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Coronavirus in UK

quite clear that England is emerging as a basket case when compared to the other nations. Lead by buffoons and imperialist racists.
 
Boris Johnson on TV:

Employers to get discretion on how staff can work safely
PM says more people will be encouraged to use public transport
He says he hopes there will be a 'return to normality' from November.
NHS to get £3m more for potential second wave
Stadia and conferences may reopen from October
Local authorities to get powers to shut premises and cancel events
Central government to get powers to stop people leaving or entering areas during local lockdowns
Nightclubs and soft play areas to stay closed for now
 
WINDSOR, England (Reuters) - Queen Elizabeth II knighted Captain Tom Moore on Friday, recognising the 100-year-old for lifting the spirits of the nation during the gloom of the novel coronavirus outbreak by raising over $40 million for health workers.

The World War Two veteran raised a record sum of 33 million pounds ($41 million) by walking 100 laps of his garden with the aid of a walking frame in April in the run-up to his birthday.

The queen honoured Moore at an investiture at Windsor Castle, using her knighting sword.

Showing self-depreciating humour, the Yorkshireman become a symbol of British endurance in the face of the adversity of the coronavirus crisis.

Moore, who served in India, Burma and Sumatra during World War Two, quipped earlier this year that having a knighthood would be funny because he would be Sir Thomas Moore - a reference to the Tudor statesman Sir Thomas More.

2748ff40-bc53-4958-b39a-e05c903ed3a7.jpg
 
Coronavirus: Boris Johnson sets out plan for 'significant normality' by Christmas

Coronavirus restrictions will ease further in England under plans for a "significant return to normality" by Christmas, Boris Johnson has announced.

Under the new guidelines, people may use public transport for journeys immediately, while advice for employers will change from 1 August.

Companies will have more discretion to bring staff back to workplaces if it is safe to do so, the PM explained.

Mr Johnson added he was "hoping for the best and planning for the worst".

At a news conference at Downing Street, the prime minister said the plans "remains conditional" on continued progress in controlling the virus and preventing a second wave of infections that could overwhelm the NHS.

"It is my strong and sincere hope that we will be able to review the outstanding restrictions and allow a more significant return to normality from November at the earliest - possibly in time for Christmas," he said.

Devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have the power to set their own timings for the easing of restrictions.

In the announcement, Mr Johnson said the government was making it clear to people in England they may use public transport now.

From 1 August, he said: "Instead of government telling people to work from home, we are going to give employers more discretion, and ask them to make decisions about how their staff can work safely."

He explained that could mean "continuing to work from home, which is one way of working safely and which has worked for many employers and employees".

However, the Welsh government said it would carry on advising people to work from home.

Responding to Mr Johnson's announcement, First Minister Mark Drakeford said: "I positively don't want people to be returning to offices in the way that we did before coronavirus happened."

The government's current social distancing guidance requires people to stay at least 1m apart with certain precautions.

On Friday, a further 114 coronavirus deaths were announced, taking the total number of people who have died with the virus in the UK to 45,233.

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53441912
 
Coronavirus: Councils in England get new powers for local shutdowns

Councils in England have been given new powers to close shops, cancel events and shut outdoor public spaces to manage local outbreaks of coronavirus.

The PM said the move would enable councils to respond more quickly to outbreaks "where speed is paramount".

The Local Government Association said it hoped it would prevent the need for stricter local lockdown measures.

Meanwhile, a government scientific adviser has warned a return to pre-lockdown life remains "a long way off".

'Lightning lockdowns'
Announcing the new powers for councils, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Friday's Downing Street press briefing: "It has to be right that we take local action in response to local outbreaks - there is no point shutting down a city in one part of the country to contain an outbreak in another part of the country".

Mr Johnson also said ministers would receive clearer guidance on where they can intervene to "close whole sectors or types of premises in an area" and advise people in specific postcodes to stay at home.

Government guidance says the move "significantly" increases councils' powers, and as such, should be used "with discretion".

Mr Johnson said the additional powers would allow local authorities "to act more quickly in response to outbreaks where speed is paramount", in what he called "lightning lockdowns"

James Jamieson, chairman of the LGA, which represents council leaders in England, welcomed the announcement, saying the extra powers will hopefully lessen the need for stricter measures being introduced locally.

"Councils know their local communities best and know how to address each unique outbreak," Mr Jamieson said.

He added that the use of enforcement powers "should be an option of last resort" and called for more "granular-level data" to be made available to councils to allow them to be "better able to act in real time to increases in infection rates".

Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram said more detailed data, such as the daily number of people reporting symptoms, would enable councils to target messaging to certain groups, for example younger people in a particular area.

"The messaging, therefore, might be that we use some of our footballers to get the message over not to go out or to wear face masks or coverings," he said.

"It really is about making certain that we can get the correct message to the right people at the right time."

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the BBC the government would provide daily updates to local areas.

He said there had been "issues" with data sharing because of the General Data Protection Regulation rules.

"We've been working through all of that to put these local agreements in place and that will help dramatically," the transport secretary told Radio 4's Today programme.

The new powers for councils came as the prime minister set out a "roadmap" for a return to "normality" by Christmas as part of an easing of the lockdown in England.

Mr Johnson said it was his "sincere hope" the remaining restrictions could be reviewed in November, at the earliest, and possibly dropped by Christmas.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53453720
 
Further 13 hospital deaths in England, none in Scotland, Wales

A further 13 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 29,173.

Patients were aged between 49 and 96 years old and all had known underlying health conditions, NHS England said.

Scotland and Wales both reported no new deaths. Northern Ireland has not yet published its new figures.

Separate UK-wide figures - which are calculated differently - are expected to be released later.
 
UK pauses daily coronavirus death toll update over data concerns

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Saturday it was pausing its daily update of the death toll from the coronavirus after the government ordered a review into the calculation of the data over concerns the toll might have been exaggerated.

Academics have said the way that Public Health England (PHE), the government agency responsible for managing infectious disease outbreaks, calculates the figures in England means they may be distorted compared to other parts of the United Kingdom.

“Currently the daily deaths measure counts all people who have tested positive for coronavirus and since died, with no cut-off between time of testing and date of death,” a message on the government’s website said.

“There have been claims that the lack of cut-off may distort the current daily deaths number. We are therefore pausing the publication of the daily figure while this is resolved.”

Britain has been the European country worst hit by the virus, with an official death toll of more 45,000. But the government has said international comparisons are misleading because countries record coronavirus deaths differently.

Health Minister Matt Hancock on Friday ordered a review into the PHE’s reporting after the academics said patients who tested positive for coronavirus, but were successfully treated, would still be counted as dying from the virus “even if they had a heart attack or were run over by a bus three months later”.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-toll-update-over-data-concerns-idUSKCN24J0GC
 
England's top 10 COVID hotspots as Blackburn overtakes Leicester

These are the places in the UK with the highest number of cases per 100,000 people, according to data from NHS Digital which covers 12 July to 18 July:

Blackburn with Darwen - 78.6 cases
Leicester - 72.6 cases
Rochdale - 46.8 cases
Bradford - 40.4 cases
Luton - 29 cases
Kirklees - 28.5 cases
Herefordshire - 23.9 cases
Rotherham - 22.7 cases
Sandwell - 22 cases
Calderdale - 20.9 cases

https://news.sky.com/story/englands-top-10-covid-hotspots-as-blackburn-overtakes-leicester-12032643
 
Almost 900,000 public sector workers, many of whom have been on the front line in the fight against the coronavirus, are to get an above-inflation pay rise

Misleading and harmful online content about Covid-19 has spread "virulently" because the UK still lacks a law to regulate social media, an influential group of MPs has warned

There could be more than 3,500 avoidable cancer deaths in England in the next five years as a result of disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, researchers say
 
Coronavirus: 'Infection here for many years to come'

The UK will be living with coronavirus for many years to come and even a vaccine is unlikely to eliminate it for good, experts are warning.

Wellcome Trust director Prof Sir Jeremy Farrar told the House of Commons' Health Committee "things will not be done by Christmas".

He went on to say humanity would be living with the virus for "decades".

It comes after the prime minister said last week he hoped for a return to normality by Christmas.

Boris Johnson made the comments as he set out plans to further ease restrictions, including the opening of leisure centres and indoor swimming pools later this month and the prospect of mass gatherings being allowed from the autumn.

But experts giving evidence to the cross-party group of MPs said it was important to be realistic that the virus would still be here.

Sir Jeremy, a member of Sage, the government advisory body, said the world would be living with Covid-19 for "very many, many years to come".

"Things will not be done by Christmas. This infection is not going away, it's now a human endemic infection.

"Even, actually, if we have a vaccine or very good treatments, humanity will still be living with this virus for very many, many years.... decades to come."

He urged against complacency during the summer, saying the period was a "crucial phase" to prevent a second wave.

"If we have any sense of complacency of 'this is behind us', then we will undoubtedly have a second wave, and we could easily be in the same situation again."

