Babak Belurs

Jumat, 17 Desember 2021

Nicola Sturgeon says Omicron is dominant covid variant in Scotland as cases rise - Daily Record

Nicola Sturgeon has informed Scots that Omicron has become the dominant strain of covid north of the Border.

The First Minister said the “tsunami” of cases she had previously warned of is now coming to pass.

She estimated 51.4% of infections are now of the Omicron variety.

She told a media briefing: “Omicron has now replaced Delta as the dominant Covid strain circulating in Scotland."

However, she added: "We should not be fatalistic about this. We are not powerless in the face of it."

On claims Omicron may not be as severe as other variants, she said: "Even if it did turn out to be generally a little less severe for most people - and let me stress we still don’t know that to be true - for some people it will still cause serious illness and hospitalisation. Tragically, more people will die.

"And even if the number of people falling seriously ill is a smaller percentage of cases than with Delta, the basic fact of arithmetic is inescapable - a smaller percentage of a much bigger number of infections will result in a massive number of cases needing hospital care.

"Total hospital admissions in Scotland in the week up to 13th December were slightly higher than in the week previous - so we are already starting to see an increase as a result of the relatively moderate rise in cases seen in previous weeks.

"In London, where the number of Omicron cases is currently the highest in the UK, hospital admissions are now rising quite sharply. If we don’t act now, what we have feared all along but so far avoided - the overwhelming of the NHS - could happen."

She revealed the new figures a day after effectively admitting even more restrictions may be necessary.

Fresh curbs for business and advice on limiting social contacts are now in force, but the First Minister believes extra restrictions on pubs, football matches, concerts and nightclubs may be required.

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2021-12-17 12:28:49Z
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People urged to limit socialising in Wales as nightclubs close after Christmas - ITV News

People in Wales are being "strongly advised" to limit socialising in the lead up to Christmas with new Covid restrictions coming into force from the 27th of December.

First Minister Mark Drakeford will set out a "two-phase plan" on Friday to respond to the Delta and Omicron coronavirus variants.

The omicron variant is expected to be the dominant form of the virus in the UK by the end of the month.

From December 27th nightclubs in Wales will have to close and there will be new restrictions - including a 2m social distancing rule for businesses, as well as other measures to protect customers and staff.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “Delta will continue to be the main cause of coronavirus infections in Wales up to Christmas. But we are seeing cases of omicron increasing rapidly every day in Wales – and across the UK.

“We need a plan to keep us safe this Christmas and we need stronger measures to protect us afterwards, as we prepare for a large wave of omicron infections.

“Omicron poses a new threat to our health and safety. It is the most serious development in the pandemic to date.

“It is one we must take seriously. We will continue to put in place proportionate measures to protect people’s lives and livelihoods.

“This is a virus which thrives on human contact. Every contact we have is an opportunity for us to spread or catch the virus.”

As of Thursday, there have been 95 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in Wales but Public Health Wales have said "a rapid increase over the coming days and weeks is expected.”

Mr Drakeford has previously warned that some estimates suggest "half of the population of the United Kingdom will fall ill" from Covid during the next wave of the virus.

What does this mean for Christmas?

Although new restrictions are not being introduced before Christmas, people are being encouraged to limit how much they socialise over the coming week.

The Welsh Government is "strongly advising" people to follow these five measures in the run up to Christmas:

Get vaccinated
Take a lateral low test before seeing people
Meet outdoors rather than indoors
Space out your socialising over time
Keep 2m from others, wear a face mask and wash your hands.

People will be required to work from home wherever possible.

Credit: PA

What about after Christmas?

From the 27th of December, Wales will essentially move into Alert Level 2 although not all restrictions will be adopted.

Nightclubs will have to close and the new restrictions mean that hospitality, sports and entertainment venues will most likely see significantly reduced capacity.

People will have to follow 2m social distancing rules with those who are not part of their household, or exclusive extended household, and face covering will have to be worn in all indoor public places.

Businesses will also be expected to put measures in place to protect customers and staff, such as one-way systems and physical barriers.

People will continue to be required to work from home whenever possible.

Up to £60m will be available to support businesses affected by the new restrictions.

Mr Drakeford said: "This year a smaller Christmas is a safer Christmas. The fewer people we see, the less chance we have of catching or passing on the virus.

“Please enjoy Christmas with your nearest and dearest – and think about meeting up with wider circles of friends when the threat posed by the omicron variant has passed over.

“I also want to thank the many thousands of people who will be working this Christmas to keep us safe – especially all those who have cancelled their plans to work in the vaccination centres across Wales to increase our protection against this awful virus.”

The Welsh Government have not announced any restrictions on gathering within households.

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2021-12-17 06:40:35Z
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Kamis, 16 Desember 2021

Sutton house fire: Four children die in south London blaze - Sky News

Four children who are believed to be related have died in a house fire in south London.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters were sent to Collingwood Road, Sutton, just before 7pm on Thursday.

Crews faced an "intense blaze" throughout the whole of the ground floor of the property.

Four young children were taken out of the house and given CPR by firefighters at the scene before being taken to two south London hospitals where they died.

