One other 39,567 Covid circumstances and 131 deaths had been recorded within the UK at this time.
Division of Well being officers posted almost 40,000 each day infections – down 3.36 per cent from 40,941 final Saturday – after Sajid Javid introduced that two circumstances of the ‘monstrous’ new Covid variant had been detected.
The quantity of people that have died 28 days after testing optimistic for Covid has additionally fallen by 12.7 per cent from 150 final week.
The Well being Secretary mentioned this afternoon that circumstances of the pressure, named Omicron and designated a ‘variant of concern’ by the World Well being Organisation on Friday, had been present in Nottingham and Brentwood in Essex. Each are linked to journey to southern Africa, the suspected origin of the mutation.
The contaminated people and all members of their households have been instructed to enter self-isolation after the UK Well being Safety Company confirmed the sequencing.
4 extra international locations – Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola – had been added to the no-fly checklist on Sunday. All flights from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Namibia had been banned by Mr Javid yesterday amid rising worldwide panic concerning the variant, which scientists imagine is extra transmissible and has an elevated danger of reinfection.
The EU, US and Canada all adopted Britain’s transfer to impose journey restrictions on guests from southern Africa forward of the WHO including the pressure, often known as B.1.1.529, to its highest class for regarding variants.
Britain’s first two Omicron an infection got here as a spate of circumstances had been discovered throughout Europe, with at the very least 61 new circumstances of Covid coming into the Netherlands from South Africa this morning. Authorities are at the moment sequencing the assessments for the brand new variant.
Europe’s first case of the variant was noticed in Belgium yesterday – regardless of the unvaccinated lady who caught it having travelled to Turkey and Egypt.
Germany and the Czech Republic each confirmed suspected circumstances at this time. Germany’s preliminary sequencing suggests a traveller from South Africa was carrying the virus with a number of mutations shared by Omicron. Officers are awaiting full sequencing later at this time.
And Australian authorities – who additionally banned journey to 9 international locations within the area – worry the variant might have already entered the nation.
On one other day of coronavirus chaos:
- The primary European case in Belgium was revealed to be an unvaccinated younger lady examined optimistic;
- The variety of sufferers hospitalised with Covid fell sharply within the UK;
- An official report concluded {that a} go to to the theatre or a soccer match places you at no extra danger of catching Covid than seeing your pals;
- South African consultants urged there was ‘each indication’ that vaccines had been nonetheless efficient towards the variant;
- Hypothesis mounted that the invention of the pressure would result in vaccine consultants approving booster jabs for all adults quickly.
One other 39,567 Covid circumstances and 131 deaths had been recorded within the UK at this time. Division of Well being officers posted almost 40,000 each day infections – down 3.36 per cent from 40,941 final Saturday – after Sajid Javid introduced that two circumstances of the ‘monstrous’ new Covid variant had been detected. The quantity of people that have died 28 days after testing optimistic for Covid has additionally fallen by 12.7 per cent from 150 final week
Instances of Omicron have already been picked up within the UK, South Africa, Botswana, Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium. It’s not but identified whether or not the variant arrived within the Netherlands yesterday however Dutch authorities are sequencing passengers’ assessments. There are additionally suspected particular person circumstances being sequenced in Germany, the Czech Republic and Australia
Britain has sequenced two circumstances of the Omicron variant in Nottingham and Chelmsford, Sajid Javid mentioned at this time
NOTTINGHAM: One case of Omicron has been present in Nottingham, the place infections have been creeping up steadily in current weeks consistent with the nationwide image
BRENTWOOD: The opposite case was present in Brentwood, Essex, which has seen a broadly related pattern, recording 67 new circumstances on Wednesday
South Africa recorded 2,828 new Covid circumstances yesterday, greater than double the 1,374 recorded final Thursday, however an infection ranges have but to skyrocket and no hospitalisations with the brand new variant have occurred up to now. Graph exhibits: The seven-day common for circumstances within the nation
All flights from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Namibia had been banned by Mr Javid yesterday
In an announcement this afternoon, Mr Javid mentioned: ‘Right this moment I can announce one factor that we’re doing instantly is finishing up focused testing and sequencing of optimistic circumstances within the two areas which might be affected.
‘We all know there’s this new variant on the market. We don’t know sufficient about it but however from what we do know, the protections that we now have – particularly the vaccines – are vastly vital.
‘We’ll do no matter is critical to guard the progress we now have made as a rustic.
‘We’ve come a great distance because the summer season and we maintain all of this below overview and if we have to take additional motion, we’ll.’
Mr Javid mentioned anybody who has travelled within the final 10 days to the ten international locations now on the purple checklist, they need to self-isolate and take PCR assessments.
