"Connecting Communities for COVID19 News" 25th Sep 2020
Isolation Tips
Explained: Updated Covid-19 quarantine rules across Indian states
The changing dynamic of the Covid-19 pandemic in India has seen states revising their quarantine and self-isolation guidelines for travellers from time to time to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. On Thursday, Kerala became the latest state to relax the mandatory home quarantine for passengers arriving in the state to seven days from 14 days. While some states have relaxed quarantine rules for international passengers on short business visits, some have eased guidelines for certain other categories of passengers as well. Moreover, the government has also reduced the duration of institutional quarantine for international passengers to seven days followed by home isolation for another 7 days.
Gov't requires facility isolation for mild, asymptomatic COVID-19 patients
Facility-based isolation is now required for all mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients in the country, except if they are considered vulnerable. The government’s inter-agency task force (IATF) approved this directive on COVID-19, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement Thursday night.
Hygiene Helpers
Coronavirus UK: Traffic-light system being considered for lockdowns
Ministers have reportedly approved the plan which would see local authority areas ranked red, orange or green – depending on the severity of the pandemic locally. The system would work in tandem with the new NHS app and users would receive automatic alerts on their phone when further restrictions are coming in. The meaning of each category is still being discussed. But it’s thought if a place is marked green then no further restrictions would be needed, beyond the rules that already apply to the whole country.
GPs raise concerns about patients paying privately for 'extortionate' Covid-19 tests
GPs have raised concerns about anxious patients paying ‘extortionate’ prices for private coronavirus tests after being unable to access the government Test and Trace system. Online pharmacies and private GPs are among those charging between £140 and £250 to carry out an antigen test for Covid-19. It comes after Pulse reported that GPs were being inundated by patients unable to get a test as as NHS Test and Trace continued to struggle to meet demand. Those paying for tests include parents whose children have been sent home from school or nursery but who cannot get a test through the Government online booking system and need to get back to work.
As 21 states report a rise in new Covid-19 cases, CDC chief says more than 90% of Americans remain susceptible
Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday that even an effective Covid-19 vaccine won't replace the need for other public health measures, such as wearing a mask, social distancing and washing hands. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the vaccine will not be 100% effective and taken by 100% of the population -- which means there still will be room for Covid-19 to spread. Fauci said he's being "practical" when he says, "I think if we can get 75 to 80% of the population vaccinated, I think that would be a really good accomplishment." "It is not going to eliminate the need to be prudent and careful with our public health measures," he said in a Facebook Live conversation with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.
This Is Why NHS Covid-19 App Privacy Concerns Are Massively Overblown
The long-awaited NHS Test and Trace Covid-19 app has finally arrived and although the technology is not a “silver bullet” in the fight against the pandemic, it is at least a positive step to aid contact tracing efforts. For it to work it will need at least seven million people to download and use it but already it’s clear not everyone is on board.
Users report issues as Covid-19 app launches in England and Wales
The launch of the NHS Covid-19 app in England and Wales has exposed problems with the programme, some of which were known about in advance, and some of which will come as a surprise to both the government and users. Although there were hundreds of thousands of downloads of the app in the first few hours on iPhones from the App Store and Android from the Google Play Store, simply accessing it caused a problem for many. Some Android users reported accidentally downloading the trial version that had been made available in Newham, east London, and the Isle of Wight. That then led to a rash of one-star reviews on the Google Play Store, giving the app an average rating of just 1.5 stars.
NHS Covid-19 app: One million downloads of contact tracer for England and Wales
NHS Covid-19 instructs users to self-isolate for 14 days if it detects they were nearby someone who has the virus. It also has a check-in scanner to alert owners if a venue they have visited is found to be an outbreak hotspot.
'Close to 100% accuracy': Helsinki airport uses sniffer dogs to detect Covid
Four Covid-19 sniffer dogs have begun work at Helsinki airport in a state-funded pilot scheme that Finnish researchers hope will provide a cheap, fast and effective alternative method of testing people for the virus. A dog is capable of detecting the presence of the coronavirus within 10 seconds and the entire process takes less than a minute to complete, according to Anna Hielm-Björkman of the University of Helsinki, who is overseeing the trial. “It’s very promising,” said Hielm-Björkman. “If it works, it could prove a good screening method in other places” such as hospitals, care homes and at sporting and cultural events.
