D-Day veteran Robert Sullivan, 98, is injected with the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine by Chief Nurse Pippa Nightingale - Getty Images Europe
Covid-19 cases recorded in a single day have risen above 40,000 for the first time, as Public Health England (PHE) warned "hospitals are at their most vulnerable".
The Government said that, as of 9am on Monday, there had been a further 41,385 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, while 357 people have died within 28 days of testing positive.
Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at PHE, said: "This very high level of infection is of growing concern at a time when our hospitals are at their most vulnerable, with new admissions rising in many regions."
It comes amid warnings from Government advisors that one million coronavirus vaccinations a week will not be enough to bring the pandemic under control.
Sir Jeremy Farrar, the director of the Wellcome Trust who advises Number 10's advisory panel Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said: "We're not going to be free of this pandemic by February, this is now a human endemic infection.
"If we do manage to hit the target of a million [vaccinated] a week, frankly I don't think that's enough to speed that up if we wanted to get the country covered."
Germany's Covid-19 vaccination campaign has been overshadowed by a mishap in the north where eight workers in an elderly care home received an overdose.
As South Africa's virus spikes, doctors urge alcohol ban
With a new surge pushing South Africa's cumulative virus cases above one million, the country's doctors are urging the government to return to tighter restrictions on social gatherings and the sales of alcohol to slow the spread of the disease.
The country surpassed the one million mark on Sunday night when it reported 1,004,413 cumulative cases of Covid-19, including 26,735 deaths.
South Africa is battling a variant of COVID-19 that is more infectious and has become dominant in many parts of the country, according to experts.
The South African Medical Association, representing the country's doctors, nurses and health workers, warned that the health system is on the verge of being overwhelmed by the combination of higher numbers of people with Covid-19 and people needing urgent care from alcohol-related incidents.
Many festive gatherings during the holidays involve high levels of alcohol consumption, which in turn often lead to increased trauma cases.
South Africa has got a history of very high alcohol abuse and binge drinking, especially over the weekends. In certain areas that leads to a lot of trauma cases, assaults, motor vehicle accidents and domestic violence,"Angelique Coetzee, chairwoman of the medical association said.
05:12 PM
Exactly one year since China first told WHO of coronavirus
Today is exactly one year since China informed the World Health Organisation (WHO) that cases of “pneumonia with an unknown cause” had been reported in Wuhan.
Giving a brief history of the pandemic so far, WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed “the extraordinary cooperation between the private and public sector in this pandemic” which led to the fast circulation of diagnostic tests and, later, the development of several vaccine candidates in record time.
He went on: "There will be setbacks and new challenges in the year ahead. For example, new variants of Covid-19 and helping people who are tired of the pandemic continue to combat it."
You can read the full address below:
"This week marks the one-year anniversary since WHO learned of cases of ‘pneumonia with unknown cause’ via a bulletin issued by the health authorities in Wuhan and ProMed.
We immediately set up an incident management structure to follow this development"-@DrTedros#COVID19
Self-isolating shoppers left with no supplies as online deliveries thrown into chaos by snow
Online deliveries were derailed by the snow on Monday, prompting concern that vulnerable and self-isolating families could be left without supplies ahead of New Year writes Jack Hardy.
Supermarket customers who managed to secure a coveted delivery slot with shops such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda, were dismayed to be told their food was no longer coming and redeliveries would not be available for several weeks.
It came as much of the country was blanketed by snowfall overnight on Sunday, rendering some roads impassable and leading police in Gloucestershire to urge families not to go out unless it was essential.
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for much of England and Wales for snow and ice, which will last into Tuesday.
04:57 PM
Norway extends ban on flights from Britain over virus variant
Norway will extend a ban on flights from Britain up to and including December 30 due to concerns over a variant of coronavirus, the health ministry said today.
"It remains possible that the ban can be extended until after the new year," the ministry said in a statement.
Following the lead of other European nations, Norway on December 21 halted travel from Britain after news that the new variant was rapidly spreading
04:48 PM
U.S. Covid-19 deaths and new cases drop over Christmas week
United States recorded more than 15,000 deaths from Covid-19 and over 1.2 million new cases in the last week, though those numbers may be artificially low due to reporting gaps over the Christmas holiday.
Reported deaths fell 17 per cent in the week ended Dec. 27 and new cases fell 16 per cent, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county reports, the first declines in both figures since the week after the Thanksgiving holiday in late November.
Weekly cases and deaths have otherwise been rising since early October.
04:39 PM
Very high level of infection is a 'growing concern,' warns head of PHE
Commenting on the record-breaking 41,385 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus, Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England (PHE), said: "This very high level of infection is of growing concern at a time when our hospitals are at their most vulnerable, with new admissions rising in many regions.
"We have all made huge sacrifices this year but we must all continue to play our part in stopping the spread of the virus which is still replicating fast.
"The basics remain very important: wash your hands, wear a mask, keep your distance from others and abide by the restrictions in place."
04:29 PM
Manchester City match against Everton called off due to Covid crisis
The Premier League and City confirmed the cancellation four hours before scheduled kick-off after ongoing talks between the clubs on Monday afternoon.
It is unclear how many City players have been affected, or how many other fixtures are at risk over the coming days, but the number infected has gone beyond four already reported.
Hungary receives 6,000 doses of Russia's Covid-19 vaccine
Hungary has received 6,000 doses of Russia's Covid-19 vaccine, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on his Facebook page on Monday.
Szijjarto said local health experts would continue their assessment of the use of the Russian vaccine in Hungary.
