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First British patient to be vaccinated receives a second dose
Three weeks ago, Margaret Keenan was the first person in Britain to be vaccinated against the coronavirus; now, the 91-year-old woman received the second dose of the drug. The woman received the vaccine on Tuesday in the central English city of Coventry.
Two doses per person are required for full protection from the vaccine. “It’s great to see Margaret Keenan receive her second dose of the Pfizer Biontech corona vaccine,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted. “We will come out of this pandemic together.”
SNB Report: Good Scores for Covid-19 Loan Program
The federal crown credit program has achieved its objectives. This is the conclusion of a study by the Swiss National Bank (SNB). As a result, the program reached the desired companies without increasingly attracting so-called zombie companies.
SNB economists count among the zombie companies those companies that have low profitability and are heavily indebted, according to a working document., The link opens in a new window to write. If federal support programs help these companies survive, this can have undesirable consequences: These companies freeze resources that can be better used for more productive activities.
The secured loans were used primarily by companies that were hit hard by the lockdown in the first place or are active in a region with a high caseload and, second, had less liquid funds. The program also reached young and small businesses that were more exposed to the financial consequences of the pandemic.
This indicates that the program has been successful in terms of its objectives, according to SNB economists. It has reached companies for which access to external financing options is often more difficult, especially in a crisis.
Kamala Harris also got vaccinated
After several other high-ranking politicians, future US Vice President Kamala Harris was vaccinated against the corona virus in front of the cameras. Harris received his first dose of the Moderna vaccine in the US capital, Washington, on Tuesday. A second dose will follow later.
“I encourage everyone to get vaccinated,” Harris said after the vaccination. “He is saved.” You trust the scientists. “It’s about saving lives,” he warned. Vaccines are about your own life, but also about the life of your own family and the community around you.
UK Health Authority: “Development is extremely worrying”
New corona infections in Britain continue to rise sharply. Today the authorities registered a record of 53,135 new cases. Just on Monday they reported the largest daily increase since the start of the pandemic, with 41,385 new infections. The rate per 100,000 inhabitants rose to 381.5.
Britain is one of the countries in Europe most affected by the Crown crisis. So far, nearly 2.4 million people across the country have been infected with the virus, tens of thousands have died with or from the Covid-19 lung disease.
Public Health England calls the development “extremely worrying”.
The canton of Vaud starts the vaccination campaign on Wednesday
The canton of Vaud begins the vaccination campaign against the corona virus this Wednesday instead of January 11 as originally planned. The government announced.
Mobile vaccination teams will first vaccinate residents of nursing homes and nursing homes and the staff there. In a second phase, particularly vulnerable people who do not live in households are vaccinated, including those aged 75 years and over.
The first vaccination centers for these people will be installed from January 11 at the University Hospital (Chuv) in Lausanne and at the Morges Hospital. In January, more vaccination centers will be established in other regions of the canton.
The Zug ski lifts can be operational again from December 30
The Zug governing council gives the green light: the canton’s ski lifts can be operational again on December 30. An effective protection concept is a prerequisite for the issuance of a permit.
Whether the individual ski lifts are in operation again can be found on the relevant website, as announced by the health department. The governing council closed the ski resorts on December 22. You have now reassessed the situation.
Due to the fact that the epidemiological situation continues to be tense, the health director calls on the population to behave with caution in general and especially on the slopes and to constantly adhere to the concepts of protection, as well as the rules of distance and hygiene.
EU buys another 100 million doses of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines
The European Union purchases an additional 100 million doses of vaccines from Pfizer / BioNTech. “We will have more than 300 million doses of this vaccine, which has been classified as safe and effective,” writes the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Twitter.
At first, it doesn’t say when the additional vaccine will be available. The EU initially bought 200 million cans in November with an option for an additional 100 million.
The first 130 citizens of Freiburg are vaccinated
The vaccination campaign in the canton of Friborg began with a vaccination campaign at the Cottens nursing home. 92 residents and around 40 employees received the first dose of vaccination, as announced by the Directorate of Health and Social Affairs.
