[ad_1]
A coronavirus vaccine has arrived in UK hospitals to be used for the first time in the battle against the virus in the country, as health officials say many of the most vulnerable will not receive immunization until 2021.
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director, said the vaccine distribution would be a “marathon, not a sprint,” while Chris Hopson, executive director of NHS Providers, said people need to “hang the fire” and be sure you haven’t been forgotten if you haven’t received a letter or phone call about the jab.
“I don’t think people should expect anything in the next few days,” Hopson said, “because the reality is, as I said, that for the vast, vast majority of people this will be done in January, February, March.
“And the one thing we don’t want people to feel anxious or worried about is ‘Where’s my letter?’ in December.”
First doses of Covid vaccine arrive in UK hospitals for largest immunization program in history
Here is the full story of Peter stubley as hospitals across the UK receive their first deliveries of the coronavirus vaccine ahead of the nationwide rollout on Tuesday.
Vincent Wood7 December 2020 09:07
Rudy Giuliani tests positive for coronavirus, Trump announces on Twitter
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, Rudy Giuliani tested positive for Covid-19.
Vincent WoodDecember 7, 2020 8:51 AM
Workers urge the public to take the vaccine when the time comes
Labor shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth:
Vincent WoodDecember 7, 2020 8:36 AM
Talking with your mouth full is inadvisable, scientists say
People should avoid talking while eating at restaurants, the researchers warned after concluding that the coronavirus can be transmitted more than 20 feet away.
More from Peter Stubley below:
Vincent WoodDecember 7, 2020 8:28 AM
The bartender on level 2 shares images of food in the trash as he begs drinkers to only buy pints if they are hungry
A waiter in a level 2 area has urged people to buy pints only if they are hungry, after having to throw away uneaten food.
More from my colleague Chiara Giordano below:
Vincent WoodDecember 07, 2020 08:14
Nottingham market to be closed due to social distancing
Nottingham’s Christmas market will be closed for the rest of the year after it was forced to close amid criticism for a lack of social distancing.
Organizers said they “regret it didn’t work out” after hundreds of people crowded the attraction in Old Market Square on Saturday, prompting angry posts on social media.
Events firm Mellors Group, which operates the Christmas market, said it had to temporarily close the attraction on Sunday, just one day after opening, but later announced that it would be closed for the rest of the year.
In a joint statement with Nottingham City Council, Mellors Group said: “Access control plans were in place to help manage the number of people entering the site at any one time and to monitor this continuously throughout Saturday.
“However, the numbers were too large to implement effectively.”
More on the weekend rush below:
Vincent WoodDecember 07, 2020 08:02
Many won’t get jab until 2021: health officials
People over the age of 80 should not worry if they are not asked for the Covid-19 vaccine this month, as the vast majority will have to wait until the new year to receive the vaccine, a health official said.
Chris Hopson, executive director of NHS Providers, said that people should “hang up the fire” and be sure they have not been forgotten if they have not received a letter or phone call about the jab.
“I don’t think people should expect anything in the next few days because the reality is, as I said, that for the vast, vast, vast majority of people this will be done in January, February, March,” he said.
“And the one thing we don’t want people to feel anxious or worried about is ‘Where’s my letter?’ in December.”
He added: “People really shouldn’t worry if they are over 80 and haven’t received a letter.
“I’m sure there will be communications over the next several weeks that will tell people how fast we are getting over 80, and there will be a lot of communications to say, at the right point, if you haven’t had a letter then you should speak to your doctor. headline, but we are many weeks away from that.
“So like I said, people just need to hang a fire and wait for proactive communication.
“If that hasn’t happened, don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten you, and we will certainly tell you at the point where you should start to worry if you haven’t been contacted, but it will be many, many weeks away.”
Vincent WoodDecember 07, 2020 7:52 AM
Hospitals receive the first deliveries of vaccines
Croydon University Hospital in South London was one of the first hospitals to receive the vaccine over the weekend, with similar scenes playing out across the country before launch.
The UK has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech jab, enough to vaccinate 20 million people as people need two doses.
There are 800,000 doses in the first tranche, which means that 400,000 people will be vaccinated initially.
There are challenges to overcome with vaccinating nursing home residents even though they are at the top of the priority list, and immunizations should be implemented in about a week.
Logistical problems mean there are difficulties in delivering Pfizer’s jab to residents, as it must be stored at minus 70 ° C before thawing and can only be moved up to four times within that cold chain before use.
Vincent WoodDecember 07, 2020 7:42 AM