Rethink short lockdowns, tracing is key: PM Modi to states
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked the Chief Ministers of seven states worst hit by the Covid-19 crisis to make a critical assessment of the 1-2-day lockdowns that several states have been imposing, and the adverse impact these have on economic activity. The Prime Minister stressed on the need for states to strengthen their tracing- tracking strategy to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus infection. “The lockdown brought benefits. Globally too, it has been appreciated. However, now we have to focus on micro containment zones, which will ensure that the spread is contained… States have to make an assessment on how effective are the lockdowns that are being imposed for 1-2 days. Because of this, economic activity should not face problems. My suggestion to the states is to take up this issue very seriously. We have to increase our focus on effective testing, treating and surveillance, and clear messaging,” the Prime Minister said.
Community Activities
Lives of hundreds of homeless people saved when UK went into lockdown
The lives of hundreds of homeless people may have been saved by emergency accommodation during the lockdown. Rough sleepers were rapidly brought into hotels at the start of the outbreak, while dormitory-style communal shelters were closed, and infection control measures were ramped up in hostels. It’s now thought the measures could have prevented 266 deaths linked to Covid-19, according to a study by University College London (UCL). Data from charities and hostels suggests around 4% of homeless people caught coronavirus during the first wave of the virus.
'Totally awakened': how tragedy has left Italians alert to deadly virus
Morena Colombi, from Truccazzano, a small town near Milan, was among the first people in Italy to test positive for Covid-19 and knows only too well the impact of the virus. The 59-year-old suffered a mild initial illness, but months after being declared recovered she is among Italy’s post-Covid ‘long-haulers’ – struggling daily with muscle pain, chronic tiredness and occasional memory loss.
China has almost eliminated Covid-19. What can the world learn?
In May 2020, Xi Chen, an associate professor of public health at the University of Yale, published a study explaining how China’s prompt and decisive reaction – including “quarantines, city lockdowns, and local public health measures” – in the face of the first outbreak of Covid-19 resulted in the avoidance of what he and his coauthors estimated to be 1.4 million infections and 56,000 deaths.
Working Remotely
Serbia to grant residence, work permits to foreigners working remotely for employers based abroad
Serbia plans to provide foreign citizens working remotely for companies based abroad with an opportunity to receive a one-year residence and work permit as of January 1, labour minister Zoran Djordjevic said. "Our idea is to be the first country in Europe that will introduce the possibility for those working for foreign companies who are not our citizens, to continue doing their job, living in Serbia," Djordjevic said in a press release on Wednesday. Foreign citizens who can prove that they receive a gross monthly salary of more than 3,500 euro ($4,100) from an employer based abroad and want to live in Serbia will be able to obtain a one-year residence and work permit, Djordjevic said. In this way, Serbia will be able to increase its value-added tax (VAT) revenue, Djordjevic added.
3 Ways To Embed Continuous Learning When Working Remotely
Opportunities to learn and develop are hallmarks of a great place to work, tightly linked to the attraction and retention of top talent. 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development and the opportunity to learn is one of the top reasons why people accept a job offer. 42% of millennial employees say they are likely to leave if they are not learning fast enough. Learning is a mix of formal training, learning from others and on-the-job learning. Usually, we pick up knowledge, skills and advice from watching coworkers solve problems and through interacting in an office environment. So how do we ensure continuous learning when the communal office spaces and water cooler chats have been taken away?
Spain – Government to regulate remote work
The Council defines remote working as work that is done in a three-month reference period, during a minimum 30% of the working day and the equivalent proportional percentage according to the duration of the employment contract.
Minister for Work and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz said more than 3 million workers in Spain have been working remotely during the pandemic, showing that this form of employment increases productivity "and will also undoubtedly increase the competitiveness of the Spanish economy".
Many Google staff may never return to office full-time post-Covid
Google is planning for a world in which many of its employees never return to the office full-time, its chief executive has revealed. Sundar Pichai said 62% of Google employees had expressed an interest in returning to the officepart-time, and that the company would try to accommodate that desire even after the Covid pandemic subsides. In an interview with Time magazine, which named Pichai as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, he said: “I see the future as being more flexible. We firmly believe that being in-person, being together, having a sense of community is super important when you have to solve hard problems and create something new, so we don’t see that changing. But we do think we need to create more flexibility and more hybrid models.”
