Covid news: Aspirin tested as potential treatment and schools get coronavirus advice from call centre
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Aspirin will be tested as a possible treatment for Covid-19 in one of Britain's biggest trials, which will assess whether it might reduce the risk of blood clots in people with the disease.
Scientists behind the RECOVERY trial, which is looking into a range of potential treatments for the novel coronavirus, said it would look into the painkiller, which is commonly used as a blood thinner.
Meanwhile, teachers have reacted with anger to unskilled call handlers being drafted in to give coronavirus safety guidance to schools.
A school leaders’ union said that in many cases call handlers do not have the knowledge or expertise needed to give helpful advice, with many reading answers from scripts.
It came as the government has imposed its first outright travel ban on arrivals since the coronavirus pandemic began. In the early hours of Saturday, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that foreign visitors from Denmark will be denied entry.
The unprecedented move is because of serious concerns about mutations of coronavirus spreading from mink to humans.
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Trump chief of staff tests positive
US president Donald Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows has been diagnosed with coronavirus after appearing without a face mask on election night.
Two senior administration officials confirmed Mr Meadows had tested positive for the disease – but gave no further details of when he came down with the virus or his current condition.
One administration official said several other staffers had tested positive as well.
Mr Meadows last appeared in public early Wednesday morning without a mask as Mr Trump falsely declared victory in the vote count.
Denmark travel ban sparks mandatory quarantine for flight crew
British Airways and Ryanair pilots and cabin crew operating flights from Copenhagen to the UK will now be required to quarantine with their households for two weeks immediately after landing.
Previously flight crew have always been exempt from having to self-isolate when returning from locations on the government’s “no-go” list.
But such is the concern about a mutation of coronavirus found in minks in Denmark, which can be passed to humans, pilots, cabin crew and anyone who lives with them must all self-isolate.
Denmark travel ban triggers mandatory quarantine for flight crews
‘This is a new strain and it is appropriate that we err on the side of caution’ – Scotland’s chief medical officer, Dr Gregor Smith
Call handlers with no expertise giving schools Covid advice
Unskilled call handlers have been drafted in to answer schools’ questions on coronavirus safety, with many reading answers from scripts.
While calls were initially answered by skilled teams reporting to Public Health England, responsibility for the bulk of queries was transferred within weeks to call-centre workers hired by outsourcing giant Serco.
A school leaders’ union said that in many cases, call handlers do not have the knowledge or expertise needed to give helpful advice.
Read more on this story:
Schools expected to seek Covid advice from call-centre staff with no clinical training
Union brands system ‘the final insult’ to teachers
11 retailers in Ireland facing prosecution
Eleven retail outlets in Ireland are facing prosecution for alleged “continued suspected breaches” of public health restrictions.
There have also been 13 incidents resulting in files being sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions where individuals broke the 5km local travel restrictions.
In terms of international travel, there were five incidents where people failed to provide contact tracing details on arrival in Ireland.
Since 22 October, there has been one incident where the non-wearing of face masks has resulted in a file being sent to the DPP, bringing the total to eight since the regulation was introduced.
PM lays wreath ahead of low-key Remembrance Sunday
Boris Johnson has laid a wreath in his constituency as the country prepares to mark Remembrance Sunday a little differently this year.
The PM paid his respects to the war dead at Uxbridge War Memorial in west London at a low-key event today.
With social distancing restrictions in place across the UK and a full lockdown in England, the UK government has encouraged councils to ensure remembrance services are short, entirely outdoors and held in front of limited numbers. Churches in England, while open, cannot host services due to a ban on communal worship.
PA
Austria has reported a record high 8,241 new coronavirus infections within the last 24 hours, according to the country’s interior ministry.
The number of deaths related to the virus rose by 37 to 1,377, it said.
Man fined for hosting party of 60 in two-bed flat
A man has been fined £10,000 after police found 60 people having a party inside a two-bedroom flat in Manchester city centre.
None of the people were social distancing or wearing face coverings, Greater Manchester Police said.
Music was being played through a sound system that included commercial-sized speakers.
Superintendent Chris Hill said organising the party was “a clear act of non-compliance which put those in attendance at risk of Covid and could, ultimately, increase demand on the NHS”.
Elsewhere, two men and two women were given fines of £200 each after Kent Police officers broke up a party of around 20 people at a flat in Canterbury in the early hours of Thursday – the same day national lockdown came into force in England.
Assistant Chief Constable Claire Nix of Kent Police said: “Hosting large gatherings in the middle of a pandemic, especially on the first day of a new national lockdown, is completely unacceptable and we do not hesitate to take action against those who display such blatant disregard for the coronavirus regulations.”
Police chiefs this week warned people who ignore coronavirus restrictions to be prepared to “face the consequences of greater levels of enforcement”.
Was Boris Johnson forced into ordering the second lockdown?
Assumptions that all was not what it seemed have taken hold since the prime minister took so long to make it to last Saturday’s news conference. Was someone, a minister or an adviser, threatening to resign?
No one did, and the boring explanation from No 10 was that the lockdown announcement took longer to finalise than expected, while the prime minister was keen to talk to anti-lockdown Conservative MPs to try to minimise the Commons rebellion.
Yet opponents of the lockdown suggest Mr Johnson was manoeuvred into ordering people to stay at home. John Rentoul has the full story:
Ireland follows UK with quarantine for travellers from Denmark
Ireland has introduced a 14-day self-isolation period for people arriving from Denmark following an outbreak of Covid-19 in the country’s mink population.
Northern Ireland introduced the measure on Saturday morning and first minister Arlene Foster spoke with the Taoiseach about implementing a joint approach.
Transport minister Eamon Ryan has now confirmed that the Republic will also introduce the measure.
However, he admitted that quarantine will not be enforced and people will be relied upon to follow the guidance themselves.
“We have to, that is the approach we have taken. If we have to change that we’ll look at that. This continues to evolve in every aspect of how we manage Covid-19,” he told RTE.
Scotland cases rise almost 50% in a day
Scotland has recorded 39 deaths from coronavirus and 1,596 new cases in the past 24 hours.
The increase in cases is 48.9 per cent up on the 1,072 new cases announced by first minister Nicola Sturgeon on Friday, and deaths are up following Friday’s 31.
There are now 1,245 patients with coronavirus in Scottish hospitals, an increase of eight.
Of those, 106 patients were in intensive care as of last night, also up by eight.
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