Covid news live: England drops all ‘Plan B’ Omicron restrictions; Moderna begins trial of Omicron-specific booster shot

Russia’s daily Covid-19 cases rose to 88,816 on Thursday, a new record high for the seventh consecutive day as the Omicron variant was identified in new regions, officials said.

The number of new infections was a significant jump from the 74,692 reported on Wednesday. Reuters report that officials also said that 665 people had died in the last 24 hours.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has take some time out of waiting for the Sue Gray report to arrive to tweet about England dropping Plan B measures today, and to urge people to continue to get vaccinated.

Care home staff in England have said they are facing Covid “testing fatigue” with up to 50% of services experiencing outbreaks, the chairwoman of the National Care Association has warned on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme today.

Responding to the Government announcement that visitor restrictions in care homes will be scrapped next week, Nadra Ahmed said the situation would need to be “considered carefully” by independent providers. PA Media quote her saying:

We also know that up to 50% of services are in outbreak at this moment of time, which is why we’ve got the NHS in the position it’s in because we can’t take people in, so I think all of this will need to be considered very carefully.

Somebody mentioned to me… that we’ve got testing fatigue going on at the moment because you know, we have introduced so much testing, but these (we) have to do because we have to keep people safe.

Asked whether independent providers would place their own restrictions on visitor numbers despite the Government announcement, Ahmed said care homes would be “aiming towards” allowing people to visit freely.

She added: “There may be some challenges for some providers if they are short-staffed or there’s an outbreak, and if there are additional challenges those are the things that we’ll need to take into consideration”.

EasyJet has said the Omicron variant hit passenger demand last month, but revealed it had seen a recent boost in bookings from the move to scrap Covid travel tests.

The low-cost airline said Omicron saw its load factor, a measure of how well it fills its planes, slump to 67% in December after recovering past 80% in October and November.

PA Media report that the carrier said it has seen a “step change” in bookings since the 5 January announcement that pre-departure Covid testing would be scrapped for fully vaccinated arrivals entering England, with demand buoyed further by last week’s news of restriction-free travel from 11 February.

There is a developing story from Associated Press that current and former staffers have accused the top director of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Western Pacific of racist, unethical and abusive behaviour that has undermined the UN health agency’s efforts to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

The allegations were laid out in an internal complaint filed in October and again in an email last week, sent by unidentified “concerned WHO staff” to senior leadership and the executive board and obtained by the Associated Press. Two of the authors said more than 30 staffers were involved in writing it, and that it reflected the experiences of more than 50 people.

Maria Cheng reports that the internal complaint and the email describe a “toxic atmosphere” with “a culture of systemic bullying and public ridiculing” at WHO’s Western Pacific headquarters in Manila, led by Dr Takeshi Kasai, director of the region that includes China and his home country of Japan. Kasai denies the allegations.

The AP says it has also obtained recorded snippets of meetings where Kasai is heard making derogatory remarks about his staff based on nationality. Eleven former or current WHO staffers who worked for Kasai told the AP he frequently used racist language.

In an email to the AP, Kasai denied allegations of racism and unethical behavior. He said that after receiving the email last week, he immediately took steps to communicate with all his staff.

“I ask a lot of myself, and our staff,” he said. “This has particularly been the case during the Covid-19 response. But it should not result in people feeling disrespected.”

Isobel Frodsham at PA Media has a little bit more on those changes to care home rules in England. Limits on the number of visitors to care homes are being scrapped from Monday.

She writes that care homes will only have to follow outbreak management rules for 14 rather than 28 days, and self-isolation periods will be cut from 15 days to 10 days for those who test positive – with further reductions if they test negative on days five and six.

Isolation periods for those in care following an emergency hospital visit are also being reduced from 14 to 10 days. The move comes as 86.5% of care home residents have now had a booster vaccination.

Care minister Gillian Keegan said: “Thanks to the continued success of the vaccine rollout, I am delighted we can ease restrictions in care settings and allow unlimited visits to ensure people living in care homes see all their family and friends.