He said it was important to further build up testing capacity as well as investing in treatments and vaccines.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53488142
 
Coronavirus: Above-inflation pay rise for almost 900,000 public sector workers

Almost 900,000 public sector workers are to get an above-inflation pay rise, including doctors and teachers.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said he recognised their "vital contribution" during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Treasury said the money for the pay increases of up to 3.1% would come from existing departmental budgets.

But Labour said the rise would not make up for years of real-terms cuts and the British Medical Association said doctors had hoped for "far better".

Nurses are not included in the announcement because they negotiated a separate three-year deal in 2018.

The rise does also not apply to junior doctors, who agreed a new four-year pay deal last year.

Not all settlements will be UK-wide.

Teachers in England, and dentists and doctors across the UK, will see the largest increases at 3.1% and 2.8% respectively

Police, prison officers and National Crime Agency staff in England and Wales will be given a 2.5% rise in pay, while members of the armed forces across the UK will get 2%

Members of the judiciary and senior civil servants across the UK will also see their pay topped up by 2%.

Mr Sunak said: "These past months have underlined what we always knew, that our public sector workers make a vital contribution to our country and that we can rely on them when we need them.

"It's right, therefore, that we follow the recommendations of the independent pay bodies with this set of real-terms pay rises."

More than 300 NHS workers have died in England alone after contracting coronavirus, many doing so while caring for patients.

But shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said the Conservatives had frozen public sector pay for seven years, and the rises they introduced after that failed to plug the gap.

She said the pay rise was "good news" but added that it "won't make up for a decade of real-term pay cuts" for many front-line workers.

"Many other public sector workers - including those working on the front line in social care - won't get a pay rise out of this at all because the Tories haven't made good on their promises to boost local authority funding," the Labour MP said.

"That's not fair - and it's no way to reward those who've been at the forefront of fighting this pandemic."

'Sidestepping' social care pay
Kit Malthouse, the crime and policing minister, said the vast majority of social care workers were employed in the private sector so the government's "ability to influence pay rates there is limited".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the government had been raising the level of the national minimum wage and it hoped that would "push through to these private sector jobs".

However, some social care providers accused the government of sidestepping the issue of low pay for social care staff.

Mark Adams, chief executive of the charity Community Integrated Care, said it was a matter of "national shame" that social care workers had been on the front line during the coronavirus pandemic on minimum wage salaries.

He said investment in the sector was "continually not happening" and it was "illogical for the government to present this as a local authority responsibility to solve".

Vic Rayner, executive director at the National Care Forum - which represents 120 of the UK's social care charities - said it was "unacceptable" for the government to "sidestep" the issue, adding that care workers had been "a stalwart of the Covid front line and need recognition".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53478404
 
A further 110 UK deaths

The total number of Covid-19 associated deaths in the UK has reached 45,422 - a rise of 110 on Monday's figure.

The total number of lab-confirmed cases grew by 445 to 295,817, according to the figures published by Public Health England (PHE).

Last week, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock asked PHE to urgently review the way daily statistics are reported, amid concerns deaths from coronavirus were being recorded even if people have died months after a positive test.

PHE will "very, very shortly" publish a "revised methodology", Mr Hancock told the Commons Science and Technology Committee.

“If you have Covid in March and fully recovered, or even were asymptomatic and now die of something completely different, then the way it was being measured until last week counted that as a death with Covid, that clearly is no longer appropriate and PHE are currently reviewing that time series," he said.
 
A local lockdown in Blackburn with Darwen is "the very last resort" in tackling the area's rise in coronavirus cases, its public health boss has said.

The Lancashire borough is overtaking Leicester as England's coronavirus hotspot, according to official figures.

It recorded the highest infection rate, with 82.6 cases per 100,000 people, in the week to 17 July, Public Health England data showed.

Prof Dominic Harrison said he would be "reluctant" to impose a local lockdown.

The number of cases in the borough nearly doubled to 123 in the past week, compared with 63 the week before.

The latest figures are subject to daily revision, but they reflect the position reported on Monday afternoon.

New measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Blackburn with Darwen have already been introduced after a spike.

They include wearing face coverings in enclosed public spaces and tighter limits on visitors from another household, while officials have also urged people to bump elbows in place of handshakes and hugs.

New cases in Leicester, where there is a local lockdown , have fallen to a rate of 81.6 per 100,000, with 290 new infections, compared with 428 the previous week.

Analysis
By Daniel Wainwright, BBC England Data Unit

The data on new cases of coronavirus is published every afternoon, and that means new results for previous days are being added in all the time.

So far, looking at the week up to Friday, Blackburn with Darwen has recorded twice the number of cases it had in the previous week, while cases in Leicester - which is in a localised lockdown - appear to be falling.

Last Wednesday, Blackburn with Darwen recorded 35 cases and Leicester had 38. However, with Leicester having a population more than twice the size of Blackburn with Darwen, that gave the Lancashire borough a higher rate of new cases per 100,000 residents.

Most new cases in the Blackburn area have been among the south Asian community centred in terraced houses with a high number of occupants, public health officials have said.

Prof Harrison, public health director of Blackburn with Darwen Council, warned that cases would continue to rise.

He said: "We should be concerned the figures have gone up, but I entirely expected them to and I expect them to rise again this week."

Prof Harrison warned a local lockdown could be imposed if things were not turned around, but added: "We would only use those powers as a very, very last resort.

"We've had good co-operation, so I would be very reluctant to use the powers."

At the weekend it was revealed that contact tracers had reached only about half of Covid-19 contacts in the area.

Sam Ali, from the Switch Youth Community Organisation in the town, said: "We have all been affected by this.

"Anyone across the country wouldn't like to be on the radar of going into another lockdown, but it's important to realise that the pandemic is still here.

"We need to wear the appropriate masks, we need to wash our hands, we need to keep distant.

"Blackburn is a fantastic town. We're going to get stronger from this."

Steve Hartley, 52, who lives in Darwen, said: "You see more people in masks but a lot of people aren't social distancing or wearing them.

"It's shocking but some people still just aren't taking it seriously despite everything that's going on.

"Now a lot of shops have signs in the windows telling people they can't come in without a mask."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-lancashire-53470600?__twitter_impression=true
 
Pandemic hit women's sport much more than men's - UK parliamentary report

The new coronavirus pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women’s elite sport and exacerbated inequality with knock-on effects for the future, a British parliamentary committee report said on Thursday.

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS) report on the impact of COVID-19 called on the government to outline how it intended to support already under-funded women’s sport post-crisis.

It added that men’s elite sports should not be “further prioritised at the expense of the women’s game”.

The report noted women’s soccer and rugby seasons as well as cycling events were cancelled, while men’s sports continued, and said the postponement to 2021 of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics had also hit female athletes hard.

“The lack of visibility of women’s sport this summer risks undoing work to improve funding for women’s elite sport,” the report said.

“Cancellation of women’s events is likely to reduce the number of women being inspired to take part in sporting activities.”

The DCMS report said the health crisis had also “shone a stark light” on financial issues in soccer, whose current business model was not sustainable.

“We firmly believe that football must use its response to the COVID-19 crisis to ‘reset’,” it said. “The crisis has shone a light on the culture of unfair pay in football.

“The decision by some Premier League clubs to furlough non-playing staff was deplorable, and we welcomed its reversal.”

The committee said soccer also needed to be more representative, declaring a “fundamental inequality” that there was no Black owner, chair or chief executive of a Premier League club.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...ns-uk-parliamentary-report-idUKKCN24N34W?il=0
 
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is visiting Scotland today where he will meet members of the armed forces to thank them for their response to the coronavirus crisis. Ahead of the visit, he said the response to the pandemic has shown the "sheer might" of the UK union

A committee of MPs says the government's economic reaction to Covid-19 was rushed and the impact could be "long-term". They describe its failure to plan as "astonishing"

Another group of MPs has warned the UK is in danger of becoming a "cultural wasteland" because of delays in providing help for the arts

And charity Refuge says its National Abuse Hotline received 80% more calls than usual in the first three months of lockdown. New figures show more than 40,000 calls and contacts were made, mostly by women seeking help
 
Two more English boroughs have joined Leicester in reaching the highest level on the coronavirus watchlist.

Luton, in Bedfordshire, and Blackburn and Darwen, in Lancashire, have both been designated as an "area of intervention" by Public Health England (PHE).

They are now both at the same level as Leicester and the city's neighbouring Oadby and Wigston, which were subject to the UK's first full local lockdown as part of the government's "whack-a-mole" strategy to deal with local flare-ups in COVID-19 infections.
 
UK PM Johnson: We will be past coronavirus by mid-2021

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he thought the country would be through the coronavirus crisis by mid-2021 but his fear was that there would be second spike.

"Whether it came from ... a bat, a pangolin or however it emerged, it was a very, very nasty thing for the human race. And I think by the middle of next year we will be well on the way past it," he told reporters.

Speaking a year since he became prime minister, Johnson said his experience was that government needed "to move faster and be more responsive to the needs of the people."

He mentioned that people were unable to get their passports in time and a backlog of court cases.

