Covid index - November 2020 - January 2021
1 Dec 2020: Debenhams is to close, putting 12,000 jobs at risk, after JD Sports pulls out of rescue deal talks
It comes after retail giant Arcadia, the biggest concession operator in Debenhams, collapsed into administration
MPs are to vote later on the government's proposals for tier restrictions across England
More than 55 million people will enter the two toughest tiers from 00:01 GMT on Wednesday if the plans are passed
Scotland having tougher tiers. Wales closing pubs.
Covid-19 could be causing lung abnormalities still detectable more than three months after patients are infected, research suggests
A study of 10 patients at Oxford University used a novel scanning technique to identify damage not picked up by conventional scans.
The "invisibility of vulnerable children" during the pandemic should be a "matter of national concern," says England's chief inspector of schools
Pfizer and BioNTech seek EU approval for their coronavirus vaccine
Pfizer gets UK approval
A travel corridor linking Hong Kong and Singapore - the first of its kind in Asia - is delayed
2 Dec 2020: 3-tier system resumes (SI2020/1374)
3 Dec 2020: England's deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam has hailed the Pfizer vaccine approval but said "we have to take it really carefully"
He told the BBC he is hopeful the Oxford vaccine will be approved for UK use by Christmas
Professor Van-Tam reiterated that pregnant women should not take the vaccine
Pupils sitting GCSE and A-level exams in England next year will be awarded more generous grades
US has record number of new daily cases - almost 200,000 - as hospitalisations double since early November
Los Angeles mayor issues emergency stay-at-home order after "terrifying increase" in cases in the US city
Students returning to universities in England after Christmas will have staggered start dates
Fans have returned to English Football League grounds for the first time in nine months
4 Dec 2020: The UK is "confident" it will have 800,000 coronavirus vaccine doses by next week, with immunisations starting on Tuesday
The first consignment of Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine arrived in the UK on Thursday - with a total of 40 million doses on order
The business secretary called Britain's medical regulator "absolutely meticulous", as US diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci apologised for appearing to criticise it
Meanwhile, US President-elect Joe Biden has said he will ask Americans to wear masks for his first 100 days in office
The French PM has called for the "biggest number possible" to get themselves vaccinated in an "altruistic act" to fight Covid-19
From Friday evening in Wales, pubs, restaurants and cafes will be banned from serving alcohol - and will have to close at 18:00 GMT every evening
5 Dec 2020: Care home vaccinations to start 'within two weeks'
Russia begins vaccinations in Moscow
Joe Biden: Covid vaccination in US will not be mandatory
Covid: Argentina passes tax on wealthy to pay for virus measures
6 Dec 2020: NHS to begin vaccine rollout this week
Vaccine rollout 'marathon not a sprint' - Powis
Vaccine rollout 'ready' for any Brexit outcome
Two unnamed members of the England cricket tour party in South Africa have returned "unconfirmed positive tests" for coronavirus.
Nottingham's Christmas market 'temporarily' closes after one day (they're tier 3!)
7 Dec 2020: The UK will begin a mass vaccination on Tuesday, beginning with the elderly, health workers, and carers
The country was the first to approve use of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine
President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, tests positive for Covid-19
Large parts of the US state of California are facing a strict new lockdown
Pop star Rita Ora apologises for second breach of England's virus rules
Six coronavirus patients die in a hospital in Pakistan after oxygen supplies ran too low
Globally there have been more than 67m confirmed cases and 1.5m virus-linked deaths, according to Johns Hopkins data
8 Dec 2020: The NHS begins the "biggest vaccination programme in its history" with Margaret Keenan, 90, receiving the first Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
Margaret, known as Maggie, said getting the jab was "the best early birthday present" - she turns 91 next week
The second person vaccinated in Coventry was William Shakespeare, 81, from Warwickshire (!)
