Britain today recorded an eight per cent week-on-week rise in Covid cases — even though they are still at levels seen in September before the second wave spiralled out of control.
Department of Health bosses posted another 5,089 positive tests and 64 coronavirus victims. Deaths have fallen by just 1.5 per cent on last Monday’s count.
Cases began to creep upwards last week following a massive spike in Covid tests being carried out because of schools finally being allowed to reopen in England. But the test positivity rate — one of the best ways of tracking the size of the outbreak — has continued to fall.
Surveillance studies tracking the size of Britain’s outbreak also insist it is still shrinking, amid mounting pressure on Boris Johnson from Tory MPs to speed up his cautious lockdown-easing plans.
And with deaths and hospitalisations continuing to fall and the vaccine roll-out expected to drastically pick up pace in the coming days, No10 will inevitably face even louder calls to ease restrictions sooner.
Separate statistics today showed that more than 100million coronavirus swabs have now been processed by NHS Test and Trace, and that almost 24.5million Britons have had their first dose of a Covid vaccine.
It comes as Boris Johnson today mounted a staunch defence of the AstraZeneca vaccine, insisting that the jabs were ‘both safe and effective’ after France, Italy and Germany became the latest EU states to pause its use over unproven blood clot fears.
The EU now looks set to embrace Russia’s Sputnik V Covid jab even as its leaders shun British-made AstraZeneca vaccines. That is despite European regulators, the World Health Organization and the firm itself insisting the two-dose jab is safe.
Britain’s Covid cases have risen eight per cent compared to the same time last week after 5,089 were recorded. It is thought this is linked to mass swabbing in schools, which is picking up more cases. The test positivity rate – a more reliable measure – is still falling in all regions
There were also 64 Covid deaths recorded today, which is down 1.5 per cent on the same time last week
Covid tests have risen recently amid the return of schools, where pupils are being asked to test themselves for the virus twice a week. Although cases have gone up the positivity rate – a more reliable measure of the outbreak – is still falling
Europe is presiding over one of the world’s slowest jabs roll-outs which has left people vulnerable to infection, while the UK has masterminded one of the world’s fastest, with Covid cases and deaths now falling sharply
Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Iceland have suspended their use of AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine over blood clot fears despite health bodies saying there is no link and cases trending upwards – threatening more lockdowns
In another day of Covid developments:
- The EU turned its back on AstraZeneca’s jab over unproven blood clot fears;
- Boris Johnson has defended the vaccine as ‘safe and effective’ – amid growing anger over ‘Brexit revenge’
- Separate data shows two doses of Pfizer or Oxford vaccine give same protection against Covid as catching and recovering from the disease;
- The Prime Minister has reportedly told close aids he ‘accepts he made a mistake in delaying first Covid lockdown last spring’;
- Experts have estimated the delay doubled the death toll during the first wave of the pandemic;
- Studies show Covid is the deadliest disease to hit Britain since the Spanish flu arrived in 1918.
Nicola Sturgeon also defended AstraZeneca’s vaccine today, urging Britons to keep coming forward. She pointed to ‘significant and growing evidence of the benefits’ in terms of saving lives, preventing symptoms and curbing transmission.
France, Italy and Germany today became the latest countries to bring in a pause this afternoon — following the lead of Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Bulgaria.
Berlin’s Health Ministry said the move was a ‘precaution’, while French President Emmanuel Macron and Italy’s medicines agency revealed they would wait for the European Medicines Agency’s final decision on the safety of the vaccine tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Italy — which has already suspended use of a particular batch of AZ jabs — will begin a new lockdown today, Paris is facing tighter measures as cases overwhelm hospitals, and German ICU doctors say an ‘immediate’ return to lockdown is necessary.
Covid cases are also rising sharply in countries such as Sweden, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and non-EU member Serbia as experts warn that a third wave has begun.
Tory MPs said the chaotic situation underlined the failure of the EU to protect its citizens, and suggested political leaders were attacking the AstraZeneca vaccine as a smokescreen while the UK’s roll-out forges ahead. Former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson accused the bloc of running a scare-mongering campaign against the vaccine, saying the EU launched a ‘fake news’ drive after it had bungling its orders for the jab.
On a visit in Coventry, Mr Johnson said the UK had ‘one of the toughest and most experienced regulators in the world’.
‘They see no reason at all to discontinue the vaccination programme… they believe that they are effective, highly effective in driving down not just hospitalisations but also serious disease and mortality. We continue to be very confident about the programme.’
And at her daily briefing this afternoon, Ms Sturgeon said the MRHA watchdog had confirmed ‘there is no current evidence of an increase in blood clots being caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine’.
‘There is, however, significant and growing evidence of the benefits of vaccination reducing death, illness and we hope now reducing transmission as well,’ she said.
‘For all these reasons and based on the advice and opinion of the MRHA, I’d continue to urge people to come forward for vaccination including with the AstraZeneca vaccine when you are invited to do so.’
Britain’s top scientists also leapt to the defence of the country’s staple Covid jab today, saying it was ‘reckless’ to stop using the vaccine and that the risk of catching the disease – which kills around one in 200 people and is more likely to cause blood clots – was much higher.
European factories are gearing up to produce Russia’s coronavirus vaccine as regulators move closer to approving it in the hopes of speeding up the continent’s shambolic roll-out.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s Direct Investment Fund which bank-rolled the Sputnik V jab, said today it has reached agreements with Italy, Spain, France and Germany to begin making the jab.
Boris Johnson (pictured on a visit to a National Express depot in Coventry today) mounted a staunch defence of the AstraZeneca vaccine after the Netherlands and Ireland became the latest EU states to pause its use
Many EU countries are seeing cases rise again with vaccines still coming too slowly to protect large chunks of the population against sickness and death