I: ‘The roadmap out of lockdown’ 

In December, the Government said it would publish the ‘roadmap out of lockdown’ on Monday 22^nd February.  Boris Johnson PM has stated that he will be guided by data, not dates.  NHS Providers – a membership body of NHS organisations – has set out 4 tests that it says must be met in order for lockdown to be eased: 

1. Case numbers and the R number must drop significantly
2. NHS capacity must return to levels where it can treat all patients 
3. All top 9 priority groups must be vaccinated (projected by end of May)
4. The Government must have a strategy to identify and control future outbreaks 

http://bit.ly/3az0g4I

II: Vaccination programme 

• Over 65’s 

If you are aged 65+ you should receive your vaccination invitation from the NHS Vaccination Centre or from your GP

• Shielding 

Following scientific advice, the Government has included ethnic origin, weight and deprivation (by postcode) in the criteria for shielding.  This has resulted in more people being added to the shielding list which means they are strongly advised to stay indoors – maintaining 2m distance even inside their own home – and not going outside for any reason except testing, vaccination or other medical appointments.   One benefit is that anyone below the age of 65 who is put on the shielding list will be offered the vaccination sooner.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56086965

Please remember the purpose of vaccination is to prevent serious illness and death by helping your body develop immunity (ability to fight disease).  There is still not enough data on transmission so even after your vaccinations, you might still catch the virus and pass it on to others. 

• Carry your card 

You are advised to carry your vaccination card in your wallet or purse. This is a precaution so that medics are aware in case you need other medical treatment. 

• Report side effects

The Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has a ‘Yellow Card’ website where you can report side effects after your vaccination.  You can download the Yellow Card app onto a smartphone. 

https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

• Report symptoms 

Kings College & St Thomas’ Hospital London are still running the Zoe Symptom study.  Symptoms reported via the app are helping scientists gain a better understanding of the virus 

https://covid.joinzoe.com/faq

• Access to vaccinations for undocumented migrants 

The Government recently announced that undocumented migrants will be able to register with a GP in order to get a vaccination. NHS staff are normally required to report illegal immigrants who try to access the health service. This duty has been suspended to ensure as many people as possible are vaccinated. 

https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/30161/vaccine-amnesty-in-uk-for-undocumented-migrants

• Human Challenge study 

A new study into Covid vaccines and treatments involving healthy young volunteers aged 18-30 has received ethical approval. Scientists are particularly interested in finding out the smallest amount of virus needed to cause infection

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56097088

III: New travel requirements from Monday 15^th February

• Mandatory testing during the quarantine period

Travellers arriving into the England from anywhere else in the world must complete a passenger locator form in advance.

https://www.gov.uk/provide-journey-contact-details-before-travel-uk  

All travellers will be required to undergo two Covid tests during their 10-day quarantine period.

• The tests will be PCR swab tests pre-booked via the Government portal set up on 11.2.2021
• The tests must be done on day 2 and day 8
• If a test is positive, the 10-day quarantine period starts again from the date of the test
• Travellers will still be required to provide proof of a negative result from a test taken within 72 hours of travelling
• This applies whether people are spending quarantine at home or in a hotel
• Travellers must pay for all tests

Note: it is currently illegal to travel out of the country except for a few specified reasons.  If you try to leave the country for any other reason, you can be fined for breaking Coronavirus regulations. 

• Mandatory hotel quarantine

Irish and UK residents who have spent time in any of the ‘Red List’ countries – those with ‘variants of concern’ – during the 10 days before returning will be required to quarantine in a hotel paying £1,750 for the first traveller.  There is an additional fee of £650 for each person aged 12+, £325 5-11 year olds.

• They must stay in one of the hotels commissioned by the Government
• They must book via the Government portal set up on 11.2.2021
• The fee of £1,750 covers accommodation, transport and testing
• Fees must be paid by travellers 
• Only returning residents are permitted to enter the UK from a Red List country; entry for all other people is banned

Fines 

Failure to take a mandatory test	£1000
Failure to take the 2nd mandatory test	£2000 + automatic extension of quarantine period to 14 days
Failure to quarantine in a designated hotel	£5000 – £10,000
Lying / attempting to conceal spending time in a Red List country within 10 days of returning to England	Jail sentence of up to 10 years

Source: https://bit.ly/3jDOWqM

IV: Vaccination videos 

Professor KK Cheng, Director of University of Birmingham’s Institute of Applied Health Research, has produced videos in Cantonese and Mandarin for the Chinese community

V: Case rates 

Check the case rates in your local area http://ukcovid19.nw.r.appspot.com/

___________________________________

 

每周疫情快讯: 2021年2月19日

I：“疫情解封计划” 

政府在12月表示，将在2月22日星期一宣布“疫情解封计划”。 英国首相鲍里斯·约翰逊表示，他将以医疗数据作为决策依据，而不是日期。 NHS成员机构之一的NHS Providers已提出4项测评条件，当必须满足所有条件时，才能解除封锁：