Professor Stephen Powis of NHS England said it was "really, really emotional" and marked "a truly historic day"
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there was a "long march ahead of us but this marks the way out"
PM Boris Johnson said the vaccine would make a "huge difference" but urged people to keep following the rules as "we haven't defeated this virus yet"
Hospital hubs across the UK are gearing up to give the vaccine to the over-80s and some health and care staff
The UK is first country in the world to start using the Pfizer vaccine after regulators approved its use last week
More than 60,000 people in the UK have died after being infected with Covid-19, according to government figures
Globally 67.59 million people have been infected and 1.54 million have died, according to Johns Hopkins University
9 Dec 2020: Infections in the US pass 15 million, as President-elect Joe Biden vows to provide 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days in office
People with a history of significant allergic reactions should not have the new Pfizer/BioNTech jab, UK regulators say
The warning came after two NHS workers had allergic reactions on Tuesday - the first day of the UK's vaccination rollout
GPs in England have been told to be ready to give the jab from next week. Hospitals started giving jabs yesterday
Campaigners accuse rich countries of hoarding doses of Covid vaccines, leaving poorer countries able to vaccine only one in 10 people
A cruise has returned to Singapore on day three of a four-day trip after a passenger tested positive for Covid-19
Schools in England will be allowed to close a day early for Christmas to give teachers "a proper break" from identifying potential Covid-19 cases
10 Dec 2020: The United States records more than 3,000 deaths in the latest 24-hour period - the highest total in a single day anywhere in the world
The UK's economic recovery slowed in October - rising 0.4% on the month against a backdrop of rising Covid cases
Canada joins the UK in approving the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine
South Africa, the worst hit country in Africa, enters a second wave of the pandemic as it registers 7,000 new cases on Wednesday
Ministers in Northern Ireland are due to meet later before the end of a two-week lockdown on Friday
The origins of many of the second wave of Covid infections in Scotland were ignited by summer holidays, a study suggests
There have been 68.9m cases and 1.56m deaths worldwide, figures from Johns Hopkins University show
11 Dec 2020: AstraZeneca says it is recruiting people for trials combining its own vaccine with Oxford University with Russia's Sputnik V
Medical experts in the US recommend emergency approval for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
An Australian candidate for a vaccine is abandoned after some trial participants return false HIV positive results
Businesses reopen in Northern Ireland, and also in Glasgow and other parts of western Scotland as rules are eased
EU leaders strike a deal over the bloc's budget and Covid recovery fund
The Royal Shakespeare Company and arts organisations hit by the pandemic share £165m ($220m) in UK government loans
The response to the pandemic has driven the biggest annual fall in CO2 emissions since WW2, say researchers
There have been 69.5m cases and 1.58m deaths worldwide, figures from Johns Hopkins University show
12 Dec 2020: Self-isolation: apply to Canary Islands; exempt Botswana & Saudi Arabia. Period reduced to 10 days. (SI2020/1517)
'Test and dine' proposed to support Birmingham restaurants
UK isolation period shortened to 10 days
South Korea sees record rise in daily cases
FDA approves Pfizer vaccine for emergency use in US
Cases are increasing in London and the East of England - especially among secondary school age children
13 Dec 2020: NHS 'risks becoming national coronavirus service' in Wales
Covid: Public must think carefully about Christmas risk, NHS bosses warn
Germany to go into lockdown over Christmas - Non-essential shops will close across the country from Wednesday
14 Dec 2020: Self-isolation period after contact reduced from 14 days to 10 (SI2020/1518)
Ability to shorten self-isolation by a test-to-release scheme. (SI2020/1517)
London is "highly likely" to move to tier 3, the BBC's health editor says
Health Secretary Matt Hancock will make a statement at 15:30 GMT
GP surgeries in more than 100 locations in England are receiving their first deliveries of the Pfizer jab
Care home residents in Scotland are also starting to recieve the jab on Monday
The US begins massive task of rolling out the vaccine, with first doses distributed to dozens of locations
President Trump reverses a plan for White House officials to receive the vaccine in the coming days
All schools in Greenwich, London, have been asked to move to online learning from Tuesday
New Zealand agrees to a quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia "in principle"