“The changes announced today are backed by scientists, ensuring we all have more freedoms from coronavirus, including care home residents and their families.”

The withdrawal of the requirement for Covid passes in England from today has been welcomed by those within the hospitality industry.

PA Media quote Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, described the requirement as having been a “debilitating and divisive mitigation” and said businesses across the night-time economy will celebrate the change.

Kill said the impact of the measure has left “many businesses now concerned that they will struggle to survive beyond February” and called for more government support.

Shaun Hinds, chief executive at Manchester Central, which describes itself as one of the UK’s leading events venues, described the end of plan B as “a very positive move”.

He said “a number of significant inquiries for events in 2022” and new bookings for 2023 indicate a “real appetite and eagerness in the live events sector as it continues in its recovery”.

A couple of snippets from Politico’s London Playbook email this morning suggest we might all be here again on Monday waiting for Sue Gray to publish her report into a lockdown party culture at Downing Street and in Whitehall. They write:

The latest information is that Boris Johnson has still not received the document from Gray. It is possible it will arrive this morning and then be published this afternoon — however it is now just as likely that the whole publication process slips to next week, after a remarkable internal row broke out over what exactly can be made public following the police decision to launch a formal probe.

…

Government lawyers, police officers and human resources officials are poring over the document line by line because there are legal concerns that publishing some of her findings on the eight alleged events being looked at by the police could prejudice their investigation.

…

It may now be Monday before the report can be released, because MPs start to head back to their constituencies this afternoon and there may not be sufficient time to allow Johnson to make an immediate statement to the Commons.

Germany’s Omicron wave continues apace, as the country again set another record number of daily new infections, crossing the 200,000 threshold for the first time.

The Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases reported 203,136 positive tests in the last 24 hours, 69,600 cases more than the same day a week ago.

The seven-day incidence per 100,000 people rose to 1,017 from 941 the previous day, while another 188 people died, bringing the death toll since the start of the pandemic to 117,314.

Reuters remind us that German lawmakers debated yesterday whether to impose compulsory Covid vaccine shots, while protesters gathered outside the parliament building.

Around 75% of the German population have received at least one dose of a vaccine – less than in western European peers such as France, Italy or Spain.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz backs compulsory vaccines for over-18s but his coalition government is divided on the issue and he has told lawmakers to vote according to their conscience.

Care home residents can receive unlimited visitors from Monday as restrictions to tackle the Omicron variant of coronavirus are eased, the Department of Health has said.

Self-isolation periods will also be reduced from 14 days to 10 for those who test positive, with further reductions if they test negative on days five and six.

And there will be changes to the testing regime for care workers from 16 February, with pre-shift lateral flow tests replacing the current system involving weekly asymptomatic PCR tests.

PA Media report that Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “I know how vital companionship is to those living in care homes and the positive difference visits make, which is why we continued to allow three named visitors and an essential care giver under Plan B measures.

“Thanks to the progress we have made, I am delighted that care home restrictions can now be eased further allowing residents to see more of their loved ones.”

Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, has done her interview on Sky News, and has naturally been immediately quizzed about the publication timing of the Sue Gray report into Downing Street parties. She said:

I’m conscious that Sue Gray is finalising her report … it’s important that be allowed to continue, as indeed the prime minister said about the police investigation. I know that the government is committed to publishing the full findings of the report, but the timing I actually have no idea about.

There then followed a somewhat awkward exchange where she was asked if she had attended any parties at Downing Street. Here’s how it went:

Kay Burley: Did you ever go to any of the parties in Downing Street?

Thérèse Coffey: I’m not aware of any parties at Downing Street, but it is important that Sue Gray’s report is allowed to be published and the PM … sorry … the police be allowed to investigate.

Burley: But did you ever go?

Coffey: I’m not aware of any parties, I’m here to talk about jobs [then pushes government line on new Universal Credit policy]

Burley: Did you ever go to any parties at Downing Street?

Coffey: Have I ever been to any parties in Downing Street? The last party I recall going to Downing Street was the celebration of when the UK left the European Union following the referendum. And that was because Boris got Brexit done.

