Covid index - July 2021 - September 2021
1 Aug 2021: Sky News Australia barred for week by YouTube over Covid misinformation
Congresswoman Cori Bush has spent a night on the steps of the US Capitol to protest against the end of a Covid-related moratorium on evictions
Covid: Taxi and food discounts offer to boost UK youth vaccine uptake
Covid: One in five firms plan job cuts as furlough tapers - survey
2 Aug 2021: Relaxation of some testing requirements. (SI2021/914)
Travel rule changes mean people fully vaccinated in the US or EU no longer have to isolate when arriving in the UK from an amber list country
However, those coming from France will still have to quarantine due to concerns over the circulation of the Beta variant
Airline bosses have welcomed the move but are calling for more countries to be added to the UK's green travel list
Travel bosses and MPs have criticised plans for a so-called amber watchlist of countries, which could then move to the red list at short notice
Network Rail says tests have found no traces of Covid-19 in swabs and air samples of four major railway stations and intercity train services
On Sunday, the UK reported 24,470 new Covid cases as well as a further 65 deaths within 28 days of a positive test
3 Aug 2021: A proposal to create an "amber watchlist" of travel destinations has been abandoned by the government
It would have warned people when a country was at risk of a sudden shift to the more-restricted red list
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of the air travel industry body Airlines UK, says it is a "victory for common sense"
Nicola Sturgeon is to set out plans for the lifting of most legal Covid-19 restrictions in Scotland later today
Deaths in the UK mentioning Covid-19 on the death certificate rose by 46% in the week to 23 July, the Office for National Statistics says
Qantas says it will stand down 2,500 staff as a lockdown in Sydney impacts air travel across Australia
Authorities in the Chinese city of Wuhan will begin testing its entire population, after some coronavirus cases were found
4 Aug 2021: Coronavirus cases are going in the right direction during the school summer holidays, says virus expert Prof Paul Elliot
But "the big issue is what’s going to happen in the autumn" when schools restart, he says
Cases could be impacted by a return to workplaces and more indoor mixing as the weather turns cooler, he says
Prof Elliot said it was important for as many people as possible get double vaccinated before the autumn
The JCVI is set to recommend all 16 and 17-year-olds should be offered a Covid vaccine
That's about 1.4 million UK teenagers - but it is not known when the jabs will start
Long-lasting Covid symptoms are rare in children, research suggests
Most children recover from Covid within a week, King's College London scientists say
A Barbie doll has been created in the likeness of Oxford coronavirus vaccine designer Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert
5 Aug 2021: France is moving to the amber list under widespread changes to travel rules in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland
It means that from 04:00 BST on Sunday, fully vaccinated passengers coming back from the country will no longer need to quarantine
Germany, Austria and Norway are among seven nations added to the green list, but Spain remains amber
Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates move to the amber list, while Mexico is among four countries to move to red
British Airways boss Sean Doyle says the UK is "lagging behind Europe" with stricter testing requirements and a bigger red list
Johan Lundgren, chief executive of EasyJet, says he is disappointed but the news provides "some reassurance" to customers
Meanwhile, a White House official has said the US will eventually require almost all foreign visitors to be fully vaccinated
WHO has called for a suspension on booster vaccines until at least the end of September in order to jab more people in poorer countries
The UK reported 29,312 new Covid cases on Wednesday and a further 119 deaths within 28 days of a positive test
Nearly 89% of the population has had a first dose of a vaccine, and around 73% have had two
One in five people in hospital in England with Covid is aged between 18 and 34, the new NHS England boss has said/P>
6 Aug 2021: Thousands of British holiday makers are scrambling to get home before new quarantine rules kick in
Changes to the green, amber and red lists apply to people returning to England, Scotland and Northern Ireland from 04:00 BST on Sunday
Mexico, Georgia, La Reunion and Mayotte will move to the red list, meaning 10-day hotel quarantine is required
On Thursday the cost for this quarantining will rise, with the price for single adults going from £:1,750 to £:2,285
Most of Wales' remaining Covid rules will be scrapped from Saturday
London's Pride parade is cancelled for the second year running because of the pandemic
UK music festivals and other live events are to be protected by a government-backed insurance scheme if they have to cancel because of Covid
7 Aug 2021: Wales moves to alert level zero with most rules scrapped
PM will not self-isolate after aide tests positive
The University of Sussex is offering a cash prize for students who are fully jabbed
