The Brick Castle: COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 20th /21st March 2021.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 20th /21st March 2021.

The UK added 5,312 cases today and now has reported a total of 4,296,583 positive cases of COVID-19. We completed 1,437,257 tests yesterday.

The counter says 27,630,970 people had been given at least one dose of a vaccine in the UK by midnight last night. 2,228,772 people had received 2 doses and are fully vaccinated.

6,162 people were in hospital on Thursday 18th (DOWN from 8,029 a week earlier), with 830 using a ventilator on Friday 19th March (DOWN from 1,110 a week earlier)..

In the 24 hours up until 5pm yesterday, we officially reported the loss of another 33 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 within 28 days, making a total of 126,155 losses of life in all settings.

Rep. Of Ireland 229,831 (+525) cases and 4,585 (+9) losses of life.

There have now been a total of 123,635,163 reported cases worldwide. The number of people who have lost their lives worldwide to COVID-19 is 2,724,508. Already 99,616,614 people have recovered.

ANYONE can catch COVID World Health Organisation

"What COVID has done, it's peeled back some of the covers we've had over the existing prejudices in our society, the existing stigmas. I've seen terrible instances of discrimination against people of Asian descent... So on the one hand I'm really, really upset, particularly about the profiling of groups which has been politically motivated. But I'm also heartened by what I believe is still in the heart of most humans: is a desire to connect, a desire to understand, a desire to support each other."
Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO Health Emergencies Programme, Dad, and Irishman.

Over half of the UK's adults have now received at least 1 dose of vaccine. Well done to everyone who has played a part in making this happen so swiftly.
On Saturday the UK vaccinated the most people ever - 756,873. Over 3/4 of a million in one day. They included 56 year old Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson.
"Nurses, doctors, pharmacists and countless others delivered 96,834 jabs between 11am and 12pm yesterday, an average of 1,614 a minute or around 27 jabs a second."

Dr Mary Ramsay of Public Health England (PHE) was on the telly this morning, reminding us that the planned opening up in England (hoped to be from June 21st) won’t mean everything is completely back to normal. Some social distancing and restrictions on events and travel are likely.

Tokyo Olympics 2020/2021 Watch:
It is still happening. They have confirmed that no international spectators will be allowed. That has to be a massive blow, but well done to them for never giving in. Fingers still crossed.

The New York Times have a brilliant article looking at vaccine priorities, and inequalities, worldwide.
Each country, and in many cases each state, decides their own priorities, and these can vary wildly.
Almost everyone prioritises frontline health and social care staff. Some areas prioritise hard hit first nations and native populations, some prioritise all frontline workers, some prioritise the most vulnerable.
New York give pregnant women high priority, Germany won't vaccinate you if you are pregnant, but they will try to protect you by vaccinating 2 of your closest contacts.
Prisoners in Tennessee and Florida are not vaccinated. The UK will vaccinate anyone, including people with no legal right to remain (immigration status is not required).
More soberingly, at the time the article was written, 67 countries hadn't reported vaccinating a single person.

Famous People With COVID:
Ex-international cricketer and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan.

Iran Khan tested positive for COVID just 2 days after receiving his first dose of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, which means he probably caught it 2 or 3 days before he was vaccinated. That has to be the worst luck. A couple of weeks later and he'd have been protected.

Poland have been struggling for a while, and on Friday announced a new lockdown. Non-essential shops, hotels, cultural and sporting facilities have closed for the next 3 weeks. Yesterday they reported another 26,406 cases and lost 350 people, their population is just under 38m people.

France announced a lockdown of around 1/3 of their population on Friday. It's estimated as many as 1 in 7 new cases in France may be South African variant, and the UK/Kent B117 variant is also common. Yesterday they reported another 35,345 cases and lost 185 people, their population is just over 65m.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that Germany are heading the same way as France. They have surpassed levels where they feel secure in their hospital provision, so another lockdown is likely. Yesterday they reported another 13,665 cases and lost 123 people, their population is 84m people.

Greece meanwhile, has plateaued with a high level of COVID - not far off their first peak, yet they are reopening. This weekend the curfew is relaxed, and on Monday hairdressers, barbers and ancient monuments can reopen. They hope to take advantage of tourist season, beginning mid-May, but I'm honestly not sure it's the best idea going... Yesterday they reported another 2,532 cases and lost 60 people, their population is just over 10m.

Luxury Cruise News:
The USA's Crystal Cruises aren't letting travel bans stop them. With a full vaccination card and $1999, Americans can go on a 1 week tour around the Bahamas - you just can't get off the boat....

The EU have agreed draft legislation for a digital 'Green Certificate' which will help facilitate free movement for vaccinated people within the EU.

WHO it is always COVID safer to blow into an elbow, use a mask, stay apart, open a window

Saskatchewan in Canada has made it mandatory that employees can have 3 hours paid leave to get a COVID-19 vaccine during work time.

Today is the UK's Census Day. You have a legal obligation to complete the census - and it is in your best interest. Census information informs government and local authority decisions on how many doctors, schools, houses, hospital beds and police they'll need. It also indicates how many facilities your area needs for people who are single parents, new parents, trans, teenage, unemployed, elderly, disabled, carers etc etc. It shapes the services available to you.
It took me about 20 minutes for the 4 of us (our uni students are all on site right now), and you can save progress, exit and come back later if you need to. And it is only once every 10 years...

I'm a bit early today because of our 11th birthday - we're getting a takeaway. Hope your weekend was a good one, have a good evening yourselves. Mine will also feature cake (with lots of sweets, as requested...).

Today's people are from a few of the countries having the biggest problem and reporting the most cases at the moment. They're shown as numbers because I don't have room for all of their names.

Countries / Cases / Losses of life (since midnight GMT. In larger countries some states /provinces have yet to report today):

India 11,640,073 (+41,363) 159,951 (+161)

Poland 2,058,550 (+21,849) 49,300 (+140)

Turkey 3,013,122 (+20,428) 30,061 (+102)

Italy 3,376,376 (+20,159) 104,942 (+300)

Ukraine 1,546,363 (+11,145) 29,941 (+166)

Hungary 571,596 (+10,625) 18,262 (+194)

Russia 4,456,869 (+9,299) 95,030 (+371)

India 11,607,548 (+8,838) 159,834 (+44)

Jordan 535,455 (+8,789) 5,876 (+88)

Philippines 663,794 (+7,757) 12,968 (+39)

Iran 1,801,065 (+7,260) 61,797 (+73)

Netherlands 1,201,545 (+6,965) 16,275 (+15)