Today is the day that England drops all the Plan B restrictions which were put in place ahead of the expected wave of Omicron infections.

The move means compulsory mask wearing in shops and on public transport, guidance to work from home and vaccine certificates will be scrapped in England. Last week the government changed guidance to remove face mask wearing in classrooms in secondary schools.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the success of the vaccine programme, coupled with a better understanding of treatment for the virus, is “allowing us to cautiously return to plan A, restoring more freedoms to this country”.

The move comes as the UK as a whole recorded 102,292 new daily Covid cases, with the week-on-week average being slightly down. There were 346 deaths recorded yesterday.

Public health guidance urging people to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces if coming into contact strangers will remain in place, the Government said. It also said organisations will be able to choose if they will require Covid passes from those visiting their venues.

While the scrapping of measures have been welcomed by some, others have urged people to “be considerate to those around them” when it comes to choosing to wear a face covering, and to “be respectful” of policies in certain settings.

Both Sainsbury’s and John Lewis said their customers will be asked to wear masks, though the latter acknowledged it will ultimately come down to “personal choice”.

PA Media quote the British Retail Consortium saying the changes “will enable shopping to return to a more normal experience for customers, employees and businesses”.

But their chief executive Helen Dickinson added: “Retailers ask customers to be considerate to those around them when choosing whether to wear a face covering and to respect the decision of other customers.”

Hello, it is Martin Belam here in London, taking over from Samantha Lock. You could be forgiven a slight sense of deja vu as the UK news cycle seems entirely gripped with when Sue Gray is going to publish her report into Downing Street’s lockdown party culture, what Prime Minister Boris Johnson is going to say in parliament in response to that, and then whether he can cling on to his leadership of the Conservative party. So just like yesterday, to be honest.

I’ll bring you the key lines from the morning’s UK media round. Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, is on the airwaves for the government. And I’ll also be bringing you continuing coronavirus coverage from around the world.

A convoy of truckers is set to descend on Ottawa in Canada to protest a vaccine mandate for cross-border drivers.

Thousands of truckers are protesting a new requirement that they be fully immunised to enter Canada as of 15 January.

Ottawa police Chief Peter Sloly said officers have been in been in contact with protest leaders whom he said have been cooperative and shared their plans, the Associated Press reports.

The US has imposed the same requirement on truckers entering the country.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance has estimated that about 15% truckers in Canada — as many as 16,000 — are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Donald Trump Jr. took to social media Tuesday to endorse the Canadian truck convoy’s fight against “tyranny” and to urge Americans to follow suit.

At the meeting in Ottawa, police disclosed they are preparing for a range of scenarios including the potential for violent outbreaks. Police say they are planning for the arrival of between 1,000 and 2,000 demonstrators, but say the situation is “fluid” and changing by the hour.

Some supporters of the convoy have taken to social media to warn the vaccine mandate for truckers will leave store shelves empty.

Transport minister Omar Alghabra has assured Canadians there’s no reason to fear food shortages will result from a small minority of truck drivers refusing to comply with the vaccine mandate.

Moreover, he said there’s been no “measurable impact” on the number of trucks crossing the border since the vaccine mandate went into effect on 15 January. Last week, he said almost 100,000 trucks crossed the border — about the same as usual for this time of year.

England today lifts Covid restrictions imposed to tackle the Omicron variant, with masks no longer required in enclosed places and vaccine passports shelved.

People will no longer be legally required to wear face masks, although they will still be recommended in some settings.

Covid passports are also to be scrapped to enter places such as nightclubs, football grounds and large-scale events, although venues may continue to ask customers to provide evidence of their vaccination status or a recent negative test if they wish.

The changes are part of the government’s decision to lift Plan B coronavirus measures and come as the number of positive Covid-19 cases has fallen sharply over the past two weeks. Although still at high levels, cases have plateaued in recent days.

The UK government introduced the so-called Plan B restrictions on 8 December, after prime minister Boris Johnson warned of a looming “tidal wave” of Omicron.