"Sometimes government can be slow," Johnson told reporters
 
The mayor of Luton and two local councillors have apologised after they were pictured at a party breaking lockdown rules.

Mayor Tahir Malik was at the outdoor gathering on Tuesday (21 July) with councillors Waheed Akbar and Asif Masood, and about nine other men - double the number allowed under coronavirus laws.

Photos of the event in the Bedfordshire town were shared on Facebook, including one of the mayor with a mask hanging below his face, prompting anger from residents who are potentially facing a local lockdown.

On Thursday, Luton was placed on the government's "area of intervention" list - the same level on the coronavirus watchlist as Leicester, where stricter measures were introduced - following an increase in COVID-19 cases.

In the pictures of the party, none of the men were wearing face masks and they were all sitting close together around a long table as they ate and chatted.

Since 1 June, a maximum of six people have been able to meet outdoors, including in gardens, as long as those from different households stay two metres apart, or more than one metre with a face covering.

The three Labour councillors said in a statement to Luton Today: "We apologise unreservedly to the people of Luton for our breach of the lockdown rules.

"We attended what we believed was going to be a small socially distanced gathering, in line with the government guidelines.

"During the course of the event, the arrival of additional guests meant the rules were breached.

"We should have left immediately, and it is a matter of sincere regret for each of us that we did not do so.

"It is all of our responsibility to follow the guidelines. We are sorry that we did not live up to the standards that are rightly expected of us."

A spokesman from the eastern branch of the local Labour Party said the Chief Whip was investigating the lockdown breach.

"It is essential that everybody follows social distancing measures in order to protect the public from COVID-19," the spokesman told Luton Today.

"It is even more important for those in positions of authority to be setting the right example.

"The Labour Party investigates all complaints received and where rules have been breached, action will be taken in line with the Labour Party's processes."

Luton Borough Council confirmed it received a complaint and is investigating the incident.

Sky News has contacted the mayor and the two councillors and asked for a response.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...at-party-as-town-placed-on-watchlist-12035790
 
Travellers returning to England from Spain will have to quarantine for 14 days from Sunday morning
 
Coronavirus: 'No apologies' for Spain travel rule change

The foreign secretary has defended the "swift decision" to require travellers arriving in the UK from Spain to quarantine for 14 days.

Dominic Raab said he knows it will cause disruption for holidaymakers but the government "can't make apologies".

Labour's Jonathan Ashworth called the handling of the move "shambolic".

The new coronavirus travel rule was announced on Saturday following a spike in the number of new cases in Spain this week.

Mr Raab told Sky News' Sophy Ridge the government "took the decision as swiftly as we could" - receiving data on Friday and assessing it on Saturday afternoon.

Asked why holidaymakers were not told earlier that Spain was under assessment, he said giving "vague advice" would "create more uncertainty".

"There is a cut-off with changes in rules and advice we give, so I appreciate that that's difficult and it can be disruptive," he said.

"But it would be far worse to either muddy the waters or to hold back and delay from taking the measures when we need to take them."

He said the UK could risk seeing a "second wave" and lockdown if such measures were not taken.

Among those affected by the new rules is Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who began his holiday in Spain on Saturday. He is expected to continue his trip as planned and isolate in line with guidance on his return.

Airlines including British Airways have criticised the new measures as "yet another blow" to British holidaymakers.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53541301
 
UK coronavirus cases pass 300,000

The number of people who have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK has passed 300,000, official figures show.

The total number of deaths in the UK has risen by seven to 45,759 from 45,752 on Sunday.

The UK has now had 300,111 cases of coronavirus.
 
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A Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spokesperson said: "We have considered the overall situation for British nationals travelling to and from the Balearic and Canary Islands, including the impact of the requirement to self-isolate on return to the UK, and concluded that we should advise British nationals against all non-essential travel to the whole of Spain."

The FCO added that while people currently in Spain will have to self-isolate upon their return they are not being advised to cut short their visits.
 
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says a UK government decision to impose a two-week quarantine on everyone arriving from Spain is “unjust”

A government scheme offering £50 bike repair vouchers is being launched in England as part of plans to boost cycling and walking, after research found being overweight puts people at greater risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19

A lack of translated coronavirus guidance is jeopardising the safety of non-English speakers in the UK, a joint letter to the health secretary claims

Efforts by the Foreign Office to bring home more than a million Britons at the start of the coronavirus pandemic have been criticised by MPs as too slow
 
Boris Johnson says the UK must be "vigilant" over the threat of a second wave of Covid-19, adding it was important for people to "heed the advice" before restrictions could be eased across the country.

Speaking in Nottingham on Tuesday, the PM said he had sympathy with local leaders who wanted restrictions eased in their areas, such as in Leicester where there has been a local lockdown, but stressed the importance of looking at the "big picture".

He said: "The most important thing is for everybody in all communities to heed the advice, to follow the advice, not to be spreading it accidentally and get it right down and we'll be able to ease the restrictions across the country.

"But clearly we now face, I'm afraid, the threat of a second wave in other parts of Europe and we just have to be vigilant and we have to be very mindful."
 
Twelve more Covid-related deaths in England

There have been 12 more deaths related to coronavirus in England but none in the other nations of the UK, the latest figures show.

NHS England reported that the total number of deaths in hospitals in England had risen to 29,303.

In Wales there were no new deaths but the number of cases in Wales increased by 21, bringing the total to 17,191.

There were no new deaths in either Scotland or Northern Ireland.

The full UK figure - which can differ due to different reporting period - will be published separately later.
 
Scientists are to receive millions of pounds to fund six studies aimed at learning why ethnic minorities are at greater risk of Covid-19.

They will examine social circumstances, health, day-to-day activities and genetic factors and researchers say the studies are intended to allow rapid action to be taken to save lives

Financial experts say the UK faces a wave of business failures as "zombie companies" kept afloat during lockdown by temporary government support struggle with high debt and poor sales

Heathrow Airport's chief executive has called on the government to introduce Covid-19 tests on landing to allow quarantine restrictions for high-risk countries to be eased. John Holland-Kaye said testing could be up and running in a couple of weeks

The decision to discharge patients from hospitals to care homes without a test for Covid-19 has been criticised as "an appalling error" by a committee of MPs. The public accounts committee said 25,000 patients were discharged into care homes before guidance was "belatedly" changed in mid-April

Up to 60 million doses of a potential vaccine being developed by Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline have been ordered by the UK government. It is the fourth vaccine deal the UK has struck, with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy saying health and social care workers along with those at higher risk could be vaccinated in summer 2021 if it is shown to work in human studies

Fraudsters are impersonating organisations such as the NHS and HMRC to trick people out of their cash during the pandemic, banks have warned. Local authorities say there has been a 40% increase in reported scams
 
Coronavirus: Possible coronavirus 'cluster' in Glasgow area

A possible coronavirus "cluster" is being investigated in the Glasgow area after 14 new cases were reported there, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The new cases were among 22 reported across Scotland over the last 24 hours.

The first minister said it was thought the possible cluster could be linked to a specific location.

But she said no further details would be given before an incident management team meeting later on Wednesday.

The first minister said NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde was investigating whether the cases were linked, with contact tracing also under way.

She has previously said localised outbreaks of the virus are all but inevitable, following clusters in North Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway.

However the first minister said the "test and protect" system was working well, with the number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 remaining low.

An incident management team will meet later on Wednesday to assess the possible cluster in the Greater Glasgow area, with Ms Sturgeon saying more information would be available after that.

She said initial information suggested the possible cluster was "associated with a particular location", adding: "Part of the challenge we have around any potential cluster is to make sure everything possible that can be done to minimise onward transmission is done."

The first minister said people should be assured that "any suggestion of any links between cases or possible clusters or outbreaks are absolutely rigorously explored, investigated and dealt with".

News of the possible cluster came as the National Records of Scotland said the number of deaths linked to coronavirus had increased very slightly, with Covid-19 mentioned on eight death certificates in the week to Sunday.

This was an increase of two deaths from the six that were recorded the previous week.

Ms Sturgeon said numbers were likely to fluctuate at such a low level, pointing out that the overall number of deaths in Scotland was below the five-year average.

However she said her government was likely to "adopt a very cautious approach" at the next review of lockdown restrictions on Thursday.

She said "very significant changes" had been made in recent weeks, with the hospitality and tourism industries reopening, and said it was "still too early to be completely assured" of the impact of this.

Ms Sturgeon said it was important not to "do too much too quickly and give the virus the chance to overwhelm us again".