Germany is to go into a hard lockdown over the Christmas period
Eswatini Prime Minister dies with Covid-19 - believed to be the first world leader in office to do so
15 Dec 2020: Two leading medical journals say the UK government's plan to ease Covid rules over Christmas is a "rash decision" which "will cost many lives"
The Health Service Journal and British Medical Journal say people may see the lifting of rules "as permission to drop their guard"
No 10 has said it has no plans to review Christmas guidelines, while one minister said people should do the "minimum" they can
London's Greenwich council says it will keep schools open after the government threatened it with legal action
The council had previously told schools to move teaching online for the rest of the term
The London boroughs of Islington and Waltham Forest issued similar advice to their schools, amid rapidly rising case numbers
It comes as London, Essex and South Hertfordshire prepare to enter the highest level of restrictions on Wednesday
A new strain of the virus has been identified which may be linked to rising cases in south-east England
Redundancies in the UK rose to a record high of 370,000 in the three months to October amid the Covid crisis
US death toll from Covid rises above 300,000, as the country begins its long-awaited vaccine programme
And the Netherlands enters a strict five-week lockdown, with schools, non-essential shops and public venues closing
16 Dec 2020: Urgent tier changes: London, Essex & parts of Herts raised to Tier 3. (SI2020/1533)
Further talks between the four UK nations on plans to ease Covid rules over Christmas will take place later
No decisions were made during a conversation on Tuesday, although travel over the festive period was discussed
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick says people should use their own judgement when it comes to Christmas plans
The rules allowing three households to form a bubble, from 23 to 27 December, are expected to remain in place
But sterner warnings about the dangers of mixing over the Christmas period are to be issued later
The World Health Organization is urging people to wear masks at Christmas family gatherings, especially when indoors
Minister Nadhim Zahawi hails "a really good start" to the UK's vaccination programme and says nearly 140,000 people have had the jab
London, most of Essex and parts of Hertfordshire have entered England's toughest tier of restrictions
Review for other parts of England taking place later
Meanwhile, Germany has entered a hard lockdown in an attempt to stop a sharp rise in infections
Other European countries have also tightened rules ahead of Christmas, with France introducing a night-time curfew
There have been 73 million Covid-19 cases and 1.6 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University
17 Dec 2020: Towns and cities in England will find out at 11:30 whether they will be moved to a different tier of Covid restrictions
In Lancashire and Tees Valley, local leaders have been told they will stay in tier 3
New data shows English hospital beds are 89% full - above target but emptier than last year
French President Emmanuel Macron tests positive for Covid-19 and will isolate for seven days
The EU announces its vaccination programme will begin on 27 December
A study of vitamin D suggests there is not enough evidence to say it protects people against Covid-19
The US Federal Reserve says it hopes the Covid vaccine will enable the US economy to rebound in late 2021
Worldwide, there have been 74 million Covid-19 cases and 1.6 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University
18 Dec 2020: Ministers have defended plans for many pupils in England and Wales to have a staggered return post-Christmas
Teachers say the announcement - designed to allow schools to set up Covid testing schemes - came too late
Some 38 million people in England will be subject to the nation's strictest measures - tier three - from Saturday
Northern Ireland has announced a new six-week coronavirus lockdown from 26 December
Wales has already announced a three-week lockdown from 28 December and Scotland is considering tighter restrictions
A second vaccine is nearing emergency approval in the US after it was endorsed by a panel of experts
The head of the FDA said it would move "rapidly" to authorise the Moderna vaccine, allowing millions of doses to be shipped
Sydney residents urged to stay home amid new outbreak
Globally there have been 75 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 1.66 million deaths with the disease, according to Johns Hopkins University
19 Dec 2020: Various tier changes. (SI2020/1572)
Self-isolation: apply to Namibia, US Virgin Islands & Uruguay (SI2020/1595)
Ministers meet amid rising infection rates in England
Fake 'Covid immunity booster' sold in London shops
Italy latest European country to order Christmas lockdown
US approves Moderna as second vaccine
'Novelty mugs - Chris Whitty is more popular than Britney this Christmas'
