Coronavirus in UK

[MenInG]

The Department of Health says a further 1,401 deaths with 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test have been reported today along with new 40,261 Covid-19 cases

 

[Robert]

My dearest friend’s mother died of it this evening.

 

[hadi123]

My dearest friend’s mother died of it this evening.

Terribly sorry to hear this.

 

[Technics 1210]

My dearest friend’s mother died of it this evening.

Sad, but whats your point?

My 3 family friends died due to non C19 related causes because hospitals refused to see them since C19 was a priority. - have 2 cousins waiting for surgery for the past 6 months.

Why should your experience be any more notable than those who deserved to be treated with far more serious illnesses?

Do you feel for those who missed out on cancer treatment?

 

[Firebat]

Britain to discuss tighter travel restrictions: BBC

LONDON (Reuters) - British ministers are to discuss on Monday further tightening travel restrictions, the BBC reported on Saturday, adding that people arriving in the country could be required to quarantine in hotels.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a news conference on Friday that the UK may need to implement further measures to protect its borders from new variants of COVID-19.

Britain’s current restrictions ban most international travel while new rules introduced earlier in January require a negative coronavirus test before departure for most people arriving, as well as a period of quarantine.

The government is considering making it mandatory for travellers to spend that 10-day quarantine period in a hotel for which they would have to pay, as a way to enforce the quarantine rules, the BBC said.

Amid growing worries about new COVID-19 variants, critics of Britain’s current quarantine policy say it is not sufficiently enforced.

Stricter border rules would be a fresh blow for the aviation and travel sectors, already under great financial strain from close to a year of COVID-19 restrictions and minimal revenues.

In England, the 10-day quarantine requirement can be reduced if the traveller has a negative COVID-19 test after five days, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have slightly different rules.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...tighter-travel-restrictions-bbc-idUSKBN29S09U

 

[MenInG]

Senior doctors have called on England's chief medical officer to halve the gap between the first and second doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.

The British Medical Association (BMA) says the gap between doses being given to patients should be cut from 12 weeks to six.

 

[MenInG]

The UK has recorded another 1,348 coronavirus-related deaths and 33,552 cases, according to the latest government figures.

A total of 5,861,351 people have had a first dose of a vaccine, with another 468,617 people so far also receiving their second inoculation against the virus.

It comes after the UK reported 1,401 coronavirus deaths and an additional 40,261 infections on Friday.

 

[sweep_shot]

The number of coronavirus patients on mechanical ventilation in the UK has passed 4,000 for the first time in the pandemic.

A total of 4,076 Covid patients were on hospital ventilators as of Friday, according to government data.

That is higher than during the first wave, when the peak was 3,301 on 12 April.

It comes as another 1,348 deaths and 33,552 new infections were reported on Saturday.

The UK's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, told a Downing Street news briefing on Friday: "The death rate's awful and it's going to stay, I'm afraid, high for a little while before it starts coming down."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-55782716.

 

[Robert]

Terribly sorry to hear this.

Thanks, I am trying to help my friend via FaceTime. She is on her own and having to sort everything out herself. A bit of compassion goes a long way in these horrible days.

 

[MenInG]

Latest UK Figures

30,004 new positive cases have been reported within the past 24 hours, down 22.3% on Sunday last week.

610 deaths have been recorded, up 10.8% on Sunday last week.

The total number of people vaccinated now stands at 6,353,321 for the first dose, and 469,660 for the second dose.

==

Nearly 6 million vaccinations given in England

A total of 5,970,175 COVID-19 vaccinations had been given in England.

The jabs took place between 8 December and 23 January, according to provisional NHS England data.

Of this number, 5,529,101 were the first dose of the vaccine, a rise of 443,330 on Saturday's figures, while 441,074 were the second dose, an increase of 774.

 

[IMMY69]

Thanks, I am trying to help my friend via FaceTime. She is on her own and having to sort everything out herself. A bit of compassion goes a long way in these horrible days.

Really sorry to hear this.
Hope your friend can find the strength to get through this terrible terrible time.

I know at least two people who succumbed to it, both were healthy. One was a young mother.

 

[MenInG]

UK reports 592 new coronavirus deaths and 22,195 confirmed cases

The number of daily cases fell from 30,004 reported yesterday, while the number of deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test also appears to be falling.

 

[sweep_shot]

Covid-19: Police investigate potential breaches at republican funeral

Police have begun an investigation into potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations at the funeral of an IRA veteran in Londonderry.

Eamon McCourt, 62, who reportedly died with Covid-19, was buried on Monday.

Under current Covid-19 restrictions funerals in Northern Ireland are limited to 25 people.

The police said a "significant number of people" had gathered, in a manner "likely to be in breach" of the coronavirus regulations.

PSNI Ch Supt Darrin Jones said anyone found in breach of public health regulations will be reported to the Public Prosecution service.

He said police had "engaged with representatives of the family of the deceased, the local church and local political representatives", prior to the funeral.

"As a result, police were given a number of assurances as to the conduct of the funeral, and that people would seek to pay their respects to the deceased from outside their homes rather than gather at the funeral".

Pictures of the leading republican's funeral show men in white shirts and black ties flanking the cortege and dozens of others behind them.

Ch Supt Jones added: "Regrettably at the funeral on Monday morning, a significant number of people gathered as part of the cortège, in a manner likely to be in breach of the health protection regulations".

Unionist politicians had called on the police to act after images circulated online of mourners.

DUP MLA Gary Middleton said those who had abided by Covid-19 restrictions would view the scenes from the funeral "with dismay".

He said it was "hard to put into words the sheer recklessness of those involved".

"Within republicanism it seems that certain individuals are viewed as being more important than public health regulations," Mr Middleton said.

"In those minds the reality of Covid-19 has not been brought home, or at the very least it is viewed as less important than having a public display at a funeral.

"Such sights are most painful for relatives who have recognised the need for such painful restrictions to be put in place and have abided by them."

'Numbers were ignored'
Ulster Unionist councillor, Alderman Darren Guy, also condemned the photographs.

"Eamon 'Peggy' McCourt who passed away on Saturday morning was buried from his family home in Creggan, a right accredited to us all.

"However, it was evident that social-distancing measures and permitted mourner numbers were completely ignored by those in attendance.

"Again, the majority of people in Northern Ireland who have followed lockdown measures since March 2020 are asking themselves why can republicans do whatever they like?"

He called on the police to explain why such "a large funeral procession was permitted to take place and what actions will follow".

In a statement, Sinn Féin said: "Everyone has a responsibility to follow the public health guidelines.

"Sinn Féin held its own tribute to his memory online."

In June last year, about 1,800 people attended the funeral of leading IRA member Bobby Storey in west Belfast.

Among them was Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, the Sinn Féin vice-president, who later admitted the public health message had been undermined.

In May, Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said there had been social-distancing breaches at funerals in Northern Ireland in both the unionist and nationalist communities.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-55802136.

