Covid index - January 2021 - March 2021
1 Feb 2021: A coronavirus vaccine has now been offered to residents at every eligible care home in England, the NHS says
PM Boris Johnson says it’s a "crucial milestone" as a government target to vaccinate the most vulnerable people looms
It aims to offer jabs to 15 million people by 15 February - those aged 70 and over, healthcare workers and people required to shield
A record number of people were vaccinated in the UK on Saturday - 598,389 received their first dose
Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised millions for the NHS, is in hospital after testing positive for Covid
Drug firm AstraZeneca will now supply an extra nine million vaccine doses to the EU by March, the bloc says
The 40m doses now expected for the EU are still only about half of what had been hoped, amid continuing supply problems
Globally, 102 million Covid cases have been recorded and 2.2 million people have died with the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University
2 Feb 2021: A door-to-door testing blitz is under way to find "every single case" of the South African variant in England
Matt Hancock says 105 cases of the coronavirus variant have been found in the UK - 11 had no links to international travel
On-the-spot doorstep tests, home testing kits and mobile testing units will be deployed to try to reach 80,000 people in eight specific areas
Interest on student loans in England should be scrapped for 15 months to cover lockdown periods, a group of universities says
Captain Sir Tom Moore's family are with him in hospital after the 100-year-old fundraiser was admitted with coronavirus
An online memorial to commemorate Indian victims of Covid-19 is launched by a group of doctors and social workers
3 Feb 2021: Prime Minister Boris Johnson to lead a "national clap" for Captain Sir Tom Moore and health workers at 18:00 GMT
A minute's silence has also been held in the House of Commons for Captain Sir Tom, who has died in hospital aged 100
He had been suffering from pneumonia and had tested positive for coronavirus
Results showing the Oxford-AstraZenenca vaccine may reduce the spread of coronavirus are hailed as "absolutely superb" by the health secretary
The results support the UK's approach to delaying the booster shot, Prof Andrew Pollard, chief investigator of the Oxford vaccine trial, says
As many as 88% of people still have antibodies in their blood to fight Covid-19 six months after infection, another study says
The French health authority says AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine should be given only to people aged under 65
Two Australian MPs clash in a parliamentary corridor, with one accusing the other of spreading misinformation about Covid-19
4 Feb 2021: UK trial launched to see if giving people different Covid vaccines for first and second doses works as well as giving them the same one twice
People's immune response "could be enhanced" by combining the vaccines, England's deputy chief medical officer, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, says
More than 10 million people in the UK have now received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine
The Australian Open boss says he is confident the tennis tournament will start on Monday, despite 160 players awaiting Covid tests results
The number of patients waiting over an hour to transfer from ambulance teams to A&E staff in England falls to its lowest level this winter
International travel had the biggest impact on death rates for countries hit in the pandemic's first wave, an Aberdeen University study has found
Globally, there have now been more than 104 million Covid cases, and more than 2.2 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University
5 Feb 2021: Covid vaccines extremely safe, finds UK regulator
Avoid 'setting dates' for lifting lockdown, scientist warns
Minister defends UK hotel quarantine plan
Local elections to go ahead in England - bring your own biro
Wales 'not ready' for full school reopening
Pub closures 'will waste 87 million pints of beer'
US cases coming down
The UK's reproduction or R number is estimated to be between 0.7 and 1
6 Feb 2021: The UK needs to get Covid transmission levels down low enough to pursue a thorough contact tracing system, says Jeremy Hunt
The former health secretary warns against easing lockdown measures too early
New chair of the UK Vaccines Taskforce Dr Clive Dix says he is “very optimistic” all adults aged 50 and over will be offered a vaccine by May
Small businesses are to get more time to repay state-backed loans taken out to help survive the lockdown
The move is to give companies "breathing space to get back on their feet", Chancellor Rishi Sunak says
UK PM Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron have discussed co-operation in the global fight against Covid-19
Boris Johnson is planning to reverse controversial reforms of the NHS in England, a leaked document reveals
7 Feb 2021: Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi says the government has no plans for a "vaccine passport", saying it would be "discriminatory"
