Coronavirus UK news – Vaccine fury as students told they'll be BANNED from universities unless they're double jabbed
THE number of new Covid cases in the UK dropped for the fifth day in a row in a "reassuring" sign that vaccines are working, experts say.
The country is seeing a sustained fall in reported coronavirus cases outside of lockdown for the first time since the pandemic began.
The number of people testing positive for Covid plunged from 49,000 last Sunday to 29,173 yesterday, building hopes Brits may be past the worst. It's also the first time cases have fallen below 30,000 since July 6.
The number of fatalities, however, was slightly higher, with 28 people losing their lives – three more than the previous Sunday.
Meanwhile, university students may have to be fully vaccinated if they want to attend lectures in person, under plans being considered by Boris Johnson.
The Times reports how the PM is "raging" at the stalled uptake of vaccines by young people and will look to push students into getting jabbed.
Read our coronavirus live blog for the very latest updates..
- Joseph Gamp
GRAPH: UK COVID-19 CASES AND DEATHS PER DAY
- Joseph Gamp
PM BELIEVES 'WE ARE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET' SAYS DOWNING STREET SPOKESMAN
Downing Street said the fall in coronavirus cases was "encouraging" but numbers were still expected to rise and Boris Johnson believes "we're not out of the woods yet".
"Throughout the pandemic we have always said it's encouraging when cases are falling," the Prime Minister's deputy official spokesman said.
But the pandemic "is not over" and "we should still expect to see a rise in case numbers given the move to Step 4 last week".
"The Prime Minister thinks we're not out of the woods yet," the spokesman told reporters in Westminster.
- Joseph Gamp
NORTHERN IRELAND HAS HIGHEST RATE OF NEW COVID-19 CASES AMONG UK NATIONS
Northern Ireland has overtaken England to become the UK nation with the highest rate of new coronavirus cases.
It is also the only one of the four nations that is recording a steady rise in rates.
A total of 9,832 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in Northern Ireland in the seven days to July 21 – the equivalent of 519.2 cases per 100,000 people.
This is up sharply from 253.4 one week earlier and is the highest rate for Northern Ireland since January 9, according to analysis by the PA news agency.
By contrast, England now has the second highest rate of the four UK nations and is sitting just behind Northern Ireland on 499.1 cases per 100,000 people
- Joseph Gamp
FAILURE TO HIT VACCINE TARGET FOR SCOTS AGED 40-49 'HUMILIATING', LABOUR SAYS
Almost a quarter of Scots aged 40 to 49 have still not had two doses despite Nicola Sturgeon expecting them all to be fully vaccinated by Monday.
The First Minister told Parliament last month that all those in that age group should have received both vaccine doses by July 26.
But the latest figures on the Public Health Scotland show that just 75.8% had been given two shots ahead of the target date while 90.1% had received one dose.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie branded the situation "humiliating" as she warned that the "stalling" vaccine rollout was the biggest threat to the planned route out of lockdown.
In her statement at Holyrood on June 22, Ms Sturgeon also said all 30 to 39-year-olds are expected to have their second dose by August 20.
- Joseph Gamp
LABOUR VOWS TO TRANSFORM ECONOMY WITH 'NEW DEAL FOR WORKING PEOPLE'
Labour will launch a "new deal for working people" that promises to "fundamentally change" the economy as the party seeks to win back traditional voters who have switched to the Tories.
Deputy leader Angela Rayner will on Monday set out the party's vision for a post-pandemic Britain where quality jobs pay a "proper wage" and are a "source of pride, security and dignity".
Sir Keir Starmer was due to join his deputy at the launch at a social enterprise in London in a display of solidarity after a period of turbulence but has instead been forced into self-isolation.
Ahead of the launch, the Labour leader pledged to make the nation "the best place to work" and said the pandemic has "exposed the fact that millions of workers don't have the dignity and security they deserve".
Having taken on the role of shadow future of work secretary during Sir Keir's botched reshuffle in the wake of the Hartlepool by-election defeat, Ms Rayner portrayed the nation as being at a "fork in the road".
- Joseph Gamp
LABOUR SAYS GOVERNMENT'S VACCINE PASSPORTS PLAN 'IS UNWORKABLE'
Labour's deputy leader has said the Government's plans for vaccine passports are "unworkable".
