Headlines
- Vaccines reduce UK hospital admissions by 85%/94%
- China lifts all remaining lockdowns
- Schools reopen in Germany
- Mumbai sees new restrictions
- UK’s lockdown strictest in the developed world
World news
• Research led by Public Health Scotland found that at four weeks after the first dose, hospital admissions were reduced by 85% and 94% for the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs, respectively. Among the over-80s, there was an overall 81% reduction in the numbers admitted to hospital.
• The UK has the strictest lockdown in the developed world, data collected and visualised by the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford suggests.
• Italy has extended a ban on non-essential travel between the country’s 20 regions until 27 March.
• Israel allowed a number of businesses to reopen their doors to customers on Sunday.
• Hauliers returning to France from the UK will not now need to have a test if they have spent less than 48 hours in the country.
• Anthony Fauci said on Sunday that it is possible Americans will still be wearing masks in 2022.
• India’s western Maharashtra state, which includes Mumbai, is imposing new restrictions in four districts. All religious, social and political gatherings are banned in the city.
• In the Netherlands police have cleared demonstrators protesting against lockdown in Amsterdam’s Museum Square.
• Quarantine-free travel from New Zealand to Australia has resumed.
• Deaths among homeless people have risen by more than one-third in a year, according to an analysis by The Museum of Homelessness.
• Japan’s vaccine rollout will proceed at a slower pace than originally planned after supply issues caused by the batch approval process of the Pfizer vaccine.
• The Philippines will maintain the current level of restrictions in the capital Manila until mass vaccinations start, which is expected to happen later this month.
• Schools and daycare centres reopened in 10 German regions, including the capital, Berlin, and the most populous state of North-Rhine Westphalia.
• Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration has given emergency use authorisation for China’s Sinovac vaccine.
• Some 56% of 2,000 UK firms surveyed by the CIPD intend to recruit staff in the next three months. The sectors with the strongest hiring intentions include healthcare, finance and insurance, education and ICT.
• China has lifted all remaining local lockdowns today.
