13th Jan 2021 https://nfind.uk/lockdown_exit/index.php/newsletter=176 lockdown_exit

Lockdown Exit

Reuters The upheaval in global labour markets triggered by the coronavirus pandemic will transform the working lives of millions of employees for good policymakers and business leaders told a Reuters virtual forum on Tuesday. Nearly a year after governments first imposed lockdowns to contain the virus there is a growing consensus that more staff will in future be hired remotely work from home and have an entirely different set of expectations of their managers. Yet such changes are also likely to be the preserve of whitecollar workers with new labour market entrants and the less welleducated set to face postCOVID19 economies where most jobs growth is in lowwage sectors. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-futureofwork/for-many-covid-19-has-changed-the-world-of-work-for-good-idUSKBN29H0XX 12th Jan 2021

Lockdown Exit

The Australian Retailers have removed product limits for popular grocery items in Brisbane after the end of its threeday lockdown. Shoppers descended on stores in large numbers on Friday after the Queensland government confirmed five local government areas would shut down for 72 hours to stop the spread of the UK strain of COVID19. Punches were thrown and supermarkets stripped bare as residents defied advice to raid shelves and stock up on supplies. It prompted major retailers like Coles and Woolworths to reintroduce product limits on multiple items https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/retailers-remove-product-limits-on-groceries-after-brisbane-lockdown-ends/news-story/59febfae05cc25d7be0eca4aaf8a8ea0 12th Jan 2021

Lockdown Exit

New Scientist Authorities in Australia have responded swiftly to contain potential outbreaks of the UK variant of SARSCoV2 the virus that causes covid19. On Thursday 7 January a cleaner for a hotel quarantine facility in Brisbane tested positive for the more contagious B.1.1.7 variant first sequenced in the UK in September which has now reached at least 45 countries.The following morning with no further positive cases Queensland state Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced a short citywide circuitbreaker lockdown affecting some 2 million residents. The city where life has been normal for months hadnt locked down since the first wave in Australia in March. The lockdown began on Friday at 6pm Brisbane time and ended on Monday 11 January at the same time. It included a strict mask mandate for anyone leaving their homes including while driving and exercising. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2264588-australia-clamps-down-in-response-to-cases-of-uk-coronavirus-variant/ 12th Jan 2021

Lockdown Exit

Reuters New Zealand will ask international travelers from most countries to show negative COVID19 test results before boarding flights to the country as new contagious variants of COVID19 spread across globally. Given the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants its clear that most global air routes will be of critical concern for the foreseeable future COVID19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said in a statement. Hipkins said the predeparture test requirement would soon expand to all countries and territories excluding Australia Antarctica and some Pacific Island nations. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-newzealand/new-zealand-to-ask-international-travelers-to-show-negative-covid-19-results-idUSKBN29H077 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

MSN.com Pope Francis will receive his Covid19 vaccine this week days after his personal doctor died from complications with the virus. The pontiff said it was an ethical duty for everyone to get inoculated as Vatican City prepares for its rollout of the jabs. He told Italian news outlet TG5 Everyone should get the vaccine. Without a vaccine you are playing with health life but also with the health of others. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/pope-francis-will-receive-covid-19-jab-this-week/ar-BB1cGRCg 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

Indianapolis Star While thousands of seniors in Florida are bleary eyed and angry after spending weeks trying unsuccessfully to get an appointment for a coronavirus vaccine the former chairman and CEO of Time Warner told a national television audience on Friday that it was a breeze. Richard Parsons who is also a former chairman of Citigroup said he left his home of New York to travel to Florida specifically because the Sunshine State made it so easy. While there is no evidence that Parsons pulled any strings seniors who have experienced just how difficult it is to get an appointment said they worry that the business giants words will encourage others https://www.indystar.com/story/travel/news/2021/01/12/covid-vaccine-tourism-florida-discourages-outsiders-seeking-shot/6626445002/ 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

Daily Mail US will ship previously withheld second doses to states reversing its policy. Manufacturing has ramped up such that having too few doses to give booster shots to everyone who got a first shot is not a concern HHS Secretary said. Just 9.27 million Americans have received a first dose and 29 million doses have been distributed. Doses went first to health care workers many of whom refused the shots. Trump administration is now urging states to vaccinate anyone 65 or older Dr Anthony Fauci criticized original rollout plans for being too rigid delaying the vaccination process. Mass vaccination sites are now opening up across the nation including at Disneyland and Dodger Stadium in California and in New York https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-9138329/Trump-administration-release-2nd-covid-shot-doses-people-65-older.html 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

Financial Times Brussels is to probe EU governments compliance with its centralised buying of coronavirus vaccines as concerns grow that member states will seek to make their own deals to avoid possible supply shortages. The European Commission is to write to the blocs 27 countries to ask them to provide all the necessary transparency over any dealings with drug companies with which it has done deals or held talks. Tensions have grown over whether the commission has secured sufficient quantities of the vaccines made by BioNTechPfizer and Moderna the only two so far to have won approval from the EU medical regulator. Germany has already reportedly placed several bilateral orders including 30m doses with BioNTechPfizer and 20m doses with CureVac which like BioNTech is a German company. Cyprus has asked for extra jab supplies from its Mediterranean neighbour Israel which has the highest vaccination rate in the world. https://www.ft.com/content/1d358d9e-a89e-4f26-a4d9-ba04ea78008e 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

NBC News States should expand access to Covid19 vaccines to everyone 65 and older as well as any adult with an underlying health condition that might raise the risk for complications of Covid19 members of Operation Warp Speed recommended Tuesday. The guidelines are intended to prompt faster distribution of the vaccines by making more people immediately eligible for vaccination as well as expanding the potential locations where people can receive it. Of the more than 25 million doses of Covid19 vaccine that have been delivered nationwide just under 9 million shots had been put into Americans arms as of Tuesday https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-recommend-states-give-covid-vaccine-anyone-65-older-n1253887 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

