07:37
Vaccine mandate to be introduced for most workers in Western Australia
Away from the UK for a moment, Covid-19 vaccinations will become compulsory for most Western Australian workers, including teachers and supermarket staff, by the end of the year.
The premier, Mark McGowan, said the drastic step is necessary to prepare the state for community transmission of the virus.
It will be rolled out across three groups representing 75% of the WA workforce.
“It is proportionate and reasonable, and is aimed at preparing Western Australia safely for the inevitable community transmission,” McGowan told reporters on Wednesday.
The first group includes port, transport and freight workers, health and aged care staff, police and fly-in, fly-out mining workers.
Community workers, fire and emergency services employees, abattoir and meat processing workers and prison staff are also on the list. They must receive their first dose by 1 December and be fully vaccinated by 31 December.
The second group includes staff at supermarkets, groceries, restaurants, pubs and cafes, as well as childcare, public transport and construction workers. They must get their first dose by year’s end and second by 31 January.
Read more here: ‘The time is now’ – Western Australia to mandate Covid vaccines for most workers
07:33
UK minister on possible future lockdown in England: ‘I would rule that out’
On Sky News the UK business minister Kwasi Kwarteng has ruled out a future lockdown in England. Asked about Prof Stephen Reicher of Sage’s call for a “plan C” and a new lockdown, Kwarteng said:
No, I would rule that out. Clearly, throughout this process there have been people saying the lockdown was unnecessary, and there’s been other people saying we should continue to lock down. We’ve really plotted a path between those two extremes. I think it has worked. And that is one of the reasons we’ve got the fastest growing economy in the G7.
He was also questioned about whether there might be a re-introduction of travel and holiday restrictions. Again he suggested not:
I don’t think so. Look, I think the conversation about travel restrictions and more lockdowns is completely unhelpful. We’ve had a huge job of work getting the vaccine rolled out to the point that we can reopen the economy. That was the main thing we were focused on this year. That has worked, and what we want to do is manage the situation as it is. We don’t want to go back into lockdown.
Here’s just a reminder of the latest data on Covid in the UK, which yesterday saw the highest level of Covid deaths since March. There have been over 1m new Covid cases reported in the UK in the last 28 days.
07:25
UK business minister Kwasi Kwarteng was asked on Sky News about walk-in booster jab centres being left idle, as people are waiting to be contacted by the NHS before taking up a booster jab. He said:
Let me be very clear about that. I think that people who are eligible for a booster, particularly people over the age of 50 and other vulnerable groups should be taking up the booster jab, because that’s clearly the best way to protect themselves and their families and people they care about, and the wider community.
It should be noted that the NHS website currently specifically asks people to wait to be contacted.
07:18
Minister: ‘we’re going to have to live with’ Covid numbers in England
Here’s some of the quotes from UK business minister Kwasi Kwarteng on Sky News this morning, where he has been asked about government intentions to introduce the so-called “plan B” in England amid rising numbers. On booster jab uptake, he said:
That’s something that we really need to address, and as you know it’s open to everybody over the age of 50 and also vulnerable people. And I would urge people who can to take the booster jab, because the vaccination rollout has been the most successful thing we’ve done, and it’s allowed the economy to open up.
On the rising case numbers and the UK recording its highest Covid deaths since March, he said:
It’s a situation that we’re concerned about. You’ll remember at the beginning of the year, we had hundreds, if not thousands a day, but mostly that hasn’t happened. And as the health secretary said, it’s something we’re going to have to live with and I think we are managing the situation.
Updated
07:10
Tokyo intending to relax restrictions on bars and restaurants – reports
Reuters have this from Japan this morning, that the Tokyo metropolitan government is aiming to ease Covid-19 restrictions on bars and restaurants next week as infections continue to decline, the Jiji news service has said.
The easing could be announced as early as Thursday and would apply to businesses that are certified as following anti-infection measures, Jiji reported, citing informed sources.
Representatives for the Tokyo government did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Reuters.
Tokyo and much of Japan lifted Covid-19 emergency measures on 1 October that had been in place for almost six months. Even so, restaurants and bars in the capital have been asked to halt alcohol sales by 8pm and close by 9pm.
New daily cases in Tokyo dropped to 29 on Monday, the lowest since June last year. Infections have fallen dramatically from a wave of more than 5,000 a day in August that strained the capital’s medical infrastructure.
Sixty-seven per cent of Japan’s population is fully vaccinated, and the government is planning to roll out booster shots this winter. At the same time, authorities are planning to use a combination of vaccination certificates and Covid-19 tests to further ease curbs and reopen the economy.
