Covid live: UK pharmacies issue warning about low supplies of lateral flow tests; Europe cases at record highs | World news

Nightclubs in France will stay closed for an extra three weeks, it has been introduced, after practically 180,000 new Covid circumstances smashed the report for every day circumstances because the pandemic started.

Roughly 1,600 golf equipment have been ordered shut on 6 December for 4 weeks as officers hoped to keep away from a wave of infections prompted by vacation journey and festivities, fuelled by the extremely infectious Omicron variant.

However on Tuesday, France’s well being company stated 179,807 Covid circumstances had been reported over the earlier 24 hours, exceeding the earlier report of 100,000 reported on Saturday, AFP stories.

Tourism minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne advised France Inter radio that the choice to increase nightclubs closures was a part of a collection of latest measures introduced by the federal government this week in a bid to halt the Omicron unfold.

“I can think about the misery for these workers and entrepreneurs,” he stated. Monetary assist can be offered for the large lack of vacation enterprise, he added.

Inside minister Gerald Darmanin this week inspired native officers to restrict public New 12 months’s Eve gatherings, particularly by requiring face masks open air and stepping up police patrols to implement a ban on public alcohol consumption for the evening.

Parliament will begin debating on Wednesday a brand new legislation to require a “vaccine cross” for coming into eating places, cinemas, museums and different public venues in a bid to spur additional Covid jabs.

France already has one of many highest vaccination charges on the planet, at 90% of the eligible inhabitants.

Beforehand, the so-called “well being cross” is also obtained by offering a latest adverse Covid take a look at within the absence of vaccination.

The UK’s shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth stated the federal government ought to keep away from “dashing into” reducing Covid isolation instances.

Requested about requires the isolation interval to be lowered to 5 days, he advised Sky Information:

I feel we must always all the time comply with the recommendation of our main scientists, medical scientists like Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance, and I don’t suppose they’ve given an opinion on this.

He added: “Let’s see what they are saying on this earlier than dashing into this.”

Ashworth stated politicians “ought to all the time watch out to take heed to scientific specialists”.

The present every day provide of virtually 900,000 lateral circulate exams within the UK isn’t sufficient to satisfy demand, the chief govt of the Affiliation of Unbiased A number of Pharmacies, Leyla Hannbeck, has stated.

She urged the federal government to enhance the consistency of deliveries.

She advised the BBC’s Right this moment programme:

It simply merely isn’t sufficient to satisfy the demand and it’s patchy. Some days you get one field delivered and different days none. It isn’t sufficient for the pharmacies to ship to the sufferers.

We need to ensure that the message is evident to the federal government that the provision must be constant. Individuals can get it simply from pharmacies if the provision is constant.

The UK Well being Safety Company has stated there are actually practically 900,000 take a look at kits being equipped per day – which is double the supply capability seen earlier than 18 December.

Individuals within the UK are turning as much as pharmacies for lateral circulate exams roughly each 5 minutes and infrequently not having the ability to get one as a result of low provides, in response to the chief govt of the Affiliation of Unbiased A number of Pharmacies.

Leyla Hannbeck advised the BBC’s Right this moment programme:

What our members are telling us is that demand for the lateral circulate exams may be very excessive in the meanwhile because of the present pointers round self-isolation.

Pharmacies are reporting that each 5 minutes, roughly, any person comes into the pharmacy asking for a take a look at.

However, sadly, due to the problems round provide being patchy and inconsistent, it signifies that those that come for the take a look at don’t all the time get it, which may be very demanding not only for the pharmacy group however for the affected person.

The size of the issue is big as a result of the demand is excessive, due to the present pointers.

She stated that individuals are doing the accountable factor by eager to be examined.

She added:

We’re within the Christmas space of time, and the New 12 months is simply across the nook and other people need to be with household and associates.

Poland is reporting 794 Covid-related deaths on Wednesday, the very best every day quantity within the fourth wave of pandemic.

Deputy minister of well being Waldemar Kraska made the announcement on broadcaster Polsat News on Wednesday morning, including that 600 folks weren’t vaccinated on the time of their deaths.

Kraska advised the outlet:

They might go on dwelling if that they had the vaccine. The typical age of the remaining deceased is over 75; They have been burdened with many illnesses: weight problems, hypertension, coronary heart illnesses or most cancers.”

The nation additionally reported one other 15,571 new every day coronavirus circumstances.

Poland has been coping with persistently excessive every day case numbers in a fourth wave that has pressured authorities to tighten restrictions.

Thailand is reporting 2,575 new confirmed coronavirus circumstances: 116 from overseas, and a pair of,459 from native transmission.

An extra 17 deaths have been additionally reported, in response to recent figures revealed by the ministry of well being.

Because the UK wakes up for what might be one of many closing days of 2021 here’s a fast visible snapshot of how the coronavirus is unfolding throughout Britain.

New Zealand has reported its first community exposure to the Omicron variant from an individual arriving from the UK earlier this month.

The individual, who examined constructive for the Omicron variant of Covid-19, had briefly been lively locally in Auckland.

The latest worldwide arrival reportedly returned a constructive outcome on day 9 of their self-isolation interval however had beforehand returned three adverse exams for Covid-19 whereas finishing seven days of managed isolation at a facility in Auckland, the ministry of well being stated in a statement on Wednesday.

“The case arrived on a flight from the UK through Doha on 16 December and is totally vaccinated with a mRNA vaccine. No different Covid-19 infections have been recognized from the person’s flight,” the assertion learn.

Learn the total story here.

Good morning/night/afternoon wherever it’s possible you’ll be on the planet.

Nations throughout Europe have reported a report excessive variety of infections as authorities scramble to stem the surge whereas the US additionally reported its single highest variety of every day circumstances on Tuesday.

Within the newest reporting interval, the UK noticed a report 129,471 new Covid circumstances, up from 98,515 reported on Monday. France reported 179,807 new circumstances, by far the very best quantity because the begin of the pandemic. Greece additionally reported a brand new every day report of 21,657 Covid circumstances, greater than double the quantity the day earlier than. Denmark and Iceland equally broke pandemic data with Denmark recording the world’s highest an infection fee at 1,612 circumstances per 100,000 folks.

For those who’ve simply tuned in to our stay Covid weblog here’s a fast rundown of the newest developments:

• New Zealand stories its first neighborhood publicity to the Omicron variant in an individual arriving from the UK who had been lively locally in Auckland. The individual reportedly arrived in New Zealand from the UK on 16 December and examined constructive on 27 December, the well being ministry stated in a statement.
• Japan will contemplate bringing ahead Covid-19 vaccine booster photographs amid concern over the unfold of the Omicron variant.
• The Chinese language metropolis of Xi’an has entered its seventh day of lockdown on Wednesday, with lots of the 13 million residents unable to depart their houses and depending on deliveries of requirements.
• The US reported its single highest variety of every day circumstances on Tuesday. The 512,553 every day new circumstances was by far the one highest variety of circumstances recorded because the starting of the pandemic, in response to data launched by the Johns Hopkins College. The earlier report was 294,015 set on 8 January 2021.
• California grew to become the primary state to report greater than 5 million recognized coronavirus infections.
• A whole lot extra US flights have been cancelled within the fifth day of journey chaos. US airways Delta Air Strains and Alaska Air Group cancelled a whole lot of flights on Tuesday as a result of hostile climate situations and rising circumstances of the Omicron variant.
• The World Well being Group has warned that the Omicron coronavirus variant might lead to overwhelmed healthcare systems despite the fact that early research counsel it sparks milder illness.

Japan will contemplate bringing ahead Covid-19 vaccine booster photographs amid concern over the unfold of the Omicron variant.

Prime minister Fumio Kishida advised Kyodo News in an interview on Tuesday:

Moreover 31 million well being care staff and aged folks, we’d like to contemplate bringing (the schedule for third photographs) ahead as a lot as attainable.”

New Zealand says it has recorded its first neighborhood exposures from a border-related Omicron case, Reuters stories.

We can have extra on this story because it develops.