 

[MenInG]

More than 100,000 people in the UK have died after catching coronavirus, as the toll of a second wave sweeping across the country continues to be felt.

A further 1,631 people were reported to have died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, taking the total number to 100,162 since the start of the pandemic.

 

[mazkhan]

Abdolute grim here in the UK, covid has literally knocked the country flat on its backside .

 

[Firebat]

UK PM Boris Johnson says "it will not be possible" to reopen schools in England immediately after February half-term break, but is hopeful it could happen from 8 March

 

[MenInG]

A further 1,725 coronavirus deaths have been reported in the UK - a day after the number of COVID-19-related fatalities surpassed 100,000.

Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 101,887 people have now died in the UK within 28 days of a positive COVID test.

 

[MenInG]

The UK has reported another 1,239 COVID-related deaths and 28,680 new cases of the virus.

The latest government figures also reveal that 7.45 million people have now had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

COVID-19 cases are down by almost 10,000 on a week ago, with 37,892 reported last Thursday.

Slightly fewer virus-related deaths were registered today, down just 51 on a week ago.

Today's figures bring the UK totals to 103,126 deaths since the start of the pandemic and 3,743,734 confirmed cases.

 

[The Viper]

Boris Johnson confirms the UK's medicines regulator will now assess the experimental Novavax vaccine.

The UK currently has 60 million doses of the vaccine on order.

 

[MenInG]

Another 1,200 people have died with coronavirus in the UK, according to government figures.

It compares to 1,245 fatalities announced on Friday and 1,348 last Saturday, and brings the total number of deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test to 105,571.

 

[bones]

Apparently even if you're vaccinated you still to provide a negative PCR Test to travel. I ask the question what in the blue quack?

If these vaccines are supposed to work in the majority of cases why not let travel happen again. I wasn't planning on getting this vaccine unless it was required for travel/work etc. But if it's not then screw it, no point in getting it for me or my immediate family.

 

[HitWicket]

Apparently even if you're vaccinated you still to provide a negative PCR Test to travel. I ask the question what in the blue quack?

If these vaccines are supposed to work in the majority of cases why not let travel happen again. I wasn't planning on getting this vaccine unless it was required for travel/work etc. But if it's not then screw it, no point in getting it for me or my immediate family.

For starters there's obviously the risk of the vaccine not having provided you protection. There's also the fact that it's not completely clear yet what effect the vaccines have on preventing infection (and therefore you passing it on to others) compared to just preventing you developing symptons (which you'd assume would help contribute to preventing you passing it on in some ways anyway).

 

[bones]

For starters there's obviously the risk of the vaccine not having provided you protection. There's also the fact that it's not completely clear yet what effect the vaccines have on preventing infection (and therefore you passing it on to others) compared to just preventing you developing symptons (which you'd assume would help contribute to preventing you passing it on in some ways anyway).

Right - still not sure that the vaccines work, but let's get the entire population to have them especially the ones at most risk first. How logical.

 

[HitWicket]

Right - still not sure that the vaccines work, but let's get the entire population to have them especially the ones at most risk first. How logical.

The clinical trials have shown that the vaccine works for the majority of people in that it prevents symptoms, those being what results in the deaths we're seeing.

 

[The Viper]

The Department of Health says a further 587 people have died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test while there are 21,088 new cases

 

[The Viper]

Covid-19: Record day for UK vaccinations as total nears 9m

A record 598,389 people were given their first coronavirus vaccination in one day across the UK on Saturday, government figures show.

As of Saturday a total of 8,977,329 people had received a jab, and 491,053 of those have had a second dose.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was "delighted", adding each vaccine "brings us one step closer to normal".

However, a further 587 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test were reported on Sunday.

It takes the UK's total by that measure to 106,158, although the number of reported deaths tends to be lower over the weekend.

In a video posted on Twitter Mr Hancock said he was "so grateful to everybody who's involved in making this happen", and said it meant three-quarters of those aged 75 to 79 and four-fifths of those over 80 had now been vaccinated.

Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and a member of the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), described the volume of vaccinations as a "staggering achievement".

Earlier, the health secretary predicted "a happy and free Great British summer" but warned of a "a tough few months" as national restrictions continue across the UK while vaccinations are administered.

His comments came after Dr Susan Hopkins, Public Health England's Covid strategy chief, warned that ending the current coronavirus lockdown must happen "very slowly, very cautiously".

"It is better to be cautious, let's get the population vaccinated," she told the BBC's Andrew Marr.

England's current lockdown will continue until 8 March, when it is hoped schools could begin to reopen, while national restrictions are also in place across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The vaccines record comes after a week which had seen a row with the European Union over vaccine distribution.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there were "a lot of lessons to be learnt" after Brussels reversed its threat to put checks on the Irish border - a move which had been widely condemned.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen had assured Prime Minister Boris Johnson that "there will be no disruption of contracts that we have with any producer in the EU".

Meanwhile, the situation in hospitals has "stabilised", according to intensive care doctor Prof Rupert Pearse, who said it was going to be "another very hard year" for NHS staff.

His comments came before it was announced that charity fundraiser Captain Sir Tom Moore, 100, had been admitted to hospital with coronavirus.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55881092

 

[The Viper]

Captain Sir Tom Moore, the WWII veteran who raised millions of pounds for the NHS during the UK's first lockdown, has been admitted to hospital with COVID19

 

[MenInG]

Official figures show the UK has recorded 18,607 new COVID-19 cases and 406 further deaths in the latest 24-hour period

 

[The Viper]

Current vaccine figures are 9.2 million people have been vaccinated across the UK and 931,204 vaccinations just this weekend.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Captain Sir Tom Moore, the WWII veteran who raised millions of pounds for the NHS during the UK's first lockdown, has been admitted to hospital with COVID19

Best of health for Mr Moore, top bloke.

UK government need to start easing off the lockdown now, this is taking the mick now!

 

[MenInG]

BREAKING: Official figures show the UK has recorded 16,840 new #COVID19 cases and a further 1,449 deaths in the last 24 hours.

 

[MenInG]

Best of health for Mr Moore, top bloke.

UK government need to start easing off the lockdown now, this is taking the mick now!

Captain Sir Tom Moore has died with coronavirus.

The 100-year-old, who raised almost £33m for the NHS, was taken to Bedford Hospital after requiring help with his breathing on Sunday.

His daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore said he had been treated for pneumonia over the past few weeks and last week tested positive for Covid-19.

The Army veteran won the nation's hearts by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday.

In a statement, Capt Sir Tom's daughters Mrs Ingram-Moore and Lucy Teixeira said: "It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our dear father, Captain Sir Tom Moore.

"We are so grateful that we were with him during the last hours of his life; Hannah, Benjie and Georgia by his bedside and Lucy on FaceTime.

"We spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. We shared laughter and tears together.

