Covid news: Johnson hints at tighter border rules and says new variant could be more deadly

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People with Covid could be paid £500 (PA)

Boris Johnson has hinted that the government may have to introduce more border restrictions to stop new variants of Covid-19 from spreading in the UK.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Friday afternoon, the prime minister warned “we may have to go further”.

It comes amid warnings that a new variant of the virus from South Africa could be more resistant to existing vaccines and also more virulent.

Mr Johnson said briefing the most common variant spreading in the UK appears to be more deadly than the original virus.   

There is evidence that it “may be associated with a higher degree of mortality” among those infected, he told the briefing.

It is believed that scientists have found 1.3-fold increased risk of death compared with the old variant of coronavirus.

Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK’s chief scientific adviser, said: “Instead of ten in every 1,000 people in their 60s with Covid passing away, 13 or 14 people “might be expected to die.”

• Lockdown could last until summer, No 10 warns as experts warn relaxation of rules could trigger new Covid wave
• Coronavirus: Government ‘could pay £500 to everyone who tests positive’ to encourage self-isolation
• Coronavirus: Vaccine rationed to north amid national supply issues, reports say

Key Points

• Boris Johnson hints at tougher border rules
• New variant more deadly, Boris Johnson warns, but vaccines ‘remain effective’
• European Commission probed by Ombudsman over vaccine contract transparency
• Ministers must tighten ‘flexible’ rules and stop blaming public for high Covid rates, scientists say
• Expert warns against reading R number as ‘firm evidence lockdown has been successful’
• Daily death toll likely to peak in next 10 days, scientist says
• PM will face ‘mother of all arguments’ over lockdown next month, Sage member says
• Regional breakdown of NHS England vaccination figures

[22 January 2021 20:20 · Chiara Giordano]

Ireland and UK hold talks on ‘two-island’ mandatory quarantining solution

Talks are ongoing between the UK and Ireland to find a "two-island" solution to mandatory quarantining, taoiseach Micheal Martin has confirmed.

Mr Martin said Ireland's health minister Stephen Donnelly had been talking to UK health secretary Matt Hancock about the matter.

However, Mr Martin added that Ireland was "not in a position to seal the border".

The taoiseach made the comments in response to calls for the government to introduce mandatory quarantining.

The deputy chief medical officer said mandatory quarantine should be introduced for people coming into Ireland.

[22 January 2021 20:35 · Chiara Giordano]

Prime minister’s press secretary reportedly self-isolating

The prime minister’s press secretary Allegra Stratton is reportedly self-isolating, according to MailOnline.

It is not clear whether Ms Stratton has tested positive or has come into contact with someone else who has contracted coronavirus.

[22 January 2021 20:50 · Chiara Giordano]

Urgent cancer operations rescheduled in Northern Ireland

Urgent cancer operations which were cancelled in Northern Ireland earlier this week have been rescheduled, the health service has said.

Some 275 people had procedures scrapped in one week as medics focused on tackling the pandemic.

A regional approach is being adopted to services and an extra 100 military personnel drafted in to support nurses tackling Covid-19.

Health minister Robin Swann recently outlined plans to maintain the most urgent non-Covid care.

Many people will have to travel beyond their health trust area to receive treatment.

[22 January 2021 21:05 · Chiara Giordano]

AstraZeneca to cut EU’s Covid vaccine deliveries by 60%

AstraZeneca has told European Union officials it will cut deliveries of its Covid vaccine to the bloc by 60 per cent to 31 million doses in the first quarter of the year due to production problems, a senior official told Reuters.

The company was expected to deliver about 80 million doses to the 27 EU countries by the end of March, the official who was involved in the talks said.

It had also agreed to deliver more than 80 million doses in the second quarter, but was today unable to indicate delivery targets for the April-June period due to the production issues, the official said.

The company reportedly said the cut was due to production problems at a vaccine factory in Belgium run by its partner Novasep.

[22 January 2021 21:20 · Chiara Giordano]

Hungary becomes first EU country to buy Russia’s Covid vaccine

Hungary has become the first EU member state to sign a deal for Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, acquiring 2 million doses.

Foreign minister Péter Szijjártó made the announcement at a press conference in Moscow following trade talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov but did not say how much the arrangement would end up costing Budapest.

Joe Sommerlad has more details below:

[22 January 2021 21:46 · Chiara Giordano]

Portugal identifies first case of South African variant

The first case of the South African coronavirus variant was identified in Portugal today, national health institute Ricardo Jorge revealed as the country struggles to contain a crippling surge in cases partially blamed on the rapid spread of the British variant.

"We are undergoing due process to rapidly test and interrupt this potential chain of transmission," the Ricardo Jorge Institute told Lusa news agency. It did not say where in Portugal the strain was detected.

[22 January 2021 21:55 · Chiara Giordano]

More than 100 National Guard test positive for coronavirus after Biden inauguration

Between 100 and 200 National Guard deployed to Washington DC to provide security for President Joe Biden's inauguration have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a US official.

The official, speaking to Reuters news agency on the condition of anonymity, said the number could rise but was still a small percentage of the more than 25,000 troops that were in city over the past few days.

[22 January 2021 22:05 · Chiara Giordano]

Tributes to ‘completely fearless’ police officer who died after contracting Covid

Tributes have been paid to a "completely fearless" police officer and father-of-two who died after testing positive for Covid-19.

Police constable Abbasuddin Ahmed, 40, was a serving officer on the Trafford district for Greater Manchester Police (GMP).

He died in hospital on Thursday afternoon, having tested positive for the virus in December, the force said.

The officer, known as Abbas or Abs, joined GMP in March 2017 but had been away from the front line during the pandemic, instead working from home "to look after his health".

The force said the officer was described by colleagues on the Stretford Response Team as "the greatest brother in and out of work" and "such a lovely man who was never seen without a smile on his face".