaccines since December has seen orders soar.
One producer said export contracts had doubled or quadrupled in December thanks to the kick off of vaccination campaigns.
The prices of syringes have trebled since before the outbreak and production lines are now running round the clock.
"We are very careful in taking in new orders now," said an office manager at another manufacturer, Shandong Qiaosen, a supplier to Becton Dickinson that is based in the northern Chinese city of Shandong.
09:33 AM
30 fines issued following cannabis cafe raid in East London
A large group of men have been fined after attempting to flee from officers raiding a suspected cannabis cafe in Tower Hamlets, East London.
When entering the premises, officers witnessed a number of males jumping out of windows and onto the rooves of neighbouring buildings.
Officers gave chase and found 24 men hiding in a void between the buildings and a further six were found inside the premises, which was being used to smoke cannabis.
All the men were reported for £200 fines under Health Protection Regulations.
Chief Inspector Pete Shaw said: “My officers risked their own lives to apprehend a group of people who appeared to have no care for themselves or for protecting the lives of others with this brazen breach of the current restrictions."
09:26 AM
Partial school return set to be announced in Scotland
The return of some school pupils in Scotland is set to be announced, as top adviser Professor Jason Leitch claims "progress" is being made in lockdown against the coronavirus.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will update MSPs on Tuesday on changes decided by the Cabinet to the current restrictions in Scotland, which was forced into lockdown earlier this month.
National clinical director Prof Leitch told the BBC his recommendation to ministers is that younger children can return, although he is reluctant to say older pupils - who will be working towards qualifications - can do the same.
He said: "I can break the secret - you definitely won't see all of lockdown lifted, but there is progress and therefore you've got to think, as public health advisers, what is the first thing you should do?
"The most important thing is children."
Prof Leitch added that, although it looks as though some pupils will return, schools will not go back to normal.
09:23 AM
Vaccines should prevent serious illness, even in new strains
Coronavirus vaccines may be less effective against new variants of the disease but should still prevent serious illness, a senior researcher has said.
Professor Robin Shattock, who is leading Covid-19 vaccine research at Imperial College London, said scientists are working on vaccines which could counter new variants like the one that had emerged in South Africa.
"We can make these vaccines in the lab in a three-week process but then, to actually get them manufactured, that would take two to three months to get to the manufacturing stage and into the clinic," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"That is still quite fast - and we need to remember that more changes may occur - but these vaccines won't go from working well to not working at all."
09:21 AM
Sage member says South African strain has been identified in at least 30 countries
Professor Andrew Hayward was asked on Sky News about the probability of more strains entering the UK unless borders are shut completely, or unless all people entering the country are forced into hotel quarantine for 14 days.
"Well, probably in the long term, 100%," the professor of infectious disease epidemiology said.
"The nature of this virus is that it will continue to mutate, as do all viruses, and new strains will emerge and they'll emerge in many different countries in the world at different times, and you won't notice that they are spreading until such time as they are quite widespread.
"The real challenge here is that, well, yes, you can think about completely shutting the borders or having quarantine, (but) what's the endgame in that?
"Is that something that you're going to do forever, because it looks like these strains may continue to arise in the long term? So we need some sort of sustainable strategy, and I think that's very difficult for politicians to think about that."
09:15 AM
Pictured: Covid-19 home tests in Woking Fire Station being prepared for distribution
David Nolan, Group Commander for the West of Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, sorts through Covid-19 Home Testing kits waiting to be distributed at Woking Fire Station in Woking, Surrey - Steve Parsons/PA A COVID-19 home test kit is displayed at Woking Fire Station - HANNAH MCKAY/ REUTERS Group commander for West Surrey Fire and Rescue, David Nolan stacks boxes of coronavirus covid-19 testing kits in the Woking fire station - ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP
09:07 AM
Counterfeit coronavirus vaccine ring discovered in China
Chinese authorities have broken up a counterfeit coronavirus vaccine ring, arresting more than 80 suspects and confiscating 3,000 fake doses.
Suspects were arrested in several places, including China’s capital of Beijing and two provinces, Jiangsu and Shandong, according to state media.
The main suspect, a person surnamed Kong, is believed to have been selling the fake vaccines since September, which may have been intended for export abroad.
China’s foreign ministry in Beijing said on Tuesday it had “informed the relevant countries of the situation.”
Police are urging people to report suspicious activity via a hotline, and reminded the public to register for vaccines via official channels.
