Covid UK – Latest: New variant XBB.1.5 raises concerns as Britons urged to wear masks again

[ad_1]

Ben Wallace says Covid screening for travelers from China ‘under review’

To get free, real-time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox, sign up for our breaking news emails.

Beijing has threatened to impose countermeasures on countries like the UK after the introduction of new Covid restrictions on passengers arriving from China.

“We believe that the entry restrictions adopted by some countries targeting China lack scientific basis, and some excessive practices are even more unacceptable,” said foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning on Tuesday.

“We strongly oppose attempts to manipulate COVID measures for political purposes and will take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity.”

People arriving in Britain from China need to present a negative Covid test before entry. However, earlier today, a cabinet minister announced that travelers who test positive for coronavirus after arriving from China will not have to be quarantined.

The UK’s Department of Health and Social Care said China was hit by the new rules due to a “lack of comprehensive health information”, as Chinese state media continues to downplay the severity of the current outbreak.

Chen Erzin, deputy head of Shanghai’s Ruijin Hospital and a member of the Covid City Expert Advisory Committee, was quoted as saying that 70 percent of the megacity may have been infected with the virus.

Key PointsShow Latest update 1672821945 China says Covid entry restrictions by countries are unreasonable

China on Tuesday hit back at governments who have imposed travel restrictions on the country by saying Covid-19 measures must be “science-based” and warning of possible “countermeasures”.

More than a dozen countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, have made it mandatory for travelers from China to show a negative Covid test before arrival.

“Some countries have imposed entry restrictions targeting only Chinese travelers,” said Mao Ning, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

“This lacks scientific basis and some practices are unacceptable,” the spokesperson added.

She reportedly warned that Beijing might take “countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity”.

Alisha Rehman Sarkar January 4, 2023 08:45

A Chinese national has disappeared in South Korea after testing positive for COVID

South Korean authorities are trying to track down a Chinese national who tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival but went missing while waiting in a quarantine facility.

The person tested positive after arriving at Incheon International Airport near Seoul last night and was taken to a nearby hotel to await his entry into quarantine.

Health official Kim Joo-young said the missing person has been placed on the wanted list. The person, who has not been identified, could face up to one year in prison, or a fine of 10m won (£6,539) if found guilty of breaking the law.

Alisha Rehman Sarkar January 4, 2023 07:45

1672817455 Is Omicron’s alternative fuel XBB.1.5 spreading rapidly in the UK?

New Covid variants raise new health concerns as relatives of Omicron XBB and XBB.1.5 have led to an increase in cases in countries around the world.

XBB.1.5 is the highly transmissible version of Covid that caused a surge in cases in the UK last winter. The variant, which was first detected around New York state in late October, is behind 40 percent of all Covid infections in the United States.

It is estimated that XBB.1.5 is spreading more than twice as fast as the BQ.1.1 variant, which is one of the common variants found in the UK, The Guardian reports.

The variant has an unusual mutation known as F486P that helps it spread very quickly.

The variant was detected in the UK, where surveillance indicates it makes up at least 4 per cent of the coronavirus being sequenced.

Alisha Rehman Sarkar January 4, 2023 07:30

1672814745 How long can the Covid test result appear?

For nearly three years, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought the world to a halt as the virus spreads across the globe.

Cases are starting to rise again, with warnings that Covid will again put pressure on the NHS during this festive period.

The latest big spike in the pandemic, while restrictions were still in place, came courtesy of Omicron. The variant quickly spread around the world after it was discovered in South Africa last November, and has since spawned a series of sub-variants.

Omicron proved less severe but more transmissible than previous alpha and delta variants, with the total number of daily cases in England rising to a then epidemiological high of 218,724 on January 4, before gradually easing, barring a revival inspired by its first sub-BA variant. 2 on March.

Alisha Rehman Sarkar January 4, 2023 06:45

1672811145 EU presses for negative Covid report for Chinese passengers

The European Union is moving towards making it mandatory for travelers from China to test negative for Covid-19 in order to enter the bloc.

