Oxford vaccine a 'winning formula,' says AstraZeneca chief
Max Stephens
·48 min read
AstraZeneca chief Pascal Soriot said researchers had found the 'winning formula' for the vaccine - John Cairns /University of Oxford
The chief executive of AstraZeneca has raised hopes its vaccine with Oxford is more effective than first thought amid the rapid spread of the new UK virus strain across the globe.
Pascal Soriot said he believed researchers had found the "winning formula" using two doses and promised to publish the results as reports suggested the UK regulator could approve the jab within days.
It comes after The Department of Health said the medicines regulator must be given time to carry out its review of the data of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
The Government is aiming for two million people to receive their first dose of either the Oxford vaccine or the Pfizer jab within a fortnight as part of a major ramping up of the inoculation programme.
Meanwhile countries across Europe have launched a mass vaccination drive today with pensioners and medics lining up to get the first doses.
With job cuts, caring and family responsibilities, 2020 took a disproportionate toll on working women, says Christine Armstrong .
A German pilot, Samy Kramer, has traced a giant syringe in the sky, flying 200 kilometres to remind people about the start of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign in Europe.
South Africa mulls new restrictions as cases near 1 million
As South Africa's Covid-19 spike has taken the country to nearly 1 million confirmed cases, President Cyril Ramaphosa called an emergency meeting today of the National Coronavirus Command Council.
The country's new variant of coronavirus, 501.V2, is more contagious and has quickly become dominant in many areas of the resurgence, according to experts.
With South Africa's hospitals reaching capacity and no sign of the new surge reaching a peak, Ramaphosa is expected to announce a return to restrictive measures designed to slow the spread of the disease.
"We are not helpless in the face of this variant," infectious disease specialist Dr. Richard Lessells said. "We can change our behavior to give the virus less opportunities to spread."
05:07 PM
30,501 new Covid-19 cases across England and Wales
The United Kingdom has reported 30,501 new Covid-19 cases, government statistics showed, with a further 316 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test.
The Government's coronavirus portal said the figures reflected data from England and Wales but said there was no new data from Northern Ireland and no new deaths data from Scotland owing to the Christmas holidays.
04:55 PM
Boom in Afghan methamphetamine production propels drug across world during pandemic
Only a couple of years after drug researchers first reported that Afghan drug traffickers were dabbling with making methamphetamine, they and security officials now suspect the country is starting to export huge quantities in a worrying new development for the region.
Seizures of the drug made infamous by the television drama Breaking Bad have “gone up by enormous amounts”, said Kevin Dawson, an international liaison officer working in the Gulf with the UK's National Crime Agency.
Big shipments have been found heading to both Indonesia and east Africa, all on well worn routes for Afghan heroin. “It's coming down the same routes as heroin, it's using the same transportation methods, it's being seized in roughly the same places,” he said.
A 600kg seizure in Sri Lanka this year, and another 800kg found in Indonesia this year were both thought to have come from Afghanista
Update: Coronavirus variant in Jordan linked to British man and wife
Jordan today confirmed two cases of a particularly infectiouscoronavirus variant in a man and his wife who had arrived from Britain.
Health Minister Nazir Obeidat said the Jordanian couple travelled to the kingdom on December 19 and were found to be infected with the new strain of the virus after being tested and isolated.
The couple were still in quarantine and being monitored by medical experts according to virus protocols, Obeidat said, adding they were both in "excellent health" condition.
04:34 PM
New coronavirus variant found in Norway
Norway’s institute of public health has confirmed that two people in the country have been found to have the new variant of coronavirus first detected in the UK. According to Reuters they had recently arrived from the UK.
It joins a host of countries to have reported people being infected with the strain, including Canada and the Portugese island of Madeira.
04:22 PM
Italy reports 8,913 new cases and 298 deaths
Italy has reported 8,913 new cases of coronavirus over Christmas with 298 deaths.
Meanwhile Turkey has had 14,205 new cases, including asymptomatic over the past 24 hours.
The country's capital Ankara has imposed full weekend lockdowns and weekday curfews to curb infections.
Residents will be on lockdown from December 31 until January.
04:09 PM
USA: Covid outbreak may worsen after holidays, warns Dr Fauci
Top US government scientist Anthony Fauci has warned the worst of the pandemic may be yet to come, driving the country to a "critical point" as holiday travel spreads the virus.
"I share the concern of President-elect (Joe) Biden that as we get into the next few weeks, it might actually get worse," the infectious disease specialist told CNN.
Biden cautioned on Wednesday that the nation's "darkest days are ahead of us - not behind us."
Fauci, who has been encouraging everyone eligible to be vaccinated, revealed he felt fine after receiving a first shot and experienced "nothing serious at all."
Surgeon General Jerome Adams added like Fauci, he's "very concerned" about a post-holiday surge.
04:00 PM
Jordan detects two coronavirus variant cases in travellers from Britain
Jordan has detected its first two cases of the new variant of coronavirus which has been spreading rapidly in parts of Britain, in travellers who recently arrived from Britain, the health minister said on Sunday.
Jordan has in recent weeks seen a sharp drop in Covid-19 cases after a three-months surge in deaths and a spike in cases that has strained its healthcare system.
The kingdom last week banned flights to and from Britain until January 3
03:52 PM
Update: Cold chain doubts delay Covid-19 vaccinations in some German cities
Germany's coronavirus vaccination campaign faced delays in several cities today after temperature trackers showed that about 1,000 of the shots made by BioNTech and Pfizer may not have been kept cold enough during transit.
"When reading the temperature loggers that were enclosed in the cool boxes, doubts arose about the compliance with the cold chain requirements," the district of Lichtenfels in the north of Germany's largest state Bavaria said in a statement.