Remote Ready: How To Stay Productive When Working Remotely - ZOBUZ
Are you trying to figure out how to stay productive when working remotely? Read this article to learn the best tips for remote workers. Working remotely is a dream for many people. The ability to create your hours and work from the comfort of your home can seem irresistible when you are sitting in a cubicle at your 9-5. However, while working remotely offers many benefits, there are a few challenges as well. Whether you own your own business or just don’t have to work in the office, you are suddenly taking on the role of boss and employee and it can be tempting to figure out how to stay productive.
Working across time zones can mean being up at 3 a.m. It’s worth it for some travelers.
Tiffany Shan works as a production assistant for a filmmaker who is based in her home state of California. But she wakes up in Sydney around 4 a.m. most Saturdays, when it’s 11 a.m. and still Friday in Pacific time, to do her job. In Belgrade, Serbia, travel blogger Philip Weiss logs on to his laptop in the late afternoon to check in with his team members as they’re waking up in Oregon.
Log on in paradise: The exotic destinations inviting remote workers
Working from home has become the new normal for many of us due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While some have struggled to adapt to this new working mode, others have come to the welcome realization that their job requirements can be completed from anywhere and are beginning to explore their options. As a result, a number of exotic destinations which have seen their tourism revenue pretty much vanish over the past few months are using the situation to their advantage by offering extended visas to remote workers in a bid to inject money into their economies. From Anguilla to Barbados, here are five of the most alluring destinations currently vying for remote workers.
Why Those Working Remotely Have Been Showering And Shaving Less!
Lockdown office workers have been avoiding the shower and shaving while working from home, according to Jonathan Myers ,the chief executive of one of the world’s biggest soap makers. For more we were joined by Dr Orla Cahill - Microbiologist in Technological University Dublin.
Virtual Classrooms
Toronto school board aims to have teachers for all virtual students by mid-to-late next week
Canada’s largest school board is now saying that some elementary students may not have a teacher for their online classes until mid-to-late next week. “We simply cannot hire teachers fast enough to meet the demand for virtual learning, a difficulty that other school boards in Toronto and across Ontario have also faced.”
Music Education Teachers Say Virtual Recording Is The New Normal
Schools across the state are back in session with some students in brick and mortar classrooms and others attending online. But when it comes to music education, federal and state policy makers don't have much to say. So these teachers are turning to organizations like the National Association for Music Education for guidance on how to safely move forward with extracurriculars that could contribute to spreading the coronavirus. Caitlin Pearse, an elementary music teacher in Hillsborough County, said the students she’s teaching in person will stick with instruments like xylophones and small hand drums - but absolutely no singing.
Commentary: Virtual learning has an equalizing power
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, universities across the world pivoted to virtual learning, and a host of negative consequences quickly followed. Virtual learning exhausts students, exacerbates social class differences and mirrors the gender inequities that exist in in-person classes. And yet for all its drawbacks, virtual learning has an equalizing power that is undeniable. More institutions of higher learning must leverage many of the features that virtual learning provides to reduce bias and increase accessibility and inclusion for students, and to improve learning outcomes in ways not possible in person.
Learnings for Tomorrow
The government has recently announced radical changes in the education system with the focus on enhancing the quality and components of education, which over a period of time have the potential to deliver a higher calibre talent that would enter the workforce. In this context, many have recognised digital technology as an effective enabler for creating transformative impact on education in the early stages of school education. With Covid-19, an estimated 1.2 billion students in 186 countries around the world have had to adapt to the new mode of learning in a very short span of time – something even the most ambitious futurologists would not have been able to predict. It’s a fact that currently majority of the educational institutions and educators are facing various challenges such as limited bandwidth, lack of training or familiarity with the systems to deliver effective learning, constraints of access to devices and inadequate preparation and unavailability of appropriate content as required for different target audiences. Some even fear that these may result in poor learning experiences. Therefore, it must be asked if schools and parents would want to continue with digital mode of technology when normalcy returns.
Digital skills academy tops the one thousandth graduate milestone
Scottish digital skills academy CodeClan has reached a milestone with the passing of 1,000 graduates. The students have all successfully completed courses at the academy which now operates in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. Many are now back on campus doing the courses which include professional software development, data analysis and web development.
Public Policies
Covid-19 in Scotland: Quarantine checks made on 'under 5%' of travellers
Covid-19 contact tracers have contacted fewer than one in 20 Scots who were required to quarantine after travelling abroad since June, figures show. The National Contact Tracing Centre also failed to reach 1,129 travellers it tried to contact to check they were complying with self-isolation rules. The centre was unable to contact more than 250 travellers last week, according to Public Health Scotland. The Scottish government said emails were sent to all requiring quarantine. A spokesperson said the National Contact Tracing Centre made follow-up contact with about 600 returning passengers a week, and £1m was being invested to recruit 25 additional staff.