EU health advisers yesterday approved a draft opinion that includes masking recommendations and increasing wastewater monitoring and proposes discussion of Covid testing.

Bloomberg quoted a UNHCR spokesperson as saying that the vast majority of countries have returned to pre-departure testing.

EU ambassadors will meet today to discuss the recommendations.

Alisha Rehman Sarkar January 4, 2023 05:45

People have been urged to wear masks and stay home if sick

People have been urged to wear face coverings and stay home if they feel unwell, as the already crisis-stricken NHS faces multiple waves of winter illnesses.

With children returning to school at a time when high levels of influenza, Covid-19 and scarlet fever have been reported, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released new guidance in a bid to reduce the spread of diseases.

Parents have been urged to keep their children home if they are unwell and have a fever, with adults told to go out only when necessary, to wear face coverings if they are sick and to avoid visiting people at risk.

Alisha Rehman Sarkar January 4, 2023 04:45

China records five new deaths due to Covid

On Wednesday, China reported five new deaths related to Covid-19, compared to three deaths the previous day, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The official death toll now stands at 5,258

Alisha Rehman Sarkar Jan 4, 2023 03:48

Chinese state media downplays the seriousness of the spread of Covid

China’s state media downplayed the surge in Covid cases on Tuesday, as its scientists briefed the World Health Organization.

The global organization had called on scientists to provide data on viral sequences at the Technical Advisory Group meeting and asked China to share data on hospitalizations, deaths and vaccinations.

A spokesperson for the agency said the agency expects a “detailed discussion” on mainstreaming variants in China and globally and is expected to provide an update on Wednesday.

China’s abrupt shift in Covid controls as well as the accuracy of its case and death data have come under increasing scrutiny at home and abroad.

China’s foreign ministry has called the travel restrictions imposed by some countries “simply unreasonable”, saying they “lack scientific basis”.

“We are ready to improve communication with the world,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing.

But…we firmly oppose attempts to manipulate epidemic prevention and control measures for political purposes.

Natalie Crockett Jan 4, 2023 02:45

Covid travel restrictions are back – new rules explained

Covid travel restrictions are back. From January 5, every passenger traveling from China to England will need to present a negative test result before they are allowed to board. It is not yet clear what types of tests will be acceptable, but previous policy allowed collateral flow/rapid antigen tests in addition to more reliable and expensive PCR tests.

In addition, passengers flying directly from China to Heathrow may be invited to take a second test on arrival. The government says up to 20 percent of arriving passengers will be screened, although they are able to decline an invitation.

The government announced the measures on Friday night – a day after it said there were no plans to reintroduce Covid testing.

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder explains what it all means.

Natalie Crockett Jan 4, 2023 01:45

1672793100 Likelihood of Covid cases imported from China ‘low’, says European health authority

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said last week that it does not recommend measures for travelers from China.

She said that variants circulating in China were already in the European Union, that EU citizens have relatively high vaccination levels and that the possibility of imported infections is low compared to daily infections in the European Union, as health care systems are currently adapting.

On Tuesday, the European Commission said that despite the health body’s position, most EU countries prefer a pre-departure test for travelers from China.

“The vast majority of countries support pre-departure testing,” a UNHCR spokesperson said.

“These measures must be directed at the most suitable flights and airports and implemented in a coordinated manner to ensure their effectiveness,” he said.

On Tuesday, the Commission prepared a draft proposal for the talks, which included a recommendation for the wearing of masks on flights from China, sewage control for aircraft arriving from China, testing at airports, and increased EU vigilance over testing and vaccination.

“This will be reviewed and approved based on input from (EU) member states,” a commission spokesperson said, adding that further talks about the measures would take place at another meeting of EU health officials on Wednesday afternoon.

The European Union is again trying to coordinate on China’s Covid policies

European Union countries will try again on Wednesday to craft a coordinated approach on whether and how to screen airline passengers arriving from China for any new variants of COVID-19 after several member states announced individual efforts over the past week.

Natalie Crockett Jan 4, 2023 00:45

[ad_2]