Most of UK enters tier four lockdown as infection rates surge31/12/2020|2min
More than three quarters of the United Kingdom will move into harsh tier four level restrictions from Thursday just days after the state recorded its highest number of new COVID-19 infections.
On Tuesday, the UK recorded 53,135 new daily infections and 414 deaths.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he wants to limit the lockdown as soon as possible but the spread of the new variant won t allow it.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock appealed to the public to be responsible and avoid contact with others to slow the spread.
Updated 0502 GMT (1302 HKT) December 31, 2020
What you need to know
UK regulators have approved Oxford/AstraZeneca s Covid-19 vaccine, clearing the way for millions more inoculations.
The US reported a record number of deaths and hospitalizations as the first known case of the new Covid-19 variant in the country was discovered in Colorado.
The House passed a measure to increase stimulus checks for Americans under a certain income level to $2,000. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked the effort in the Senate.
Chinese regulators have approved a coronavirus vaccine developed by state-owned pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm.
Our live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic has
UK regulator approves Oxford/AstraZeneca virus vaccine
LONDON, England UK regulators have approved the use of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, which is cheaper and easier to distribute than some rivals and could in time offer a route out of the pandemic for large parts of the world.
The UK government said it would follow a new immunization strategy for the vaccine, which will prioritize giving the first in a series of two vaccine doses to as many people as possible, before administering a second dose up to 12 weeks later.
This will apply to both the newly approved Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine which is already being administered.
UK Becomes First to Approve Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine
Britain approved a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca on Wednesday, which was hailed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as “a triumph for British science.”
The government said it had accepted the recommendation from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to authorise the jab against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.
Experts at the MHRA concluded that the vaccine had met its strict standards of safety, quality, and effectiveness, the Department of Health and Social Care said in a statement.
The prime minister said this was “truly fantastic news” and “a triumph for British science.”
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