Nearly 50,000 businesses register for rapid Covid tests for staff to return to work March 13, 2021 Almost 50,000 businesses in the UK have registered to take part in the government’s free workplace testing programme, which will see rapid Covid tests used to return staff to the workplace. The health secretary welcomed the “fantastic” news. adding that it marked “a huge step forward in getting businesses back on their feet and helping [...]
All adults to be vaccinated ‘by June’ as jab programme accelerates March 13, 2021 Every adult in Britain will be offered their first dose of a Covid vaccine by early June, according to reports, as the nation’s largest ever vaccination programme continues to accelerate. All adults will be offered at least one jab by around 10 June, beating the government’s target of the end of July, according to estimates [...]
EU regulator to investigate Covid vaccines after blood clot deaths March 12, 2021 The EU’s drugs regulator has launched an in investigation into whether any of the three vaccines approved in the bloc may be linked to a blood clotting deficiency, after several blood clot-related deaths were reported in various countries. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced today that several cases of immune thrombocytopenia — a lack of platelets [...]
London records drop in coronavirus prevalence as infection rate holds steady March 12, 2021 The percentage of Londoners testing positive for coronavirus has fallen in the past week, latest official figures showed, as Covid cases continue to decline across the country. The Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) latest infection survey estimated that the proportion of people in the capital testing positive for coronavirus fell to 0.3 per cent last [...]
Thailand joins Nordic countries in halting Astrazeneca vaccine rollout March 12, 2021 Thailand has joined a list of countries in delaying the rollout of the Astrazeneca vaccine over reports of blood clots among patients, as scepticism over the Oxford vaccine continues to spread across the globe. Denmark, Iceland and Norway suspended vaccinations using the Astrazeneca jab yesterday during an investigation into a blood clot-related death of a patient in [...]
Analysts: UK economy ‘like a punchdrunk boxer hanging off the ropes’ March 12, 2021 UK’s GDP shrank by 2.9 per cent in January, it was announced this morning, blowing a “cold snap” through the UK economy as a third national lockdown was imposed. Analysts were torn as to whether the harsh fall is a glass of cold water to the face, or better than what was forecast. January’s figures [...]
UK’s Covid-19 death toll passes 125,000 March 11, 2021 The UK’s official Covid-19 death toll passed 125,000 today, according to data from Public Health England.
EU regulator approves Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot Covid vaccine March 11, 2021 The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has authorised Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot coronavirus vaccine, in a major boost for the EU’s vaccine portfolio amid ongoing shortage disputes. The EU medicines regulator today announced its recommendation for the J&J vaccine to be used in all over-18s “after a thorough evaluation” of data found the jab met the [...]
EU extends vaccine exports checks by three months amid Astrazeneca row March 11, 2021 The European Commission has extended export controls on Covid vaccines until the end of June, amid an ongoing row with the UK over “vaccine nationalism”. The export authorisation scheme was introduced in January amidst a separate dispute over low supplies of the Astrazeneca jab within the EU. The scheme, which was originally intended to run [...]
UK to receive extra 10m vaccine doses as rollout accelerates March 11, 2021 Up to 10m extra vaccine doses are set to be made available to the UK within the following days, as ministers look to accelerate the nation’s largest ever vaccination programme. More than 22.8m people have received their first dose of a Covid vaccine so far, including all top four priority groups. Overall vaccine numbers have [...]