Coronavirus UK news LIVE – Boris Johnson faces massive covid vaccine passport rebellion as 'pingdemic' chaos rages on

COVID cases are on the rise, forcing millions of Brits – including essential workers – to self-isolate as grim numbers begin to resurface.

Around 99 per cent of areas are now reporting an increase in coronavirus cases, with Redcar & Cleveland, Copeland, Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough and Castle Point topping the list.

Also, the UK death toll from the virus rose by 96 yesterday – almost double the death toll of this time last week.

Tuesday's figures showed the worst fatality levels since March, with another 46,558 new cases also confirmed.

Read our Coronavirus live blog for the very latest updates…

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    THE SUN SAYS (CONTINUED)

    That’s impossible to argue when just 22 per cent use it as intended, others ignore it or turn it off, millions have deleted it and 40 per cent never even installed it.

    Yet even on those derisory numbers the economic and educational damage is huge: Millions pointlessly off work. A million kids off school. It is scandalous.

    The app takes no account of our plummeting risk since its launch last year.

    With most of us now double-jabbed and testing negative, there is no excuse for needless house arrest.

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    THE SUN SAYS: THE COVID APP IS NO LONGER FIT FOR PURPOSE

    The Covid app is no longer fit for purpose. When will the Government accept that?

    The requirement to self-isolate if pinged should have ended on Monday, not in another four farcical weeks.

    Some Ministers plainly agree. The Business Minister dismisses being pinged as “advisory”.

    A Trade Minister tells ­Nissan their staff can ignore it.

    Boris Johnson, though, insists the app is “crucial” with restrictions now lifted.

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    CUMMINGS SAYS HE HAS NOT SPOKEN TO BORIS JOHNSON

    Answering a question on whether he still speaks to Boris, Dominic Cummings said: “Last time I spoke to him was the Friday I left No.10.

    “He texted me a few days later asking if I’d speak to him and I said no.

    “It doesn’t bother me one way or the other [if I speak to him again].”

    The former No10 adviser was speaking to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg about how the Government handled the initial wave of the pandemic.

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    CASH BACK

    Millions of Brits forced to self-isolate because of coronavirus can claim £125, Martin Lewis has said.

    Workers can get the money if they are "pinged" by the NHS Covid app and can't go to their workplace.

    Anyone who has been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, or is self-isolating after being pinged by the NHS app can make a claim, Martin Lewis has explained.

    In his Money Saving Expert newsletter Martin said that HMRC has confirmed to him that claims can be made in these circumstances – not just when your employer tells you to work from home.

    The rules of the scheme say anyone who is required to work from home by their employer can claim tax back of up to £125 a year.

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    THE SOONER JOHNSON LEAVES NO 10 THE BETTER, SAYS CUMMINGS

    Dominic Cummings has admitted he thought Boris Johnson being Prime Minister was “terrible for the country”,, but that he and “a few dozen” backers sought to use his premiership to their advantage.

    The former de facto chief of staff in No 10 said he had found Mr Johnson to have “hopeless” traits after working with him during the 2016 Brexit referendum, but agreed after he entered Downing Street three years later to assist him.

    But Mr Cummings, who left No 10 in the autumn after a power struggle, admitted he was now working to hasten the Prime Minister’s demise.

    Asked on the BBC whether he was looking to “hasten” Mr Johnson’s departure from Downing Street, he said: “Certainly. The sooner he goes the better, for sure.”

    In the hour-long broadcast, Mr Cummings said he had looked to “exploit” the situation the country found itself in after Mr Johnson took power.

    “I think it is terrible for the country but I keep trying to stress, you’ve got to balance up the different possibilities,” he said.

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    40,000 CARE HOME STAFF RISK BEING LOST OVER MANDATORY JABS, SAYS ‘BEST’ ESTIMATE

    Around 40,000 care home staff risk being lost as a result of introducing compulsory Covid-19 vaccinations in England and could cost the industry £100 million to replace, according to the Government’s own “best” estimate.

    The number represents 7% of the profession’s 570,000-strong workforce and is the “midpoint” between the upper and lower estimates of 70,000 (12%) and 17,000 (3%) respectively.

    From the autumn, anyone working in a Care Quality Commission-registered care home in England must have two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine unless they have a medical exemption, under regulations already backed by MPs despite a Tory revolt.

    The threatened impact of the move emerged as the House of Lords inflicted a defeat on the Government to register concern about the way the measure is being brought in, with one peer accusing the Department of Health and Social Care of “lying”.

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    NO 10 DENIES CUMMINGS’ CLAIM PM WANTED TO SEE THE QUEEN EARLY IN THE PANDEMIC

    Downing Street has flatly denied Dominic Cummings’ allegation that Boris Johnson wanted to visit the Queen early in the pandemic despite coronavirus having hit No 10.

    The former chief aide in No 10 alleged that he had to convince the Prime Minister out of visiting her by warning of the potentially grave consequences.

    But the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “This didn’t happen and we’ve been clear about that.”

