Headlines
• South Korea starts vaccinations
• 40-49-year olds in the UK next in line to be vaccinated
• 80% of EU AstraZeneca vaccines unused
• Pupils in Berlin allowed to retake a year
World news
• 95% of adults in the UK say they have either received the vaccine or would be likely to have it if offered, new data by the ONS show. This is up from 91% the previous week and 78% in early December 2020.
• In the UK, people aged 40-49 will be prioritised next for a vaccine, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has announced. In phase two of the UK's vaccine roll-out, it says priority will be given by age in the following order: all those aged 40-49 – all those aged 30-39 – all those aged 18-29.
• In England, one in 145 people are estimated to be carrying the virus compared with one in 115 last week. In Wales it is one in 205 compared with one in 125 last week, in Northern Ireland it is one in 195 vs one in 105 last week, while in Scotland it is one in 225 vs one in 180 the week before.
• The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said just over 86,000 cars were built in the UK in January, a fall of 27% compared with January 2020.
• Bahrain became the first nation to authorise Johnson & Johnson’s new single-dose coronavirus vaccine for emergency use.
• 80% of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine doses delivered to EU countries are yet to be used. German chancellor, Angela Merkel, noted there was an “acceptance problem” among Europeans being offered the vaccine.
• Israel is to put on hold its programme to send vaccines abroad amid legal scrutiny, according to Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz after it planned to send token amounts of vaccines to foreign allies rather than Palestinians.
• South Korea has launched its vaccination campaign. The first injections of the AstraZeneca’s vaccine were given to nursing home workers and patients across the country.
• France and Germany have agreed to require tests for workers commuting across their shared border.
• Moldova has approved Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine.
• Berlin school pupils are to be given an opportunity to repeat the school year.
• London Pride will return to the capital on 11 September.
• Poland’s health ministry is raising the upper age limit for people receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine to 69 from 65 due to limited vaccine supplies.
Company news
Transport
• IAG – “The Group anticipates that as a result of Covid-19, demand will continue to be supressed for several years and will not reach levels seen in 2019 until at least 2023. The Group, therefore, took steps to reduce its aircraft fleet and the associated cost of maintenance.”