"The last year of our father's life was nothing short of remarkable. He was rejuvenated and experienced things he'd only ever dreamed of.

"Whilst he'd been in so many hearts for just a short time, he was an incredible father and grandfather, and he will stay alive in our hearts forever."

Capt Sir Tom's daughters said the care he received from the NHS was "extraordinary".

They said staff had been "unfalteringly professional, kind and compassionate and have given us many more years with him than we ever would have imagined".

The Army veteran, originally from Keighley in West Yorkshire, came to prominence by walking 100 laps of his garden in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, before his 100th birthday during the first national lockdown.

Capt Tom joined the Army at the beginning of World War Two, serving in India and Myanmar, then known as Burma.

 

[MenInG]

More coronavirus "mutations of concern" have been found in Bristol and Liverpool, the health secretary has announced.

Matt Hancock said 11 cases were identified in Bristol and 32 in Liverpool, so the government will extend the door-to-door testing currently underway in eight postcodes where the South African COVID-19 variant has been spread by community transmission.

In a statement to the Commons on Tuesday, he said: "In all these areas it is imperative that people must stay at home and only leave home where it is absolutely essential.

"When your local authority offers you a test you should take up the offer, because we know that one in three people with coronavirus have no symptoms but can still pass it on.

"We're offering testing to everyone aged 16 and over, even if you have been vaccinated.

"And if you live in one of those areas but have not been contacted and you're unsure if you should have a test, I encourage you to visit your local authority website to find out."

Mr Hancock also said residents living in postcodes that border those where "surge testing" is being rolled out will also be offered tests "where it is epidemiologically sensible".

Source SKY

 

[James]

Rest in peace, Captain Sir Tom Moore.

 

[Saj]

A hospital doctor at the centre of London’s mutant Covid outbreak has told of his anger at rule-breakers and deniers as young patients “die in front of our eyes”.

Harmandeep Singh, the lead Covid doctor from Ealing Hospital, said he had challenged people he had seen without a mask in Southall Broadway — only to have them claim the virus was a hoax.

West Ealing and Hanwell have been named as three areas in London — alongside Pollards Hill in Merton and Tottenham Hale — where the faster-spreading South African variant has been detected. Ealing has had some of the highest Covid rates in London in the last fortnight.

Dr Singh said London’s ethnic minority communities were being deluged with fake news via social media posts in their own language, which they were more likely to believe. This included “news” reports from India where Covid deaths are being falsely attributed to “heart attacks”, he said.

Dr Singh is one of a number of prominent London medics who have recorded videos in foreign languages in a bid to reassure some minority communities that Covid vaccines are safe.

He said: “If you go around Southall Broadway I still see people not wearing masks, not socially isolating and walking round as if everything was fine and normal. That is wrong.”

He said 25 per cent of Covid patients admitted to Ealing hospital in the second wave needed CPAP high-flow oxygen masks or intensive care breathing support, compared with 13 per cent in the first wave.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/news...n-front-of-our-eyes/ar-BB1djNe3?ocid=msedgdhp

 

[MenInG]

Another 915 people have died with coronavirus in the UK, according to the latest government data.

This compares to the 1,322 fatalities that were reported yesterday.

 

[MenInG]

The number of new coronavirus cases in the UK has fallen once again, with almost 11 million people having now received their first vaccine dose.

There have been a further 19,114 confirmed cases of COVID, compared to 20,634 yesterday and 29,079 a week ago, according to the latest government data.

Another 1,014 people have died after testing positive. It comes after 915 deaths were reported yesterday, and compares to 1,245 last Friday.

 

[MenInG]

All adults aged 50 and over should have been offered a coronavirus vaccine by May, Downing Street has confirmed.

Previously ministers had said it was their "ambition" to vaccinate the first nine priority groups by the spring.

The UK had given a first jab to nearly 11 million people as of Thursday and is aiming to reach 15 million vaccinations by 15 February.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said a lot of things would "have to go right" to hit the May target for all over-50s.

He said supply was the "most difficult" limiting factor in the roll out.

But he said the government was on track to vaccinate the first four priority groups by the middle of the month, these include the over-70s, frontline health and care workers and the clinically extremely vulnerable.

The top nine priority vaccination groups - which are set by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) - also includes people aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions.

Mr Hancock also said it was "still too early to say" when restrictions could be lifted and warned the health service was still under pressure.

But Mark Harper, chairman of the Covid Recovery Group made up of Conservative MPs who want lockdown to be eased, said it would be "almost impossible to justify having any restrictions in place" once the over-50s had been vaccinated.

Prof Graham Medley, who is a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, earlier said the government should avoid "setting dates" for lifting lockdown and focus on criteria, such as case rates, rather than a calendar.

A further 1,014 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported on Friday, taking the total by that measure to 111,264.

There have been 19,114 more positive cases of coronavirus recorded, while another 480,560 people received their first dose of a vaccine - taking the total to 10,971,047 across the UK.

Coronavirus cases are showing clear signs of falling across the UK, the latest figures suggest, and the R number - the average number of people that someone with Covid will go on to infect - has dropped slightly to between 0.7 and 1.

 

[bones]

When I look at the numbers I find no real reason to be vaccinating so many people.

Over 75 the infection fatality rate in the UK is 11.6%. 65-74 = 3.1%. Under 65s are less than 0.5% and it keeps getting lower and lower as the age reduces.

The way I see it is, give the old the vaccine and let everyone else choose and in my case I would like to opt out as I don't trust a word that comes out of their mouths.

 

[MenInG]

A total of 11,465,210 people have received a first vaccine as the UK has reported another 828 deaths associated with the virus.

The number of deaths is down from the 1,014 reported on Friday, and comes after another 18,262 cases were reported on Saturday, latest government figures show.

The number of daily infections is less than the 19,114 cases confirmed yesterday and the 20,634 reported on Thursday.

The additional deaths confirmed on Saturday mean 112,092 people in the UK have now died after testing positive for the virus, while there have been 3,929,835 confirmed cases.

 

[Firebat]

Covid: Two tests for all UK arrivals during quarantine

All travellers entering the UK will be required to take two coronavirus tests while quarantining in an attempt to prevent variants entering the country.

Arrivals will be required to get a test on days two and eight of their 10-day quarantine period, whether they are isolating at home or in a hotel.

The Department of Health said the move would enable authorities to track new cases more effectively.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock will set out more details in the Commons later.

It is in addition to the current rules which require travellers arriving in the UK - whether by boat, train or plane - to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test to be allowed entry.

This test must be taken in the 72 hours before travelling, and anyone arriving without one faces a fine of up to £500, with Border Force officials carrying out spot checks.

Travellers must provide contact details and their UK address. They can then travel - by public transport if necessary - to the place where they plan to self-isolate.

The new testing policy comes amid concern about new variants entering the country that are more resistant to existing vaccines.