04:04 PM
Vaccine overdose puts German care workers in hospital
Germany's Covid-19 vaccination campaign has been overshadowed by a mishap in the north where eight workers in an elderly care home received an overdose.
Vorpommern-Ruegen district authorities said the workers in Stralsund city received five times the recommended dose of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine on Sunday.
Four went to hospital for observation after developing flu-like symptoms.
"I deeply regret the incident. This individual case is due to individual errors. I hope that all those affected do not experience any serious side-effects," district chief Stefan Kerth said in a statement.
The incident came after some German districts declined to use vaccines received over the weekend on suspicion that cold conditions were interrupted during delivery.
03:56 PM
Watch: Belgium rolls out vaccine amid one of Europe's worst death rates
03:47 PM
Saudi Arabia extends weeklong border closure
Saudi Arabia has decided to extend its weeklong closure of all official ports of entry over fears of the new fast-spreading variant of coronavirus.
The kingdom's Interior Ministry announced on Monday that borders will remain shut and international commercial flights suspended for at least another week. Cargo flights and shipping routes will not be affected.
The country sealed its ports last week, following the discovery of the more contagious virus strain in Britain. Starting on Sunday, non-citizens in the country were allowed to leave the kingdom despite the travel ban.
Although cases have declined in recent months, Saudi Arabia has struggled to stem a major outbreak that has infected over 362,000 people and killed more than 6,000.
03:39 PM
Hundreds of British holidaymakers escape from quarantine in Verbier
The holiday-makers were ordered to isolate for 10 days in their accommodation after the UK announced it had detected a mutation of the coronavirus.
But on Sunday, hoteliers informed officials that breakfast trays were left untouched outside guests’ rooms and calls were unanswered.
Of the 420 Britons identified by authorities as being in the luxury resort when the quarantine was hastily enforced, less than a dozen remained by Sunday.
03:31 PM
EU diplomat accuses Russia of spreading Covid-19 disinformation to sell vaccine
The European Union's top diplomat accused the Russian public media of spreading false information on European and American Covid-19 vaccines in countries where it wants to sell its own product against the virus.
"Western vaccine developers are openly mocked on multi-lingual Russian state-controlled media, which has in some cases led to absurd claims that vaccines will turn people into monkeys," Josep Borrell said in a blog post.
"Such narratives are apparently directed at countries where Russia wants to sell its own vaccine, Sputnik V," Borrell added, noting that these moves threatened public health amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He gave no specific examples.
Moscow has repeatedly denied these accusations, and alleges that Sputnik V is being targeted by a foreign-backed disinformation campaign.
03:24 PM
Philippines prolongs coronavirus curbs in Manila to Jan 31
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday extended partial coronavirusrestrictions in the capital, Manila, until the end of January to prevent the spread of Covid-19 following Christmas and holiday festivities.
The capital region, which accounts for 40 per cent of the country's economic output and is home to at least 12 million people, remains the coronavirus hotspot in the Philippines, which has the second highest infections and deaths in Southeast Asia.
In a national address, Duterte placed the capital region, his hometown Davao City and eight other areas under partial quarantine measures for the entirety of January.
Less stringent restrictions will be enforced for the rest of the country.
"Stay home if it is really possible, if you can. It is for your own good," Duterte said.
03:16 PM
Russia extends UK flight suspension until Jan 12
Russia has decided to keep flights to and from Britain suspended until the end of January 12 due to the new coronavirus variant detected in Britain.
Last week, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, announced a partnership between Sputnik V and AstraZeneca to test a combination of the two jabs, a long-awaited vote of confidence in the Russian-made vaccine.
And, in a significant publicity coup for the Kremlin, Russia recently delivered 300,000 doses of the vaccine to Argentina, which is expected to start its own immunisation drive in January.
There are also distribution and production deals pending with other countries.
03:07 PM
Drive-through ballots - Israel's solution to voting in a pandemic
Israelis who are sick with Covid-19 will be able to cast their ballots at drive-through polling stations that authorities hope will ensure a smooth election in March while minimizing infection risks.
The March 23 parliamentary election, brought on prematurely due to a seemingly intractable political stalemate, is the country's second since the pandemic.
Looking to improve the voting process, the national election committee said it would now open the drive-through ballot boxes for people diagnosed with Covid-19.
Voters will pull up to a station, a ballot box will be rolled up to their window, and they then present their ID and pick a candidate without having to step outside.
02:58 PM
318 new deaths in England from coronavirus
A further 318 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 48,860, NHS England have said.
The patients were aged between 38 and 100. All except 13, aged between 64 and 92, had known underlying health conditions.
The deaths were between December 13 and 27. There were 12 other deaths reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.
02:50 PM
Brazil's vice president taking antimalarial drug for Covid-19
Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourao is taking the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine as part of an unproven treatment after contracting coronavirus
In a statement, Mourao's office said the vice president's health is "good" and he is continuing to self-isolate at his official residence in Brasilia after testing positive for the virus on Sunday.
President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the severity of Covid-19 while advocating for hydroxychloroquine as a treatment despite a lack of scientific evidence.
He took the antimalarial himself when he caught the virus in July.
Bolsonaro has come under fire for his handling of the pandemic in Brazil, which has confirmed nearly 7.5 million cases and lost more than 190,000 lives to Covid-19 — behind only the United States.
02:41 PM
Russia reports 20% more deaths since pandemic
Russia has recorded 20 per cent more deaths since the Covid-19 pandemic began in the country in April, official state figures revealed.
The total figure, at 241,193 more deaths in April-November 2020 than during the same period the previous year, is significantly higher than the preliminary pandemic death toll of 55,265 so far, reported on a cumulative daily basis by the government's coronavirus crisis centre.