Medical staff found that the temperature in one vaccine transport cool box had risen to 15 degrees Celsius, a spokesman for Lichtenfels said, above the maximum of 8C stipulated by the manufacturers.
03:43 PM
Public Health Wales announces 70 new deaths from Covid
Another 70 deaths from Covid have been announced in Wales.
Public Health Wales also announced a further 4,142 new cases in a 48hr period over Christmas.
(1/2) The rapid COVID-19 surveillance dashboard has been updated.
Coronavirus variant detected in Portugal's Madeira in travellers from Britain
The new variant of the coronavirus linked to a rapid rise in infections in Britain has been detected on the Portuguese island of Madeira, the first cases of the more contagious variant found in the country since it emerged.
In a statement on Sunday, the regional civil protection authority said the new variant was "detected in travellers who arrived in Madeira from the United Kingdom" but it did not specify how many people were infected or when the cases were found.
"This identification was only possible thanks to the work developed by the screening centre at Madeira's international airport which allows to track, identify and forward positive cases to isolation when detected," it said.
Portugal, with just over 10 million people, has reported 6,619 deaths and a total of 394,573 infections, up by 1,577 cases from Saturday.
03:29 PM
Two teenagers given £1,000 fines and man arrested after rave in Manchester
Two teenagers have been handed fines of £1,000 and a man has been arrested after police were called to a rave in Manchester.
Officers were called to empty flats in the Shudehill area of the city at around 4.20am on Sunday after reports of a large gathering and loud music.
Patrols from Greater Manchester Police attended an address on Hanover Street and broke up around 100 people in attendance, seizing their music equipment.
The two teenage males, aged 17 and 18, were each given the four-figure fixed penalty notice.
A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and remains in custody.
He was also given a £200 notice.
03:25 PM
Coronavirus in pictures from around the world:
In New Delhi a man sits in front of a mural representing a frontline worker against the pandemic - Sajjad Hussain/AFP A backlog of lorries has built up on the M20 after France imposed a travel ban on Britons. - Peter Cziborra/Reuters A Bulgarian priest Tihon is injected with the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine - Hristo Rustev/Getty Images Europe In Sweden 91-year-old Gun-Britt Johnsson became the first in the country to receive the Covid-19 vaccine - Reuters
03:08 PM
Prime Minister of Greece tweets video of receiving Covid vaccine
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the prime minister of Greece, has tweeted a video of himself receiving the Pfizer/BioNTec vaccine.
Mitsotakis wrote on Twitter: "Today we are all smiling under our masks, as the difficult task of mass vaccination of the Greek population against Covid-19 begins in our country."
Σήμερα είναι μια σπουδαία ημέρα για την επιστήμη και μια σπουδαία ημέρα για την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση. Πιστεύω ότι σήμερα όλοι χαμογελάμε κάτω από τις μάσκες μας, καθώς ξεκινάει και στην πατρίδα μας το δύσκολο εγχείρημα του μαζικού εμβολιασμού του ελληνικού πληθυσμού κατά του COVID19. pic.twitter.com/Z7nsuTq7mO
O'Leary set to pounce as Ryanair rivals crumble amid pandemic
The collapse in air travel caused by coronavirus - and the opportunities it presents to Ryanair - is “much greater than after the financial crisis or 9/11”, Michael O'Leary has declared.
“I have never in my 30 years in the industry seen such a clean-out. The real seismic change from Covid will be the growth opportunities across Europe,” the airline's chief executive told the Financial Times.
He predicted that the collapses of airlines such as Thomas Cook and Flybe, along with the administration of Norwegian, would mean take 100m seats out of the market over the next 18 months, creating a vacuum that Ryanair was ready to fill.
Britons trapped at home by travel restrictions and limited to holidays in their native countries will “want to go to Portugal, Italy or Greece”, Mr O’Leary said.
New variant of coronavirus now detected in Portugal's Madeira island
The new variant of the coronavirus linked to a rapid rise in infections in Britain has been detected on the Portuguese island of Madeira, the regional civil protection authority said today.
In a statement, the authority said the new variant was "detected in travellers who arrived in Madeira from the United Kingdom" but it did not specify how many people were infected with it.
Read here to find out all we know about the new strain of coronavirus.
02:49 PM
India launches manhunt to trace UK returnees
Indian authorities have launched a manhunt to trace nearly 154 passengers who are untraceable after returning from the UK amid the new strain of coronavirus, writes Samaan Lateef.
These passengers returned from the UK to Indian state of Telangana in past two weeks and shared fake contact details with the authorities, officials said.
“We have been able to trace 1062 passengers out of 1216 who returned from UK in past two weeks. At least 20 of them have tested positive for Covid. However, other 154 have given fake contact details and a manhunt has been launched to trace them,” Dr G Srinivasa Rao, Telangana’s director for public health told Daily Telegraph.
However, Rao admitted that they were running into a blank wall as these passengers might have shifted to other States of India and mingled with the population.
“We are facing a herculean task of tracing the UK returnees. Many of them must have been infected and transmitted it to others,” he said.
02:42 PM
Comment: The mother of all years, how the pandemic became Gilead for women
With job cuts, caring and family responsibilities, 2020 took a disproportionate toll on working women, says Christine Armstrong
"The terror and heartbreak of scans, miscarriages and births alone. Care homes, run by women, and people inside them largely supported by women, inconsolable that they cannot reach those they love. Home-based carers bereft, denied their usual support systems.
"How do we share these things with the men at the top table? How can we help them understand the world as women see and feel it in 2020 – the mother of all years, when we have been hit hard and from all directions? That we are starting to feel a bit Handmaid's Tale, Gilead-dwelling dystopian?"
