Covid news live: Wales to announce new restrictions; Gordon Brown demands faster unused vaccine distribution from G20 | World news

Through the course of his interview on Sky Information, the primary minister of Wales Mark Drakeford expressed some frustration with the UK authorities and the foundations it has in place in England. On worldwide journey, he stated:

The reality of the matter is we want the UK Authorities took a extra precautionary strategy to worldwide journey. However once they select to alter the foundations in England, in any sensible sense it’s unattainable for us to do something completely different in Wales, as a result of virtually everyone from Wales who travels overseas or who returns to this nation from overseas is available in by English ports and airports, after which travels on to Wales. So in a sensible sense, we are able to’t make something completely different occur there, though we want the UK Authorities took a distinct strategy. What we are able to do, after we can do issues otherwise, when we now have selections that we are able to make successfully in Wales, then we take them.

Drakeford additionally stated:

We do have alternatives to debate this with the UK Authorities. I’ve for quite a few weeks been urging them to maneuver to Plan B. It might definitely assist us right here in Wales to have a single communication that claims throughout England and Wales we’re all taking this virus as severely as we have to take it as we go into the autumn and the winter.

One of many questions for Wales’ first minister Mark Drakeford on Sky Information was why Wales was seeing rising numbers when it had persistently utilized more durable Covid restrictions that England. Drakeford steered that the nation could also be a sufferer of its personal earlier vaccine success. He stated:

Wales had a really profitable vaccination programme. And it could be that we’re seeing the waning impression of that preliminary vaccination earlier right here in Wales due to our preliminary success.

It’s additionally the case that earlier in the summertime for weeks and weeks, Wales have the bottom degree of Coronavirus anyplace within the UK and it could be that there’s only a larger reservoir of individuals right here in Wales ready to be contaminated by the Delta variant, and that’s driving the numbers that we see as we speak.

What’s definitely true is the numbers at this degree are inflicting hurt in the neighborhood are driving extra individuals into hospital. And we now have to make a concerted effort over the following three weeks to carry these numbers down.

Wales is about to announce modifications in its Covid restrictions on account of the rising case numbers throughout the UK. The Welsh authorities will probably be encouraging individuals to make money working from home if potential, and likewise insisting that anyone in a family with any individual who has examined constructive additionally isolates till they’ve a detrimental PCR check. On Sky Information simply now, first minister Mark Drakford stated:

We’ve to do extra right here in Wales to carry these numbers down. We wish extra individuals to make money working from home. We wish to ensure that individuals do the straightforward issues of masks carrying in crowded public locations. We’ll be altering a few of the preparations in our colleges to attempt to stem the movement of younger individuals falling in poor health with the virus, and we will probably be asking people who find themselves family contacts of somebody who has examined constructive to remain at dwelling till they themselves have taken a PCR check. If it’s detrimental, they’ll be capable of return to highschool and to work. If it’s constructive, then they gained’t have been out and about spreading the virus to different individuals.

Former UK prime minister Gordon Brown has stated wealthier international locations are being “too sluggish” in transferring unused vaccine doses to poorer international locations.

The ex-Labour chief stated it’s “solely the leaders of the G20” who can resolve their unused vaccines needs to be “moved out as rapidly as potential to avoid wasting lives and to keep away from waste”.

PA Media quote his look on the BBC Radio 4’s In the present day programme, the place he stated:

The issue is we’re being too sluggish and we’re holding again after we know we’ve received these unused vaccines. We needs to be getting them out as rapidly as potential.

There’s an urgency about saving lives and there’s additionally an urgency about stopping these vaccines passing their use-by date and I don’t assume the British authorities has but realised the urgency of the issue and of the necessity within the poorest international locations.

There have been 245 million circumstances of Covid, there are going to be 200 million extra if we don’t get the vaccines on the market as rapidly as potential.

In a subsequent look on LBC radio he stated:

Britain controls its provide of vaccines, America controls its personal provide of vaccines, Canada does, the EU does, you’ve to get collectively and say how can we timetable the supply of those surplus vaccines.

So I’ll be searching for an settlement [at the G20 summit] to co-ordinate actions, perhaps a process drive that somebody heads simply to carry everyone collectively in order that we get these vaccines out, and I’ll be searching for an announcement that we’ve received to arrange for pandemics higher sooner or later.

The Ukrainian well being ministry has issued its newest coronavirus numbers, and the nation has recorded one other file day by day excessive of 26,870 new coronavirus infections over the previous 24 hours, exceeding the earlier excessive of 26,071 a day earlier. There have been 648 official deaths. The ministry additionally stated there 5,463 hospital admissions within the final day.

Yesterday the mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko introduced that the nation’s capital can be imposing new restrictions from 1 November as much as the bounds of his powers, and referred to as on the nationwide authorities to take additional measures. The Ukrinform information company reviews him saying:

The scenario with the unfold of coronavirus within the capital is quickly deteriorating. The variety of hospitalisations and sufferers in want of oxygen help is growing.

The brand new measures imply individuals should current a Covid vaccination certificates or a detrimental PCR check earlier than they will entry indoor actions within the capital.

Malaysia has stated it is going to proceed with the procurement of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for kids, following a US panel’s advice for the shot to be authorised for these aged 5 to 11.