The first minister is expected to give further details of when and how Scotland's schools will re-open on Thursday.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-53581782
 
The latest from the UK

Testing at airports is not a "silver bullet" to stop the need for quarantine measures, the culture secretary has said

A wave of "zombie companies" kept afloat during lockdown are on a cliff-edge going into the autumn, experts say

Barclays boss Jes Staley has signalled that he wants employees working from home during the pandemic to return to the office "over time
"
The government has signed a fourth coronavirus vaccine deal, securing up to 60 million doses of an experimental treatment being developed by drug giants GSK and Sanofi

A £500m scheme aimed at kick-starting film and TV production has been announced by the government

A gig used to trial safety measures for the return of live music "did not succeed" in providing a blueprint for the industry, the manager of the venue that hosted the event has said
 
Travel bosses have urged the prime minister to replace blanket quarantine measures on countries with regional travel corridors, as they warned the sector "risks being permanently scarred"

It comes as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps arrived back in the country to begin his own 14-day quarantine after a holiday in Spain. He said he is "desperately sorry" to those who have lost their holiday but that the measures were "essential"

A possible coronavirus cluster is being investigated in the Glasgow area after 14 new cases were reported there. An alcohol ban has also been placed on a Glasgow park after antisocial behaviour, police said, with the weather set to get warmer towards then end of the week

An outbreak linked to a pub in Staffordshire has led to a local testing centre being set up with reports of "hundreds" of people getting tested

Barclays boss Jes Staley has signalled he wants employees, who have been working from home, back in the office "over time"

And in Leeds you might see some different cleaners at work amid the coronavirus pandemic. The University of Leeds is trialling the use of robots to help disinfect public areas
 
does anyone know how many active cases & serious critical cases thr are in England ? as worldmeters doesnt have any stats on this
 
The length of time people with coronavirus symptoms will have to self-isolate for is expected to be increased from seven to 10 days in England.

Lockdown has fostered a new community spirit in Britain, but there are signs feelings of solidarity and togetherness are beginning to fragment and fray, a campaign which includes which includes the NHS, charities and media groups says

The Scottish government is expected to confirm later that Scotland's schools will reopen in full next month
Wales' arts and culture sector is to be supported with £53m ($67m) from the Welsh Government, with theatres, music venues, museums, libraries, and cinemas among those set to benefit
 
UK government publishes new guidance on self-isolation

The government has published a statement from the UK chief medical officers on the new guidance for self-isolation.

It says that "evidence, although still limited, has strengthened and shows that people with Covid-19 who are mildly ill and are recovering have a low but real possibility of infectiousness between seven and nine days after illness onset".

"We have considered how best to target interventions to reduce risk to the general population and consider that at this point in the epidemic, with widespread and rapid testing available and considering the relaxation of other measures, it is now the correct balance of risk to extend the self-isolation period from 7 to 10 days for those in the community who have symptoms or a positive test result.

"This will help provide additional protection to others in the community. This is particularly important to protect those who have been shielding and in advance of the autumn and winter when we may see increased community transmission."
 
Coronavirus is "bubbling up" in up to 30 areas across the UK, Boris Johnson has warned.

The prime minister said levels of COVID-19 are "going down" in Leicester - the first city subject to a local lockdown - but Britons have to be wary of a "really damaging second wave".

"It's absolutely vital as a country we continue to keep our focus and our discipline and that we don't delude ourselves that somehow we're out of the woods or that this is all over because it isn't all over," he warned.

Matt Hancock says he is 'worried' about a second coronavirus wave making it's way over to the UK from Europe.

The places with the highest case rates per 100,000 people according to NHS Digital's latest data are Blackburn with Darwen (85.3), Leicester (57.7), Oldham (53.1), Bradford (44.9) and Trafford (39.3).

Behind them are Calderdale (32.4), Rochdale (30.9) and Sandwell (27.5) - which has set up its own contact-tracing system in a bid to contain outbreaks and out of frustration with the one run by Whitehall.

Mr Johnson also defended his government's handling of the pandemic - which has seen England named the country with the highest excess death rate in Europe.

Speaking on a visit to north Yorkshire, he said there has been "a massive success now in reducing the numbers of those tragic deaths"
Following news that the self-isolation period is being extended from seven to 10 days, Mr Johnson denied it would leave people confused.

All four of the UK nations' chief medical officers had approved the rule change because of "strengthened" evidence there is a "real possibility" anyone with the virus is infectious for longer than previously thought.

Those who have come into close contact with someone who has tested positive will still have to stay at home for the same amount of time as before - 14 days.

It aligns the UK closer with some other countries' policies and those of the World Health Organisation, which says people should be in isolation for 10 days and then an additional three once they stop showing symptoms.

Earlier, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was "worried" about another spike of coronavirus infections, telling Sky News there is a "second wave starting to roll across Europe".

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-bubbling-up-in-up-to-30-areas-boris-johnson-warns-12039160
 
The government has reported the highest daily number of coronavirus cases in more than a month - as a quarantine for arrivals from Luxembourg was announced.

A total of 846 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Thursday, the highest UK total since 28 June (901 cases).

A further 38 people have died across all settings after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the official death toll to 45,999.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps arrives back in the UK after flying home from Spain

The 14-day self-isolation requirement for arrivals from Luxembourg has been reintroduced across the UK from midnight on Thursday following a rise in cases in the country.

It comes days after the UK as a whole reintroduced the same restrictions for those returning from Spain.

The decision has provoked an ongoing row, with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps saying the government "had to act".

In the wake of the move, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned there are signs a "second wave" is surfacing in Europe.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has echoed this, telling Sky News earlier he is "worried" about another spike of infections, with a "second wave starting to roll across Europe".

Ireland reported 85 new cases of the virus on Thursday, its highest daily total in more than a month.

Meanwhile, health authorities in France reported 1,377 more cases on Wednesday.

This brings the rolling seven-day average above the 1,000 threshold for the first time since May.

Speaking earlier on Thursday, Boris Johnson said coronavirus is "bubbling up" in up to 30 areas across the UK.

People are seen walking through Melbourne where face-coverings are compulsory

He said levels of COVID-19 are "going down" in Leicester - the first city subject to a local lockdown - but Britons have to be wary of a "really damaging second wave".

"It's absolutely vital as a country we continue to keep our focus and our discipline and that we don't delude ourselves that somehow we're out of the woods or that this is all over because it isn't all over," the PM warned.

The places with the highest case rates per 100,000 people according to NHS Digital's latest data are Blackburn with Darwen (85.3), Leicester (57.7), Oldham (53.1), Bradford (44.9) and Trafford (39.3).

Behind them are Calderdale (32.4), Rochdale (30.9) and Sandwell (27.5) - which has set up its own contact-tracing system in a bid to contain outbreaks and out of frustration with the one run by Whitehall.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...covid-19-cases-for-more-than-a-month-12039408
 
The Department of Health says members of separate households are banned from meeting each other indoors from midnight tonight in Greater Manchester, parts of Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire from midnight tonight.
 
Coronavirus: Lockdown tightened in parts of northern England

Separate households will not be allowed to meet indoors in Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire from midnight, the government has announced.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said an "increasing rate of transmission" had been identified in those areas.

"The spread is largely due to households meeting and not abiding to social distancing," he said.

He also said the same restrictions will apply to the city of Leicester.

Millions of people in Greater Manchester, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Rossendale, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees will be affected by the tightening of restrictions.

BBC Newsnight correspondent Lewis Goodall said the Department of Health and Social Care had confirmed the restrictions will apply to all indoor settings - so it will mean that no two households should meet in places including pubs and restaurants.

"We take this action with a heavy heart, but we can see increasing rates of Covid across Europe and are determined to do whatever is necessary to keep people safe," Mr Hancock.

It comes nearly four weeks after restrictions were eased and people were allowed to meet indoors.

On Thursday, a further 38 people in the UK died, bringing the total number of Covid-19 associated deaths to 45,999.

And 846 cases were reported - the highest number of cases in a day for a month.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester - a city with a population of about 2.8m - said there had been a "marked change in the picture" with regard to the spread of Covid-19 in the area.

"We have gone from a falling rate of cases in nearly all of our boroughs last week to a rising rate in nine out of 10 affecting communities across a much wider geography," he said. "In Rochdale, the one borough where cases have fallen, they are still too high."

He said all residents "young and old alike" should "protect each other" by observing the requirements, which will be reviewed weekly.

This means "the more we stick to them, the quicker they will be removed", he said.

"This is a place which prides itself on looking out for each other. We now need to be true to that by not acting selfishly and keeping the health of others in mind at all times."

Jonathan Reynolds, shadow secretary for work and pensions and an MP in the Greater Manchester area, said the figures were showing an increase in infections including in Tameside where positive tests per 100,000 population has gone from 4.9 to 16.3.

'Impact on Eid'

But Labour's MP for Oldham, in Greater Manchester, and shadow transport minister Jim McMahon called for more clarity over what the government was doing to support those in areas affected by new lockdown restrictions.

"On the face of it, for Oldham borough residents this is the same restriction announced already this week, replicated in further areas," he tweeted.

Labour MP for Manchester Central Lucy Powell tweeted: "Trying to get further information about this but it seems two households can no longer meet indoors in GM.

"Particular concerns in certain boroughs but restrictions applying across GM."

First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon said the decision to ban households in Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and West Yorkshire from meeting indoors was the "right" one.

She said the UK government was "right to act quickly", adding: "This is a sharp reminder that the threat of this virus is still very real."