COVID-19: Woman to stand trial in Bahrain for violating quarantine
A woman in Bahrain will stand trial for having violated rules of domestic quarantine ordered to contain the spread of the coronavirus, and exposing others to infection, a prosecution official has said. The woman will be tried at the Minor Criminal Court in hearings beginning on September 29, prosecution chief Adnan Al Wadai added.
The woman had been earlier ordered to undergo precautionary domestic isolation, but she left her house during the quarantine period and joined a family gathering at a relative’s house, the Bahraini news agency BNA reported.
Senior pharmacist appointed to COVID-19 clinical trial team
Oxford University has recruited Professor Mahendra Patel as national black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) community and pharmacy lead for its Principle COVID-19 clinical trial. Principle – platform randomised trial of interventions against COVID-19 in older people – is a UK-wide clinical trial run by Oxford University that aims to find medicines those aged over 50 can take at home to help ease COVID-19 symptoms, reducing the need for hospital admissions. Professor Patel – a pharmacist and member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s English pharmacy board and C+D’s clinical advisory board – has been appointed as the trial’s national BAME community and pharmacy lead, it was announced last week (September 18) His role will involve increasing participation from these groups into the study.
How Is Italy Avoiding a Second Pandemic Wave?
Italy was a symbol of the first wave of the pandemic. It was the first country in the world to go into a national lockdown, as its hospitals — especially in cities such as Bergamo and Cremona in the north — struggled to cope with the spike of cases and there was a sharp increase in deaths. As fear of a second wave grips Europe, Italy appears to be coping much better than other countries such as France, Spain and the U.K. This is hardly a time for complacency; as Britain can attest, this virus can return with a vengeance. But over the last two weeks, Italy recorded slightly fewer than 35 cases per 100,000 inhabitants — compared to nearly 315 in Spain, almost 200 in France and 76.5 in the U.K. The number of average deaths stood at 0.3 per 100,000, a third of the French rate and nearly a tenth of Spain’s. Italy’s figures are only marginally worse than Germany’s, which has been praised as a model of sound pandemic management.
The British government tightens covid-19 restrictions
The churchillian rhetoric is back. “Never in our history has our collective destiny and our collective health depended so completely on our individual behaviour,” Boris Johnson, the prime minister, warns. So are new nationwide restrictions. From September 24th, bars and restaurants will have to close at 10pm. More people will be required to wear masks; working from home will be encouraged. All rules will be strictly enforced. Barring a vaccine or testing breakthrough, Mr Johnson said, these new restrictions will last for six months. Merry Christmas indeed.
Trump says safety checks for coronavirus vaccine will cost lives
President Trump has attacked a plan to impose tough new standards on approval of a coronavirus vaccine, saying it “sounds like a political move”. Mr Trump, who has repeatedly raised hopes that a vaccine might be approved before election day on November 3, said he had “tremendous trust in these massive companies” developing vaccines, and said they were best-placed to decide when they were ready, rather than regulators. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is introducing higher hurdles than usual for emergency authorisation of a vaccine, which would allow it to be released to the public rapidly.
Hancock refuses to rule out Christmas student lockdown
Matt Hancock has refused to rule out banning students from returning home at Christmas, to limit the spread of coronavirus outbreaks. The health secretary was responding to a question about concerns that students could be spreading Covid-19, amid numerous university-based outbreaks. At Glasgow University 120 students have tested positive for Covid-19 and are among 600 self-isolating there.
Academics had warned against the mass movement of the UK's million students. The University and College Union had called for students to be taught wholly online, from home until Christmas, ahead of the start of term, but ministers advised some face-to-face learning was key to students' mental health.
Coronavirus: London could go into lockdown as UK COVID-19 cases soar
London could be placed under lockdown if measures which Boris Johnson introduced this week do not prove effective in curbing the rapid rise of coronavirus infections in the capital. Health officials recorded 6,178 new Covid-19 cases across the UK on Wednesday, up by 1,252 on Tuesday's figures. Scientists who advise the government on their coronavirus response have warned that new measures introduced by Boris Johnson this week will not be enough to contain the virus. One London council leader present at a meeting with government health officials this week said: “Our epidemic is as developed as the north. There’s a consensus a lockdown [in London] is coming.”
