O19 - 17th March 2021 - Wilson James
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o19
17th March 2021
HIGHLIGHTS
Worldwide cases of COVID-19 are at 120,800,150 with deaths totalling 2,672,909 as of 16th March
according to Worldometer. So far, 97,436,530 people have recovered from the virus.
The European Union have so far exported 34 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, nine million of which
have been sent to the United Kingdom and one million to the United States.
Several countries including France, Germany and Italy have made the decision to temporarily postpone
all AstraZeneca vaccinations following a report by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The report
found 30 cases of blood clotting amongst the 5 million people so far vaccinated in Europe. Other
countries including Austria, have made the decision to ban the use of vaccinations from one particular
batch of the vaccine. Commenting on the AstraZeneca vaccine, the EMA have said that ‘the benefits
outweigh the risks’. The WHO have also stated that there is ‘no reason not to use it’.
A study published on 11th by Eurofound has found that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a bigger impact
of the jobs market in the EU than the 2008/09 financial crisis, with the first wave taking out six million
jobs.
On 23rd March, the UK will have a ‘national day of reflection’ to commemorate the anniversary of
Britain first going into lockdown. A minutes silence will take place at noon to remember the 125,000
who have so far died in the UK as a result of COVID-19.
The European Parliament in Brussels has voted overwhelmingly to adopt a resolution making the 27-
member bloc a “freedom zone” for LGBT people. In Poland, where there has been a rise in
homophobia, the government has denounced the resolution arguing it has the right to defend
traditional family values.
BREXIT
Import checks by the UK government have been delayed by six months after border posts, being built
to process incoming goods, were not ready in time. As a result of the delay, the EU have commenced
legal proceedings accusing the UK of breaching the Northern Ireland protocol.
A recent survey by Make UK has found that 74% of British firms are having issues with delays in
importing and exporting goods to the EU because of Brexit red tape and customs checks, as well as the
disruption in global trade by the pandemic. More than half have said that they have experienced
increases costs, whilst a third of the firms surveyed have said that they have missed sales.
Exports to the EU from the UK in January fell by 40.7% in January, worth £5.6bn, marking the first
month since Brexit. In comparison imports from the EU fell by 28.8%.
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WORLD NEWS/RAS/17th March 2021COVID – 19
TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES TOTAL DEATHS PATIENTS RECOVERED
120,800,150 2,672,909 97,436,530
16.03.2021 Worldometer
COVID-19 – UK
Seven–day rolling rate of new Seven–day rolling rate of new
cases by specimen date ending on cases by specimen date ending on
03 Mar 2021 10 Mar 2021
3
WORLD NEWS/RAS/17th March 2021Patients weekly admission data as of 11/03/2021
COVID-19 – UK
The total confirmed UK COVID-19 cases as of 16th March is 4,263,527 with 125,580 deaths according to
GOV.UK.
As of 15th March, over 24,453,221 people have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination in the
UK and 1,610,280 have received their second dose according to GOV.UK.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced the country’s timetable for easing lockdown
restrictions. From 2 April, ‘stay home’ measures become ‘stay local’ measures. From 5 April, more
retailers will be permitted to open along with hairdressers. From 12 April, all school pupils will return
full time. From 26 April, hospitality venues will be able to serve alcohol outside until 22:00 and indoor
attractions can reopen. From 17 May, indoor recreation and hospitality can reopen. From the end of
June, a phased return of some office staff can begin and the “rule of six” will apply inside people’s
homes.
The Welsh First Minister, Mark Drakeford, announced a relaxing of restrictions on 13 th March, moving
from a ‘stay at home’ message to ‘stay local’. In line with this, outdoor sports facilities will reopen and
four people from two households will be able to meet outdoors.
According to the Royal Society of Medicine, the UK (Kent) variant of COVID-19 is now causing 98% of all
COVID-19 cases in the UK.
Novavax trials conducted in the UK have found the vaccine to be 96% effective against the original strain
of COVID-19, and 86% effective against the new UK variant. The company hopes that these new trials
will allow the vaccine to gain approval for use in the UK.
An annual survey by the Social Mobility Commission has found that 56% of adults believe social
inequality to have increased during the pandemic, with 33% believing inequality has increased a lot.
25% said that COVID-19 had not made any difference, whilst 16% responded as being unsure.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said that those who are homeless or
sleeping rough should be included in group six of vaccinations.
A recent report by the Francis Crick Institute and King’s College London has found that delaying a second
4
WORLD NEWS/RAS/17th March 2021Pfizer dose could leave cancer patients at risk. The study found that after the first dose only 39% of
those with solid cancer developed an antibody response to COVID-19, with only 13% of those with
blood cancer.
A report (yet to be peer-reviewed) by the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging
Infection Consortium has found that working-age woman who are hospitalised with COVID-19 are five
times more likely to develop long COVID than men the same age.
