Coronavirus news live: Boris Johnson cancels India trip amid concern over Covid variant

The Prime Minister has cancelled his trip to India as issues in regards to the new Covid-19 variant develop.

The news follows a week-long lockdown introduced in New Delhi as India’s hospitals have “reached their restrict.”

In a joint assertion, the 2 governments mentioned: “In the sunshine of the present coronavirus scenario, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be unable to journey to India subsequent week.

“Instead, Prime Ministers Modi and Johnson will converse later this month to agree and launch their formidable plans for the longer term partnership between the UK and India. They will stay in common contact past this, and look ahead to assembly in particular person later this yr.”

The variant of Covid-19 that first emerged in India and was detected within the UK final week is predicted to change into a “variant of concern”, scientists say amid requires a journey ban on arrivals from the nation.

Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College London, advised Good Morning Britain on Monday that escalating the Indian variant of the virus to a “variant of concern” would result in India being positioned on the federal government’s “purple checklist” of resort quarantine international locations.

India reported 273,810 new infections on Monday, its highest each day rise for the reason that begin of the pandemic. Deaths rose a document 1,619 to 178,769.

Behind the headline evaluate on the week in well being

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EU to buy 100 million extra BioNTech/Pfizer doses

The European Union will buy an additional 100 million doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, the businesses mentioned.

This will deliver the full variety of doses delivered to the EU in 2021 as much as 600 million.

This will enhance the EU’s slow-off-the-ground vaccination programme which has to date seen 105 million doses given to the EU’s inhabitants of 405 million.

Sean Marett, the chief enterprise officer of BioNTech, mentioned deliveries of the corporate’s mRNA-based vaccine this yr will cowl two-thirds of the EU inhabitants.

ella glover19 April 2021 10:34

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Boris Johnson cancels India trip as Covid circumstances soar

Boris Johnson has shelved a go to to India because of the coronavirus scenario within the nation, Downing Street has introduced.

In a joint assertion, the 2 governments mentioned: “In the sunshine of the present coronavirus scenario, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be unable to journey to India subsequent week.

“Instead, Prime Ministers Modi and Johnson will converse later this month to agree and launch their formidable plans for the longer term partnership between the UK and India. They will stay in common contact past this, and look ahead to assembly in particular person later this yr.”

Our Policy Correspondent Jon Stone broke the news:

ella glover19 April 2021 10:11

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Passengers allowed additional six months to make use of rail journey vouchers

The Department for Transport (DfT) has introduced that passengers holding rail journey vouchers will get an additional six months to make use of them.

Vouchers which have expired since 20 October 2020 or are as a consequence of run out by 30 June 2021 will get an extra six months after their authentic expiry date to redeem them.

The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, mentioned: “This extension ensures that passengers with journey vouchers will not be penalised for following authorities recommendation.

“By providing folks extra time to redeem their vouchers, we’re guaranteeing that passengers is not going to be overlooked of pocket as they arrive again to the railways.”

But the federal government has refused to supply railcard customers any extension in validity, despite the fact that leisure journey was banned for greater than half the time in the course of the yr from the beginning of the primary lockdown.

ella glover19 April 2021 10:02

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Australia-New Zealand ‘journey bubble’ opens

Australian vacationers head to New Zealand, the one nation open to them, because the world’s first main “journey bubble” opens.

In the “secure journey zone” established by the 2 international locations, no assessments or quarantine durations are required.

With round 40 flights on the primary day, greater than 6,000 individuals are anticipated to make the most of the newly opened borders, which started letting Australian travellers into the nation from at the moment.

ella glover19 April 2021 09:59

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New Delhi to enter week-long lockdown as well being service crumbles

New Delhi will enter a week-long lockdown because the third wave of coronavirus has pushed the nation’s healthcare service to its restrict.

India’s hospitals are fighting a scarcity of beds, oxygen and key medicines as infections move the 15 million mark, second solely to the United States.

In a news convention, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal mentioned: “I don’t say that the system has collapsed, nevertheless it has reached its limits,” Kejriwal mentioned, including that harsh measures have been essential to “forestall a collapse of the well being system.”

India reported 273,810 new infections on Monday, its highest each day rise for the reason that begin of the pandemic. Deaths rose a document 1,619 to 178,769.

ella glover19 April 2021 09:40

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India variant ‘most likely not on the prime tier’ of regarding variants, Covid-10 Genomics Initiative director mentioned

The Director of the Covid-19 Genomics Initiative on the Wellcome Sanger Institute has mentioned the India variant is “most likely not on the prime tier of mutations that generate probably the most concern,” though it ought to be “watched rigorously”.