Updated
07:06
As a reminder, if the UK government were to implement the so-called “plan B” to deal with rising Covid numbers in England, the levers they have said they have at their disposal are:
- The public told clearly and urgently about the need to exercise caution over Covid.
- Face coverings made a legal requirement in some settings.
- Work from home if possible directive to be reinstated.
- Government might make Covid vaccine certificates mandatory in some settings.
Updated
07:02
Hello, it is Martin Belam here joining you from a very dark and wet London this morning. The UK media round will feature business minister Kwasi Kwarteng. I expect he will get quite a grilling over Covid case rises in England and whether the government is going to bring back any restrictions. I’ll bring you those quotes as I get them.
Updated
06:50
Beijing rolls out Covid-19 booster shots
Beijing is beginning to offer some of its residents Covid-19 booster jabs as the Chinese capital gears up to host the Winter Olympics in February, Beijing News reports.
At least three districts of Beijing, Chaoyang, Dongcheng and Tongzhou, are starting to offer the shots to residents over 18 years old, joining at least 18 provincial-level regions in China’s booster shots drive, according to the outlet.
Eligible residents need to have finished their original Covid-19 vaccination at least six months ago, according to the announcement.
China has fully vaccinated more than 1 billion people – more than 78 % of the population – as of mid-September, according to the National Health Commission.
But there are concerns over the efficacy of Chinese vaccines against the Delta variant.
Beijing is set to host the Winter Olympics under strict rules that will see athletes live and compete in a “closed loop” and only Chinese spectators will be allowed to watch events.
Competing athletes must be vaccinated or face 21-day quarantine upon entry into the country.
Covid case fare-ups have been reported as of Tuesday in seven provincial-level regions in China in the past three days.
Updated
06:29
Welcome back to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
I’m Samantha Lock and I will be reporting from Sydney, Australia, to bring you all the latest developments.
Just months after the Delta variant wrecked havoc across the world, a newly detected offshoot has been identified and is reportedly on the rise across England. Identified as as AY.4.2, the strain is “on an increasing trajectory”, according to a briefing from the UK Health Security Agency. With two mutations in its spike protein, the virus is more easily able to enter cells.
Meanwhile, ministers in the UK are being urged to implement sweeping “plan B” winter measures to curb the sharp rise in Covid infections or the efforts to tackle a backlog of 5 million patients could be derailed.
The head of the NHS Confederation gave the warning as the UK recorded 223 Covid deaths, its highest since March alongside one of the highest weekly rates of new reported cases in the world. Infections have been rising sharply since the start of October but the government is resisting introducing the extra restrictions set out in its winter plan such as masks, vaccine passports and advice to work from home.
- In the US, federal regulators are expected to authorise the mixing and matching of Covid booster doses this week. The upcoming announcement by the Food and Drug Administration is likely to come along with authorisation for boosters of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots.
- Ministers must urgently implement sweeping “plan B” winter measures or derail efforts to tackle the backlog of five million patients, the head of the NHS Confederation has warned as the UK recorded its highest daily Covid death toll since March.
- The Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, should face murder charges for his role in the country’s “stratospheric” coronavirus death toll, a draft report from a senate inquiry into Brazil’s Covid crisis has recommended.
- New Zealand authorities search for a Covid-positive quarantine escapee.
- The US homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, who is vaccinated, tested positive for Covid on Tuesday morning, the Department of Homeland Security said.
- Without a Covid-19 vaccination, reinfection could occur every 16 months as immunity erodes over time, studies suggest. In England, people are increasingly reporting catching Sars-CoV-2 for a second or even third time.
- Covid vaccine appointments for children will be bookable from next week in England. The rollout of jabs has been extended for 12- to 15-year-olds, Downing Street confirmed.
- The South African drug regulator has rejected the Russian-made coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V, citing some safety concerns the manufacturer wasn’t able to answer.
- The Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine is 93% effective in preventing hospitalisation among 12- to 18-year-olds, according to research by the US government. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention study was conducted between June and September when Delta was the most dominant variant.
- Bath and North East Somerset has the highest Covid case rate in the UK and 86% of local authority areas have seen a week-on-week rise, according to a new analysis.
- The UK government has claimed it was “not complacent” about rising coronavirus cases but that it had no plans to bring in any contingency measures yet. A spokesman for the prime minister said the plans, set out in the autumn/winter strategy, would only be brought in if there was a “significant risk of the NHS being overwhelmed”.
- Bulgaria is to make Covid passes mandatory for entry to indoor restaurants, cinemas, gyms and shopping malls amid rising coronavirus infections.
- New Zealand faces obstacles in vaccinating Māori population.
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