England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty mentioned: ‘We’ll proceed to work carefully with the worldwide neighborhood to shortly collect and analyse data on this variant to know any attainable improve in transmissibility or resistance to vaccines.’
It comes as Mr Johnson prepares to implement recent journey bans on a bunch of nations, after Britain halted flights to South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini and Zimbabwe yesterday.
Consultants warned Britain may face restrictions being reintroduced within the nation this Christmas however the Prime Minister hopes journey bans may forestall the necessity for an additional lockdown.
Prof Whitty beforehand mentioned he fears Britons is not going to settle for one other nationwide lockdown to struggle off the variant over the winter due to ‘behavioural fatigue’ brought on by two years of restrictions.
South Africa recorded 2,828 new Covid circumstances yesterday, greater than double the 1,374 recorded final Thursday, however an infection ranges have but to skyrocket within the nation and no hospitalisations with the brand new variant have occurred up to now.
And Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, one of many Oxford scientists behind the AstraZeneca vaccine, at this time expressed cautious optimism that present vaccines might be efficient at stopping critical illness from the variant.
The US has joined the rising checklist of nations to shut their borders, with Joe Biden saying the pandemic is not going to finish till world vaccinations are in place. New York governor Kathy Hochul yesterday declared a state of emergency as Covid transmission reached charges not seen since April 2020
Officers in Germany at this time confirmed the primary suspected case of Omicron within the nation got here from somebody getting back from South Africa.
‘The Omicron variant has with sturdy probability already arrived in Germany,’ Kai Klose, social affairs minister within the western state of Hesse, tweeted, referring to the pressure first detected in southern Africa.
Klose mentioned that assessments late Friday on the traveller who had returned to Germany from South Africa revealed ‘a number of mutations typical of Omicron’.
‘As there may be this sturdy suspicion, the particular person has been remoted at residence. The complete sequencing continues to be to be accomplished.’
Klose’s ministry mentioned that the particular person had arrived in Germany, the EU’s most populous nation, at Frankfurt worldwide airport, the nation’s busiest.
In the meantime, Sir Andrew at this time moved to calm fears in Britain, claiming many of the pressure’s mutations are in related areas seen in different variants up to now.
Passengers from KLM flight KL598 from Cape City, South Africa wait to be screened at Amsterdam Airport, the Netherlands, yesterday
Purple Cross well being staff transport passengers contaminated with coronavirus getting back from South Africa for a quarantine in a resort in Schiphol, the Netherlands, at this time
A girl from the KLM flight KL598 from Cape City, South Africa, queues for her Covid check at Amsterdam Airport final night time
Pictured: Passengers wait on their Covid check outcomes at Schiphol Airport, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands final night time
Passengers sit of their seats aboard KLM Flight 598 on the tarmac at Schipol airport in Amsterdam after it landed from Cape City, South Africa, yesterday
Passengers from KLM flight KL598 from Cape City, South Africa, wait to be screened at Amsterdam Airport yesterday
This chart exhibits the proportion of circumstances that had been the B.1.1.529 variant (blue) and Indian ‘Delta’ variant (purple) over time in Guateng province in South Africa, the place the virus is most prevalent. It means that the mutant pressure may outcompete Delta within the province inside weeks
He instructed BBC Radio 4’s Right this moment programme: ‘That tells you that regardless of these mutations present in different variants the vaccines have continued to stop critical illness as we’ve moved via Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta.
‘At the very least from a speculative perspective we now have some optimism that the vaccine ought to nonetheless work towards a brand new variant for critical illness however actually we have to wait a number of weeks to have that confirmed.
‘It’s extraordinarily unlikely {that a} reboot of a pandemic in a vaccinated inhabitants like we noticed final 12 months goes to occur.’
Prof Pollard mentioned a brand new vaccine to fight Omicron may start ‘very quickly’ if required.
‘The processes of how one goes about creating a brand new vaccine are more and more well-oiled, so if it’s wanted that’s one thing that might be moved very quickly.’
South African consultants yesterday additionally tried to calm the wave of panic over the variant, describing it as a ‘storm in a tea cup’.
In the meantime, British vaccine job drive member Sir John Edmunds mentioned journey bans is not going to maintain the brand new variant away from British shores however may delay a possible surge in circumstances past the festive interval to guard the NHS from additional stress.
Consultants nonetheless have insisted there may be ‘no believable situation’ by which Omicron will take the UK again to ‘sq. one’, and known as for ‘calm heads’ regardless of the halting of flights from southern Africa.
Mr Javid instructed MPs that, whereas there was ‘big worldwide concern’, vaccines had put Britain in a robust place.
Scientists mentioned present jabs might be tweaked to deal with the variant. And a World Well being Organisation consultant mentioned that resorting to ‘Plan B’ measures so shortly, equivalent to working from residence or vaccine passports, can be an over-reaction.