An annual booster jab, in the same way the flu vaccination is organised, is being planned for future years, he says
Workplace Covid testing is being offered to more companies in England, for staff who cannot work from home during lockdown
Businesses with more than 50 employees are now able to access lateral flow tests, which can produce results in less than 30 minutes
Early trials suggest the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine offers limited protection against mild disease caused by the South Africa variant
They could not yet properly establish if the jab would stop severe disease caused by the variant as most in the study were young and healthy
A vaccine for the South African strain should be ready by the autumn, says Prof Sarah Gilbert, the Oxford vaccine lead researcher
Tributes are paid in China to Li Wenliang, a doctor who raised the alarm about the country's coronavirus outbreak and died a year ago today
8 Feb 2021: Testing has identified 147 cases of the South Africa variant of the coronavirus in the UK, minister says
Early trials suggest the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine offers "minimal protection" against mild disease from the variant
But the public can have confidence in the UK's Covid vaccine programme, the vaccines minister says
South Africa has paused its roll-out of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine
Snow has forced some vaccine centres to close in Suffolk, Surrey and Essex
Labour is challenging the UK government to "clean up" how it awards contracts for Covid work - saying it has been "rife with conflicts of interest"
Healthwatch England says dentistry is in crisis - with waits for NHS treatment now as long as two years
Across the UK more than 12 million people have now had their first doses of a vaccine
9 Feb 2021: Everyone arriving in the UK will be required to test for coronavirus on days two and eight of their quarantine
Health Secretary Matt Hancock is due to set out more details in the House of Commons shortly
A theory that coronavirus leaked from a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan is discredited as "extremely unlikely" by a team of investigators
The WHO-led team have been probing the origins of the virus in Wuhan and have spent four weeks there
The NHS Covid-19 app has told 1.7 million people to isolate since its launch in England and Wales
Local surge testing will begin in parts of Greater Manchester after the discovery of a new mutation of the Kent virus variant
A report by MPs has found the government's Covid support has been "repeatedly skewed towards men"
10 Feb 2021: Care homes 'given only 10% of required PPE'
Pubs plead for reopening date
Europe's oldest person (117) survives Covid - but didn't know she had it
10-year jail term for travel lies defended
11 Feb 2021: The number of people waiting more than 12 months to start hospital treatment in England was 224,205 in December
It's the highest for any calendar month since April 2008, and compares with 1,467 in December 2019
The coronavirus variant first detected in Kent will be the world's dominant strain, the head of the UK's genetic sequencing programme predicts
Prof Sharon Peacock also says her programme will still be doing research into strains '10 years down the line'
Meanwhile, the UK's pandemic preparations focused too much on flu, ex-health secretary Jeremy Hunt tells the British Medical Journal
The government has set out more details of when people with asthma will get the vaccine
A further 1,001 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, new government figures show
In Italy, winter ski resorts in Lombardy will reopen next Monday - but at 30% capacity
Germany's lockdown is to continue until 7 March, but hairdressers will be allowed to reopen from 1 March
12 Feb 2021: From Monday, travellers arriving in England from Covid "red list" countries will have to self-isolate at a hotel
Home Office minister Victoria Atkins defends England's hotel quarantine system, saying its "standards are amongst the strongest in the world"
It comes after BBC analysis found the system will be less strict than a similar scheme in Australia
More police will be deployed at travel hubs next week to ensure the new quarantine rules are enforced, Home Secretary Priti Patel says
The UK economy "experienced a significant shock" last year, Chancellor Rishi Sunak says, after figures show it shrank by a record 9.9%
Wales will be the first UK nation to have offered the top four priority groups a Covid jab, the Welsh Government has said
A five-day lockdown has been imposed in the Australian state of Victoria, following a cluster of coronavirus cases linked to a quarantine hotel
A further 678 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, with a further 13,494 cases reported, the latest figures show
13 Feb 2021: Ministers have begun a "final push" to persuade over-70s to get vaccinated
The government aims to offer the vaccine to 15m people by Monday
Up to 30 ministers are taking part in the vaccination drive this weekend
On Friday Wales became the first UK nation to reach its vaccination target
