Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a televised address to the nation from 10 Downing Street, London. Pippa Fowles/No 10 Downing Street
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a televised address to the nation from 10 Downing Street, London. Pippa Fowles/No 10 Downing Street
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a televised address to the nation from 10 Downing Street, London. Pippa Fowles/No 10 Downing Street
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a televised address to the nation from 10 Downing Street, London. Pippa Fowles/No 10 Downing Street

England plunges into third lockdown amid fears new rules may still not be enough


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England’s third national lockdown could last until March as scientists question whether the new measures will be enough to contain the runaway infection rate.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new stay-at-home order on Monday night as he revealed the health system was less than three weeks away from becoming overwhelmed by coronavirus patients.

Mr Johnson did not say when the lockdown would end but signalled a review would take place in mid-February.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove clarified on Tuesday morning that the relaxation of lockdown rules was tied to the pace of vaccinations.

He said the UK faced a “race against time” to vaccinate as many people as possible over the next few months before ministers can look at easing restrictions in March, taking into account the three-week lag for immunity to kick in after the initial injection.

Mr Gove's comments came hours before Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a further £4.6 billion ($6.23bn) in fresh lockdown grants to help businesses survive the third shutdown.

“We can’t predict with certainty when we’ll be able to lift the restrictions," Mr Gove told Sky News.

"What we will be doing is making sure as many people are vaccinated as possible. As we enter March, we will be able to lift some restrictions, but not necessarily all.”

However, leading epidemiologist Prof Andrew Hayward said lockdown on its own may not be enough to bring the infection rate under control.

He called on the government to take a more proactive role by encouraging better compliance with the rules, especially in poorer communities, where people may have no choice but to go to work even if they are experiencing coronavirus symptoms.

"We need to do more than just stay at home and wait for the vaccine. We need to be actively bearing down on it," he told BBC's Radio 4 Today programme.

“What we need to do is empower local communities,” he added. “We should pay (organisations) to work with those communities to encourage testing, support isolation, shielding and encourage vaccinations.”

Mr Gove added that the UK was considering bringing in further rules for international travel.

Ministers are

The shutdown, which will become law on Wednesday morning, came as Britain expanded its vaccination programme by becoming the first nation to start using the shot developed by the Oxford University and drugmaker AstraZeneca.

Mr Johnson said people must stay at home again, as they were ordered to do during the first wave of the pandemic in March, because the new virus variant was spreading in a “frustrating and alarming” way.

“As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from Covid than at any time since the start of the pandemic,” he said in a televised address.

From Tuesday, primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities will be closed for classroom learning, except for the children of key workers and vulnerable pupils.

University students will not return until at least mid-February. People were told to work from home unless it was impossible to do so, and to leave home only for essential trips.

The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 in England. 10 Downing Street
The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 in England. 10 Downing Street

All non-essential shops and personal care services such as hair salons will be closed, and restaurants can only operate takeaway services.

As of Monday, there were 26,626 Covid-19 patients in hospitals in England, an increase of more than 30 per cent from a week ago.

That is 40 per cent above the highest level of the first wave in the spring.

This chart shows how hospital admissions in the UK have shot up exponentially in recent weeks:

Number of deaths in the UK of people who had a positive test result for Covid-19 and died within 28 days of the first positive test. 10 Downing Street
Number of deaths in the UK of people who had a positive test result for Covid-19 and died within 28 days of the first positive test. 10 Downing Street

This chart follows the rise of patients in ventilation beds in hospitals across the UK:

Large areas of England were already under tight restrictions as officials try to control an alarming surge in cases in recent weeks, blamed on a new variant of coronavirus that is more contagious.

Authorities have recorded more than 50,000 new infections daily since passing that milestone for the first time on December 29.

On Monday, 407 virus-related deaths were reported, pushing the confirmed death toll total to 75,431, one of the worst in Europe.

The UK’s chief medical officers warned that without further action, there was a “material risk” of health services being overwhelmed within the next three weeks.

Hours earlier, Scotland’s leader Nicola Sturgeon also imposed a lockdown with broadly similar restrictions. It will last from Tuesday until the end of January.

“I am more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year,” Ms Sturgeon said in Edinburgh.

UK health authorities began injecting the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine around the country, fuelling hopes that life may start to return to normal by the spring.

“The weeks ahead will be the hardest yet but I really do believe that we’re entering the last phase of the struggle,” Mr Johnson said.

Britain has secured the rights to 100 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which is cheaper and easier to use than some rivals.

It does not require the super-cold storage needed for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The new drug will be administered at a small number of hospitals for the first few days so authorities can watch for any adverse reactions.

Officials said hundreds of new vaccination sites, including local doctors’ offices, will open this week, joining more than 700 centres already in operation.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to view the vaccination programme at Chase Farm Hospital. Getty Images
Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to view the vaccination programme at Chase Farm Hospital. Getty Images

A “massive ramp-up operation” is now under way, Mr Johnson said.

The goal was that by mid-February, about 13 million people in the top priority groups – care-home residents, all those over 70 years old, front-line health and social workers, and those deemed extremely, clinically vulnerable – will be vaccinated, he said.

Brian Pinker, 82, a dialysis patient, received the first Oxford-AstraZeneca shot early on Monday at Oxford University Hospital.

“The nurses, doctors and staff today have all been brilliant, and I can now really look forward to celebrating my 48th wedding anniversary with my wife, Shirley, later this year,” Mr Pinker said.

But aspects of Britain’s vaccination plan provoked controversy.