    Mr Johnson ultimately took a 15-month break from his face-to-face weekly audience with the Queen after meeting her on March 11 2020 and they instead spoke on the phone.

    But Mr Cummings, who has been engaged in a war of words with Mr Johnson since leaving No 10 in November, alleged Mr Johnson wanted to visit her a week later, on March 18.

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    'KEEP IT MOVING'

    The government will unveil their new their new Covid slogan urging "keep life moving" this summer.

    The "hands, face, space" slogan is due to be ditched following freedom day on Monday – despite hundreds of thousands being pinged into self-isolation by the NHS Covid app.

    Around 1.7m are believed to be self-isolating after being contacted by the app, the Times reported.

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    'ALARMING' NUMBER OF YOUNG SCOTS ARE NOT GETTING VACCINATED

    Around 30% of 18-to-29-year-olds and 20% of 30-to-39-year-olds in Scotland have not had a first dose of coronavirus vaccine despite every adult being offered a first appointment, figures show.

    Data from Public Health Scotland (PHS) shows just under a third (32.1%) of adults in their 30s have been double-jabbed, with the figure for 18-to-29-year-olds at 20.5%.

    Murdo Fraser, the Scottish Conservatives' Covid recovery spokesman, said the country was "not making progress fast enough" and "a much more aggressive targeted social media campaign" advertising jags for younger people is required.

    He told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "If we're going to defeat this virus we need to get the population vaccinated and 18-to-29-year-olds are the key group now.

    "What we've seen is quite an alarming decline in the numbers being vaccinated.

    "On Monday the daily first doses of the vaccine hit a three-month low, only 2,483 people were vaccinated with a first dose on Monday, so we are really struggling to meet this key group."

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    TEST & SPACE

    A third of Covid testing capacity is unused despite fears the system is buckling, a Sun probe found.

    Waits for results are getting longer and staff claim precious supplies are being shuttled between sites.

    However, labs are running at only 70 per cent, according to latest Department of Health data.

    It had the capacity to do 430,000 PCR tests outside of hospitals last week.

    But, on average, just over 300,000 were done daily.

    Meanwhile, the national test booking site yesterday reported “very few available” in parts, such as the South West and North East.

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    COV-ID

    In June, the "NHS Covid Pass" was added to the NHS app allowing Brits to provide proof they've been fully vaccinated.

    Those who have yet to receive the jab can also upload evidence of a recent negative test or antibodies from having the virus in the past six months.

    It was first deployed as a pilot for events such as Wimbledon and Euro 2020 games.

    The NHS app is free to download in England and Wales from the Apple Store if you have an iPhone and from Google Play if you have an android.

    It is different to the NHS COVID 19 app which is used for contact tracing.

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    ONE ON ONE

    Boris Johnson wanted to visit the Queen at the start of the UK’s Covid pandemic and had to be stopped, Dominic Cummings has shockingly claimed.

    The PM’s former No10 aide has revealed how he had to warn his boss that Her Majesty – then aged 93 – might die if she caught coronavirus.

    It’s the latest claim against the PM from the shamed ex-adviser with Downing Street denying the allegations.

    In a tell-all with BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Cummings claimed that he had to stop Mr Johnson going to see the Queen in person at the beginning of the Covid pandemic in 2020.

    This was when staff at Number 10 were already falling ill with the brutal bug after it had spread from China.

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    OVERSEAS NO-GO

    Double-jabbed Brits could miss out on overseas holidays because NHS mistakes mean their second vaccinations may not be recorded properly.

    An investigation found that many of those who have had two doses of a Covid jab do not have any official proof on the NHS app, the Telegraph reported.

    Currently, many holiday destinations need proof of vaccinations to allow entry or to avoid quarantine.

    But health officials have warned vaccine staff could make the mistake of not filling in fields in documents correctly or failing to properly "save" jab data.

    They have told anyone who has had their second jab recorded incorrectly to get in touch with their GP.

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    US WARNS TRAVELLERS AGAINST HEADING TO THE UK OVER ‘VERY HIGH’ COVID CASES

    American citizens have been warned against travel to the UK over spiralling coronavirus cases.

    The UK was placed on the highest level of the United States travel guidance – “Level 4: Very High” – on Monday, warning that even fully-vaccinated travellers could be at risk.

    The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention issued the update on the day Prime Minister Boris Johnson ended mask-wearing and social distancing laws, while reopening nightclubs.

    Americans were told to “avoid travel to the United Kingdom” but advised to make sure they are fully vaccinated if travel is essential.

    “Because of the current situation in the United Kingdom, even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants,” the guidance added.

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    GOT ANY COV-ID?

    Party-goers will have to be doubled jabbed to enter nightclubs from the end of September, Boris Johnson declared tonight.

    In a major U-turn the PM said vaccine passports will be needed to hit the dance floor in a bid to boost take up among 18-30 year olds.

    The PM made the announcement at a Downing St press conference amid fears not enough youngsters are getting the shot.

    Ministers are desperate to get as many jabs into arms as possible before self-isolation rules are eased on August 16.

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    EXPLAINED: WHERE WILL FACE MASKS STILL BE NEEDED?