Covid could be a flu-like illness we have to live with, says the Health Secretary
The number of UK people who have received their first vaccine dose has now passed 14 million
Latest figures indicate 116,287 people have died of the virus in the UK
Heathrow airport has expressed concern over the implementation of hotel quarantine plans
Trials will begin this month to examine the effectiveness of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine on children
Treatments for Covid-19 will be fast-tracked through the UK's clinical trial system
Canada's PM Justin Trudeau is under pressure to boost vaccinations
14 Feb 2021: All coronavirus legal restrictions must be permanently lifted by the end of April, say a group of Tory backbench MPs
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says there will be no "arbitrary commitment" to reopen
Mr Raab says ministers have not ruled out the idea of "vaccine passports"
The children's commissioner says one in six children "will never catch up" lost school days
Auckland in New Zealand is to go into lockdown after the discovery of three new local cases of Covid-19
The ban on evictions in England is to be extended until the end of March
People aged 65 to 69 in England are among those being invited to book their Covid-19 jab from Monday
Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden has said she is "devastated" at breaking lockdown rules
South Africa says on Monday it will reopen 20 of its land border crossings
Latest figures indicate 116,908. people have died with the virus in the UK
15 Feb 2021: British residents arriving in England from "Additional measures" countries have to quarantine in hotels. Everyone arriving in the UK required to test for coronavirus on days two and eight of their isolation. (SI2021/150)
First UK residents to arrive in England from high-risk Covid countries since rule changes have been taken to their quarantine hotels
In Scotland, arrivals from all countries by air must quarantine in hotels; there are no international flights into Wales or Northern Ireland
Prime Minister Boris Johnson says everybody involved in the vaccination project can be incredibly proud of what has been achieved
The PM, who will lead a Downing Street briefing later, says it has been an unbelievable effort by the NHS
No decisions have been made on whether year groups across schools in England will return together or be staggered, Johnson says
Australia has suspended its quarantine-free travel arrangement with New Zealand after the discovery of three new cases in Auckland
Dealing with the pandemic is "very, very easy" compared to the climate crisis, says Microsoft founder Bill Gates
16 Feb 2021: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to announce whether more pupils will start to return to Scottish classrooms from next week
Schools in Wales begin the process of reopening on Monday; in Northern Ireland, schools remain closed to most pupils until at least 8 March
In England, PM Boris Johnson will set out a roadmap for easing lockdown - including opening schools - on 22 February
Covid deaths in the UK are falling, but overall fatalities are higher than usual for this time of year, according to ONS data
The newly-appointed head of the WTO has told the BBC that vaccine protectionism must be overcome to solve the pandemic
People who stay at a quarantine hotel will have to pay an extra £1,200 if they test positive for coronavirus, the government says
Lockdown has seen a "disturbing" rise in the number of blind people experiencing distressing hallucinations, according to the RNIB charity
Globally, there have now been more than 109 million confirmed Covid cases and 2.4 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University
17 Feb 2021: England is still “some way away” from being able to start relaxing lockdown restrictions, the chief executive of NHS Providers says
Chris Hopson says a “logical point” to start lifting restrictions would be once the top nine priority groups have had a coronavirus vaccine
The UK will expose a group of volunteers to Covid-19 in a bid to establish which vaccines and treatments work best
Up to 90 healthy volunteers aged 18-30 will be involved in the study, aiming to find out the smallest amount of virus needed to cause infection
Vulnerable young people should be prioritised when the UK rebuilds after coronavirus, England's outgoing children's commissioner Anne Longfield says
Research by the think tank Reform suggests hospital waiting lists in England could more than double and hit 10 million by April
The Australian state of Victoria and the New Zealand city of Auckland will both exit snap lockdowns on Thursday
Work has begun to assess the effectiveness of the coronavirus jab developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca on children
18 Feb 2021: The UK's collective sacrifice during the coronavirus pandemic must lead to a better future, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says
Covid has exposed deep inequalities and injustices in society and government needs to play a bigger role in the economy permanently, Sir Keir says
