COVID-19 News And Updates

The aged care minister Richard Colbeck has not been able to tell Senate estimates how many workers in the aged care sector have been vaccinated.  Richard Colbeck admits not knowing how many aged care workers have been vaccinated Coronavirus Australia live update Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Not-for-profit aged care sector and unions say it is critical that staff be given priority access to Covid vaccinations Follow LIVE Covid updates on Tuesday: speculation over Victoria lockdown extension ‘A dog’s breakfast’: where the Australian government went wrong with its aged care response Victoria’s Covid lockdown restrictions explained Victoria Covid case alerts and list of public exposure sites Covid vaccine rollout numbers: tracking vaccination progress The not-for-profit aged care sector and staff unions have accused the federal government of a “despicable” attempt to shift blame for its botched vaccine rollout onto aged care staff, while warning it is “now critical” that workers be given priority access to the jab. The federal government is continuing to face sustained pressure over its slow, confused vaccine rollout for aged care workers, who were supposed to be fully vaccinated within six weeks of the rollout’s commencement on 22 February. Continue reading... C...

Worldpay finds cash purchases fell to 13% last year as pandemic hastens switch to cards and mobiles Just 7% of in-store purchases in the UK could be made in cash by 2024, a report has forecast, after the coronavirus pandemic fuelled the switch to cards and mobile payments. While cash accounted for 27% of in-store transactions in 2019, the latest global payments report from processing company Worldpay found that had fallen to 13% last year. The report predicts usage will continue to drop over the next three years. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

The aged care minister Richard Colbeck has not been able to tell Senate estimates how many workers in the aged care sector have been vaccinated.  Richard Colbeck admits not knowing how many aged care workers have been vaccinated Coronavirus Australia live update Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled, and authorities ordered residents of some streets in the Liwan neighbourhood of Guangzhou city to isolate Chinese authorities in Guangdong province have cancelled flights and locked down communities in response to what is believed to be the first community outbreak of the Indian variant in China. Guangdong province had been reporting daily single figures of local cases, including asymptomatic cases, for more than a week, until the case load suddenly jumped to 23 on Monday, including three asymptomatic cases, and 11 on Tuesday. Most of Guandong’s cases are in the city of Guangzhou, with some in nearby Foshan, which has a population of 7.2 million. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Peru’s death toll soars to 180,000 after excess deaths added; the WHO introduces new names for Covid variants; EU announces plans to lift quarantine obligations for people who have been vaccinated from July Analysis: If India variant starts a third wave, England’s Covid rules may have to stay EU plans to lift Covid quarantine rules for vaccinated from 1 July US gun sales spiked during pandemic and continue to rise See all our coronavirus coverage 6.40am BST Here’s a sobering, but important, feature by Guardian contributor V on the ways in which the pandemic has erased women’s rights and left them vulnerable to violence. She writes, All over the world, patriarchy has taken full advantage of the virus to reclaim power – on the one hand, escalating the danger and violence to women, and on the other, stepping in as their supposed controller and protector. Related: Disaster patriarchy: how the pandemic has unleashed a war on women 6.34am BST Continue reading... Coronavirus | ...

State’s testing commander Jeroen Weimar says limited contact between people testing positive is very different to previous outbreaks Follow LIVE Covid updates on Tuesday: speculation over Victoria lockdown extension Victoria’s Covid lockdown restrictions explained Victoria Covid case alerts and list of public exposure sites Covid vaccine rollout numbers: tracking vaccination progress The Covid-19 variant in Victoria’s outbreak is seemingly being transmitted between people during “fleeting”, casual and limited contact, leaving health authorities concerned that the virus is spreading differently than during previous outbreaks. “This is stranger-to-stranger transmission,” Victoria’s Covid-19 testing commander, Jeroen Weimar, said on Tuesday, with 54 active cases now in the state including three new cases identified overnight. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Bank’s Sir Dave Ramsden says it will ‘guard against’ risk of sustained price pressure from rapid Covid recovery See all our coronavirus coverage The Bank of England is carefully monitoring Britain’s booming housing market as it weighs up the possibility that a rapid recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic will lead to a sustained period of inflation, one of its deputy governors has said. In an interview with the Guardian, Sir Dave Ramsden said the Bank expected price pressures to be temporary but he and his colleagues on Threadneedle Street’s monetary policy committee were aware of the risks. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

The fact most mental health problems begin in adolescence doesn’t mean that most adolescents will suffer mental illness If you’re ever going to experience a mental illness, it will most likely start in your adolescent years. One 2005 study found that about 75% of all mental illness starts by age 24 ; another from 2003 found that this number might even start by age 18 . We have known this for some time, long before the pandemic began. Then Covid-19 erupted, triggering a fresh wave of headlines about young people’s mental health and a “ lost generation ”. There’s good reason to be concerned. Initial evidence suggests that, in the early months of the pandemic at least, emotional problems increased on average in young people. This is unsurprising: lockdowns cause a great deal of stress for this age group, disrupting education and limiting vital contact with friends. Some young people will have been especially vulnerable, such as those who lost loved ones or spent lockdown in homes marke...