Early trials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine suggest it offers "minimal protection" against mild disease from the South Africa variant. There have been 147 cases of the variant have found in the UK.

Prof Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the results were "expected" because the virus is "introducing mutations... to allow it to still transmit in populations where there's some immunity."

"As long as we have enough immunity to prevent severe disease, hospitalisations and death, then we're going to be fine in the future in the pandemic," he said.

On Monday, England's deputy chief medical officer, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, said the South African variant did not appear to have a "transmissibility advantage" over the one first identified in Kent, which has spread across the UK.

It was therefore unlikely to "overrun" the Kent variant, he told Monday's coronavirus briefing.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55989921

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

UK and Irish residents returning from 33 "red list" countries will have to pay £1,750 to quarantine in hotels for 10 days, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has told MPs.

As part of a new quarantine system, due to come into force from Monday next week, the government has booked 4,600 rooms across 16 hotels for those arriving from certain countries.

Passengers will have to book online before their travel, with the £1,750 fee also including the cost of COVID testing and their escorted travel between an airport and their designated hotel.

 

[MenInG]

The total number of people to have received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine in the UK has passed 13 million, as another 1,001 deaths were reported.

Today's official government figure compares to the 1,053 deaths recorded on Tuesday.

And 13,013 new cases of COVID-19 were reported, up on the 12,364 yesterday.

It brings the total number of cases of coronavirus in the UK to 3,985,161, and the number of deaths to 114,851.

A further 411,812 people have had a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, meaning 13,058,298 people in the UK have received a jab.

 

[MenInG]

The UK has reported 758 deaths and 15,144 new #COVID19 cases

Today's death figures are up from yesterday - when 678 were recorded.

 

[MenInG]

There have been a further 621 COVID-related deaths and 13,308 cases in the UK, government data shows.

It brings the UK total to 116,908 deaths and 4,027,106 cases.

 

[Junaids]

UK and Irish residents returning from 33 "red list" countries will have to pay £1,750 to quarantine in hotels for 10 days, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has told MPs.

As part of a new quarantine system, due to come into force from Monday next week, the government has booked 4,600 rooms across 16 hotels for those arriving from certain countries.

Passengers will have to book online before their travel, with the £1,750 fee also including the cost of COVID testing and their escorted travel between an airport and their designated hotel.

This is characteristically inept.

Australia and New Zealand have shown what every doctor was taught at medical school - you can contain a pandemic of a bog-standard virus like this through a combination of:

1. Closed borders - including DOMESTIC county or state or province borders when outbreaks occur.

2. Tactical use of lockdowns when ANY cases emerge in a community.

3. Ensuring that all quarantine and isolation is monitored and done at dedicated facilities.

None of this is rocket science. There is nothing new or different about Novel Coronavirus that makes it different to manage than the 1919 Spanish Flu.

Australia and New Zealand have a system of hotel quarantine designed to make it 99.9% impossible for travellers to import Coronavirus from overseas. And Melbourne showed with their 111 day lockdown that you can extinguish any existing Coronavirus outbreak.

This does not make Australia and New Zealand cowards hiding from the real world, depending upon other countries economically.

Quite the reverse. Both countries' economies are booming, with house prices going through the roof and life practically normal within their closed borders. Only the international travel industry is suffering - which is inevitable during a Pandemic.

Australia and New Zealand need only survive behind closed borders for a few more months until mass vaccination is complete.

But the British model of hotel quarantine could not be more totally designed to fail.

1. It is too short - it is 10 days when even 14 seems arguably insufficient here.

2. In Australia and New Zealand the quarantined travellers don't even get a room key. They are confined to their rooms because when they were allowed to exercise earlier in the pandemic they:
i) Infected one another via lift buttons and cigarette lighters.
ii) Got bored and had sex with one another and security guards, and spread the virus.
iii) Mingled in one another's rooms and in hotel corridors.

3. The British model does not give security and hotel staff proper PPE, just surgical masks, so they will be sitting ducks to catch the virus and transmit it into the community.

4. The British model has inadequate in-quarantine testing.

5. The British model has inadequately tight processes for baggage reclaim at the airport and for ensuring that new arrivals don't use toilets open to the public or passport machines or trolleys in International Arrivals. In Australia they are met at the gate by the Army, and the process of baggage reclaim and transport involves full PPE.

6. The British model does not cap the number of international arrivals. Queensland, for example, has three international airports but an absolute cap of 1,000 new arrivals from overseas per week, because there are 2,000 hotel quarantine rooms. In reality, most inbound airlines only make available for sale around 100 seats per aircraft, of which around 40 are Business Class. If you don't limit the number of arrivals, passengers and crew infect one another onboard and at the airport.

 

[Saj]

Official figures show the UK has recorded 12,718 new COVID19 cases and a further 738 deaths in the last 24-hour period.

 

[sweep_shot]

Covid vaccines: Boris Johnson pledges surplus to poorer countries at G7

Boris Johnson will pledge to donate a majority of the UK's surplus vaccine supply to poorer countries in a speech to a virtual G7 meeting on Friday.

He will urge rich countries to back a new 100-day target for the development of new vaccines for future emerging diseases.

The UK has ordered over 400m doses of various vaccines, so many will be left over once all adults are vaccinated.

But anti-poverty campaigners say the UK is not doing enough.

Decisions on when and how much of the surplus will be distributed will be made later in the year.

They will depend on the vaccine supply chain and whether booster shots are needed in the autumn.

But a government source said well over half of excess doses would go to Covax, a UN initiative intended to ensure equitable access to coronavirus vaccines.

The UK government has also donated £548m to the scheme.

Mr Johnson will urge the G7 to further increase funding for Covax. In December, the US pledged $4bn for the project.

Almost 17m people have now received at least one vaccine dose in the UK, latest figures showed, with 573,724 of these receiving two doses.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron told the Financial Times richer countries should send up to 4-5% of their current vaccine supplies to poorer nations.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-56117120.

 

[sweep_shot]

Covid vaccine: All UK adults to be offered jab by 31 July - PM

All adults in the UK will be offered their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of July, the prime minister has pledged.

More than 17 million people have been given a jab since the UK's Covid vaccine rollout began in December 2020.

But Boris Johnson said he now wants the programme to "go further and faster".

He said the July target would allow vulnerable people to be protected "sooner" and would help to further ease lockdown rules across the country.

NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said there were "early signs" the vaccine rollout was contributing to a fall in hospital admissions.

The prime minister is due to hold a final meeting on Sunday about how to ease England's lockdown, before he sets out the full "road map" on Monday.

A speedy rollout of the vaccine to all vulnerable people is seen as critical to reducing the pandemic's death toll and relieving pressure on the NHS.

The government's previous target was to offer all adults the first dose by September.

The new plan means that by 15 April, all adults aged 50 and over, as well as younger people with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk, should have been offered a jab.

However, the order of priority for under-50s has yet to be outlined by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56141867.