There has been a "strong decline" in levels of coronavirus infections in England since January, say scientists tracking the epidemic
A group of MPs and peers have signed a letter to the prime minister calling for compensation for key workers suffering from "long Covid"
Almost two million people have not worked for at least six months because of the economic impact of the pandemic, a think tank says
Life expectancy in the US fell by a full year in the first half of 2020, a change experts say was fuelled by the growing coronavirus pandemic
Ministers in Northern Ireland are to meet to discuss whether to extend the nation's lockdown restrictions
A star-filled video urging people from ethnic minority communities to get the Covid vaccine will be shown on TV in the UK later
Many European countries are ignoring mentally ill patients in their Covid vaccine campaign, according to a survey published by the Lancet
19 Feb 2021: Boris Johnson will pledge to donate a majority of the UK's surplus vaccine supply to poorer countries in a speech to a virtual G7 meeting
The UK PM will urge rich countries to back a new 100-day target for the development of new vaccines for future emerging diseases
French President Emmanuel Macron calls on Europe and the US to urgently send up to 5% of their vaccine supplies to developing nations
A group of nearly 20 major healthcare bodies are appealing to the PM for better personal protection against coronavirus
Primary school children aged eight and over may be able to return to school in Wales from 15 March if Covid cases continue to fall
Yesterday Northern Ireland's lockdown restrictions were extended until 1 April but with some primary pupils to restart classes on 8 March
Crucial government policies have been held up too long by the Covid crisis, ministers say, arguing they should be put back on the agenda
Millions of people are out of pocket on flights they were unable to board due to coronavirus restrictions, consumer group Which? says
20 Feb 2021: Downing Street says reuniting families will be a key ambition of the PM's strategy for easing the lockdown in England
Care home residents in England will be allowed to pick one person to visit them regularly from 8 March, the government says
PM Boris Johnson will reveal his road map for easing lockdown in England on Monday
In Scotland, care home residents will be allowed two designated visitors from early March
The UK should donate vaccines to developing countries now rather than waiting until it has a surplus, the World Trade Organization says
It comes after Johnson said the UK would donate most of its surplus supply to poorer nations
G7 leaders have pledged to increase their contribution to the Covax vaccine-sharing initiative
Another 533 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test and there are 12,027 new cases reported
21 Feb 2021: PM pledges all adults in the UK will be offered a coronavirus jab by the end of July
The UK government's previous target was to offer all adults the first dose by September
Boris Johnson says he now wants the programme to "go further and faster"
One in three adults across the UK have been vaccinated, says Health Secretary Matt Hancock
The PM is today holding a final meeting with senior ministers about how to ease England's lockdown
Johnson will reveal his "road map" for easing restrictions on Monday
Israel is easing restrictions following vaccine success, with shops, libraries and museums allowed to open
Australia's PM receives the coronavirus vaccine, as the country prepares to start inoculations this week
22 Feb 2021: Boris Johnson will later set out his four-step plan to release England from lockdown
Cabinet meets virtually on Monday morning; the UK PM will address MPs at about 15:30 GMT and will hold a press conference at 19:00
Step one on 8 March will see schools reopening and two people allowed to meet outdoors for a chat
From 29 March, outdoor gatherings of either six people or two households will be allowed
Outdoor sports, including football, golf and tennis, will be allowed to resume from 29 March as well
Organised adult and children's sport, such as grassroots football, will also return
Progress to further steps depends on conditions around vaccination, infections, hospitalisations, deaths and new variants
23 Feb 2021: Everyone must play their part and be cautious as the country exits lockdown, Matt Hancock says
The health secretary says people should take personal responsibility for precautions such as masks
The second week of February saw 17,136 deaths registered in the UK - down by 1,710 on the previous week but still 26% above usual levels
Step-by-step strategy could see the Covid restrictions fully eased by 21 June - if strict conditions are met
There's been a surge in foreign holiday bookings since the route map was laid out, with Easyjet reporting a 630% increase
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will set out her plan for easing the lockdown in Scotland later
UK unemployment rate rises to 5.1% in the three months to December, official figures show