This figure includes deaths recorded in December.
02:35 PM
2,273 new cases in Wales and 15 deaths
There have been a further 2,273 cases of coronavirus in Wales, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 141,915.
Public Health Wales reported another 15 deaths, taking the total in Wales since the start of the pandemic to 3,383.
02:31 PM
Lebanon secures Covid-19 vaccines for 20% of its citizens
Lebanon has secured about two million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine, which will cover 20 per cent of the country's nationals, the health minister said on Monday.
Hamad Hassan told Reuters two weeks ago the country was about to sign a deal for supplies and that the first batch would arrive eight weeks later.
"We have reserved about two million doses of the vaccine and that will be enough for 20% of Lebanese living in the country," he said at the presidential palace on Monday.
Christmas decorations hang in downtown Beirut - Mohamed Azakir/Reuters
02:22 PM
Chinese citizen journalist jailed for four years over Wuhan coronavirus reports
A Chinese court sentenced a citizen journalist to four years in prison on Monday for her uncensored reports from Wuhan during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak.
Zhang Zhan, 37, appeared in court in Shanghai in a wheelchair because of her deteriorating health. She began a hunger strike in late June to protest her detention, and has been subjected to force-feeding through a nasal tube, according to her lawyers.
Ms Zhang was found guilty of picking quarrels and provoking trouble after a brief hearing, according to one of her defence lawyers, Ren Quanniu. She had faced up to five years on the charge, which authorities regularly use to detain activists and other dissidents.
“She said when I visited her (last week): ‘If they give me a heavy sentence then I will refuse food until the very end.’ ... She thinks she will die in prison,” Mr Ren told the AFP news agency.
“It’s an extreme method of protesting against this society and this environment,” he added.
Belgium began to deploy the coronavirus vaccine today innoculating residents at three retirement homes as the first step in a national campaign.
The vaccine launched by Pfizer and BioNTech is the first approved for use in the European Union, and is produced in a plant in Puurs, in Belgian Flanders.
The country has suffered one of the worst per capita death rates in the world during the epidemic, and its nursing homes have been particularly hard hit.
The first doses of the vaccine that scientists hope will turn back the tide went to homes in Puurs, the French-speaking town of Mons and a Brussels suburb.
Care home resident Josephine, receives a dose of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine, in Puurs-Sint-Amands, Belgium - Dirk Waem/AFP
02:07 PM
Russia to test new Covid-19 antibody drug in new year
Russia will begin trials of an antibody treatment for Covid-19 patients next year, the head of the Moscow institute that developed the country's first vaccine against the new disease, Sputnik V, said today.
Alexander Gintsburg, director of the Gamaleya Institute, was cited by the RIA news agency as saying that he hoped trials for the new antibody-based drug would begin in the autumn of 2021.
"I hope clinical trials will begin in autumn," he said. "We need to develop this drug using several technologies at the same time, which is something that is being done right now."
Russia has been asking Covid-19 patients to donate blood plasma, which is rich in antibodies, for research.
01:59 PM
Fears of new coronavirus variant drives vaccination programmes across Europe
Belgium on Monday joined a growing list of countries to launch Covid-19 vaccination campaigns, while a new coronavirus variant believed to be more infectious spread further and other nations ramped up restrictions.
Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has boasted of a "world record" vaccination drive that inoculated 380,000 of its 8.7 million people by Monday, began issuing shots to soldiers at 17 centres nationwide.
Fears have been raised by the new strain of Covid-19 first detected in Britain and believed by experts to be potentially more transmissible.
After it spread to several European countries as well as Japan and Canada, South Korea became the latest nation Monday to detect the virus variant, in three individuals from a London-based family who arrived in the country last week.
01:51 PM
Some German districts will not use vaccine after cold chain issues
Some German districts will not use the Covid-19 vaccine received over the weekend on the suspicion that the cold chain could have been interrupted during its delivery, a district administrators told Reuters TV.
"There were doubts as to whether the cold chain was maintained at all times", the Lichtenfels District Administrator Christian Meissner told Reuters TV.
"Biontech commented and said that the vaccine was probably okay, but probably okay is not enough", he said, adding that the shots would not be used to prevent damage to the public's trust in the vaccination campaign.
A Lichtenfels district spokesman said on Sunday that 1,000 shots earmarked for use in Lichtenfels as well as Coburg, Kronach, Kulmbach, Hof, Bayreuth and Wunsiedel in northern Bavaria had been affected by the temperature issue.
01:43 PM
U.S screens 1.28 million arrivals at airports
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration said it screened 1.28 million passengers on today at airports across the nation, the highest number since mid-March, when the coronavirus pandemic slashed travel demand.
The number of U.S. air travellers is still about 50 per cent lower than the same date last year.
Yesterday was the sixth day in the last 10 in which volume surpassed 1 million. The rise comes despite public health officials urging Americans to avoid holiday travel this year.
01:37 PM
Teaching union calls for delay to January school reopening
A teachers union is calling for a delay to the reopening of schools in January as the Government hopes to push ahead with its new year plan.
Earlier this month, the Government said exam-year students would go back to school as normal after the Christmas holidays, but the majority of secondary school pupils would start the term online to allow headteachers to roll out mass testing of children and staff.
Officials from Downing Street and the Department for Education are due to discuss the issue on Monday amid concerns over the spread of a new strain of coronavirus.
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT wrote to the Education Secretary today demanding further action on school safety.
The letter calls for Gavin Williamson to allow schools to move to remote learning for all pupils, except those deemed to be vulnerable or the children of key workers, in the highest tier areas.
01:29 PM
Thailand imposes entertainment curbs in capital to thwart virus spread
Thailand announced its first coronavirus death in nearly two months and tightened restrictions on entertainment businesses in a bid to contain an outbreak that has reached more than half of the country's provinces.
Authorities confirmed 144 new infections today as new clusters emerged stemming from its biggest outbreak yet, prompting a ban in Bangkok on betting businesses and midnight closures for its bars, nightclubs and music venues until January 4.
Bangkok will see its businesses and entertainment venues closed until January 4 - AFP
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he was undergoing two weeks of quarantine after exposure to an infected provincial governor, while house speaker Chuan Leekpai asked 29 parliamentary staffers to seek tests after meeting a person who contracted the virus.
01:25 PM
Rising number of coronavirus patients in hospital 'extremely worrying,' says medical chief
Dr Nick Scriven, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, has said the rising number of coronavirus patients in hospital is "extremely worrying".
Dr Scriven said: "With the numbers approaching the peaks from April, systems will again be stretched to the limit.
"It is not 'just the case' of using the Nightingale hospital as there are simply no staff for them to run as they were originally intended (mini intensive care units)."
"They could play a role perhaps if used as rehabilitation units for those recovering but, again, where do we find the specialist staff - the NHS simply does not have the capacity to spare anyone."
01:18 PM
Finland finds first patients with new coronavirus variant
The new coronavirus variant circulating in Britain has been detected in Finland in two people, while a separate variant spreading in South Africa has been detected in one other person, health officials said today.
Finland imposed travel restrictions earlier this month on passengers from Britain amid concerns over the new variant, which is thought to be more contagious than previous ones.
It comes after officials in South Korea vowed to speed up efforts to launch a public coronavirus vaccination programme after detected its first cases of the virus variant.
12:38 PM
Ukrainians flock to local ski resort as many European resorts shut
Ukraine's biggest ski resort Bukovel in the Carpathian mountains is fully booked until the end of year as locals have sped to it instead of other European resorts closed by coronavirus-linked restrictions.
Bukovel's management said the resort had already been booked at 80 per cent capacity through January.
Ski resort Bukovel amid the outbreak of the virus near the village of Polianytsia, Ukraine - Reuters
The resort which sits 920 meters (3,000 feet) above sea level and covers five mountains in western Ukraine, attracts two million visitors each year.
12:29 PM
France: Macron to review Covid-19 situation on Dec 29 amid surge in cases
President Emmanuel Macron and some senior cabinet ministers will review the Covid-19 situation on Wednesday, amid another surge in cases that has spurred fears of a third lockdown in France.
The European Union rolled out a massive Covid vaccination drive on Sunday to try to rein in a pandemic that has crippled economies worldwide and claimed more than 1.7 million lives.
Jacques Collineau, 75, receives a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at Debrou nursing home in Joue-les-Tours - Guillaume Souvant /AFP
France reported 8,822 new Covid-19 infections on Sunday, sharply up from Saturday's 3,093.
12:20 PM
Labour's shadow education secretary accuses Government of 'failing to be honest with parents and pupils'.
Michael Gove had indicated the government’s plan for a staggered return of England’s secondary school pupils after the Christmas holidays could yet change because of Covid transmission rates.
Now, the Labour opposition’s shadow education secretary, Kate Green, has accused ministers of “failing to be honest with parents and pupils”. She has said:
Parents, pupils and staff will be increasingly worried by the drip-feed of media reports saying scientists have advised the closure of schools in January, yet the prime minister has failed to be clear about the advice he has received.Labour has been clear that keeping pupils learning should be a national priority, but a litany of government failures – from a lack of funding for safety measures through to the delayed and chaotic announcement of mass testing – is putting young people’s education at risk.
12:10 PM
Russia delivers only first part of Covid-19 vaccine to Argentina
Russia's first big international shipment of its coronavirus vaccine -- 300,000 doses sent to Argentina last week -- consisted only of the first dose of the two-shot vaccine, which is easier to make than the second dose, sources told Reuters.
Unlike most other Covid-19 vaccines, which are given as two shots of the same product, the Russian Sputnik V vaccine relies on two doses delivered using different inactive viruses, known as vectors.
The Gamaleya Institute that developed the vaccine says it is more than 91 per cent effective after the two-dose course.
But some Russian manufacturers are finding the second dose, which is administered 21 days after the first, to be less stable, two sources said, revealing a new challenge for the country's ambitious national inoculation programme.
The decision to send doses of the vaccine to Argentina caused an outcry at home, where the lifesaving drug is still mostly unavailable to the general public outside the capital Moscow.
Russia has not said exactly how many people have received it. The Gamaleya Institute said last week 650,000 doses had been released for Russia's domestic vaccination programme so far.
11:59 AM
Swedish government to get wider lockdown powers under proposed pandemic law
The Swedish government will have the power to close shopping centres and public transport from Jan 10 and fine people who break the rules,under a new law proposed today to help curb a rise in cases.
Up to now, Sweden has relied mainly on voluntary social distancing measures, setting it apart from most other countries in Europe where enforced lockdowns have been used to fight the virus.
"In very serious situations, the government will be able to decide on more extensive measures to prevent crowding," Health Minister Lena Hallengren told a news conference.
"That includes the closure of shops, public transport, shopping centres, or other kinds of businesses that fall under the new law."
11:51 AM
Covid restrictions in Wales to continue for three weeks
The current Covid restrictions in Wales will need to be in place for at least three weeks to halt the exponential growth of the virus, Public Health Wales has said.
Dr Giri Shankar, incident director for the Covid outbreak response at PHW, said the alert level 4 would need to remain even longer than that to bring cases back to “reasonably manageable levels”.
