COVID Catharsis Corner - Reports from around the world from today, Saturday 19th of December:
- World: 75,883,142 confirmed cases and 1,679,705 confirmed deaths.
- Switzerland: Approves Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
- US: Approves Moderna Vaccine, has already approved Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
- US: Sees highest daily confirmed cases so far at 249,709.
- UK: New COVID mutation recently discovered in the country appears to make it even easier for it to pass from person to person with some indications it is up to 70% more transmissible, but indications so far are that it has not become more fatal or that it will be vaccine resistant, but this is being examined further. It is, however, spreading fast through the South East of the country - "In London 28% of cases were as a result of this new mutation in mid-November, but that has now increased to more than 60%" and areas with the new variant have higher hospitalizations.
- UK: New higher Tier 4 restrictions introduced which is basically a stay-at-home lockdown with everything except essentials closed, with the addition that travel in and out of the area is banned. London and much of South East placed into Teir 4 immediately due to speed and spread of the new strain.
- UK: As cases spike rapidly, the relaxation of COVID rules for Christmas is finally scrapped for the new Teir 4 areas and are reduced to Christmas Day only in all other areas.
- Scotland: Bans cross boarder travel from Scotland into rest of UK indicating the new more contagious strain had already been detected in Scotland and that "if we do not act and act firmly" [...] "firmly and decisively now, or it will take hold".
- Wales: Brings forward new lockdown to tonight, with Christmas relaxation of restrictions pulled back to Christmas Day only.
- Australia: West Australia to reinstate hard boarder with New South Wales after risk moved from "Low" to "Medium"
- Italy: New strict lockdown announced which will cover Christmas and New Year.
- Chile: President fined $3,500 for taking a selfie in a public place without a mask on.
- Turkey: Ventilator explosion on a COVID ward kills 9.
- India: Becomes second country in the world to pass 10 million confirmed cases.