A three-part thriller charts the final months of Henry VIII’s pregnant queen. Plus: The Anti-Vax Conspiracy. Here’s what to watch this evening Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

My medical colleagues and I have warned of the risks from a sense of complacency and a woeful public education effort Lockdown. The word triggers anxiety among millions of Victorians, and with good reason. We endured 112 days of it last winter, when we stared down our second wave. In that time, thousands were infected by Covid, and hundreds died. While we became the only place in the world to successfully turn such a major outbreak into community elimination, the scars remain. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Minister says he’s comfortable with pace of rollout as he comes under fire over Covid outbreak in two Melbourne nursing homes Follow the Australia coronavirus live blog Victorian Covid hotspots ; Victoria lockdown rules explained Where the federal government went wrong with its aged care response Health experts furious federal Covid guidelines still let Melbourne aged care staff work multiple sites The aged care minister Richard Colbeck has admitted he doesn’t know how many workers in the aged care sector have been vaccinated, but says he’s comfortable with the pace of the rollout despite the fresh Covid outbreak in Melbourne. The Morrison government is under intensifying pressure after two aged care workers and a resident tested positive to Covid-19, laying bare the persistent vulnerabilities in a sector Canberra funds and regulates. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Rightwing thinktank Libertyworks fails in bid to overturn the Covid restriction and must pay costs The rightwing thinktank Libertyworks has lost its federal court challenge to Australia’s outbound travel ban. On Tuesday the full federal court unanimously rejected Libertyworks’ bid to overturn the Covid-19 restriction, which had argued that the health minister, Greg Hunt, has no power to impose a blanket rule stopping citizens from leaving the country. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Labor MP Julian Hill lashes out at Greg Hunt for ‘lack of a national public health campaign to combat misinformation’ after his vaccine photo on Facebook receives ‘batshit crazy’ responses • Follow the Australia coronavirus live blog • Australia’s Covid vaccine rollout progress Australia’s drug regulator is considering referring Covid vaccine misinformation posts to the federal police, after anti-vaccine campaigners targeted a Labor MP who posted about getting the jab. In response to a viral post of Labor backbencher Julian Hill receiving his vaccine, numerous users posted false material purportedly from the Therapeutic Goods Administration wrongly claiming Covid-19 vaccines have caused more than 200 deaths. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Rules on non-essential journeys toughened amid concerns over spread of India variant from Britain Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage France has begun restricting non-essential travel from the UK due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus variant first identified in India. The regulations were announced last week but came into force from Monday when entry to France from Britain is permitted only for EU nationals, French residents or people travelling for “compelling reasons”. The rules apply to all air, car, ferry and train passengers, and to people who have been vaccinated. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Study of parents in England reveals mothers suffered from loneliness, depression and problems sleeping Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage School closures in England during the Covid lockdown badly damaged the mental health of mothers but had no impact on fathers’ wellbeing, research has found. Doing childcare and home schooling as well as their own jobs led to more mothers of pre-teenage children feeling depressed, having trouble sleeping and seeing themselves as worthless. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Union calls rate ‘excessive’ as government supplier Serco charged £21.50 an hour for Covid employees Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Workers on the NHS test-and-trace operation who are being paid £9.50 an hour were charged out to the government’s supplier, Serco, at as much as £21.50 an hour, the Guardian understands. The rate was charged by Sensée, a London-based call centre company, for workers tasked with calling the contacts of people who had tested positive for Covid-19, a source said. Neither Serco nor Sensée disputed the figures. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

For the UK and elsewhere the pandemic’s end is in sight, but less fortunate parts of the world urgently need help When Covid-19 emerged in January 2020, governments across the world had limited strategies to deal with it. Without a vaccine or proven treatments for the disease, or even access to mass testing, the only choice political leaders faced was taking the least bad option available. There were four approaches that different governments took during the beginning of the pandemic. China, New Zealand, Vietnam and Thailand chose to eliminate the virus at the cost of stopping international travel. Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea suppressed the virus through rigorous testing, tracing and isolating while avoiding harsh lockdowns. Sweden allowed the virus to spread through the population before realising health systems could not cope with an influx of Covid-19 patients. Meanwhile, European countries including England and France controlled the virus through a cycle of lockdown meas...