02:33 PM
Scotland: Health leaders warn NHS could be 'overwhelmed'
Clinicians are warning health services could be overwhelmed by any surge in coronavirus cases after restrictions were temporarily eased over Christmas.
The Scottish Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties told the BBC the new faster spreading strain of the virus could create a "perfect storm".
They warned it could take months for vaccinations to alleviate pressure on the "severely stretched" system.
The Scottish government said work was ongoing to boost NHS capacity.
The Scottish Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties, which includes anaesthetists, GPs and surgeons, said the short term situation for the NHS remained "bleak", despite hope from the vaccine.
02:23 PM
A further 231 deaths from Covid in England
A further 231 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 48,542, NHS England said today.
The patients were aged between 30 and 103.
All except five had known underlying health conditions with the deaths taking place between December 9 and 26.
02:10 PM
Watch: 70-year-old walks circumference of the Earth without leaving home city of Limerick
Vinod Bajaj from Limerick in the west of Ireland has walked 24,900 miles over the past four years without ever leaving his home city.
Now, the 70-year-old is hoping to get into the Guinness Book of Records for his feat, which is the equivalent to walking the circumference of the earth.
The retired business consultant has urged others to keep fit during the pandemic.
02:04 PM
Comment: A Tier 1 Christmas isn't quite as wonderful as it sounds
The main emotion down here in Cornwall is anxiety, thanks to all the plague-infected visitors we've had to endure, writes Tanya Gold.
So, there they were, all over Newlyn buying cheese and fish and double parking their Range Rovers and shouting about sourdough like they always do, though this year they have lapsed even further into parody. They are completely oblivious to their behaviour, boasting to shopkeepers about how they only just made it out of Essex in time, and inviting the shopkeeper to celebrate their opportunity to achieve coronavirus with them. Or they are just very rude. In St Ives a visitor refused to wear a mask in a shop. “There’s no one here,” she complained. “I’m here,” said the shopkeeper, which was undeniable.
01:56 PM
Cold chain doubts delay Covid-19 vaccinations in German cities
Germany's coronavirus vaccination campaign faced delays in several cities on Sunday after medical staff found potential irregularities in the cooling of the jab produced by BioNTech and Pfizer .
"When reading the temperature loggers that were enclosed in the cool boxes, doubts arose about the compliance with the cold chain requirements," the District Office of Lichtenfels in the north of Germany's largest state Bavaria said.
The Pfizer vaccine, which uses new so-called mRNA technology, must be stored at ultra-low temperatures of about -70 degrees Celsius to remain effective before being shipped to a distribution centre.
Cooled doses of Covid-19 vaccine destined for the vaccination centre at Stuttgart Hospital - Marijan Murat/DPA
Doses of the vaccine can be kept in an ultra-low temperature freezer for up to six months, or for five days at 2C to 8C – a type of refrigeration commonly available at hospitals.
Besides Lichtenfels, the northern Bavarian cities of Coburg, Kronach, Kulmbach, Hof, Bayreuth and Wunsiedel also held off from inoculating people after uncertainty arose about whether the cold chain had been maintained.
01:51 PM
Beijing tests hundreds of thousands for Covid-19 after new cases reported
Health authorities in Beijing are testing hundreds of thousands of people for Covid-19 and cancelling sports and other gatherings after local transmissions were confirmed in the capital.
Authorities are also now urging Beijing residents not to travel out of the city during the week-long Lunar New Year holiday in February, a key travel period when hundreds of thousands of Chinese usually return home to their families.
Residents line up for testing in sites set up on the streets of Beijing - Ng Han Guan/AP
In the meantime, it has called on companies in the capital not to arrange business trips outside the city.
Chen Bei, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing municipal government, said that the capital’s epidemic prevention and control system would face a major test during the Lunar New Year holiday, with sporadic cases possibly emerging, Chinese media reported.
01:39 PM
Oman launches Covid-19 vaccination campaign
Oman has begun their first round of mass vaccinations today, two days ahead of plans to resume all flights and open borders that temporarily closed amid concerns over a new strain of the virus.
The sultanate - which has recorded the second highest number of Covid-19 deaths in the Gulf after Saudi Arabia - is the last of the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) to begin inoculating people.
Oman's healthcare workers begin administering the vaccine in the country's capital Muscat - Mohammed Mahjoub/AFP
Like most of its neighbours it has opted for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Health Minister Ahmed Al-Saidi, one of the first citizens to get a jab at a Muscat clinic, said priority would be given to front line health workers and people who are considered to be vulnerable.
01:31 PM
Russia reports 28,284 new cases and 356 deaths
Russia has reported 28,284 new coronavirus cases and 356 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to the Robert Koch Institute.
It comes as the country's president Vladimir Putin agreed to receive the Sputnik V vaccine.
Russia launched a voluntary vaccination programme with the vaccine earlier in December, starting with the most vulnerable groups in Moscow.
01:19 PM
Covid vaccinations begin in Finland
The first round of vaccinations against coronavirus have also begun in Finland.
Finnish counsellor for health affairs, Pasi Mustonen, shared a photograph on Twitter of health workers in Helsinki receiving the jab.
China's leaders congratulate themselves on 'extremely extraordinary' success in handling pandemic
China's leaders have congratulated themselves on their "extremely extraordinary" success in handling Covid-19, ahead of a World Health Organisation probe into the disease's origins.
China's Politburo, the top decision-making body of the Communist Party, that the party leadership "played a decisive role in leading ... China in prevailing over the rare risks and challenges this year."
The country had faced a barrage of criticism at home and abroad over its initial handling of the virus, which emerged in the central city of Wuhan last December.
At home, Beijing has attempted to stifle criticism by punishing at least eight whistleblowers.