20 Dec 2020:Tier 4 introduced, covering Greater London and parts of East & South-East England.
(SI2020/1611)
A stringent new Covid lockdown has come into force in London, parts of east and south-east England and Wales
The new tier 4 was introduced after a new variant of coronavirus caused cases to soar
Prime Minister Boris Johnson says new tougher rules were needed after scientists said the new virus variant was spreading more rapidly
Labour's Sir Keir Starmer backs the measures are necessary but criticises the PM for waiting "until the 11th hour to take the decision"
Twenty-one million people are being told to stay at home, while non-essential shops and businesses have to close
Extra police officers will be deployed to enforce the new travel restrictions in and out of tier 4 areas
In the rest of England, Scotland and Wales relaxed indoor mixing rules are cut from five days to Christmas Day only
A Wales-wide lockdown has been brought forward to Sunday with festive plans cancelled for all but Christmas Day
The World Health Organization says it is in "close contact" with UK officials over the emergence of the new variant
New restrictions announced in Sydney as outbreak grows
21 Dec 2020: More countries have stepped up restrictions on travel to and from the UK after it reported a more infectious coronavirus variant
India, Hong Kong, Canada, Switzerland and Germany are the latest to suspend UK flights
France has closed its border with the UK for 48 hours, with no lorries or ferry passengers able to sail from the port of Dover
UK PM Boris Johnson will chair a meeting of the government's emergency committee later
European Union member states are meeting in Brussels to discuss a co-ordinated response on travel bans for Britain
UK supermarket Sainsbury's says items could be missing from its shelves as a result of the French-UK border closure
But retailers have played down fears of immediate food shortages
Globally there have been 77m confirmed cases since the outbreak began, and 1.7m deaths
22 Dec 2020: More than 1,500 lorries are stranded in Kent waiting for the UK-French border to open
Talks to reopen the crossing are ongoing, after France shut the border amid fears of a new Covid variant in the UK
Measures agreed by PM Boris Johnson and President Emmanuel Macron will be announced later and come into effect from Wednesday
Retailers warn unless the border is opened soon there may be disruption to supplies of fresh produce by the end of the week
EU member states are meeting in Brussels to discuss a joint response, including pooling expertise about the risks posed by the new variant
Growing international alarm over the new Covid variant has seen more than 40 countries ban UK arrivals so far
Government borrowing hit £31.6bn last month, the highest November figure on record, as spending to mitigate the pandemic continues
US Congress has passed a long-awaited $900bn (£660bn) package of coronavirus pandemic aid after months of political wrangling
Sydney has recorded its fewest number of new cases in several days, raising hopes the Australian city may contain a recent outbreak
A Chinese scientist at the centre of claims coronavirus leaked from her lab in Wuhan says she is open to "any kind of visit" to rule it out
23 Dec 2020: Prohibition of air travel from South Africa
Additional measures introduced for South Africa: households of arriving travellers required to self-isolate (SI2020/1644)
France eases its travel ban on the UK
French citizens, British nationals living in France and hauliers allowed in as long as they test negative for Covid-19
Soldiers are joining NHS Test and Trace staff in Dover, Kent, to carry out rapid tests on stranded lorry drivers
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick warns it could take "a few days" to clear a backlog of lorries stuck at Dover port
They have been stranded since the France-UK border shut on Sunday amid fears over a new variant of coronavirus
The Netherlands lifts a ban on entry from the UK as long as travellers present a negative test
Singapore stops entry or transit from the UK, joining more than 50 countries to impose such travel restrictions
UK ministers are considering extending tier four curbs to more parts of England, with changes coming as early as Boxing Day
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon apologises for not wearing a face mask while talking to people at a wake
24 Dec 2020: One in 85 people in England and one in 60 in Wales now have Covid, according to the ONS