Ministers look at how theatres and nightclubs can fully open and spectator events can restart Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Plans to make Covid documents a requirement of entry to mass events are likely to be dropped as the government grapples with how it can safely lift the final set of restrictions in England within weeks. Ministers have been investigating making coronavirus status certificates compulsory in some settings for months, following the lead of Israel, which introduced a “green pass” for people to demonstrate their low-risk of having or transmitting the disease. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Scientists say geographical spread ‘entirely predictable’ and window of opportunity has been missed Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The coronavirus variant of concern first detected in India is continuing to spread across England, with cases emerging beyond “hotspot” areas, data suggests. The variant, known as B.1.617.2, is thought to be driving a rise in Covid cases in parts of the UK and is believed to be both more transmissible than the variant first detected in Kent, which previously dominated, and somewhat more resistant to Covid vaccines, particularly after just one dose . Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Thinktank feels Brexit and Covid-19 mean Britain could take bigger economic hit over next few years Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK economy will post its fastest growth since the second world war this year but also faces deeper economic scarring than other major economies, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has predicted. In its latest economic outlook, the Paris-based thinktank sharply upgraded its view for UK growth, thanks to the success of the Covid-19 vaccination programme. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Date for lifting remaining curbs may be moved amid warnings of third wave driven by India variant Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The 21 June target for scrapping England’s remaining coronavirus restrictions appears increasingly under threat, as a senior government adviser said the country was in the early stages of a third wave. Prof Ravi Gupta, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme there had been “exponential growth” in new cases, with the variant first detected in India accounting for three-quarters. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

North-west region’s highest seven-day rate since February boosted by large number of 17- to 18-year-olds Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Blackburn with Darwen has replaced Bolton as the area of the UK with the highest rate of new cases of Covid-19, with a large number of cases among younger people in both areas. The high rates in Blackburn are particularly among 17- to 18-year-olds, according to the council’s director of public health, who has called for children as young as 12 to be prioritised for vaccinations as soon as it is safe. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Country to enter near-total lockdown after record daily cases for five consecutive days Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Malaysia’s intensive care units are struggling to cope with a sharp rises in Covid cases, the health director general has warned, as the country prepares to enter a near total lockdown from Tuesday. Malaysia managed to avoid the worst of the pandemic last year, but has struggled to contain a recent outbreak that has been driven by more infectious variants of the virus, and exacerbated by gatherings ahead of Eid al-Fitr. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Over 400 schools announce mandates for the fall, with some telling students they won’t be able to return without vaccinations After a year of “Zoom University”, colleges and universities are looking at the Covid-19 vaccine as the key to normalcy in the fall. But as with all things Covid in the US, it’s unlikely they will get there without some fights. Over 400 institutions have announced vaccine mandates for the fall semester, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education , with some schools telling students they will not be able to return to campus without the vaccination. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Games authorities are relying on Japan’s spectators to provide atmosphere but are now in a race against time to inoculate population Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Sports fans in Japan could be allowed to attend Olympic events in Tokyo this summer if they have proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test, a newspaper reported on Monday. While many athletes are expected to have been fully vaccinated by late July, poor planning and staff shortages mean most Japanese citizens will still be waiting for a jab when the Olympics begin in less than two months’ time. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

How does Australia’s coronavirus vaccine rollout compare with other countries and when will you be eligible to get vaccinated? We bring together the latest numbers on daily new Covid-19 cases, as well as stats and live data on total vaccination figures in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and other states. Victoria’s new Covid lockdown restrictions explained Victoria Covid hotspots list of public exposure sites Download the free Guardian app Australia’s coronavirus vaccine rollout began in late February. Here we bring together the latest figures to track the progress of the rollout, as well as presenting an interactive tool to show when you might be eligible to receive the vaccine. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

‘I’m almost speechless,’ nursing union head says, that Coalition failed to take stronger action after Victoria’s second wave of Covid last year Full list of Victorian Covid public exposure sites Victoria’s Covid lockdown restrictions explained Covid vaccine rollout tracker: vaccination progress state-by-state The federal government failed to stop staff at aged care facilities from working across multiple sites despite a mobile workforce being a driver of Victoria’s second wave of Covid-19 last year, prompting a furious response from the main staff union and health experts. It was revealed on Monday that staff from two of the aged care facilities affected by Melbourne’s latest Covid outbreak, Arcare Maidstone and Bluecross Western Gardens, were working across multiple sites, prompting lockdowns at the facilities, with residents now confined to their rooms. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Joseph Rowntree Foundation fears ‘two-tier recovery’ with homeowners receiving more support than renters during pandemic Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK government is being urged to commit more cash to support struggling renters as the end of a Covid ban on evictions puts nearly half a million tenants at risk of losing their homes. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said the government had been setting the country up for a “two-tier recovery” by prioritising wealthier homebuyers, who have benefited from a stamp duty holiday tax break, over poorer renters who have fared significantly worse throughout the pandemic. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

