Ben Wallace says Covid screening on travelers from China is ‘under review’
US president Joe Biden raised concerns about China’s handling of its Covid-19 outbreak after the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the Asian nation was under-reporting deaths from the disease.
“They’re very sensitive when we suggest they haven’t been that forthcoming,” Mr Biden told reporters while on a visit to Kentucky.
More than a dozen countries, including the US and the UK, have imposed restrictions on travellers from China amid a monumental rise in Covid cases.
Meanwhile, experts are warning that the UK is not prepared for another Covid wave, as the spread of “highly infectious” subvariant XBB.1.5 continues in the country.
University of Warwick virologist Professor Lawrence Young told The Independent that the UK is not at all prepared for another wave if the highly transmissible sub variant continues to spread rapidly.
People have been urged to wear masks and remain at home if feeling unwell as the new XBB.1.5 variant has led to concerns about the rise in disease cases.
The XBB.1.5 variant is thought to constitute at least 4 per cent of Covid virus variants being sequenced.
France says Covid situation in China ‘worrying’
China’s Covid-19 outbreak is “worrying”, said French health minister Francois Braun, adding that the pressure on France’s hospitals regarding the virus was easing.
“We’re declining considerably, including with regard to people in hospital, but what’s going on in China is worrying”, Mr Braun told France 2 television.
Matt Mathers5 January 2023 09:15
Sweden to require negative tests from travellers entering country from China
People entering Sweden from China must provide a negative Covid test, it has been announced.
Sweden’s health minister made the announcement on Thursday morning amid a rise in cases in China.
More details to follow shortly.
Matt Mathers5 January 2023 08:40
Germany concerned over new Covid variant
Germany’s federal health minister has expressed concern over the new Covid-19 subvariant linked to the growing number of cases in the US.
The highly contagious Omicron XBB.1.5 variant now makes up more than 40 per cent of cases in the US, according to CDC figures.
“Hopefully we get through the winter before such a variant can spread among us,” health minister Karl Lauterbach said in a tweet.
“We are monitoring whether, and to what extent, XBB.1.5 occurs in Germany.”
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 January 2023 08:10
China reports one Covid death
Mainland China on Thursday reported one new Covid-19 death, compared to five deaths a day earlier, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said.
The official death toll now stands at 5,259.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 January 2023 07:40
Hong Kong residents rush to get vaccinated
Residents in Hong Kong have swarmed clinics to get vaccinated against Covid ahead of the expected reopening of the city’s border with mainland China.
City government centres providing shots produced by BioNTech have in recent days been mostly booked out, with some bookings going up to February. This is in contrast to a few weeks ago when anyone seeking a vaccine could stroll into a nearly empty facility.
“After the opening of the border, I expect there will be more infected people on the streets, I want to reduce my chance of getting infected,” a Hong Kong resident surnamed Wan, 33, who got his fourth shot this week, told Reuters.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 January 2023 07:10
NHS fury as patient turns up to A&E complaining of ear wax
A man turned up to an accident and emergency department in the Midlands complaining about ear wax on the day a hospital declared a critical incident, a nurse who works there has said.
Lesley Meaney, a sister at University Hospitals of North Midlands (UNHM), said the patient presented to A&E with “no pain, no discomfort, just eat war wax!”
Earlier on 30 December officials at the trust declared a critical incident, citing “extremely high demand for all of our services.”
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 January 2023 06:40
Meet the parents who carried on homeschooling after Covid
When Connor Buss stopped going into school during the Covid pandemic, his father noticed a change.
James Buss’ 13-year-old son struggles with focus and would often get distracted in class. Learning at home, as most pupils did as the virus spread, offered a way around this.
“His marks improved. He didn’t have any distractions around him,” the 39-year-old, from Cambridgeshire, tells The Independent.
Eleanor Sly5 January 2023 06:10
People urged to wear masks and stay at home if unwell
People have been urged to wear face coverings and remain at home if feeling unwell, as an already crisis-stricken NHS faces down multiple waves of winter illnesses.
With children returning to school at a time when high levels of flu, Covid-19 and scarlet fever are all being reported, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued fresh guidance in a bid to minimise the diseases’ spread.
Parents have been urged to keep children at home if they are unwell and have a fever, with adults told to only go out if necessary and wear face coverings if they are ill and avoid visiting vulnerable people.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 January 2023 05:40
What are the Covid rules currently in force in the UK?
A new Covid-19 subvariant, XBB.1.5, has revived concern about the spread of the virus in the UK this January.
A relative of Omicron, XBB.1.5 was first detected in the state of New York in October 2022 and already accounts for more than 40 per cent of American cases.
The variant has since been detected in the UK and is thought to constitute at least 4 per cent of Covid viruses being sequenced.
Eleanor Sly5 January 2023 05:10
WHO says China under-reporting Covid data
Mike Ryan, the World Health Organisation’s emergencies director, told a media briefing yesterday that current numbers being published from China under-represent hospital admissions, intensive care unit patients and deaths.
Earlier WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he understood why many countries have imposed testing restrictions on passengers coming from China given the lack of information from the Chinese government about the outbreak.“
WHO is concerned about the risk to life in China and has reiterated the importance of vaccination, including booster doses to protect against hospitalisation, severe disease and death,” he said.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar5 January 2023 04:40
Kaynak: briturkish.com
