Covid-19 variants: could mutations prolong the pandemic? February 5, 2021 The end is in sight. Isn’t it? The cautious optimism of vaccination programmes made the final curtain of the Covid-19 pandemic visible for the first time. Concern is growing, however, after Public Health England announced it is investigating cases with “worrying” new genetic changes found in regions of the UK. Cases in Liverpool and Bristol [...]
UK government will ‘help facilitate’ vaccine passports, says minister February 5, 2021 The UK government will “help facilitate” vaccine passports with other countries as part of plans for Europe to return to normality, the Foreign Office minister has said. The Times reported this morning that British officials have started working on an official certification system after Greece said it would waive quarantine rules for tourists able to [...]
Government faces backlash over ‘half-baked’ hotel quarantine plans February 5, 2021 Ministers have faced a deluge of backlash over “half-baked” plans to introduce a mandatory hotel quarantine for arrivals to the UK, with some MPs calling the scheme “too little too late”. The Prime Minister earlier this week said the government was drawing up plans to introduce a mandatory 10-night hotel quarantine on arrivals to Britain [...]
Covid-19: Hotel quarantine policy for UK arrivals will begin on 15 February February 4, 2021 The long-delayed hotel quarantine policy for all UK arrivals from 33 'red list' countries is set to begin on 15 February
UK could see ‘significant return to normality’ and economic rebound by summer February 4, 2021 The UK could see a “significant return to normality” by the summer, one of the government’s top scientific advisers has said, as the nation’s largest ever vaccination programme continues to beat targets. Andrew Hayward, director of UCL’s Institute for Epidemiology and member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said this morning that [...]
Government ‘in denial’ about post-Brexit fishing problems, say industry leaders February 4, 2021 The government is “in denial” about the size of disruption to the UK’s fishing industry post-Brexit, according to Scottish industry leaders. Scottish Seafood Association chief Jimmy Buchan told MPs today that disruption to fish exports were not just “teething problems” as said by Boris Johnson and that companies were losing an estimated £1m a day. [...]
UK MPs call for Wimbledon to cut ties with HSBC and Standard Chartered February 4, 2021 A group of UK MPs and peers have demanded asset management giant BlackRock and the Wimbledon tennis tournament to cut ties with HSBC and Standard Chartered over their support for Beijing’s freedom of speech crackdown in Hong Kong. The nine parliamentarians also called on the World Rugby Sevens and the British Open tournaments to refuse further [...]
EU unhappy with ‘tone’ of Michael Gove letter over NI-GB border issues February 4, 2021 The EU has rankled at UK suggestions there should be no extra checks on goods at the Northern Ireland-Great Britain border, with Brussels reportedly not happy with the tone of a letter from Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove. Irish broadcaster RTE reports that the EU saw Gove’s letter as an ultimatum and that officials believe [...]
Piers Corbyn arrested over leaflets comparing UK’s vaccine programme to Auschwitz February 4, 2021 Piers Corbyn, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s brother, has been arrested for handing out leaflets comparing the nation’s Covid vaccination programme to Auschwitz. The Metropolitan Police told London newspaper Jewish News: “Officers investigating reports of malicious material in the form of a leaflet being circulated in south London in late January have made two arrests. [...]
MPs back bereavement campaign to ensure grieving families do not ‘slip through the net’ February 4, 2021 Dozens of MPs have called on the government to improve treatment for grieving families by refining the process of registering a loved one’s death. The plea came during a debate in the House of Commons on the campaign for a cross-industry bereavement standard, where ministers promised to consider the demands of supporters. More than 91,000 [...]