UK records 16,578 more cases of coronavirus and 533 deaths as fatalities continue to decline in the wake of England's second lockdown

  • Department of Health figures show the number of cases rose by 2.5 per cent compared to last Wednesday
  • Deaths, however, fell by 17 per cent compared to last week after 533 were recorded by health chiefs
  • Covid-19 cases in Briton have been plateauing since England's national lockdown was lifted on December 2 

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Britain's daily Covid-19 cases appear to be plateauing a week after England's second national lockdown ended, official statistics revealed today as health chiefs recorded another 16,578 infections. 

Today's figures are a 2.5 per cent rise on the Government's positive tally from last Wednesday, when officials added another 16,170 cases to the total.

Deaths from the virus fell by 17.7 per cent compared to last week, after 533 victims were posted on the dashboard compared to 648 seven days ago.

Department of Health figures showed cases plummeted during the first two weeks of England's second shutdown. But the curve began to flatten a week before the draconian measures were lifted, suggesting Britons may have grown tired of the restrictions on their daily lives. 

The cases come after the UK's world-first Covid-19 vaccine rollout ran into problems within 24 hours when two NHS staff suffered an allergic reaction after receiving Pfizer's jab.

The British medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has told anyone with a history of allergies not to get the vaccine while it investigates the cases.

The number of people set to be barred is not known, but up to 7million Britons suffer from allergies that are so severe they require medical attention, according to the NHS. 

The two staff members, who have not been named, are said to be recovering well. They suffered an anaphylactoid reaction to the vaccine, which is milder than anaphylaxis, and tends to involve a rash, shortness of breath, swelling of the face and tongue or a drop in blood pressure, the NHS says.

Professor Chris Whitty, Britain's chief medical officer, warned today that despite the vaccine roll out lockdowns would still be needed until March because it will take time to give the vaccine to enough people.

The jab is being rolled out at 50 hospital sites to the elderly, care home residents and NHS workers first - who are most vulnerable to the virus - before it is offered to the rest of the population.

But scientists say at least 60 per cent of Britons will need to get the jab - or 40million people - before the Government can start to relax restrictions without triggering a sudden surge in infections. 

Both are recovering following the first day of the mass vaccination programme, it is understood (pictured, the vaccine being administered in Glasgow yesterday)

Both are recovering following the first day of the mass vaccination programme, it is understood (pictured, the vaccine being administered in Glasgow yesterday)

'RULE-BREAKERS WILL PUT LONDON IN TIER THREE': MPS IN LAST MINUTE PLEA 

A London MP has urged people to follow social distancing rules and said 'every single person who breaks the rules adds to the chances of us going into Tier Three' as the city faces a tougher lockdown from next week.

Nickie Aiken, MP for the Cities of London and Westminster constituency, issued the warning in a last-ditch attempt to get coronavirus under control in the capital, where infection rates have surged towards the end of lockdown and into early December, rising in two thirds of areas.

'We still have a long winter ahead,' she cautioned today in the Evening Standard. 'None of us want London to move into Tier Three. Please continue to follow the rules - lives and livelihoods truly are dependent on it'.

Professor John Ashton, a former Public Health England regional director, stressed the Government should push the capital into the highest tier in 48 hours or risk a 'really terrible situation'.

He warned that without the move they could see deaths going up into Christmas, and may even have to impose a 'complete lockdown' to put the lid on the spread of the virus.

As many as 24 out of the capital's 32 boroughs - or three quarters - registered a rise in their infection rates a week after England's lockdown, according to Public Health England data for the seven-day spell to December 3.

Its infection rate at 169.2 cases per 100,000 people yesterday was higher than 27 out of 61 local authorities already under Tier Three restrictions. This was about 12 per cent above the level before lockdown on November 5, when the rate was at 151.6, and is the highest of any region in England.

But separate figures tracking the size of London's outbreak show no spike in hospital admissions or deaths, which have barely risen over the past two months.