Speaking on BBC Radio Wales, he said: “We do have to brace ourselves for an incredibly challenging couple of months in January and February.”
Shankar said the picture in Wales’ hospitals remained “incredibly concerning” with large numbers of patients suffering from Covid and other conditions – plus a “significant proportion” of staff off sick.
11:42 AM
India's Serum Institute expects approval for AstraZeneca vaccine in days
The Serum Institute of India, the county's maker of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, said it expected the government to approve the vaccine for emergency use in a few days.
Serum Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla also told reporters that the company had already made 40 million to 50 million doses of the vaccine.
The country is also set commence a dummy vaccination exercise in four states today , with each state delivering does to 100 people across two districts to trial its cold chain distribution.
After the US, India has been one of the hardest hit countries in the world with 147,901 reported deaths from coronavirus.
11:33 AM
Pfizer to complete supply of 200 mln vaccine doses to Europe by Sept, says EU
The distribution of an initial 200 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech will be completed for the European Union by September, a spokesman for the EU Commission announced today.
"Distribution of the full 200 million doses is scheduled to be completed by September 2021," a spokesman told Reuters.
He added that talks were underway to agree the delivery of a further 100 million additional doses which are optional under the contract sealed with the two companies.
11:29 AM
Kazakhstan signs agreement with Pfizer for Covid-19 vaccine
Authorities in Kazakhstan have signed a preliminary agreement with Pfizer to potentially buy the vaccine it developed with its partner BioNTech against Covid-19.
"Today we signed a non-disclosure agreement with Pfizer, and we are ready to deal with the supplies of these vaccines on the territory of Kazakhstan by issuing special permits," Deputy Health Minister Marat Shoranov said.
"Everything will depend on the production capacity and the company's ability to supply the drug to our country."
Kazakhstan has started producing Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19, Russia's RDIF sovereign wealth fund said last week.
11:18 AM
Pandemic 'biggest hit to mental health since Second World War,' says leading psychiatrist
A leading psychiatrist has said the coronavirus pandemic could be the "biggest hit to mental health since the Second World War".
Dr Adrian James, the president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, has said even when the virus is under control, there will be "profound" long-term consequences.
It is probably the biggest hit to mental health since the Second World War. It doesn't stop when the virus is under control and there are few people in hospital. You've got to fund the long-term consequences."
Mental health charity Mind described the situation by Christmas as a "mental health emergency", adding that "2020 has been a year of anxiety and uncertainty and more people need us than ever before".
The charity said in November that more people have experienced a mental health crisis during the pandemic than ever previously recorded.
11:11 AM
Japan PM says 'virus recognises no holidays', urges ministers' vigilance
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Monday asked his ministers to remain ready to implement measures to prevent the further spread of coronavirus infections, after daily case numbers hit a string of record highs in recent days.
"The virus recognises no year-end or New Year holidays. I ask each minister to raise the level of their sense of urgency and thoroughly carry out counter measures," Suga told a meeting of the government's Covid-19 taskforce.
Scotland’s NHS is close to breaking point and a surge of Covid-19 cases in the new year could leave the service overwhelmed, senior medical leaders have warned.
In a stark warning, members of the Scottish Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties said they feared coronavirus vaccines had come too late to save the NHS from a "perfect storm" of problems this winter.
The whole of mainland Scotland went into a level four lockdown on Boxing Day, meaning the closure of hospitality venues, non-essential shops and gyms.
However, experts are nervous about the impact a relaxation on Christmas Day will have on case numbers, after evidence emerged to suggest new strains of the virus are significantly more transmissible.
Donald Trump has signed a $900bn coronavirus relief package to help the US economy recover from the pandemic, after threatening to reject the bill last week.
The aid package was agreed by Democrats and Republicans in Congress late last Sunday, after months of negotiations.
But Trump unexpectedly demanded that the package, which had already been passed by the House and Senate and was believed to have Trump’s support, be revised to include larger relief checks and scaled-back spending on foreign aid.
Trump said: “As president, I have told Congress that I want far less wasteful spending and more money going to the American people in the form of $2,000 checks per adult and $600 per child."
What does the bill offer?
$286bn in direct economic relief, with more than half going on payments of $600 to individuals.
The US government will also restart pandemic unemployment benefits at $300 a week, which will last until 14 March.
Additional funding for businesses, the arts, and foreign aid
10:43 AM
Germany's death toll passes 30,000
Germany's confirmed death toll in the pandemic has passed 30,000 as the country hopes its new lockdown will bring down case numbers.
The national disease control centre, the Robert Koch Institute, said today that another 348 deaths were reported over the past 24 hours, bringing the country's total to 30,126.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases by 10,976 to 1.65 million. That increase is much lower than a week ago, but lower testing and reporting over the Christmas period likely accounts for much of the difference.
Germany had a relatively low death rate in the first phase of the pandemic but has seen hundreds of deaths per day in recent weeks. Among major European nations, Italy, the U.K., France and Spain still have higher death tolls.
A national lockdown on December 16 with the closure of schools and most shops is scheduled to remain in place until January 10 and appears likely to be extended.
10:33 AM
Keeping schools open is a price to pay even if it increases R number, Tory MPs say
Keeping schools open is a price that should be paid even if it increases the R number, Tory MPs have told the Prime Minister as they accuse scientists of “scaring” parents and children.
Their intervention comes ahead of crunch talks due to take place today between Number 10 and Department for Education officials about whether to delay the return to the classroom in January.