Sky News In England the government will look very carefully at prioritising shop workers as well as teachers and police officers for COVID vaccines Health Secretary Matt Hancock has told MPs. The government and NHS are currently aiming to offer the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine to 15 million of the most vulnerable people by 15 February. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-government-to-look-at-prioritising-shop-workers-for-vaccine-says-matt-hancock-12185865 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

Financial Times The head of the EUs multibillioneuro coronavirus vaccineprocurement scheme has denied the wrong products have been bought and that the programme risks falling apart as member states seek to secure their own supplies. Sandra Gallina who is leading the European Commissions programme to order more than 2bn doses of seven inoculations said Brussels had built a portfolio that would yield sufficient quantities and timely delivery. Her defence in an appearance before MEPs on the European Parliaments environment and public health committee on Tuesday is a riposte to critics notably in Germany who say the bloc has not purchased sufficient quantities of the leading vaccines approved by the European medical regulator made by BioNTechPfizer and Moderna. https://www.ft.com/content/119cb18b-6b8a-4588-9d4a-b2cdce5aa8f6 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

BBC News Sir David Attenborough has become the latest wellknown name to receive the Covid19 vaccine his representative has confirmed. The news about the 94yearold natural historian comes a few days after it was revealed the Queen had been vaccinated. Its not known which vaccine Sir David has been given or exactly when he had it. The Perfect Planet host is one of several stars to receive the first of two doses of the vaccine. They include The Great British Bake Offs Prue Leith actor Sir Ian McKellen choreographer Lionel Blair actor Brian Blessed and actress Dame Joan Collins. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55630861 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

The BMJ The UK government has promised that every adult in the UK will be offered a covid19 vaccination by the autumn as it set out plans to rapidly scale up its mass vaccination programme. The UK covid19 vaccines delivery plan1 published on Monday 11 January to coincide with the opening of seven new regional vaccination centres said England will have capacity to vaccinate at least two million people per week by the end of January. This will be delivered across 206 hospital sites 50 vaccination centres and 1200 local vaccination sites run by primary and community care teams it says. The expansion of capacity means that everyone will live within 10 miles of a vaccination centre or in the case of a small number of highly rural areas have access to a mobile unit delivering vaccinations the plan says. https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n88 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

ABC News India has started shipping COVID19 vaccines to multiple cities four days ahead of a nationwide inoculation drive. The first consignment of vaccines developed by the Serum Institute of India left the city of Pune on Tuesday. The vaccines rolled out from Serum Institute of Indias facility in temperaturecontrolled trucks to the citys airport from where they were loaded into private air carriers for distribution all over the country. Civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri called the shipping of vaccines a momentous mission. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/asia-today-zealand-requiring-virus-test-visitors-75191742 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

AlJazeera Indian airlines have started delivering batches of COVID19 vaccines across the country getting ready for the launch of a campaign to offer shots to 1.3 billion people in what officials call the worlds biggest vaccination drive. The vaccines rolled out from the Serum Institute of Indias facility on Tuesday in temperaturecontrolled trucks to the citys airport from where they were loaded into private air carriers for distribution all over the country. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/12/india-delivers-covid-jabs-for-worlds-biggest-vaccination-drive 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

Reuters Malaysia Pharmaniaga Bhd has signed an agreement with Chinas Sinovac to purchase 14 million doses of readytofill COVID19 vaccines and later to manufacture the vaccine domestically it said on Tuesday. Pharmaniaga said in a bourse filing that the company will carry out a fillandfinish process of the vaccine in Malaysia and will subsequently enter into local manufacturing under license from Sinovac for its technology and knowhow. Group Managing Director Zulkarnain Md Eusope said the company has a monthly fillandfinish capacity of two million doses and that Sinovacs vaccine will be the first to be manufactured in Malaysia. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-malaysia-sinovac-idUSKBN29H0M5?taid=5ffd7db64156da0001be2160&amputm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amputm_medium=trueAnthem&amputm_source=twitter 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

CIDRAP Operation Warp Speed announced today a major pivot in the US COVID19 vaccine strategy one that will see the release of all current vaccines in the national stockpile and a new effort to vaccinate all those 65 and up as quickly as possible. The changes bring the total number of doses that have been made available for use in the United States to roughly 38 million. We are now at an important juncture in the vaccine program where were ready for a transition said Health and Human Services HHS Secretary Alex Azar during an Operation Warp Speed press conference today. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/01/us-covid-19-vaccine-strategy-pivots-target-those-65-and 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

STAT News As health authorities across the country struggle to get Covid19 vaccination programs up and running outgoing Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar threw a new wrench into the works on Tuesday telling states to expand priority access to tens of millions of additional people immediately. But it will be several months before there is enough vaccine available to meet that kind of demand. The move all but ensures the current narrative around the vaccine rollout its too slow will shift but not in a positive direction The incoming Biden administration will likely face a groundswell of complaints about long lines failed efforts to find vaccine supplies and an inequitable distribution system as it tries to live up to its promise of seeing 100 million vaccine doses administered in the new presidents first 100 days in office. https://www.statnews.com/2021/01/12/u-s-plan-to-expand-access-to-covid-19-vaccine-likely-sets-up-new-debacles/ 12th Jan 2021

