Tuesday 27 October
- UK study finds evidence Covid-19 antibodies may not be long-lasting.
- Northern England schools ‘most disrupted by Covid’.
- Treasury rejects claims it refused extra £150m for free school meals.
- Duterte seeks best Covid vaccine deal but ‘will not beg’ or allow private suppliers to rip off the Philippines.
- Turkey to reconsider coronavirus measures.
- WHO urges world ‘don’t give up’ as Covid-19 pandemic resurges.
UK study finds evidence Covid-19 antibodies may not be long-lasting
France24 says antibodies against the coronavirus declined rapidly in the British population during the summer, a study found on Tuesday, suggesting protection after infection may not be long-lasting and raising the prospect of waning immunity in the community.
Scientists at Imperial College London have tracked antibody levels in the British population following the first wave of Covid-19 infections in March and April.
Read the full story on France24
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Northern England schools ‘most disrupted by Covid’
BBC News says a third of confirmed teacher cases of coronavirus was in north-west England at one point, according to data seen exclusively by the BBC. In mid-October that amounted to 710 teachers across the region’s schools.
The Northern Powerhouse, a plan aimed at redressing North-South economic imbalance, says pupils in the North face the most disruption and wants next year’s exams ditched for coursework.
Read the full story on BBC News
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Treasury rejects claims it refused extra £150m for free school meals
The Guardian says the row at the heart of government over free school meals was laid bare on Monday night when the Treasury insisted Gavin Williamson had never asked for the extra money to fund the half-term extension.
Treasury sources said there had been no request from the education secretary for the £150m to provide meals for 1.4 million disadvantaged pupils during the holiday.
Read the full story on The Guardian
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Duterte seeks best Covid vaccine deal but ‘will not beg’ or allow private suppliers to rip off Philippines
RT News says Philippine President Duterte said he would pursue a direct government-to-government deal for a coronavirus vaccine with either China or Russia, warning that ‘corrupt’ private suppliers could try to swindle his country.
“Let me tell everybody that we will not beg, we will pay,” Duterte said in a televised address on Monday night, adding that while Manila is not seeking charity it also aims to sign a direct government-to-government deal without intermediaries.
Read the full story on RT News
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Turkey to reconsider coronavirus measures
Arab News says the Turkish government will reconsider coronavirus safety measures during the Health Ministry’s Science Board meeting on Oct. 28, daily newspaper Hurriyet Daily reported.
Whether some measures will be lifted or stricter rules will be reintroduced will depend on the pace of the Covid-19 outbreak, the report added.
Read the full story on Arab News
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WHO urges world ‘don’t give up’ as Covid-19 pandemic resurges
Aljazeera says the WHO is urging people around the world not to give up in the fight against the coronavirus as cases surge once again, stressing the need for mask-wearing, physical distancing and other measures to avoid the kind of full-scale lockdowns.
The WHO’s chief told a virtual briefing that he understood the “pandemic fatigue” that some people were feeling but stressed the need to continue measures to contain a virus for which there remains no cure or vaccine.
Read the full story on Aljazeera
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A look at the other top stories
Trump takes Supreme Court victory lap while deceiving nation over worsening pandemic
CNN says Trump claimed a place in history Monday when Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation secured a dominant conservative majority on the Supreme Court, but the pomp of his victory lap could not disguise the reality of a pandemic that has placed his presidency in deep peril a week before the election.
Coronavirus: Protests in Italy over new pandemic crackdown turn violent
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France, Mali disagree on whether to talk to jihadists to end insurgency
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Several dead in blast at religious school in Pakistan’s Peshawar
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