Miqdaad Versi, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, said the restrictions were likely to have a "large impact" on Muslim families celebrating Eid on Friday.

"Unclear why such short notice provided but important that this message is cascaded as quickly as possible given it goes live within a few hours," he tweeted.
Click to expand...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53602362
 
Coronavirus: PM 'may postpone' lockdown easing in England

The PM has decided that the next easing of coronavirus restrictions - due to come in this weekend - will be postponed, the BBC has been told.

Boris Johnson briefed opposition leaders ahead of a news conference scheduled for 12:00 BST, sources said.

Further venues such as casinos and bowling alleys were meant to be reopening as part of the changes.

The rethink follows new restrictions for people in parts of northern England, after a spike in virus cases.

Live indoor theatre and concerts were also due to resume with socially distanced audiences from the start of August.

On the same date the government was due to update its advice on going to work, asking employers to make decisions about how and where their staff can work safely.

And the 2.2 million people who have been self-isolating in England during the pandemic had been told they would no longer need to shield from 1 August.

Details of exactly what was changed are expected in the prime minister's midday press conference.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53609467
 
BREAKING: Evidence for increased infections in England - ONS

There is evidence to suggest a slight increase in the number of people in England testing positive on a nose and throat swab in recent weeks, the Office for National Statistics says.

The figures are based on its infection survey, which takes swabs from people selected at random in homes in England.

The ONS estimates that about 1 in 1,500 people in homes in England are infected (roughly 36,000 people in total) with 4,200 new infections each day.

Both figures are up on last week, when it was estimated there were 2,800 new infections each day and that one in 2,000 people (28,000 total) were infected in homes in England.
 
Latest from the UK

A spike in cases in the north of England has led to new local restrictions for millions of people, banning separate households from meeting each other at home

Areas affected include Greater Manchester, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Rossendale, Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees

Meanwhile, restrictions in Leicester are beginning to ease, with pubs and restaurants set to re-open on Monday

A number of care homes in England are having to delay the resumption of visits because of a lack of coronavirus testing for staff and residents

In Wales, up to 30 people will be able to meet outdoors and children under 11 will not have to social distance from Monday

Northern Ireland has become the first part of the UK to launch a Covid-19 tracing app

Luxembourg has followed in the footsteps of Spain, being removed from the UK’s quarantine-free list, meaning travellers returning from the country will have to isolate for 14 days
 
The government's scientific advisory group has said it "does not have confidence" the R number is currently below the crucial figure of 1 in England.

The latest estimate puts the R rate - which refers to the number of people on average that an infected person passes the virus on to - at between 0.8-0.9.

In the North West, where new restrictions have been imposed in some areas, the R has risen from 0.7-1 last week to 0.8-1.1 this week.

But SAGE said the estimates represent the transmission of coronavirus from several weeks ago, as there is a delay between people becoming infected and needing healthcare.

"Estimates that use more timely data reflecting infections suggest a higher R for England than shown here. As a result, SAGE does not have confidence that R is currently below 1 in England," it said on the government website.

There has also been a slight increase in the number of people testing positive for coronavirus in England, new data shows.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), between 20 and 26 July there were around 4,200 new infections in the community per day.

This is up from an estimated 2,800 new cases a day the previous week.

But the numbers are not enough evidence to say yet "with confidence" whether infection rates differ by region, the ONS has said.

Some lockdown restrictions have been reimposed in virus hotspots in the north of England following a spike in infections.

People in Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire are now banned from meeting other households indoors, in a move described by Health Secretary Matt Hancock as "absolutely necessary".

Meanwhile, the UK saw its highest daily total of COVID-19 cases for more than a month on Thursday.

A total of 846 new cases were reported, the most since 901 cases were announced on 28 June.

Here's what each column in the above chart shows:

Two-weeks rate: The number of cases per 100,000 people over the past fortnight

The government has expressed concerns about a potential second wave of infections, with Boris Johnson warning Britons to be wary of a "really damaging second wave".

The health secretary also said he was "worried" after seeing a "second wave starting to roll across Europe".

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...covid-19-in-england-ons-figures-show-12039646
 
What's happening to England's lockdown rules?

On 17 July, the prime minister set out plans to further ease lockdown rules from 1 August to:

- Reopen most remaining leisure settings, including bowling, skating rinks and casinos

- Allow live indoor theatre and concert performances to resume with socially distanced audiences

- Reopen all close contact services including any treatments on the face, such as eyebrow threading or make-up application

- Allow wedding receptions for as many as 30 people

These changes have now been postponed for at least a fortnight, with the prime minister saying at a Downing Street press conference that "we should now squeeze that brake pedal to keep the virus under control".

The changes to the guidance for employers, allowing them to make decisions about how and where their staff can work safely from tomorrow, will remain in place.

And plans to pause shielding from 1 August will proceed as planned.
 
Boris Johnson briefing: Key points

The PM has just finished speaking at a Downing Street press conference.

Let’s take a look at the main points:

Further easing of restrictions which had been due to come in tomorrow in England are postponed until 15 August at the earliest – this includes the opening of casinos, bowling alleys, indoor theatres and concerts with social distancing.

Changes to wedding celebrations to allow up to 30 guests are also postponed

Shielding will be paused nationally from 1 August as planned

Face covering rules will be extended to additional settings in England from 8 August, including museums. There will be a greater police presence to enforce this.

The introduction of new restrictions in northern England is not a "return to lockdown" - but further local restrictions will be implemented as needed

No change to work-from-home guidance from tomorrow - meaning more people will still be encouraged to go in to their workplaces. The PM promised to "come down hard” on workplaces which people do not feel are safe

People who test positive for coronavirus will not be discharged into care homes

New slogan from the PM: "Hands, face, space, get a test”

Rise in infection rates in several parts of the world is not a "second wave", says Professor Chris Whitty, but if people increase the number of people they meet, the virus rate will increase "inevitably"
 
Fewer than half of UK adults stick to social distancing, says ONS

Fewer than half of adults spending time with family and friends are sticking to social distancing rules when they meet up, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) says.

Almost three-quarters of adults polled said they'd socialised with others during the last seven days - with 50% welcoming family or friends into their homes, it said.

Of the 1,150 people who reported socialising, 47% said they had maintained social distancing - rising to 70% of those aged 70 and over.

Three in 10 (31%) said they often followed the measures, 13% said they sometimes did and 8% said they rarely or never followed social distancing.

More than a quarter (26%) of those surveyed said they had met up with between five to 10 people, while 6% said the group had been larger than 10.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said "households gathering and not abiding by the social distancing rules" was one of the reasons for the stricter rules announced late on Thursday for some parts of England.

The ONS also found that 63% of respondents strongly supported targeted lockdown measures to stop the rise of the virus and 57% were in favour of mandatory face coverings in shops and supermarkets.
 
Pubs 'may need to shut' to allow schools to reopen

Pubs or "other activities" in England may need to close to allow schools to reopen next month, a scientist advising the government has said.

Prof Graham Medley told the BBC there may need to be a "trade-off", with the re-opening of schools seen as "a priority" for children's wellbeing.

It came after England's chief medical officer said the country was "near the limit" of opening up society.

On Friday, the PM said further easing of the lockdown would be delayed.

Measures due to come in this weekend, including the reopening of casinos, bowling alleys, skating rinks and some close-contact services, as well as the return of indoor performances and pilots of large gatherings in sports venues and conference centres, would be postponed for at least a fortnight, Boris Johnson said.

The expansion of wedding receptions to allow up to 30 people was also put on hold.

Mr Johnson told a Downing Street press conference on Friday he needed to "squeeze the brake pedal" on easing restrictions, following a rise in coronavirus cases.

And England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, warned the nation had "probably reached near the limit or the limits" of what can be done to reopen society, meaning trade-offs may be needed to allow pupils to return to classrooms next month as planned.

Mr Johnson has previously pledged that both primary and secondary schools in England will return in September "with full attendance".

Asked whether restrictions of other activities may be needed to allow schools to reopen as planned, Prof Medley, chairman of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) sub-group on pandemic modelling, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think that's quite possible.

"I think we're in a situation whereby most people think that opening schools is a priority for the health and wellbeing of children and that when we do that we are going to reconnect lots of households.

"And so actually, closing some of the other networks, some of the other activities may well be required to enable us to open schools.

"It might come down to a question of which do you trade off against each other, and then that's a matter of prioritising. Do we think pubs are more important than schools?"

Prof Medley, an academic at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the rise in coronavirus infections appeared to be among younger people, but warned there was a danger it could "spill" over into other parts of the population.

"The age distribution of infections has changed - it has moved down into younger age groups and so it is likely we won't see that increase in hospital admissions related to infection in the same way we did in March," he said.

"But the big fear is the virus just gets out of control and we end up in a situation where there is so much virus that it inevitably spills out into all sections of the population."

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53621613
 
Two deaths in Wales, none in Scotland for 16 days in a row

A further two people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Wales.

The number of cases have increased by 21, according to Public Health Wales.

For the 16th day in a row, Scotland recorded no new deaths among people who tested positive.