Moderna Inc says it has started a mid-stage study, testing a booster dose of its Covid-19 vaccine specifically designed to target the Omicron variant, a day after rival Pfizer Inc launched a similar trial.

The pharmaceutical company said while a third shot of its original coronavirus vaccine increased neutralising antibodies against the variant at the lower dose, their levels declined six months after the booster dose was administered.

However, neutralising antibodies remained detectable in all participants, Moderna added.

On Tuesday, Pfizer and its partner BioNTech started a clinical trial to test a new version of their vaccine specifically tailored to the Omicron variant.

Moderna said it would study its Omicron-specific booster in adults aged 18 years and older, Reuters reports.

It would test the booster in individuals who received only the two-dose primary series of Moderna’s original vaccine, mRNA-1273, and also in those who received the primary series and a booster dose of the same vaccine, the company said.

Moderna plans to enrol about 300 participants in each of the two groups in the study.

Three studies, led by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown that a third dose of an mRNA vaccine, such as those from Pfizer and Moderna, is key to fighting the Omicron variant.

Hello and thanks for joining us for all the latest Covid developments this Thursday.

I’m Samantha Lock and I’ll be here for the next hour or so before my colleague Martin Belam takes the reins from London.

It’s another day of humiliation for Boris Johnson as the embattled British PM fields fresh calls to quit over a slew of alleged lockdown breaches in Downing Street.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer pressed Johnson on his behaviour during a session of prime minister’s questions where he said the PM had previously told MPs that “all guidance was followed” in Downing Street over gatherings during Covid lockdowns.

“So since he acknowledges the ministerial code applies to him, will he now resign?” the Labour leader asked. Johnson replied: “No.”

An official report by senior civil servant Sue Gray due to be published in the coming days may prompt a new raft of Conservative MPs to send letters of no confidence in the PM.

Amid all the political chaos it may be easy to forget we are still in the midst of a global pandemic.

People in England today will no longer be legally required to wear face masks, although they will still be recommended in some settings. The change is part of the government’s decision to lift Plan B coronavirus measures.

Covid passports are also to be scrapped although venues may continue to ask customers to provide evidence of their vaccination status or a recent negative test if they wish.

Pharmaceutical company Moderna Inc also announced it has started a mid-stage study, testing a booster dose of its Covid-19 vaccine specifically designed to target the Omicron variant, a day after rival Pfizer Inc launched a similar trial.

Here’s everything else you might have missed:

Europe:

• Italy will ease Covid restrictions for all visitors from European Union countries starting from 1 February, its health ministry said on Wednesday.
• Moderna has started testing an Omicron-specific Covid booster in healthy adults.
• In Denmark, the government announced it will scrap most pandemic restrictions next week, even as neighbouring Sweden extended its own measures for another fortnight.
• Police in Berlin have been authorised to crack down on protesters wearing badges resembling yellow star badges and other symbols associated with the Nazi era at demonstrations against vaccine mandates or other pandemic restrictions. Story here.
• The UK has reported a further 102,292 Covid infections and 346 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to the latest data from the government’s coronavirus dashboard. That compares with 94,326 cases and 439 fatalities in the 24 hours prior.
• Sweden will extend its current pandemic measures by another two weeks, the minister for health said on Wednesday, as Omicron is spreading at record speed. The curbs mean bars and restaurants have to close at 11pm and there is a cap of 500 people inside larger indoor venues.
• As pressure on hospitals eases, Austria will end its lockdown for people not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus on Monday, though some restrictions on public life will remain.

Middle East:

• Israel has broadened its eligibility for a fourth dose of the Covid vaccine to include adults under 60 with underlying medical conditions, their carers and others over 18 at significant risk of exposure to coronavirus.

United States:

• The United States has donated more than 400m vaccine doses to 112 countries, marking a major milestone in the White House’s goal of donating 1.2bn vaccine doses under president Joe Biden’s direction.
• The Americas have seen their highest daily Covid caseloads since the pandemic began, and Omicron has clearly become the predominant variant, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said.