UK Mental Health charities and experts have warned that the lifting of lockdown could trigger
heightened levels of stress and anxiety, with lockdown giving those with mental health conditions
‘permission to stay at home’. Rosie Weatherley, an information content manager at the mental health
charity Mind, has urged government and employers to provide ‘empathy and support… beyond
lockdown lifting’.
Qatar, Somalia, Ethiopia and Oman have been added to the UKs travel ban list, Portugal and Mauritius
have been removed.
COVID-19- OTHER COUNTRIES
Australia
On March 13th Australia recorded its first new local COVID-19 infections for more than two weeks in Queensland,
after a doctor who had recently returned to Australia tested positive for the UK variant of the virus.
Cambodia
Cambodia has reported its first death of the pandemic after a 50-year-old man died on 11th March after testing
positive for COVID-19. Cambodia has one of the lowest case rates of the pandemic with just 1,124. The new
outbreak reported in February has been traced to a foreign resident who broke quarantine and resulted in a two-
week closure of schools, cinemas and entertainment venues in Phnom Penh.
Canada
The province of Ontario risks entering a third wave of COVID-19 cases after new variants of the virus were
discovered. Recent reports have found that new variants of the virus have been found in 20 per 100,000 residents
in early March, up from 5 per 100,000 in early February.
China
A cluster of new COVID-19 cases have been found in Hong Kong, resulting in more than 240 people being
quarantined. The outbreak was traced to a gym, and subsequently spread to the banking sector and the city’s
international school network.
France
On 12th March, the French health regulator approved Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine for use in the
country. The European Union also approved the vaccine on 11th March.
India
India is once again experiencing a new wave of COVID-19 cases having recorded 22,854 new cases on 11th
March, the highest single-day increase since 25th December. Much of the new cases have come from the
Western State of Maharashtra.
Italy
In reaction to a new surge of COVID-19 cases, the Italian government has approved new restrictions that will
place the country into a total lockdown from 15th March. Italy registered 26,824 new COVID-19 cases on 12th
March and will place regions with more than 250 weekly cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 into ‘red zones’.
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WORLD NEWS/RAS/17th March 2021New Zealand
All COVID-19 restriction in Auckland were lifted on 12th March after Prime Minster Ardern announced that
the February outbreak had been successfully contained. The Prime Minister had imposed a seven-day
lockdown on New Zealand’s largest city after a new cluster of cases was reported.
Palestine
On 11th March, Palestinians were able to secure 40,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine from the United
Arab Emirates. The donation from the UAE is suspected to be politically charged with Mohammad Dahlan, a
rival of the current Palestinian Fatah president Mahmoud Abbas, taking credit for the shipment.
Portugal
The Portuguese government announced on 11th March that it would begin to ease its two month lockdown
gradually starting from next week. The first places to reopen will be Kindergartens, pre-schools and primary
schools, alongside hair salons, libraries and bookshops on 15th March.
United States of America
On 10th March, the US House of Representatives passed a COVID-19 relief bill worth $1.9 trillion which will
see many Americans receive $1,400 stimulus cheques, as well as unemployment benefits, child tax credit,
health insurance subsidies, and rental, mortgage and food assistance. In addition to this, the relief bill will
also fund pandemic responses, and speed up vaccine distribution. Whilst the bill has proven popular with the
public, the vote to accept the relief bill came down to party lines, receiving no support from Republicans.
Useful Information Sources
UK wide – Public Health England
Scotland – Scottish Government
Northern Ireland – NISRA
COVID-19 deaths in England & Wales – ONS
COVID-19 Statistics – Worldometer – Johns Hopkins University
WORLD NEWS
China
Lawmakers have endorsed government plans to have tighter control over voting rights in Hong Kong further
reducing the democratic power of Hong Kong citizens. The move would mean that Beijing would choose one
third of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council.
Honduras
Former cartel leader Devis Leonel Rivera Maradiaga has testified in a New York court that he bribed
Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernáandez with USD 250,000. The bribe was paid in 2012 as part of a
deal to protect Rivera from extradition to the USA and to obtain government contracts.
Indonesia
27 people were killed and 39 injured on 11 March after a bus plunged 65ft into a ravine on the island of Java.
The driver lost control of the vehicle after the brake malfunctioned. The bus was carrying a group of children
and teachers from an Islamic school.
Israel
Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed his historic visit to the UAE. Mr Netanyahu had
been due to meet with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed on Thursday.
Complications in obtaining permission to overfly Jordan were given as the reason for the postponement.
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WORLD NEWS/RAS/17th March 2021Japan
A moments silence has been observed across Japan to mark the 10 year anniversary of the earthquake and
tsunami that killed 18,000 people. 10 years on, more than 40,000 people have been unable to return to their
homes in areas surrounding the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The power plant suffered a triple meltdown
and will take 40 years to decommission.
Myanmar
The UK Foreign Office have called for its citizens in Myanmar to leave the country after violence continued
to escalate since the military staged a coup in February. A report by Amnesty International has accused the
military of going on a ‘killing spree’ as it used lethal force against those protesting the coup.