Another 18 cases of the virus were recorded, the Scottish government said.

We'll bring you the figures for Northern Ireland and England when we get them, as well as the UK-wide figures later.
 
The latest headlines in the UK

Pubs or "other activities" in England may need to close to allow schools to reopen next month, a scientist advising the government has said. Prof Graham Medley told the BBC there may need to be a "trade-off", with the re-opening of schools seen as "a priority" for children's wellbeing.

More than two million people shielding against coronavirus in most of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland can now leave their home and return to work.

Residents in popular resorts have said they are "too scared" to go food shopping because of visitors pouring down narrow streets and ignoring social distancing.

Businesses that have furloughed staff during the coronavirus pandemic must now start contributing to the government's job retention scheme.

The Coastguard had its busiest day for more than four years on Friday, when the UK recorded its third hottest day ever, dealing with more than 300 incidents.
 
Two deaths in Wales, none in Scotland for 16 days in a row

A further two people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Wales.

The number of cases have increased by 21, according to Public Health Wales.

For the 16th day in a row, Scotland recorded no new deaths among people who tested positive.

Another 18 cases of the virus were recorded, the Scottish government said.

We'll bring you the figures for Northern Ireland and England when we get them, as well as the UK-wide figures later.
 
A further four people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths in hospitals to 29,342, PA reports.

The patients were aged between 78 and 84 years old and all had known underlying health conditions.

Another five deaths were reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.
 
Four more hospital deaths in England

Four people who tested positive for
coronavirus have died in hospital in England - so not including deaths in care homes or the wider community, according to the NHS.

This brings the total number to 29,342.

The four patients were aged between 78 and 84. All had underlying health conditions.
 
Millions of over 50s could be told to stay at home under a "nuclear" option to prevent a new nationwide lockdown if there is a second wave of coronavirus.

Boris Johnson is reportedly considering asking a greater number of people in England to take part in the shielding programme should there be a big spike in COVID-19 cases.

A Sunday Times report said people aged between 50 and 70 could be given personalised risk ratings, taking into account factors such as age and medical conditions.

2.2 million were deemed most vulnerable and asked to shield themselves from society during the spring peak of the virus - advice that ended on Saturday.

Mark Allen has been shielding for six months

As part of a strategy to tackle a potential second wave of coronavirus in the future, the prime minister is also reportedly considering lockdown conditions for London.

Ideas include giving Londoners stay-at-home orders, restricting travel beyond the M25, and banning people from staying in other people's homes, similar to policies implemented in local lockdowns imposed in Leicester and parts of the north-west of England.

Measures to prevent a second nationwide lockdown, and any economic fallout, were discussed by Mr Johnson at what was described by sources as a "war game" session with Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Wednesday.

It comes after the prime minister was forced to postpone the latest easing of lockdown on Friday.

The planned reopening of some businesses in the leisure and beauty sectors was delayed due to fears that the prevalence of coronavirus was rising for the first time since May.

Experts have already suggested that pubs could be closed in exchange for allowing schools to reopen fully in September.

It follows a warning from England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty that the country was "near the limit" of how many parts of normal life could be resumed safely.

It has been less than a month since pubs were allowed to reopen after the peak of the virus, but Professor Graham Medley, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, said the "trade off" could be required for the sake of children's education.

Most schools closed at the end of March as the UK went into lockdown, although many remained open for children of key workers and vulnerable pupils.

More than half of pupils struggled to learn at home during lockdown, according to an Office for National Statistics survey, raising concerns about the continued closure of schools.

Gavin Williamson asks if Labour MP is suggesting schools can never open

'Do we never open schools until there's a vaccine?'

Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Social Care has denied abandoning a promise to regularly test care home residents during the summer.

The Sunday Times reported that a leaked memo from Professor Jane Cummings, the government's adult social care testing director, to local authority leaders said "previously advised timelines for rolling out regular testing in care homes" were being altered due to "unexpected delays".

The regular testing of residents and staff was meant to have started on 6 July but will now start on 7 September, according to the Press Association.

A DHSC spokeswoman said: "It is completely wrong to suggest care homes were deliberately deprived of testing resources and any care home resident or member of staff with symptoms can immediately access a free test."

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...ionwide-lockdown-12040780?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter
 
The government has ended shielding advice meaning the most vulnerable during the coronavirus outbreak can now leave their home and go to work.

Some 2.2 million people with underlying severe health conditions were advised to stay at home and avoid non-essential face-to-face contact under the guidance.

Around 595,000 (28%) of those usually work, according to charities.

Shielding advice has now ended in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The move comes as the government postponed the easing of certain lockdown measures with some businesses that were hoping to reopen being told they must remain closed for now.

Bowling alleys, casinos, skating rinks and beauty salons offering close-contact services like facials had been scheduled to welcome customers today for the first time since lockdown, while small wedding receptions and indoor performances were set to resume.

Their doors will stay shut for at least two more weeks after an increase in COVID-19 cases in England.

A coalition of charities is urging Chancellor Rishi Sunak to protect the jobs of workers who followed the advice, warning they will be put in an "impossible position" now that restrictions are eased.

An open letter signed by 15 charities, including Age UK and Macmillan Cancer Support, raises concerns that those who have been shielding will be forced to choose between their health and their job.

The signatories have warned these employees are at risk of being made redundant, or could be forced to return to the workplace when they do not feel it is safe to do so.

The letter to Mr Sunak says: "Our concern is that, especially as your furlough arrangements start to unwind and the shielding scheme is paused from next week, some of these workers will find themselves in an impossible position.

"This is because if their occupation is one which they cannot carry out from home, and if it is extremely difficult to make their workplace safe for them, they may be forced to choose between putting their health on the line by returning, or staying safe by giving up their job."

The signatories say this is "desperately unfair" for those who have made "great sacrifices" by staying at home, and call on the chancellor to take action and protect their jobs as well as supporting employers.

This could include extending the furlough scheme for those who have been shielding or are at high risk, the letter adds.

The same suggestion has been made by the TUC, with General Secretary Frances O'Grady telling the Guardian: "It would be heartless and reckless for employers to demand the immediate return of shielding workers.

"After self-isolation for a number of months, requiring shielding workers to immediately travel to workplaces may cause anxiety.

"The job retention scheme is in place until at least October, so employers must continue using it if home working is not an option."

A survey conducted by Macmillan Cancer Support with 2,000 adults found many cancer patients are fearful of returning to workplaces, with 42% saying they feel it is currently unsafe for them to work outside of their home.

One in three (36%) people with cancer said the coronavirus crisis has affected their finances, with some saying they have been left struggling to pay their bills.

Meanwhile a survey by Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation of almost 4,000 people shielding in England suggested a fifth (21%) will continue to do so until there is a vaccine.

Some 40% of those surveyed said they are undecided as to what to do now that the shielding advice has ended, and two thirds said they will need to be happy that the risk of catching coronavirus is low before they stop shielding.

Employers have been told to make sure the shielded can work from home wherever possible, including moving them to another role if required, according to the government.

If employers cannot provide a COVID-safe working environment, those who are clinically vulnerable will be able to access financial support including statutory sick pay and welfare payments, it has said.

A government spokesperson said: "We understand how challenging the outbreak pandemic has been for the clinically vulnerable and we have worked tirelessly to support them.

"Employers must ensure the safety of those with such conditions when considering working arrangements, including whether work can be completed remotely.

"Our wide-ranging support package worth an initial £160bn includes the furlough scheme, which has paid the wages of 9.5 million people and has already been extended until October, loans, grants, and tax cuts and deferrals.

"People will also now benefit from the Job Retention Bonus which will support business and protect jobs. We also announced £750m for charities so they can continue their important work, ensuring those on the front line are able to reach people who need help."

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...g-is-put-on-hold-12040317?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter
 
Further eight deaths recorded in the UK

The UK has released its daily coronavirus figures. Here's a breakdown of what you need to know:

Cases: 744 more people have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 304,695
Deaths: Another eight people have died, bringing the total death toll for those who have tested positive with the virus to 46,201
 
A major incident has been declared in Greater Manchester amid a rise in coronavirus infection rates.

Gold command meetings of senior figures from the police, local authorities and other agencies, to discuss COVID-19 have been taking place over the weekend, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Major incidents are often declared after a terror attack or major flood and mean a region can access extra national resources if necessary.

If the police need extra help in enforcement, the MEN reports, it is understood the army could be drafted in to support them.

Speaking to the newspaper, leader of Manchester City Council Richard Leese said: "Although the council and partner organisations have been working closely to tackle the impacts of the pandemic since early this year, declaring a major incident means we can ramp this up further.

"It allows the establishment of a central command structure to oversee the response and enables agencies involved to draw on extra resources."

Coronavirus cases in Manchester and Tameside have more than doubled in seven days, while Oldham's remain the highest and the fastest-growing, according to the MEN.