Health officials have so far vaccinated around 24 million people, roughly half of its goal of inoculating 50 million by the Chinese New Year holiday.
08:57 AM
11 cases of South African variant are 'tip of the iceberg', says Sage member
Andrew Hayward, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at University College London and a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the 11 cases of the South African variant identified in the community are the "tip of the iceberg".
He told Sky News: "This variant is identified through genetic sequencing and we sequence between 5% and 10% of all cases, so you can immediately tell from that that we have a big under-estimation of the number of cases."
He said the 11 could be multiplied "by quite a high level", adding: "We would expect we're seeing the tip of the iceberg of community transmission."
But he said rolling out testing is "sensible where we know that this infection is spreading in the community" and would "help to slow it down".
08:54 AM
'Almost impossible' to completely shut down the country
Professor Sir Mark Walport told Times Radio it is "almost impossible" to completely shut down the country and prevent highly transmissible new strains from other countries coming to the UK.
Asked about border closures, Sir Mark said: "There is the scientific perfect answer, and then there's the answer that policymakers will come to, which is sort of practical and achievable.
"The simple answer is, if you want to stop new variants coming to the country then you have to do everything you can to reduce travellers and isolate them as they come across the border.
"The challenge for a country like the UK, which is a major global hub where for our resilience we depend on supplies from all over the world, is whether it's practical to actually achieve that.
"I think, realistically, most people would feel that, whilst one can delay the coming in of new variants of viruses from around the world, it's almost impossible to completely close down a country and prevent that happening if there is a very highly transmissible variant."
08:48 AM
Former Sage professor 'more worried' about South American than South African
Professor Sir Mark Walport, former chief scientific adviser to the government, said he was "more worried" about the coronavirus variant which has emerged in South America over the one from South Africa.
He told Times Radio: "I'm concerned about the South African variant - it is more transmissible and the evidence is that the vaccine protects against it slightly less well - but the answer is that the current vaccine still work pretty well against this variant.
"The South African variant is an example of others that are cropping up around the world and the one I think we should be more worried about is the variant that's emerged in South America."
08:39 AM
Hotel quarantine for all countries 'unfeasible', says minister
Universities minister Michelle Donelan said a hotel quarantine for all countries - reportedly something which might be announced in Scotland - would be "unfeasible".
She told BBC Breakfast: "We have to be realistic about what we adopt and what we do, and what is deliverable as well, and also targeted in our approach to making sure that we minimise the risk and identifying those countries where we can see the risk.
"So, a blanket policy that Nicola Sturgeon is proposing would not necessarily be as effective as the one that we are suggesting, and also it's much more doable."
08:34 AM
Covid around the world, in pictures
Units of a temporary Covid-19 facility of Hospital No 67 at Krylatskoye Ice Palace, Moscow - Valery Sharifulin/TASS School staff check the temperatures of students as they arrive on the first day of primary school, after the resumption of classes in Peshawar, Pakistan - Shutterstock/Bilawal Arbab A healthcare worker directs travellers to a mandatory Covid-19 testing area at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Bloomberg/Cole Burston
08:27 AM
'I don't think there's a delay', says minister on quarantine hotels
Universities minister Michelle Donelan said Health Secretary Matt Hancock would be updating Parliament "within the week" on plans around hotel quarantine.
Asked what the reason is for a delay in bringing the policy in, she told BBC Breakfast: "I don't think there's a delay. There wasn't a timeframe set originally as to when we would announce this.
"We announced the intention of this last week in conjunction with other initiatives that we're doing, including banning travel from other countries, and the details will be announced.
"It is a logistical effort as well, as you will appreciate, and so it all needs to be laid out properly and the Health Secretary we'll be doing that."
08:21 AM
'Tricky' for Scotland to impose its own tougher border controls
On the prospect of tougher border controls, Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, told BBC Breakfast: "I think what the Scottish Government would like to do is take an approach similar to other countries where effectively a quarantine is applied to almost everybody coming in from overseas.
"What I would be prefer to be called 'supported quarantines' where people are adequately supported in a hotel or elsewhere and checked up on regularly.
"The UK Government's suggestion is that will only be from certain countries and the details of that are still not clear. The reality is that people won't necessarily travel directly - so even if you're saying people from South Africa have to quarantine, someone from South Africa might come via somewhere else."
She said that it would be "quite tricky" for Scotland to impose strict quarantine rules "unless the UK does this in a co-ordinated way".
