People should keep wearing masks on crowded trains, Shapps says July 9, 2021 People should continue to wear masks on trains at rush hour after restrictions are lifted on 19 July, Grant Shapps said today. Speaking to the BBC Today programme the transport secretary said that some train firms could make masks advisory during peak hours. But with the government moving away from restrictions backed by law to [...]
Pfizer/BioNTech plan trials for new Delta variant vaccine July 9, 2021 The drugmakers are seeking regulatory approval in the US to begin clinical trials on a Delta booster shot as early as August. Pfizer and BioNTech announced they are developing an update version of their Covid-19 vaccine that will target the more transmissable Delta variant of the virus, which is responsible for the vast majority of [...]
Ryanair, BA, Easyjet and Stansted in court today suing over traffic light travel system July 9, 2021 Ryanair, BA, Easyjet and Stansted owner MAG are in court today suing over traffic light travel system
No masks, no distancing: Govt set to revise UK workplace guidance July 9, 2021 Ministers are preparing to publish new return to office guidance for businesses next week that will greatly reduce the number of measures recommended to curb the spread of Covid-19. Among the workplace recommendations set to move from obligatory to subject to a company’s discretion are face masks and social distancing, the Financial Times first reported. [...]
Covid-19 app sensitivity to be reviewed, amid rising infections July 9, 2021 The sensitivity of the NHS Covid contact tracing app will be reviewed, amid a rise in alerts as infections surge. The NHS Covid contact tracing app used in England and Wales may need to change as coronavirus restrictions change, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said. He said that the end of the one metre plus rule [...]
Quarantine to be scrapped for vaccinated non-Brits ‘in weeks’ July 9, 2021 International travellers coming to the UK who have been fully vaccinated could be exempt from quarantine rules within weeks, Grant Shapps has said this morning. Speaking to Sky News a day after he announced an easing of travel restrictions for fully vaccinated Brits, the transport secretary said ministers were “actively looking” to do the same [...]
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines: UK adds rare heart inflammation to side effects July 8, 2021 The UK’s drugs regulator has added extremely rare occurrences of heart inflammation to the official list of side effects for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) stressed that “the benefits of getting vaccinated outweigh the risks” and these “events are extremely rare and tend to be mild when [...]
Israel warns for sharp drop in Pfizer’s double jab protection against Covid July 8, 2021 Israel is experiencing a sharp drop in the effectiveness of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in preventing infections and symptomatic illness, the country’s Health Ministry has said. It did stress, however, that the jab remains highly effective in preventing serious illness. Lauren Anthony has more. Watch the full video report.
NHS app self-isolation tracker could change if Covid cases see a summer spiral July 8, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has hinted that the way the NHS app ‘pings’ people for self-isolation could change as Covid-19 cases are expected to rise over the summer. Businesses have become increasingly frustrated with high staff absences due to employees being told to self-isolate. “I’ve spoken to the Health Secretary about this and he’s aware of [...]
All the amber list countries you can now summer holiday in (if you’re vaccinated) July 8, 2021 Summer holidays are back on for millions of Brits as the government today scrapped the need for those who have been fully vaccinated to quarantine on return from “amber list” countries. The widely-trailed change to the international travel rules, which transport secretary Grant Shapps confirmed in a statement to Parliament today, opens up the chance [...]