However information of the variant noticed the FTSE 100 – the UK’s main share index – undergo its sharpest drop since January, closing down at 3.7 per cent, spelling alarm for journey firms banking on winter bookings.
A senior aviation supply instructed the Occasions there have been ‘critical jitters’ in all corners of the trade, including: ‘There’s now a large query mark over Christmas. It’s clear the purple checklist will broaden and that may have a large knock on.’
Authorities sources mentioned ministers ‘wish to limit journey to keep away from restrictions at residence in any respect prices’, even when it means risking a critical blow to the journey trade.
Initially often known as the ‘Botswana’ variant, the pressure was final night time named ‘Omicron’ by the WHO and formally designated a ‘variant of concern’.
Its discovery earlier this week was so important as a result of it has round 30 mutations, together with some linked to an elevated danger of transmission. One knowledgeable described it because the ‘worst’ variant up to now.
In a rush to restrict the unfold, the EU suspended all flights to southern Africa after the primary case was confirmed in Europe. Britain had already put six nations on the journey ‘purple checklist’ – and was poised so as to add two extra final night time.
A authorities adviser urged that the general public needs to be ‘prepared for the chance’ of a return to Covid restrictions. However a senior authorities supply instructed the Mail: ‘Individuals mustn’t panic.’
Omicron is ‘NOT a catastrophe’, says SAGE knowledgeable who accuses different scientists of ‘vastly overstating the state of affairs’ as a result of vaccines will shield towards extreme illness
The brand new Covid variant is ‘not a catastrophe’ and a few folks could also be ‘vastly overstating the state of affairs’, in response to a Sage adviser.
Final night time the World Well being Organisation branded the so-called ‘Omicron’ mutation a ‘variant of concern’ as international locations together with Britain and the US moved to close their borders to 6 international locations from southern Africa, the realm of suspected origin.
The variant’s sudden look this week sparked panic in Whitehall circles, with Downing Road’s scientists warning that it might be vaccine-resistant and Well being Secretary Sajid Javid threatening to reimpose lockdown if essential.
In a rush to restrict the unfold, the EU suspended all flights to southern Africa after the primary case was confirmed in Europe. Britain had already put six nations on the journey ‘purple checklist’ – and was poised so as to add two extra final night time.
However microbiologist Professor Calum Semple at this time urged calm, insisting that vaccines are ‘nonetheless prone to shield you from extreme illness’.
The Sage adviser instructed BBC Breakfast that he supported new journey restrictions on South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini and Zimbabwe, however added: ‘This isn’t a catastrophe, and the headlines from a few of my colleagues saying ‘that is horrendous’ I feel are vastly overstating the state of affairs.
‘Immunity from the vaccination continues to be prone to shield you from extreme illness.
‘You would possibly get a snuffle or a headache or a dirty chilly however your probability of coming into hospital or intensive care or sadly dying are significantly diminished by the vaccine and nonetheless will likely be going into the long run.’
Professor Semple mentioned that whereas it might not be attainable to cease the variant coming to the UK, it’s nonetheless vital to delay its arrival.
‘For those who can gradual the virus coming into your nation it provides you extra time to your booster marketing campaign to get forward of it,’ he went on. ‘It additionally provides the scientists longer to know extra concerning the virus in case there may be something we actually needs to be worrying about.’
Requested what different measures he thought had been advisable, Prof Semple mentioned he was in favour of obligatory facemasks in retailers and on public transport, and handwashing.
Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, mentioned ‘this can be very unlikely {that a} reboot of a pandemic in a vaccinated inhabitants like we noticed final 12 months goes to occur’. Chatting with Radio 4’s Right this moment programme, he additionally insisted that vaccines might be efficient at stopping critical illness from the Omicron variant.
‘That tells you that regardless of these mutations present in different variants, the vaccines have continued to stop critical illness as we’ve moved via Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta,’ he instructed the programme.
‘At the very least from a speculative perspective, we now have some optimism that the vaccine ought to nonetheless work towards a brand new variant for critical illness however actually we have to wait a number of weeks to have that confirmed. It’s extraordinarily unlikely {that a} reboot of a pandemic in a vaccinated inhabitants like we noticed final 12 months goes to occur.’
This week, Mr Javid instructed MPs within the Commons that the Authorities ‘received’t hesitate to behave’ if additional restrictions are essential.
‘One of many classes of this pandemic has been that we should transfer shortly, and on the earliest attainable second,’ the Well being Secretary mentioned. ‘We’re heading into winter and our booster programme continues to be ongoing, so we should act with warning.’
Pressed on whether or not the Authorities may implement its Plan B for winter, Mr Javid mentioned the present guidelines ‘stay the insurance policies that I feel we’d like right now’.
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