Covid news live: Latest updates as UK announces £800 fines for house party guests

A North Sea platform has been shut down resulting from a variety of coronavirus infections.

The primary crew member examined optimistic for Covid-19 after displaying signs on board Ithaca Vitality’s FPF-1 Floating Manufacturing Facility – round 150 miles (240km) east of Aberdeen – on Tuesday.

An additional three staff have been then discovered to have been contaminated with the virus and shut contacts of all circumstances have been instructed to self-isolate.

A employee at a Müller manufacturing unit in Bridgwater has died after contracting coronavirus and 95 others are self-isolating.

The corporate stated of these self-isolating, 47 had examined optimistic for the virus.

The outbreak has affected almost one-third of the workforce on the dairy in Market Approach close to North Petherton, Somerset.

Samuel Osborne has extra particulars:

Strict federal and state tips for who ought to first obtain the restricted vaccine obtainable within the US has precipitated hundreds of doses to finish up within the bin.

Danielle Zoellner takes a have a look at what number of doses have gone to waste on this piece:

London and jap England are lagging behind different areas in vaccinating these aged 80 and over, provisional information from NHS England reveals.

Round two-thirds of individuals within the age group in northern England have now obtained their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, in response to figures for the interval as much as January 17.

North-east England and Yorkshire have vaccinated the best share, with 67% inoculated, whereas simply 50% of Londoners aged 80 and over have obtained the jab – the bottom of all NHS areas.

It comes because the Well being Service Journal (HSJ) reported that the North East and Yorkshire would have its vaccine provide lower subsequent week to make sure different areas meet up with the vaccination programme.

Priti Patel has stated leaping the queue for the Covid-19 vaccine by tricking the NHS reserving system is “morally reprehensible” and should cease.

The house secretary refused to rule out fines and different measures to forestall the observe throughout a Downing Road press convention this afternoon.

Angela Rippon has urged folks to disregard the “nonsense” and “faux information” circulating on social media and get the coronavirus vaccination after having one herself.

The journalist and tv presenter, 76, obtained her first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab on Wednesday at St Charles’ Hospital in west London.

The Rip Off Britain presenter revealed that her co-stars on the BBC One present, Gloria Hunniford, 80, and Julia Somerville, 73, had additionally each been scheduled to obtain jabs within the final 48 hours.

Addressing those that have reservations about getting the jab, she instructed the PA information company: “If they’re primarily based on lots of the faux information that’s round I might say discuss to somebody that you simply belief and get the reality and never the fantasy – not the faux information.”

Greater than three quarters of main hospital trusts in England at the moment have extra Covid-19 sufferers than on the peak of the primary wave of the virus, newest figures present.

Some 115 out of 140 acute NHS trusts have been recording the next variety of Covid-19 sufferers at 8am on 19 January  than at any level between mid-March and the tip of Could 2020.

This contains 13 of the 14 acute trusts in jap England, 14 of the 15 acute trusts in southwest England, and all 19 acute trusts in southeast England.

The figures, which have been printed on the federal government’s coronavirus dashboard, additionally present that 31 of the 140 acute trusts have been recording their highest ever variety of Covid-19 sufferers on 19 January.

House secretary Priti Patel has agreed with Dr Vin Diwakar that it’s “morally reprehensible” for folks to try to “soar the queue” for a vaccine.

Hinting at attainable future fines, she added: “As I’ve at all times stated, we are saying as a authorities as nicely, all our measures are beneath overview.”

Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS England regional medical director for London, stated the Covid pandemic is “the largest well being emergency to face this nation because the Second World Conflict”.

Referring to incidents of home events and raves shutdown by police, he added: “For me and my colleagues within the NHS, breaking the foundations in the best way that’s been described right this moment is like switching on a light-weight in the midst of a blackout within the Blitz: it doesn’t simply put you in danger in your own home, it places your entire avenue and the entire of your group in danger.”

The house secretary stated it’s “far too early” to say or speculate on restrictions, when requested whether or not folks must be reserving a overseas vacation for this summer season.

Requested whether or not Britain may maintain its borders closed to folks outdoors the UK till the autumn, she stated: “Our focus in fact, on the subject of borders and journey, folks shouldn’t be travelling (now) except in fact it’s completely essential and important.”

She added: “We’ve got stringent measures (on the border) for an excellent cause as a result of we wish to shield the well being of members of the general public and likewise we wish to guarantee that we will ship and safeguard this world-leading vaccine rollout programme.”