Sweden shifts towards lockdown measures: Chief scientist says he is now considering short 'chain-breaking' localised restrictions, amid spike of cases in Stockholm
Anders Tegnell said he's thinking of 'fairly short restrictions' to break up spread. Architect of Sweden's 'herd immunity' strategy signalled shift in policy this week.
It comes after a spike in cases in Stockholm - but the overall rate remains low
Tegnell said that any restrictions would be 'extremely local' for a matter of weeks
Coronavirus: Israel heads into 'hermetic' lockdown after infection figures surge
Israel's government has voted to tighten a week-old national lockdown as figures reveal the extraordinary extent of the country's coronavirus challenge. The cabinet met late into Wednesday night and concluded, not without huge disagreement, that a "hermetic" lockdown must be implemented by Friday. The country's infection rate is by far the highest among known rates globally.
Coronavirus: Why Scotland's new 'lockdown lite' might struggle to deliver the same results
If you experienced a strange sense of déjà vu on Tuesday, you probably weren't alone. Nearly six months to the day since Boris Johnson took to our screens to tell Britain to "stay at home", we find ourselves once again facing tightened restrictions - albeit this time couched in terms of avoiding a second lockdown.
Spain 'deserves' to go back into full national lockdown after relaxing measures caused a second wave of Covid, leading epidemiologist says
Spain has seen coronavirus infections soar in recent weeks to over 11,000 a day
Deaths are also increasing, though are nowhere near those seen in first wave
Parts of Madrid and Ibiza have been hit by local lockdowns to contain spread
But state epidemiologist says the country 'deserves' another national lockdown
Europe tries Lockdown Lite
Trump says White House could veto FDA’s vaccine rules. China’s retail recovery still rests on the richest consumers. U.K. to spend more to protect jobs, businesses amid outbreak
France tightens virus measures, unveils new 'danger zones' map
France’s health minister unveiled a map of coronavirus “danger zones” around the country on Wednesday and gave the hardest-hit local authorities, including that of Marseille, days to tighten restrictions or risk having a state of health emergency declared there. Olivier Veran told a news conference the country would be divided into zones by alert level with Marseille, the second-largest city, and the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe for now the only two areas put on the “maximum” alert level. Paris and its suburbs but also the northern city of Lille, the southwestern town of Toulouse and six other cities were declared “reinforced danger zones”, Veran added.
Chinese Vaccine Maker to Offer Shots First to Testing Nations
Chinese vaccine developer Sinovac Biotech Ltd. said that countries running its final-stage clinical trials like Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey will get its coronavirus shots at the same time as China, underscoring how vaccine supply agreements could cement diplomatic ties in the Covid-19 era. One of three Chinese companies with vaccines in the last stages of testing, Beijing-based Sinovac will prioritize nations conducting its Phase III trials, and then offer doses to regions hard hit by the coronavirus, Chief Executive Officer Yin Weidong said during a government-organized media tour of the company’s facilities on Thursday.
Pfizer partner BioNTech sees no role for its vaccine in UK challenge trial
Pfizer's German development partner BioNTech on Thursday joined other leading COVID-19 vaccine developers in ruling out participation in British plans to test experimental inoculations by deliberately infecting trial volunteers. "BioNTech's vaccine candidate is not part of this study," a spokeswoman said. Britain is planning to host so-called "challenge trials", the Financial Times cited people involved in the project as saying. Britain said it was working with partners on the potential for human challenge trials without commenting on a specific plan.
Spain tops 700,000 coronavirus cases, Madrid surge in spotlight
Spain’s cumulative tally of confirmed coronavirus infections passed 700,000 on Thursday and authorities warned of tougher times ahead in the densely-populated virus hotspot region of Madrid, which accounts for over a third of hospital admissions. The number of confirmed cases has spiked since the end of a nationwide lockdown in late June, adding 200,000 in less than a month, and now stands at 704,209, the highest in Western Europe. The total number of COVID-19 fatalities rose by 84 to 31,118, including 13 deaths registered in the past 24 hours. Daily deaths are now around their highest levels since early May, but below the late March record of nearly 900.