The mobile teams will visit eight nursing homes across the canton before the end of the year. Doctors and pharmacists should also administer vaccines as soon as the type and number of doses of vaccine available allow. In addition, two vaccination centers in Freiburg and Bulle will be operational from January 18.
First vaccinations at the Solothurn nursing home, before the official vaccination begins
The first vaccination doses for the Covid 19 vaccine have arrived in the canton. The Canton of Solothurn reports that initially the vaccine is only available to a very limited extent. First, they want to carry out vaccines throughout the canton in homes for the elderly and the elderly. At the Solothurn vaccination center, people over 75 and high-risk patients are vaccinated. People under 75 years of age who belong to a high-risk group should first go to their family doctor and be referred by him.
The first vaccination campaigns were carried out even before the official vaccination started on January 4: “Mobile vaccination teams in nursing homes and nursing homes will start in the afternoon at the Passwang nursing home and retirement home in Breitenbach “writes the State Chancellery.
Cases of the mutated virus in Graubünden
A second case of mutated virus has been detected in Graubünden. That’s what the canton doctor Marina Jamnicki said on Romansh radio RTR. Specifically, these are two people known to the Graubünden health authorities to carry this mutated virus. The two people are related, but they came to Switzerland and Graubünden from different countries. Therefore, experts assume that they were not infected in the same place.
Thanks for your attention
The federal press conference is over. Thank you very much for your attention and we will keep you updated on our ticker.
Register for vaccination even without a computer?
What do people who do not have a computer do to register for vaccination, was the final question of a journalist?
Thanks Nartey for the important question, one is aware of the problem. It is a priority that older people have access to vaccines. The cantons would work on that. There are hotlines for these highly motivated people who can take care of the matter.
Open ski areas: does it make sense?
A question about the ski areas. Many would reopen with reference to the R value. Ackermann says the number of cases should be reduced quickly. The risk of infection is small on the slopes, but otherwise there is a high risk of infection there. Mathys adds: “It is a cantonal decision.” He did not know on what basis the cantons had decided, but he was convinced that the cantons had given it careful thought.
Is a rapid vaccination possible due to the mutated virus?
Is there scope to speed up vaccinations as the UK is doing with the new variant of the virus? And will more sequencing be done to identify the virus variant?
Mathys explains that vaccines can only be increased if another vaccine is available. “We have to manage what we have at the moment.”
Regarding sequencing: About 1 percent of positive results are sequenced. This is a time consuming process and takes up to three days. But they want to increase that. It remains to be seen where the limits are. Ackermann adds that it is important that the sequences are also combined with information about the course of the disease, to gain more insight. Data protection is problematic.
A journalist wants to know everything that is known about the mutated virus. In Africa, for example, more young people are said to be infected. Ackermann says there are no confirmed findings yet.
Are vaccinated people registered?
A question about vaccination. “How do you do that? Who has the data?” Linda Nartey emphasizes that administrative tasks should be easy for everyone. For example, you should be able to schedule an appointment online. But data protection is very important and is also taken seriously.
Stand beim Follow up contacts?
Still needs more resources for contact tracing, says canton doctor Nartey, Droz adds that the army is not destined for this, but would be ready for action if asked.
There is no vaccination record in Switzerland
A journalist wants to know if Switzerland, like Spain, will introduce a record that shows who is vaccinated and who is not. “No, that will not happen in Switzerland.”
British missing
Mathys cannot say how many British there are in Switzerland, only how many have entered Switzerland since December 14, that is, about 8000. But he cannot give figures on the British found or those who are in quarantine, the cantons are responsible for that. Regarding a bus for a Briton who bragged about his escape from Switzerland on social media, Mathys says it is difficult to enforce.
Brings the R-value below 0.8
A question for Mr. Ackermann. The R-value must fall below 0.8. “Are the current measures sufficient?” He says that it is not easy to answer. But western Switzerland has shown that these measures can reduce the value.
Do you sue the Federal Council?
What contributions does the working group want to give to the Federal Council for its meeting on Wednesday? Mathys considers it necessary for travel conditions to be coordinated throughout Europe. It does not make any recommendations to the Federal Council. Nor could he say what decisions the government will make tomorrow.
