COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News update 25th / 26th November 2020.
The UK added 17,555 cases today and now has reported a total of 1,574,562 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 356,026 tests yesterday.
16,341 people were in hospital on Tuesday 24th, with 1,480 using a ventilator yesterday, Wednesday 25th November.
In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 498 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days. We now very sadly have a total of 57,031 officially reported losses of life in all settings.
Rep. Of Ireland 71,187 cases and 2,003 losses of life. (Not yet reported today.)
There have now been a total of 61,120,943 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 1,433,826. Already 42,291,588 people have recovered.
England Briefing today with Boris, UK Prime Minister, Prof Chris Whitty, UK Staring Contest Winner 2020, and Sir Patrick Vallance, inventor of the flouncy bit round your bedsheet.
"We now have reason to hope that by Spring, community testing and vaccinations will combine to end this era of restrictions, but to get there we need to navigate a hard Winter."
If we loosen off now, we risk losing control of the virus and wasting all of our hard work. Italy has a nightly curfew, Germany and France have measures in place until next year too. We aren't on our own.
Boris then went through some of the information on the new Tier System for England. He says the measures are tough, and he's "sorry about that".
He admits the previous Tiers couldn't help areas lower infections. They weren't tough enough.
Liverpool shows what can be achieved with mass testing. Together with the national restrictions, cases have dropped by 2/3. Liverpool City and Warrington on December 2nd are now moving to Tier 2.
Tier 3 areas will be offered mass testing to try and drive down infection rates rapidly. At least 1 in 3 people with COVID has no visible symptoms whatsoever, only by mass testing (and contact testing, we could try that Boris) can we find them.
'It may be possible, with negative tests, for people to be released from some local restrictions' (Hmmmm. No further details on that one yet.)
The allocation of Tiers will be reviewed every 14 days, starting on 16th December.
The estimated no. of positives from ONS infection survey shows a clear curve and it's heading downwards. (Whoot!) Except in Scotland - where it's going up! (What the heck Scotland?) Hospitalisations are levelling off. Sadly losses of life will take around 2 more weeks to show an impact.
Patrick with the slides explains and shows how old Tier 1 restrictions did nothing, old Tier 2 slowed infections really slightly, but they were still going up fast. The overall effect of the national restrictions does seem to have 'turned a corner' where cases are concerned.
Chris has an animated slide, which sounds great, but it's risky pausing it at the right moment live on Telly. It shows rates of COVID cases are going down almost universally in England (except Kent really. Kent is having a bad time right now). Chris warns that going into Winter, "almost certainly places that go into Tier 1 will rise", which is not the best outcome to aim for. I know it keeps things open, but sheesh guys. (Jacinda would never stand for this sort of talk.)
Only the Isle of Wight. Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are Tier 1 (sorry about your future move to Tier 2). I'll add a link below to the gov page with all English Local Authority Tiers, but I'm guessing by now you know your own.
If cases are high or rising, you'll be more likely to be in Tier 3.
The aim says Chris is to "keep the R below 1". He's clearly bricking it about Winter.
Press asked why when the 'lockdown' ends, many areas will change over to restrictions that are harder than before lockdown. Boris, Chris and Pat all made it clear that we have to be hard through December, or Winter (and Christmas) will break us. We are used to Summer with this virus - Winter is a bit of an unknown, and don't forget flu will still exist. We can see across Europe that it's looking harder to bring case rates down already.
Chris and Pat talked about being sensible over Christmas - open the windows, go outside in you can, take a walk, wash your hands etc. Chris actually said "If you want people to be alive to be hugged again." Blunt, but it is something you really have to take seriously.
For some people this Christmas it will always be worth the risk, but for the vast majority, it may not. I know if my partner's parents turned up, I'd post them a warmed mince pie out through the letterbox and talk to them through the window, and that would be their limit. We'll have them round to stay next year.
