Covid news - live: New ‘highly infectious’ XBB.1.5 subvariant ‘a wake-up’ call for UK
No signs yet new strain is more ‘virulent or causes more serious illness’
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The “highly infectious” XBB.1.5 Covid subvariant will drive the next wave of the virus in the UK and its rapid spread in other countries should be a “wake-up call”, experts have warned.
Professor Christina Pagel, a member of Independent Sage, a group of scientists working together to give advice to the government, told The Independent that the rapidly spreading variant was both immunosuppressive and highly transmissible – a combination that means it is prime to become dominant in the next wave this winter.
However, “there are no signs it’s [XBB.1.5] more virulent or that it causes more severe illness but it’s the most immunoevasive one so far and its also very transmissible,” Prof Pagel said.
Restrictions on travellers from China kick in
Travellers arriving in England from China will need to produce a negative Covid test from today.
The move was announced last month but kicks in on Thursday amid rising Covid cases in China.
“Tests must have been taken no more than two days before travel,” the Department of Health and Social Care said in a tweet.
New XBB.1.5 variant will drive next wave of virus in UK, experts warn
The “highly infectious” XBB.1.5 Covid subvariant will drive the next wave of the virus in the UK and its rapid spread in other countries should be a “wake-up call”, experts have warned.
The strain has caused a surge of cases in the US, with some experts concerned that its mutations could see it trigger a similar spike in the UK by dodging the wall of immunity built up from previous waves and vaccine rollouts.
My colleague Thomas Kingsley reports:
Covid: New XBB.1.5 variant will drive next wave of virus in UK, experts warn
The subvariant could put further pressure on the NHS already struggling amid backlogs and strikes
429 Covid deaths in third week of December
There were 429 deaths involving Covid in the third week (51) of December, official figures show.
In its latest update on Thursday, the Office for National Statistics said 308 of those deaths had this recorded as the “underlying cause of death”.
This was a “greater proportion” when compared with the previous week (50).
China to open border with Hong Kong for first time in 3 years on Sunday
China will reopen the border with its special administrative region of Hong Kong on Sunday for the first time in three years, as it accelerates the unwinding of stringent Covid rules that have battered its economic growth.
The opening will bring the resumption of quarantine-free travel between the financial hub and the mainland, although it would be done in a "gradual and orderly" way, China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said in a notice on Thursday.
China is set to reopen to the world on Sunday, welcoming international travellers and returning residents without the need to quarantine for the first time since 2020, even as infections surge after it scrapped its COVID curbs.
Short of imposing a city-wide lockdown, Hong Kong closely followed China’s tough zero-COVID policy until the middle of 2022 when it began to ease some of restrictions.
France says Covid situation in China ‘worrying’
China’s Covid-19 outbreak is “worrying”, said French health minister Francois Braun, adding that the pressure on France’s hospitals regarding the virus was easing.
“We’re declining considerably, including with regard to people in hospital, but what’s going on in China is worrying”, Mr Braun told France 2 television.
Sweden to require negative tests from travellers entering country from China
People entering Sweden from China must provide a negative Covid test, it has been announced.
Sweden’s health minister made the announcement on Thursday morning amid a rise in cases in China.
More details to follow shortly.
Germany concerned over new Covid variant
Germany’s federal health minister has expressed concern over the new Covid-19 subvariant linked to the growing number of cases in the US.
The highly contagious Omicron XBB.1.5 variant now makes up more than 40 per cent of cases in the US, according to CDC figures.
“Hopefully we get through the winter before such a variant can spread among us,” health minister Karl Lauterbach said in a tweet.
“We are monitoring whether, and to what extent, XBB.1.5 occurs in Germany.”
China reports one Covid death
Mainland China on Thursday reported one new Covid-19 death, compared to five deaths a day earlier, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said.
The official death toll now stands at 5,259.
Hong Kong residents rush to get vaccinated
Residents in Hong Kong have swarmed clinics to get vaccinated against Covid ahead of the expected reopening of the city’s border with mainland China.
City government centres providing shots produced by BioNTech have in recent days been mostly booked out, with some bookings going up to February. This is in contrast to a few weeks ago when anyone seeking a vaccine could stroll into a nearly empty facility.
“After the opening of the border, I expect there will be more infected people on the streets, I want to reduce my chance of getting infected,” a Hong Kong resident surnamed Wan, 33, who got his fourth shot this week, told Reuters.
NHS fury as patient turns up to A&E complaining of ear wax
A man turned up to an accident and emergency department in the Midlands complaining about ear wax on the day a hospital declared a critical incident, a nurse who works there has said.
Lesley Meaney, a sister at University Hospitals of North Midlands (UNHM), said the patient presented to A&E with “no pain, no discomfort, just eat war wax!”
Earlier on 30 December officials at the trust declared a critical incident, citing “extremely high demand for all of our services.”
Matt Mathers has more.
NHS fury as patient turns up to A&E complaining of ear wax
Patient presents to hospital A&E department on day it declares critical incident
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