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Main article: Priority for NHS workers and the elderly
Hello, Warren Murray with the morning announcements.
Mass immunization against the coronavirus will begin next week, Boris Johnson has announced, and Britain is set to receive its first 800,000 doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech version from the factory in Belgium following approval by UK health authorities.
Nursing home residents and their caregivers have the highest priority for vaccination, but NHS workers are likely to be the first to receive it, along with older patients in hospitals, who are better equipped to meet the requirements of cold storage. Here’s how the larger rollout could take place in the coming months. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said that 50 hospitals are ready to administer the first injections and that specialized vaccination centers are being established. Across the UK it has bought 40 million doses of Pfizer. Johnson said it was important to avoid “over-optimism” and that the public should continue to abide by the restrictions.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that do-not-resuscitate orders were wrongly placed on some nursing home residents during the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to potentially preventable deaths. England’s Quality of Care Commission (CQC) also warns that some “inappropriate” orders, known as DNACPR, may remain in place and all care providers are asked to verify their consent with the person concerned. The CQC cited reports that care providers and staff had expressed concern that GPs “put general DNACPRs in nursing homes.” The findings have led to a broader investigation into the problem, which will be reported in early 2021. It will examine practice in seven NHS areas: Birmingham and Solihull, Bristol and North Somerset, Cambridge and Peterborough, Morecambe Bay, Sheffield, Greenwich, and East Surrey. It will focus on the experience of older people and people with learning disabilities or autism.
Headstart for the 2021 exams – Students from England attending GCSE and A-level exams next summer will be notified in advance about topics and allowed to take exam aids, including formula sheets, to help mitigate the learning disruption caused for the pandemic. Contingency assignments in each subject will be available to students who have to miss exams for reasons related to Covid, to take in July. Teacher-informed assessment will be relied upon only in the most extreme cases. At universities in England, students will be asked to stay home after Christmas and study online at the start of the new year. The government wants students to stagger their trips back to campus for five weeks starting on January 4, 2021, and all are expected to return to college by February 7, and coronavirus testing is available to all. returning students. Medical students and those in practical courses that require face-to-face teaching will be prioritized for an early return.
‘I would have kept the baby’ – Women are having abortions because the two-child limit on benefits means they won’t be able to support a third child. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service said that more than half of the women surveyed who had an abortion during the pandemic cited the limit as an important factor. One mother told BPAS: “If there was not a limit of two children, I would have kept the baby, but I could not afford to feed and clothe him … I have really had trouble accepting my decision.” The limit prohibits parents from claiming tax credits or universal credit for the third child or subsequent children born after April 6, 2017. Loss of benefits is worth £ 2,900 per child per year. Although the policy was purportedly introduced to force unemployed families to make the same financial decisions as those with jobs, government data shows that nearly three in five affected households have at least one working adult. Studies have found that capped families reduce their consumption of food, medicine, heating, and clothing.
CIA agent killed in Somali attack – It emerged that a CIA officer was killed during a failed raid in Somalia in November that targeted a key extremist, believed to be responsible for an attack that killed an American soldier in Kenya in 2019. Jason Burke writes that the officer he was sent with Somalia and US Special Forces to Gendershe, about 30 miles southwest of Mogadishu. He was killed when extremist al-Shabaab fighters detonated a car bomb. One of the targets was Abdullahi Osman Mohamed, also known as “Engineer Ismail”, an expert bomb maker believed to be responsible for many of the powerful devices that have killed hundreds of civilians in Somalia in recent years. Mohamed was recently listed by the US government as a “specially designated global terrorist.” The identity of the American officer is unknown, but the New York Times reported that he was a member of the CIA paramilitary division and a former Navy Seal. The CIA declined to comment.
