Covid: Violence up after lockdown eased and job losses expected at vaccine factoryon April 26, 2022 at 7:09 am

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday morning.

Serious violence increased by 23% – the biggest rise on record – after Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were eased in England and Wales last year, analysis of hospital emergency data suggests. However, Cardiff University researchers say 2021 levels remained below those pre-pandemic, after bans on social gatherings and the closure of pubs and nightclubs contributed to a massive drop in 2020. The long-term trend also shows violence declining.

It will be another three years before NHS waiting times for many treatments in Wales are reduced to under a year, under Welsh government plans to tackle backlogs. Labour ministers will publish their plans later, with health boards set to get an extra £60m over the next four years. But with waiting times of longer than 12 months for 164,000 procedures, the Welsh Conservatives say the plans are “unambitious”. Plaid Cymru is calling for focus on prevention. The situation is similar to England – in February ministers said the waiting list for hospital treatment will not start falling for two years.

Scientists are exploring any possible links between the pandemic and rare cases of child hepatitis. In the UK, 114 children have become ill and 10 have needed a liver transplant, with health officials saying there’s growing evidence the F41 strain of the common adenovirus is linked to the cases. Scientists are investigating whether a change in its genetic make-up is causing it to trigger liver inflammation – known as hepatitis – more easily. They are also looking at whether pandemic restrictions – causing later exposure to adenovirus – or Covid infection might be contributory factors. There is no known link to the Covid vaccine.

Job losses are expected to be announced at a factory manufacturing a Covid-19 vaccine. Wockhardt UK Ltd has carried out the “fill and finish” stage of AstraZeneca vaccine production at its Wrexham plant since 2020, with staffing levels increased to about 500 during the vaccination rollout. However, the company says the workforce will return to a “normal” pre-Covid level when its current UK government contract ends this month.

First, Jair Bolsonaro described Covid as a “little flu”, then he suggested vaccination could turn people into crocodiles. Now the president of Brazil, where the World Health Organization says there have been more than 660,000 Covid deaths, is the butt of a joke as the country’s Carnival returns. At the São Paulo parade, a performer wearing a presidential sash transformed into a crocodile after “receiving a vaccine” on stage. Satire has traditionally been a feature of Carnival floats, according to one of those behind the stunt.

Get a longer daily news briefing from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning, by signing up here.

Worried about any link between Covid and the rare cases of childhood hepatitis? Here’s what we know.

Find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.

What questions do you have about coronavirus?

In some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.

Use this form to ask your question: