Pascal Soriot

---

Here are five things You need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday evening. We'll have another update For You on Tuesday.

1. Scotland drops plan to expand vaccine passport scheme

A plan to expand vaccine passports to cover more Venues - including cinemas, theatres and hospitality Settings - would be, Scotland's First Minister announced. Nicola Sturgeon told Holyrood That case numbers had fallen slightly and the data was " more positive than we might have expected". Instead, The System - which currently - Will actually be relaxed slightly from 6 December. People who can show a negative Covid Test - as an alternative to proof of vaccination - Will now be allowed into such events.

2. Plea for more working from home in Northern Ireland

As Northern Ireland grapples with the highest infection rate in the UK, Stormont ministers are. Existing advice says people should work from home where they can, but ministers said they were " strengthening" That guidance. In a statement, they said Covid had taken a " firm grip" across society and intervention was required amid rising hospital admissions. People are being advised to limit their social contacts and to wear face coverings in indoor public Settings .

3. Don't delay vaccination, say grieving family

" Just get it done" - That was in hospital with Covid. The mother-of-three from Brechin, near Dundee, was not anti-vaccine but had put off setting an appointment for the jab because she had been so busy with her kids, Mr Baird said. Rashelle - described by her sister as " kind, bubbly, and always The Life and soul of the party" - was asthmatic and initially thought she had caught a cold. But her symptoms worsened, she was admitted to hospital and died after several days in intensive care.

4. Hospital doctors fear post-Christmas rise in admissions

Doctors at a hospital in Lanarkshire have told The Bbc they are. Staff at University Hospital Monklands, which is already at capacity, say they have faced " unprecedented demand". Consultant Dr Nick Kennedy said people in their 30s, 40s and 50s were being admitted, but they were responding to treatment. He Said he was " very apprehensive" about The Number of admissions after the New Year . Dr Katie Sykes, another Infectious Disease consultant said staff were " already broken". " We've been working in crisis mode for nearly two years and there's a limit to how far people can go, " She Said .

5. AstraZeneca says its jabs may be keeping UK hospital numbers low

AstraZeneca's chief executive has suggested its Covid vaccine, developed with Oxford University, despite a high infection rate. Pascal Soriot told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme That unlike much of Europe, the UK had used the AstraZeneca vaccine on many older people. He Said his company's vaccine known to stimulate the T-cell part of the immune System to a higher degree in this group. Unlike antibodies, which wane over time, the T-cells are a more durable immune response, although they can take time to react to infection. So Mr Soriot suggests this may explain why The Virus is able to circulate without causing as many hospital admissions as in some other European countries.

This video can not be played

To play this video You need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot : " T-cells do matter. . it relates to the durability of the response"

And don't Forget . .

You can find more information, advice and guides on our.

You can read more about, and find out about the similar schemes in Wales and in Northern Ireland .

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 and.

Use this form to ask your Question :

Source of news: bbc.com