The US Meals and Drug Administration voted on Tuesday to suggest the authorisation, saying the advantages of the vaccine outweigh the dangers.

Malaysia’s Well being Minister Khairy Jamaluddin stated on Twitter different choices, such because the vaccine made by China’s Sinovac BioTech, would even be thought of to make sure colleges can reopen safely.

About 62% of youngsters aged between 12 and 17 within the Southeast Asian nation are totally vaccinated, authorities statistics present.

Australia’s vaccination marketing campaign has taken an icy journey to the shores of the Antarctic.

An Airbus A319 arrived in Wilkins Aerodrome on Thursday night with a cargo of Pfizer vaccines for 27 expeditioners on the Casey analysis station, minister for the atmosphere Sussan Ley stated in a press launch on Friday.

“The train was a reminder of the isolation Australia’s Antarctic Expeditioners face every year and the detailed planning that’s in place to help their well-being,” Ley stated.

“Because the Antarctic season looms and as expeditioners put together to move dwelling, it is necessary that they will be part of the nationwide surge in Covid-19 vaccinations.”

Ley stated the supply required “months of cautious planning” and the vaccines needed to be saved on the proper temperature from their arrival in Hobart, their supply to the aircraft, the flight to Antarctica after which the four-hour journey throughout the ice to the station in a frozen container.

A syringe shortfall threatens Africa Covid vaccine drive because the continent struggles to inoculate individuals in opposition to the virus.

The United Nation’s fund for kids (UNICEF) is predicting an “imminent shortfall” of as much as 2.2 billion of the single-use syringes for Covid vaccination.

“Restricted entry to essential commodities akin to syringes might sluggish the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in Africa,” WHO Africa stated, referencing UNICEF’s dire prediction.

“Early subsequent yr, Covid-19 vaccines will begin pouring into Africa, however a shortage of syringes might paralyse progress,” Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, stated.

“Drastic measures have to be taken to spice up syringe manufacturing, quick.”

Except there’s a important acceleration, solely 5 African international locations, or beneath 10 %, will attain the goal of 40 % of populations vaccinated by the tip of the yr, the WHO stated.

These international locations – Seychelles, Mauritius, Morocco, which have already reached this goal, in addition to Tunisia and Cape Verde – collectively account for simply 51 million of the continent’s 1.2 billion inhabitants.

Hello and welcome again to our day by day Covid weblog.

I’m Samantha Lock and I’ll be bringing you the highest headlines from the world over.

First up, it’s excellent news for a gaggle of researchers working from Australia’s Casey Station in Antarctica as we speak.

Pfizer vaccines have lastly arrived for 27 employees, federal atmosphere minister Sussan Ley introduced on Friday. Vaccines can even be delivered to its Davis and Mawson analysis stations.

Officers in South Korea have additionally introduced restrictions will start to ease from subsequent week.

“Starting November 1, our group will take step one of resuming our regular life,” Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum stated. “Nevertheless, we have to be conscious that this doesn’t imply the battle in opposition to coronavirus is over, however a brand new starting.”

Right here’s a rundown of what else you might need missed.

• A syringe shortfall threatens Africa’s Covid vaccine drive. As vaccines arrive to the continent, a shortage of syringes might “paralyse progress”, the World Well being Group (WHO) stated on Thursday. UNICEF, the United Nation’s fund for kids, is predicting an “imminent shortfall” of as much as 2.2 billion of the single-use syringes used to provide jabs.
• New Zealand data one other 125 Covid circumstances, pushing the nation’s Delta outbreak previous 3,000.
• The US economic system grew at its slowest tempo in additional than a yr within the third quarter as a resurgence in Covid circumstances additional stretched international provide chains, resulting in shortages and decreased client spending, Reuters reviews.
• Russia units extra Covid restrictions amid file deaths and vaccine hesitancy. Current rampant outbreaks within the international locations have been pushed by low vaccination charges.
• Britain has reported 39,842 new circumstances of Covid, authorities information confirmed on Thursday. An extra 165 individuals have been reported as having died inside 28 days of a constructive check for Covid, that means the seven-day complete was up 16.2% from the earlier week.
• Greater than 100 million Indians haven’t turned up for his or her second coronavirus vaccine dose, official information confirmed, elevating considerations of a resurgence within the illness regardless of a comparatively low an infection charge.
• Solely 5 African international locations will meet the goal of totally vaccinating 40% of their populations in opposition to Covid except the tempo of inoculations will increase, the World Well being Group (WHO) stated on Thursday.
• Singapore reported 3,432 new circumstances of Covid on Thursday, a day after recording its highest single-day rise in circumstances which the city-state’s wholesome ministry described as an “uncommon surge”.
• Pfizer and BioNTech have introduced that they count on to ship 50m extra doses of their Covid vaccine to the United States by the tip of April.
• Airways forged doubt on flying unvaccinated passengers to Australia.
• England set to take away closing international locations from Covid journey ‘purple record’. At the least 12 extra international locations’ vaccines additionally anticipated to be recognised in important opening up of borders.
• Face masks row in Japan over price of 80m left in storage unused. Sporting masks could also be near-ubiquitous in Japan, however the authorities has come beneath fireplace after it was revealed that greater than 80m face coverings it procured firstly of the coronavirus pandemic are nonetheless in storage, at an enormous price to taxpayers.