‘We don’t want to declare victory prematurely,’ expert tells the Guardian while 2021 has seen more global cases than all of 2020 Dr Anthony Fauci, the top infectious diseases expert in the US, has warned it is too early to declare victory against Covid-19 as cases fall in the country to the lowest rates since last June. “We don’t want to declare victory prematurely because we still have a ways to go,” Fauci told the Guardian in an interview. “But the more and more people that can get vaccinated, as a community, the community will be safer and safer.” Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

University students propose rebate for coronavirus-affected tuition, funded by increased interest rates Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage University students in England are offering to accept higher interest rates on their loans in exchange for an immediate £2,700 discount on their tuition fees as compensation for the disruption to their education caused by the Covid pandemic. A group of students unions led by the London School of Economics and the University of Sheffield have written to the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, and the universities minister, Michelle Donelan, to propose that the government funds a 30% tuition fee rebate for all students this year by increasing interest rates by 3% to 6.2%, meaning it would be repaid only by the highest earning graduates. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

The familiar revelations in Dominic Cummings’ testimony are a reminder that facts don’t ‘cut through’ on their own One of the first things we are taught about liberal democracy is that the structure of a healthy political system has separate branches with distinct responsibilities, so that “checks and balances” will prevent the concentration and abuse of power. But one of the many difficult lessons for liberals in recent years has been the belated realisation that accountability requires more than institutional structures. A functioning democracy also depends on a balance of power between the government and an ecosystem of independent actors who can publicly hold the state to account – including a formal political opposition and media organisations that are not affiliated with the government or beholden to its backers. What Dominic Cummings described in his testimony last week was not just the government failing in its duty: it was the absence or weakness of those oppositional for...

Japan may require Games fans to test negative or show vaccine proof; India reports lowest case numbers since 11 April; signs UK is facing third wave Third wave of Covid may be under way in UK, scientists say Trump allies herald Biden investigation of Covid origins in China Vietnam says new Covid variant is hybrid of India and UK strains See all our coronavirus coverage 6.48am BST India has reported its lowest daily rise in new coronavirus infections since 11 April at 152,734 cases over the past 24 hours, while deaths rose by 3,128, according to Reuters. The South Asian nation’s tally of infections now stands at 28 million, while the death toll has reached 329,100, health ministry data shows. 6.18am BST Japan is considering requiring negative Covid-19 test results or vaccination records from fans attending the Tokyo Olympics, the Yomiuri newspaper has reported according to Reuters, as a new poll showed public opposition to the Games remains strong. With the opening of the Ga...

Guardian Australia wants to hear from readers who are in casual or insecure work Victoria’s new Covid lockdown restrictions explained Victoria Covid hotspots list of public exposure sites Victoria is in lockdown until Thursday, leaving many casual workers out of pocket and without support from the federal government. During the last three lockdowns, federal income support in the form of jobkeeper and an increased jobseeker payment was available, but jobkeeper ended on 1 March. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Businesses warn length of lockdowns and ‘furlough hangover’ has led to many staff leaving positions Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Hopes of a post-Covid “explosion in revelry” this summer are at risk from staff shortages, uncertainty about the variant first discovered in India and the ongoing closure of many venues, hospitality industry figures have warned. The number of events being listed is up to to double that of pre-Covid levels, while bookings have surged by as much as 1,000%, ticket companies said, as the nation prepares for the last remaining restrictions on gatherings to be lifted from 21 June. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Acting premier James Merlino doesn’t rule out extending the lockdown as coronavirus cluster grows Full list of Victorian Covid public exposure sites Melbourne and regional Victoria lockdown coronavirus rules explained Victoria takes aim at ‘disgraceful’ lack of federal financial support during lockdown Victoria’s Covid outbreak “may get worse before it gets better,” the acting premier James Merlino said, as the number of active cases in the state climbed above 50 and extended into two aged care facilities, leading Merlino to warn an extended lockdown could not be ruled out. Five cases are now linked to aged care, including two staff and one resident at Arcare Maidstone. The resident had received one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, however one of the staff infected did not receive the vaccine as she was on personal leave on the day vaccinations at the home occurred. The son of one of the staff has also tested positive. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Is Australia really in the grip of ‘vaccine hesitancy’, or is the national affliction ‘government vaccine failure’? I got my coronavirus vaccine last week. I celebrated at a favourite burger joint, slurping a milkshake as big as my head and dancing around the table to Daft Punk, even as news broke that an outbreak in my home state of Victoria foreshadowed another lockdown. Even as my needled arm began to gently throb. Missing a childhood measles vaccine almost killed me ; it’s now unlikely coronavirus will have that chance. I woke up the next day with a warned-of hazy brain, a little nausea and a strong feeling I may need to gnaw my aching arm from a bear trap. Mostly, however, I felt relieved – as if the one decision I made to try my luck with eligibility, book an appointment and hop to the pop-up clinic at my local Mercure has negated a lifetime of more – ahem – questionable self-care choices. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Owner of HatWRKS appeared to apologize Saturday as protesters outside the store held signs including ‘no Nazis in Nashville’ Stetson has said it will stop selling its products through a hat store in Nashville, Tennessee which advertised anti-vaccination patches in the style of a Star of David, the badge which Jewish people were made to wear by the Nazis. Related: ‘Tyranny’: Idaho governor repeals lieutenant’s mask mandate ban Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Timing of surprise wedding prompts questions about possible delay to lifting of Covid restrictions in June Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds have opted not to take an immediate honeymoon, as congratulations flowed in following their secret wedding on Saturday . The couple are instead expected to take time off and celebrate their marriage with a larger group of family and friends next summer, after a surprise ceremony in Westminster Cathedral and a low-key Downing Street garden reception. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme, the vaccines minister, Nadhim Zahawi, urges people to wait another two weeks to find out whether the  roadmap date  for the lifting of all coronavirus restrictions can be adhered to, also prompting calls for the government to provide ‘advance notice’ of any ‘lingering’ measures to struggling businesses. Wait and see whether Covid lockdown will end on 21 June, says minister Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