Exit Strategies

STAT News After months of public health and political debates on vaccine prioritization for incarcerated populations Covid19 vaccination has begun in prisons and jails across the United States. Yet little is known about vaccination programs in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE detention centers. Some states have said they will vaccinate incarcerated populations in Phase 1b or 2 of the vaccines rollout either alongside correctional officers or after they have been vaccinated. The Federal Bureau of Prisons first planned to prioritize correctional officers in line with recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Preventions Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. But after pushback from public health experts highlighted the growing rates of Covid19 among inmates the Bureau of Prisons began vaccinating staff members and selected prisoners simultaneously. https://www.statnews.com/2021/01/12/ice-must-provide-covid-19-vaccines-to-all-detained-migrants/ 12th Jan 2021

Partisan Exits

Forbes Amid an ongoing effort by Google to counter the deluge of misinformation and conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic the tech giant said Tuesday it will devote up to 3 million to back factchecking initiatives to counter vaccine misinformation which it says has emerged as a particularly troubling phenomenon as global immunization efforts get underway. https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/01/12/google-launches-3-million-fund-to-tackle-covid-19-vaccine-misinformation/ 12th Jan 2021

Partisan Exits

Sky News A stubborn number of people are still refusing to follow the rules despite England entering a third coronavirus lockdown the chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council has said. Speaking at a Downing Street news conference Martin Hewitt said forces across the UK have issued almost 45000 fines for breaches of COVID19 rules. Appearing alongside him was Home Secretary Priti Patel who insisted the current restrictions were very simple and clear as well as being tough enough. https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-stubborn-number-of-people-still-refusing-to-follow-coronavirus-rules-12186015 12th Jan 2021

Partisan Exits

heraldscotland.com Chris Whitty the UK Governments chief medical brain spent hours on the morning media shift urging people to double down on complying with the Covid19 restrictions Boris Johnson told people to do the right thing and stick to the rules. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19005541.analysis-boriss-sunday-spin-away-no-10-undermines-uk-govts-tough-lockdown-message/?ref=rss 12th Jan 2021

Partisan Exits

POLITICO.eu The Paris prosecutors office opened a preliminary investigation for nighttime disturbance public insults and death threats after a December dinner party at French MEP Jrme Rivires Parisian apartment while the country was under strict lockdown. Rivire an MEP for Marine Le Pens National Rally RN invited a handful of guests to his apartment on December 13 according to French online outlet Mediapart which first reported on the story Monday. Neighbors complained to him about the loud music coming out of his apartment. Videos published by Mediapart show the situation took a worse turn after a police patrol checked out the building. One of Rivires guests was caught on camera filming a teenager who was filming him from outside telling him This is for the headhunters. Theyre going to cut your hair. Theyre going to shave your head. https://www.politico.eu/article/french-far-right-mep-investigated-for-lockdown-party-ruckus/ 12th Jan 2021

Partisan Exits

The Independent The Wetherspoon pub chain says it will remove lockdownsceptical posters from its venues as coronavirus continues to spread in parts of England. Last month bosses made pages from their company magazine Wetherspoon News available to download and put in pub windows. It was part of a campaign by chairman Tim Martin against government restrictions which he said were messing up the economy and also the health of the nation. One of the flyers was pictured still visible in some pub windows this month. It reproduces a news story from 20 November last year which cast doubt on the dire warnings of government scientists about the threat posed by the second Covid19 wave. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/covid-wetherspoon-pub-lockdown-poster-b1785537.html 12th Jan 2021

Partisan Exits

Daily Mail In a speech to world leaders at the One Planet Summit yesterday he attacked people who grind up the scales of a pangolin in a bid to become more potent. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9138117/Boris-Johnson-blames-Chinese-Covid-saying-pandemic-triggered-demented-traditional-medicine.html 12th Jan 2021

Partisan Exits

Thomson Reuters Foundation Several prominent restaurant chains and smaller eateries on Monday defied Mexico Citys extension of a ban on dinein service in an act of civil disobedience against rules aimed at controlling a surge in COVID19 cases. Fish restaurant Fishers steak house Sonora Grill and Potzollcalli which sells a Mexican pork and corn soup were among the outlets that flouted the ban. Between them the three chains have dozens of outlets in the city area. Officials initially said a partial lockdown implemented on Dec. 19 would last until Jan. 11 but extended it after surging cases last week pushed hospitals to their limit. Hospitals in the capital are 89 full the highest peak of the pandemic according to city data. Nationwide Mexico has surpassed 1.5 million cases and 130000 deaths. https://news.trust.org/item/20210112005243-4qak6 11th Jan 2021

Partisan Exits

CNN As pandemic quarantines go this might be the best sprawling on a hotel balcony overlooking azure Caribbean waters as you bake gently in the sun. But it isnt enough for some. The past month has seen a slew of highprofile cases of tourists getting in trouble for breaking the rules while on a sunandsand vacation. In December Skylar Mack an American student was jailed for two months when she flew to the Cayman Islands and instead of quarantining for two weeks at her hotel as the law obliged her to do popped out two days later to attend a jet ski competition in which her boyfriend was competing. In January former British beauty queen and model Zara Holland and her boyfriend Elliott Love quarantined at her fourstar hotel in Barbados for the required five days before taking a second PCR test as is required for travelers from high risk countries. So far so good except that when Loves second test came back positive rather than face further quarantine the couple made a dash to the airport to try and catch a flight home. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/covid-tourist-rule-breakers/index.html 11th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Bloomberg National lockdowns across the U.K. have left many college students who returned home for the holidays stuck there on the hook to pay rent for empty rooms back at school. The added and in many cases expensive frustration for British students is fueling threats of rent strikes. What has angered them is timing. In December the government said it would relax Covid restrictions during the Christmas holiday. Many students followed safety protocols put in place by the government and their universities and returned home. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-12/rent-strikes-students-push-for-refunds-discounts-during-u-k-lockdowns 12th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

