Covid news - live: Colds may give protection against virus, as PM considering cutting isolation to five days

The body’s natural defences built in response to some common colds could help protect against Covid-19, a new study has found.

Scientists from Imperial College London found that people with high levels of T-cells – parts of the body’s immune system that target infected cells – that had developed to fight common colds caused by other coronaviruses were less likely to catch Covid.

The scientists said the study could help with future vaccines as it suggests they could target different parts of the virus that are less susceptible to mutations.

Boris Johnson confirmed that the government was considering cutting the period of self-isolation from seven to five days after Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, said the move would help ease pressure on schools and hopsitals.

The prime minister said: “We are looking at that and we will act according to the science.”

Rishi Sunak is among ministers to support a cut, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph. The chancellor is reported to be keen on the economic benefits of easing staffing issues.

Key Points

• Common cold defences could protect against Covid, study finds

• Boris Johnson looking at cutting Covid isolation period to five days

• Lateral flow tests will be free ‘as long as necessary’, says PM

• Private hospital beds open to NHS patients under new deal

• Gove: PM got ‘big calls right’ on Covid

• PM would have ‘serious questions to answer’ if he attended lockdown party, says Starmer

• ‘Deltacron’ likely caused by lab contamination

Care homes hit by 250k Covid testing backlog

15:00 , Liam James

Thousands of care homes were hit by delays in Covid tests as a backlog of 250,000 was uncovered, it has emerged.

The UK Health Security Agency, which was hit by the backlog in PCR tests on 2 January, warned staff that the issue may have impacted the ability of care homes and prisons to manage Covid-19 outbreaks, writes Rebecca Thomas.

The backlog and subsequent delays in results were driven by “increased workload and Staff absence” according to leaked emails obtained by The Sunday Times.

Care homes hit by 250,000 Covid test backlog

Spanish PM suggests less monitoring of Covid

14:40 , Liam James

Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of Spain, wants Europe to consider tracking Covid less closely as dying from the virus has become much less likely.

The change would mean treating Covid-19 as an “endemic illness” rather than a pandemic, Mr Sanchez said,

Spain is already drafting a new monitoring system that would see the virus tracked in a similar way to flu.

Every new infection would not need to be recorded and people with symptoms would not necessarily be tested but they would still receive treatment.

The plan would be for a network of carefully chosen health facilities and professionals to report, in a survey-like system similar to the one used across Europe for tracking flu, Mr Sanchez confirmed.

He said that Carolina Darias, the Spanish health minister, had already discussed the idea with counterparts in the European Union.

Common cold offers some protection against Covid, study finds

14:16 , Leonie Chao-Fong

High levels of T-cells from a common cold could provide some protection against Covid, a study has found.

Researchers at Imperial College London found that T-cells – a type of white blood cell that helps protect the body from infection – from common cold coronaviruses may be able to provide protection against Covid.

But they said no one should rely on this defence alone and people should still get vaccinated to protect themselves against the virus.

Read the full article here:

Common cold offers some protection against Covid, study finds

Italy tightens restrictions for unvaccinated citizens

14:10 , Leonie Chao-Fong

From Monday, people must show proof of Covid-19 vaccination or recovery from a recent infection to enter public transport, coffee shops, hotels, gyms and other everyday activities.

The new “super” health pass requirement, which eliminates the ability to show just a negative test to gain access to services, comes as daily Covid cases exceed 100,000 per day in Italy.

The government has responded to the Omicron wave by passing new restrictions aimed at encouraging people to get vaccinated or else be shut out of recreational and even essential activities, such as taking a bus or subway to work.

Around 86% of the over-2 population in Italy are fully vaccinated, and nearly 75% of those who are eligible have received a booster.

‘Deltacron’: Lab contamination likely responsible for Delta and Omicron hybrid, scientists say

13:58 , Leonie Chao-Fong

An apparent coronavirus strain that combines mutations from both the Omicron and Delta variants is likely to be the result of laboratory contamination, scientists have said.

Fears emerged over the weekend that a new strain of Covid, dubbed ‘Deltacron’, had emerged from a so-called recombination event - when two variants co-infect a patient and exchange mutations to produce a new viral offspring.