Speaking on a visit to co-working space Impact Hub, in central London, Angela Rayner said: "We think it is unworkable actually and we should be encouraging people to get the vaccine as soon as they possibly can, and also encouraging people to take regular tests as well. Because that is how we keep control of the virus.
"Of course, even with the two vaccines you can still get Covid, so therefore testing has got to be an important part of that scheme."
She had earlier said of vaccine passports: "The bureaucracy shouldn't fall on businesses. Many businesses, the practicalities, whether it is in hospitality or in other organisations, they have absolutely struggled during this pandemic and there is absolutely no way that these businesses can go around vetting and checking these vaccine passports are legit."
- Joseph Gamp
RUSSIA REPORTS 23,239 NEW COVID-19 CASES, 727 RELATED DEATHS
Russia reported 23,239 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, including 2,629 in Moscow, taking the official national tally since the pandemic began to 6,149,780.
The government coronavirus task force said 727 people had died of coronavirus-linked causes in the past 24 hours, pushing the national death toll to 154,601.
- Joseph Gamp
TRAVEL RULES TO BE EASED FOR UK EXPATS – REPORT
Ministers are preparing to ease travel rules for expats returning to the UK from Sunday, it has been reported.
UK nationals living overseas who have had both doses of a coronavirus jab will no longer need to self-isolate for 10 days when they arrive from an amber list country, according to The Daily Telegraph.
The exemption from quarantine currently only applies to people who were vaccinated under the UK programme, but the newspaper stated that the Government plans to recognise foreign jabs.
The Department for Transport has committed to holding a formal review of the rules for arriving travellers this week. Ministers are expected to agree to a reciprocal deal on quarantine-free travel with 33 countries, which could lead to a surge in trips between the UK and the EU, reports the Telegraph.
Those countries include much of Europe such as Ireland, Spain, Portugal, France and Greece, plus some long-haul destinations including Barbados, Anguilla and the Cayman Islands.
- Joseph Gamp
FRANCE PASSES 40 MILLION MARK FOR FIRST DOSES OF COVID-19 JAB
Around 40 million people in France have now received at least the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, French President Emmanuel Macron announced in a tweet today.
Macron said that amounted to nearly 60% of the population, and that 4 million of the vaccinations had been administered in the past two weeks
- Joseph Gamp
SCHOOLS CLOSING 'COULD BE BEHIND DROP IN COVID-19 CASES ACROSS UK'
Schools closing for the summer break is likely to be one of the reasons why coronavirus cases are falling across the UK, a leading expert has said.
Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Modelling group (Spi-M) advising ministers, said he is "cautiously optimistic" about dropping cases but only time will tell if the third Covid wave is "turning round".
The expert in infectious diseases, from the University of Warwick, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "any situation where cases are falling clearly is good news. I think what we need to think about, though, is that there has been a change recently and I think the big one is that, in a lot of parts of the country, schools have now closed for the summer.
"Now, of course, because of that, what that means is… secondary school children have been doing lateral flow tests twice a week for quite a long period of time and we know at the moment cases are slightly higher in younger people, (and) because schools have now broken up, it may be that part of the reason cases have dropped somewhat is that we're not detecting as many cases in younger people now.
"The other thing we do need to look at before we really draw confidence in whether we are seeing everything turning round is what's happening with hospital admissions and, of course, what's happening with deaths."
- Joseph Gamp
RAIL TRAVEL IS HIT BY 'PINGEDEMIC' AS REDUCED TIMETABLES COME IN TO SERVICE
Workers in the sector are among the vast number of people being pinged by the NHS coronavirus app.
Reduced timetables have been introduced on railways across England in an attempt to improve reliability after a recent spate of last-minute cancellations due to staff shortages.
Passengers are being advised to check their train is running before they leave home.
Thameslink and Southern has cut its weekday timetables on five routes "until further notice", and warned that further changes could be required.
Avanti West Coast has reduced the frequency of its services between London Euston and Manchester, Birmingham and North Wales to "manage staff shortages and ensure a reliable service". A revised timetable with fewer services was also launched by London Northwestern Railway on Saturday.
- Joseph Gamp
NI EXECUTIVE TO MEET TO DISCUSS COVID-19 RELAXATIONS AND WAITING LIST CRISIS
Stormont ministers will meet later to consider further Covid-19 relaxations for Northern Ireland and discuss ways to tackle the region's spiralling health waiting lists.
The virtual executive meeting will re-examine a number of decisions that were postponed last week amid concerns about rising infection numbers.