The Guardian Faced with a new more infectious variant of the virus and a vaccination programme that wont reach everyone until the autumn the prime minister has suggested the government may have to tighten restrictions during Englands third lockdown. But ministers already have a simple tool at their disposal. Getting face masks right is one of the most important things we can do now to stop the spread of Covid19. In England the attitude to face masks has been inconsistent at best and negligent at worst. Masks are required in shared public spaces such as supermarkets though many workers have complained that customers arent wearing them and enforcement has largely fallen on individual stores. In schools the government inexplicably made masks mandatory in corridors but not in classrooms. To reduce transmission as much as possible they should be worn throughout the school day. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/12/england-lockdown-3-government-face-masks-reduce-covid-transmission 12th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Bloomberg German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that the nations lockdown may need to be extended due to risks posed by the Covid19 variant from the U.K. Bloombergs Arne Delfs reports on Bloomberg Markets European Close. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2021-01-12/merkel-warns-germany-may-need-ten-week-lockdown-extension-video 12th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

The Guardian Germanys tough antiCovid measures are likely to last a further eight to 10 weeks Angela Merkel has warned while the Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has extended the Netherlands national lockdown into next month. As Europe struggles to stem the number of cases and deaths and concerns mount about the new more contagious UK variant the German chancellor said infections could rise 10fold by Easter if the country did not succeed in containing the viruss spread. Germanys lockdown under which schools and nonessential shops and services have closed was due to last until 31 January but Merkel reportedly told a working group of her Christian Democratic Union We still need eight to 10 weeks of hard measures. The country has been recording record daily case numbers and deaths in the 9001000 range but the figures remain skewed due to underreporting over the Christmas holiday and a true picture is not expected to be available until 17 January. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/12/germany-and-netherlands-likely-to-extend-covid-lockdowns 12th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Daily Mail Boris Johnson is said to be considering tightening the coronavirus lockdown rules in England amid a surge in cases. Here are some of the options Mr Johnson could consider Curbs on click and collect At the moment nonessential shops are allowed to offer click and collect services but there are concerns that this still results in too much interaction between different households. The Government could opt to ban nonessential shops from offering click and collect services restricting it to just supermarkets and other essential shops. Nicola Sturgeon said today she is considering such a move in Scotland. Takeaways Restaurants are not allowed to physically open during lockdown but they are allowed to offer takeaway food. However there are rising worries that picking up takeaway food is also leading to too many households mixing while they wait for food to be prepared. Rules could therefore be tightened to stop people waiting inside restaurants. Ms Sturgeon also said this is under consideration in Scotland. Closing more work places https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9137859/amp/Boris-Johnson-gathers-Cabinet-amid-fears-lockdown-tighter.html 12th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Bloomberg The euroarea economy is poised to shrink again at the start of this year as the resurgent pandemic plunges the region into a doubledip recession. Analysts at banks including JPMorgan Chase Co. and UBS Group AG are downgrading forecasts to account for renewed lockdowns in some places tougher than ever and the prospect that the new coronavirus variant ravaging the U.K. will do the same on the continent. Add vaccination delays to trade disruptions because of Brexit and the scene is set for a second straight quarter of falling gross domestic product. That would echo the downturn at the start of 2020 even if less severe and increase pressure on indebted governments and the European Central Bank which meets to set policy next week to provide more financial support. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-12/euro-area-heads-for-double-dip-recession-as-lockdowns-drag-on 12th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

The Times People living alone or with childcare needs would still be able to form a support bubble with one other household in a tougher lockdown Matt Hancock has promised. However the heath secretary said that exercising outside with another person from a separate household could be banned if people kept breaching the exemption. Mr Hancock and Boris Johnson said that the rules would be tightened if necessary. The prime minister warned yesterday against false complacency. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bubbles-will-be-allowed-if-covid-lockdown-tightens-up-fk8fcb6vs 12th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

BBC News The first minister says there may not be any lifting of current lockdown restrictions at the end of January. Nicola Sturgeon said that despite early signs of hope that the situation may be stabilising restrictions would still be needed to stop coronavirus running amok. She said it was very unlikely there would be any wholesale change to lockdown when measures are reviewed. https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-scotland-55636820 12th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