Twenty-five sequences of Deltacron have been reported to date, but experts have insisted there is no evidence to suggest that Omicron and Delta have combined to generate a new variant.

Read the full article by my colleague Samuel Lovett here:

Lab contamination likely responsible for ‘Deltacron’, scientists say

PM would have ‘serious questions to answer’ if he attended lockdown party, says Starmer

13:45 , Leonie Chao-Fong

Asked whether Boris Johnson would have to resign if he was found to have attended a party during lockdown, the Labour leader replied: “We need to let the inquiry take its course, see what the findings are.

“The prime minister has insisted he broke no rules so if the finding is that he did then he will obviously have very serious questions to answer.

“Let’s let the inquiry play out, let’s see what the findings are and then go from there.”

Pope Francis suggests getting Covid-19 vaccine is a ‘moral obligation'

13:33 , Leonie Chao-Fong

Pope Francis, who has generally shied away from speaking about vaccination in the past, suggested today that getting a Covid-19 vaccine was a “moral obligation”, Associated Press reports.

In a speech to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, he said individuals had a responsibility to care for themselves “and this translates into respect for the health of those around us. Health care is a moral obligation.”

He continued: “Frequently people let themselves be influenced by the ideology of the moment, often bolstered by baseless information or poorly documented facts.”

The pope went on to say that vaccines “are not a magical means of healing”, but that they “represent, in addition to other treatments that need to be developed, the most reasonable solution for the prevention of the disease.”

‘Too early to say’ when Covid will be endemic, says No 10

13:15 , Liam James

It is “too early to say” when the coronavirus pandemic will move to being endemic, No 10 said.

The prime minister's official spokesman said it was “certainly our expectation of that at some point that is where we will get to”.

But he said: “Exactly what point we're on, that is probably still too early to say.

“We are seeing early signs of cases falling in England and indeed even hospital admissions are starting to fall, but it's still too early to draw conclusions.”

A disease is endemic if it remains constantly present in a region over time. It does not necessarily remain as big a threat.

For instance, the milder Omicron variant has shown that Covid no longer poses as high a risk of death or hospitalisation for most people.

The World Health Organisation predicted in May 2020 that Covid would become endemic.

Tory minister falsely claims that Labour called for lockdown in December

12:55 , Liam James

Here’s Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, falsely claiming that Labour publicly supported a new lockdown before Christmas.

No 10 says isolation will be cut ‘if possible’

12:37 , Liam James

Downing Street said “if it is possible to go further, then we will do so” in reducing the length of the Covid isolation period.

After Boris Johnson confirmed he was considering cutting the time to five days from seven, his official spokesman said that new information about the relatively new Omicron variant was still emerging and being looked at by the government and advisers.

He said: “Of course as the prime minister said, if it is possible to go further then we will do so.”

He added: “If it is possible to go further, we'd want to act quickly but it needs to be based on the latest evidence and that work is still ongoing. We certainly haven't received any further updated advice.”

Rolls-Royce has record year ‘due to Covid’

12:15 , Liam James

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars achieved record sales in 2021 as coronavirus lockdowns led to “a lot of money accumulated worldwide”, the company's chief executive has said.

Torsten Muller-Otvos said the BMW-owned firm delivered 5,586 cars last year, up 49 per cent on 2020.

He said it was “very much due to Covid that the entire luxury business is booming worldwide”.

People “couldn't travel a lot” or spend money on “luxury services” following the outbreak of the virus in 2020, Mr Muller-Otvos said.

“For that reason, there is quite a lot of money accumulated worldwide, which was spent on luxury goods. We also profited from that.”

He said the company had delivered more cars in 2021 than ever before in its 117-year history.

Boris Johnson considering cutting Covid isolation period to five days

11:56 , Liam James

The government is considering reducing the self-isolation period from seven to five days for fully vaccinated people who test positive for Covid, Boris Johnson has said.

He said: “We are looking at that and we will act according to the science.”

Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, said yesterday he backed a cut to the isolation period “as soon as possible” and Rishi Sunak was also reported to support the move.

