London has lowest R rate in the UK January 15, 2021 London’s R rate has dropped to the lowest in the UK, according to the latest official figures. The rate of reproduction of the virus has dropped to a best estimate of 0.9 to 1.2, down from a range of 1.1 to 1.4 last week. The figure means London currently has the lowest R rate in [...]
Covid mutations: what we know so far January 15, 2021 A Brazilian variant of coronavirus has arrived in Britain, one of the UK’s leading scientists announced this morning. Speaking during a Science and Media Centre briefing, Professor Wendy Barclay said: “There are two different types of Brazilian variant and one of them has been detected in the UK.” Transport secretary Grant Shapps this morning insisted [...]
London missing out on ‘fair share’ of vaccine January 14, 2021 London is missing out on its “fair share” of the vaccine, Sadiq Khan has said, as he urged ministers to reassess the formula for distributing doses across the UK. The mayor of London has written an urgent letter to vaccines tsar Nadhim Zahawi calling on him to scale up vaccine supply to meet different population [...]
Boots and Superdrug pharmacies start rolling out vaccine January 14, 2021 High street pharmacies including Boots and Superdrug will start rolling out coronavirus vaccines from today as the UK ramps up plans to vaccinate 2m people a week by the end of the month. Six stores around the country, including a Boots store in Halifax and a Superdrug chemist in Guildford, were the first to start [...]
Covid immunity ‘lasts five months’ but may not prevent transmission January 14, 2021 People infected with Covid-19 are likely to be naturally protected against reinfection for around five months, according to the first government-funded study on the issue. The first report from Public Health England’s (PHE) Siren study found that antibodies from past coronavirus infection lasted an average of at least five months. However, scientists warned that those [...]
Breaking: UK records more than 1,500 daily Covid deaths January 13, 2021 The UK has recorded its highest ever daily Covid death rate, as ministers today warned the “worst is yet to come”. Latest figures from Public Health England showed a further 1,564 coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24 hours. The number exceeds the previous record of 1,325 deaths last Friday, and takes the total number of [...]
Exclusive: Pimlico Plumbers plots ‘no jab, no job’ policy January 13, 2021 Pimlico Plumbers has become the first company in the UK to announce a “no jab, no job” policy, after its chairman revealed plans to spend upwards of £1m rolling out mandatory vaccinations for its staff. Speaking to City A.M, founder Charlie Mullins said: “Once [the vaccine’s] out there and it becomes private, I’m happy to [...]
UK vaccine rollout was ‘lumpy’ at first, minister admits January 13, 2021 The UK’s vaccine tsar has admitted the nation’s largest ever vaccination programme was “lumpy at the outset” as he faced a grilling in the Commons. Nadhim Zahawi told the Science and Technology Committee: “I now have line of sight of deliveries all the way through to the end of February and [am] getting more confident [...]
Covid: UK trials new drug that could cut risk of severe illness by 80 per cent January 13, 2021 The UK has launched large-scale trials of a new drug that could cut the risk of Covid patients developing severe illness by as much as 80 per cent. Thirty-four-year-old Alexandra Constantin became the first patient to receive the drug, produced by London-listed biotech firm Synairgen, after receiving the dose at Hull Royal Infirmary yesterday afternoon. [...]
Easyjet crew join Virgin Atlantic in helping with UK vaccine rollout January 13, 2021 Easyjet crew members will join Virgin Atlantic staff in working with the NHS on the UK’s vaccine rollout, the airline said today. The announcement came after Virgin said that it had called on cabin crew, pilots and office-based staff to “assist with the national effort to save lives”. Crew who apply will be fast-tracked to [...]