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In other coronavirus news:

  • A cyberattack has hit the EU's medicines agency, prompting fears vaccine data may have been stolen;
  • Sir Patrick Vallance admits there is 'no hard evidence' 10pm pub curfews slow the spread of infection;
  • Wales urges residents not to spend Christmas with their families despite a UK-wide relaxation of the rules;
  • Tubes will not run overnight on New Year's Eve to put a stop to partying revellers;
  • London MP issues last minute plea to Londoners to keep following the rules as the Government prepares to decide whether to put the capital into Tier Three;
  • European politicians snipe at Britain's vaccine success, with Belgian PM gloating it was 'made on the continent';
  • Oxford university today insisted it was not a mistake to give a half dose to volunteers in its trials following criticism;
  • Coronavirus was identified in Italian boy in November 2019, study finds in latest evidence China hid the truth from the world. 

The number of daily Covid-19 infections reported has plateaued after reaching a low of 14,400 a day on average on December 5, three days after England's lockdown ended.

The average number of cases has since risen to 15,367, meaning the UK has an infection rate at 161 cases per 100,0000 people. 

Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director for the NHS in England, announced today that those with a history of allergic reactions should not get Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine.

He said: 'The MHRA have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday. Both are recovering well.' 

Despite the two allergy cases the Government is today continuing to vaccinate between 5,000 and 7,000 people per day across the UK with 800,000 Pfizer doses already in hospitals and millions more on the way.

In the US vaccine trial carried out by Pfizer, 137 out of around 19,000 people given the vaccine had one or more of these reactions. But 111 who got the placebo also had allergic reactions.

Reactions to the jab can include a temperature, nausea, swelling of the arm or in severe cases feeling generally unwell with swollen lymph node glands.

A Pfizer spokesman said: 'We have been advised by MHRA of two yellow card reports that may be associated with allergic reaction due to administration of the COVID-19 BNT162b2 vaccine.

'As a precautionary measure, the MHRA has issued temporary guidance to the NHS while it conducts an investigation in order to fully understand each case and its causes. Pfizer and BioNTech are supporting the MHRA in the investigation.

'In the pivotal phase 3 clinical trial, this vaccine was generally well tolerated with no serious safety concerns reported by the independent Data Monitoring Committee. The trial has enrolled over 44,000 participants to date, over 42,000 of whom have received a second vaccination'.

Dr June Raine, the chief executive of the MHRA, told the Science Committee today there had been two allergic reactions to the Pfizer vaccine yesterday.

She said: 'I may share with the committees that even last evening we were looking at two case reports of allergic reactions.

'We know from the very extensive clinical trials that this wasn't a feature, but if we need to strengthen our advice now that we've had this experience in the vulnerable populations - the groups who've been selected as a priority - we get that advice to the field immediately.'

Dr Raine said careful plans had been made for 'real-time vigilance' when monitoring side effects from vaccinations and that any updates to advice for patients would be communicated 'immediately'.

She told the Committee regulators had been aware since last night of the two people who had experienced the reactions.

The numbers in the capital are moving in the wrong direction, with cases per person up by half in the worst affected corners of the city and chaotic photos from the weekend showing shopping streets packed with people. Red shows areas where the infection rate has risen in a week, while green shows the boroughs that have seen a fall in cases

WHAT ARE THE KNOWN SIDE EFFECTS OF THE PFIZER VACCINE?

The UK medicines regulator advised today that anyone who has a history of 'significant' allergic reactions to medicines, food or vaccines should not get the Pfizer coronavirus jab.

Dr June Raine, the chief executive of the MHRA, told Parliament's Science and Technology Committee that this was not identified in the trials.

'We know from very extensive clinical trials that this wasn't a feature,' she said.

Allergic reactions to the vaccine are 'very rare', according to the trials involving more than 40,000 people.

Pfizer found a 'very small number' during its phase three clinical studies, which found 137 out of 19,000 people. This compared to a comparable 111 in a group of the same size who didn't get the vaccine.

They also identified 12 possible side-effects from the vaccine, with seven identified as 'very common' meaning they are likely to affect more than one in ten people. Below are the known side effects.

The patient safety leaflet for the vaccine cautions that anyone with an allergy to any of the active substances in the vaccine should not receive the jab.

It adds: 'Signs of an allergic reaction may include itchy skin rash, shortness of breath and swelling of the face or tongue.' 