08:17 AM
Pandemic reaches 'very perilous stage'
The coronavirus pandemic has reached a "very perilous stage", a Government minister has warned.
Universities minister Michelle Donelan said it was essential people followed the rules following the disclosure that 11 cases of a new South African variant had been identified which were not linked to travel.
"It is still a very perilous stage of this virus. We have got this new variant that is spreading so we do have to be extra vigilant and really abide by those rules to the letter, and also contemplate every action and every activity that we do," she told Sky News.
08:13 AM
Bring in hotel quarantine now, urges Mayor
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said he hoped hotel quarantine would be bought in "as soon as possible".
He told BBC Breakfast: "We haven't got a go-live date yet. I would like it to be as soon as possible but the airport's been very thorough in its preparations."
Asked if there are hotels ready and waiting, he said: "There are plenty of hotels on the Birmingham Airport campus that could be put to this use very swiftly."
08:12 AM
No apology from Von der Leyen
Our Brussels Correspondent James Crisp has been ploughing through the European newspapers after President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen gave a pooled interview.
Von Der Leyen didn't apologise for the vaccines fiasco in newspaper interviews designed to repair damage of last week's fiasco, he writes.
"Let's wait until the end of the term to see the successes and mistakes and then we will take stock, " said Von Der Leyen when asked if the vaccines fiasco had damaged her credibility. That isn't until the end of 2024.
"In politics there are always ups and downs and even more so in times of crisis, but what matters is the final assessment", she said, dodging accusations things had gone terribly wrong and definitely not saying sorry.
"People are very stressed by the ongoing corona pandemic. I fully understand that anger and emotions", she said.
"We make mistakes every day. We learn every day. That corona pandemic is like a rollercoaster. But I am convinced that we can only get out of this pandemic together. If every member state had entered the market for itself, the EU would not have had five of the six successful vaccines available now. '
08:07 AM
Mapped: The eight areas where South African variant found
Here is where the door-to-door testing will take place
08:03 AM
Sage advice to close borders was not ignored, says minister
The Government did not ignore Sage advice to close borders in order to shut out the South African variant, a minister has said.
The scientists said that the only way to 'get close' to stopping them was either by closing the borders completely or introducing mandatory quarantine measures for everyone entering Britain, according to The Times.
This morning on Times Radio, Michelle Donelan said Sage had also advised that a full border closure would be "ineffective".
She: "What they actually said was it would prove probably ineffective to completely lock down your borders, and a better strategy is quarantining and utilising testing, which is exactly what we are doing.
"At the beginning of the pandemic the World Health Organisation also suggested that closing down borders would potentially be ineffective as well."
07:57 AM
India reopens rail system for first time in 11 months
"India's business hub of Mumbai has reopened its suburban rail system for the first time in eleven months, one of the busiest in the world before the Covid-19 pandemic, in an attempt to kickstart its economy, writes Joe Wallen.
Before the pandemic, Mumbai's suburban rail transported eight million passengers daily but it is expected to be some time before trains return to this level. However, it is the latest evidence of life creeping back to pre Covid-19 normality in India, which has seen the number of new daily cases drop from a high of 90,000 in September to less than 20,000 throughout January. India also recorded the fewest weekly deaths since May, between January 25 and 31.
On Monday, the Indian Government also permitted the reopening at full capacity of swimming pools, cinemas, theatres and exhibition halls."
07:55 AM
Merkel defends EU's troubled vaccine drive
Angela Merkel on Monday defended the European Union's troubled vaccine drive, saying there were "good reasons" the rollout had got off to a slower start than in some other countries.
The Chancellor held crisis talks on Monday night with pharmaceutical executives, state premiers and European Commission officials over Germany's slow rollout of the vaccine.
Only about 2.8 out of every 100 people have been vaccinated in Germany, compared with 9.7 in the US and more than 14 in Britain.
"It is true that in some areas, the pace became slower, but there were good reasons for it to be slower," Mrs Merkel told reporters in Berlin. “There will be no shortage of money or commitment” to meet the target, she said, but admitted that Germany's current production schedule does not allow for a more aggressive rollout.
07:41 AM
You can catch South African strain if you've had Covid already, says professor
Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, said it may be possible for people to become infected with the South African variant even if they have had Covid-19 in the past.
She told BBC Breakfast: "South Africa is a country that has really struggled during this pandemic and we have had rates on reinfection there.
"If someone in the UK has been infected with Sars-CoV-2 and become unwell with Covid-19 in the past, it might be potentially, if they come into contact with this variant, they may become unwell again.
