COVID-19 News And Updates

Manchester City manager makes call as Covid cases surge ‘You cannot imagine how different it is playing with people’ Pep Guardiola believes masks should be mandatory in every public space to help ensure games will not have to be played in closed stadiums again due to the surge in Covid cases. Manchester City’s manager is concerned that because masks have to be used only in designated indoor environments this may not be enough to prevent football having to lock out fans once more. The champions are due to host Leicester City on Boxing Day, but Liverpool v Leeds and Wolves v Watford have been postponed because of the virus. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Covid case numbers continue to grow in NSW amid outbreak of Omicron variant Millions more Australians to be eligible for Covid booster Follow the live blog for the latest updates Get our free news app ; get our morning email briefing New South Wales has reported 6,394 new infections on Boxing Day with 458 in hospital, a slight increase on the already record case numbers on Christmas Day. Victoria also reported a slight decrease in daily case numbers, with 1,608 new Covid-19 infections, including 374 in hospital. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Leadership hopefuls told to block new limits as scientists model curbs on bars and cafes Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Cabinet ministers vying to succeed Boris Johnson have been warned by Tory colleagues that they will damage their chances unless they stridently oppose further Covid measures, as MPs called for New Year’s Eve restrictions to be ruled out. With ministers expected to meet as soon as Monday to discuss whether additional measures are needed to protect hospital capacity , several Conservatives said that they would be watching those emerging as leading contenders to replace Johnson should he step aside before the next election. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Online purchases expected to surge as many shoppers avoid crowds due to Covid fears Record sales are expected this Boxing Day with shoppers tipped to splurge more than $20bn during the summer sales period. The Australian Retailers Association has estimated people will spend $21bn in the post-Christmas sales through to mid-January. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Churches cancel some services in New York, Washington and Boston, while some officials cut isolation period for positive cases The Omicron coronavirus variant vigorously continued its viral march across the US on Christmas Day, throwing many winter holiday celebrations into turmoil. Airlines canceled over 2,000 flights on Friday, with more than 600 within, into or out of the US, stranding passengers after short-staffed carriers were hit by pilot and flight attendants reporting infections. Hundreds more cancellations were anticipated for Saturday. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

As Omicron variant rips holes in casts and productions daily, theatres are forced to cancel shows – despite £30m support fund Just over a year ago, Anna-Jane Casey was forced to abandon the Covid-shuttered West End to deliver hundreds of parcels in a second-hand van. She was overjoyed to find herself back on stage this Christmas in one of theatreland’s most star-studded and critically acclaimed shows: Cabaret . But productions are at the mercy of Omicron, with the highly transmissible Covid variant ripping holes in casts and backstage staff daily, so Casey’s triumphant return to the West End has been put on hold. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Home schooling harms children. And we now have the knowhow and tools to mitigate the risks from Covid We still don’t know how severe the Omicron wave will be, and debates are raging about closing nightclubs, alcohol curfews and work-from-home guidance. It can sometimes feel like last Christmas all over again. But one decision should be clear. Given the tools and knowledge we have now, school closures should be off the table. Why were schools closed at all in previous lockdowns? The best approach was to minimise risk , given the limited knowledge about Covid-19 transmission and with no vaccination available to protect against severe health outcomes and death. Concerns about many different groups factored into policy decisions on schools. Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

As a record 119,789 people in UK test positive for Covid, here is how to keep the Christmas spirit alive on your own Better days ahead: those self-isolating look on the bright side Ho, ho … oh no. This second Covid Christmas will not be a huge improvement from the first for many in the UK. More than 600,000 people will be forced to self-isolate on Christmas Day after a record 119,789 tested positive for Covid, the highest daily figure since the pandemic began. Officials say the self-isolation figure could rise to 750,000 as the Omicron variant continues to drive a record daily number of new cases. While not being able to spend Christmas with loved ones will be devastating for most, some people are turning to unique methods to keep the festive spirit alive. Here are four things to look out for if you’re self-isolating over Christmas . Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

The climate crisis resembles a huge planetary lockdown, trapping humanity within an ever-deteriorating environment There is a moment when a never-ending crisis turns into a way of life. This seems to be the case with the pandemic . If so, it’s wise to explore the permanent condition in which it has left us. One obvious lesson is that societies have to learn once again to live with pathogens, just as they learned to when microbes were first made visible by the discoveries of Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch. These discoveries were concerned with only one aspect of microbial life. When you also consider the various sciences of the earth system, another aspect of viruses and bacteria comes to the fore. During the long geochemical history of the earth, microbes, together with fungi and plants, have been essential, and are still essential, to the very composition of the environment in which we humans live. The pandemic has shown us that we will never escape the invasive presence of these liv...