 

[MenInG]

The prime minister has said England is going to start "reclaiming our freedoms" - with all legal limits on people's social contact set to end by 21 June.

Unveiling his long-awaited roadmap for easing the country's third COVID-19 lockdown, Boris Johnson said he hoped the nation was on a "one way road to freedom" after a "wretched year", declaring: "The end really is in sight."

Follow live coverage on Sky News as the PM addresses the Commons and as he leads a Downing Street news conference at 7pm

After schools reopen on 8 March, with some outdoor restrictions lifted by 29 March, Mr Johnson said the next step will be to reopen beer gardens and hairdressers in England from 12 April at the earliest.

The PM told MPs that the dates in his four-stage plan were not set in stone and were the earliest possible points at which the restrictions could be lifted.

Nevertheless, the PM has now provided full details of his long-awaited plan that foresees a significant return to normality in four months. Key dates include:


• 12 April at the earliest: Non-essential retail, hairdressers, nail salons, gyms and outdoor areas in hospitality venues (such as beer gardens) set to reopen - along with libraries, museums, zoos and theme parks. Self-contained accommodation will reopen, but people will only be able to stay with members of their household

• 17 May at the earliest: Pubs, restaurants, cinemas, hotels, B&** and children's play areas set to open their doors once more, with fans allowed back into sporting events. Most rules on social contact outdoors will be lifted, while mixing of different households will be allowed indoors. Up to 30 people will be allowed at weddings, funerals, wakes, receptions and christenings

• 21 June at the earliest: All legal limits on social contact set to be removed, with the remaining sectors of the economy reopened. Ministers also hope to make a decision on whether restrictions can be lifted on weddings

The PM said his roadmap would "guide us cautiously but irreversibly towards reclaiming our freedoms".

He said the threat from the virus "remains substantial", but added the restrictions were able to be relaxed because of the "resolve of the British people" and the UK's "extraordinary" vaccination programme.

Mr Johnson said lifting lockdown would result in "more cases, more hospitalisations and sadly more deaths" regardless of when measures are relaxed, "because there will always be some vulnerable people who are not protected by the vaccines".

But the PM said there was "no credible" route to totally eradicating coronavirus and achieving a "zero-COVID" status, adding that restrictions which "debilitate our economy, our physical and mental wellbeing and the life chances of our children" cannot remain in place "indefinitely".

He defended the pace at which measures will be eased, saying that moving any faster would "increase the risk of us having to reverse course and reimpose restrictions".

Mr Johnson told MPs that progress through the stages of the roadmap would be "led by data not dates" and subject to four tests continuing to be met:

"I know there will be many who will be worried that we are being too ambitious and that it is arrogant to impose any kind of plan upon a virus and I agree that we must always be humble in the face of nature and that we must be cautious," the PM acknowledged.

"But I really also believe that the vaccination programme has dramatically changed the odds in our favour, and it is on that basis that we can now proceed."

However, Mr Johnson said the government could not rule out reimposing local or regional restrictions "if evidence suggests they are necessary to contain or suppress a new variant which escapes the vaccines".

Mr Johnson has already confirmed that all pupils will return to the classroom on 8 March - and he told the Commons that secondary school pupils and college students will be tested twice weekly.

Outdoor recreation with one other person will also be allowed from that date, meaning people can sit together in a park with a coffee, drink or picnic.

From 29 March, larger groups will be able to meet outside - including in private gardens - up to a maximum of six people or two households.

Tennis courts, golf courses and other outdoor sport facilities will also reopen on 29 March, which is the first Monday of the Easter holidays for most schools.

SKY

 

[MenInG]

COVID-19: UK reports another 323 coronavirus deaths and 9,985 cases - as first jab count tops 18.6 million

 

[sweep_shot]

Covid-19: Brazil 'variant of concern' detected in UK

A coronavirus "variant of concern" first detected in Brazil has now been found in the UK.

Three cases have been detected in England and separately three in Scotland.

In England, officials are still trying to track down one of those who tested positive for the new variant.

The three Scottish residents had flown to north-east Scotland from Brazil via Paris and London, the Scottish government said.

Experts believe this variant (P1) - first detected in travellers to Japan from Manaus in northern Brazil in January - could be more contagious.

There are also concerns vaccines may not be as effective against it - but NHS England's Prof Stephen Powis said vaccines could be "rapidly adapted".

Dr Susan Hopkins, from Public Health England (PHE), said the UK was more advanced than many other countries in identifying the variants and mutations and therefore able to act quickly.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56233038.

 

[sweep_shot]

Covid-19: Brazil 'variant of concern' detected in UK

A coronavirus "variant of concern" first detected in Brazil has now been found in the UK.

Three cases have been detected in England and separately three in Scotland.

In England, officials are still trying to track down one of those who tested positive for the new variant.

The three Scottish residents had flown to north-east Scotland from Brazil via Paris and London, the Scottish government said.

Experts believe this variant (P1) - first detected in travellers to Japan from Manaus in northern Brazil in January - could be more contagious.

There are also concerns vaccines may not be as effective against it - but NHS England's Prof Stephen Powis said vaccines could be "rapidly adapted".

Dr Susan Hopkins, from Public Health England (PHE), said the UK was more advanced than many other countries in identifying the variants and mutations and therefore able to act quickly.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56233038.

 

[Robert]

20 million Britons vaccinated now.

Hospital admissions dropping.

We are heading out of the woods.

Though for herd immunity to kick in we must get to 97% of people immunised, according to a model described on BBC programme Horizon.

 

[sweep_shot]

ATM withdrawals drop by £37bn during year of Covid

Withdrawals from cash machines in the UK have fallen by £37bn during the 12 months of the Covid pandemic, renewing the debate over the future of cash.

Link, which oversees the UK's cash machine network, said the number of visits to ATMs had fallen by 43% compared with the previous 12 months.

But the amount withdrawn on each cash machine visit has gone up, from an average of £67 to £84.

Less demand and Covid restrictions mean 4,000 fewer free ATMs are in operation.

Some may be restored, such those at a busy supermarket which may have temporarily cordoned off for social distancing.

It still remains likely that further cuts to the 41,000 free-to-use machines will come in the next few years, prompting concern that some vulnerable people will be unable to access their favoured way to pay.

The first national lockdown starting in March 2020 led to a massive cut in cash machine use, according to the Link data.

ATM visits were down by 80% in some areas.

This recovered to a degree when restrictions were eased, and particularly when some hospitality venues such as pubs reopened.

However, there is little doubt that shops, consumers, and venues have become more accustomed to taking cards rather than cash.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in the Budget that the limit on a single contactless card payment would rise from £45 to £100 later this year.

This was met with a mixed response, ranging from those celebrating the added convenience to warnings about theft and fraud.

Natalie Ceeney, who chaired an independent review on access to cash, recently said that cash refusal by retailers was "creeping into the UK economy".

