Headlines
• UK inflation rate rises to 0.6% in December
• US CDC has administered 15.7 million vaccines
• Germany makes masks of class FFP2 and above mandatory in some public spaces
• The Netherlands introduces a night-time curfew
World news
• The UK’s inflation rate rose to 0.6% in December, from 0.3% in November. Clothing prices put upward pressure on inflation in December, despite some evidence of continued discounting. Transport costs, including air, sea and coach fares, as well as petrol prices, rose as some travel restrictions eased during parts of the month. These were partially offset by falling food prices, most notably for vegetables and meat.
• The Netherlands is introducing a curfew from 20:30 until 04:30, which is likely to be in place from this Friday, 22 January. The Netherlands is also bringing in a flight ban, expected to be in place from 23 January, which will apply to high-risk countries – including the UK, South Africa and South American countries.
• Germany is following Austria and Bavaria in making it compulsory to wear full protective filter masks (FFP2) on public transport and in shops.
• Two hospital trusts are among the first in the UK to begin offering a 24-hour Covid vaccination programme. The University Hospitals of Birmingham and Nottinghamshire’s Sherwood Forest Hospitals trusts have been chosen to pilot the round-the-clock jabs from today.
• Dublin’s annual St Patrick’s Day parade has been cancelled for the second year in a row, as organisers confirm virtual events will be held instead.
• Foreign visitors to Japan fell 87% in 2020 to a 22-year low, as the country mostly closed its borders, according to Japan National Tourism Organization data released today.
• The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had administered 15,707,588 doses of Covid-19 vaccines in the country as of this morning, and distributed 31,161,075 doses.
• The Mexican army is investigating the theft of Covid-19 vaccines from a hospital in Morelos state.
• Mortgage products for homeowners with a deposit of 10% of the property have risen more than fourfold compared with last summer’s low.