Jenny Harries of UKHSA says jabs will help prevent serious illness even if immunity wanes after 10 weeks Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Jenny Harries, the chief executive of UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), has urged the public to carry on getting boosted and not to be alarmed by press coverage about waning immunity. Harries conceded that booster vaccines had waning immunity against catching Omicron after 10 weeks, but said the jabs would still help prevent serious illness and death. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

As the Omicron variant spreads rapidly, many clinically extremely vulnerable people in England are being forced to isolate in fear of their lives Once a week at about 5.30am, Hayley Ashton pulls two masks over her face, sanitises a shopping trolley with her handbag disinfectant then takes a deep breath before stepping into the fluorescent glare of her local supermarket in Leicester. These grocery trips feel for Ashton, a 33-year-old project manager who is immunocompromised and has severe asthma, like treacherous expeditions where she risks serious illness or death. “It’s the one area you just can’t control,” she said. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Experts call for public health measures beyond vaccines as health workers describe a ‘war zone’ As the highly transmissible Omicron variant began to surge across Colorado this month, Governor Jared Polis adopted a laissez-faire tone. Asked in a radio interview about the possibility of reinstating a statewide mask mandate, he replied that, with Covid vaccines now widely available, getting sick was the “own darn fault” of the unvaccinated. But health workers at hospitals in parts of Colorado that have been overwhelmed by coronavirus patients in recent weeks say they’re bracing for even worse. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Sometimes the only contact Covid intensive care patients had with their family was via FaceTime or Skype, Dr Katrina Tonga says Read more of our series Inside Covid Three intensive care workers share the stories that have remained hidden from public view during the pandemic. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

JCVI member says a decision is pending on whether those older and more vulnerable need an extra dose Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Some people may need a fourth dose of Covid vaccine to remain protected, a government scientific adviser has said, with a decision expected shortly after the Christmas and new year holidays. Prof Adam Finn said: “I think there may well be people who received their boosters early who are in the older more vulnerable age groups who may need a further jab. That has not been decided yet. It is still under review and discussion, and we will be providing recommendations on that at some point in the new year.” Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Number of seated diners down by 14 percentage points in week ending 20 December, says ONS Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK public’s appetite for eating out has plunged to its weakest since the spring amid growing evidence of the impact of the Omicron variant on the hospitality sector during its crucial pre-Christmas period. The number of seated diners fell by 14 percentage points in the week ending 20 December to 88% of the level in the same period of 2019, before the start of the pandemic, according to the weekly digest of flash economic indicators from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Premier League confirms those two matches cannot be played Postponements forced by the virus reach 12 in top flight Leeds v Liverpool and Wolves v Watford have been removed from the Premier League’s Boxing Day fixture list after Covid caused further disruption to football’s festive schedule. Outbreaks within the Leeds and Watford squads mean neither side are able to call on the 13 outfield players and goalkeeper necessary. The Premier League acknowledged the decision “will disappoint supporters” and said it “understands their frustrations at a special time of year when fans look forward to attending and watching football games”. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Healthcare workers around the world have been on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic for almost two years, which put them through the darkest days of their careers. Five doctors who have worked in hospitals in Uganda, New Zealand, the US, India, the UK and Brazil told the Guardian about how the pandemic had tested them personally and professionally, but how they continue to find hope and resolve to keep working. Thanks to Dr Peter Kavuma, Dr Dalilah Restrepo, Dr Yogesh Kalkonde, Dr Anne Menezes and Dr Megan Smith, who is also a spokesperson at the campaigning organisation EveryDoctor ICU is full of the unvaccinated – my patience with them is wearing thin | The Secret Consultant Voices of the Covid bereaved: 'Our loved ones aren't just a number' – video Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Two studies show people may be at less risk from latest Covid variant but ‘we don’t have conclusive data’ Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Evidence the Omicron variant is less severe than originally feared does not remove the threat to the NHS this winter, a health service leader has warned. Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals and other NHS trusts, said two studies showing that people infected with Omicron were at less risk of being admitted to hospital than those infected with the Delta variant were good news. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Operators of Melbourne Covid-ravaged nursing home will have to give evidence despite claim it could incriminate them The operators of a Melbourne nursing home ravaged by a Covid-19 outbreak will have to give evidence to an inquest despite their argument it would be a “dress rehearsal” in any potential future prosecution. Kon Kontis and Vicky Kos last week faced the Victorian Coroners Court and formally requested to be excused from testifying at the inquest into the fatal outbreak at St Basil’s Home for the Aged on the grounds they may incriminate themselves. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Through Brexit, the Tories effectively promised a less crowded and less cosmopolitan country. And that is what they have created Britain is full. That vague but powerful assumption has shaped so much of our politics. From the Brexit campaign with its “breaking point” poster of a queue of migrants and refugees, and border-fixated home secretaries from Jack Straw to Priti Patel, to the regular immigration panics spread by newspapers to voters, the idea that these small islands have reached their maximum viable population has become hugely influential. It’s a convenient situation for the right. Blame for congestion and strained public services can be placed on population growth and migrants, rather than on our profoundly unequal patterns of land ownership and use or Conservative cuts in state spending. But the idea that Britain is full – or too full already – also appeals more widely: to some environmentalists, to people who like peace and quiet, and dislike cities or new housing devel...