The Guardian The UK economy is facing its darkest hour due the latest Covid19 lockdown which is likely to delay the recovery the Bank of England governor has warned. In comments on Tuesday that echoed warnings from the chancellor Rishi Sunak a day earlier that the economy is going to get worse before it gets better Bailey said the UK would bounce back but only after the lockdown had ended and concerns about the spread of the virus had receded. Referencing Winston Churchills use of the phrase in 1940 following the evacuation of Dunkirk he said Theres an old saying about the darkest hour is the one before dawn. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jan/12/lockdown-leading-to-very-difficult-period-for-uk-economy-warns-bank-governor 12th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Metro Lockdown rulebreakers are increasingly likely to face fines as forces move more quickly to enforce Covid restrictions Britains most senior police officer has warned. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said it is preposterous that anyone could be unaware of the stringent measures designed to curb Covid cases. Writing in The Times she said It is preposterous to me that anyone could be unaware of our duty to do all we can to stop the spread of the virus. We have been clear that those who breach Covid19 legislation are increasingly likely to face fines. https://metro.co.uk/2021/01/12/lockdown-fines-increasingly-likely-in-police-crackdown-top-officer-warns-13887371/ 12th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Reuters British retailers called on the police to help enforce the wearing of masks to limit the spread of COVID19 with one of the biggest supermarkets saying on Monday it would no longer allow entry to those flouting the rules. With infection numbers rising sharply the UK government has expressed concern about the spread of the virus in supermarkets with people breaching rules by not wearing masks while shopping in them. Nonessential retail restaurants and bars are shut across Britain leading to a high level of demand for supermarkets and other food stores. People have got to follow the guidance in supermarkets people need to be keeping their distance making sure that theyre wearing masks doing the right thing Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-britain-supermarkets/update-4-uk-retailers-call-for-police-help-to-enforce-mask-rules-idUSL8N2JM1EK 12th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Reuters The Dutch government is expected to announce a threeweek extension of COVID19 lockdown measures on Tuesday evening national broadcaster NOS reported. Prime Minister Mark Rutte was scheduled to announce the latest social curbs to fight the coronavirus pandemic during a live press conference at 7 p.m. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-netherlands/dutch-government-expected-to-extend-lockdown-by-three-weeks-idUSL8N2JN3U6 12th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Reuters The impact of Germanys current lockdown on the economy it not too severe and Berlin will use its fiscal firepower which is adequate where support is needed Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday. Berlin is forecasting economic growth to rebound by 4.4 this year after an estimated 5.5 contraction in 2020 though some private forecasters regard the official outlook as optimistic given the country is once again in grip of lockdowns. Last month Germanys Ifo institute Ifo cut its 2021 growth forecast to 4.2 from 5.1. Germany unveiled a 130billion euro stimulus package last June the centrepiece of a fiscal response to COVID19 that is among the largest of any Western nation. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-scholz/lockdown-impact-on-germany-economy-not-too-severe-scholz-idUSKBN29H1I2 12th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Reuters Germany plans to tighten controls on people entering the country as part of efforts to bring under control a surge in coronavirus cases which is leading to record numbers of deaths in the European Unions most populous country. The proposal due to be approved by ministers on Wednesday will require people arriving from countries with high case loads or where a new more virulent strain of the virus is circulating to take a test for the disease. Mobile phone operators will have to send information to arriving passengers as soon as their phones are switched on in Germany after a period of absence according to the proposal seen by Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-germany-merkel/merkel-sees-coronavirus-lockdown-until-early-april-bild-idUSKBN29H14T 12th Jan 2021

Continued Lockdown

Reuters British police will get tougher on those who flout rules aimed at stopping the spread of COVID19 and stricter measures could be brought in the countrys top officer and the minister responsible for policing said on Tuesday. Hit by a new highly transmissible strain of the coronavirus Britain is battling a surge in new infections hospitalisations and deaths. In parts of London one in 20 people are now thought to have the disease. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain/uk-police-to-get-tougher-on-covid-lockdown-rulebreakers-idUSKBN29H0OL 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Guardian Australias chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly and infectious diseases experts have defended securing 54m doses of a Covid19 vaccine made by Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca amid concerns the vaccine will not be effective enough to achieve herd immunity. The president of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology Prof Stephen Turner told Nine media that Australia should halt the AstraZeneca vaccine rollout because it has lower efficacy. You cannot rely on it to establish herd immunity he said. The head of the Western Australian branch of the Australian Medical Association Dr Andrew Miller who is an anaesthetist echoed the comments to the Australian saying We need to pause and look at what the outcomes are going to be before we take any further steps. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/13/australias-chief-medical-officer-defends-astrazenecas-covid-vaccine-amid-efficacy-concerns 13th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

pharmaphorum.com ImmunityBio has licensed technology underpinning a COVID19 vaccine that could be administered orally rather than by injection from UK biotech iosBio. Approvals for injectable vaccines for COVID19 are starting to build but noninjectables like oral and intranasal vaccines could be required if the pandemic is to be fought across all areas of the globe according to Wayne Channon the UK firms chairman. Noninjectables remove the need for health professionalled immunisation programmes making widespread vaccine rollouts quicker and easier and more affordable Channon told pharmaphorum. https://pharmaphorum.com/news/oral-covid-19-vaccine-beckons-as-immunitybio-licenses-iosbio-tech/ 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Nature.com Amid skyrocketing coronavirus infections some countries are attempting to stretch limited supplies of COVID19 vaccines by reducing doses or changing vaccination schedules from those shown to be effective in clinical trials. But data are scarce on the impact of such measures and scientists are split over whether they are worth the risks. It might be fine says virologist Dan Barouch at Harvard Medical School in Boston Massachusetts. But we should stick with whats been proven to work because we want it to work. We dont want to be creative for some unclear benefit and then have an unexpected problem. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00001-6 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Metro A Fitbit device may be able to give its wearer an early warning over a coronavirus infection before symptoms begin to appear. Thats the thesis from a group of researchers at Stanford University who are currently studying whether wearable technology could help fight the pandemic. Modern Fitbit devices as well as similar gadgets made by Apple and Garmin track heart rates and could indicate abnormalities that show up after infection. Although a Covid19 victim may not show obvious symptoms such as a cough or loss of smell for up to five days there is a presymptomatic period. During this phase their body may give off signals that suggest they caught the virus. https://metro.co.uk/2021/01/12/a-simple-fitbit-could-detect-covid-19-days-before-symptoms-appear-13889200/?ico=related-posts 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Deutsche Welle The coronavirus is changing and taking on new characteristics that can make it harder to fight. New variants found in South Africa and the UK are more contagious and its unclear if they are more deadly. https://www.dw.com/en/scientists-try-to-understand-covid-19-variant/av-56205611 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Barron's The Big Pharma company Pfizer is digging in for a long fight against Covid19. In an interview on Tuesday morning the companys chief scientific officer Mikael Dolsten said that Pfizer ticker PFE is working on a more stable formulation of its Covid19 vaccine that will be easier to distribute and is thinking through how to update the vaccine if new strains of the virus emerge that evade the current version. Dolsten said that the Covid19 problem and the problem of new coronaviruses in general isnt going away. https://www.barrons.com/articles/pfizer-is-ready-for-a-long-battle-against-covid-19-51610474547 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Daily Mail South Korean study reviewed preexisting research on role of gut microbiome Hong Kongbased scientists examined blood and stool samples from patients Both studies indicate a gut microbe imbalance is key in severe Covid19 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9137823/Bacteria-GUT-affects-Covid-19-severity.html 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

CNBC The U.K. government said patients receiving the drugs typically used to treat rheumatoid arthritis left intensive care between 7 to 10 days earlier on average. A governmentfunded clinical trial showed tocilizumab was among two drugs that reduced the relative risk of death by 24 when administered to patients within 24 hours of entering intensive care. Shares of Chugai closed 5.91 higher on Tuesday. Earlier in the session Chugais stock soared as much as 16.26. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/12/chugai-soars-after-uk-says-its-drug-is-effective-for-covid-treatment.html 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

The Irish News World Health Organisation experts will visit the city of Wuhan where the coronavirus was first detected in late 2019 at the start of their investigation into the origins of the pandemic China has said. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the experts will arrive in Wuhan on Thursday. Other details of their schedule have not been announced and the central governments National Health Commission offered no further information. The visit has been expected for months. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed frustration last week that arrangements were taking so long to finalise. https://www.irishnews.com/news/worldnews/2021/01/12/news/who-experts-to-visit-wuhan-in-covid-19-origins-probe-says-china-2184781/ 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Science Magazine A more detailed analysis that included trial participants who tested positive but had symptoms so mild they did not seek help found 167 cases of COVID19 in the placebo group and 85 in people who received the vaccine for an estimated efficacy of 50.34. Even allowing for statistical uncertainties that is considerably below the greater than 90 efficacies of three other already authorized COVID19 vaccines. But Esper Kallas a study investigator based at the University of So Paulos main campus who spoke at the press conference notes that because definitions of a positive case have varied among trials There may not be an accurate comparability between the studies. In the Brazil trial the liberal definition of a case put things to the most difficult test said Ricardo Palcios of Butantan who served as the clinical director of the study. It is like comparing someone who runs a kilometer on paved ground versus someone running 1 kilometer with obstacles. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/01/third-time-s-charm-brazil-scales-back-efficacy-claims-covid-19-vaccine-china 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

CIDRAP Rates of pediatric COVID19 hospitalizations have varied dramatically across US states and more than tripled from May to November raising concerns that specialized medical resources for children may not be available at the time and place they are needed according to a research letter published yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics. A team led by researchers from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis used statelevel hospitalization data and US Census information to assess COVID19 hospitalization trends among patients 19 years and younger in 22 states. From May 15 to Nov 15 2020 a total of 301102 Americans were hospitalized with COVID19 5364 of them children. In midMay the average cumulative hospitalization rate per 100000 children was 2.0 which increased to 7.2 by midNovember. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/01/us-child-covid-hospital-rates-vary-widely-state-time 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Fierce Pharma Typically in drug and vaccine development firsttomarket products command a big advantage that can deter followup products. Not so with COVID19 vaccines experts said Tuesday. Theres still plenty of need for new entrants. Even as the first COVID19 vaccines from PfizerBioNTech Moderna and AstraZeneca are deploying in the U.S. and other countries more programs will need to succeed to vaccinate the entire world Swati Gupta Ph.D. vice president and head of emerging infectious diseases and scientific strategy at IAVI said on a Fierce JPM Week panel. IAVI a nonprofit research group is partnered with Merck Co. on an earlystage candidate based on the same technology used in Mercks Ebola vaccine. The ongoing COVID19 vaccine launches will hopefully help us to end the acute phase of the pandemic Gupta said but because COVID19 is likely to become endemic we also need to plan for longerterm management of the disease. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/as-first-covid-19-vaccines-roll-out-a-second-wave-candidates-waiting-wings 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

FiercePharma Gilead Sciences unveiled a surprise Monday It enjoyed a biggerthanexpected sales boost from COVID19 therapy Veklury better known as remdesivir. But what changed since October when Gilead last predicted 2020 sales Hospitalizations are up fourfold for oneand Veklury use is way up too. One in two patients hospitalized now is treated with Veklury in the United States CEO Dan ODay said during Gileads Monday presentation at the annual J.P. Morgan healthcare conference noting that Veklury use in hospitalized COVID19 patients is up from 30 in October to around 50 to 60 today. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/jpm-gilead-s-veklury-now-used-half-hospitalized-u-s-covid-patients-delivers-big-revenue-bump 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

FiercePharma Johnson Johnsons onedose COVID19 vaccine regimen could jumpstart an immunization push thats faltering in spite of the millions of doses Pfizer BioNTech AstraZeneca and Moderna are rolling out around the world. And the JJ shot is on the verge of its next big step forward. The pharma giant is in the final stages of data analysis for its phase 3 trial CEO Alex Gorsky said Monday at the annual J.P. Morgan healthcare conference. The company hopes to have that information very soon he added. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/jpm-j-j-hopes-to-share-phase-3-coronavirus-vaccine-data-very-soon-ceo-says 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Fierce Pharma To Regeneron theres no question about it We as a society have to do a much better job of getting antibody therapiessuch as the companys ownto patients RD chief George Yancopoulos said Monday at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. Like Eli Lillys singleantibody treatment Regenerons antibody cocktail bears an emergency use authorization in mildtomoderate COVID19 patients at least 12 years of age who arent hospitalized but are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID19. But while the treatments are available theyre not seeing anywhere near the level of use they would be if all eligible patients were receiving them. And its a problem Yancopoulos said. Every day there are hundreds of thousands of people getting infected that fit the profile where they could benefit from the antibody therapies. They could slow down very significantly the progression of these people into hospitals and into more severe states. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/jpm-regeneron-execs-say-it-s-a-problem-how-few-covid-19-patients-are-getting-antibody 12th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

Science Mag We are currently faced with the question of how the CoV2 severity may change in the years ahead. Our analysis of immunological and epidemiological data on endemic human coronaviruses HCoVs shows that infectionblocking immunity wanes rapidly but diseasereducing immunity is longlived. Our model incorporating these components of immunity recapitulates both the current severity of CoV2 and the benign nature of HCoVs suggesting that once the endemic phase is reached and primary exposure is in childhood CoV2 may be no more virulent than the common cold. We predict a different outcome for an emergent coronavirus that causes severe disease in children. These results reinforce the importance of behavioral containment during pandemic vaccine rollout while prompting us to evaluate scenarios for continuing vaccination in the endemic phase. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2021/01/11/science.abe6522 11th Jan 2021

Scientific Viewpoint

CNBC The identification of a new Covid variant comes as countries scramble to contain two other contagious strains that have emerged in the U.K. and South Africa. Public health experts have expressed concern the fresh strains could pose a threat to inoculation efforts. In recent weeks optimism about the mass rollout of coronavirus vaccines appears to have been tempered by the resurgent rate of virus spread worldwide. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/11/japan-covid-variant-how-it-compares-to-strains-in-uk-south-africa.html 11th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Times Pressure on the NHS is unlikely to peak until next month as cases surge far beyond London a health service chief has claimed.The comments by Chris Hopson chief executive of NHS Providers came as https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/covid-19-cases-unlikely-to-peak-for-weeks-jcxgttsws 12th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Mirror Online The UK has recorded its second deadliest day since the start of the Covid19 pandemic with a further 1243 lives lost to the virus. The Department of Health also confirmed that 45533 people had tested positive for the virus in 24 hours. Only once last Friday has the daily death toll been higher when 1325 fatalities were announced. It brings the UKs official coronavirus death toll to 83203. There have been 6898 Covid deaths in the past seven days a 45 per cent rise compared to the previous week. It comes as NHS staff struggle to cope with the surge in Covid19 hospital admissions and Home Secretary Priti Patel backs police forces taking a tough stance on rule breakers. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-uk-covid-19-death-23306489 12th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

CBS News A third House lawmaker has tested positive for COVID19 after being exposed to the virus while in lockdown with some Republican members who refused to wear masks during the attack on the Capitol last week bringing the total number who have so far tested positive to three. The announcements from Democratic Representatives Brad Schneider Bonnie Watson Coleman and Pramila Jayapal come days after the attending physician for the Capitol warned members they may have been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection. Congressman Brad Schneider announced he had tested positive for COVID19 in a statement on Tuesday and blamed Republicans for spreading the virus. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brad-schneider-pramila-jayapal-bonnie-watson-coleman-covid-19-capitol-riots/ 12th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Daily Mail Democrats have proposed a 1000 a day fine on lawmakers who refuse to wear masks while in the Capitol complex. Rep. Debbie Dingell is leading the charge on the issue and blasted Republicans for laughing off requests to wear one. Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider became the third lawmaker to test positive for COVID after being in lockdown with lawmakers last week. About 100 lawmakers were huddled in a poorlyventilated room together during the MAGA riot on the Capitol with many Republicans refusing to wearing masks. He slammed Republicans I was forced to spend several hours in a secure but confined location with dozens of other Members of Congress he said. Several Republican lawmakers in the room adamantly refused to wear a mask He is isolating at home in Illinois and not yet showing symptoms. Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal 55 also tested positive for COVID19. And Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman 75 announced earlier on Monday that she had tested positive for the coronavirus and was suffering mild symptoms. Both Jayapal and Coleman blame their infections on being trapped with Republicans who refused to wear face masks Jayapal says she believes it will turn out to be a superspreader event https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9139297/Third-Democrat-tests-positive-COVID-riot-lockdown.html 12th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

The Guardian South Korea reported fewer than 500 new coronavirus infections on Monday for the first time since record high daily case numbers over the Christmas holiday period. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency KDCA reported 451 new cases as of midnight on Sunday driven by a lull in testing as well as an apparent easing in infections. The country reported a record 1241 cases in one day during the Christmas holiday the peak of the countrys largest wave of infections yet. South Korea stopped short of a complete lockdown or stayathome order but has imposed unprecedented restrictions for weeks including banning private gatherings of more than four people. In the capital Seoul and surrounding areas a number of highrisk businesses such as bars and gyms were ordered to close and coffee shops can only offer takeaway service. https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/skorea-daily-virus-cases-under-500-for-first-time-since-record-highs-in-dec-kdca-539337/ 12th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Khaleej Times Japans health ministry has declared a new coronavirus variant in the country. The new strain features 12 mutations including one that was found in England and South Africa. Both the UK variant which is significantly more transmissible and a second strain in South Africa have raised concerns about whether a vaccineresistant version could eventually develop. https://www.khaleejtimes.com/coronavirus-pandemic/3-new-covid-19-strains-that-are-leading-to-fresh-lockdowns 12th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

ABC News The hard and fast snap lockdown used to manage COVID19 outbreaks in other states is the likely outcome if WA were to also experience an outbreak the states Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson says. Dr Robertson said there appeared to be a very good rationale for cities to impose hard snap lockdowns in the event of a coronavirus outbreak. It would depend on the circumstances Dr Robertson told ABC Radio Perth. How many cases we had how much community spread whether its one outbreak. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-12/wa-coronavirus-cases-will-likely-end-in-snap-lockdown/13050386 12th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Australia Australia recorded a handful of new locally acquired coronavirus cases on Tuesday with frictions increasing between state leaders over the best approach to manage and contain the outbreaks. The northern state of Queensland recorded one new case in the quarantined partner of a cleaner who was found to have the highly infectious UK strain last week which triggered a threeday lockdown over the weekend to Monday. The countrys most populous state of New South Wales logged five new locally acquired infections including two mystery cases that caused the emergency department at Sydneys Mount Druitt hospital to close for deep cleaning on Monday. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-australia/australia-records-handful-of-new-coronavirus-cases-as-national-frictions-grow-idUSL1N2JN03H 12th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Frances new COVID19 infections are on average increasing by more than 18000 a day a sevenweek high and the number of people hospitalised is rising again as the country grapples with the more infectious variant of the virus first found in Britain. These latest trends published on Monday will be discussed in the coming days by the government which is pondering whether to impose a third national lockdown and extend a 6 pm curfew now enforced in some areas to all of France. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france-infections/french-new-covid-cases-at-seven-week-high-idUSKBN29G2I3 12th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Austria said on Tuesday it has identified a new cluster of 17 COVID19 cases a mainly British group on a ski teacher training course despite the country being on lockdown and having banned flights from Britain over fears of a new coronavirus variant. The Alpine province of Tyrol which suffered Austrias worst outbreak to date at the ski resort of Ischgl said the cluster in the town of Jochberg was suspected to be of the new more infectious variant first pinpointed in Britain in September that has spread to dozens of countries including Austria. The fact such a training course was allowed to happen despite lockdown restrictions which include closing schools to all but daycare stunned many Austrians. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-austria-britain/new-austrian-covid-cluster-mainly-british-group-on-ski-teacher-course-idUSKBN29H1RR 12th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters Lebanon announced a tightening of its lockdown on Monday introducing a 24hour curfew from Thursday as COVID19 infections overwhelm its medical system. The new allday curfew starts at 5 a.m. 0300 GMT on Thursday and ends at 5 a.m. on Jan. 25 a statement by the Supreme Defense Council said. Lebanon last week ordered a threeweek lockdown until Feb. 2 that included a nighttime curfew from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. But tighter measures were now necessary as hospitals run out of capacity to treat critically ill patients President Michel Aoun said in the statement. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-lebanon/lebanon-tightens-lockdown-imposes-24-hour-curfew-as-hospitals-buckle-idUSL1N2JM1XH 12th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

Reuters As Canadian provinces struggle to contain rising COVID19 infections a lack of adequate paid sick leave for frontline workers is fuelling transmission doctors and advocates say. While political leaders and health officials advise sick people to stay home many people cant afford to. Some 58 of workers in Canada lack enough paid sick leave according to the Decent Work and Health Network and that percentage rises as wages drop. One morning last spring 67yearold parttime support worker Susan woke up feeling a hurt in my heart like a knife. She went to work at a Toronto rehabilitation home anyway she said it was the only way to pay the bills. Susan who is using an pseudonym for fear of professional repercussions had no sick days and couldnt afford to miss even a days pay. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-canada-sickleave-idUSKBN29H1AW?taid=5ffd98ae5dad480001ae0dea&amputm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&amputm_medium=trueAnthem&amputm_source=twitter 12th Jan 2021

Coronavirus Resurgence

CIDRAP Fresh surges in COVID19 activity triggered strengthened measures in several parts of the world as soaring death levels in part of England led to the use of a temporary morgue. Health officials expected a surge of cases from holiday gatherings but the emergence of at least two more transmissible variants is amplifying new surges in part of Europe and South Africa as more countries brace for their potential impact. Daily cases in the United Kingdom are down bit from record highs reported last week but hospitals in the hardesthit areas are struggling and deathswhich typically lag casesare up 45.6 over the last 7 days according to the latest government data. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/01/covid-surges-press-health-systems-several-nations 12th Jan 2021

New Lockdown

FRANCE 24 A total lockdown set to start this week will exacerbate the suffering of vulnerable Lebanese families struggling to make ends meet unless the government offers assistance a charity has warned. We recognise the importance of taking thorough measures... but we are very concerned that vulnerable families and their children will be left to deal with a catastrophe on their own Jennifer Moorehead Save the Childrens Lebanon director said late Monday. Lebanon a country of more than six million is grappling with its worst economic downturn since the 19751990 war. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210112-lockdown-adds-to-suffering-of-vulnerable-lebanese-charity 12th Jan 2021

New Lockdown

Daily Mail Chinese authorities locked down the city of Langfang in Hebei Province near Beijing on Tuesday putting its 4.9million residents under quarantine for seven days while conducting mass testing. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9137871/amp/Coronavirus-China-locks-city-moves-20-000-new-COVID-19-epicentre-isolation.html 12th Jan 2021

New Lockdown

Reuters China imposed new coronavirus curbs in areas near Beijing on Tuesday putting 4.9 million people under lockdown as new infections raised worries about a second wave in a country that has mostly contained the disease. Lauren Anthony reports. https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/idOVDUWM0KR 12th Jan 2021

New Lockdown

Reuters The Chinese city of Langfang near Beijing went into lockdown on Tuesday as new coronavirus infections raised worries about a second wave in a country that has mostly contained COVID19. The number of new cases in mainland China reported on Tuesday remained a small fraction of those seen at the height of the outbreak in early 2020. However authorities are implementing strict curbs whenever new cases emerge. The National Health Commission reported 55 new cases on Tuesday down from 103 on Monday. Hebei province which surrounds Beijing accounted for 40 of the 42 locally transmitted infections. In a village in the south of Beijing that shares a border with Hebei residents were stopping vehicles and asking to see healthtracking codes on mobile phones. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china/another-chinese-city-goes-into-lockdown-amid-new-covid-19-threat-idUSKBN29H07C 12th Jan 2021