These "moderate" risk moves include allowing theatres and concert halls to welcome back audiences and increasing the limit on gatherings in indoor domestic settings from six to 10, from no more than three households.
Ministers will also consider whether to lift current restrictions on MoT test centres.
An easing of the requirement for face coverings in places of worship is also set to be discussed, with the potential this will be relaxed so people will only have to wear them entering and exiting the buildings.
- Joseph Gamp
INDOOR DINING IN PUBS AND RESTAURANTS REOPENS ACROSS IRELAND
Indoor dining in pubs and restaurants have reopened across Ireland, marking a significant step for the hospitality sector.
The guidelines for reopening were signed off by Government late on Sunday night.
Indoor dining is open for the fully vaccinated and those who have had Covid-19 in the last six months.
A maximum of six people over the age of 13 are allowed at each table, however the limit does not include children aged 12 or younger.
The total combined capacity at a table cannot exceed 15.
- Joseph Gamp
SIR KEIR STARMER WANTS TO BE 'PRAGMATIC' OVER USE OF COVID VACCINE PASSPORTS
Sir Keir Starmer has said he wants to be "pragmatic" over proposals on the use of Covid passports.
The Labour leader was asked on LBC about the use of certification at mass events such as the Euros final at Wembley.
He said: "I think tests are actually more useful than double vaccinations, as the Health Secretary has shown. He, of course, got Covid just about 10 days ago now, I know he's through it now, but he had been double vaccinated. So, I actually think tests are much more useful. I think that the idea that we can go back to mass sporting events or other events without any checks is not one I would subscribe to."
Asked whether he would support the Government in a vote, he said Labour would "look carefully" at proposals and added: "What I don't want to see, just to be very clear about this, is I don't want to see vaccine passports used on an everyday basis for access to critical things like health, dentistry, food, etc.
"So, for sporting events, I'll look at what the Government puts on the table. I want to be pragmatic because we all want all business sectors and sporting sectors to return as quickly as possible. But not for everyday use."
- Joseph Gamp
KARREN BRADY SAYS: ‘I BEGGED MY KIDS TO GET THE COVID JAB AND THEY BOTH SAID NO’
Karen Brady has admitted that her kids do not want to have the vaccine, joining many of the younger generation that currently refuse the jab. She said, “With three million under-30s still unjabbed, it is pretty clear that young people are hesitant about getting the vaccine. And that includes my own kids.
“I have begged them both to get the jab, but neither of them will.
“They flatly refuse and cannot be persuaded.
“They believe that the risks of taking it are greater than the benefits.”
- Joseph Gamp
LOCKDOWN TOLL
A woman with a rare muscle-wasting condition will never be able to eat again after a year of shielding caused irreversible damage.
Tiffany Walker, 47, was left unable to do regular exercises and specialist therapies during the Covid lockdown and now she will soon have to be fed through a tube due to her rapid deterioration.
Tiffany, from Bournemouth, has a cruel condition called central core disease which makes her muscles rigid and stiff – and means it’s hard for her to swallow.
Before the pandemic hit, she remained active and would go swimming five days a week to keep her condition at bay and she also had regular face-to-face treatments with specialists.
But this came to an abrupt halt when she was forced to shield.
- Joseph Gamp
NISSAN WORKERS FAKED ISOLATION ALERTS TO BLAG TIME OFF WORK IN PINGDEMIC SWIZZ
More than 10 staff at the car giant‘s Sunderland factory were disciplined after they lied about receiving alerts.
Sources reportedly claimed that workers used a screenshot of a colleague’s genuine self-isolation alert on the NHS app to lie to their bosses about needing to quarantine.
A staff member told the Mirror: “Workers have been using other people’s screenshots to get time off work.
“They sent their gaffer a screenshot from the Covid app that wasn’t even from their phone.”
Another reportedly said: “One lad was pinged in the pub to say he had to self-isolate.
“He sent the message to his line manager, it ended up being sent to another 59 employees at Nissan who wanted some time off.”
Nissan bosses are said to be “furious” about the deceit.
- Joseph Gamp
PIERS MORGAN FEARED HE’D GIVEN COVID TO AMANDA HOLDEN AND SIMON COWELL AT A PARTY BEFORE TESTING POSITIVE
The star, 56, decided to contact his showbiz pals as part of Test & Trace after testing positive for the potentially deadly illness.