Jon Stone has more on this:

Boris Johnson looking at cutting Covid isolation period to five days

Boris Johnson says lateral flow tests will be free ‘as long as necessary'

11:12 , Liam James

Boris Johnson has said the government will continue to make lateral flow tests available “for as long as is necessary”.

“We are going to have to make sure we continue to use testing as one of our most important lines of defence for as long as is necessary,” he said during a visit to a vaccination clinic in Uxbridge.

“The other line of defence in addition to testing is of course getting vaccinated. The boosters are going well. We have now done 36 million boosters - 90 per cent of people over 50 - but clearly there is an opportunity for people who have not been boosted.”

Body’s common cold defences could help protect against Covid, study finds

10:50 , Liam James

The body's natural defences built in response to some common colds could help protect against Covid-19, a new study has found.

Scientists looked at T-cells – a part of the body's immune system that target infected cells – that had been developed to fight common colds caused by other coronaviruses.

The study, published by Imperial College London, looked at the T-cells in 52 people who lived with someone recently infected with Covid to see if they went on to get it themselves.

Those who did not develop infection were found to have significantly higher levels of those T-cells than people who did get infected. The study did not say how long protection from the T-cells would last.

The authors of the study, published in Nature Communications, said that the findings could help with future vaccines as it suggests they could target different parts of the virus that are less susceptible to mutations.

Current vaccines target the spike protein, which mutates often, creating variants such as Omicron which make the vaccines less effective.

The experts warned it would be a “grave mistake” to think that anyone who had recently had a cold was automatically protected against Covid-19.

‘Deltacron’: New Covid variant or laboratory error?

10:31 , Liam James

A scientist claims to have discovered a variant combining characteristics of the Delta and Omicron variants of Covid-19.

Experts have dismissed his findings as the result of laboratory contamination and warned against scaremongering.

Joe Sommerlad looks at the story so far:

Is ‘Deltacron’ a new Covid variant or a laboratory error?

Reports of end to free lateral flow tests a ‘red herring’, says Scotland’s clinical director

10:10 , Liam James

Reports that the UK Government will end free lateral flow tests are a “red herring” and therefore the Scottish government is not making any contingency plans, Professor Jason Leitch has said.

Scotland's national clinical director said he expects the tests would continue to be “freely available” as there was “no intelligence” to support reports of plans to end free provisions.

Nadhim Zahawi, the UK education secretary, denied there were plans to stop providing the tests for free after a Sunday Times story suggested Boris Johnson would announce the change within weeks.

Nicola Sturgeon has warned that scrapping free lateral flows would be an “utterly wrongheaded” approach to dealing with Covid-19.

‘End in sight’ for pandemic but months ahead will be difficult, says WHO envoy

09:50 , Liam James

Covid-19 will make life difficult for the next three months at least but “we can see an end in sight” for the pandemic, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) special envoy on the virus said.

Dr David Nabarro, told Sky News: “I'm afraid we are moving through the marathon but there's no actual way to say that we're at the end - we can see the end in sight, but we're not there.

“And there's going to be some bumps before we get there.”

He said the virus was overwhelming health services in many parts of the world while it was “really clear” that major new restrictions were not likely.

And more variants would emerge as the virus continued to evolve, he said.

“People have just got to keep working and so there are some very tough choices for politicians right now.

“It's going to be difficult for the next three months at least.”

China locks down major city after Omicron cases found

09:30 , Liam James

The major port of Tianjin may be facing China's first local outbreak of the Omicron variant of coronavirus of any size, less than a month before the winter Olympics open in nearby Beijing.

State broadcaster CCTV said the government has divided Tianjin and its 14m residents into three levels of restrictions, starting with lockdown areas where people are not allowed to leave their homes at all.

In control areas, each household is allowed to have one family member leave to buy groceries every other day, while in prevention areas, people must remain inside their immediate neighbourhoods.

Buses and trains from Tianjin to Beijing have been suspended and people are being told not to leave the city unless they have urgent business.

The city began mass testing of all its residents on Sunday after a cluster of 20 children and adults tested positive for Covid-19, including at least two with the Omicron variant.

Another 20 people tested positive on Sunday, bringing the total to 40. Officials said earlier that the virus has been circulating so the number of cases could rise.

Boris Johnson got 'big calls right' on Covid, says Gove

09:11 , Liam James

Michael Gove has defended Boris Johnson's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and praised the “quality of his leadership”.

The levelling up secretary appeared on the BBC’s Today programme around half an hour later than scheduled after getting stuck in a lift in Broadcasting House.

When he finally appeared he was asked about his caution the face of the Omicron variant last month, when he was at odds with the prime minister.

He said Mr Johnson had been “vindicated” in having resisted tougher measures, and went on to defend his approach throughout the pandemic.

He said: “Of course there are all sorts of criticisms that can and should be levelled at the government for our handling of the Covid pandemic.”

“But I also think its right to acknowledge that on the booster campaign, on vaccination overall, on the provision of free testing, on the balance of restrictions the prime minister has got all of these big calls right.

”We have been able to have a greater level of freedom than almost any other European country and we've done so thanks to the quality of his leadership and his judgement and...“

Presenter Nick Robinson at this point cut Mr Gove off and said that he was employing a ”ministerial technique“ by making a series of controversial claims at the end of the interview when there was not enough time left to challenge him.

”But you get that privilege given that we locked you in a lift,“ Mr Robinson said.

Lateral flow test free ‘as long as we need’, says Gove

09:00 , Liam James

Lateral flow tests will be free for “as long as we need”, Michael Gove said.

The levelling up secretary told Sky News it was “impossible to predict” how long that would be.

“But it is the case that in this country lateral flow tests are free, unlike in many other jurisdictions, they're a vital tool in making sure that we can curb the spread of the infection and also that people who are needed to isolate do so,” he said.

Campaign launched to urge pregnant women to get vaccinated against Covid

08:40 , Liam James

Pregnant women are being urged to get their booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in a new public health campaign, writes Eleanor Sly.

The UK government, together with experts from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives, are launching a new campaign encouraging pregnant women to get vaccinated.

Launched on Monday, it will urge them: “Don’t wait to take the vaccine.”

Campaign launched to urge pregnant women to get vaccinated against Covid

Private hospital beds open to NHS patients under new deal

08:25 , Liam James

The NHS will be able to use spare beds in private hospitals under a new deal ordered by the government.

The three-month agreement allows NHS hospitals to send a wider range of patients to the private sector for treatment such as cancer care.

The deal was planned to support the health service in case hospital admissions or staff shortages threaten the provision of urgent care.

The NHS has also been asked to look at using spare capacity in gyms and education centres to create “super surge” wards on top of their usual surge capacity.

Nightingale hubs are already being created in the grounds of some hospitals as part of a move to create up to 4,000 extra beds.

Sajid Javid, the health secretary, said: “This agreement demonstrates the collaboration across our healthcare services to create an additional safeguard that ensures people can continue to get the care they need from our world-leading NHS, whenever they need it.”

UK has one of ‘most liberal’ Covid approaches in Europe, says Gove

08:10 , Liam James

Michael Gove has said the UK – and particularly England – has one of the “most open” and “one of the most liberal approaches of any country in Europe” when it comes to coronavirus.

After reports that Cabinet members, including Rishi Sunak, backed a cut to the period of self-isolation, the levelling up secretary told Sky News it would be for Boris Johnson and Sajid Javid, the health secretary, to decide.

But he said: “We always keep things under review because we’re always guided by the facts, by the science, and by changing circumstances.

“So I think it’s striking to note that in the United Kingdom overall, particularly in England, we have one of the most open regimes, one of the essentially… one of the most liberal approaches of any country in Europe, but we also need to balance that with a determination to ensure that we are not overwhelming the NHS.”

Sunak ‘backs 5-day isolation'

07:30 , Liam James

Rishi Sunak wants to reduce the period of isolation from seven to five days, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph.

The chancellor is reported to be keen on the economic benefits of easing staffing issues.

Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, yesterday said he would like to see the reduction “as soon as possible”, adding that it would help mitigate some of the pressures on schools and workplaces.

Sajid Javid, the health secretary, last week said the government was not considering making the cut. The seven day period was the “right, balanced approach”, he said.

The isolation period was cut from 10 days to seven in December on the advice of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The agency said it would be safe for people to stop quarantining after two negative lateral flow tests on day six and seven of an isolation period.

The US has moved to a five-day isolation period after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – the equivalent of the UKHSA – said evidence showed people were most infectious in the two days before and three days after developing symptoms. A negative test is not required to leave isolation undee US rules.

Experts have questioned the new US guidelines, particularly the lack of requirement to test.

ICYMI: Too early for UK to start ‘living with Covid’, scientists warn

06:30 , Stuti Mishra

Scientists are warning that it is too early for the country to start “living with Covid”, after cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi suggested that the UK could lead the world in moving from a pandemic to endemic phase of the disease.

The former vaccines minister said he would like to see isolation after a positive test reduced from seven to five days to help tackle staffing shortages in the NHS, schools and other critical services.

But he denied the government is imminently planning to end the provision of free Covid testing except for people with symptoms and high-risk settings such as care homes.

Read the full report from our political editor Andrew Woodcock here:

Too early for UK to start ‘living with Covid’, scientists warn

Australia must ‘push through’ Omicron outbreak, says Morrison

06:14 , Stuti Mishra

Australia must “push through” the fast-moving Omicron outbreak, prime minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, as the country’s infections tally surpassed 1 million cases.

A record outbreak in infections in the country has put rising pressure on the Morrison government this election year with new curbs imposed in several cities leading to shortages of staff in several sectors.

Mr Morrison, who plans to change isolation rules and allow people to work in food production and distribution, including those who have come in contact with an infected person, said: “Omicron is a gear change and we have to push through.

“You’ve got two choices here: you can push through or you can lockdown. We are for pushing through,” Mr Morrison told a media briefing in the capital, Canberra.

While hospitalisations in the country have gone up, it is also facing supply change issues due to a large number of people having to isolate.

Australia’s strict border rules are again in the public eye after it cancelled an entry visa for star tennis player Novak Djokovic because of questions about his vaccine exemption.

ICYMI: Lockdown party investigation chief must have access to Boris Johnson, MPs say

05:50 , Stuti Mishra

Sue Gray, the senior official investigating claims of coronavirus rule-breaking parties in Downing Street must be given access to Boris Johnson if required, opposition parties have said, after it was alleged he attended a drinks party during the first lockdown.

Downing Street has declined to deny a report in the Sunday Times which alleged the prime minister attended the event in the No 10 garden with his wife Carrie in May 2020, citing three sources claiming Mr Johnson’s principal private secretary emailed officials with an invite adding “BYOB”.

“It is vital that Sue Gray has all the information and access she needs to carry out a full and fair investigation,” said Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner. “While the terms of reference for the new investigation have not been published, it is paramount that Sue Gray is given the same access – including if she needs to interview the prime minister.”

And Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael added: “The government should not skirt around the issue on this. If they are serious about healing public trust, the head of the No 10 Christmas Party inquiry Sue Gray should personally interview the prime minister.”

India starts giving booster jabs to vulnerable population as new cases cross 170,000 mark

05:32 , Stuti Mishra

India started administering booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to frontline workers and vulnerable elderly people on Monday, as the country witnesses a six-fold rise in weekly Covid cases since the start of the year fuelled by the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

Only healthcare personnel, frontline workers and people above 60 years suffering from other health conditions are eligible for what the government calls a “precaution dose”, which was announced by Narendra Modi on Christmas Day.

“The government is committed to provide additional security cover to healthcare and frontline workers on priority,” health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday.

India has seen a rapid uptick in cases in the last seven days with a third wave driven by Omicron. In the last 24 hours, the country reported 179,723 new cases, most of them in the country’s biggest cities - Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata - where Omicron has overtaken Delta as the most prevalent strain of the virus.

