Headlines
• UK adults travelling and socialising more than last year, ONS report
• Direct flights from Shenzhen to Beijing suspended
• Alcohol ban introduced at Tokyo Olympics
• Australia to stop AZ vaccine use in October
• Taiwan extends restrictions for two weeks
World news
• An ONS study has found that one year on from the first lockdown UK residents are spending more time working and less time sleeping. People are watching less TV and not playing computer games for as long, and instead there they are doing more travelling, socialising or shopping.
• Forty-one cases of the Delta Plus variant have been identified in the UK.
• The number of Covid patients in hospital on ventilation beds increased 41% in the last week to 227, according to the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers.
• Direct flights from the southern city of Shenzhen to Beijing have been suspended until at least 1 July.
• The UK Government will not require delegates attending November’s international climate conference in Glasgow to have been vaccinated.
• Taiwan has extended its Level 3 restrictions for another fortnight. The restrictions are the third highest on a four-tier system, and limit indoor gatherings to five and outdoor gatherings to 10, force the closure of entertainment, adult and sporting venues, and restaurants to operate take-away only. Markets and some supermarkets have instigated some entry restrictions, and working from home has been encouraged.
• Poland has imposed seven days’ compulsory quarantine for travellers arriving from the UK. Visitors will need to take a negative test after their period of self-isolation. Fully vaccinated travellers will be exempt.
• Ivermectin is being studied by University of Oxford scientists as a possible treatment, as part of a UK Government-backed study that aims to aid recoveries in non-hospital settings.
• Wellington, New Zealand is introducing restrictions, after a person with the virus travelled there from Sydney. The Level 2 rules include restricting the number of people in many venues to under 100, physical distancing being enforced, masks being worn on public transport and encouraging working from home where possible. The measures will initially be in force until Sunday.
• The WHO said this morning that its review of Russian vaccine production had found some issues with one Russian manufacturing plant that fills vials with the Sputnik V vaccine. The company involved has said the issues have already been addressed.
• The Reuters Institute Digital News Report has found 36% of people in the UK “trust most news most of the time” up from 28% in January 2020.
• The Australian federal government has announced it will shelve the AstraZeneca vaccine by October.
• Zimbabwe has postponed the reopening of schools and other learning institutions by two weeks.
• Berlin is making permanent the extra bike lanes it added during lockdowns.
• Cuba’s government announced that its three-shot Abdala vaccine has proved to be 92% effective.
• Tokyo organisers ban alcohol at Olympics.
• Japan’s daily rate of vaccinations has reached 1 million. Currently, 18% of a population of 125 million has recieved at least one dose.
• Russia has reported 548 coronavirus-related deaths, the most confirmed in a single day since February.
• Over 150 staff at a hospital in Texas, US, have been forced to leave their jobs after refusing to be vaccinated.
• The Delta variant currently represents 9-10% of confirmed new cases in France.
Company news
Retail
• Morgan Stanley – Staff and clients will be barred from entering its New York offices if they are not fully vaccinated. The policy comes into effect next month.