Piers believes he caught Covid-19 while watching the Euro 2020 finals at Wembley Stadium but had seen Simon and Amanda several days beforehand.
Amanda had thrown a belated 50th birthday party for herself at a posh London hotel and Piers had attended, along with Simon and his partner Lauren Silverman.
He also sat with Leigh Francis – aka Keith Lemon – and his wife, so made a series of phone calls to alert them to his diagnosis.
Writing in The Mail On Sunday, Piers said: “I’d been at Amanda Holden’s 50th birthday dinner party on an outside terrace at the Rosewood London hotel with the likes of Simon Cowell, Alan Carr and the ghastly David Walliams.
- Joseph Gamp
COVID-19 NEWS ROUND-UP: THE LATEST
- Boris Johnson is braced for further fury over proposed vaccine passports that would be a ‘big cultural change’
- The pingdemic ‘will leave supermarket shelves empty again in just weeks’ unless the staff crisis is solved, it’s claimed
- France could be amber on the UK’s travel traffic light system again soon – because the Beta variant ‘is less dangerous than initially thought’
- New Health Secretary Sajid Javid has apologised after saying the public ‘shouldn’t cower’ from Covid
- Boozy Brits went wild this weekend as clubs opened on a Friday and Saturday for the first time since March 2020
THIRD WAVE ‘COULD BE ENDING’ AS COVID CASES DROP FIVE DAYS IN A ROW
THE UK may now have passed the peak of the third wave – after the number of new cases dropped for the fifth day in a row in a “reassuring” sign, experts say.
The number of people testing positive for Covid plunged from 49,000 last Sunday to 29,173 yesterday, building hopes Brits may be past the worst.
And it’s the first time cases have fallen below 30,000 since July 6.
The number of fatalities, however, was slightly higher, with 28 people losing their lives – three more than the previous Sunday. The UK last saw five running days of dropping case numbers in February.
It’s understood ministers are “trying not to get too excited” about the drop – but there’s now “confidence” that things are heading in the right direction, Politico reports.
SAJID JAVID APOLOGISES FOR ‘COWERING FROM COVID’ TWEET
Health Secretary Sajid Javid has apologised for a tweet which suggested the nation needs to not “cower” from coronavirus.
He said this morning: “I was expressing gratitude that the vaccines help us fight back as a society, but it was a poor choice of word and I sincerely apologise.”
- Joseph Gamp
FANS WARN COVID PASSPORTS FOR FOOTBALL MATCHES COULD CAUSE ‘CHAOS’
Football fans have warned that plans to exclude supporters who are not fully vaccinated against coronavirus from attending Premier League matches from October could cause “chaos” at some clubs.
Chairman of the Football Supporters’ Association chairman Malcolm Clarke warned the proposal being considered by the Government to make vaccine passports mandatory for events with more than 20,000 attendees will need to be “managed very carefully”.
Boris Johnson was also facing further criticism from backbench Conservatives who were already opposed to plans to introduce their use for entry into nightclubs this autumn.
Talks are in an early phase with the Premier League to discuss whether supporters who have not been double-jabbed could be barred from entry, the PA news agency understands.
The use of vaccine passports could also be extended to lower divisions and other sports in England as ministers seek to reduce the surge of Covid-19 cases as other restrictions are ended.
- Joseph Gamp
SAJID JAVID WAS RIGHT TO APOLOGISE FOR ‘COWERING FROM COVID’ TWEET SAYS LEADER OF BEREAVED FAMILIES GROUP
The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, which criticised Sajid Javid’s initial tweet as “deeply insensitive”, said the Health Secretary was right to apologise.
The group also repeated an earlier request for Mr Javid to walk the National Covid Memorial Wall with it “to understand the hurt and insult his poor choice of word still remains”.
- Joseph Gamp
GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO ENSURE STOCKPILED PPE ‘NOT BEING WASTED’ SAYS COMMITTEE CHAIR
Dame Meg Hillier, chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee, said the Government needs to make sure stockpiled PPE is not being wasted.
Speaking on LBC on Sunday about the committee’s report which found there were 10,000 shipping containers of PPE still to be unpacked, Dame Meg said taxpayers’ money is sitting in those containers.
She added: “This is a large amount of expensive kit, we need to make sure it gets to the right place.
“The main thing is what are they [the Government] doing logistically to make sure that stockpile isn’t wasted.”
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