UNITED KINGDOM

Global coronavirus death toll reaches 2 million people; UK shuts travel corridors and requires negative Covid tests to enter; German vaccine officials forced to guess who is eligible from namesBrazil rushes to save premature babies as Covid swamps hospitalsVaccine passports: what are they and do they pose a danger to privacy?US suffers bleak January as Covid rages and vaccination campaign falters‘At the coalface’: what the Australian expert in WHO’s Covid mission in China hopes to find 2.13am GMT In a twist that, well, most people could see coming the Australian Open is now facing massive complications after two people on the charter flight QR7493 from LAX tested positive to Covid-19 on arrival in Melbourne. In an email posted on social media by Mexican world number 155 Santiago González which appears to be sent by Tennis Australia, the players are instructed that they must isolate in their rooms for two weeks with no ability to train in the vital days leading up to the competition. Unfortunately we have been informed by the health authorities that two people on your flight from LAX that arrived at 5:15am on Friday 15 January have returned positive COVID-19 PCR tests on arrival to Melbourne.The Chief Helth Officer has reviewed the flight and has determined that everyone on board needs to isolate and will be confined to their rooms for the 14 days quarantin [sic]. 2.07am GMT Australia’s shadow foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has accused the federal government of abandoning the roughly 40,000 Australians still stranded overseas after airline Emirates announced late on Friday it was cancelling flights to cities on the east coast. Labor has been critical of the government’s decision to leave hotel quarantine up to the states, and on Saturday Wong said the prime minister, Scott Morrison, had “refused to take responsibility”. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/jan/16/coronavirus-live-news-global-death-toll-passes-milestone-as-emirates-cancels-australian-flights-live

Author : Michael McGowan

Publish date : 2021-01-16 02:13:33

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Pfizer delay due to upgrading of its production capacity; lateral flow tests limited to hauliers travelling from England to FranceGerman vaccine officials forced to guess who is eligible from namesUS suffers bleak January as Covid rages and vaccinations falterChina rushes to vaccinate 50 million as holiday loomsUS coronavirus updates – live UK coronavirus updates – live
3.02pm GMT The consultant behind an informal recommendation at an NHS trust in the north-east of England to provide Covid patients with high doses of vitamin D has spoken to the BBC about the reason behind the unusual move. Endocrinologist Dr Richard Quinton, whose hospital in Newcastle began megadosing Covid patients with vitamin D in March, says its efficacy is almost certainly proven ‘on balance of probabilities’ – with data suggesting it could well have saved lives locally pic.twitter.com/PaEJngeIGk Related: Does vitamin D combat Covid? 2.58pm GMT German toddlers called Fritz or Adele could be invited for a Covid-19 vaccination while octogenarian Peters and Brigittes will not, as an overzealous interpretation of data privacy laws in one state has forced officials to guess people’s ages from their first names.Authorities in the northern German state of Lower Saxony claim legal hurdles blocked them from accessing official records when trying to send a written invitation for a vaccination appointment to all citizens aged over 80. Related: German Covid vaccine officials play name game to comply with data privacy laws Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/jan/15/coronavirus-live-news-hospitals-in-brazilian-state-at-breaking-point-amid-oxygen-shortage-global-deaths-near-2m

Author : Mattha Busby (now); Ben Quinn and Helen Sullivan (earlier)

Publish date : 2021-01-15 15:02:09

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.