Livestock exports will cease – The UK will become the first country in Europe to ban the export of slaughter cattle. The government is due to reveal the plans today ahead of an eight-week consultation in England and Wales, which is expected to be followed by discussions with Scotland. Poultry exports appear ready to continue: Defra said: “The measure on live animal exports will not affect exports of poultry or exports for breeding purposes.” The UK exports tens of millions of chicks a year in an industry worth £ 139 million in 2018. Live animal exports also appear to continue from Northern Ireland, which “will continue to comply with EU legislation on animal welfare in transport. for as long as the Northern Ireland protocol is in force, ”according to Defra.
Eat Christmas leaves – A young koala climbed onto an Australian family’s Christmas tree, knocked over decorations and tried to eat its plastic leaves. The Adelaide McCormicks returned home from a field trip to find him tangled in the Christmas lights.
“We’ve had them in our trees before, but not inside our Christmas tree … It must have come in when the doors were open, it would have been in our house for at least three hours.” An animal rescue charity arrived and took the koala to safety.
Podcast Today in Focus: Poland’s war for abortion rights
An attempt by the authorities to impose a near-total ban on abortions has sparked mass demonstrations across Poland. Academic Agnieszka Graff, lawyer Karolina Więckiewicz and gynecologist Anna Parzyńska talk with Anushka Asthana.
Poland’s war for abortion rights
At lunchtime it reads: ‘Singing and dancing until death’
In 1971, an Old Firm derby at Ibrox ended with the deaths of 66 fans celebrating a late goal. John Hodgman survived the terrifying infatuation and, 50 years later, asks how the Rangers avoided taking responsibility.
Sport
Ole Gunnar Solskjær admitted that he considered replacing Fred before the Brazilian was sent off in Manchester United’s 3-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain at Old Trafford, jeopardizing his hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. . Olivier Giroud scored all four goals in Chelsea’s 4-0 win in Seville to confirm themselves as group winners. Stéphanie Frappart made Champions League history when she became the first woman to referee a match in the men’s competition by taking over Juventus’ 3-0 home win over Dynamo Kyiv.
Anthony Joshua would consider fighting Tyson Fury for less money next year if he ensured that an anticipated heavyweight unification world title fight between the two reigning champions can take place in Great Britain. Billy Vunipola believes that the return of the fans will improve England’s performances, and said the effect of having a crowd will make players want to show off. Damon Hill has said that Mick Schumacher deserves his shot at success in Formula One, but warned the son of seven-time world champion Michael that living up to a surname can be both a blessing and a curse. And World Athletics has opened the door for Russia’s track and field stars to compete in the Tokyo Olympics next year, provided the country now delivers on its promises of serious reforms.
Deal
Stocks have been mostly higher in Asia, helped by progress toward the implementation of coronavirus vaccines and talks about reaching a compromise on new aid for the US economy. Rates rose in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul and Sydney, but they fell in Shanghai. The pound is worth $ 1,338 and € 1,104 at time of writing, while the FTSE is projected to open 0.3% lower.
The papers
“Shots next week when PM caught in Brexit line,” that’s our guardian Splash of the print edition, after Boris Johnson had to downplay the health secretary’s statements that Brexit had helped speed up the vaccine’s approval (EU authorities responded that they preferred to take a more cautious approach) .
“We have, but guess who is attacking us”, that’s the Quick stoking anti-EU sentiment, unsurprisingly (it’s worth noting that the vaccine is made in Belgium, and it’s also worth considering what the no-deal M20 rollbacks on January 1 might mean for future supplies in Great Brittany before they blow up). “On the way” – the Mirror It is a celebration when the first trucks leave Pfizer in Belgium en route to Great Britain. “What a shot in the arm for Britain” – a bit hackneyed, Mail. the Times It says “First shots of vaccines for NHS staff and elderly patients” could have gone with a less redundant “Covid shots” there.
“Now we can get our lives back,” says the Telegraph, a feeling that surely many must be feeling. the Meter declares “V-Day” while the I says “Vaccinations will start Tuesday in the UK.” the Sun it hits us with “COVID” – the V formed by two fingers held in the Churchill style – “… you’re about to take a hell of a beating.” the FOOT has “Covid vaccines start in UK next week after fast track approval.”
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