The fire was under control by 8.36pm and the cause is under investigation.

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said the deaths had "left everyone numb with profound sadness".

Mr Roe said: "My thoughts are with the family and friends of the children, the whole local community and all those who will be affected by this fire.

"Fire crews arrived quickly and located the children inside the property. They were brought out of the house and given immediate emergency care.

'Devastating and tragic loss'

"The welfare of our staff involved in this incident is very important to us and all of them will be offered counselling as a priority."

Superintendent Rob Shepherd said: "The thoughts of everyone at the South Area Command Unit are with the family and friends of these four young children, who have suffered such a devastating and tragic loss tonight.

"I know these sentiments will be shared by the local community, Sutton and London as a whole.

"We remain on scene with our emergency service colleagues and will be working through the night and beyond. At this very early stage the cause of the fire is unknown and will be investigated."

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2021-12-16 23:10:49Z
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'Deprioritise' social interactions ahead of Christmas, Chris Whitty urges - ITV News

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2021-12-16 07:13:37Z
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Rabu, 15 Desember 2021

PM to hold press conference amid warnings Omicron 'biggest threat' of pandemic - ITV News

The Omicron variant of Covid presents "probably the most significant threat" of the pandemic so far, according to the head of the UK Health Security Agency, and it could place the NHS in "serious peril".

Dr Jenny Harries said the variant is spreading at a "staggering" rate and ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston has been told by government sources the previous record of daily cases could be smashed as soon as today.

It comes ahead of a Downing Street press conference set to be led by the PM at 5pm this evening - he will be joined by Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Dr Nikki Kanani, a medical director at NHS England.

Top government adviser Dr Harries said the Omicron variant's main threat is it "runs the risk of evading our natural and/or vaccine immunity" due to its vast number of mutations.

Even if the strain causes "milder" disease, as has been reported, it "could have very significant impact on our health services" because of its extremely fast transmissibility, she said.

"We can foresee a very large wave of Omicron coming through," she said, "and our health services potentially being in serious peril".

Robert Peston has been told Covid cases could hit a record of 75,000 daily cases "today or tomorrow".

It comes ahead of a Cobra meeting between governments in Westminster, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland this afternoon.

Nicola Sturgeon issued fresh guidance on Tuesday for Scots to have a "small" Christmas Day celebration and urged them to only socialise with two other households before and after December 25.

Last week's meeting was held to discuss how nations of the UK could coordinate their response to Omicron and news of today's has led people to speculate about new restrictions being brought in.

But the transport secretary told ITV News there will be no more coronavirus restrictions will be enforced in England before Christmas, despite the risks presented by Omicron.

Grant Shapps said "that's it for now" when asked if the government could go any further than the Plan B measures that were approved by MPs on Tuesday night.

The senior minister said Parliament would be recalled and asked to approve any emergency measures if they became necessary, but "we're not planning any further changes, we've already said that people can enjoy their Christmas".

Face masks, self-isolation rules, Covid passports and mandatory vaccines for NHS staff have all become law in England, despite Boris Johnson suffering a huge and highly damaging rebellion from almost 100 of his backbench MPs.

The embattled prime minister has been in the trenches over coronavirus restrictions after allegations he broke his own Covid rules during last winter's lockdown, but he managed to get his proposals through after relying on Labour votes.

His contentious Plan B means large venues will require all customers to provide proof of their Covid status, either with an NHS vaccine pass or a negative test result, while health workers will need to double jabbed to remain in their jobs.

Will there be more Covid restrictions before Christmas?

Both Mr Shapps and Dr Harries urged people to get their booster jabs in order to protect themselves against the variant.

She said the chances of double-jabbed patients fighting off infection is "much reduced" by Omicron but "we do know that the booster dose will push [immunity] right back up".

Mr Shapps said getting a booster jab, along with regular testing, will mean people can "enjoy their Christmas and get together with family and friends".

Despite advice on lateral flow tests, people wanting home deliveries have been unable to do so for the past three days.

Government websites reported that rapid lateral flow tests were "not available right now", the third day of problems, as demand surged.

People trying to book walk-in PCR tests also encountered problems, being told they were "not available right now".

Dr Harries said demands for lateral flow tests "have been absolutely astounding".

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2021-12-15 13:49:10Z
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Star Hobson: Mother and partner to be sentenced over death of toddler - Sky News

A woman who killed 16-month-old Star Hobson after inflicting 'utterly catastrophic' injuries on the toddler will be sentenced today as questions surround the response of social services following concerns raised over her safety.

Bouncer and security guard Savannah Brockhill, 28, was found guilty on Tuesday of murdering Star and has been branded as "pure evil" by the little girl's family.

The court heard that Star endured months of assaults and psychological harm before suffering the injuries at her home in Keighley, West Yorkshire. She died in September last year.

Star's mother Frankie Smith, 20, was cleared of murder at Bradford Crown Court, but was convicted of causing or allowing the toddler's death.

Warning: This story contains distressing details about the treatment and subsequent death of a child.

Jurors heard that social services and police did not act despite five different family members and friends raising concerns with authorities.