A statement to Sky News from assistant chief constable Nick Bailey, chairman of the Local Resilience Forum, said: "Recognising that there are multiple localities across Greater Manchester seeing rises in infection rates, the group reviewed learning from other recent areas, including Leicester, and its own learning from across the partnership, and have taken the decision to declare this a major incident in order to respond as effectively as possible.

"This will enable us to maximise the capability of agencies across Greater Manchester, including additional resources if required, to instigate a prompt and positive change in direction.

"It is part of our desire to protect the population of Greater Manchester and provide them with the highest levels of assurance that agencies are doing all they can to reduce infection rates and bring Greater Manchester back to as near a state of normality as current times allow."

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Thursday that the coronavirus lockdown in parts of northern England - including Greater Manchester, parts of West Yorkshire and East Lancashire - would be tightened because of an increasing rate of transmission.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...eater-manchester-after-covid-19-rise-12041276
 
Britain to roll out millions of 90-minute coronavirus tests

Millions of COVID-19 tests able to detect the virus within 90 minutes will be rolled out to British hospitals, care homes and laboratories to boost capacity in the coming months, the country’s health minister said on Monday.

They will comprise 5.8 million tests using DNA and 450,000 swab tests. Neither will need to be administered by a health professional, said Matt Hancock.

“The fact these tests can detect flu as well as COVID-19 will be hugely beneficial as we head into winter, so patients can follow the right advice to protect themselves and others,” he said.

Separately, the publicly-funded National Health Service said it would be offering “COVID-friendly” treatments to cancer patients, including drugs that do not have a big impact on the immune system.

Britain’s healthcare system has come under severe strain during peaks in the country’s COVID-19 outbreak, which has killed more than 46,000 people, the fourth highest toll in the world, according to a Reuters tally collated on Sunday.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...0-minute-coronavirus-tests-idUKKBN24Y0T5?il=0
 
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has written to the UK prime minister following a newspaper report over the weekend that the government could be planning to use the M25 to seal off London if there's a rise in cases.

The Times reported that Boris Johnson signed off measures which could be put in place in a worst case scenario. Among them, people would reportedly face a ban on travelling beyond the M25.

Mr Khan, in a letter to the government from him and the chair of London Councils, said he read the report with "great surprise".

"According to media reports, the plans included using the M25 as a quarantine ring - effectively sealing off the city.

"Our surprise is that such far-reaching contingency plans have been discussed and tested without the involvement or awareness of London's government.

"This is clearly totally unacceptable and an affront to London and Londoners."

Downing Street said its strategy for preventing the spread of coronavirus set out its ability to impose local travel restrictions.

"One of the steps within that potentially includes closing down local transport networks," said the PM's official spokesman said.

"It's there, it's contained in the document, it's not a new thing - we have informed the public and politicians of that being a potential action that we could take. But, to be clear, it's not something that is specific to London or anywhere else."
 
LONDON (Reuters) - People across Britain enjoyed half-price meals on Monday as the government launched its “Eat Out to Help Out Scheme” aimed at driving up business in the shattered hospitality industry after months of coronavirus lockdown.

Diners are entitled to a 50% discount on food and non-alcoholic drinks to eat or drink in, up to a maximum of 10 pounds ($13) discount per head every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday between Aug. 3 and Aug 31.

The offer - expected to cost half a billion pounds ($650 million) - is open to diners in participating restaurants, cafés, bars, pubs, work and school canteens and food halls. More than 72,000 restaurants have registered, finance minister Rishi Sunak said.

Matt Healey, 23, who works in digital marketing for Warner Bros., was glad his cooked “English breakfast” would cost him half the usual price at Maggies, a cafe in Lewisham, south east London.

But he said the priority for him remained the health risks over the discount. “It’s a bit of a balancing act,” Healey said. “I think the risks will probably outweigh the 50% off.”
 
As well as the UK's official figures of the number of people who have died with the virus - which have not yet been released today - the nations also record their own figures.

According to NHS England on Monday, a further five people have died in hospital in England after testing positive for Covid-19.

The patients were aged between 66 and 95 years old, and all had known underlying health conditions. One other death was reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.

Meanwhile, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgen said there have been no new deaths from the disease in Scotland for the 18th day in a row.

The figures from the UK government have not been released yet, but as of Sunday 46,201 people had died.
 
One in 10 people on public transport in Britain are not wearing mandatory face coverings, the UK's transport secretary has said.

Grant Shapps tweeted that the compliance rate for following rules on face coverings was 90% as he urged people to "help keep each other safe" during the coronavirus pandemic.

Passengers caught not complying risk being fined £100 and removed from services.

Face coverings on public transport became mandatory in England on 15 June in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.

Scotland followed seven days later, while Northern Ireland and Wales introduced the rule on 16 and 27 July respectively.

Shapps said figures from British Transport Police - the police force for the railways in England, Scotland and Wales - and Transport for London show:

285 passengers have been issued with penalty notices for non-compliance
6,275 have been asked to leave the transport network
and 80,294 have been reminded of the rules
 
UK reports second-highest COVID-19 cases since June

The UK's health ministry has reported 938 new cases of COVID-19, the second-highest daily total since June, taking the total number of positive test results to 305,623.

The most recent peak in cases came on July 29, when health ministry data show there were 995 positive tests, the highest number since June 16.
 
Reopening schools fully in September without an effective test, trace and isolating strategy could result in a second wave of coronavirus more than twice the size of the first, according to a new modelling study.

Researchers from UCL and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) examined the possible implications of schools reopening in the UK coupled with broader reopening of society, such as more parents returning to the workplace and increased socialising within the community.

The study, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, simulated what would happen in an "optimistic" scenario assuming 68% of contacts of people who tested positive could be traced.

In the more pessimistic scenario the system had 40% coverage.

The authors found that "with increased levels of testing... and effective contact tracing and isolation, an epidemic rebound might be prevented".

But in a worst-case scenario, a second wave could be 2.3 times higher than the first.

The model assumes that around 70% of people would return to workplaces once their children went back to school and up to a 90% increase of mixing within the community with schools reopening.

One of the authors, Chris Bonell, professor of public health sociology at LSHTM, said the current testing system has "about 50% coverage".

"Our findings suggests that it might be possible [to avoid] a secondary epidemic wave in the UK, if enough people with symptomatic infection can be diagnosed and their contacts traced and effectively isolated," he said.

"Reopening schools fully in September, alongside reopening workplaces in society, without an effective test, trace, isolating (TTI) strategy could result in a second wave of infections between two and 2.3 times the size of the original wave.

"This is a scenario with model, not a prediction of what is going to happen. It all depends on the other measures and the level of TTI coverage.

"Currently, TTI is not achieving the levels that we modelled. Looking at the NHS reports from the TTI system, it looks like it's about 50% coverage."

He added: "The most recent data [shows] about 81% of positives are interviewed, about 81% of those report contacts and about 75% of those contacts are reached, so overall that equates to coverage of 50%.

"It looks from the ONS data like there are about 4,200 new infections per day. And it looks like from the testing data there are about 4,200 testing positive per week. So it looks like about one in seven. So, that's not good enough, basically."

But he said the coverage rates were following an "upward trend".

The authors said that without appropriate levels of testing and contact tracing, reopening of schools together with gradual relaxing of the lockdown measures are "likely to induce a second wave that would peak in December 2020 if schools open full-time in September".

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...ng-strategy-says-new-modelling-study-12042000
 
The spread of coronavirus in the UK could have been slowed with earlier quarantine restrictions on arrivals, a group of MPs has said.

The Home Affairs committee said a lack of border measures earlier in the pandemic was a "serious mistake".

It added ministers had underestimated the threat of importing the virus from Europe as opposed to Asia.

But a Home Office spokeswoman said the committee were "incorrect in their assertions".

She added: "All of our decisions throughout the pandemic have been guided by the science, with appropriate measures introduced at the right time to keep us all safe."

In their report, the committee backed a decision not to close the UK's borders in the early stages of the crisis, given the "large number" of returning British nationals.

'Inexplicable'
But it added that a requirement for people arriving from certain countries to quarantine, introduced in early June, should have come in earlier.

Since then, those arriving in the UK have to self-isolate for 14 days or face the threat of fines, with each of the UK's four nations compiling a list of exempted countries where this does not apply.

During February and early March, all passengers from Hubei Province in China and certain areas of South Korea, as well as Iran and later Italy, were asked to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival.

The MPs criticised a decision not to include Spain on this early list, adding that government advice had initially focused on Asian countries and did not "recognise soon enough" the risk of importing the virus from Europe.

They added that a later decision - on 13 March - to end self-isolation advice for international arrivals not displaying symptoms had been "inexplicable".

The Home Office said this advice was replaced by guidance advising all people in the UK, including arrivals, to self-isolate if they developed symptoms.

'Serious error'
Citing evidence from scientific studies, the MPs said it was likely that thousands of infected people then arrived in the UK before full lockdown came in 10 days later.

"It is highly likely that this contributed to the rapid increase in the spread of the virus in mid-March and to the overall scale of the outbreak in the UK," they added.

"The failure properly to consider the possibility of imposing stricter requirements on those arriving - such as mandatory self-isolation, increased screening, targeted testing or enforceable quarantine - was a serious error."

