Covid news live: Latest updates as the World Health Organization warns of Christmas gatherings

A compelling parliamentary report on the UK’s handling of the Coronavirus found that the “blatant absence of leadership” left the country unprepared for the pandemic, Political Editor Andrew Woodcock Reports.

The Joint Committee on National Security Strategy report said Covid-19 revealed “profound shortcomings” in the government’s efforts to protect the UK from biosecurity risks.

Sarah Gilbert, a professor of vaccination at the University of Oxford, told BBC Radio 4 Today Program She had sleepless nights while trying to develop a coronavirus vaccine.

“I had no doubts about what we were doing. The doubts I had in the early parts of the year were about our ability as a university to actually do this,” she said.

“Because that’s not what the university usually does. And I think it all worked because we had a lot of people inside the university who really wanted this to work and were willing to work together and put together a great team.

“At the start of the year, I spent sleepless nights wondering what we hadn’t thought about – what problem was going to get us stuck, because no one realized that we needed to do it, but, in reality, this never happened. Someone was always thinking. in everything “.

Nurses and health care workers, especially those who have been on the front lines for more than three months during the coronavirus pandemic, share cheerful photos of themselves receiving a vaccine with the hashtag #covidvaccine. Mayank Aggarwal Reports.

Professor John Edmonds, a member of Sage’s science advisory committee, said measures are likely to be tightened after Christmas.

He told Sky News: “At the moment, it doesn’t seem like the level system is stopping the wave of the pandemic again, unfortunately. So I think we’ll have to look at these measures and maybe tighten them up, we will really do that. It’s horrible to say but we’re in a very difficult situation. “.

But Professor Edmunds, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, noted that while easing restrictions at Christmas “may not be good for the epidemic”, “it may be good for people’s well-being in other ways.”

He said he will not mix with his elderly relatives during the holiday season, and is choosing to wait until they are vaccinated.

He said, “I personally don’t see my older relatives at Christmas. I’ll go and see them once they get vaccinated. And I think a lot of people would probably do something similar and I think it’s true, the sensible thing to do.”

“But I think we are leaving people to make that decision themselves. To some extent I can understand that. As long as people understand the risks and know what’s going on, I think that making those decisions is up to them.”

“We’re not ruling anything out,” said Schools Secretary Nick Gibb when asked about a possible closure of my homeland after Christmas.

He was asked if the government would prepare the rest of the country for lockdown, following announcements in Northern Ireland and Wales.

He told the BBC breakfast: “We (in England) have a very local approach because we have data from the comprehensive test. 46 million tests have been released through this test and trace system since the beginning.

“This means that we can identify places with high infection rates, especially in local areas, and then we can apply these restrictions on a region-by-region basis through the tier system, and when infection rates rise, we will increase the level from level two to level three. When they fall, we’ll shrink it like we did in Bristol, North Somerset and Herefordshire. “

When asked whether there will be no national lockdown, he added: “We think the class system is a very effective method, of course, (but) as you know, we are not ruling anything out. This government is totally determined to tackle this virus.”

And repeat the caution warning about Christmas.

That’s why we all have to be very careful during the Christmas period, ”he said.

“To spend a short period of Christmas, to keep a few people joining you at Christmas, to make sure that we keep this deadly virus under control.”

There are now more patients in hospitals with the Coronavirus in England than during the height of the second wave in November, less than a week before the government lifted restrictions on Christmas. Health Correspondent Shawn Lintern Reports.

According to the latest data for hospitals in England, which was shared with The Independent, there were 15,698 hospital patients with Covid-19 Thursday morning. The peak of November, during the second national lockdown, saw 14,467 patients hospitalized.

London hospitals are already having to cancel operations and redeploy staff after the number of Covid patients in critical care jumped 8.6 per cent in one day.

Ms Donna Kinnear, CEO and Secretary General of the Royal College of Nursing, has warned that easing coronavirus restrictions over Christmas could lead to a “relentless tsunami” of cases.

“After a difficult year, it is everyone’s instinct to be together and see their loved ones – especially those who live far away or feel isolated. But what is at stake has become a sharp focus,” she said.

“The travel and family visits associated with this time of year will undoubtedly lead to more cases, more pressure on the National Health Care Services, and more deaths. By turning the second and third waves into a relentless tsunami, we will start 2021 at the worst possible time. The Road. “

She said the nurses would not enjoy Christmas “knowing what awaits them in January” and called on the government to be “more clear about the risks – not just the rules,” warning: “This virus does not take Christmas and we should not.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned people to stay home over Christmas because it is “not worth the risk” of catching Covid-19.

“There is still a difference between what your powers allow you to do and what you must do,” said FAO Regional Director for Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge.

“We have yet another few months of sacrifice and can now act in a way that we are collectively proud of. When we look back at these unprecedented times, I hope we all feel that we acted in the spirit of common humanity to protect those in need,” he said in a statement.

Dr Kluge said the “devastation” the pandemic wreaked on societies across Europe.

“Covid-19 has forced families and communities to separate, companies have bankrupted, and people have been deprived of opportunities that were taken for granted a year ago,” he said.

“ From concerns about virus transmission, the psychological impact of lockdowns and self-isolation, to the effects of unemployment, financial concerns and social exclusion – the impact of the pandemic on mental health will be long-term and long-term.

“What has resulted is a growing mental health crisis in Europe.”