Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have joined a number of famous figures in signing a letter warning the world that “the pandemic is not over”.
The letter blames “self-defeating nationalism, pharmaceutical monopolies and inequality” as contributors to preventing the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It goes on to label the global response to the pandemic as “immoral, entirely self-defeating and also an ethical, economic and epidemiological failure”.
“We ask world leaders to come together and coordinate a response to solve this unprecedented crisis of historic proportions.
“We urge them to commit to sharing the economic burden required to fund the next stages of vaccines, treatments, testing, and the medical oxygen and PPE needed by healthcare workers around the world.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have joined a number of famous figures in signing a letter warning the world that “the pandemic is not over”.
CAITLIN OCHS
The open letter also accuses the UK of continuing to “block the lifting of intellectual property rules which would enable the redistribution and scale-up of COVID-19 vaccines, test and treatment manufacturing in the global south.”
It states that 20 million deaths from Covid-19 could have been avoided, suggesting leaders in wealthy countries have been “complacent”.
Gordon Brown is among 130 other figures to have signed the letter.
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown is among the 130 figures to have signed the open letter.
Nicholas. T. Ansell
Earlier today an expert warned that cases in older age groups are increasing.
While new data indicates cases have fallen substantially since the peak of the Omicron wave in January, infections in England are rising among those aged 55 and older.
Researchers suggest increasing case numbers in the age group could be down to a factor of things, including an increase in mixing between the age groups since restrictions eased, and the waning of the vaccine booster.
Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said: “These data confirm that cases have declined substantially following the peak of the Omicron wave.
“However, the increasing presence of the BA.2 sub-lineage of Omicron and the recent slight increase in infections in those over 55 show that the pandemic is not over and that we can expect to see Covid circulating at high levels.”