She said that much would depend on whether old habits will return to places such as pubs and hairdressers, which have traditionally seen high cash use.

"It is crucial to understand that cash remains vital for millions of people. Not everyone has a bank account and not everyone can use digital," she said.

"Cash allows you to budget to the last penny. Fewer ATMs, bank branch closures and shops going cashless may be seen as progress to some, but there are still a lot of people out there where it makes life more difficult, expensive and uncertain."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56413993.

 

[Firebat]

Health department was 'smoking ruin' on Covid - Cummings

The prime minister's former aide, Dominic Cummings, has criticised the Department of Health as "a smoking ruin in terms of procurement and PPE" at the start of the pandemic.

He said that was why Boris Johnson had taken direct control of the vaccine programme.

He also told MPs Mr Johnson approached him about working in Downing Street the week before he took office.

He said he asked him to "help sort out the huge Brexit nightmare".

Mr Cummings said he agreed but one of his preconditions was that science funding should be doubled.

He was giving evidence to MPs on the Science and Technology Committee about the creation of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency know as Aria.

But in his first public appearance since leaving office, he also criticised the health department's response to the pandemic.

He said: "In spring 2020 you had a situation where the Department for Health was just a smoking ruin in terms of procurement and PPE and all of that, you had serious problems with the funding bureaucracy for therapeutics on Covid."

He said the government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, had advised Number 10 that the vaccine rollout should not be run out of the Department for Health and that a separate task force should be created.

"It's not coincidental that the vaccine programme worked the way it did. It's not coincidental that to do that we had to take it out of the Department of Health," he added.

"We had to have it authorised very directly by the prime minister and say strip away all the normal nonsense that we can see is holding back funding."

But a source at the health department told the BBC's chief political correspondent Adam Fleming that getting the vaccine programme established was a "massive team effort".

They added: "Everyone in DHSC was and is spending their time focused on saving lives, expanding the world leading vaccine rollout and getting through this pandemic."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-56427280

 

[Rana]

25M first dose vaccines

Hopefully not another lockdown now!

 

[Saj]

The UK is going to face a "significant reduction" in coronavirus vaccine supplies from 29 March, for an estimated four week period, according to a letter from NHS England.

The letter - which has been sent to local vaccination sites across the country - says volumes for first doses are going to be "significantly constrained".

Healthcare providers have now been told that those aged 49 and under should only be offered a COVID-19 vaccine in "exceptional circumstances" - such as if they are clinically vulnerable or a frontline care worker.

Medics will concentrate on those in cohorts 1 to 9 - everyone over the age of 50 and those vulnerable to COVID.

 

[MenInG]

Drugs giants Pfizer and AstraZeneca have rejected an NHS claim that the UK is facing a COVID-19 vaccine shortage, insisting there is no threat to supplies.

The two leading vaccine manufacturers both said they remain on course to meet their delivery commitments and denied they were facing disruption in supplies.

Their defiant statements appeared to contradict a letter to vaccination centres from NHS England warning there will be a "significant reduction" in supplies next month.

The jabs crisis coincided with a threat by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to block vaccine exports to the UK, where 25 million adults have now had their first jab.

 

[Robert]

25M first dose vaccines

Hopefully not another lockdown now!

I think we are nearly out of this now. By the end of June, 75% of Britons will have taken the vaccine.

 

[mazkhan]

Well there you go didn't take long for these nasty Tories to push the Indians under the bus and lay the blame for vaccine shortage on them

 

[Firebat]

Covid vaccine: UK supply hit by India delivery delay

An expected reduction in the UK's Covid vaccine supply in April is partly due to a delay in a delivery from India of five million Oxford-AstraZeneca doses.

The shipment, produced by the Serum Institute of India, has been held up by four weeks, the BBC has been told.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said neither a single factory nor a country was responsible for supply issues.

The Department of Health insists it is still on track to offer a first dose to all adults by the end of July.

NHS England warned of a reduction in supply in April in a letter to local health organisations on Wednesday.

The Scottish government said it was "seeking clarity" from the UK Vaccine Taskforce on future supplies, while the governments in Wales and Northern Ireland said they were examining how their own vaccine programmes could be affected.

A spokesperson for the Serum Institute said: "Five million doses had been delivered a few weeks ago to the UK and we will try to supply more later, based on the current situation and the requirement for the government immunisation programme in India."

A source told the BBC that although the original aim had been to deliver the next five million in March, there was not a stipulated time for the delivery of the doses.

Mr Jenrick told the BBC that the government had learned of vaccine supply issues "in the last few days".

He said the UK had less supply of the vaccine "than we might have hoped for in the coming weeks but we expect it to increase again through the course of April".

The vaccine rollout would be "slightly slower than we might have hoped but not slower than the target we had set ourselves" of offering a first dose to all people aged over 50 by 15 April, and all adults by the end of July, he said.

Anyone with an appointment for a second jab "should have complete confidence" that they will go ahead, he said, adding: "The month of April will be different - and it was always going to be - because I think this will be the month that second jabs exceed first jabs."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56438629

 

[Saj]

There will be no delay the planned lifting of lockdown restrictions in England as a result of the shortfall of vaccine supplies in April, Boris Johnson has promised.

The prime minister was speaking after it was revealed that regional NHS leaders have been ordered not to book in healthy under-40s for jabs until May.

The prime minister rejected suggestions that the disruption to the vaccination programme will require him to slow down his “roadmap” for the lifting of restrictions, due to be completed by 21 June.

At a press conference in 10 Downing Street, he said: “There is no change to the next steps of the roadmap...

“Our progress along the road to freedom continues unchecked. We remain on track to reclaim the things we love, to see our families and friends again, to return to our local pubs, our gyms and sports facilities and of course our shops.”

Mr Johnson insisted that the unplanned delay did not break the “four tests” which he set out for the easing of restrictions, which includes the smooth rollout of the vaccination campaign.

The PM said that supplies of vaccines will be lower next month because of delays to deliveries of the Oxford/AstraZeneca product from the Serum Institute of India, as well as the need to retest 1.7m doses in the UK.

But he said that in any vaccination campaign on this scale, “some interruptions in supply are inevitable”. While the UK will have fewer doses of the vaccine available in April than it does this month, there will still be more available than in February, he said.

The UK remains on track to vaccinate all over-50s and other priority groups by 15 April and all adults by the end of July, said Mr Johnson.

The PM was challenged over whether he risked missing the test of continued successful deployment of vaccines, which is a condition of going ahead with the lifting of lockdown.

But he replied: “No, is the short answer to that.

“We’ll be able to meet our targets in exactly the way that I described by July. That's the crucial thing.

“That will enable us to get on with the steps on the timetable that we set out - 12 April, 17 May, 21 June. We will continue all the unlockings that I’ve set out, if the four tests continue to be met.”

