Coronavirus latest: WHO chief calls for 2-month booster jab moratorium

Joe Biden, US president, ramped up pressure on employers to impose coronavirus vaccination requirements after the BioNTecb/Pfizer jab secured full authorisation from the Food and Drug Administration. Biden said it was crucial to step up inoculations in order to contain the Delta variant of the virus.

Troops returned to Buckingham Palace to perform the Changing of the Guard ceremony for the first time since the coronavirus crisis struck 18 months ago. The popular tourist attraction, which takes place in front of the London palace, was halted in March last year to avoid drawing large crowds.

New Jersey announced new vaccination requirements, specifying that all school staff, as well as state employees, must be fully vaccinated by mid-October. Teachers and staff in New York City’s public schools will also be required to get vaccinated against Covid-19, mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday.

The US defence department is preparing to mandate Covid-19 vaccination for all service members, the Pentagon said. John Kirby, a defence spokesperson, said on Monday that military authorities were “preparing actionable guidance” for US forces for making the inoculation mandatory.

EasyJet has turned to one of the City of London’s most experienced chief executives for its new chair, with the airline appointing Stephen Hester to its board as it attempts to emerge from a difficult period. Hester, a former chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland and British Land, will succeed John Barton.

Chevron and Hess are mandating Covid-19 vaccinations for certain groups of employees as the oil and gas industry seeks to combat vaccine hesitancy. Both companies have directed Gulf of Mexico offshore workers to be vaccinated. Chevron will also require some onshore personnel to be jabbed.

London City Airport, a hub for business travel, said many of its corporate customers were optimistic about a “phased return” to normal life as it pointed to “slowly” returning to growth next year. The aviation sector has been “hammered”, said Richard Hill, chief commercial officer at City airport.

The UK has ordered a further 35m doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for delivery in the second half of next year as the government prepares to counter possible future mutations of the coronavirus. The latest contract brings the total number of Pfizer shots ordered by the UK to 135m.