An international team of WHO experts is expected to arrive in China to investigate the animal origins of Covid-19, during which trip they will visit Wuhan.
01:02 PM
Russia: Putin due to take coronavirus vaccine
Russia's president Vladimir Putin will receive the Sputnik V vaccine against the virus, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a Russian state TV channel today.
"He said he will be vaccinated, he made this decision and was waiting until all formalities are completed," the spokesman was quoted as saying to Rossiya 1 TV Channel on its website.
Russia launched a voluntary vaccination programme with the Russia-made Sputnik V vaccine earlier in December, starting with the most vulnerable groups in Moscow.
People over the age of 60 may begin to apply for shots on Monday, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his website on Sunday, the day after the Russian health ministry said the vaccine was approved for use by elderly people after a separate trial.
12:54 PM
How do coronavirus cases compare by tiers?
12:44 PM
Watch: Italy's resorts reduced to ghost towns
12:33 PM
German pilot makes point with syringe in the sky
German pilot Samy Kramer has traced a giant syringe in the sky, flying 200 kilometres to remind people about the start of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign in Europe.
A pilot in Germany used a Diamond DA20 Katana aircraft to send this message to the world 💉
The 20-year-old pilot mapped out the route he would need to take on a GPS device before taking to the skies near Lake Constance in southern Germany.
The syringe-shaped route showed up on internet site flightradar24. Kramer said he wanted to remind the public about the worth of getting vaccinated.
"There are still relatively many people opposing the vaccination and my action may be a reminder for them to think about the topic to get things moving. Perhaps it was also a bit of a sign of joy, because the aviation industry has been hit pretty hard by the pandemic."
12:26 PM
4,142 new cases of Covid in Wales since Christmas Eve
There have been a further 4,142 cases of coronavirus in Wales, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 139,642.
Public Health Wales reported another 70 deaths, taking the total in Wales since the start of the pandemic to 3,368.
Officials said the data was for a 48-hour period from 9am on Christmas Eve to 9am on Boxing Day.
12:18 PM
London Mayor calls for public to adhere to Tier 4 restrictions
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has called on the capital's residents to keep adhering to Tier 4 restrictions.
London is in Tier 4. Make sure you follow the rules:
❌ No household mixing ❌ Don’t leave or enter Tier 4, unless for a permitted reason ✅ Stay at home as much as possible ✅ Work from home if you can
— Mayor of London (gov.uk/coronavirus) (@MayorofLondon) December 27, 2020
It comes after thousands of shoppers descended on retail outlets across England yesterday to make the most of the Boxing Day sales.
However footfall within the capital fell by 90 per cent in comparison to last year.
Yesterday also saw four million people, 43 per cent of England's population, now placed under Tier 4 restrictions.
12:05 PM
European leaders hail vaccination rollout
European leaders have been hailing the start of ‘vaccination day’ in their countries.
Jüri Ratas, the prime minister of Estonia, said it was “heartwarming” to see the programme beginning.
Heartwarming to see how COVID-19 vaccinations in 🇪🇪 and 🇪🇺 have started. Great news for our healthcare professionals and most vulnerable at first and to all soon. We are in this together and #EU cooperation is key for successfully beating the virus. #EUvaccinationdayspic.twitter.com/JEuKLolgMk
Lithuania’s president, Gitanas Nauseda, acclaimed the day as a “huge step forward”.
Today, #Lithuania has started the long-awaited vaccination against #COVID19. It is a huge step forward to return to normal life. #EU has shown determination & unity in fighting the pandemics. @EU_Commission@vonderleyen
Nicos Anastasiades, the president of Cyprus, said the programme was the most optimistic message of the Christmas period.
Σήμερα είναι μία σπουδαία μέρα, για την χώρα μας και για ολόκληρη την Ευρώπη. Σήμερα είναι η αρχή του τέλους για την αναχαίτηση της πιο μεγάλης κρίσης υγείας που αντιμετώπισε η ήπειρος μας εδώ και έναν αιώνα. pic.twitter.com/5qzfPPQGyn
France president rules out making vaccine mandatory
France's president, Emmanuel Macron, has again ruled out making the vaccine mandatory.
In a Twitter thread to mark the start of vaccination in France and Europe, Macron urged the French to trust in science by agreeing to have the jab.
One in three people in France thinks vaccines in general are unsafe—the highest figure for any country, according to research by the Wellcome Trust.
Macron tweeted: "Let’s trust our researchers and doctors. We are the land of the Enlightenment and Pasteur, reason and science must guide us."
Je l’ai dit, je le répète : le vaccin ne sera pas obligatoire. Ayons confiance en nos chercheurs et médecins. Nous sommes le pays des Lumières et de Pasteur, la raison et la science doivent nous guider.
France started its first coronavirus vaccinations today at a nursing home northeast of Paris, in one of the country's poorest regions, as part of the Europe-wide vaccination rollout.
"An intense moment, carrying so much hope," tweeted the head of the Paris region public health service, Aurelien Rousseau.
A 78-year-old woman identified only by her first name, Mauricette, was given France's first vaccine shot in the town of Sevran. Later in the day, vaccinations will be given at the Champmaillot home in Dijon.
Polls suggest that people in France are a bit sceptical of the new vaccines, so France's government has been cautious in its messaging and is not making the vaccines obligatory.
The government hopes to be able to vaccinate up to 27 million of its 67 million people by summer.
11:37 AM
'The beginning of the end': Europe rolls out vaccines to see off pandemic
Europe has launched a massive Covid-19 vaccination drive today with pensioners and medics lining up to get the first shots to see off a pandemic that has crippled economies and claimed more than 1.7 million lives worldwide.
Here are the key takeaway points:
International goal is to offer vaccine to all adults through 2021.
EU has secured contracts for 2 billion-plus doses.