More than 100 cases linked to Glasgow's Euro fan zone
NI has the highest infection rate in the UK
8 Aug 2021: France treated the as other amber-list countries for double-vaccinated UK citizens.
Austria, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Romania, Slovakia & Slovenia move to green-list.
Bahrain, India, Qatar & United Arab Emirates change from red to amber.
Georgia, Réunion, Mayotte & Mexico become red. (SI2021/923)
Quarantine-free travel to France resumes as UK rules change
NHS waiting lists could rise to 14 million in England next year - report
9 Aug 2021: A new study by the ONS shows a fall in the numbers of those who are unwilling or unsure about having a vaccine to protect them from Covid
Almost all Covid measures are removed in Scotland after the final level of restrictions ended at midnight
Social distancing is scrapped in most places but face coverings are still required in many public settings
Clubbers queued for nightclubs that opened at midnight
But Scotland's Health Secretary Humza Yousaf warned "the virus is still with us"
Ocado says it will allow staff working from home to do so from abroad - but only for up to a month
10 Aug 2021: A-level results 2021: Top grades reach record high
JetBlue to launch NY-UK flights despite pandemic
Holiday Inn-owner Intercontinental Hotels said holiday demand was "returning strongly"
More than 75% of UK adults are fully jabbed
Travellers from France report mistaken quarantine checks
Boy's lockdown camping fundraiser reaches 500th night
11 Aug 2021: Judging whether to give teenagers a Covid jab is a "delicate balance", a member of the government's vaccine advisory groups says
Prof Adam Finn, from the JCVI, says the rollout is moving cautiously down through the age groups
Children aged 16 and 17 in the UK started being invited for their first dose last week
More than 75% of UK adults have now received two Covid jabs, the government says
Facebook has removed hundreds of accounts which it says were involved in anti-vax disinformation campaigns operated from Russia
Sky News Australia has removed dozens of videos from its websites, after YouTube suspended the channel for spreading Covid misinformation
A Florida governor has said the US state can withhold salaries from school leaders who enact mask mandates
12 Aug 2021: GCSE results 2021: Record passes and top grades
UK economy grows as restrictions ease, strongest in wholesale and retail, hotels and restaurants
Tui's European bookings (tourism firm) jump on pent-up demand
NZ borders to remain closed until end of year to keep Covid out
Australian capital Canberra goes into snap lockdown
Judicial review sought over quarantine hotel rules
13 Aug 2021: Nearly a third of adults aged under 30 in England haven't had a Covid jab, according to NHS England estimates
There was a massive gulf in hospitals' ability to contain Covid during the first wave
Analysis shows the number of people in hospital with Covid, who caught it while there, ranged from one in 100 cases to more than one in four
The competition watchdog is investigating the price of PCR Covid tests, after high costs were blamed for putting people off travel
Fully vaccinated people in NI will no longer have to self-isolate if they are a close contact of someone who tests positive from Monday
US drug regulators have given approval for immunocompromised Americans to get an additional Covid jab as a booster
Russia's latest official daily death toll - 815 - is its highest since the pandemic began
14 Aug 2021: Cost of NHS Covid tests for UK arrivals reduced
Sark: Two people test positive for Covid-19
15 Aug 2021: 16 and 17-year-olds in England to be offered jab by 23 August
16 Aug 2021: Fully-vaccinated contacts not required to self-isolate. (SI2021/851)
People in England and NI with two Covid jabs will now not have to isolate for 10 days if they have contact with a positive case
Instead PCR test, wear a face covering in enclosed spaces and limit contact with other people - especially the clinically vulnerable
People who test positive or show symptoms will still be legally required to self isolate for 10 days
On Sunday, the UK reported a further 26,750 new infections and 61 deaths within 28 days of a positive test
The government has said that 16 and 17-year-olds in England will offered their first Covid jab or the chance to book one by 23 August
Ex-PM Gordon Brown has urged world leaders to hold an emergency vaccines summit ahead of the UN General Assembly in September
17 Aug 2021: Average pay in the UK jumped 7.4% and job vacancies hit a record 953,000 in the three months to July, official figures show
PCR tests for travel have become "a predictable Covid rip-off", the ex-chair of the Competition and Markets Authority says
Education unions say there is an urgent need for action on ventilation in schools - to slow the spread of Covid-19 when pupils return after summer
New Zealand is to enter a short lockdown after its first case of coronavirus for six months
Northern Ireland is to hold a Big Jab Weekend to encourage as many people as possible to get vaccinated