Downing Street has repeatedly said that keeping schools open is a "national priority" but scientists are warning that closures may be necessary to slow the spread of the new Covid-19 variant.
The governor of a province at the centre of an expanding Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand has been confirmed infected with the virus after meeting with public health officials, including the deputy prime minister.
The meeting, attended by governor Weerasak Wijitsaengsri and Deputy PM Anutin Charnvirakul was considered "low risk" because everyone wore masks, said Dr Taweesilp Visanuyotin, a spokesman for the Covid-19 response centre.
The governor did not have symptoms but would be treated at a hospital, Taweesilp said.
Anutin, who is also Thailand's public health minister, wrote on Facebook that he has tested negative for the virus and is isolating at home for 14 days.
Thailand reported 144 new cases Monday, most of them locally transmitted, and its total has reached 6,285.
10:16 AM
Chinese citizen journalist jailed for four years over Wuhan coronavirus reports
Zhang Zhan, 37, was found guilty of picking quarrels and provoking trouble after a brief hearing in Shanghai, according to one of her defence lawyers, Ren Quanniu.
She had faced up to five years on the charge, which authorities regularly use to detain activists and other dissidents.
Zhang Zhan, a 37-year-old former lawyer, has been held in detention since she was arrested in May
Zhang, a former lawyer, had travelled to Wuhan in early February to chronicle the chaotic early stages and residents’ experiences of the coronavirus outbreak
She posted reports and livestreamed scenes from the city on WeChat, Facebook and Twitter, including evidence of crematoriums operating at midnight as the death toll rose.
The former lawyer has been in detention since May and is in deteriorating health. She has been on a hunger strike for months to protest her detention, and has been subjected to force-feeding through a nasal tube, according to her lawyers.
10:07 AM
Philippines troops and ministers get Covid-19 vaccine before approval
Some Philippine soldiers and cabinet ministers have already received Covid-19 vaccine injections, officials said on Monday, despite an absence of regulatory approval.
Interior minister, Eduardo Ano, said some cabinet members have already been inoculated and army chief, Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, said some troops had been vaccinated but the number was not large.
Neither said what brand of vaccine was administered.
The health ministry in a statement said all vaccines must first be evaluated by experts, and "only vaccines which have been approved and found to be safe should be administered".
Food and Drug Administration head Rolando Enrique Domingo said Philippine regulators have yet to approve any Covid-19 vaccine, making any importation, distribution and sale of one illegal.
10:04 AM
Michael Gove says schools will reopen next week but warns of trade offs with wider lockdowns
Michael Gove has insisted primary pupils and some secondary schools will reopen next but warns there will be trade offs with potential wider lockdowns.
The Cabinet Office minister said the Government was confident younger pupils and those in Years 11 and 13 in England would be able to return in the first week of January, with the rest going back later in the month.
He said: "It is our intention to make sure we can get children back to school as early as possible. We are talking to teachers and head teachers in order to make sure we can deliver effectively. But we all know that there are trade-offs."
Mr Gove said that children returning to school had to be a priority as he cautioned that this had to be balanced against the new strain of the virus.
South Korea detects first coronavirus variant cases
Three cases of a particularly infectious coronavirus variant that recently emerged in Britain have been confirmed in South Korea, health authorities said Monday.
The three individuals are members of a London-based family who arrived in the country on December 22, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
They have been placed in isolation since testing positive for Covid-19 on arrival, the KDCA statement said.
The new strain of the virus emerged earlier this month in Britain and has already reached several European countries, as well as Canada, Jordan and Japan.
Workers wearing PPE disinfect chairs at the arrival hall of the Incheon International Airport in South Korea - Kim Sun-woong
09:47 AM
Pfizer delays vaccine deliveries to eight EU nations
Pfizer has postponed the delivery of new batches of its coronavirus vaccine to eight European nations including Spain, the Spanish health ministry said Monday, a day after the EU began its immunisation campaign.
The Spanish branch of Pfizer informed Madrid on Sunday night of the delay in shipments to the eight nations due to a "problem in the loading and shipment process" at its plant in Belgium, the health ministry said in a statement.
It did not specify which European nations aside from Spain were affected.
Pfizer has informed the ministry that the problem "was already resolved" but the next delivery of vaccines "will be a few hours late" and arrive in Spain on Tuesday, a day later than expected, the statement said.
Healthworkers applaud as vials of the vaccine are delivered to the La Bonne Maison de Bouzanton care home in Mons, Belgium, - Francisco Seco
09:39 AM
Indonesia bans international visitors for two weeks over new virus strain
International visitors will be barred from entering Indonesia for a two-week period in a bid to stem the spread of a new potentially more contagious strain of the virus, its foreign minister Retno Marsudi announced today.
The new regulation, effective from January 1, comes days after Indonesia banned travellers from Britain and tightened rules for those arriving from Europe and Australia to limit the spread of the new strain.
Earlier this year Indonesia had banned all visits from tourists all tourists with exemptions only made for business travellers.
The new restrictions will apply to all foreign visitors with the exception of high-level government officials, she said.
09:33 AM
Lag before benefits felt of Tier 4 restrictions, says medical chief
The president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has said there will be a lag before the NHS feels the benefit of the Tier 4 restrictions imposed on London and the south east.
Dr Katherine Henderson told BBC Breakfast: "We will hope to start seeing the benefits in London of the Tier 4 restrictions and transmission rates but there is a big lag.
"All the people we are seeing at the moment were infected two weeks ago."
09:25 AM
Non-urgent care paused in Scotland due to Covid-19.
The President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow said non-urgent care will have to be paused in Scotland due to Covid-19.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Dr Jackie Taylor said: "Everybody has been working over the last nine months to try and ensure that we catch up with the backlog, and we will continue to do that.