Frontline workers and elderly will be among those prioritised
"Thank God," 96-year-old Araceli Hidalgo said as she became the first person in Spain to have a vaccine. She told staff at her care home in Guadalajara near Madrid she hadn't felt a thing. "Let's see if we can make this virus go away."
In Italy, the first country in Europe to record significant numbers of infections, 29-year-old nurse Claudia Alivernini was one of three medical staff at the head of the queue for the shot developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.#
"It is the beginning of the end ... it was an exciting, historical moment," she said at Rome's Spallanzani hospital.
11:25 AM
Iran reports lowest daily deaths from Covid in more than three months
Iran reported 119 deaths from coronavirus today, the lowest daily fatalities in more than three months, the health ministry said.
Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV that 5,502 people had been infected in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of Covid cases in the Middle East’s worst-affected country to 1,200,465.
11:20 AM
Wetherspoon boss calls for debate on how UK has handled virus
The chairman of pub giant Wetherspoon has called for a debate on how the UK has dealt with the coronavirus crisis rather than relying on "politicised government propaganda and statistics."
Tim Martin contrasted the difference in the number of people dying from the virus in this country and Sweden, which has not imposed a lockdown.
Sweden has had fewer deaths in recent weeks and months than the UK, adjusting for the population difference, said Mr Martin.
Given the huge scale of job losses in the UK, especially in the hospitality industry, and the widely reported 'collateral damage' to health, there should be a proper debate on this subject, rather than reliance on politicised government propaganda and statistics.
11:12 AM
Pensioner walks around the world without leaving city to keep fit during pandemic
A retired business consultant, who has walked the equivalent of the circumference of the Earth, has encouraged others to keep active in the midst of the pandemic.
Vinod Bajaj, 70, has walked 40,075 kilometres over the past four years without ever leaving his home city of Limerick in the west of Ireland, and has extolled the benefits of walking at such a stressful time for people.
Vinod Bajaj from Limerick walked around the world without leaving his home city - Niall Carson/PA
Mr Bajaj, who was born in India and has lived in Ireland for 43 years, finished his extraordinary feat in September after completing more than 54.6 million steps in 8,322 hours and burning almost 1.5 million calories in under 1,500 days.
He has applied to the Guinness World Records to set a new world record as the first person to walk the equivalent of the circumference of the Earth.
11:03 AM
Argentina to launch Covid-19 vaccination campaign on Tuesday
Argentina will begin vaccinating its citizens against coronavirus on Tuesday using the recently delivered Russian Sputnik V vaccine, following its approval by health authorities for emergency use.
Argentine president Alberto Fernández and provincial governors said health personnel would receive their vaccines in less than 72 hours. Around 300,000 doses arrived in Argentina on Thursday, and subsequent shipments are expected early in 2021.
"The idea is that when the (southern hemisphere) fall arrives we will have a large number of at-risk people vaccinated," Fernandez said in a meeting with provincial governors.
Argentina, the third largest economy in Latin America, has been hard hit by COVID-19 and logged nearly 1.6 million cases of the coronavirus and 42,501 deaths from the disease.
Fears of a second wave are growing.
10:52 AM
Japan sharply tightens ban on foreign visitors
Japan's government will temporarily ban entry of all nonresident foreign nationals as a precaution against a new and potentially more contagious coronavirus variant that has spread across Britain.
The entry ban will start Monday and last through January 31, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Japan banned entry of nonresident foreigners from Britain and South Africa last week, but is further stepping up border control after confirming the new variant in seven people over the last two days including five returnees from Britain.
Japan is also suspending exemptions of a 14-day quarantine for Japanese nationals and resident foreigners on a short-track program that began in November.
The entrants now must carry proof of a negative test 72 hours prior to departure for Japan and self-isolate for two weeks after arrival, the ministry said.
10:46 AM
Thai hospital banned from offering to sell Covid-19 vaccine
A private Thai hospital was ordered to stop advertising Covid-19 vaccinations for sale in advance on the grounds that no vaccine is yet approved in Thailand.
Vibhavadi Hospital said its online offer for 1,000 initial reservations for the two-dose Moderna vaccine had been the result of a misunderstanding.
With reservations priced at 4,000 baht, the total cost of getting vaccinated would have been 10,000 baht ($330).
10:38 AM
In pictures: Covid-19 vaccination programs launched around the globe
96-year-old Araceli Rosario Hidalgo Sanchez, became the first person in Spain to be vaccinated against Covid-19 - Pepe Zamora/AFP One-hundred and one year old Gertrud Haase from Berlin receives the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine - Kay Nietfeld/Reuters Oman's healthcare worker prepares to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the country's capital Muscat - Mohammed Mahjoub/AFP
10:25 AM
Sydney awaits verdict on New Year's Eve festivities as Covid-19 outbreak grows
Sydney's Covid-19 outbreak continued on Sunday with more than a quarter million people in lockdown as Australia's largest city awaited word on whether any public New Year's Eve celebrations will be allowed.
Seven cases of the new coronavirus were reported in New South Wales state, six linked directly to the outbreak in Sydney's northern beach suburbs, which are under a stay-at-home order until Wednesday. Infections stand at 122.
"I appreciate frustration levels are increasing as we get closer to New Year's Eve and days we stay at home increase," state Premier Gladys Berejiklian told a news conference.
"We hope to have some clear information for everybody tomorrow, or the latest the day after, on what the New Year's Eve and the next weeks will look like."
Sydney's northern beaches remains under a New South Wales government ordered lockdown - Shutterstock
10:20 AM
France says third lockdown possible if Covid cases keep rising
France has not ruled out imposing a third nationwide lockdown if coronavirus cases continue to rise, its health minister said Sunday, as the country braces for a possible post-Christmas spike.
