Covid News Live – Latest Updates As Level 4 Restrictions Spread To Millions

Labor Vice Leader Angela Rayner tweeted: “Once again, utter confusion in the schools.

“Does the secretary of education know that many students go to school in a different district than where they live?

“When will teachers and school staff be vaccinated? When will mass testing be done in schools? A complete and utter failure.”

Ireland’s Prime Minister, Micheal Martin, has announced that the country “must revert to full-scale Level 5 restrictions for at least one month.”

Addressing the nation, the Taoiseach described the situation as “extremely dire”.

“The numbers will deteriorate even more in the coming days,” he said.

“With the presence of the new strain and the rate of growth, this is not a time for nuances in our response.

“We must apply the brakes to movement and physical interaction across the country.

“We must revert to Level 5 restrictions on a large scale for a period of at least one month.”

additional restrictions will apply from tonight.

The restrictions include:

-No visitors in private homes or gardens unless they are providing care to children or the elderly or vulnerable people, or they are part of a support bubble.

-No social or family gatherings should be held in any setting, with an exemption for weddings with up to six guests and funerals with up to 10 mourners.

Micheal Martin continued: “You must stay home except to travel for work, education or other essential purposes, or to exercise within 5 km of your home.

“All non-essential retail stores and gyms will close tomorrow at close of business.”

Meanwhile, schools will reopen on January 11, extending the Christmas break by three days.

Professor Van-Tam said it would take up to two weeks for scientists to confirm that the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines were effective against the new variant of Covid-19.

How strong is the evidence that schools are one of the main causes of the spread of this virus?

When asked about the potential for a ’24/7′ vaccine launch, Stephen Powis, England’s NHS Medical Director, said: ‘We are working on the NHS to get things done as quickly as possible.

“We need the supplies to come from the manufacturers …

“These are still unlicensed products, remember that they have an emergency authorization, so it is important that we do this correctly according to the rules. But we are going as fast as we can.”

Professor Van-Tam said it was an NHS affair, but added: “My appeal to the whole system is that we must go as fast as the speed of supplies.

“In other words, as quickly as the lots are landed and released, we should use them.

“There shouldn’t be any stock kept in a room or fridge somewhere waiting to go out, it should come out as soon as possible, we have to have that ambition.”

The prime minister added: “The factor limiting the rate at the moment is supply and not distribution, I think it would be fair to say.”

Responding to the fact that 78 per cent of the country would enter level 4 as of tomorrow, Professor Van Tam said: “Unfortunately, it is a rather bleak and depressing outlook at the moment.”

He added that the NHS had yet to see the impact of the mix during the festive period.

“The situation in the UK is already precarious in many parts, the South East and London,” he said.

“The NHS almost certainly has yet to see the impact of the infections that will have occurred during the mix on Christmas Day and that, sadly, is also quite sobering.”

Professor Van Tam added that the public “had just done their part to bring us back from this dangerous situation.”

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, and Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England National Medical Director, have urged people to avoid gathering for the holidays tomorrow night.

“We know it’s the end of the year, it’s a time when people traditionally want to celebrate,” Powis said.

“It is absolutely vital that, this year, everyone follows the lead and stays home and doesn’t mix.”

He added: “We can all participate in the fight against this terrible virus.

“Covid loves crowds, so save the holidays for later in the year.”

Rules, they say, are made to be broken, and if this year has taught us anything, it is that even in the midst of a global health crisis, some people will look to measures designed to keep them and their loved ones safe and decide that the rules they do not apply at all to them.

Violations of coronavirus regulations have been many, varied, and often quite amusing. I mean: if you hadn’t laughed at some of them, you definitely could have spent the last nine months crying.

But what has been the most flagrant? What excuse to go to a northern pub / party / beauty has been the most ridiculous? If the confinements have been the state that has effectively grounded us all, who were the most absurd attempts to metaphorically escape through his bedroom windows?

Boris Johnson is holding a press conference in Downing Street outlining the latest Covid restrictions and school closures.

The prime minister said: “We are still in the tunnel of this pandemic, but the light is not only visible, but thanks to a feat of British engineering, the tunnel has been shortened.”

He added: “All of these measures are ultimately designed to save lives and protect the NHS. For that very reason, I must ask you to follow the rule where you will live tomorrow night and see the new year safely at home.

“That means not meeting friends or family indoors unless in the same home or bubble of support and avoiding large gatherings of any kind.”

The government has released the full list of areas where elementary schools will not open on Monday:

or Hammersmith and Fulham

o Kensington and Chelsea

o Tonbridge and Malling

It is understood that in the areas listed many high schools will not reopen on January 18, as they must do so across the country.