There were 146 deaths reported on Monday, bringing the toll to 483,936 since the pandemic first struck India in early 2020. Only the United States and Brazil have recorded more deaths, though India’s count is believed by many experts to be an underestimate.

In recent days, hundreds of healthcare and frontline workers, including police, have contracted the virus, and there were media reports that hundreds of parliamentary staff have also tested positive ahead of a budget session on 1 February.

Despite the rise in infections, five states including the most populous Uttar Pradesh will hold elections starting 10 February, though authorities have barred political party rallies until at least the middle of this month.

India starts giving booster jabs to vulnerable population as new cases cross 170,000 mark

05:32 , Stuti Mishra

India started administering booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to frontline workers and vulnerable elderly people on Monday, as the country witnesses a six-fold rise in weekly Covid cases since the start of the year fuelled by the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

Only healthcare personnel, frontline workers and people above 60 years suffering from other health conditions are eligible for what the government calls a “precaution dose”, which was announced by Narendra Modi on Christmas Day.

“The government is committed to provide additional security cover to healthcare and frontline workers on priority,” health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday.

India has seen a rapid uptick in cases in the last seven days with a third wave driven by Omicron. In the last 24 hours, the country reported 179,723 new cases, most of them in the country’s biggest cities - Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata - where Omicron has overtaken Delta as the most prevalent strain of the virus.

There were 146 deaths reported on Monday, bringing the toll to 483,936 since the pandemic first struck India in early 2020. Only the United States and Brazil have recorded more deaths, though India’s count is believed by many experts to be an underestimate.

In recent days, hundreds of healthcare and frontline workers, including police, have contracted the virus, and there were media reports that hundreds of parliamentary staff have also tested positive ahead of a budget session on 1 February.

Despite the rise in infections, five states including the most populous Uttar Pradesh will hold elections starting 10 February, though authorities have barred political party rallies until at least the middle of this month.

China tightens control in Tianjin

05:02 , Stuti Mishra

China has tightened exit controls in the port city of Tianjin requiring residents to obtain a negative Covid-19 report and approval from employers or community authorities before leaving the town.

The restrictions come after the city reported 21 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms on Sunday, the National Health Commission said on Monday, up from three a day earlier.

Tianjin said over the weekend it detected two local infections that were confirmed to be the Omicron variant. The city government announced the new exit rules in a statement late on Sunday.

Meanwhile, China reported 157 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, down slightly from 165 a day earlier, its health authority said on Monday.

Omicron overwhelms hospitals in early-hit cities across US

04:35 , Stuti Mishra

Weeks after Covid’s new Omicron variant began to surge across the US, early-hit cities are beginning to feel its full, chaotic impact.

In Kansas, overwhelmed hospitals are turning away ambulances. In Los Angeles, hundreds of police and firefighters are out sick with the virus. In New York City, trash collection and subway services have been delayed due to staff shortages.

All across the country, schools that struggled to stay open have few teachers left to teach.

My colleague Nathan Place has more details here:

Omicron overwhelms hospitals in cities across US

Scientist defends discovery of 'Deltacron'

04:18 , Stuti Mishra

The Cypriot scientist who discovered the Deltacron variant, which combines characteristics of Delta and Omicron, has defended his findings, denying that it could be a result of laboratory contamination.

Dr Leonidos Kostrikis, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Cyprus, told Bloomberg in a statement on Sunday that the cases of the variant unofficially dubbed as “Deltacron” he has identified “indicate an evolutionary pressure to an ancestral strain to acquire these mutations and not a result of a single recombination event”.

Dr Kostrikis said the findings come after the samples were processed in multiple sequencing procedures in more than one country. And at least one sequence from Israel deposited in a global database exhibits genetic characteristics of Deltacron.

He added that Deltacron infection is higher among patients hospitalised for Covid-19 than among non-hospitalised patients, so that rules out the contamination hypothesis.

“These findings refute the undocumented statements that Deltacron is a result of a technical error,” Dr Kostrikis said.

Scientists earlier said the supposedly new variant could be a case of lab contamination, which is common, after Dr Kostrikis’ findings were first made public on Friday with claims that he had found 25 similar infections.