The UK bans arrivals from South Africa, with exceptions for UK and Irish citizens - who must self-isolate
New York City orders all arrivals to quarantine for 14 days
Anyone arriving from the UK will be visited by authorities to ensure compliance
China announces indefinite ban on flights to and from UK in response to new variant
Huge backlog of lorries queuing in Dover to travel to France will take days to clear, minister warns
Globally there have been almost 79m confirmed cases since the outbreak began, with 1.7m deaths
25 Dec 2020: Boris saves Christmas Day (SI2020/1611)
Covid-19: US imposes tests on UK airline passengers
Covid-19: UK bans travel from South Africa over variant
Kent lorry chaos: More military support deployed for driver tests
Covid: Mexico, Chile and Costa Rica begin mass vaccination
26 Dec 2020: Tier changes: extension of Tier 4 in East & South-East England. Nowhere is left in Tier 1. (SI2020/1646)
Covid-19: Tougher Covid rules begin for millions in UK
Mainland Scotland moves into level 4 lockdown
Cambridge is now tier 4
Covid: Post-exposure antibody protection trialled
Covid: Festive charity dips cancelled due to pandemic
Coronavirus: France finds first case of new variant
27 Dec 2020: New variant detected in Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Japan and Canada
EU launches mass vaccination in 'touching moment of unity' (except for the ones that started early)
Some 24 million people in England are now living under the harshest Covid restrictions
Covid: Trump fails to sign economic relief bill into law
Covid: Cardiff health board plea for critical care help
Covid in Scotland: Health leaders warn NHS could be 'overwhelmed'
28 Dec 2020: South Korea becomes the latest country to confirm cases of the new Covid-19 variant
US President Trump signs a Covid relief bill into law, meaning millions of Americans will receive unemployment benefits again
Hospitals in the south of England say they have seen a "real rise in pressure" as Covid cases rise
London Ambulance Service received almost 8,000 call-outs on Boxing Day - one of the busiest in its history
More than 200 British skiers reportedly fled a coronavirus quarantine in the popular Swiss resort of Verbier
South Africa becomes the first country on the continent to register more than one million Covid cases
A Chinese citizen journalist who covered Wuhan's coronavirus outbreak has been jailed for four years for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble"
More than 80.79 million virus cases have been recorded worldwide and 1.76 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University
29 Dec 2020: India becomes the latest country to detect the new, more transmissible coronavirus variant
The variant - first indentified in the UK - has also been detected in South Korea, Canada, and across Europe
Russia says its Covid death toll is three times higher than reported
Spain says it will set up a register of people who refuse to have the Covid vaccination
The head of England's health service says workers are "back in the eye of the storm" as cases rise
The military is to support mass testing in England's secondary schools next month
But school leaders warn the return of pupils may have to be delayed
South Africa announces new curfew as cases, linked to a new variant, rise sharply
Globally there have been 81m confirmed cases since the outbreak began, and almost 1.8m deaths
30 Dec 2020: The UK approves the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and manufactured by AstraZeneca
It is considered a game-changer as it does not have to be stored at very low temperatures
People will start receiving the jab on 4 January, says the UK's health secretary
It is the second jab to be deemed safe in the UK, following the Pfizer-BioNTech roll-out earlier in December
Millions of people in England will hear later if they will move into a higher tier of restrictions
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson will make a statement later about the return of schools in England in January
A major incident is declared Essex in south-east England amid fears Covid cases could overwhelm its health services
The US reports its first known case of highly infectious Covid-19 variant first found in the UK
Nearly 500,000 in the Chinese city of Wuhan may have had virus, according to a new study
31 Dec 2020: Tier changes. Most of the country is now Tier 4 - nowhere is left in Tier 2. (SI2020/1654)
Covid index - November 2020 - January 2021
Return to Covid index
© Jo Edkins 2024