Ministers have abandoned plans for an “amber watchlist” as Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to keep travel rules as simple as possible. The government had been considering the new category for nations at risk of being moved into the red group under the traffic light system. But following a backlash by Tory MPs, ministerial concerns,…
J&J Vaccine Significantly Less Effective Against CCP Virus Variants, Study Suggests
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine against COVID-19 is significantly less effective against variants compared to the two other COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the United States, a pre-print study by scientists from the New York University School of Medicine suggests. According to the paper’s summary, the antibodies elicited by the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines “showed…
UK Upgrades Indian COVID-19 Strain to ‘Variant of Concern’
The UK health authorities have designated a CCP virus variant first detected in India as a “variant of concern,” Public Health England (PHE) confirmed on Friday. PHE said it reclassified the variant from a “variant under investigation” to a “variant of concern” following “a rise in cases in the UK and evidence of community transmission.”…
UK Invests More in Testing Facilities to Tackle CCP Virus Variants
The UK government has pledged more funding for COVID-19 testing facilities in order to tackle the threat of new variants of the CCP virus, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced on Wednesday. The government will invest £29.3 million ($40.7 million) in new testing facilities run by Public Health England (PHE) at Porton Down, which will speed…
UK Fines Airlines for Carrying Passengers With Incorrect COVID-19 Paperwork
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority has issued 630 fines since Feb. 11 to airlines carrying passengers without the right COVID-19 documents, the Department for Transport (DfT) said on Tuesday. These measures form part of the UK’s border measures intended to protect the country from CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus variants that may reduce the effect…
Biden Administration to Give States $1.7 Billion to Track CCP Virus Mutations
The Biden administration announced Friday that it is giving states $1.7 billion to track variants of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, the pathogen that causes COVID-19. A White House said in a statement that the money will come from funds allocated under the American Rescue Plan, with the aim of helping the Centers for Disease Control…
UK Reports 77 Cases of New Indian COVID-19 Variant
UK health authorities have identified 77 cases of a new CCP virus variant first identified in India, which has two mutations that may contribute to increased transmissibility and resistance to vaccines. In its latest update issued on Thursday, Public Health England (PHE) said the new mutant virus, known as B.1.617, has been designated a “Variant…
Local COVID-19 Restrictions May Return If South African Variant Not Curbed: UK Expert
The UK may need to re-impose local COVID-19 restrictions if the ongoing mass testing operation fails to put the South African variant under control, a medical expert has warned. “I think there is a significant risk of a wave occurring in the summer,” professor John Edmunds, an expert on infectious diseases at the London School…
UK Local COVID-19 Restrictions May Return If South African Variant Isn’t Curbed: Expert
The UK may need to reimpose local COVID-19 restrictions if the ongoing mass testing operation fails to put the South African variant under control, a medical expert has warned. “I think there is a significant risk of a wave occurring in the summer,” professor John Edmunds, an expert on infectious diseases at the London School…
Only the Rich Can Fly Under UK’s Travel Restart Plan, Airlines Say
Britain’s airline industry has criticised the government’s plan to restart international travel, saying it’s too expensive and will make flying unaffordable. The government’s Global Travel Taskforce published a report on Friday, which set out COVID-19 testing requirements for international travellers but gave no clarity on whether Britons will be allowed to travel abroad from May…
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