Covid-19: PM says infection rates still 'alarmingly high', and clap for Captain Sir Tom
- Published
Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday evening. We'll have another update for you in the morning.
1. Infections rates remain 'alarmingly high'
Prime Minister Boris Johnson says coronavirus infection rates remain "alarmingly high" in the UK, although there are "some signs of hope", with the number of Covid patients in hospital beginning to fall. Latest figures show some 32,000 Covid patients are currently in hospital and there have been another 19,202 cases in the past 24 hour-period - although the figure is below 20,000 for a third successive day. Speaking at a Downing Street briefing, Mr Johnson also said the UK has passed the "milestone" of vaccinating more than 10 million people thanks to the "colossal" effort of everyone involved in the vaccination programme.
2. Nation claps for Captain Sir Tom
People across the country have joined in a national clap in memory of Captain Sir Tom Moore. The 100-year-old, who raised almost £33m for NHS charities by walking laps of his garden, died with coronavirus on Tuesday. Boris Johnson, who led the tribute, said it was "for the spirit of optimism that he stood for" but also "all those he campaigned for". Capt Sir Tom's family said they were "incredibly touched". Take a look back at his life in the video below.
3. A jab to tackle mutations 'can be made quickly'
The team behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has said that new jabs to tackle coronavirus variants should be ready by the autumn. Prof Andy Pollard, from Oxford University, said tweaking a vaccine was a relatively quick process and would only need small trials before being rolled out. There is still strong evidence existing vaccines work well against the mutations that have emerged, although their overall effectiveness may be weakened a little. Here we take a closer look at the South African variant - and the risk it poses.
4. Tennis players have to isolate after hotel worker tests positive
Days before the Australian Open is due to start, a number of tennis players have been told to isolate after a worker at their hotel in Melbourne tested positive for Covid-19. In all, more than 500 people - including officials and support staff - are affected. Meanwhile, officials running this summer's Tokyo Olympics have set out how they to plan to keep the games safe during the pandemic. The proposals include testing athletes every four days, while people watching won't be allowed to cheer or shout - only clap.
5. Nurse who lived through Spanish flu has Covid jab
A former nurse who lived through the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic has received her Covid-19 vaccine. Hilda Richards - now 103 - said that she "felt good" after having the jab. The great-grandmother, one of very few people to have lived through both pandemics, cared for soldiers injured in the Battle of Dunkirk and has lived for the past year at a care home in Wrexham.
And don't forget...
You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.
Vaccine development is continuing at pace around the world, here we take a closer look at those being developed by China - the first country in the world to give some of its population a Covid jab.
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