Cardiff is 'on the verge of coronavirus restrictions' warns council leader Huw Thomas as infection rates soar
Cardiff is on the verge of entering the Welsh Government's coronavirus "red zone", the city's council leader has warned. The number of cases per 100,000 population now stands at 38.2, while 3.8 per cent of tests are positive. Hospital emergency department attendance has also risen sharply in the last week. Evidence from contact tracers suggests the virus in Cardiff is mostly spreading within households - where family bubble rules are being breached and where people are mixing inside homes. Huw Thomas, leader of Cardiff council, said: “As we have seen over the past week, the situation can change quickly. “If case numbers continue to rise over the weekend there is a very real possibility that Cardiff will enter into the Welsh Government's ‘red zone.'
Iran anticipates ‘third wave’ as COVID-19 deaths pass 25,000
The death toll from COVID-19 in Iran has surpassed 25,000, the highest total in the Middle East, as cases continue to surge. The healthy ministry reported 175 deaths on Thursday and 3,521 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the country’s total confirmed cases to 436,319. In the past 30 days, 5,000 people infected with the coronavirus have died and 80,000 new infections have been registered, resulting in a total of 25,015 deaths and 436,319 recorded cases, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Lari told state television. The ministry said it was only a matter of time before a “third wave” of infections would hit Iran, which according to health experts could be worse than the first two, with bottlenecks in medical care for those infected. Iran has been battling a resurgence of COVID-19, with figures showing a rise in new infections and deaths since a two-month low in May.
Maintaining Services
How remote working is changing our homes - with open plan living going out of fashion
This allows specific areas to be created for activities such as home working and exercise, according to the Flexible Living Report 2020 by John Lewis. Research by the retailer found that one in five people has reconfigured their open plan space to accommodate multiple activities throughout the day. This has driven a change in shopping trends, with sales of office furniture soaring along with ‘statement artwork’ which provides an attractive backdrop for video calls.
After months of planning and billions in spending, will colleges’ virus prevention efforts get trashed by a few student parties?
University officials planned for months for the resumption of fall classes amid the pandemic, with experts advising them on the rapidly evolving understanding of the novel coronavirus. They spent tens of billions of dollars creating massive testing programs, clearing out dorm space for quarantines, sticking reminder dots six feet apart on sidewalks, overhauling ventilation systems and crafting public health campaigns centered around feisty mask-wearing mascots. But as cases of the coronavirus have popped up on campuses, forcing some schools to empty their dorms or switch to virtual classes, one factor cannot be ignored: Students like to party. And good luck reining that in.
UK supermarkets urge shoppers not to panic over lockdown fears
Supermarket bosses have urged shoppers not to start panic buying, while Asda is bringing in 1,000 safety marshals, as the industry braces for a potential change in shopping habits ahead of new lockdown restrictions. Tesco boss Dave Lewis said stockpiling was “unnecessary” as there was no disruption to product supply chains as a result of new government measures to tackle rising Covid-19 infection. Giles Hurley, the boss of discounter chain Aldi in the UK, wrote to customers saying: “There is no need to buy more than you usually would. I would like to reassure you that our stores remain fully stocked and ask that you continue to shop considerately. “We have remained open for our customers throughout the pandemic and will continue to have daily deliveries, often multiple times a day, across all of our products.”
ALL bars in France's second city of Marseille are closed and others around the country told to shut at 10pm after new Covid spike
Closures in Marseille - which start on Monday - were announced by Olivier Véran
They are as part of a nationwide series of tough new measures after Covid spike
They include bars in Paris, Lille and Grenoble having to shut 10pm from Monday
Mr Véran said an even earlier closure of bars can be sanctioned by local prefects
Hospitality jobs have taken a hammering. Opening Australia's state borders will not be enough | Greg Jericho
The goodish news of last week’s unemployment figures have been quickly tempered by the release of the latest payroll job numbers. The figures were released on the day the deputy governor of the Reserve Bank described the recovery as “a slow grind” and they highlight the problems a service-driven economy such as ours faces in the midst of a pandemic. The latest payroll job numbers by the Bureau of Statistics give us the most current view of the labor force. It is a view that is becoming increasingly bleak. Where May, June and July saw a nice recovery of jobs as the lockdowns around the country were mostly relaxed, since then the number of jobs has fallen:
Cuomo says New York to review any COVID-19 vaccine authorized by federal government
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday said the state will carry out its own review of coronavirus vaccines authorized or approved by the federal government due to concerns of politicization of the approval process. Cuomo, a Democrat who has repeatedly criticized President Donald Trump and his Republican administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, told reporters at a briefing he was going to form a review committee to advise the state on the safety of a vaccine. “Frankly, I’m not going to trust the federal government’s opinion,” Cuomo said. “New York state will have its own review when the federal government is finished with their review and says it’s safe.”