The number of deaths in the United States from coronavirus surpasses 500,000
US President Joe Biden says it is a "heartbreaking milestone"
A further 10,641 coronavirus cases are reported in UK on Monday, and another 178 deaths within 28 days of a positive test
24 Feb 2021: England's secondary schools are asked to test pupils three times in the first two weeks after reopening Secondaries are being asked to run summer schools to help pupils most in need of catching up on lessons lost to Covid An extra £420m in funding has been announced, along with £300m announced for catch-up projects in January There are concerns about teachers burning out if they have to work through the holiday, and some unions are wary of overwhelming pupils More people with learning disabilities are to be prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine It has been announced by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which decides vaccine priorities in the UK Ghana becomes the first recipient of Covid-19 vaccine doses distributed by the global vaccine sharing initiative Covax The Republic of Ireland will keep its highest level of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions until at least 5 April
25 Feb 2021: GCSEs and A-levels cancelled in England by the pandemic will be replaced by grades decided by teachers, exams watchdog Ofqual says Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is due to set out the plan in the Commons at 11:30 GMT Schools will need to determine students' grades by using a combination of mock exams, coursework and essays It is important the pandemic does not prevent pupils going on to the next stage of their careers, schools minister Nick Gibb says Gavin Williamson says a "full return" of schools and colleges in England on 8 March is justified by data Coronavirus cases and deaths are continuing to fall globally, a new report from the World Health Organization says A review by US regulators of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine has found it is safe and effective The France rugby union team stops training for its Six Nations match against Scotland after an 11th player tests positive for Covid-19
26 Feb 2021: Experts say people aged 40-49 will be prioritised next for a Covid-19 vaccine Priority will be given in this order: people aged 40-49, then all aged 30-39 and all aged 18-29 Scientific advisers say the move will 'provide the greatest benefit in the shortest time' They think it best to prioritise people by age, not profession Keeping windows open is more effective at reducing Covid-19 transmission than young children wearing masks, government scientific adviser says The Department for Education said primary school children should not be asked to wear masks The Queen encourages those who are reluctant to have a Covid-19 jab to "think about other people rather than themselves" A British man has been sentenced to two weeks in prison and fined around £540 for breaking quarantine rules in Singapore
27 Feb 2021: A private family funeral for Captain Sir Tom Moore who raised more than £33m for NHS charities during lockdown last year, takes place at 12:00 Captain Sir Tom died aged 100 on 2 February after contracting coronavirus Only eight relatives will attend the event but soldiers will perform ceremonial duties and there will be a flypast from a World War Two-era plane UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak says he'll use the Budget to level with people about the state of the economy in the wake of the coronavirus crisis Sunak has told the Financial Times the UK's finances have been "exposed" by the pandemic President Joe Biden's $1.9tn (£1.4tn) relief plan to help Americans during the pandemic is approved in the House of Representatives Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city, will go into a seven-day lockdown from Sunday after one new case of coronavirus is detected Prof Sir Mark Walport, former chief scientific adviser to the UK government, says it "does make sense" to roll out the coronavirus vaccine by age
28 Feb 2021: Rishi Sunak tells Andrew Marr Show there has been a massive shock to the economy and his priority is to support Britain through the crisis The Chancellor, who will outline his Budget on Wednesday, says the UK's level of debt is "going to take time" to decrease He has announced a new £5bn grant scheme for High Street businesses in England There is no evidence of any new variants of coronavirus in the UK at the moment, the chancellor says The single-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine becomes the third jab to be authorised in the US The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge urge people to get the Covid vaccine, saying it is "really important" People aged 60 to 63 in England are due to start getting their vaccination invites from Monday A senior German immunologist urges his country to change its mind and start allowing over-65s to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine
Covid index - January 2021 - March 2021
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© Jo Edkins 2024