Allergic reactions to the vaccine are:

Very common (Likely to affect more than one in ten people)

  • Pain at injection site
  • Tiredness
  • Muscle pain
  • Chills
  • Joint pain
  • Fever
  • Headache 

Common (Likely to affect up to one in ten people)

  • Injection site swelling
  • Redness at injection site
  • Nausea 

Uncommon (May affect one in 100 people) 

  • Enlarged lymph nodes
  • Feeling unwell
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She said: 'The role is before, during and after, and there is a true end-to-end looking from the scientific laboratory bench through to the patient who yesterday first received the vaccine.

'As an illustration to this, I may share with the committee that even last evening we were looking at two case reports of allergic reaction.

'We know from the very extensive clinical trials that this wasn't a feature but if we need to strengthen our advice now that we have had this experience in the vulnerable populations... we will get that advice to the field immediately.'

The MHRA advice states: 'Any person with a history of a significant allergic reaction to a vaccine, medicine or food (such as previous history of anaphylactoid reaction or those who have been advised to carry an adrenaline autoinjector) should not receive the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine.

'Resuscitation facilities should be available at all times for all vaccinations. Vaccination should only be carried out in facilities where resuscitation measures are available.'

The yellow card scheme is the UK system for collecting and monitoring information on suspected safety concerns or incidents involving medicines and medical devices.

Commenting on the development, Peter Openshaw, past-president of the British Society for Immunology and professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said: 'As with all food and medications, there is a very small chance of an allergic reaction to any vaccine.

'However, it is important that we put this risk in perspective. The occurrence of any allergic reaction was one of the factors monitored in the phase three clinical trial of this Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, the detailed data from which was released yesterday.

'In this, they reported a very small number of allergic reactions in both the vaccine and placebo groups (0.63% and 0.51%).

'Similar to the rollout of all new vaccines and medications, this new Covid-19 vaccine is being monitored closely by the MHRA.

'They will now investigate these cases in more detail to understand if the allergic reactions were linked to the vaccine or were incidental.

'The fact that we know so soon about these two allergic reactions and that the regulator has acted on this to issue precautionary advice shows that this monitoring system is working well.'

Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline he was 'surprised' by the warning and said he would be cautious about attributing this to an allergic reaction.

'I think it's probably safer in my view than many other vaccines currently available,' he told MailOnline. 'It really is very clean technology.'

'I would be cautious about attributing the allergic reactions to the vaccine at this moment, especially as it hasn't cropped up in clinical trials,' he said.

'The big allergic reaction to vaccines normally is an egg allergy, because historically influenza vaccines and several others have been grown in hens eggs and you inevitably get a bit of egg protein coming through with the final product.

'But there's nothing like that in the mRNA vaccine. The only addition is the lipid coating that they put on the mRNA before it goes into cells – but there's no history of allergic reactions to that.'

Britain will remain in some form of lockdown until at least March despite the roll out of coronavirus vaccines, Professor Chris Whitty has warned
Sir Patrick Vallance warned the biggest threat the country faces was getting complacent about vaccines

Britain will remain in some form of lockdown until at least March despite the roll out of coronavirus vaccines, Professor Chris Whitty has warned

MEN WITH COVID-19 ARE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE ADMITTED TO ICU THAN WOMEN 

Men suffering from coronavirus are three times more likely to be admitted to intensive care and 1.5 times more likely to die than women, a study has revealed.

Scientists found no difference in the percentage of men and women testing positive for the virus.

But comparisons of the number of cases hospitalised revealed stark disparities between the two sexes.

Led by University College London, the research included more than 3.1million infections of the virus from 46 countries.

Yet of the 12,000 patients admitted to ICUs, around 8,000 were men and 4,000 were women.

And among the more than 200,000 deaths attributed to the virus, around 120,000 were men and 91,000 were women.

'In people infected with SARS-CoV-2 these differences are likely to lead to more effective viral control in females, which may contribute to the relatively lower risk of developing severe disease,' the authors wrote.

'Although further studies are needed, these data have implications for the clinical management of COVID-19 and highlight the importance of considering sex as a variable in fundamental and clinical research.'