According to Mr Johnson’s roadmap, non-essential shops can reopen and pubs and restaurants serve outdoors from 12 April at the earliest, indoor entertainment and hospitality resume from 17 May and the majority of social distancing restrictions be lifted from 21 June.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/coro...-vows-boris-johnson/ar-BB1eJjf1?ocid=msedgntp

 

[sweep_shot]

Covid-19: Record day for UK with 711,156 vaccinations given

Friday was a record day for Covid vaccinations in the UK, with a combined 711,156 first and second doses given to members of the public.

It means that half of all UK adults - some 26,853,407 people - have now received a first dose of a vaccine.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the latest milestone in the rollout marked a "phenomenal achievement".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson - one of those to receive a first dose on Friday - also hailed the landmark.

A total of 2,132,551 people have also received their second dose of a vaccine, government figures show.

Another 96 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test have also been recorded in the UK, as have a further 5,587 cases.

"Vaccinating over half of all adults is a phenomenal achievement and is testament to the mammoth efforts of the NHS, GPs, volunteers, local authorities and civil servants in every corner of the UK," said Mr Hancock.

The news comes after the government confirmed a shipment of about five million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab would be delayed, resulting in an expected reduction in the number of first doses - including for the under-50s - given during April.

Meanwhile, European countries, including France, Germany and Italy, have begun offering the Oxford jab again after a pause over safety fears.

Mr Hancock said he was "absolutely delighted" to reveal the UK had reached the vaccination milestone.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56469092.

 

[Firebat]

Coronavirus third wave will 'wash up on our shores', warns Johnson

Boris Johnson has warned the effects of a third wave of coronavirus will "wash up on our shores" from Europe.

The PM said the UK should be "under no illusion" we will "feel effects" of growing cases on the continent.

His comments come amid a row over Covid vaccine supplies, after the president of the European Commission warning the EU could "forbid" doses made in the bloc from being exported to the UK.

EU leaders will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday to discuss their plans.

The prime minister is likely to speak to his EU counterparts this week to try to avoid a ban, which would affect exports of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine made in Europe.

Mr Johnson said he "talked to EU friends repeatedly" during the pandemic and had been "reassured... over the last few month they don't want to see blockades".

Downing Street also said the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, had told Mr Johnson earlier this year that the EU was not intending to restrict exports of vaccines.

Earlier, her chief spokesman, Eric Mamer, insisted that Brussels was not seeking to ban vaccine exports, but wanted pharmaceutical firms to meet their contractual obligations to the bloc.

Mr Mamer said: "In that context, the president has said that, of course, we see that, actually, companies that manufacture doses in the EU have been exporting very widely - which is in itself a good thing - but that we want to see reciprocity and proportionality in these exports."

The latest flashpoint appears to be over doses made in a Dutch factory.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-56486067

 

[Rana]

Coronavirus third wave will 'wash up on our shores', warns Johnson

Boris Johnson has warned the effects of a third wave of coronavirus will "wash up on our shores" from Europe.

The PM said the UK should be "under no illusion" we will "feel effects" of growing cases on the continent.

His comments come amid a row over Covid vaccine supplies, after the president of the European Commission warning the EU could "forbid" doses made in the bloc from being exported to the UK.

EU leaders will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday to discuss their plans.

The prime minister is likely to speak to his EU counterparts this week to try to avoid a ban, which would affect exports of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine made in Europe.

Mr Johnson said he "talked to EU friends repeatedly" during the pandemic and had been "reassured... over the last few month they don't want to see blockades".

Downing Street also said the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, had told Mr Johnson earlier this year that the EU was not intending to restrict exports of vaccines.

Earlier, her chief spokesman, Eric Mamer, insisted that Brussels was not seeking to ban vaccine exports, but wanted pharmaceutical firms to meet their contractual obligations to the bloc.

Mr Mamer said: "In that context, the president has said that, of course, we see that, actually, companies that manufacture doses in the EU have been exporting very widely - which is in itself a good thing - but that we want to see reciprocity and proportionality in these exports."

The latest flashpoint appears to be over doses made in a Dutch factory.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-56486067

For the love of God. Please close the borders, no one coming in or going out unless a 1 month enforced quarantine is not implemented.

They couldnt sacrifice Christmas and we have lost so much

They need to sacrifice summer holidays just this once!

 

[Rana]

Dont like how Boris seems to have surrendered at third wave coming into England! Why is he not learning from his mistakes in the past and not ensuring the public that the 'right measures' will be taken to prevent this third wave? The right measures are simply to close the borders until 100% Adult population is vaccinated!

 

[Robert]

Half the population vaccinated now. The NHS, supported by HM Armed Forces have come up trumps.

 

[silentkiller187]

i suppose this is the stage where they tell us vaccines don't work how they were supposed to, or we need another shot and we need to live our lives in this "new normal" like we would have been doing if there was no vaccine anyway.

 

[sweep_shot]

Covid: UK shines a light as it remembers Covid victims

Parts of the UK's skyline have been lit up in remembrance of those who have lost their lives in the pandemic.

One year on from the start of the first lockdown, candles have been lit on doorsteps around the country and major landmarks illuminated in yellow.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the country had been through a year-long "epic of endurance and privation".

But "step by step, jab by jab", the nation was on the path to "reclaiming our freedoms", he told a news briefing.

Speaking a year after tough Covid restrictions were introduced in March 2020, Mr Johnson thanked people for their "courage, discipline and patience".

Earlier a minute's silence was held with parliaments across the UK pausing.

Some of the country's most famous landmarks including the London Eye, Wembley Stadium and Cardiff Castle were lit up in yellow after dark, while people shone lights from their doorsteps to signify a "beacon of remembrance" at 20:00 GMT.

Other notable buildings taking part include Cardiff Castle and Belfast City Hall, while churches and cathedrals tolled bells, lit thousands of candles and offered prayers.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56503948.

 

[Robert]

I didn’t take part. The silence and torch shining. It seemed too much like a Tory scheme to distract us from their bungling of Brexit and the pandemic. Better to try to support my friends who have lost relatives to COVID than engage in these gestures, IMO.

 

[sweep_shot]

MPs agree to extend Covid powers until September

MPs have voted to extend emergency coronavirus powers for another six months.

They backed the health secretary's call to renew "essential" emergency rules to deal with the pandemic as England moves out of lockdown.

But some Conservatives voted against the measures saying they were "out of step" with the roadmap for lifting restrictions.

Ministers say the powers will stay in place "only as long as necessary".

The Coronavirus Act came in to force in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic with ministers pledging to use the measures "when strictly necessary".

The law gave the government wide-ranging powers unlike others seen before - from shutting down pubs, through to detaining individuals deemed at risk as part of efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

MPs voted by 484 to 76 to extend it - 36 Conservative MPs rebelled, by opposing the legislation. Twenty-one Labour MPs also voted against it.

MPs agreed to extend it until the end of September as well as voting on England's roadmap out of lockdown and the continuation of virtual proceedings in the Commons.