"But the harsh reality is that some places that are under pressure, some of that non-urgent work will have to be paused, we have to focus on urgent work and we have to be able to roll out the vaccination programme."
She added: "There are hidden harms from Covid both in terms of operations and all sorts of other social and mental health and economic harms which we are all very, very aware of."
09:20 AM
Close schools in January, warns Sage
Government scientists have told Boris Johnson in direct terms that he has to keep secondary schools closed in January and potentially order a stricter national lockdown than the one he implemented in November.
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), delivered the new advice at a meeting last week, sources have told Politico.
Sage's advice was that the reproduction rate of the virus - knows as R - might be kept below 1 if schools stay closed in January.
The advisory body found that closing secondary schools would have a bigger impact than shutting primary schools.
09:13 AM
Government not ruling out all of England placed into Tier 4
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has not ruled out the whole of England being moved into Tier 4 restrictions.
He told BBC Breakfast: "We review which tiers parts of the country should be in on the basis of scientific evidence.
"The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) will be making a recommendation to ministers, but I can't pre-empt that because it obviously has to be a judgment based on the medical situation.
"As you quite rightly point out, the NHS is under pressure and these are difficult months ahead."
09:05 AM
'Cost' for allowing household mixing in Scotland on Christmas Day, warns medical chief
The President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow has said there will be a "cost" for allowing household mixing in Scotland on Christmas Day.
Prof Jackie Taylor said: "When there is increased mixing we know there is likely to be increased transmission, (Scotland's) levels have never fallen to the kind of levels that we would have wished, so we are starting from a higher base.
"In addition, the new variant strain we are seeing does appear to be significantly more transmissible and that does give us great cause for concern, when we add that to the usual winter pressures we are really very anxious for the potential of a further huge surge of cases."
I think it is absolutely right that the restrictions were only flexed for that day but, inevitably, there will be a cost for this.
08:58 AM
Hospitals 'wall to wall' with Covid-19 patients on Christmas Day
The president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has warned hospitals were "wall to wall" with Covid-19 patients on Christmas Day.
Dr Katherine Henderson told BBC Breakfast: "We see patients who are coming in who have Covid symptoms and then we have other people coming in with other symptoms who turn out to be Covid positive.
"Between that, there's a great deal of difficulty getting those patients through into the wards."
08:50 AM
Pfizer delays delivery of vaccine to Spain
Pfizer has postponed the delivery of a new batch of the coronavirus vaccine to Spain by one day to Tuesday due to a logistics hurdle, Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Monday.
The company suffered an incident related to the control of temperature in the process of loading and sending out the vaccines, the minister said, adding the incident is now solved.
"They (vaccines) will be available tomorrow first thing in the morning in vaccination points," Illa said in an interview to Cadena SER radio station. Spain started vaccinating people on Sunday.
He expected around 70 per cent of the country's population to be immunised by the end of the summer.
08:43 AM
Little sign of vaccine hesitancy among elderly, says GP
Practice GP Dr Fari Ahmad has said that so far there has been little sign of "vaccine hesitancy" among the first groups to receive the Pfizer jab.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she said: "What's really interesting is a lot of the over-80s are very happy to have the vaccine.
"I think they do understand how much of a difference it will make to them individually and they're probably the ones that have been shielding, and it's had a massive impact on them.
"As we move through the age ranges I certainly think there will be some vaccine hesitancy, but I would hope that people will have seen the benefits of it."
Respiratory disease expert and Sage member Prof Calum Semple added the UK's existing mass-vaccination programmes will help speed up the process.
"The technology for identifying people and logistics is built into our system - it's going to have to be stepped up to do many, many more people in a shorter period of time, but that is feasible."
08:41 AM
Reopening of schools in January to go ahead, says Michael Gove
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has said the Government hopes the staggered reopening of schools in England will go ahead in January as planned.
"We always keep things under review but teachers and head teachers have been working incredibly hard over the Christmas period since schools broke up in order to prepare for a new testing regime - community testing - in order to make sure that children and all of us are safer," he told Sky News.
"We do keep things under review but that is the plan."
07:42 AM
Greg Norman in hospital - again - after testing positive
Greg Norman is back in hospital in Florida after the Australian golfing star tested positive for Covid-19, the 65-year-old said late on Sunday.
Norman, whose two major titles came at the British Open in 1986 and 1993, said he tested negative at the exhibition PNC Championship in Orlando from December 19-20 but began to experience a fever and joint and muscle aches later in the week.
Greg Norman and son Greg Norman Jnr during the final round of the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida - Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
He went to hospital on Christmas Day and returned home to self-isolate on Saturday while awaiting the results of another test.
"I hope this will be my final update on this Covid saga ... back in hospital after getting a positive result," he said on Instagram, adding he was receiving an infusion of antibodies.
"The path to full recovery. Hoping to be out later today."
Norman said that despite being fit and strong and having a high tolerance for pain, the "hideous" virus had "kicked the crap out of me like nothing I have ever experienced before".
"Muscle and joint pain on another level. Headaches that feel like a chisel going through your head scraping little bits off each time, fever, muscles that just did not want to work.
"Then my taste failed, where beer tastes bad and wine the same ... at times struggling with memory of names and things."
Norman's son, also named Greg, had played with his father at the PNC Championship and confirmed he and his wife had tested positive.
His son re-shared Norman's Instagram post on Twitter (see below).
The United States government will require all airline passengers arriving from the UK to test negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours of departure starting on Monday.
Iran has reported the lowest daily fatalities in more than three months.
