One in four UK adults fully vaccinated against Covid – follow live

In order to avert the risks of a future pandemic like that of coronavirus, scientists at the University of California, Davis have developed a new web application that ranks the risk of diseases jumping from wildlife to human.

Named SpillOver, it “is the first comprehensive open-source risk assessment tool that evaluates newly-discovered wildlife viruses in terms of their potential spillover from wildlife hosts into humans,” Jonna Mazet, an epidemiologist at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, tellsThe Independent. She came up with the idea along with Zoe Grange who worked on the project as a postdoctoral wildlife disease ecologist at Davis. 

Inspired by the risk assessments used by banks and insurance companies, SpillOver creates a “credit-like” score for viruses by looking at key risk factors and using them to prioritise those viruses posing the greatest potential threats to human health for a watchlist.

China has revealed that it had previously offered to help South Asian countries, including India, to access Covid-19 vaccines.

It pointed out however that India, which is now suffering from the world’s worst wave on the pandemic, did not attend a regional video-conference on the matter.

Wang Yi, China’s State Councillor and foreign minister, hosted a conference which was attended by Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the Chinese foreign ministry said.

China’s neighbour India was also invited but declined to attend.

A statement from the Chinese ministry said that Mr Wang had explained how Beijing was willing to set up emergency supply reserves with South Asian countries to help fight coronavirus.

Mr Wang said that China expresses its “deep sympathy for the raging epidemic in India and extends its sincere condolences to the Indian people.”

He added that Beijing was ready to help India at any time.

One quarter of adults in the UK are now fully vaccinated against coronavirus, latest figures indicate.

In total 13,201,811 people have now received both jabs in the UK which is the equivalent of 25.1 per cent of the adult population. Meanwhile, a record number of second doses have been delivered in the past week.

It is estimated that Wales has given two doses to 27.8 per cent of adults. This comes ahead of England (24.9 per cent), Scotland (24.9 per cent) and Northern Ireland (24.5 per cent).

The figures are for vaccinations reported up to and including 26 April 26.

Just under 2.8 million second doses have been recorded in the week running up to 26 April. Nearly 8.7 million have been administered since 1 April.

This compares to just under 3.7 million second doses in March, while there were only 321,607 in February.

Three 5K runs in Surrey will be part of tests aimed to see how mass participation in sports and events could safely take place.

Spectators, participants and staff will all have to provide a negative Covid-19 lateral flow test ahead of the event.

They will also all have to take a PCR test before and after the event.

Those who test positive will not be allowed to attend with runners offered a £15 entry fee refund.

The Reunion 5K at Kempton Park, Surrey, will take place on 15 May with a total of 3,000 participants and up to 3,000 spectators planned for each of the three races.

Organiser Hugh Brasher, the event director of London Marathon Events (LME), said everyone is “doing everything we can to assist the Government with this project.”

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, Public Health England, Surrey County Council, Spelthorne Borough Council and Kempton Park are all involved in the plans for the races.

They are part of the government’s Event Research Programme (ERP) with other pilot events being run under the programme in April and May. These are aimed at collecting information about how to safely remove social distancing.

Ruth Hutchinson, Surrey’s director of public health said: “We are pleased to be involved in supporting these test events that will provide important data about the impact of different types of sporting gatherings as we come out of Covid restrictions.”

She went on to add: “It’s encouraging that we’re looking forward to doing the things we love, but getting all the evidence to do it as safely as possible.

“And of course, we all need to remember that hands, face, space and fresh air are all still essential to keep Surrey safe.”

Coronavirus testing rates have dropped significantly in the Indian capital Delhi in the past week despite infection rates surging.

From almost 100,000 tests being conducted every day 10 days ago, the testing rate dropped to 57,000 tests on Monday, according to the latest figures, while the positivity rate remained at 31 per cent.

The decline in testing in Delhi is in line with the nationwide drop in testing which dropped from almost 1.7 million tests on 24 April to 1.6 million on 26 April.

Vienna is set to loosen its coronavirus lockdown next week, a month following its introduction the city’s mayor announced on Tuesday.

The city’s left-wing mayor has said that non-essential shops will be able to reopen from Monday 3 May. Meanwhile he has criticized the country’s conservative-led government’s plans for a broad easing of restrictions nationally next month.

Austria has had three national lockdowns, the most recent of which eased in February. Vienna meanwhile reintroduced a full lockdown at the beginning of April, in an attempt to help hospitals who were facing a rapid rise in cases.

Although infection rates have slowed this month, they have remained high at more than 1,500 cases of coronavirus per day.

In spite of high case numbers, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said last week that a national reopening of restaurants, hotels and theatres will take place on 19 May.

Provinces will be able to impose stricter rules on a more local scale should this be needed.

“The situation is improving but must still be taken very seriously,” Vienna’s mayor Michael Ludwig said.

“Regarding May 19 and the government’s announcement that a lot will be opened at the same time, personally I believe one should act very carefully here,” he said.

Mr Ludwig added: “With all sympathy for the economic challenges, for example, people’s health will always come first for me.”

Nicola Sturgeon has reiterated her calls for a UK-wide public inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus pandemic following “shameful” remarks allegedly spoken by Boris Johnson.

Scotland’s first minister argued that bereaved families deserve answers about the response to the pandemic in light of reports the Prime Minister said he would rather see “bodies pile high” than impose a third lockdown.

Mr Johnson has denied making the comments, although the claims have been corroborated to both the BBC and ITV.

Healthy adults aged 42 and over in England have been urged to come forward for their Covid-19 jab as Boris Johnson warned the nation is “not out of the woods yet”.

The prime minister raised concerns about new variants of the virus during a meeting of the Cabinet, Downing Street said.

But he told ministers the road ahead “looks positive”.

It comes after new figures show deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales have fallen 97 per cent since the peak of the second wave of the virus.

Asked about reports Boris Johnson told aides he would rather let coronavirus “rip” than return to restrictions in September, the PM’s official spokesman said: “I have seen the various reports and speculation which distort the actions of the prime minister.

“At all times he has been focused on saving lives and livelihoods.”

The words do not amount to a denial, unlike No 10’s strong rejection of the suggestion Mr Johnson said he would rather see “bodies pile high” than announce a third lockdown.

In relation to those alleged remarks, the spokesman said: “He didn’t say it and this is untrue.”

Downing Street has said “we don’t have surplus doses” when asked if vaccines will be sent to India as it suffers a surge in coronavirus cases.

The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “We committed in February to sending excess doses from the UK’s supply to the Covax procurement pool and to countries in need once they are available.

“Right now we are moving through the UK prioritisation list for our domestic rollout and we don’t have surplus doses, but we will keep this under review.”