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THE ROLLOUT OF a vaccine in the European Union has begun as countries move back into lockdowns due to a new strain of the virus, believed to be more infectious, that continues to spread from Britain.
The pandemic has claimed more than 1.7 million lives and is still running rampant in much of the world, but the recent launching of inoculation campaigns has boosted hopes that 2021 could bring a respite.
Hours before the first vaccine doses arrived in France, Paris’ health ministry confirmed late Friday that it had detected its first case of the new variant in a citizen returned from Britain.
Several countries have reported cases of the new strain, which has sent jitters through already overstretched health services.
Even as some European nations eye a post-Christmas return to harsh restrictions, China’s communist leadership issued a statement hailing the “extremely extraordinary glory” of its handling of the virus that emerged in the country’s Hubei province last year, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Across the world, people are being urged to respect social distancing guidelines, as the World Health Organisation urged people not to “squander” the “great, heart-wrenching sacrifices” people had made to save lives.
The first French case of the new coronavirus variant was found in a citizen resident in Britain who arrived from London on 19 December, the French health ministry said.
They are asymptomatic and self-isolating at home in Tours in central France, and contact-tracing has taken place for the health professionals who treated him.
The new strain of the virus, which experts fear is more contagious, prompted more than 50 countries to impose travel restrictions on the UK, where it first emerged.
But cases of the new variant have still been reported worldwide: on Friday, Japan confirmed five infections in passengers from the UK, while cases have also been reported in Denmark, Lebanon, Germany, Australia and the Netherlands.
South Africa has detected a similar mutation in some infected people, but on Friday denied British claims its strain was more infectious or dangerous than the one originating in the UK.
The closure of the UK-France border for 48 hours led to a bottleneck of up to 10,000 lorries in southeast England, with drivers stranded for days over the festive period.
But the head of the Calais port operator told AFP that after the port remained open over Christmas specially, the “situation should be completely taken care of” soon.
Some countries that loosened restrictions slightly for Christmas have re-imposed them — Austria, for example, will see a curfew imposed from Saturday until 24 January.
Millions in the United Kingdom have been affected by a tightening of restrictions there — according to the BBC, more than 40% of England’s population are now affected by the strictest measures — which include the closure of all non-essential businesses and a limiting of social contacts.
New lockdowns also started in Scotland and Northern Ireland on Saturday, and Wales has re-imposed restrictions too after relaxing them for Christmas.
More than 25 million infections have been recorded in Europe, according to an AFP tally on Friday.
Vaccinations in all 27 European Union countries will begin on Sunday, after regulators approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on 21 December.
As vaccine rollout gets underway across the world, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Friday: “Vaccines are offering the world a way out of this tragedy. But it will take time for the whole world to be vaccinated.”
The pope’s Christmas message also referenced the issue, with a plea for “vaccines for all”.
“I call on everyone, on leaders of states, on businesses, on international organisations, to promote cooperation and not competition, to find a solution for everyone… especially the most vulnerable and most in need in all regions of the planet,” Pope Francis said.
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There is no misinformation; banks are just not lending!
won’t be long and everyone commenting will be running to the banks
Sme’s think the bank is not lending is a fact and not something they just made up.
The banks have lost all trust and credibility with the vast majority of the public and I for one don’t believe anything they say.
Look, just becuase everyone saw the sky today does NOT mean it was there, ok!? #BOI
how can a bank our group of banks reject the findings of its regulatory body? something is very broken when rule breakers can turn around and refute regulators reports and say we don’t accept the findings in safe knowledge that no one will challenge them
Who do you think runs Ireland, Europe and the World?
I’m Md of a specialist engineering company we have a clean record with our bank Boi,nAnd guess what?nThey are NOT lending!nHow can an Irish Sme grow and create jobs without business loans?nAnd our spineless government haven’t the balls to tackle them??
True for you BTW Whatever happened to the FG proposal to have a reconstruction bank? Is it on the back burner because they want businesses to bail out our zombie banks? Many don’t even bother to try to get loans due to the negative experience of others.
Can anyone name a FG election promise that was kept?? I can’t !
Know what? BOI dont fully qualify as a bank any more. Definition of a bank- 1. an institution for receiving, lending, exchanging, and safeguarding money and, in some cases, issuing notes and transacting other financial business.
The banks are offering to lend, no doubt about that but its the T&C that SME’s can not comply with.
They can then report to the Government that they have made an offer and the company did not avail of it.
Spin, I believe that’s what it is called.
Well if bank of Ireland says it’s not true and that they are bending over backwards to help sme s then it must be true and I have to believe them….tsk tsk ..silly people casting doubt on such a venerable institution
Exactly Marc, if BOI says it’s lending than it is lending and we are all very silly for believing to the contrary …………..despite all the evidence. Did you see the new BOI ad on TV, they really do care about us, they really do!!!!!!!
In jan 2012 applied to increase overdraft from €5000 to €7500,yes that €2.500 increase.aug 2012 no answer just told they haven’t come back .
God love self employed Ireland.
80% of applications approved? Yes, if you count renewals of existing facilities where they have little choice. What’s the % for approvals of NEW money going out the bank’s door?
The minister for finance said in the dail we can’t believe what the banks say so what has changed NOTHING !!!
They have consistently lied to the past government this government the central bank the regulator and now the people of Ireland.
Why do we still doff our caps ?
Eh? Isn’t that a bit like the bloke beating you over the head with a baseball bat being concerned that you believe he’s the violent sort??
They are more concerned, at being found out! Who told the dogs on the street, find them and put them down!
If bank of Ireland are sooooo concerned why don’t they start lending
Bank of Ireland really really loves us all….it’s just misunderstood
OK here we go…
What if, and its a big if, the banks are only reflecting how really shagged the economy is. Then its better not to be throwing good money after bad. We would end up bailing the shaggers out again if they were making huge losses.
Also the government would be delighted that everyone was focusing on the bad bad bankers rather than how fu**ed the economy really is….yes/no?
If a business is loosing money and succeeds in borrowing to cover this loss what happens next year etc.
Can’t we just sack the lot, save the money and get decent banks and bankers in?!!
That last bit was a joke, if course!
Decent bankers… :-))
have your say