The little girl's great-grandfather, David Fawcett, described Brockhill as "just pure evil".

He said: "It's disgusting because there were five referrals. Not one of them did anything.

"It's just beyond belief, really."

The Bradford Partnership, which includes agencies in contact with Star during her short life, said a review into the case will be published next year, and added that it "deeply regrets" that "not all the warning signs" were spotted.

Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore said Bradford Council leaders should "hang their heads in shame" and resign.

Star was taken to hospital from the flat where she lived with her mother on 22 September, 2020, but her injuries were "unsurvivable", prosecutors told the two-month trial.

The court was told that Smith's family and friends had growing concerns over bruising on the little girl in the months before she died.

But Brockhill and Smith were able to convince care workers the marks were accidental or that complaints were made maliciously by people who did not accept their relationship.

Prosecutors described how the injuries that caused Star's death involved extensive damage to her abdominal cavity "caused by a severe and forceful blow or blows, either in the form of punching, stamping or kicking to the abdomen".

The jury was also shown a series of CCTV clips - filmed at a recycling plant where Brockhill worked as a security guard, which prosecutors said showed Brockhill delivering a total of 21 blows to Star in a car over a three-hour period, including some as the toddler sat in a car seat.

Following the convictions, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "What happened to Star Hobson is shocking and heartbreaking.

"We must protect children from these barbaric crimes and ensure lessons are learned."

Brockhill and Smith will be sentenced later by judge Mrs Justice Lambert.

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2021-12-15 03:31:03Z
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MPs back Covid passes for large venues in England as PM suffers huge rebellion - ITV News

Political Editor Robert Peston reports on the Tory rebellion that was even bigger than the PM and Tory whips feared

Covid passports have come into effect after MPs backed the government's plans to introduce them from Wednesday as part of its Plan B coronavirus restrictions, despite the prime minister suffering a huge Tory rebellion.

Boris Johnson had to rely on Labour votes to get his proposals - to show proof of Covid vaccination or a negative lateral flow test - approved, with 96 Conservative MPs voting against the plans.

The government won the contentious vote on Covid passports amid opposition from dozens of Tory backbenchers, with a majority of 369 to 126.

This marks the largest rebellion of Mr Johnson's premiership so far, with Tory MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown warning he has has until the summer to "turn the ship round" or risk a leadership challenge.

'We want to see a result certainly before the summer': Geoffrey Clifton-Brown tells ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston the government must avoid 'own goals'

The vote means that from Wednesday, large venues must require customers to prove their Covid status before entry.

Covid passports will be required for:

Access to nightclubs
Access to indoor events with more than 500 attendees, such as music venues
Access to outdoor settings with more than 4,000 people, such as music festivals
Access to all settings with more than 10,000 attendees, for example, sports stadiums.

The PM also suffered the second-biggest rebellion of his leadership when MPs later voted on mandatory Covid vaccination for frontline NHS workers in England in order for them to remain in their jobs by April 2022.

Again, a Labour backing ensured the vote passed, by 385 votes to 100 - including a rebellion of 61 Tory MPs.

MPs also approved the compulsory wearing of face coverings in most indoor locations.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the vote was a “very significant blow to the already damaged authority of the Prime Minister”.

'This is a very significant blow for him': Keir Starmer said the prime minister 'needs to take a long, hard look at himself'

Politicians also approved regulations to drop the requirement to isolate and instead do daily Covid tests for fully vaccinated people who are contacts of a positive coronavirus case.

Ahead of the vote, Labour had given its backing to the measures, meaning there was little doubt they would not clear the Commons, but having to rely on the Opposition is not a good look for a prime minister with a huge majority of 80 seats.

Several Tories vocal about their opposition to strict Covid measures attacked the government over the plans.

Former minister Desmond Swayne said the government has been "absolutely complicit" in developing a "ministry of fear" during the pandemic by continually introducing restrictions.

Listen to our coronavirus podcast:

Ahead of the vote, former Tory chief whip Mark Harper urged MPs to not back plans for Covid passes, saying it would send a "clear signal" to the government to "rethink its approach".

Another Tory MP, Marcus Fysh, previously compared the introduction of Covid passes to Hitler's Nazi regime.

"We are not a 'papers please' society. This is not Nazi Germany," the MP said on Monday.

Labour decided it would not take its chance to severely damage the PM by inflicting what would have been his first Commons loss since the landslide 2019 general election victory, with Keir Starmer it was a "patriotic duty" to vote through the measures.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said the measures were "necessary".

"We can't be sure about the severity of the Omicron variant, but we can be certain that it's spreading and spreading fast, faster than any other variant and even if a smaller proportion of Omicron victims are hospitalised, the rapid advance of the virus through the population could see large numbers of people admitted to hospital during the months in which the NHS is under greatest pressure."

Also on Tuesday, Downing Street continued to insist no further coronavirus restrictions will be introduced beyond the Plan B measures brought in this week, but according to Robert Peston, Mr Johnson gave a commitment to Tory MPs that if he feels more restrictions are needed while Parliament is on its winter break, then he will recall it.

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2021-12-15 07:19:21Z
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Jumat, 17 Desember 2021

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