This is the second Parliamentary report in a week that's accused the government of serious errors. Last week's criticised how hospital patients were discharged to care homes without a Covid test.

That and today's report amount to the same accusation - poor or inexplicable decisions that didn't help slow the march of the pandemic.

The MPs cite examples from around the world where countries were requiring passengers arriving in that country to comply with stringent quarantine or monitoring measures.

The government insists that its general message from 13 March to the public to stay at home, if they had symptoms, worked.

But that recommendation was not the same as clear guidance, or an absolute legal requirement, for passengers to self-isolate even if they were feeling perfectly well.

And that, say the MPs, meant travellers in March were able to arrive and move about much more freely at a critical moment in the spread of the virus across the UK.

The committee added that the decision to withdraw self-isolation advice was "very different from countries in similar circumstances".

It concluded that countries that instead introduced tougher border measures, such as Singapore, had been "proved justified in doing so".

It said an official estimate used to justify the UK's approach - stating that only 0.5% of domestic infections had been imported from overseas - was not calculated until late March.

But the MPs point out that the proportion of cases was likely to have been "substantially higher" when blanket quarantine advice was lifted earlier that month.

They backed the mandatory quarantine rules introduced in June, and said ministers should consider greater testing of arrivals at the UK's borders.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who chairs the committee and is a former shadow home secretary, said the lack of stronger quarantine rules in March "did make the epidemic worse".

She said the new guidance introduced in mid-March "didn't cover anybody who was asymptomatic, anybody who wasn't sure what the symptoms were".

"At a time when other countries were introducing stronger border measures, the UK was lifting them," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"We've seen no science behind that decision at all - and it's that lack of science, lack of transparency that's so concerning".

'Most effective'
But a Home Office spokeswoman said the government had followed the scientific advice.

"And with passengers numbers significantly reduced, the scientific advice was clear that quarantine measures for those entering the country from abroad would be most effective when the UK has a lower level of infection," she added.

"Therefore, as the virus was brought under control here, border measures were introduced on 8 June to protect public health and help avoid a second peak that would overwhelm the NHS."


https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-53654644
 
Scotland shuts pubs and restaurants in Aberdeen to stem COVID-19 outbreak

LONDON (Reuters) - Scotland imposed new restrictions on the oil city of Aberdeen on Wednesday to tackle an outbreak of COVID-19 cases, closing pubs and restaurants and ordering visitors to stay away.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said an outbreak in the city had now accounted for a total of 54 known cases in recent days, and that in the last 24 hours there had been 64 new cases across the whole of Scotland.

“This virus hasn’t gone away - if you doubted that, then today we have evidence of how true that is,” she said.

“It is still out there and it is still highly infectious and it is still highly dangerous. The outbreak in Aberdeen is a sharp reminder of that. It shows what can happen if we let our guard drop.”

Aberdeen is Scotland’s third-largest city by population and one of its wealthiest, serving as a hub to the North Sea oil industry.

Britain has been the hardest-hit country in Europe by COVID-19 with more than 46,000 deaths. Having peaked in April and May, new cases have substantially declined, but officials are worried about a resurgence as the economy reopens after months of total lockdown.

Restrictions have already been reimposed in other areas, including the city of Leicester and large urban areas in the north west of England to try to limit any outbreaks and avoid the need for another national lockdown.

Sturgeon said indoor and outdoor hospitality would be required to close by 1600 GMT, and advised against travel other than for work or education. She also said people should not visit other households.

The action would be reviewed in 7 days and was taken in part to prioritise the reopening of schools.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...rdeen-to-stem-covid-19-outbreak-idUSKCN2511MP
 
Mayor of Luton steps down after breaking Covid guidelines

The mayor of Luton has stepped down from his role in the UK, after breaking coronavirus guidelines to attend a gathering in a garden.

Tahir Malik was forced to apologise last month after he was pictured with two other councillors at a large outdoor gathering at a house in Luton.

In a statement after his resignation, he said: "Once again I regret my actions which were below the standard of my position and would like to sincerely apologise to the people of Luton for attending this gathering which was in breach of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

"There is no excuse for what I did – I should have known better and I accept full responsibility for my actions."

A new mayor will be appointed on 29 September. They will serve for the remainder of the municipal year.
 
Fifty million face masks bought by the government in April will not be used by the National Health Service (NHS) because of safety concerns. The government says the masks, which use ear-loop fastenings rather than head loops, may not fit tightly enough

The streets of Aberdeen were "eerily quiet" during the first night of Scotland's first local lockdown, with bars, cafes and restaurants shutting up for at least seven days following a rise in cases

The UK economy faces a less severe downturn that initially feared - but the jobs market recovery will be slow, warns the Bank of England

There is growing speculation that the reopening date for indoor pubs in Northern Ireland that only sell alcohol will be delayed. The chief medical officer has advised that so-called "wet bars" should not reopen on Monday as planned, BBC News NI understands

There has been a surge of interest in moving to the country due to city dwellers' priorities changing during the coronavirus lockdown, estate agents have said
 
MenInG said:
Mayor of Luton steps down after breaking Covid guidelines

The mayor of Luton has stepped down from his role in the UK, after breaking coronavirus guidelines to attend a gathering in a garden.

Tahir Malik was forced to apologise last month after he was pictured with two other councillors at a large outdoor gathering at a house in Luton.

In a statement after his resignation, he said: "Once again I regret my actions which were below the standard of my position and would like to sincerely apologise to the people of Luton for attending this gathering which was in breach of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

"There is no excuse for what I did – I should have known better and I accept full responsibility for my actions."

A new mayor will be appointed on 29 September. They will serve for the remainder of the municipal year.
Click to expand...

but if he had been in a pub he would have been ok.
 
UK Covid-19 cases rise by 950

The number of coronavirus cases in the UK has risen by 950 since yesterday, according to the latest government figures, taking the total number of people who have tested positive for the virus to 308,134.

This is an increase in the number of cases reported yesterday, 892.

On Wednesday, the seven-day daily average of cases was 820.
 
Bank of England boss Bailey backs end of furlough scheme

The Governor of the Bank of England has backed the government's decision to end its furlough scheme in October.

Andrew Bailey told the BBC it was important that policymakers helped workers "move forward" and not keep them in unproductive jobs.

He said coronavirus would inevitably mean that some jobs became redundant.

The Bank also predicted the economic slump caused by Covid-19 will be less severe than expected, but warned the recovery will also take longer.

More than nine million jobs have been furloughed under the government's job retention scheme, but the Bank expects most people to go back to work as the economy recovers.

Trade unions have urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak to extend the scheme, which pays a share of workers' wages, to avoid mass job losses.

However, Mr Bailey said it was right to focus on helping people to find new jobs.

"It's been a very successful scheme, but he's right to say we have to look forward now," he said. "I don't think we should be locking the economy down in a state that it pre-existed in."

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53675467
 
BREAKING: England virus cases up since June 'but may be levelling off'

Approximately 28,300 people in homes in England have coronavirus – about one person in every 1,900 - according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It estimates that last week approximately 27,600 people had the virus.

This is up from the low point at the end of June (23,100), but the ONS doesn’t see evidence of continued rise.

It says the “number of people in England testing positive for Covid-19 has increased since the low point at the end of June, but may be levelling off".

The ONS estimates there are about 3,700 new infections per day in homes in England.

For the first time, it has included data on infections in Wales: approximately 1,400 people infected (or one person in every 2,200).
 
Preston becomes latest UK city to face virus lockdown

Preston, in the northwest of England, became the latest UK town to face a local lockdown due to a reported rise in coronavirus infection rates.

Under the restrictions, which come into force at midnight, people from separate households will be banned from meeting each other at home.

Official figures showed a rolling seven-day rate of new cases of the virus in Preston rose from 20.3 per 100,000 people in the seven days to July 27, to 32.8 in the seven days to August 3.
 
Face covering requirements extended in England

Further coronavirus measures come into force in England today.

Face coverings are now mandatory in indoor places of worship, museums and galleries, public areas in hotels and hostels, bingo halls, libraries, cinemas, concert halls, crematoria, aquariums and indoor zoos.

The new requirement comes as figures showed nearly all Britons were wearing face masks outside their homes. An Office for National Statistics survey covering the period of 29 July to 2 August found that 96% of adults said they had worn a mask when they left their homes, according to the Daily Telegraph.

That was an increase from 84% the week before and 71% two weeks earlier.
 
Britain reported over 1,000 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily rise in new COVID-19 cases late June.
 
Britain's COVID-19 daily infections rise to highest level since June

Britain reported 1,062 new positive tests for coronavirus on Sunday, the highest daily rise in new COVID-19 infections since late June, at a time of new local lockdowns in some areas and worries over a second wave of infections.

Official data showed 1,062 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, going over the 1,000 new daily cases mark for the first time since June, and 304 higher than the 758 new cases reported on Saturday.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-h...ise-to-highest-level-since-june-idUKKCN2550NO
 
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