Covid news – live: WHO recommends Oxford vaccine as Boris Johnson urges missing two million people to get jab
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Your support makes all the difference.Prime minister Boris Johnson has urged two million people in the top four most vulnerable groups to take up the offer of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Speaking at the Downing Street conference on Wednesday evening, he said: "There's no doubt we've made great strides, with just over 13 million people now vaccinated in our United Kingdom, including one in four adults in England, over 90 per cent of everyone over 75 and over 90 per cent of eligible residents of care homes for the elderly.
"But that still leaves nearly two million people, a population roughly twice the size of Birmingham, that we still hope to reach.
"Now is the moment to do it."
It comes as scientists advising the World Health Organisation (WHO) have recommended the use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for all adults.
The WHO's recommendation for the Oxford jab to be used across all adult age groups has been hailed as "important milestone in extending access to the Oxford-AZ vaccine to all corners of the world" by scientists.
Travel chiefs angry after Shapps warned against booking holidays
The travel industry is angry at the transport secretary's warning that holidays this year will depend on everyone having a vaccination, writes Simon Calder:
Travel industry fury at warning of ‘no holidays until everyone is vaccinated’
Exclusive: Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive at Advantage Travel Partnership, calls Grant Shapps ‘misguided’
Newly discovered symptoms include chills, loss of appetite and headache
Chills, a loss of appetite, headaches and muscle aches could be additional symptoms of the virus, a study suggests.
This is in addition to the classic symptoms - losing your sense of smell and taste, a fever and a new persistent cough.
A study of more than a million people in England revealed the extra symptoms, based on swab tests and questionnaires collected between June and last month, as part of the Imperial College London-led React study.
Having any of the other symptoms or the classic ones, either alone or in combination, was linked with infection with Covid-19, and the more symptoms people showed, the more likely they were to test positive.
But around 60 per cent of infected people did not report any symptoms in the week leading up to their test.
While chills were linked with testing positive across all ages, headaches were reported in young people aged five to 17 and appetite loss was reported more in 18-54-year-olds and those aged 55 and over.
Muscle aches were mostly reported in people aged 18 to 54.
Infected five- to 17-year-olds were also less likely to report fever, a persistent cough and appetite loss compared with adults, according to the study.
Covid will be with us for decades, says professor
A professor of medicine says Covid-19 will be "with us for decades from now on".
Paul Hunter, of the University of East Anglia, told Radio 4's The World At One: "Complete eradication is an unachievable goal, in my view and in the view of many epidemiologists, and in the view of the World Health Organisation.
"This virus is going to be with us for decades from now on. The issue is protecting the people who are most vulnerable initially.
"There is a problem though: not everybody who is vulnerable is having the vaccine, and so what do we do to protect those people who have declined the vaccine or haven't had the vaccine and still are vulnerable?
"Do we as a society need to still keep some sort of restrictions in place to help protect them?"
Heineken to cut 8,000 jobs as Covid lockdowns hammer sales
Beer giant Heineken is to slash 8,000 jobs around the world after sales plunged sharply following the closure of pubs and bars during global lockdowns, Adam Forrest reports.
The Dutch brewer said it will axe almost 10 per cent of its 85,000 staff as part of its efforts to save £1.75bn over the next two years.
Heineken to cut 8,000 jobs as Covid lockdowns hammer sales
Beer giant says UK’s vaccination programme ‘light at end of tunnel’ for pub reopenings
Coronaviruses linked to Covid-19 circulating in bats and pangolins in Southeast Asia, study finds
Coronaviruses similar to that which causes Covid-19 may be circulating in bats and pangolins in Southeast Asia, a study has found, Tom Batchelor reports.
In a breakthrough that provides clues for those investigating the origin of the pandemic, scientists said high levels of neutralising antibodies against coronaviruses were present in the animals in Thailand.
Coronaviruses linked to Covid-19 circulating in bats and pangolins in Southeast Asia, study finds
Scientists provide clues for those hunting origin of pandemic
WHO recommends Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine for all adults
Scientists advising the World Health Organisation have recommended the use of the Oxford/AstraZenecaCovid-19 vaccine in all adults.
WHO recommends Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine for all adults
Scientists advising the World Health Organisation have recommended the use of the Oxford/AstraZenecaCovid-19 vaccine in all adults.
Boris Johnson will lead a Downing Street press conference on coronavirus at 5pm this afternoon.
The prime minister will be joined by the government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance.
Senior Tory accuses government of ‘ripping out’ goalposts on Covid restrictions
Boris Johnson has been urged to “get a grip” of his cabinet ministers as a senior Conservative MP accused them of “ripping out” the goalposts on the timetable for easing coronavirus restrictions, political correspondent Ashley Cowburn reports.
Expressing frustration at recent announcements regarding travel, the vice-chair of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers Sir Charles Walker accused both Matt Hancock and Grant Shapps of unacceptable behaviour.
Senior Tory accuses government of ‘ripping out’ goalposts on Covid restrictions
'It is just not acceptable behaviour,' says vice-chair of 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers
UK records 1,001 more coronavirus deaths
Official figures show the UK has recorded a further 1,001 coronavirus deaths and 13,013 more lab-confirmed positive Covid-19 cases on Wednesday.
Get the breaking news:
UK records 1,001 more coronavirus deaths
Latest figures from the government have said a further 1,001 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday.
Students climb out windows as police break up ‘very large’ party in Lancaster
Students have escaped through windows as officers broke up a “really large” party in breach of coronavirus regulations at the weekend, said police.
Nearly 40 people were fined after police came across the event in student accommodation in Lancaster in the early hours of Saturday, reports my colleague Zoe Tidman.
Read the full story below:
Students climb out windows as police break up ‘very large’ party in Lancaster
Up to 70 people were found at gathering, deputy chief constable says
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