Customers are being warned to be cautious about using apps (now commonplace) to place orders in pubs and restaurants - data privacy
On Monday, the UK recorded another 28,438 coronavirus cases - and a further 26 deaths within 28 days of a positive test
18 Aug 2021: In Israel, anyone over three will now be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test before entering many indoor spaces
Small rise in new UK Covid cases
Most Tory MPs ditch masks as Commons returns (over Afghanistan)
Australia's Qantas says all staff must be vaccinated
Normal exams in Scotland next year
19 Aug 2021: One of the scientists advising the government on fighting the Covid pandemic says a decision on a booster jab programme is imminent
It has yet to be decided who would be the first to get a third jab but a meeting is being held this morning
Having two Covid vaccine doses remains the best way to protect against the Delta variant, a large study concludes
The AstraZeneca jab, though initially less effective, offers the same protection as the Pfizer-BioNTech after four to five months
But neither is as effective as they were against the Alpha variant, responsible for most UK infections last winter
The number of patients in hospital with Covid is at its highest level in five months
A total of 6,321 patients were in hospital in the latest count taken earlier this week
Government officials were warned in April and May that consumers could face risks from the fast-growing Covid PCR testing industry
A first Covid case has been detected in the Tokyo Paralympics village, just days before the Games are due to start
20 Aug 2021: Covid-antibody therapy approved in UK (the drug is expensive)
Cinema box office takings at 50% of pre-pandemic levels
21 Aug 2021: CO2 monitors for schools to improve ventilation
Euro 2020 'generated significant risk'
Is catching Covid now better than more vaccine?
India approves first DNA Covid vaccine
The West End star who worked as a carer in lockdown
22 Aug 2021: Antibody tests offered to public for first time to find out more about how much protection people have after getting coronavirus
New Zealand pandemic strategy in doubt amid Delta spread
23 Aug 2021: Eighty-two private Covid travel test firms listed on No 10's website are warned over misleading prices, and 57 have been removed
New Zealand's national lockdown has been extended, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern urging caution amid the Delta variant
Taiwan has begun administering its first domestically developed Covid-19 vaccine, amid criticism that its approval was rushed
Young long-Covid sufferers in the UK have urged others to get vaccinated against the virus
The UK recorded 32,253 new infections and 49 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test on Sunday
Covid returns to top 10 causes of death
24 Aug 2021: England and Wales record highest number of weekly Covid-related deaths since March - ONS
Almost 40% of 16 and 17-year-olds in Scotland have now received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine
Nearly 44,000 teenagers have had a jab - a fortnight after vaccination was rolled out to that age group
Retail leaders are urging the UK government to follow Scotland's example in extending new protections for shop workers
It comes as shop workers said abuse had been "so much worse" during the pandemic
Pfizer's vaccine has received full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration
The approval is expected to lead to more vaccine mandates by employers and organisations across the country
25 Aug 2021: There is no need to restart the UK's vaccine programme, government adviser Adam Finn says
He was speaking after a study showed waning protection for the double-jabbed
Protection after two shots of Pfizer went from 88% at one month to 74% at five to six months
But Mr Finn said other studies suggested jabs still provide strong protection against serious illness
Scottish deputy first minister wants to avoid school closures 'at all costs' as cases hit record high
England saw a rise in young adults taking up smoking during the first lockdown
The UK recorded another 30,838 cases on Monday, and 174 deaths
26 Aug 2021: NHS organisations in England have been told to prepare for a possible extension of the vaccine rollout to all 12 to 15-year-olds
Secondary pupils are being urged to get tested before the new term but changes are dependent on a recommendation from experts
Prof Devi Sridhar, of the University of Edinburgh, says children should be vaccinated as the Delta variant is "flying through schools"
But Prof Russell Viner of the Sage committee says it is right to be cautious about the move
“We would be vaccinating teenagers largely to protect adults because the benefit to them is low," Prof Viner says
Tory MPs call for pandemic benefits increase to be permanent
India has given more than 600 million vaccine doses - with the most recent 100 million jabs administered in just 19 days
Japan suspends use of about 1.63 million doses of Moderna jab due to contamination
The boss of Country Range said the group was buying smaller vans in the face of "significant" problems caused by a lack of qualified HGV drivers.