MPs call on Matt Hancock to explain ‘postcode lottery’ despite assertion that clinic network is operational Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage People who remain chronically ill after Covid infections in England have had to wait months for appointments and treatment at specialist clinics set up to handle the surge in patients with long Covid. MPs called on Matt Hancock to explain the lengthy waiting times and what they described as a “shameful postcode lottery” which left some patients facing delays of more than four months before being assessed at a specialist centre while others were seen within days. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Public – and hospitality sector – are told information on lifting of rules will be available in two weeks Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage A senior government minister has insisted that it is too early to speculate about whether the final step out of lockdown in England will go ahead as planned on 21 June, as industry bodies said the hospitality sector needed advance notice if any “lingering restrictions” were to remain. The vaccines minister, Nadhim Zahawi, urged people to wait another two weeks to find out whether the roadmap date for the lifting of all legal limits can be adhered to, also prompting calls for the government to provide “advance notice” of any “lingering” measures to struggling businesses. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Pensioners won the 2019 election for the Tories but a focus on improving pay and conditions for workers could swing power Labour’s way Even before the Covid-19 pandemic Britain was becoming a more unequal country. The crisis of the past 15 months has hit poorer blue-collar workers harder than better off white-collar workers but official figures last week showed that the gap between rich and poor households was already wide. The trend is clear. The Office for National Statistics says the Gini co-efficient – one measure of inequality – has been increasing by 0.2 points a year for the past decade. During that time the incomes of the richest 20% – after tax, benefits and inflation were taken into account – rose by 0.9% a year on average, while those of the poorest 20% fell by 0.3% on average. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Select committee chiefs to demand PM’s former aide backs up explosive claims Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Dominic Cummings will be asked by senior MPs this week to produce evidence that Matt Hancock lied repeatedly about policy on Covid-19 before the health secretary’s appearance in front of a parliamentary committee early next month. Jeremy Hunt and Greg Clark, the chairs of the joint select committee which took seven hours of explosive testimony from Cummings last week, will write to the former adviser to the prime minister in the next few days asking that he produce the evidence within the next fortnight. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Explainer: The India variant of coronavirus has raised doubts on the roadmap out of lockdown. What will it take to make it safe? Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage In three weeks, the government says it hopes to remove all legal limits on social contacts as the nation emerges from its Covid lockdown. Nightclubs and music venues could reopen and larger sporting events allowed to resume without crowd restrictions. That is the hope. The actuality may be very different as fears rise about the spread of the India variant . Some reports suggest this is 67% more transmissible than previous variants, though Professor Mark Woolhouse of Edinburgh University, counsels caution. “Sixty seven percent is an upper likely limit. The lower is around 20% or less. We will soon find out the right figure, however,” he said. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Efforts to find origin of coronavirus ‘must look at what animals were in the market in late 2019’ Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage A leading scientist has called for stallholders at the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan to be interviewed in any further investigation of the Covid-19 epidemic. Dr Eddie Holmes has joined a growing chorus of voices calling for further investigation into the source of the pandemic. The US president, Joe Biden, has ordered the US intelligence community to intensify its efforts to study the origins of coronavirus, as the theory that the virus might have come from a lab in Wuhan gains traction. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