Opening the debate ahead of the vote, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the legislation had been a "crucial part" of the government's response to coronavirus, enabling ministers to bring forward measures such as furlough and statutory sick pay for those self-isolating.

But he said 12 provisions in the legislation were no longer needed because of progress that had been made in dealing with the virus.

These include easing some responsibilities on the social care sector, laws governing the retention of biometric data for health and security purposes, and obligations on businesses that work in the food supply chain.

Mr Hancock acknowledged some people were concerned about the powers contained in the act.

He said: "Although this act remains essential and there are elements of it which we are seeking the renewal of, we have always said we will only retain powers as long as they are necessary."

But the chairman of the 1922 committee of Conservative MPs, Sir Graham Brady, said he would vote against because "it is important we make the case for a return to normality and trusting people with their own lives".

He said: "These powers were given by Parliament to government last March as a very temporary set of extreme emergency measures. Nobody then envisaged that they would still be in place a year later, still be in use 18 months on.

"I think we need to be very cautious about the dangers of normalising what is actually a very extreme policy response."

The deputy chairman of the Covid Recovery Group of lockdown sceptics, Conservative Steve Baker, said the vote was a "rare opportunity" for MPs to "say no to a new way of life in a checkpoint society".

He said he was reassured by the prime minister's comment at the Liaison Committee on Wednesday that "anything that is redundant will go".

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-56521358.

 

[Robert]

Death toll is in double figures for several days in a row now. The NHS has done brilliantly in getting 25M people vaccinated.

Unfortunately the Kent variant is now killing people in their twenties and thirties as well as older victims.

 

[MenInG]

The government is "confident" of increasing the supply of COVID vaccines in the coming months to allow the UK to "increase the pace" of its rollout programme, a cabinet minister has told Sky News.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick promised the UK would remain as one of the fastest countries in the world to vaccinate its population.

 

[sweep_shot]

Covid: Outdoor meetings and sport to resume in England

Two households or groups of up to six people are now able to meet outside in England again as the stay-at-home Covid restrictions order comes to an end.

Outdoor sport facilities including tennis courts and golf courses are also reopening, and organised outdoor sports can resume in the latest easing.

And weddings will also be on again, attended by up to six people.

But Boris Johnson urged caution, saying cases were up in Europe and variants threaten the vaccine rollout.

The prime minister said: "Despite today's easements, everyone must continue to stick to the rules, remember hands, face, space, and come forward for a vaccine when called."

A new slogan - Hands, Face, Space and Fresh Air - was also being unveiled by the government to emphasise the importance of ventilation in reducing the spread of the virus.

Prof Chris Whitty, the UK's chief medical officer, said: "The evidence is very clear that outdoor spaces are safer than indoors. It is important to remember this as we move into the next phase."

Monday marks the second easing of the lockdown imposed across England in early January, after schools reopened to all pupils on 8 March. People were also permitted to exercise with their household, or with one person from outside their household.

People will be allowed to meet outside - including in private gardens - in groups of up to six, or as two households, with social distancing.

But as many friends and families prepare to be reunited for the first time together in several months, ministers are still advising people to work from home where possible and minimise the number of journeys they take.

The next stage in the relaxation of the rules will take place no earlier than 12 April with non-essential retail reopening, and restaurants and pubs allowed to serve outdoors.

In Wales, the "stay local" rule was lifted on Saturday, with six people allowed to meet outside and stay in self-contained holiday accommodation.

The stay home order in Scotland will end on Friday, and from Thursday in Northern Ireland up to six people, or two households, will be able to meet outdoors.

Another 19 deaths of people within 28 days of a positive Covid test were recorded on Sunday, compared to 33 on the same day last week, along with a further 3,862 cases.

The latest government figures show 423,852 UK adults received a first dose of the vaccine on Saturday, taking the overall number to 30,151,287 - with 233,964 having their second dose, bringing that total to 3,527,481.

Sports stars including England World Cup-winning cricket captain Eoin Morgan and British number one women's tennis player Johanna Konta are teaming up with the government to encourage a return to physical activity.

Mr Johnson said "as teams return to outdoor pitches, courts, parks and fields, I hope today will kick-start a Great British summer of sport".

The prime minister added: "I know how much people have missed the camaraderie and competition of organised sport, and how difficult it has been to restrict physical activities - especially for children."

The government has announced it will set up a new Office for Health Promotion in England to promote physical fitness and mental health, saying the pandemic has revealed many vulnerabilities in the population.

The PM said the new office, expected to be launched by the autumn, will be "crucial in tackling the causes, not just the symptoms" of ill-health".

It will design policy across Whitehall and resources will come from the existing health budget, according to the Department of Health and Social Care, where it will be based.

Meanwhile, English Heritage is scheduled to reopen more than 50 outdoor sites on Monday that have been closed to the public since December.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56559173.

 

[Firebat]

Zero Covid deaths reported in London for second time this year

No deaths have been reported in London due to Covid-19 for the second time this year, official figures show.

Public Health England (PHE) figures for 28 March showed no deaths had been registered of patients within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test.

During a spike in cases during January, more 200 deaths a day linked to the virus were recorded in the capital.

London, the epicentre of the first wave of the pandemic last year, accounts for 12% of all UK coronavirus deaths.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-56494521

 

[sweep_shot]

Covid: Strength of defence against new wave unclear, says PM

The UK does not know "exactly how strong" its defences against another wave of Covid will be despite the "impressive" vaccine rollout, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

He said cases were still rising in Europe and people "must proceed with caution" as lockdown eases.

The PM was speaking as the stay-at-home rule came to an end in England, allowing groups to meet outdoors.

He warned more deaths, infections and hospitalisations were inevitable.

European countries have seen a rising number of cases in recent weeks amid a slower vaccine rollout than in the UK.

Mr Johnson told a Downing Street press conference the relaxation of restrictions would be "prized" by people and that it was "only because of months of sacrifice and effort that we can take this small step toward freedom".

He added: "The vaccine rollout has been very impressive... but what we don't know is exactly how strong our fortifications now are, how robust our defences are against another wave.

"What we need to do is to continue flat out to build the immunity of our population, build our defences against that wave when it comes."

The prime minister said: "That's why I stress the importance of everybody maintaining the discipline people have shown for so long."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56569838.

 

[KingKhanWC]

UK is so incompetent. BBC Panorama shows the biggest lab for testing is more like a childrens playground, bordering on criminal.

So many have seen false positives, helps boosts the governments numbers I suppose. Must watch.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000tqjj/panorama-undercover-inside-the-covid-testing-lab

 

[James]

That was quite an incisive and striking piece of journalism from the BBC. It was the kind of sterling work that they used to be known for more regularly — before they relaxed their scrutiny and became a round-the-clock state & government mouthpiece. It is sadly rare to see such high quality reporting from the BBC now. But is still very welcome when it arrives.