"That's why it's really important to do this surge testing and try and find the cases and support people to self-isolate."
07:38 AM
Person who caught South African variant in Midlands acted 'incredibly responsibly'
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said the one person detected with the South African strain in the West Midlands had acted in an "incredibly responsible" way.
Asked if they knew how the person got the virus, he told BBC Breakfast: "We can't be certain where they got it from, we do know that the person was incredibly responsible, followed all of the advice impeccably actually. So, we hope that it has not been passed on.
"The purpose of this testing in the immediate area is to identify if there are any other cases there. So, it's about rooting it out if it's there."
07:31 AM
The eight postcode areas where South African variant exists
The eight postcode areas at the epicentre of the intensified testing programme, after 107 cases of the South Africa strain were identified in total, are:
Hanwell, west London
Tottenham, north London
Mitcham, south London
Walsall in the West Midlands
Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
Maidstone, Kent
Woking, Surrey
Southport, Merseyside
07:20 AM
Today's front page
Here is your Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, Feb 2.
dt
06:25 AM
EU curbs could delay Japan vaccine rollout
European Union curbs on exports of novel coronavirus vaccines could delay Japan's inoculation drive, the minister in charge of the campaign has said, while the government is expected to extend a state of emergency in a bid to rein in the epidemic.
Japan is set to begin its vaccination campaign this month, later than most major economies, and any delay could sow doubts about a government aim to secure enough doses for everyone before the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
"The EU has enacted this export transparency mechanism, and it is affecting Japan's supply schedule," Taro Kono, the minister in charge of the vaccine effort, told reporters.
Kono did no elaborate on the length of any possible delay.
Japan is relying on foreign vaccine manufacturers and Kono warned last week that growing nationalism over the shots could lead to retaliation and disruptions to global supplies.
Japan has secured rights to more than 500 million vaccine doses from several Western developers, more than enough for its 126 million population.
But the dependence on overseas makers and a requirement that the vaccines go through domestic trials have delayed its campaign.
05:41 AM
Merkel's dilemma
As Angela Merkel sat down to crisis talks with vaccine manufacturers on Monday, she faced a dilemma.
The veteran chancellor has had a good pandemic until now. But the European vaccine debacle has hit Germany hard, and Mrs Merkel has a tough choice to make. At home, there are calls to abandon any semblance of solidarity with the European Union and follow Britain’s lead in going it alone to secure enough vaccines for her people.
But on the wider European stage she has dominated for more than a decade, she faces nervousness and suspicion from EU partners who fear Germany may be about to abandon them in the race for vaccinations.
Germany’s highest-selling newspaper, Bild, made its preference clear on Monday in an editorial for “National bulk orders of the best vaccines the world can offer, if necessary outside the EU — no matter the cost.”
A runny nose should be counted as a Covid symptom, GPs have said.
A group of more than 140 doctors, writing in the British Medical Journal, are urging the chief medical officer to include symptoms like a running or blocked nose, muscle pain, and headaches as criteria for a test.
They say at the moment they are having to encourage patients who turn out to have coronavirus to lie about their symptoms in order to access a test, which means that far too many cases are being missed.
Dr Alex Sohal, an East London GP and lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, said she is regularly reviewing patients with mild symptoms – for example, a runny or blocked nose, sore throat, hoarseness, muscle pain, fatigue, and headache – who subsequently turn out to be Covid positive.
She writes: “These patients have frequently not even considered that they may have Covid-19 and have not self-isolated in the crucial early days when they were most infectious.”
03:17 AM
PM pushes to reopen schools as Covid cases fall
Boris Johnson has ordered ministers to ramp up preparations for reopening schools after being told the UK is now past the peak of the current wave of coronavirus.
The Prime Minister has made it clear that the Government’s immediate focus must be on education and is expected to announce further measures to help children catch up after almost a year of disruption.
Mr Johnson's optimism on school reopening is built on the success of the vaccination programme.
The Telegraph has learned that from next week, over-65s will be invited to book appointments for vaccinations, in the clearest sign to date that the Government expects to beat its target of offering jabs to all over-70s by February 15.
Ursula von der Leyen on Monday pinned the blame for the vaccine fiasco that led Brussels to threaten a hard border on the island of Ireland on her trade commissioner
The French government ratcheted up a war of words with Marine Le Pen after the far-Right leader accused President Emmanuel Macron of wasting time over Covid border closures, saying they offered “no magic wand”
