Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Saturday morning.
Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Saturday morning. We’ll have another update for you tomorrow.
People living in England will be able to book their appointment for a coronavirus booster jab a month in advance from Monday. The change comes as part of government efforts to speed up the rollout of a third vaccine dose to the over-50s and vulnerable people. The current system means you cannot book an appointment until at least six months after your second. But the government said the coming winter was going to be “challenging” and vaccines were the best way to protect people.
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A professional footballer has opened up about his struggles with long Covid, which has left him unable to play after contracting the virus more than a year ago. Finlay Macnab says he suffers from “extreme fatigue” and feels like he has played a 90-minute game even after just walking up the stairs. The 20-year-old AFC Wimbledon midfielder also explained he struggled with keeping his heart rate down, with even the act of standing causes it to spike.
Costa Rica has become the first country to make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for children. This means the jab will join the existing list of basic vaccinations required to have in childhood. The country has signed a deal with pharmaceutical company Pfizer to begin the process of vaccinating under-12s from March next year. The deal will see the country received 3.5 million doses, of which 1.5 million will be used to vaccinate children aged five to 11.
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The BBC’s health and science correspondent James Gallagher has written a helpful round-up explaining the latest trends in coronavirus data, as well as talking to public health experts about the current situation. He points to falling case numbers, which were just over 34,000 on Friday as well as the falling infection levels in schoolchildren. However, James emphasises cases are rising in older adults and speaks to experts who are also concerned about the dangers of sharp rises in case numbers and the risks of relaxing too much.
A teenager who became famous after taking up painting in lockdown doesn’t want to become an artist in the future . Makenzy Beard, from Swansea, started painting on canvasses in her garden shed and hit headlines when a portrait of a neighbour was featured by the Royal Academy of Arts. But the 14-year-old said she didn’t think she wanted painting as a career as it might ruin her enjoyment of picking up a brush.
The weekday morning coronavirus briefing is being paused for two weeks to tell you five things you need to know about the COP26 climate summit.
For more about the booster jab rollout, head here. And find further information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.
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