1. 新冠确诊病例和新冠病毒传染指数R值都必须大幅下降
2. NHS的医疗资源必须恢复到可以诊治所有患者的水平
3. 排序前9位的疫苗优先接种人群已全部完成了新冠疫苗的接种（预计5月底前完成）
4. 政府必须制定相关策略和具体措施，可以有效识别和防控未来的疫情

http://bit.ly/3az0g4I

 II：疫苗接种计划

• 65岁及以上人士

如果您是65岁及以上人士，您会从NHS疫苗接种中心或您的家庭医生收到疫苗接种的邀请信

• 高危人士屏蔽

根据科学建议，政府已将民众的出生族裔，体重和身体疾病（按邮政编码）纳入高危人士屏蔽标准。这将使更多的人被添加到屏蔽人群的列表中，政府强烈建议屏蔽人士呆在室内，即使在自己的房屋内也要与他人保持2米的社交距离。除需要做检测，疫苗接种或其他医疗预约的原因，建议不要外出。在不久之后，政府将为被列入屏蔽人群的65岁以下人士提供新冠疫苗的接种。

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56086965

疫苗接种的目的是通过疫苗帮助您的身体增强免疫力（抵抗疾病的能力）来预防严重的疾病和死亡。目前，仍然没有足够的数据证明疫苗可以有效防止新冠病毒的传播，因此即使在接种疫苗后，您仍可能有感染新冠病毒的风险，或者您被感染后将病毒传播给其他人。

• 请携带您的疫苗接种卡

每位接种新冠疫苗的人士都会收到一张疫苗接种卡（如下图），疫苗接种卡上有您的姓名、接种疫苗的详细信息，强烈建议您将疫苗接种卡放在您的钱包中，以便您外出就医或需要其他医疗措施时，医生或医疗人士可以及时知情。

 

• 报告新冠疫苗副作用

药品和保健产品监管局（MHRA）建立了一个“黄卡”网站，您可以在其网站报告您接种疫苗后的副作用。您可以将Yellow Card应用程序下载到智能手机上使用。

https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

• 报告您的新冠肺炎症状

伦敦国王学院和圣托马斯医院仍在进行Zoe新冠肺炎的症状研究。您可以通过Zoe手机应用程序来报告您的症状， 以便帮助科学家更好地了解该病毒

https://covid.joinzoe.com/faq

• 为无合法身份的移民提供新冠疫苗接种

政府最近宣布，无合法身份的移民将可以在家庭医生处登记，进行新冠疫苗的接种。 NHS工作人员通常需要上报政府，为非法移民申请提供医疗服务。目前该上报流程已暂停，以确保为尽可能多的民众接种疫苗。

https://www.infomigrants.net/cn/post/30161/vaccine-amnesty-in-uk-for-undocumented-migrants

• 新冠病毒人体挑战试验

一项涉及新冠疫苗和治疗的新研究已获得政府批准，以及伦理机构的认可，参加试验的志愿者为18岁至30岁的健康年轻人士。科学家的主要研究内容是找出导致新冠病毒感染的最少病毒量。

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56097088

III: 2月15日星期一起的新旅行要求

• 隔离期间的必须进行新冠核酸检测

从世界任何地方抵达英格兰的旅客必须提前填写《入境乘客定位表》。

所有到达英格兰的旅客，在为期10天的隔离期内都必须进行两次新冠核酸检测。 

• • 新冠核酸检测需要通过政府网站预约，预约平台将于2021年2月11日开通
  • 检测必须在隔离期的第2天和第8天完成
  • 如果检测结果为阳性，从检测日算起，需要进行为期10天的自我隔离
  • 旅客仍需出示起飞前72小时内新冠病毒检测阴性证明
  • 出示72小时内新冠病毒检测阴性证明同时适用于自我家居隔离和酒店隔离的人士
  • 旅客必须自行支付所有检测费用 

注意：除特殊原因，目前出境英国旅行是违法的。 如果您出于任何其他原因出国旅行，则可能因违反新冠法规而被罚款。

• 强制性酒店检疫

所有从来自“红色名单”国家或地区（“南非新冠变种高风险地区”）返英的爱尔兰和英国居民，都要在政府指定的酒店自我隔离10天，旅客需自行支付费用隔离费用1,750英镑，房间内每增加一个12岁以上的儿童需要额外支付650英镑，每增加一个5至12岁的儿童则需额外支付325英镑。

• • 返英人士必须住在政府指定的酒店
  • 返英人士必须通过政府网站提前预订，预约平台将于2021年2月11日开通
  • 隔离费用包括住宿、交通费和检测费
  • 费用必须由旅客自行支付
  • 只允许从红色名单国家返英的英国居民入境， 禁止所有其他人入境英国

罚款

隔离期未进行新冠核酸检测	罚款£1000英镑
隔离期未进行第2次新冠核酸检测	罚款£2000英镑  +  隔离期自动延长至14天
未在政府指定的酒店隔离	罚款£5000 – £10,000英镑
撒谎或试图隐瞒自己在返英之前的10天内，曾到过红色名单疫情高风险国家或地区	最高刑期为10年监禁

信息来源：https://bit.ly/3jDOWqM

IV：新冠疫苗接种宣传视频

欢迎观看伯明翰大学应用健康研究院院长郑家强教授为华人社区制作的有关新冠疫苗接种的视频，包括粤语和普通话。

V：每日新冠数据

点击链接查看您所在区域的新冠数据 http://ukcovid19.nw.r.appspot.com/