    In London, Sadiq Khan has said face masks and coverings will still be compulsory on the capital’s transport network.

    Passengers in bus stations operated by combined authorities West and South Yorkshire, on the North East’s Metro and Greater Manchester’s Metrolink tram services will also be required to wear them under local rules.

    Supermarket chains – including Tesco, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose – will encourage customers to keep masks on.

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    WATCH: ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER SLAMS COVID RULES AS CINDERELLA FORCED TO CLOSE

    Andrew Lloyd Webber slams ‘completely untenable’ Covid rules after Cinderella cancellation

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    ONE ON ONE

    Boris Johnson wanted to visit the Queen at the start of the UK’s Covid pandemic and had to be stopped, Dominic Cummings has shockingly claimed.

    The PM’s former No10 aide has revealed how he had to warn his boss that Her Majesty – then aged 93 – might die if she caught coronavirus.

    It’s the latest claim against the PM from the shamed ex-adviser with Downing Street denying the allegations.

    In a tell-all with BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Cummings claimed that he had to stop Mr Johnson going to see the Queen in person at the beginning of the Covid pandemic in 2020.

    This was when staff at Number 10 were already falling ill with the brutal bug after it had spread from China.

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    LOCAL ACTION

    Millions of Brits in Covid-hit areas have been urged to continue to wear face masks and attend test sites amid a surge in cases.

    People living in areas such as Manchester, Blackpool and Cheshire will continue to receive support from the Government in a bid to bring cases down.

    Health Minister Lord Bethell said that as restrictions are eased across the country, we still needed to “pinpoint” local areas that are struggling to control cases.

    The Department of Health is continuing to give 11 areas support packages which include extra testing, support to maximise vaccine uptake and funding for local campaigns.

    There will also be the option to work with secondary school and colleges to reintroduce on site testing.

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    HIGH ALERT

    The NHS is suffering as Covid cases surge and the heatwave triggers ambulance “black alerts”.

    A combination of increased infections hitting staff and the effects of the hot weather have reportedly heaped more pressure on hospitals.

    More than half of the staff at one trust are thought to be off work due to isolation rules, as Covid patients rise by a third in a week.

    It comes as Britain eased restrictions yesterday in a cautious move to break free from lockdown – but Delta cases are still rising.

    The Independent reports hospitals and ambulance services have been hit as workers are moved onto new Covid wards.

    And 999 calls are claimed to be going unanswered for minutes at a time due to a lack of call handlers.

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    THE ESSENTIAL WORKERS WHO CAN AVOID SELF-ISOLATING:

    Double jabbed workers who can avoid self-isolating if pinged:

    • Railway signallers
    • Air traffic controllers
    • NHS staff
    • Care home workers
    • Food production workers
    • Train drivers
    • Medicine manufacturers
    • Border security guards
    • Water and electricity supply workers
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      NO DECISION ON VACCINE PASSPORTS FOR SCOTS, NICOLA STURGEON SAYS

      No decisions have been made on whether vaccine passports will be used in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

      The First Minister insisted any proposal for people to prove they have been vaccinated against coronavirus in order to gain entry into specific venues “need to be really carefully considered”.

      It follows an announcement from Prime Minister Boris Johnson that vaccine passports will be required for entry to nightclubs in England from September.

      Asked whether she was considering following the UK Government’s lead, Ms Sturgeon stressed that the Scottish Government has not yet decided whether to adopt the policy north of the border.

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      POSTIE PROBLEMS

      Deliveries of letters and packages have been disrupted after a wave of postal staff have been forced into Covid self-isolation.

      Royal Mail service alerts were issued for eight locations alone over the weekend, from Bath to Blackpool, the Sun can reveal.

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      ‘CLARITY NEEDED’ OVER VACCINE TRAVEL FOR IRISH PASSPORT HOLDERS FROM NI

      Politicians have urged the Irish Government to provide clarity on when people from Northern Ireland who hold Irish passports will be able to use the new EU Digital Covid Certificate (DCC).

      The DCC was introduced in the Republic on Monday as part of a EU-wide scheme which will allow unrestricted international travel for those who are fully vaccinated.

      The documents can also be used for indoor hospitality when it reopens later this month.

      But most Irish passport holders in Northern Ireland will not be able to access the certificate at first because they were vaccinated outside of the Republic.

      Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond said the DCC is only available to those who were vaccinated by the HSE, the Irish health service.

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      WILL THERE BE ANOTHER LOCKDOWN?

      Chris Whitty has warned England could be plunged back into lockdown within five weeks as Covid cases surge during the third wave.

      The chief medical officer says coronavirus hospitalisations are doubling about every three weeks and could hit “quite scary numbers”.

      His stark warning came days before July 19’s ‘Freedom Day’ and the final step in Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of Covid curbs.

      But top doc Prof Whitty said the country is “not out of the woods yet” as cases rocketed to the highest level in six months.

      Speaking at a Science Museum webinar, Prof Whitty said: “I don’t think we should underestimate the fact that we could get into trouble again surprisingly fast.”

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