Covid news - live: New drugs that ‘significantly’ reduce risk of death rolled out as daily UK fatalities pass 1,000 again
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Almost 1.5 million people have now been vaccinated against Covid-19 and everyone in care homes should receive a jab by the end of January, Boris Johnson says.
But GPs are warning of problems in some areas getting supplies as surgeries began rolling out the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, beginning the largest vaccination programme in the history of the NHS.
A further 1,162 deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, the second-highest daily increase since the start of the outbreak. And coronavirus cases in England rose by almost a quarter over Christmas according to the latest Test and Trace data.
NHS hospitals across the country have been told to start vaccinating frontline health and care workers immediately, and seven mass vaccination centres will open next week, in London, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Surrey and Stevenage.
But an official briefing has warned hospitals in London are on the verge of being overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases even under the “best case” scenario, leaving the capital short of nearly 2,000 general and acute and intensive care beds by 19 January.
Meanwhile critically ill Covid-19 patients admitted to intensive care units across the UK will be able to receive new drugs that can "significantly" reduce the risk of death as well as time spent in hospital by up to 10 days.
NHS patients will have access to tocilizumab and sarilumab - which are typically used to treat rheumatoid arthritis - under updated guidance due to be issued tomorrow by the Government and the NHS to Trusts across the UK.
GP surgeries to administer Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine
GP surgeries in England will begin administering the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine today as the UK races to protect its population from the coronavirus.
It is hoped that more than 700 sites will be delivering vaccines by the end of the week, with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine easier to administer given it can be stored at fridge temperatures, unlike the Pfizer jab which requires storage at -70C.
Seven mass vaccination centres will open next week in London, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Surrey and Stevenage.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi admitted the target of vaccinating around 14 million people in the highest priority groups - including the elderly, those with clinical needs, care home residents and staff as well as frontline NHS workers - by February 15 was "stretching".
Some 1.3 million people have already received either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Oxford/AstraZeneca jab.
Hospital situation ‘definitely worse than first wave,’ consultant warns
A London consultant has warned that the situation facing hospitals is "definitely worse than the first wave" as the capital grapples with a surge of coronavirus cases.
Intensive care professor Rupert Pearse told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It is definitely worse than the first wave and proving much harder to deal with now as the resources we had in the first wave aren't available to us.
"So we're really struggling to provide the quality of patient care that we think patients deserve. And the impact of the pandemic is taking care away from other illnesses such as cancer and heart disease."
Mr Pearse said the NHS could be overwhelmed within two weeks with the potential for a "catastrophic" effect on the nation's healthcare if the lockdown is not taken seriously.
“We would normally want one fully trained intensive care nurse per intensive care patient, right now we're down to one nurse to three and filling those gaps with untrained staff," he said.
"And we're now faced with diluting that even further to one in four and as intensive care doctors we're not sure how together we can deliver the quality of care we need to.
"The problem's not just in London, the problem's now spreading across the UK."
Neither is the problem confined to intensive care, he said, with respiratory wards, geriatric wards and primary care affected.
Asked if he believes the health service could be overwhelmed within two weeks, he said: "I never thought in my entire career that I might say something like this but yes I do.
"Unless we take the lockdown seriously the impact on healthcare for the whole country could be catastrophic. And I don't say those words lightly."
‘This is our normal way of life now,’ home secretary says
The home secretary, Priti Patel, has acknowledged that new coronavirus regulations had restricted people's freedoms "in an unprecedented way" but urged people to comply with them.
"This is our normal way of life now," she said, speaking on LBC.
"Everyone will acknowledge and recognise that this pandemic has taken away so many of our freedoms.
"I absolutely believe in freedom and liberty, that is fundamental to our democracy.
"However, these restrictions are in place for a reason, we are in a global pandemic and we're seeing coronavirus rise.
"This is a fundamental shift. Our freedoms have been taken away, restricted in an unprecedented way but at the same time we must reflect on the situation we are in.
"We want to save lives. People are dying."
Police forces stepping up enforcement of regulations but with ‘stretched’ resources
Police forces stepping up the enforcement of coronavirus regulations have "stretched" resources, according to Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC).
The Metropolitan Police has said officers will now be more "inquisitive" of people's behaviour and be quicker to act to engage rulebreakers, and Mr Hewitt said police forces around the country would take similar approaches.
Asked on BBC Breakfast whether there were enough resources to accommodate the new approach, he said: "Of course this has stretched us, there's no two ways (about it), we've been at this for 10 months.
"Alongside this the police are also doing all the normal roles the police do to keep people safe so there's no doubt this has stretched out resources and of course our people are tired in the way that everybody is tired.
"This has been really difficult and I don't make any bones around that."
Mr Hewitt said that police resources were not "limitless" and officers continued to prioritise their work, adding that it was "really, really important" people followed the government guidance.
Hospitals seeking spare beds from care and nursing home sector
Hospital bosses are seeking capacity from the care and nursing home sector as hospital beds fill up amid a coronavirus surge, the chief executive of NHS Providers said.
Chris Hopson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "This is escalating really quickly. We've seen 5,000 new patients in hospital beds with Covid-19 over the past week - that's 10 full hospitals' worth of Covid patients in hospitals in just seven days, so it's a really big challenge.
"We are now reaching the point in some places where hospital beds are full, community beds are full and community at home services are also full.
"What trust leaders are trying to do is they know there is some spare capacity in the care and nursing home sector and they're in the middle of conversation with care and nursing home colleagues to see if they can access that capacity.
"It's literally leaving no stone unturned to maximise every single piece of capacity we've got in those areas under real pressure."
He said the Exeter and Manchester Nightingale hospitals are currently being used but said the Nightingales are the "last resort insurance policy" as they are not "purpose built for health and care" and require the diversion of staff.
Good morning and welcome to the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic as an official briefing warns hospitals in London are on the verge of being overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases even under the “best case” scenario, as the UK’s daily reported death toll topped 1,000.
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