(Reuters) – Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:
Britons oppose plan to relax rules for Christmas, survey says
More people in Britain oppose the government’s plans to relax coronavirus restrictions for five days around Christmas than support them, a poll published on Wednesday showed.
Fifty percent of respondents in the poll conducted by Kantar said they opposed or strongly opposed the planned relaxation while 40% backed it.
Britain has recorded more than 64,000 deaths from COVID-19, the second highest number in Europe.
Australia reports first local case in two weeks
Australia’s most populous state on Wednesday reported its first coronavirus case in nearly two weeks after an airport worker tested positive prompting authorities to suggest international flight crews should also quarantine after arriving.
A 45-year old man who shuttles international airline staff to the airport tested positive for the virus, New South Wales (NSW) state Health Minister Brad Hazzard told reporters.
The government would talk to international airlines in the next 48 hours to suggest changes to existing quarantine rules for air crew, he said.
Travellers returning from overseas are required to spent 14 days in quarantine but Hazzard said airline crews need not go through the mandatory isolation for the same duration.
Bed shortage looms as South Korea reports record cases
South Korea’s highest priority is securing more hospital beds to handle a record surge in coronavirus cases and blunt a corresponding spike in deaths, the prime minister said on Wednesday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 1,078 new coronavirus cases as of midnight Tuesday, the highest since the start of the pandemic.
The number of severe cases has more than doubled over the past two weeks to a record of 226 on Wednesday.
There were only three critical care bed left in the greater Seoul area, which has a population of 26 million people, officials said.
Japan PM under fire for year-end dinners as cases mount
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has drawn criticism for joining end of year social gatherings after imploring residents to avoid such parties as the country sees record numbers of coronavirus cases.
Suga’s outings came after the government abruptly halted a government travel subsidy programme he had long defended, the latest wrangle to overshadow his first months in power.
The stumbles have raised questions about the longevity of Suga’s tenure, government officials say, and could complicate his ability to implement difficult reforms.
(Compiled by Karishma Singh; Editing by Robert Birsel)