Both vaccines require two shots, and Pfizer had recommended that the second dose be given within 21 days of the first.

The UK’s joint committee on vaccination, however, said authorities should give the first vaccine dose to as many people as possible, rather than setting aside shots to ensure others receive two doses. It has stretched the time between doses from 21 days to within 12 weeks.

While two doses are required to provide full protection, both vaccines provide high levels of immunity after the first dose, the committee said.

Making the first dose the priority will “maximise benefits from the vaccination programme in the short term”, it said.

Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said policymakers were being forced to balance the risks of this change against the benefits in the middle of a deadly pandemic.

“As has become clear to everyone during 2020, delays cost lives,” Prof Evans said.

“When resources of doses and people to vaccinate are limited, then vaccinating more people with potentially less efficacy is demonstrably better than a fuller efficacy in only half.”

Monday’s urgent announcement was yet another change of course for Mr Johnson, who had stuck with a regional alert system that mandated varying restrictions for areas depending on the severity of local infections.

London and large areas of south-east England were put under the highest level of restrictions in mid-December, and more regions soon joined them.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has his temperature checked during a visit to view the vaccination programme at Chase Farm Hospital , London. Getty Images
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has his temperature checked during a visit to view the vaccination programme at Chase Farm Hospital , London. Getty Images

But it soon became clear that the regional approach was not reducing the spread of the virus, and critics have been calling for a tougher national lockdown.

While schools in London were already closed due to high infection rates in the capital, Mr Johnson had said students in many parts of the country could return to classrooms on Monday after the Christmas holidays, to the dismay of teachers’ unions.

“We are relieved the government has finally bowed to the inevitable and agreed to move schools and colleges to remote education in response to alarming Covid infection rates,” said Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.

  • A man cycles past a mural on the boarded up window of a closed pizza restaurant in Manchester. Reuters
    A man cycles past a mural on the boarded up window of a closed pizza restaurant in Manchester. Reuters
  • Teacher Wendy Couldridge watches on a device as Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a lockdown in England. Reuters
    Teacher Wendy Couldridge watches on a device as Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a lockdown in England. Reuters
  • A family gather around the television in Liverpool to watch Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson give a televised message. AFP
    A family gather around the television in Liverpool to watch Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson give a televised message. AFP
  • A man walks next to a train at Waterloo station during morning rush hour on Tuesday morning in London. Reuters
    A man walks next to a train at Waterloo station during morning rush hour on Tuesday morning in London. Reuters
  • Boris Johnson uses hand sanitiser during a visit to Chase Farm Hospital in north London. AFP
    Boris Johnson uses hand sanitiser during a visit to Chase Farm Hospital in north London. AFP
  • Naomi Carpenter, a 20-year-old sports rehab student at Hull University, takes a swab for a lateral flow Covid-19 test at the campus sports facilities. AFP
    Naomi Carpenter, a 20-year-old sports rehab student at Hull University, takes a swab for a lateral flow Covid-19 test at the campus sports facilities. AFP
  • An empty arcade of closed shops in London. Getty Images
    An empty arcade of closed shops in London. Getty Images
  • Signs are seen on the gates of Moulsecoomb Primary School in Brighton as it remains shut on what should have been the first day of school after Christmas break. Reuters
    Signs are seen on the gates of Moulsecoomb Primary School in Brighton as it remains shut on what should have been the first day of school after Christmas break. Reuters
  • An empty street in the square mile financial district of the City of London. Bloomberg
    An empty street in the square mile financial district of the City of London. Bloomberg
  • Practice Sister Tina Sutton administers a dose of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine to Pat Hier at the Pontcae Medical Practice in Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales. AFP
    Practice Sister Tina Sutton administers a dose of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine to Pat Hier at the Pontcae Medical Practice in Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales. AFP
  • People exercise with their dogs on the beach in Bridlington, north east England. AFP
    People exercise with their dogs on the beach in Bridlington, north east England. AFP
  • An ambulance at the Royal Free Hospital in London. Bloomberg
    An ambulance at the Royal Free Hospital in London. Bloomberg
  • An empty classroom is seen at Westlands Primary School in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Reuters
    An empty classroom is seen at Westlands Primary School in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Reuters
The specs

Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder

Power: 70bhp

Torque: 66Nm

Transmission: four-speed manual

Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000

On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970

If%20you%20go
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Mountain%20Boy
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Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe


Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

Power: 720hp

Torque: 770Nm

Price: Dh1,100,000

On sale: now

The%20specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E261hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400Nm%20at%201%2C750-4%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C999%20(VX%20Luxury)%3B%20from%20Dh149%2C999%20(VX%20Black%20Gold)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
  • Parasite – 4
  • 1917– 3
  • Ford v Ferrari – 2
  • Joker – 2
  • Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
  • American Factory – 1
  • Bombshell – 1
  • Hair Love – 1
  • Jojo Rabbit – 1
  • Judy – 1
  • Little Women – 1
  • Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
  • Marriage Story – 1
  • Rocketman – 1
  • The Neighbors' Window – 1
  • Toy Story 4 – 1
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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

The UN General Assembly President in quotes:

YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”

PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”

OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”

REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL: “This is complicated and it requires time. It is dependent on the effort that members want to put into the process. It is a process that has been going on for 25 years. That process is slow but the issue is huge. I really hope we will see some progress during my tenure.”

How does ToTok work?

The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store

To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.

The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.

Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.

 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
  • 2018: Formal work begins
  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
  • October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
  • November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Company%20profile
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