COVID-19 News And Updates

First minister has had two jabs but must stay in isolation while waiting for PCR test under Scottish rules Nicola Sturgeon is self-isolating after being identified as a close contact of someone who has Covid-19. Scotland’s first minister said she will be self-isolating pending a PCR test result. Under coronavirus rules in Scotland, double-vaccinated adults and all children have to self-isolate if they are a close contact of someone with coronavirus unless they can provide a recent negative PCR test and are symptomless. Sturgeon had her second dose of a coronavirus vaccine in June. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Decline in exports from Taiwan combines with port closures in China and Japan to hinder growth A recovery in global trade during the summer is beginning to wane, according to some early warning signs pointing to the negative effects of widespread Covid-19 outbreaks in the manufacturing centres of east Asia. A dramatic decline in exports from Taiwan, which makes many of the computer chips used in cars and mobile phones, has combined with temporary port closures and lockdowns in Australia, China and Japan to cut the level of global trade . Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Exclusive : staff say ‘hellhole’ conditions and staff shortages are forcing them to ‘knock patients out’ with increased sedative doses as the safest way to manage patient load Follow our Covid live blog for the latest updates NSW Covid update: 1,218 infections mark worst day yet as pressure on hospitals grow NSW hotspots ; NSW restrictions ; border restrictions Vaccine rollout tracker ; get our free news app ; get our morning email briefing Overworked Sydney intensive care nurses are increasing sedative doses for some patients in order to manage their workload, claiming pressure from the Delta outbreak makes it impossible to monitor all of their charges. Two ICU nurses from Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred and St Vincent’s hospitals have independently raised concerns that when working in non-Covid ICUs in recent weeks, the pressure that surging Covid cases had placed across the health system has left them understaffed to the point that increasing sedative dosage is the safest way t...

Institute of Directors rejects official advice and says flexible visas also needed to cut staff shortages One of the UK’s biggest business lobby groups has hit back at government advice to invest in domestic workers, saying the move will not solve short-term labour shortages that are increasingly putting retailers and supply chains under pressure. Leading a growing chorus of business organisations, the Institute of Directors (IoD) called for new, flexible visas that would allow foreign workers to step in to fill crucial roles, particularly as lorry drivers, after an exodus of workers due to Covid and Brexit. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Dozens of states reported rapidly increasing fatalities Resistance in some states to public health mandates Florida radio host who called himself ‘Mr Anti-Vax’ dies of Covid As many as 100,000 new Covid-19 deaths in the US by December is “predictable but preventable”, the leading US infectious diseases expert said on Sunday, as dozens of states reported rapidly increasing fatalities. Related: Unvaccinated teacher infected half her students with Covid, CDC finds Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Lessons from wars, pandemics, recessions and natural disasters have taught us that countries can bounce back and prosper With more than half of Australia in lockdown, it’s difficult to think about anything other than case numbers, restrictions and vaccination rates. But perhaps sooner than we think, we will be able to see a future beyond the crisis. The question then will be: what next? Lessons from past crises – wars, pandemics, recessions and natural disasters – have much to teach us about how we might approach our recovery. Often, cities and nations have bounced back to create a better future. The 1918 flu pandemic was followed by the economic prosperity of the roaring 20s. After the second world war, the German economy grew to become the world’s most advanced. Following the 2010 earthquakes, Christchurch shook off its conservative reputation to become a place where “everything is possible”. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian

Rising levels of aggression directed at nurses and others can only worsen the crisis facing the health service What a difference a year makes. This time last year, the country had not long ceased its weekly clap for carers. This ritual had its detractors (who thought it sentimental, or that extra pay would be preferable), but it focused attention, and gratefulness, on a cohort who were bearing the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic is not over, but earlier this month a survey found that more than a third of doctors have recently experienced verbal abuse and sometimes physical threats. In hospitals, it was most often nurses who were abused, while 96% of GPs had seen it happen to receptionists. Midwives report being physically threatened . Some NHS workers are beginning to hide their badges in public. Continue reading... Coronavirus | The Guardian