uk Covid-19: UK sees over 80,000 excess deaths during pandemic The number of excess deaths - those above expected levels - since the start of the pandemic has passed 81,000. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the UK saw nearly 14,000 deaths in the week of 11 December. This was 13% above the expected levels for this time of year, down from 15% the week before. Of these deaths, 3,062 involved Covid-19, also slightly lower than the preceding week. Excess deaths are the difference between the total number of deaths registered (the height of the shaded area in the chart below) and the average over the previous five years for the same weeks (shown by the dashed line). wales Wales now has the second worst coronavirus infection rate in the world In the last week, Wales has had more cases relative to its population than any other country except one. The huge numbers of new cases, in part driven by the spread of a new, more infectious form of the virus, has put Wales second in the list of countries in the world where the virus is spreading fastest.

antarctic Coronavirus spreads to Antarctic research station The Chilean army has reported 36 cases at its Bernardo O'Higgins research station on the Antarctic Peninsula. The 36, 26 of whom are military personnel and 10 maintenance workers, have been evacuated to Chile. The news comes just days after Chile's navy confirmed three cases on a ship which had taken supplies and personnel to the research station. The news means that Covid cases have now been recorded on all seven continents.