 

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Despite the vaccine roll out Professor Chris Whitty has warned the UK could still be at risk of lockdowns until March next year because not enough people will have been vaccinated.

As many as 5,000 to 7,000 Britons get the jab every day in 10-minute appointments, and thousands more will start receiving it in 'vaccine hubs' in the new year. But scientists say not enough people will have received the protection to allow the Government to start relaxing restrictions until spring at the earliest.

Professor Whitty told the Commons Health and Science Committee today: 'For the next three months, I want to be very clear, we will not have sufficient protection.

'We're going through the most difficult time of year for respiratory infections and the most difficult time of year for the NHS.

'So the idea we can suddenly stop now because the vaccine is here, that would be really premature.

'It would be like someone giving up a marathon race at mile 16 – it would be absolutely the wrong thing to do.'

He added, however, that the UK should have three or four vaccines against Covid-19 by mid-20212, raising hopes of returning to pre-pandemic normality by the summer.

Professor Whitty said around 20 million people are in the first phase of the NHS vaccination programme, including all those over the age of 50, plus healthcare workers, care home staff and elderly people.

He told MPs he expects to have a 'portfolio' of several vaccines by the middle of 2021, but advised that the rollout process should still proceed 'carefully'.

He said: 'The aim would be to roll out this vaccine and any others that get a licence and are effective and safe.

'We expect, probably by the middle of the year, to have a portfolio of three or four vaccines which we can actually use.'

In other news, Wales urged its residents not to spend Christmas with their families or risk 'higher deaths and hospitalisations in January' despite signing up to the UK-wide festive pause in measures.

Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford said the situation in the country is 'incredibly serious' as top scientific advisers warned against socialising in the festive period.

The devolved government may have to bring in tougher pre-Christmas rules if cases don't come under control soon, they said, and the NHS will have to think hard about whether it needs to stop some services to make space for Covid-19 patients.

Wales will be part of the UK's planned relaxation of social distancing between December 23 and 27, which will allow households to meet in bubbles.

Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford said the situation in the country is 'incredibly serious' as top scientific advisers warned against socialising in the festive period
SAGE expert Professor Susan Michie has urged Number 10 to back down on its Christmas lockdown loosening plans for similar concerns

Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford (left) said the situation in the country is 'incredibly serious' as his top scientific advisers warned against socialising in the festive period. SAGE expert Professor Susan Michie (right) has urged Number 10 to back down on its Christmas lockdown loosening plans for similar concerns

Official data shows Wales' infection rate rose from 181 per 100,000 on November 16 to nearly 300 on December 3

 Official data shows Wales' infection rate rose from 181 per 100,000 on November 16 to nearly 300 on December 3

But scientists on the Welsh Government's Technical Advisory Group (TAG) sent out the stark warning that it is 'likely to lead to higher deaths and hospitalisations after Christmas'.

Its most recent report says: 'If people can avoid seeing others over the Christmas period, perhaps postponing celebrations until later next year or meeting remotely, then this is strongly advised.'

If people are dead set on seeing family over Christmas then they should consider 'pre-isolating', according to the groups. This would involve avoiding others they don't live with for the virus's 10-day incubation period.

The precautionary measure 'would likely be an effective way of lowering your risk of infecting others', according to TAG.

Official data shows Wales' infection rate rose from 181 per 100,000 on November 16 to nearly 300 on December 3.

SAGE's Professor Susan Michie, an expert in health psychology at University College London, urged ministers to 'reset' advice over Christmas after warning that the UK faced the prospect of a 'really bad' third wave of coronavirus infections.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'While I think people sometimes push the boundaries, if the leadership and the message is coming from many different (sources) - and especially if it is coming from trusted sources - that we really need to be careful this Christmas, and as much as possible see people outside or use online platforms, think of creative different ways (to see each other) - drinks with neighbours on the street, more local community rather than travelling miles across the country - then I think people would have really (listened).

'I still think it is not too late, because transmission rates are going up, we are facing the potential of a really bad third wave come January and February unless we really take steps now to prevent that.

'I think a bit of a reorientation, a bit of a reset on how people are thinking about Christmas, would be really good.

'I know it would be tough, tough for a lot of people, but it is much better than losing loved ones.'

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