London’s R rate falls to between 0.6 and 0.9 January 29, 2021 London’s R rate has dropped to a best estimate of 0.6 to 0.9 — the lowest in the country — suggesting infections are heading for a significant decline over the next few weeks. The figure means infections may be falling anywhere between two and seven per cent each day. It also plunge London’s rate of [...]
Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid vaccine 66 per cent effective January 29, 2021 The Covid vaccine being developed by Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, is 66 per cent effective at preventing moderate and severe coronavirus, data published from phase three trials has shown. The jab produced by world’s largest healthcare company is the first single-dose Covid vaccine so far. Britain has pre-ordered 30m doses of the [...]
Government pulls Covid advert after ‘1950s sexism’ complaints January 29, 2021 The government has pulled a coronavirus public health ad urging Brits to stay at home following complaints that it portrayed “1950s sexism”. The advert showed four households — three with women doing housework and looking after children and one with a man reclining on a sofa. The poster was lambasted online over its sexist depiction [...]
Government set to write off estimated £31bn of pandemic loans January 29, 2021 An estimate of £31bn of government loans handed out during the pandemic will have to be written off, according to the UK’s spending watchdog. In its latest Covid-19 Cost Tracker, the National Audit Office (NAO) forecast that the total cost of the pandemic for Britain will balloon to £271bn, of which £116bn has been spent [...]
EU says AstraZeneca contract contains ‘binding orders’ as vaccine row intensifies January 29, 2021 The European Union’s contract with AstraZeneca for its Covid-19 vaccine contains binding orders, the EU Commission head said on Friday. Ursula von der Leyen has demanded a plausible explanation from the UK-based vaccine maker for delivery hold-ups, describing the contract as “crystal clear”. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot defended the drug maker earlier this week, claiming [...]
Novavax Covid-19 vaccine shows 89 per cent efficacy in UK trials January 29, 2021 The Novavax Covid-19 vaccine has shown an 89.3 per cent efficacy in phase three of a clinical trial conducted in the UK. The UK has ordered 60m doses of the vaccine, which will have to be approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency before being distributed to the public. So far, more than [...]
‘Antibody cocktail’ could cut risk of death from Covid by 70 per cent January 28, 2021 The UK’s medicines regulatory body is reviewing a new “antibody cocktail” that could reduce the risk of death from people most at-risk from coronavirus by 70 per cent. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is carrying out advanced tests of bamlanivimab and etesevimab after trials showed “very encouraging” results. If approved they could [...]
Junk food ad ban could harm Covid recovery, warns hospitality chief January 28, 2021 Plans to roll out a total ban on junk food advertising could hamper the hospitality industry’s recovery from the pandemic, a top industry boss has warned. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, described the government’s decision to press on with consultations during lockdown as “tin-eared” and warned any new laws would deal a fresh [...]
Tory MP slammed after telling anti-vaxxers NHS figures are ‘manipulated’ January 28, 2021 A Conservative MP has faced condemnation from government ministers after he told an anti-vaccination campaign group that NHS statistics are being “manipulated” and that we are living in a “police state”. Sir Desmond Swayne told Save Our Rights UK, which organised the anti-lockdown rally in Trafalgar Square last September, to continue their fight against lockdown [...]
SNP MP admits to travelling 170 miles out of constituency, twice January 28, 2021 An SNP MP has been caught travelling 340 miles during two trips from his second home to his constituency, just days after writing against privileged Covid rule ‘flounters’. East Lothian MP Kenny MacAskill confirmed he has been staying at his second home in Banffshire, 170 miles away from his constituency. With a house in Banffshire [...]