27 Aug 2021: New Zealand will remain under level 4 Covid restrictions - full lockdown - until midnight on Tuesday, prime minister Jacinda Ardern has said
Ardern said it was likely Auckland and neighbouring Northland will be under full lockdown for another two weeks, with a review on Monday
New South Wales's regional lockdown is extended, with the state under stay-at-home orders until at least 23:59 on 10 September
The lockdown in Sydney had already been extended until at least the end of September, with a curfew for the city's worst-hit suburbs
A major Covid vaccine study suggests the AstraZeneca jab does raise the risk of blood clots and another serious condition that can cause bleeding
However, the review found the risk of such problems following Covid infection was still much higher
94% of UK people who have had two doses of a Covid vaccine would be "very or fairly likely" to have a booster if offered, a survey finds
Fewer than one in four homeless people housed by a UK government scheme during the pandemic is in permanent accommodation, data shows
28 Aug 2021: Delta variant patients twice as likely to need hospital care
Justin Trudeau rally cancelled after angry protests over Covid restrictions
Covid origin: US spy agencies publish 'inconclusive' report
Covid-19: Lifeguards withdrawn from Lincolnshire beaches after positive case
29 Aug 2021: NHS blood test tube shortage: Doctors 'facing difficult choices'
How lockdown puppies led to the rise of doggy day care
Covid in Scotland: Record number of cases as NHS faces 'perfect storm'
30 Aug 2021: Azores, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Liechtenstein & Lithuania move to green-list. Montenegro & Thailand become red. (SI2021/966)
New Zealand woman dies after Pfizer jab
Arrivals from Canada and Denmark no longer need to isolate as the UK's latest Covid travel rules come into force
Sturgeon self-isolating after contact
US Open (tennis) to start in front of jabbed fans
Vietnam lockdown adds to coffee concerns
Covid in Scotland: Cases doubling weekly after restrictions eased
31 Aug 2021: About 350,000 children will return to schools and pre-schools from today in Northern Ireland as the autumn term starts
Head teachers tell the BBC many pupils want to be vaccinated and "sensible" Covid safety measures are being kept in place
"Rates gone up in last few days and we need to make sure we don’t add to that," says head of a Sheffield school
Wales is investing £:6m in air quality technology for schools, as pupils prepare to return to the classroom
Covid cases in Scotland have roughly doubled each week since restrictions were eased
Nike has given staff at its US HQ a week off prior to its return to the office, after a “traumatic” year
British business confidence is at its highest since April 2017 amid hopes of a strong recovery, a survey suggests
Takeaways and delivery food are one beneficiary, with spending remaining at 25% above pre-pandemic levels
Theatres and other venues in Wales can now host capacity crowds in Wales as social distancing restrictions end
Covid index - July 2021 - September 2021
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© Jo Edkins 2024