"We will never exclude measures that are necessary to protect the public," Olivier Veran told the Journal du Dimanche.
"That is not to say we have made a decision, but that we are watching the situation hour by hour."
France has been registering around 15,000 new infections per day, and on Friday confirmed the first case of a new coronavirus variant that recently emerged in Britain.
10:12 AM
Beijing tightens Covid-19 curbs as cases detected across capital
Beijing has tightened Covid-19 curbs over fears that China's mass travel during the holiday period could cause cases to spike in the capital, as it reported locally transmitted cases for a fourth straight day.
A meeting led by the capital's Communist party boss, Cai Qi, urged all districts in Beijing to enter an "emergency" mode, sealing off residential compounds and villages where infections are found.
China's southern technology hub of Shenzhen reported one asymptomatic case on Sunday, a patient who made two business trips to Beijing this month.
Shunyi district, where all Beijing's recent coronavirus cases have been reported, has declared a wartime mode and testing for all its 800,000 people.
All the cases reported yesterday were close contacts of previous cases.
10:04 AM
Israel ramps up vaccination production amid fresh lockdown
Israel will enter what officials hope will be its last lockdown today as they ramp up vaccinations which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saidmay allow an emergence from the pandemic by March.
If realised, that could help Netanyahu's re-election hopes after missteps that include lifting a first lockdown with a premature declaration of victory in May, inconsistent enforcement of curbs and a sluggish economic relief.
Protests broke out yesterday against Netanyahu's alleged corruption and handling of the Covid-19 crisis - Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
After beginning vaccinations a week before the European Union's roll-out on Sunday, Israel's centralised health system is now administering around 70,000 shots daily.
Netanyahu wants that raised to 150,000 by next weekend, with the opening of 24/7 vaccination stations among proposals.
09:56 AM
Fish, sulphur and burnt toast among scents haunting long Covid patients
Long Covid patients are being haunted by "unbearable" odours like fish and burning in place of normal smells, researchers say, as more unusual symptoms of the virus emerge.
ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgeon Professor Nirmal Kumar said this "very strange and very unique" long-term symptom known as parosmia seems to be affecting young people and healthcare workers in particular.
Prof Kumar said yesterday: "This morning I saw two patients with parosmia. One said they could smell fish in place of any other scent, and the other can smell burning when there is no smoke around."
Daniel Saveski, a 24-year-old banker living in London, said he lost his sense of taste and smell for two weeks after contracting coronavirus in March, and has been suffering with parosmia since.
Mr Saveski, from West Yorkshire, said strong-smelling things like bins now have a burning, sulphur-like odour, or smell "like toast".
09:48 AM
Watch: London shopping streets empty on Boxing Day after Tier 4 restrictions
09:39 AM
Comment: This Government's one-size-fits-all approach to Covid restrictions is no longer convincing
With every million more vaccinations, the pressure for a more differentiated approach will only increase, writes Freddie Sayers.
The aim of trying to suppress the virus across the entire public square, as opposed to preserving safe spaces within it, only makes any sense as long as that is a plausible goal. We know that lockdowns are enormously destructive, but as long as they demonstrably reduce the infection rate and save lives there is at least a case for them. If infections now continue to soar anyway, despite ongoing draconian restrictions, the benefit will be much harder to demonstrate
09:31 AM
Hospital admissions set to surpass peak of first wave of Covid-19
Coronavirus hospital admissions are on track to surpass the peak recorded in April in the coming week, reports Dominic Penna.
The most recently available data provided by the Department of Health shows that there were 21,286 patients in hospital on December 22.
This is just shy of the peak of the first wave when there were 21,683 patients in hospitals. The most recent seven-day hospital admission average is 1,984, meaning that if current trends continue the spring peak of patients in hospital beds with coronavirus will soon have been surpassed.
Data from NHS England shows that on December 24 there were 18,227 English hospital beds occupied by Covid patients, an increase of 393 and the highest figure since the daily NHS record began in August.
09:25 AM
Czech Republic begins mass vaccination rollout
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis became the first person in the country to be given a vaccine against the virus as European Union member states begin a pushback against the pandemic which is surging across the continent.
Hungary and Slovakia stole a march on their fellow EU nations as they began vaccinating people against Covid-19 on Saturday.
Germany officially launches its inoculation campaign today, along with countries such as France and Italy.
Babis received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at the Central Military Hospital in Prague, just before other hospitals in the capital and second-largest city Brno started to distribute the 9,750 doses the country has received so far.
Czech World War II veteran Emilie Repikova receives the first injection nationwide alongside Prime Minister Andrej Babis - Gabriel Kuchta /Getty Images Europe
09:16 AM
Mexico City's Covid-19 'excess mortality' reaches 214 deaths a day
Mexico City registered 2,664 more deaths than usual earlier this month as authorities fought to contain the spread of Covid-19 that has strained hospitals and forced the city into a semi-lockdown.
The populous capital's "excess mortality" from Dec 1 to 12 averaged 214 a day, a government report said on Saturday. That compared to 141 excess deaths a day in November.
The rate peaked in May when Mexico City, with a population of some 9 million, recorded 320 excess deaths per day.
09:09 AM
Cyprus starts rollout of vaccine
Cyprus on Sunday began vaccinating its population against Covid-19 as part of a concerted drive across the European Union to curb the pandemic which has claimed the lives of more than 1.7 million people worldwide.
Pensioners at homes in the capital Nicosia and the towns of Larnaca and Limassol were the first to receive a shot of the two-dose vaccine, which arrived by air on Saturday.
Pensioners in Cyprus' capital Nicola receive their first dose of the vaccine - Stavros Ioannides/AFP
Cyprus has reported 19,391 cases and 111 deaths.
09:00 AM
UK coronavirus variant: 'we're being sanctioned for transparency'
Countries across the world rushed to impose travel bans on South Africa on Christmas Eve as details emerged of a new highly transmissible variant of Covid-19 that was wreaking havoc in parts of the country.
But Dr Tulio de Oliveira, an academic at KwaZulu Natal University and the man who led the work to identify the South African variant, was clearly unimpressed with other countries’ reactions to the open sharing of data.
“Unfortunately, it seems that the UK and South Africa are being sanctioned because they were transparent about the results of their genomic surveillance,” he said.
S.Korea extends social distancing as cases remain near record levels
South Korea said on Sunday it will extend social distancing measures introduced to try to curb the spread of the pandemic for another six days, to January 3, even as it continues to report near-record numbers of new cases each day.
In the run-up to Christmas and New Year holidays, the government banned gatherings of more than four people in greater Seoul and closed down ski resorts and other tourist spots.
Beyond that temporary restriction, gatherings of more than 50 people are banned in greater Seoul and indoor restaurant dining is prohibited after 9 p.m. local time.
"We will observe the situation over the next week and decide whether to adjust the social distancing measures before Jan 3 when the special quarantine measures for the year-end holidays terminate," Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said.
08:44 AM
Italy begins vaccinations against Covid-19 in Rome
Almost 10 months after the first Italian patient tested positive for coronavirus the country has now vaccinated the first residents against Covid-19.
Three health workers at the Rome Spallanzani hospital were inoculated shortly before 0700 GMT with the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.
"The vaccine went very well and it was an exciting, historical moment," 29-year-old nurse Claudia Alivernini told state-owned television RAINEWS24.
"It is the beginning of the end and I hope to be the first of over 60 millions of Italians".
Nurse Claudia Alivernini, 29, became the first Italian to receive a dose of the Pfizer vaccine - Andreas Solaro/AFP
08:32 AM
NY criminal investigation over unauthorised vaccine
New York State Health officials said on Saturday they are investigating a Brooklyn-based healthcare provider on suspicion it violated state guidelines for distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine.
ParCare Community Health Network "may have fraudulently obtained Covid-19 vaccine, transferred it to facilities in other parts of the state in violation of state guidelines and diverted it to members of the public - contrary to the state's plan to administer it first to frontline healthcare workers, as well as nursing home residents and staffers," state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said in a statement.
08:30 AM
AstraZeneca researchers found 'winning formula'
The boss of the firm behind the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine has raised hopes it is more effective than first thought amid the rapid spread of the UK virus strain across the globe.
AstraZeneca chief Pascal Soriot believes researchers have found the "winning formula" using two doses and promised to publish the results.
The claim will come as some relief even as Canada became the latest country to identify cases of the new highly infectious variant of coronavirus, which was first detected in the UK and has since spread to at least a dozen countries.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak praised vaccination efforts: "The early roll-out of vaccines - and the incredible work of our scientists and NHS - means we can now see light at the end of the tunnel with this pandemic."
Authorities rush to mass-test residents in Beijing
Beijing officials reported five new locally transmitted coronavirus cases on Saturday, as authorities rushed to mass-test residents.
The five cases, linked to earlier infections, live in the city's Shunyi district, which has since activated an emergency response plan including mass testing, source tracing and disinfection.
More than 120,000 have been tested for coronavirus and authorities plan to test 800,000 people in the district.
Separately, officials reported four locally transmitted cases in the northeastern port city of Dalia, where more than 4.75 million people were tested following more than 20 confirmed cases this month.
China reported 22 new cases in the past 24 hours, including 10 imported and 12 domestic. China has so far reported a total of 86,955 cases, with 4,634 deaths.
08:08 AM
Czech PM first to be vaccinated
The Czech Republic also started administering vaccinations on Sunday.
Prime Minister Andrej Babis was the first to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at the Central Military Hospital in Prague, just before other hospitals in the capital and second-largest city Brno started to distribute the 9,750 doses the country has received.
"The vaccine which arrived from the European Union yesterday, that is a hope, a hope that we will return to a normal life," Mr Babis said before taking the jab.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis receives his vaccination as WWII veteran Emilie Repikova waits for her turn - MARTIN DIVISEK/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Emilie Repikova, 95, a World War Two veteran, was also one of the first to be inoculated, shortly after Mr Babis.
The country closed non-essential shops, services and ski lifts and enforced a stricter curfew from Sunday as it seeks to curb another rise in infections and hospitalisations.
08:05 AM
Vaccination programme starts in Cyprus
Cyprus on Sunday started vaccinating its population against Covid as part of a concerted drive across the European Union to curb the pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 1.7 million people worldwide.
Pensioners at homes in the capital Nicosia and the towns of Larnaca and Limassol were the first to receive a shot of the two-dose vaccine, which arrived by air on Saturday.
Cyprus has reported 19,391 cases of coronavirus and 111 deaths.
05:06 AM
Canada confirms first cases of UK's Covid variant
Health officials in Ontario said on Saturday that two confirmed cases of the new coronavirus variant first detected in the UK have appeared in the Canadian province.
The Canadian cases, identified in a couple in southern Ontario with no known travel history, exposure or high-risk contact, came as the province went into lockdown on Saturday.
"This further reinforces the need for Ontarians to stay home as much as possible and continue to follow all public health advice, including the province-wide shutdown measures beginning today," Dr Barbara Yaffe, Ontario's associate chief medical officer, said.
Ontario has had more than 2,000 cases per day for 12 consecutive days.
Last week, Canada extended to January 6 a ban on passenger flights arriving from Britain and expanded enhanced screening and monitoring measures to travellers arriving from South Africa, citing the rise of the more infectious variant.