US President Donald Trump has signed into law a $2.3 trillion (£1.7 trillion) pandemic aid and spending package.
South Korea has extended social distancing measures for another six days - until January 3 - with the country reporting near-record numbers of new cases each day.
Brazilian vice-president Hamilton Mourão has tested positive for coronavirus.
06:42 AM
African nation records one million coronavirus cases
South Africa has logged its millionth case of Covid-19 as the pandemic shows no signs of letting up.
Global infections have raced past 80 million with nearly 1.8 million deaths, even as vaccination drives gather pace in North America and Europe, with a top US expert warning that the pandemic might get even worse in coming weeks.
The explosion of cases worldwide in recent weeks has prompted the return of many unpopular restrictions.
South Africa became the first African nation to log one million cases, official data showed on Sunday, as authorities considered reimposing restrictions to battle a second wave of infections driven by the new variant.
06:37 AM
For those who miss their grandmother's honest truths...
"This has been the year of Granny Appreciation," writes Shane Watson.
"Ten months without proper granny contact has left us craving those words of advice, beady observations and practical tips that we used to mildly resent."
For those who didn’t get their granny/mum fix this Christmas, click the link below for a quick reminder of what you probably missed...
Words of wisdom from Gran - Diamond Dogs/iStockphoto
06:29 AM
NHS staff told to prepare for Oxford vaccine
Frontline NHS workers have been told they will soon receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, as regulators look set to approve the coronavirus treatment this week.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency could give the go-ahead for the British vaccine as early as Monday, a decision which would rapidly speed up the vaccination rollout across the UK.
Although there were concerns that the Oxford jab may not be as effective as the Pfizer version, AstraZeneca said it was due to publish new data showing efficacy is now around 95 per cent.
The true cost of Covid on our nation's retail soul
"The coronavirus pandemic, and the measures taken to try and bring it under control, have wreaked havoc across our high streets," writes Rosa Silverman in The Telegraph.
"With trade brought to a grinding halt and their life blood all but cut off, shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars, hairdressers and beauty salons have struggled to stay afloat.
"Many thousands haven’t prevailed. Shocking new figures compiled by the Local Data Company and published exclusively in The Telegraph lay bare the extent of the damage."
We have gathered the stories of small business owners who have seen everything they had lovingly built crumble to nothing
06:06 AM
Volunteer army ready to distribute Covid vaccine
An army of more than 10,000 medics and volunteers has been recruited by the NHS to help deliver the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, once it is given approval.
The Telegraph has learnt that teams are trained and ready to begin giving the jab at sports stadia and race courses across the country, with a target of vaccinating at least a million people each week.
The Oxford/AstraZeneca jab could be approved early next week, after the final cut of data was submitted by the Government last Monday.
Officials have pinpointed January 4, 2021, as the date the rollout of the mass vaccination programme will begin.
Crowds banned for New Year fireworks on Sydney foreshore
This won't be happening this year - Rick Rycroft/AP
Sydney, one of the world's first major cities to welcome each New Year with a public countdown featuring a fireworks display over its well-known Opera House, has banned large gatherings that night amid an outbreak of coronavirus.
A mid-December resurgence in the city's northern beach suburbs has grown to 125 cases after five new infections were recorded on Monday. About a quarter of million of people there must stay in strict lockdown until January 9.
That has led to further restrictions of the already toned-down plans for New Year's Eve.
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian banned most people from Sydney's CBD that night and limited outdoor gatherings to 50 people.
"We don't want to create any super-spreading events on New Year's Eve, which then ruins it for everybody across the state moving forward," Ms Berejiklian said.
NSW Police have issued 15 notices in Sydney for breaking public health orders since Christmas Eve.
"I would say to those people half contemplating doing anything stupid in the next few days, forget it," NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said.
05:42 AM
Cases of new strain reported in Norway and Canada
Mutant coronavirus strains spread further across the world this weekend, with new cases detected in countries including Portugal, Norway and Canada.
Health officials in Ontario said that two confirmed cases of the new and highly infectious coronavirus variant, which was first detected in the UK, had appeared in the Canadian province.
On the Portuguese island of Madeira, cases of the new strain have been found, according to local officials.
Norway confirmed that at least two people who returned recently from Britain were infected with the variant.
Three cases of a particularly infectious coronavirus variant that recently emerged in Britain have been confirmed in South Korea, health authorities said on Monday.
The three individuals are members of a London-based family who arrived in the country on December 22, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
A worker sprays disinfectant as a preventative measure against the spread of coronavirus, outside a makeshift clinic in Seoul, South Korea - KIM CHUL-SOO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
They have been placed in isolation since testing positive for Covid-19 on arrival.
The new strain of the virus emerged earlier this month in Britain and has already reached several European countries, as well as Canada, Jordan and Japan.
The NFL will allow players to wear protective Guardian Caps during games beginning with the 2024 season. The caps were previously mandated for practices.
Atlanta Falcons first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. said quarterback Kirk Cousins called him after he was picked No. 8 overall in one of the 2024 NFL Draft's more puzzling selections.
Ryan Garcia showed up for Saturday night’s fight against Devin Haney in New York as a 6-1 underdog. He also showed up several pounds heavy, towing behind him what seemed to be some heavy psychological baggage. And then he won.
Dan Wetzel, Ross Dellenger & SI’s Pat Forde react to the huge performance this weekend by Texas QB Arch Manning, Michigan and Notre Dame's spring games, Jaden Rashada entering the transfer portal, and more
Trump is entitled to an additional 36 million shares if the company's share price trades above $17.50 "for twenty out of any thirty trading days" over the next three years.
