More Lockdown.........

[*Sandra*]

Scotland in lockdown from midnight.   

Ireland meeting this evening.

PM televised address at 8 pm tonight.  Threat level 5

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

Seems the South African covid variant may be resistant to vaccine and that is why the virus is  increasing rapidly.  No evidence its dangerous but more infectious   

Sandra

[weste]

Parliament recalled for 11.30 on wednessday

[josey]

Seems the South African covid variant may be resistant to vaccine and that is why the virus is  increasing rapidly.  No evidence its dangerous but more infectious   

But I read today [in The Times quoting Sir John Bell] that the vaccines can easily & quickly be tweaked to allow for mutations that may affect their efficacy.

[*Sandra*]

New Vaccine would take 4 - 6 weeks  if the current ones do not work on new variants.

Sandra

[Christine53]

Seems the South African covid variant may be resistant to vaccine and that is why the virus is  increasing rapidly.  No evidence its dangerous but more infectious   

Sandra

I don't think we can say the virus is spreading more rapidly because it is resistant to the vaccine. It may prove to be but so few people have been vaccinated that I don't think we can draw any conclusions yet.

[Roobarb]

Considering that the vast majority of the population have not yet had the vaccine I think the spread is unlikely to be due to any resistance to it. Also, the over 80s tend to be the group who are more careful and mix less.

[groom]

Isn't the rise at the moment due, not only to the new strain, but also to the fact people met over Christmas  - 10 days ago, so about the right timing?

[*Sandra*]

I probably worded that wrongly, listening to an update at same time. 

This was what I actually read - The South Africa strain of Covid is "more worrying" and there is a question mark over if current vaccines will work on it, according to Oxford University's Regius Professor of Medicine.

Sandra