First Minister Nicola Sturgeon mentioned pupils in Scotland won’t return to high school till 11 January, and studying will stay on-line solely till “a minimum of 18 January”.
She mentioned there was no suggestion that transmission had grown to be a better downside in colleges. However, the delay to reopening colleges in January was “necessitated” by the new coronavirus variant’s most recent developments.
“We’re decided, if in any respect doable, to get colleges again to regular from 18 January,” she mentioned.
Scotland’s interim chief medical officer Dr. Gregor Smith added no clear sign to say youngsters have been any extra prone to transmit the brand new variant than another age group.
He mentioned the choice of nonpermanent college closures was a “precautionary strategy” to restrict the chance for the unfold of the brand new variant.
The European Medicines Company (EMA) recommends using the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, paving the best way for vaccinations to begin within the EU inside days.
Formal approval nonetheless must be granted by the European Fee.
Germany, France, and Italy are amongst nations planning to begin vaccinating on 27 December.
Air India is likely one of the numbers of airways which function flights between the UK and IndiaImage caption: Air India is likely one of the numbers of airways which function flights between the UK and India.
The checklist of nations banning UK arrivals due to issues over the unfolding of a brand new coronavirus variant.
Flights from the UK have been suspended in additional than 30 nations in Europe and internationally, together with India and Hong Kong.
On Sunday night, France shut its border with the UK for 48 hours, which means no lorries or ferries will have the ability to sail from Dover’s port.
The French authorities mentioned on Monday it should set up a protocol “to make a sure motion from the UK can resume”, though no resolution is anticipated earlier than Tuesday.
What’s occurring within the US?
As the overall variety of coronavirus circumstances within the US approaches 18 million, listed below are the highest tales thus far in the present day:
After months of wrangling, US lawmakers have agreed to a roughly $900bn (£660bn) package deal of pandemic support, together with cash for companies and unemployment programs \
President-elect Joe Biden, who at 78 is taken into account to be at excessive danger from Covid-19, is to obtain the coronavirus vaccine alongside along with his spouse Jill later in the present day. Vice-President Mike Pence and senior politicians have already obtained their first injection.
The US administered greater than 550,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine within the first week of its mass inoculation marketing campaign, the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention introduced on Sunday.
The Moderna vaccine is anticipated to reach throughout the nation after it was authorized final week.
At the very least, 317,684 individuals have died within the US because the pandemic started, in line with figures from Johns Hopkins College.
What’s the State of affairs within the UK?
Two conferences are happening in Brussels, which might finally decide whether or not UK travelers must face the identical set of restrictions irrespective of the place they journey to within the EU.
The primary is gathering well-being officers, centered on inspecting this new mutated virus variant, utilizing knowledge despatched from UK scientists.
Then, officers within the EU’s disaster response workforce will meet to coordinate a single algorithm that each nation can apply to UK travelers.
However, no resolution is anticipated in the present day. That’s the job for EU ambassadors once they meet through video convention tomorrow morning.
One French official informed me that they’re determined to reopen the borders “as quickly as safely doable,” and one choice being put ahead is to permit borders to reopen; however, demand that UK travelers show they’ve had an unfavorable Covid check within the 24 hours previous to arrival in every member state. That would come with checks for lorry drivers crossing the channel.
There’s a hotchpotch of journey restrictions in place in the intervening time, with 17 European nations arising with their very own short-term options. Spanish, Greek, Italian, and Danish officers say they want to see a standard strategy.
Several officers have informed me they worry the steady door could have closed after the horse has bolted; that regardless of the measures, they might quickly determine many extra circumstances across the continent.
The UK authorities are working “urgently” with their worldwide companions to minimize disruption brought on by different nations’ journey bans on individuals and items from the UK.
On Sunday night, France shut its border with the UK for 48 hours, which means no lorries or ferries will have the ability to sail from Dover’s port.
“Conversations between related ministers are ongoing,” the prime minister’s official spokesman mentioned, including that the federal government was “in shut contact with the French to get this resolved”.
Requested whether or not Brexit had something to do with different nations’ actions, the spokesman mentioned: “No, we do not assume that is the explanation for this… all through the pandemic totally different journey restrictions have been imposed all through the world.”
The International Workplace commonly up to date with its journey recommendation and was readily available to help British nationals, the spokesman added.
The variety of individuals in Wales with the brand new variant of coronavirus is prone to be so much greater than at the moment recognized, First Minister Mark Drakeford has mentioned.
He informed in the present day’s press briefing: “The figures we’ve got in the intervening time that we all know of are over 600 circumstances of the brand new variant in Wales. However, that’s virtually actually, as our public well-being colleagues inform us, a major underestimation.”
“Solely a proportion” of the Welsh checks go to the 2 Lighthouse labs at the moment in a position to detect the brand new variant, he added.
Drakeford additionally mentioned that discussions are underneath solutions to supply individuals engaged on Christmas Day “compensatory preparations.”
With the most recent guidelines solely permitting family mixing on 25 December, there are issues that some key employees could decline to work that day to spend time with their households.
In Northern Eire, the federal government has supplied flexibility on which day households can come collectively.
Folks queue exterior a Morrison’s grocery store in Whitley BayImage caption: Folks queue exterior a Morrison’s grocery store in Whitley Bay
Folks ought to “store usually” within the run-up to Christmas, whereas Downing Road has mentioned that journey bans are in place.
Retailers have performed down fears of meal shortages after France shut its borders to UK haulers for 48 hours due to the UK’s new coronavirus variant.
Nevertheless, they’ve warned of “critical disruption” if the blockade is extended.
The prime minister’s official spokesman mentioned, “individuals ought to store usually and proceed to be thoughtful in the best way they store”.
He added that the “majority of meals would not come into the UK from the brief straight” between Dover and Calais, and the UK has “various and resilient provide chains”.
Hanover airport: camp beds for stranded passengers from UKImage caption: Hanover airport: camp beds for stranded passengers from the UK
As we’ve got already reported, dozens of passengers flying from the UK discovered themselves caught at German airports in a single day after Germany imposed new coronavirus journey restrictions.
German NTV {news} says 77 individuals needed to keep in a single day at Berlin Brandenburg (BER) airport and 50 at Munich airport.
Seven passengers additionally examined optimistic on arrival at Hamburg airport, police mentioned. All these arriving from the UK have had to enter quarantine.
At Hanover airport, one passenger out of 62 who arrived from the UK on Sunday examined optimistically and is now in isolation in a resort, as are several flight attendants.
The opposite Hanover passengers have been allowed to depart. However, they should keep in quarantine.
Sabrina Dinkler-Stemme described an ordeal for many who have been blocked at Hanover airport.
“I felt like a prison. I used to be surrounded by the police. I used to be exterior within the rain…We have been all exhausted; many individuals have been crying.”
Adam Stinson, a Canadian amongst these caught at BER airport, mentioned, “they could not inform us when a check would arrive, with no {news} of what’s going to occur to us”.
Talking on the day by day briefing in Edinburgh, he mentioned he didn’t think about it “acceptable or proportionate” to ascertain roadblocks to cease individuals traveling; however, he mentioned there can be a rise of police patrols and a doubling of police numbers on the border between Scotland and the remainder of the UK.
He mentioned he hoped the “seen controls” would deter individuals from pointless journeys and urged the general public “to proceed to comply with the foundations”.
He paid tribute to the “devoted officers and workers” throughout the police. He mentioned they’d proceed to guard the general public all through Christmas, notably “the weak, lonely and people liable to hurt”.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the largest deterrent to breaking journey guidelines shouldn’t be “fines or police enforcement” – “it ought to be the danger of getting this virus”.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to carry a press convention at Downing Road to supply updates on the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
It comes as a rising checklist of nations that have banned arrivals from the UK due to issues on unfolding a brand new variant of coronavirus.
Wales’ first minister has denied his authorities to behave in imposing tighter restrictions over the Christmas interval, saying new info solely emerged on the weekend.
“We’ve got acted in response to the views of clinicians in response to the rising circumstances,” Mark Drakeford informed a Welsh authorities briefing.
“What was totally different this weekend was that we had a brand new rationalization for why we’re seeing the speed of improvement right here in Wales – this new variant with its transmissibility, the pace with which it spreads.
“That’s why we needed to convey ahead our plans for a tier 4 set of restrictions throughout Wales.”
Wales’ deputy chief medical officer, Prof Chris Jones, added: “It’s clear that the general public well-being state of affairs has been a trigger for concern for some weeks. However, the subject of the brand new virus variant could be very, very latest certainly.
“We solely must find out about such variants once they type of taking off… and that solely grew to become clear on the finish of the final week.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says Scotland’s case numbers have been unstable not too long ago, and “we predict they might be rising once more”.
An additional 1,504 individuals have examined optimistic for Covid-19 before now 24 hours, taking the overall variety of optimistic circumstances in Scotland to 113,050.
Nevertheless, the First Minister cautioned that the upper determine might very well be all the way down to a processing backlog.
The R quantity has risen and is at the moment believed to be “hovering around one once more”, she mentioned at Monday’s day by day briefing.
Evaluation of the brand new variant of Covid-19 “does give us actual trigger for concern”, she added. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon mentioned she was “genuinely sorry” for the most recent limiting Christmas celebrations in Scotland.
“If I believed there was an alternate… I might take that various in a heartbeat,” she mentioned on Monday’s day by day briefing.
However, she harassed that, the place coronavirus was involved, she had learned that “failing to behave shortly is sort of all the time a mistake”.
From Boxing Day, mainland Scotland will go into lockdown stage 4 guidelines for a minimum of three weeks.
“I think these subsequent two weeks are going to be even more durable, but,” mentioned Sturgeon.
She harassed the significance of not traveling between Scotland and the remainder of the UK to curb the unfold of the brand new variant of coronavirus throughout the nation.