Nigeria
An estimated 30 students have been abducted from a forestry college in Kaduna state, North West Nigeria.
It is yet unknown which group is responsible for the kidnapping.
Tunisia
39 migrants have died and a further 165 were rescued after their boats capsized in the Mediterranean Sea.
It is unclear what caused the vessels to capsize but many boats are often overloaded and not fit for purpose.
Between 01 January and 07 March this year, 5,685 migrants have arrived illegally on the Italian coastline
from Tunisia and Libya.
United Kingdom
Remains found in a woodland in Ashford, Kent have been confirmed as being Sarah Everard, the 33-year-old
who went missing whilst walking home in London. PC Wayne Couzens, a 48-year-old serving police officer,
has been charged with her kidnap and murder. The murder has once again raised concerns over the safety
of women and has reignited the conversation around violence against them. Mr Couzens plea hearing will
take place on 9 July and a provisional trial date has been set for 25 October.
Cyber security company Eset has said that more than 500 British email servers may have been hacked and
that many companies may not be aware that they have been victims. Chinese organisation Hafnium are
suspected of hacking Microsoft Exchange servers using techniques which have never been seen before.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has supported the DfT’s decision to cut air passenger duty on domestic flights.
The cuts are aimed to bolster transport connections within the UK and offer some relief to the aviation
industry. Greenpeace have criticised the decision stating that the move will increase greenhouse gas
emissions.
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WORLD NEWS/RAS/17th March 2021INSIGHTS
Our Risk Advisory Service regularly publish articles and advisories covering a myriad of subjects. These
publications can be found within our Insights section on our Risk Advisory Service website.
The Vaccine Passport, Part Two: opportunities and obstacles
Following on from part one and the exploration of the potential benefits of implementing a vaccine passport
policy, part two will look into the challenges in implementing such a policy. Notwithstanding the ethical
considerations, the practical risks and obstacles can be split into scientific, technological and economic, with
each seeing a considerable amount of overlap with one another. These considerations have been raised in a
report published by ‘Science in Emergencies Tasking: COVID-19’ (SET-C) at the Royal Society entitled ‘12
Challenges for Vaccine Passports’, which will be drawn upon heavily alongside the Ada Lovelace Institute
report entitled ‘What Place should COVID-19 Vaccine Passports have in Society?’.
Perhaps the most important practical question to ask of vaccine passports is ‘are they scientifically sound?’
The practical purpose of a vaccine passport is to reassure the public enough to restart the economy,
particularly for border agents and travellers in the aviation and tourism industry, and event-goers and patrons
in the entertainment, leisure and hospitality industries.1 However, as pointed out by the Ada Lovelace Institute
and the Royal Society, much is still unknown about the various COVID-19 vaccines including the ‘duration of
protective immunity’ and the ‘efficacy of vaccines in preventing infection and transmission by the currently
circulating viruses’ as well as newly emerging variants.2 3 These concerns have also been voiced by numerous
government officials including French Health Minister Olivier Véran. 4 It is thought that if vaccine passports
were to be rolled out before these questions are satisfactorily answered they would have the potential to
undermine public health further, and it is paramount that passports be flexible in order to adapt to the ever-
changing nature of the pandemic.
There are also numerous technological implications of a vaccine passport, such as the need for it to be
internationally standardised, for example, the use of the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis
has been put forward as a precedent. Other technological obstacles that could cause some issues for
international standardisation also include the need for the vaccine passport to be both portable and based on
a platform of interoperable technologies. What this means is that the technology used to create the vaccine
passports would need to have ‘clarity across multiple aspects such as biometric authentication, QR codes, card
readers, or paper copies’ in order for the passports to be flexible for individuals and governments. This,
coupled with ‘the ability of systems to work together within and across organisational and technical
boundaries’, would allow information to be communicated and exchanged.5 Similar technical issues have
recently been experienced in Saudi Arabia, causing their Tawakkalna COVID-19 app to freeze.6 Once we have
crossed these hurdles, there is also the issue of ensuring that the vaccine passports contain ‘verifiable
credentials’ and the protections surrounding privacy, identity and anti-forgery.7
Loosely connected to the technological implications are the economic implications, with the Royal Society
putting forward the question as to the affordability of implementing wide-scale vaccine passports for
governments, and whether there are ‘sufficient resources to develop and sustain’ the initiative.8 The answer
to this is especially needed if an internationally standardised version of the passports is to be implemented
globally, and whether any costs incurred through sustaining the policy would be attached to the acquirement
of a certificate.
As shown, whilst vaccine passports could be a useful tool in the reopening of society after the pandemic, there
are many practical obstacles needing to be addressed before such a policy can be truly viable. Further to this,
implementing this policy before these issues have been solved could prove detrimental to the global recovery
from COVID-19.
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WORLD NEWS/RAS/17th March 2021COVID19@wilsonjames.co.uk / riskadvisory@wilsonjames.co.uk @WJltd @WJ_Ltd www.linkedin.com/company/wilson-james
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