In the seaside resort, which has by one measure the worst Covid death rate in England, Boris Johnson’s popularity remains undimmed Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Clacton-on-Sea forms part of the area run by Tendring district council, which, if you go by “cause of death” on death certificates, has the highest rate of death from Covid-19 in England. If measured by the number of deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test, Tendring comes a close second to nearby Castle Point in Essex. Yet, by either reckoning, many in the town reject Dominic Cummings’s damning assessment last week of the government’s handling of the Covid crisis. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Borrowers are awaiting relief from the Biden administration while the pause on federal student loan repayment is set to expire 30 September Michelle Kajikawa of Portland and her husband currently owe more than $150,000 in student loans from his law degree and her social work and teaching degrees, obtained between 1995 and 2003. She is an elementary school teacher, and her husband works as a public defender, while caring for two children. “The yoke of student debt has completely overshadowed every aspect of our finances,” said Kajikawa. “We have always lived paycheck to paycheck, even as our salaries grew.” Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Analysis: the failings of the Covax programme, logistical issues and governments’ own inadequacies are making a bad situation worse Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Only 1% of the 1.3 billion vaccines injected around the world have been administered in Africa – and that comparative percentage has been declining in recent weeks. It is a stark figure that underlines just how serious a problem global vaccine inequity has become. But the answer for the developing world is not as simple as delivering more vaccines. From Africa to Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean, the same issues have been replicated. On top of finding enough doses, there have been logistical difficulties with delivery, problems over healthcare infrastructure and, in some countries, public hesitancy towards vaccines. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

James Merlino announces $250m support package for hard-hit businesses and says Canberra’s lack of help is beyond disappointing Every Victorian business owner should be angry that the federal government rejected calls to provide additional financial support during the state’s fourth lockdown, the state’s acting premier says, as the cost to the economy was estimated to hit $700m. The acting premier, James Merlino, announced a $250m package on Sunday that included grants of up to $3,500 for as many as 900,000 businesses and specific support for event organisers. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Met Office warning over impact of global heating prompts calls for action to protect elderly and vulnerable Britain is failing to protect its vulnerable citizens from the threat of intensifying heatwaves , health experts warned last week. Thousands of preventable deaths could be triggered every year because simple measures to keep houses and care homes cool have not been implemented. As global heating worsens and heatwaves become more frequent, the problem is likely to worsen significantly – unless urgent action is taken, they say. Those most likely to suffer include the very young, the elderly and people suffering from chronic conditions such as asthma. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Two months ago, few had been inoculated. Now hundreds of millions have, after health warnings – and gifts Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Early in March, when the Covid vaccination rate in the UK had reached 30% of the population, China’s top respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan revealed in a webinar that the figure in China was barely 3.56%. The low vaccination rate was worrying the country’s leaders, as new variants continued to emerge across the world. By the end of February, only slightly more than 52m doses of Covid vaccines had been administered in China – a country with more than 1.4 billion people. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Councils and charity Shelter voice concern as ministers are warned homelessness crisis could cost the state £2.2bn Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Almost two million private renters fear they will be unable to find another property if they lose their home after the eviction ban is lifted , ministers are being warned. With the ban coming to an end this week, the government is facing demands for emergency legislation to increase the permanent protection for those struggling to pay their rent as a result of the Covid pandemic. Councils are also warning of a “cliff edge” of homelessness in the months ahead unless action is taken, with a potential £2.2bn bill for the state. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Dominic Cummings may be out for revenge, but his account of Boris Johnson’s fatal character flaws was tragically believable It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world in which Boris Johnson can be prime minister. Plenty of people have been saying that, and for a long time, but it was fresh to hear it from the man who played such an instrumental role in installing Mr Johnson at Number 10 in the first place and then keeping him in Downing Street. “It’s just completely crackers… that Boris Johnson is in there,” remarked Dominic Cummings in the course of his marathon testimony in parliament. He also declared it “crazy” that someone like himself could have acquired such a powerful position in government, one point on which everyone can agree. The fault lies not in the stars, but with the Conservative party. Coming up to two years ago, when the Tories were looking for a new leader, they decided that the only thing that mattered to them was improving their chances of winning an election. The potential ...

The pandemic is a long way from ending and the Coalition has created expectations about what decent governments do to help people James Merlino spoke for Australia on Sunday when he expressed incredulity that Michael McCormack, the deputy prime minister, was still telling people the Covid vaccination rollout was “not a race” in the middle of a serious outbreak. “That was said today?” Merlino, the acting Victorian premier, said to the journalist who brought it to his attention. “There you go.” Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Latest updates: Concerns over unlocking roadmap due to the Indian variant continue to dominate in the UK Keir Starmer: Boris Johnson’s chaos could hit June plan to lift lockdown See all our coronavirus coverage 8.38am BST More than half of people in their 30s in England have received a coronavirus vaccination in a period of little over two weeks, new figures reveal. NHS England said that, since it began opening up the vaccine rollout to this age group on May 13, some 53% of those aged 30 to 39 have been given at least one dose. The data comes as Professor Stephen Reicher, a psychologist on the Sage sub-committee advising ministers on behavioural science, said the government was in a “pickle” because it appeared to have abandoned the “data not dates” principle. 8.31am BST India today reported its lowest daily rise in new coronavirus infections in 46 days at 165,553 cases during the previous 24 hours, while deaths rose by 3,460. The south Asian nation’s tally of infections ...

However, pollsters think popularity of vaccine rollout will counteract impact of criticism with time The Conservatives have seen a dip in their lead since the local elections and Boris Johnson’s personal ratings have also fallen, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer . Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

From Cornwall to Kent, people are driven out of popular destinations where landlords favour short lets for tourists The lockdown shackles are off. The great half-term getaway began with predictable traffic chaos on Friday night as Britons finally got the chance to escape to the seaside. But some people living in the resorts are being forced to head in the opposite direction along the clogged-up roads, priced out of their homes by a coastal housing crisis that has been turbocharged by the pandemic. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

The virus is now in a race with the vaccines and the victor is increasingly uncertain The UK’s fine performance in sequencing Sars-CoV-2 genomes allows Public Health England to publish detailed analyses on the progress of variants and the latest report represents the changing of the guard. The B.1.1.7 lineage, first identified in Kent, had been dominant in the UK, but the B.1.617.2 lineage, first identified in India, comprised 58% of the most recent sequences, up from 44% the week before. There are strong regional differences, with under 10% of cases in Yorkshire and the Humber being the Indian-identified variant, while in north-west England that share is over 60%. The main concern is about increased risk of transmission and reports also include estimates of what is known as the “secondary attack rate” (SAR), which simply means the proportion of an infected person’s contacts who also get infected. Using NHS test-and-trace data for recent non-travel cases, the estimated SAR for the B...

From across India, millions of Hindu pilgrims came to take a ritual dip in the Ganges, then returned home carrying Covid-19. Here are their stories Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage On 12 April, as India registered another 169,000 new Covid-19 cases to overtake Brazil as the second-worst hit country, three million people gathered on the shores of the Ganges. They were there, in the ancient city of Haridwar in the state of Uttarakhand, to take a ritual dip in the holy river. The bodies, squashed together in a pack of devotion and religious fervour, paid no visible heed to Covid protocols. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Labour leader slams Tory ‘civil war’ and says prime minister is ‘unfit for office after errors’ Read: Keir Starmer: thousands of second-wave Covid deaths were avoidable and unforgivable Labour leader Keir Starmer today warns that plans to lift almost all Covid-19 restrictions on 21 June are at risk because of serial incompetence and “civil war” inside Boris Johnson’s government. In his strongest attack for months on the prime minister’s handling of the pandemic, Starmer says that the huge death toll in the second wave of cases from last autumn, in which more than 80,000 lives were lost, was “avoidable and unforgivable” and the result of a failure to learn lessons from the early stages of the crisis. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Boris Johnson has shown a reluctance to take difficult decisions, with deadly consequences, the Labour leader writes Keir Starmer: Johnson’s botches could hit lockdown lifting Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Behind the allegations and the noise this week are some simple truths. We have the worst coronavirus death toll in Europe. And over two thirds of deaths were in the second wave. That’s not hearsay. It’s not opinion. It’s fact. Behind all the political drama is one more fact. The most important of all. That 128,000 families are grieving, now wondering whether their loved ones died needlessly. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Protests in over 200 cities and towns in Brazil sparked by president’s handling of the Covid pandemic Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Tens of thousands of protesters have poured on to the streets of Brazil’s largest cities to demand the impeachment of President Jair Bolsonaro over his catastrophic response to a coronavirus pandemic that has claimed nearly half a million Brazilian lives. The demonstrators turned out in more than 200 cities and towns for what is the biggest anti-Bolsonaro mobilisation since Brazil’s Covid outbreak began Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Tories have closed ranks against the PM’s aide. But privately, many know the party is living in fear of further bombshells Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage After more than two and a half hours of extraordinary testimony from Dominic Cummings to a Commons committee last Wednesday morning, Greg Clark, the former cabinet minister who had chaired the explosive morning session, called a short lunch break. He and his co-chair – the former health secretary Jeremy Hunt – had, like the other 20 MPs who were due to ask questions, been left stunned, appalled and riveted in equal measure by what they had just heard. Expectations had been set high in advance of the appearance of the highly combustible Cummings. The ex-adviser had been forced out of Downing Street last November in a power struggle that had involved the prime minister’s fiancee, Carrie Symonds. Downing Street was on edge because Cummings had been firing off ominous preparatory salvoes on Twitter f...

Online book of remembrance with photographs and tributes will be created at the London cathedral Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage A fundraiser to create a memorial in St Paul’s Cathedral for those who have died in the Covid-19 pandemic has reached its £2.3m goal in under a month. An online book of remembrance will be installed in a portico structure within the London cathedral. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

The PM’s fiancee was right to be upset at the suggestion she would abandon her rescue dog While obviously not the most important takeaway from The Great Outpouring, Dominic Cummings really hates Carrie Symonds, doesn’t he? Understandable really. She took his best mate away. They were so close, but then she came along and Boris didn’t have time for him any more… Oh sorry, I appear to have segued into a half-remembered Byker Grove storyline – a “teaching moment” for schoolboy viewers about feeling left out when your mate gets a girlfriend. Only in the Westminster version, a pandemic is brewing and Cummings depicts Symonds “going crackers about something completely trivial” – a story claiming that Dilyn, the jack russell cross she rescued with Boris Johnson, was being “reshuffled”. Thing is, though, I understand why Symonds was upset and I rather like her for it. Cummings clearly wanted to present Symonds as a Violet Elizabeth Bott figure, a preposterous, demanding drag on the prime min...

CEO calls on Scottish ministers to replace 2-metre rule with 1 metre to secure future of world’s largest arts festival Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The survival of the Edinburgh festival fringe is at stake unless social distancing rules for venues are relaxed within a fortnight, its organiser has said. Shona McCarthy, the chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, called on ministers to replace the 2-metre rule with the 1-metre distance used in hospitality in order to help secure the future of the world’s largest arts festival. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Janice McGeachin issued order while Brad Little was away Republican slams ‘self-serving’ stunt by pro-Trump deputy Coronavirus – live coverage The Republican governor of Idaho has repealed an executive order prohibiting mask mandates that was issued by his lieutenant governor while he was out of the state. Related: 'Here fire, you hungry?' Idaho Covid protesters burn masks in front of capitol Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Behaviour expert says government sending confusing messages amid reluctance to delay unlocking Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The government appears to have abandoned its “data not dates” principle, an expert advising its coronavirus response has warned, adding that its reluctance to delay unlocking was leading to “contradictory” messaging. Prof Stephen Reicher, a psychologist on the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours, joined scientists warning against the final lifting of restrictions on 21 June as cases passed 4,000 for the first time since late March on Friday. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Strain is a combination of UK and India variants and is said to spread quickly Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Vietnam has discovered a new Covid-19 variant which spreads quickly by air and is a combination of strains first identified in India and the UK, state media has reported. The country is struggling to deal with fresh outbreaks across more than half of its territory including industrial zones and big cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Residents fear spike of infections as English supporters arrive Hundreds of maskless fans flood bars by city’s Douro river A last-minute decision to relax Covid-19 safety rules for Saturday’s Champions League final has angered locals as hundreds of English fans not wearing masks packed Porto’s riverside bars on Friday night. European football’s governing body Uefa moved the final between English clubs Manchester City and Chelsea from Istanbul to Porto to allow fans to travel to the match under Covid-19 restrictions. Some Porto residents fear a spike in infections because of the highly contagious coronavirus variant spreading in parts of England after first being identified in India. Others are upset that foreign fans can go into the stadium but locals have been banned from attending matches for months. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

As the US and Europe approve plans to immunise teenagers, scientists in Britain advise delay Launching a programme of Covid-19 immunisations for children should be considered only in special circumstances, leading health experts have warned. They say UK medical authorities, who are currently studying how vaccines for adolescents might be administered, should move with great care over the implementation of such a programme. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Passengers are paying hundreds of pounds for post-travel tests that aren’t processed or fail to arrive Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Less than two weeks after international holidays resumed, there are signs the government’s post-trip Covid testing regime is descending into chaos, with passengers paying hundreds of pounds for tests that aren’t being processed, or fail to arrive. Passengers landing at UK airports over the past 10 days have described having to call the NHS 119 helpline after their government-listed testing supplier failed to deliver their results, leaving them unclear as to whether it was safe to end their 10-day quarantine. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

My country has been ravaged by Covid, but will still play host to an international tournament in two weeks’ time. Conmebol and Argentina president Alberto Fernández should be ashamed Conmebol found a simple solution for its recent problems with the upcoming Copa América. It just wasn’t a very good one. Weeks of anti-government protests in Colombia, that have left at least 43 dead, forced South American football’s governing body to move the tournament from the co-host country, to Argentina, a nation that has been brought to its knees by Covid-19 . At the time of writing, roughly two weeks before the tournament is scheduled to kick off in Buenos Aires, only just more than 5% of Argentina’s population is fully vaccinated. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian