Covid News: Latest updates as NHS doctors warn of looming crisis

The rest of the world must be vaccinated to prevent the development of new variants of Covid, warned WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris.

She took to Times Radio to say that vaccines are not the only way to bring down the number of cases in the UK.

But she added that more needed to be done to immunize people in other countries.

Ms Harris said: “What is really going to have an effect on transmission for all of us is to ensure that there are as few viruses as possible circulating around the world.

“The highest priority groups are those who are exposed to the virus all the time, healthcare workers, but only one in 10 is currently vaccinated in Africa.

“We’re in such a bad situation in much of the world, we’re going to see more variants develop, we’re going to see more transmission, and even though the vaccine would magically protect a population as effectively as we hoped a variant would. then could develop and undo all this work.

A member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), which advises the government, said he feared another “Christmas lockdown.”

On BBC Breakfast this morning, Professor Peter Openshaw was asked what people can expect from Christmas if government policy does not change to implement ‘plan B’ measures during this stage of the pandemic with a daily increase in the number of Covid cases.

Speaking in a personal capacity, Professor Openshaw of Imperial College London said: “I am very concerned that we have another lockdown Christmas if we do not act soon.

“We know that with public health measures, the time to act is immediate. There is no point in delaying.

“If you delay, you will have to take even tougher action later. Immediacy of response is absolutely vital if you are to get things on top of things.

“We all really, really want a wonderful family Christmas where we can all get together.

“If this is what we want, we have to put these measures in place now to reduce transmission rates so that we can actually come together and see each other at Christmas. “

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) also urged Downing Street to “act now rather than later”.

Our scientific correspondent Samuel lovett reports

Professor Openshaw, on BBC Breakfast, urged people to “take matters into their own hands” regarding social distancing and wearing masks before Christmas.

When asked what people should do if they were concerned that the government was not yet implementing ‘plan B’ measures, he replied, ‘I think you are taking matters into your own hands. Don’t necessarily wait for government policy.

“I’m very, very reluctant now to go to crowded spaces because I know about one in 60 people in a crowded space is going to get the virus.

“If you can, cycle to work, don’t take public transport.

“I think I’m doing everything in your power to try to reduce the transmission. Do not wait for the government to change its policy.

“The sooner we all act, the sooner we can reduce this rate of transmission and the greater the prospect of spending Christmas with our families. “

Vulnerable tenants in England who have accumulated in arrears during the pandemic will be helped by a £ 65million support program this winter, the government said.

The funding comes on top of a £ 500million package announced in September to help families struggling to access food, energy, water and other essentials.

According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), some 3.8 million low-income households are in arrears with their bills.

About 950,000 are behind on rent, 1.4 million behind on municipal tax bills and 1.4 million behind on electricity and gas bills, the foundation said.

JRF results suggest that a third of households with incomes of £ 24,752 or less are now in arrears – triple the 11% estimated by a similar study before the pandemic.

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, a charity for the homeless, said the organization welcomed the funding but “it was impossible for this funding to meet the demand we are facing.”

He added: “To prevent homelessness in the first place, we desperately need the UK government to ensure that housing allowance covers the real cost of rent by unlocking local housing allowance.”

The daily number of new Covid cases is between 40,000 and 50,000 last week.

The rise in hospitalizations and the high number of deaths per day have also raised fears of another lockdown.

But is it likely that we will all have to go into social hibernation again this winter?

My colleague Joe sommerlad has the details

Yet another reaction to the government’s announcement of a £ 65million fund to help clear rent and bill arrears that up to 4 million households have racked up during the pandemic.

The government announced today that vulnerable tenants in England who are in arrears will be helped with the support program this winter.

The funding comes on top of a £ 500million package announced in September to help families struggling to access food, energy, water and other essentials.

Campaign group Generation Rent said more funds were needed, especially now that the temporary £ 20 per week increase in benefits has been removed.

Labor MP Wes Streeting has announced he will self-isolate until early November after contracting Covid.

In July, the Ilford North MP, 38, announced he had been declared cancer-free after undergoing surgery to remove one of his kidneys.

Two months earlier, Mr Streeting had revealed he had been diagnosed with kidney cancer and would withdraw from frontline politics while receiving treatment.

Another country is considering restricting travel to and from the UK over concerns over a Delta sub-variant of the Covid virus.

The Philippines is debating whether to put the UK on its “red list” of countries that will have travel restrictions.

The Philippine Department of Health said today authorities are considering placing the UK on the Red List, which has the strictest travel rules, on the spread of AY 4.2. variant.

It comes after Morocco has banned travel to and from the UK indefinitely over concerns that allowing travelers from the UK could ruin its own progress in controlling the virus.

The Moroccan government has also banned travel to and from Germany and the Netherlands.

Russia has reported record levels of Covid-19 infections and deaths.

It comes after President Vladimir Putin ordered Russians to take time off work between October 30 and November 7.

The National Coronavirus Task Force today said 1,075 people have died from the virus in the past 24 hours.

A total of 37,678 new infections were recorded.

The daily death toll is about 33% higher than at the end of September, and cases of infection have increased by about 70% over the past month.

Only about a third of Russia’s 146 million people are vaccinated.