France reports over 1,000 people in ICU due to coronavirus
The French health ministry reported on Thursday that number of people in intensive care due to the coronavirus jumped over 1,000 for the first time since June 8. The ministry also said that the number of people with COVID-19 in hospital was up by 136 to 5,932.
100 N.Y.C. School Buildings Have Already Reported a Positive Case
At least one coronavirus case had been reported in more than 100 school buildings and early childhood centers in the New York City school system by the first day of in-person instruction on Monday, according to the Department of Education. Nearly all the buildings remained open, though six were closed temporarily, in accordance with city guidelines that only those schools that report at least two cases in different classrooms will be shut.
Healthcare Innovations
UK could become first country in world to deliberately infect volunteers with Covid-19 for vaccine test
The UK could host the world's first Covid-19 "human challenge trials" in which healthy volunteers are infected with coronavirus to test the effectiveness of experimental vaccines. The studies are expected to begin in January at a secure quarantine facility in east London, according to a Financial Times report. Those taking part will be inoculated with a vaccine before receiving a “challenge” dose of Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, under controlled conditions a month or so later.
Swedish researchers say they've created a 'fast, cheap' COVID-19 test
Researchers in Sweden say they have developed a "fast, cheap, yet accurate" COVID-19 test good for situations in which frequent rescreening is needed and resources are limited.
BAME: Genetic variation 'unlikely to influence Covid-19 mortality'
Black, Asian, minority ethnic people are 2-3 times more likely to die from virus
Researchers say environmental factors and healthcare disparities are to blame
They analysed databases for 7 genes associated with viral entry of SARS-CoV-2
But they found no significant differences across populations and ethnic groups
Could a COVID-19 breath test help UK out of lockdown?
A potential COVID-19 breath test has been unveiled in the UK, as the country desperately searches for alternatives to crippling lockdown measures to prevent the disease from spreading. The breath test has been developed by Integumen in collaboration with Modern Water, Avacta and Aptamer Group, which had been working on test that identifies the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in waste water. Based on that technology the companies have designed, built and tested a prototype, Microtox BT, which can analyse the breath and detect the spike protein of the coronavirus in real time. Microtox BT will now be tested at a containment laboratory at the University of Aberdeen, followed by a joint trial of up to 5,000 participants, where results will be compared with standard lab antigen tests.
Fourth large-scale COVID-19 vaccine trial begins in the United States Trial evaluating investigational Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.
A fourth Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating an investigational vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has begun enrolling adult volunteers. The trial is designed to evaluate if the investigational Janssen COVID-19 vaccine (JNJ-78436725) can prevent symptomatic COVID-19 after a single dose regimen. Up to 60,000 volunteers will be enrolled in the trial at up to nearly 215 clinical research sites in the United States and internationally.
Houston study: More contagious coronavirus strain now dominates
The first study to analyze the structure of the novel coronavirus from two waves of infection in a major city found that a more contagious strain dominates recent samples, researchers from Houston Methodist Hospital said on Wednesday. They examined more than 5,000 genomes from viruses recovered in the earliest phase of the pandemic in Houston, an ethnically diverse city of 7 million, and from an ongoing more recent wave of infections. The study, which has not yet been reviewed by outside experts, found that nearly all strains in the second wave had a mutation, known as D614G, which has been shown to increase the number of “spikes” on the crown-shaped virus.
Novavax starts late-stage COVID-19 vaccine trial in UK
Novavax Inc on Thursday started a late-stage trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine in partnership with the UK government’s Vaccines Taskforce. The trial is expected to enroll and test the vaccine on up to 10,000 individuals aged between 18 and 84 years over the next four to six weeks.
Mymetics Starts Preclinical Studies with Baylor College of Medicine for Virosome-based Covid-19 Vaccine
Mymetics has started a Covid-19 vaccine development project based on Mymetics' virosome vaccine carrier platform, which will evaluate different rationally designed SARS-CoV-2 antigens for an effective and safe virosome-based Covid-19 vaccine. In May 2020 Mymetics and Baylor College of Medicine in Texas signed a Research Agreement to preclinically produce and test virosomes incorporating SARS-CoV-2 recombinant proteins. As part of the Research Agreement, Mymetics has successfully produced several virosome vaccine formulations that will now be tested in a preclinical model at Baylor College of Medicine.