The number of Covid cases worldwide has topped 80 million.
Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University reported the mark on Saturday morning after 472,000 cases were recorded on Christmas Day.
The number of deaths related to the pandemic across the globe stands at 1.75 million.
The US is by far the leader among nations in cases of coronavirus illness, reporting nearly 18.8 million on Saturday. India follows with 10.2 million; Brazil has counted 7.45 million. There have been more than 330,000 deaths in the US, 190,000 in Brazil and 147,000 in India.
04:46 AM
British mutant strain of virus spreads to Japan
Japan's government will temporarily ban entry of all non-resident foreign nationals as a precaution against a new and potentially more contagious coronavirus variant that has spread across Britain.
The entry ban will start on Monday and last until January 31 for the time being, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement late on Saturday.
Japan banned entry of non-resident foreigners from Britain and South Africa last week, but is further stepping up border control after confirming the new variant in seven people over the past two days - five returnees from Britain who tested at airports and two others in Tokyo.
Japan is also suspending exemptions of a 14-day quarantine for Japanese nationals and resident foreigners on a short-track program that began in November. The entrants now must carry proof of a negative test 72 hours prior to departure for Japan and self-isolate for two weeks after arrival, the ministry said.
Japan's health ministry confirmed on Saturday two cases of the new variant - a man in his 30s who returned to Japan from Britain on December 16 and his relative, a woman in her 20s with no history of visiting that country. Both patients are hospitalised in Tokyo.
On Friday, the ministry said the new variant was detected in samples of five returnees from Britain between December 18 and 21 who tested positive at airport inspection. All but one who complained of fatigue had no symptoms.
Japan had 217,312 cases as of Saturday and 3,213 deaths.
03:33 AM
'We'll get our freedom back, we'll be able to embrace again'
Italy, Spain and France joined Britain, China, Russia, Canada, the United States, Switzerland, Serbia, Singapore and Saudi Arabia in starting their vaccination campaigns.
"We'll get our freedom back, we'll be able to embrace again," Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said as he urged his countrymen to get the shot.
But polls show only 57 per cent of Italians intend to get the jab, whereas scientists estimate herd immunity can only be reached if 75 to 80 per cent have it.
Italian Army officers unload doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in a hangar at the military airport Pratica di Mare on Saturday in Rome, Italy - Antonio Masiello/Getty Images
Flare-ups of the virus continue to force nations to toughen restrictions, with Austria beginning a third national lockdown on Saturday.
French health minister Olivier Veran would not rule out a third lockdown if authorities decide it's necessary to tamp down infections.
03:24 AM
101-year-old Edith receives her vaccination
Doctor Bernhard Ellendt, right, injects the Covid-19 vaccine to 101-year-old nursing home resident Edith Kwoizalla, in Halberstadt, Germany, on Saturday - Matthias Bein/dpa Via AP
Vaccinations in all 27 European Union countries had been set to begin from Sunday, after regulators approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 21.
But some countries began on Saturday: a 101-year-old woman in a care home became the first person in Germany to be inoculated, and the first jabs were also handed out in Hungary and Slovakia.
03:20 AM
Vaccinations begin in EU nations
EU nations started vaccinating their most vulnerable groups on Sunday as a more contagious coronavirus variant spread internationally and the World Health Organisation warned that the current pandemic would not be the last.
First doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived in EU countries including hard-hit Italy, Spain and France on Saturday, ready for distribution to retirement homes and care staff.
Sculptures of the three wise men bringing gifts as well as a Covid-19 vaccine in a display at Pozzo della Cava in Orvieto, Italy - Gianluigi Basilietti/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The approval and roll-out of vaccines has boosted hopes that 2021 could bring a respite from the pandemic, which has killed more than 1.7 million people since emerging in China late last year.
However, in a video message ahead of the first International Day of Epidemic Preparedness on Sunday, World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was time to learn the lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic.
"History tells us that this will not be the last pandemic, and epidemics are a fact of life," he said.
"Any efforts to improve human health are doomed unless they address the critical interface between humans and animals, and the existential threat of climate change that's making our earth less habitable."
02:09 AM
Confessions of a divorce lawyer during the pandemic
Divorce lawyer Vanessa Lloyd Platt, who runs a family law practice, has taken on extra staff to cope with growing demand, thanks to lockdown...
Since lockdown began at the end of March, the number of divorce petitions started through my firm has risen by 40 per cent.
And because social distancing has put an end to face-to-face consultations – plus, couples are shut at home together – many of my conferences take place on Zoom, in people’s cars. I’m calling it ‘divorce on wheels’.
Lockdowns and the restrictions around them have not been good for marriages.
People are glued together for inordinate amounts of time without the usual respite of work, socialising and hobbies.
Shoppers ignore warnings to flock to Boxing Day sales
Boxing Day bargain hunters defied calls to "behave as if they have the virus" as queues formed outside shops as early as 4am.
Thousands of shoppers descended on retail outlets across England to make the most of the post-Christmas sales.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson had urged people to "think carefully" about avoiding Boxing Day crowds with 24 million, 43 per cent of England's population, now under Tier 4 restrictions.
Five more alternate jurors were selected Friday following questioning from prosecution and defense lawyers, rounding out the 12 jurors and six alternates needed for the case against Trump to proceed.
Former New York Yankees left-hander Fritz Peterson died at the age of 82. He is probably best known exchanging wives with teammate Mike Kekich in the 1970s.
Fantasy baseball analyst Andy Behrens offers up a series of pickups to assist every manager, starting with a duo of Rockies ahead of a Colorado homestand.
Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman give their early season assessment of all thirty MLB teams at the three week mark, as well as discuss the long-awaited debut of Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter.