He advised BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “This variant has a few mutations which can be amongst people who we predict are vital that ought to be watched rigorously, however they’re truly most likely not on the very form of prime tier of mutations, for instance within the B117 – or Kent variant – or the South African variant, that generate probably the most concern.

“And by way of unfold, clearly this variant has elevated in frequency in India across the similar time as their very massive and tragic current wave,

“But I simply don’t assume we all know but whether or not there’s a trigger and impact relationship – is that this variant driving that unfold? Or is it taking place on the similar time maybe as a consequence of a coincidence?”

He added: “And one factor to notice is that there have been some sequences of this variant B1.617 seen late final yr. And so in some sense, if it truly is driving this wave, the fuse has been burning for fairly a very long time, which might make it look, most likely much less transmissible than B117.”

ella glover19 April 2021 09:28

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Sage advisor says to ‘err on the aspect of warning’ when contemplating placing India on journey ‘purple checklist’

Andrew Hayward, professor of infectious illness epidemiology at University College London – who can also be a member of Sage and the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) – mentioned Britain ought to “err on the aspect of warning” when deciding whether or not or to not place India on the “purple checklist” for journey.

He advised BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “The proof of elevated transmissibility and escape from immunity is circumstantial.

“That mentioned, it’s going to take quite a few weeks at the least earlier than that proof will get firmed up and we discover out extra.

“Certainly some international locations and areas have taken the view that that’s sufficient for them to be fairly involved – so for instance, Hong Kong has placed on a two-week journey ban, which is able to permit them to search out out a bit bit extra.” He mentioned it was about weighing up the harms and advantages of placing India on the journey ban checklist.

He mentioned: “…The problem with that’s that the extent of hurt is sort of excessive as a result of we’re extremely linked with India – there’s loads of financial interplay in addition to household and social interplay.

“And then again, what we’ve got is an unknown stage of threat – my very own desire in all of that is to err on the aspect of warning and to behave sooner somewhat than later. But in the end, that’s going to be a political determination.”

Ella Glover19 April 2021 09:17

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Canada’s Ontario to broaden use of AstraZeneca COVID vaccine as epidemic rages

Ontario, Canada’s hottest province, will begin providing the AstraZeneca vaccine to these aged 40 and older amid a 3rd wave of the virus, an unique report by Reuters mentioned.

The vaccine was beforehand solely being provided to over-55s after a evaluate by Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunisation (NACI) really helpful the jab not be utilized in folks beneath the age of 55 as a consequence of blood clot issues.

NACI’s advice will not be binding and Health Canada, the nation’s drug regulator, has mentioned it is not going to limit the usage of the AstraZeneca vaccine as a result of the advantages outweigh potential dangers.

The change is about to be introduced at the moment and enforced on Tuesday, Reuters mentioned.

Ella Glover19 April 2021 08:55

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Boris Johnson beneath growing strain to cancel India commerce trip amid Covid surge

Boris Johnson is beneath growing strain to cancel his deliberate commerce trip to India later this month as circumstances of Covid-19 within the nation soar.

Opposition events have lined as much as urge the prime minister to place off the trip, as calls mount for India to be positioned on the federal government’s journey “purple checklist”.

Our Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin and my colleague Joanna Taylor report:

Kate Ng19 April 2021 07:55

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Indian Covid variant anticipated to be designated ‘variant of concern’, says skilled

Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College London, mentioned he expects that the Indian variant of the virus which causes Covid-19 will change into a “variant of concern”, which might result in India being positioned on the federal government’s “purple checklist” of resort quarantine international locations.

He advised Good Morning Britain: “I’m involved about all of the variants.

“I feel our street map goes properly and in the mean time, on this nation, we’re doing somewhat properly, having fun with unlocking – however on the market there may be the Indian variant, the South African, Brazilian and so forth, they usually do pose a menace.”

He mentioned that some folks within the inhabitants are nonetheless weak who can “nonetheless be caught out by variants like this”.

Prof Altmann added: “At the second, this specific variant (from India) is named a variant beneath investigation, not a variant of concern as a result of it hasn’t been escalated to that stage but.

“My assumption from all the pieces I’ve seen is that it’ll change into a variant of concern.

“When it turns into a variant of concern, I’d be fairly shocked if India wasn’t on the purple checklist.”

Kate Ng19 April 2021 07:52

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