Government faces calls to scrap ‘inaccurate’ rapid Covid tests January 12, 2021 The government has faced mounting pressure to scale back its use of rapid Covid tests over concerns the results are inaccurate and may cause “serious harm”. Rapid Covid tests, also known as lateral flow tests, are set to play a vital part in ministers’ efforts to ramp up asymptomatic testing across the country as coronavirus [...]
National lockdown looms as teachers go head-to-head with government January 4, 2021 Ministers have refused to rule out a third national lockdown in England, as coronavirus cases and hospitalisations surge beyond numbers seen in the peak of the first wave. Health secretary Matt Hancock said this morning that the new strain of coronavirus was spreading rapidly across the country. “We can’t rule anything out,” he told Sky [...]
Covid: London now has highest proportion of positive tests in the UK December 18, 2020 The number of people testing positive for coronavirus has risen sharply in London, as the Prime Minister faces mounting pressure to U-turn on plans to lift restrictions over Christmas. London is now tied with the East Midlands as having the highest proportion of positive Covid tests in the UK, after reporting a sharp spike in [...]
‘Don’t blow it now’: Matt Hancock urges caution as cases catapult in London December 10, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock has urged the public not to “blow it” by ignoring Covid restrictions, as new infections continue to surge across London, Essex and Kent. Speaking at a Downing Street press briefing, Hancock said the latest official figures showed “a worrying rise in infections” in London. The health secretary said the government faced difficult [...]
Pfizer vaccine: Matt Hancock green-lights 800,000 doses for rollout next week December 2, 2020 The NHS will start vaccinating the most vulnerable next week, after 800,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine passed batch testing this morning, the health secretary has said. Announcing the UK’s approval of the Pfizer/Biontech vaccine in the Commons this morning, Matt Hancock said: “I can confirm that batch testing has been completed this morning for [...]
Britain takes the lead in vaccine race as EU regulators delay safety assessments December 1, 2020 European regulators have pushed back formal safety assessments of the Pfizer/Biontech and Moderna vaccines, meaning vaccinations will not take place on the continent until next year. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) today said it planned to decide on whether to approve the vaccine being developed by Pfizer and BioNTech by 29 December, meaning distribution will [...]
Tier system may cause increase in chronic illness, government review finds November 30, 2020 Tougher restrictions under the new three-tier system may have a knock-on effect that could see a spike in “morbidity and mortality of certain long-term conditions”, a government review has found. In its analysis of the health and economic effects of the tier system, the government found that a modest rise in unemployment may exacerbate chronic [...]
Coronavirus cases ‘levelling off’ across England ahead of three-tier system November 26, 2020 Coronavirus cases have begun to level off across most of England, with London reporting a decrease in new infections over the past week, according to the latest official data. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed cases in the west Midlands, east of England, London and the south are now decreasing. The highest [...]
London Tier 2: City leaders breathe ‘sigh of relief’ but push for return to the office November 26, 2020 City leaders have welcomed the announcement that London will be placed into Tier 2 when lockdown lifts, but warned that the capital will only fully recover when the government outlines a clear policy on returning to work. Health secretary Matt Hancock today said London will join regions such as Liverpool and Suffolk on “high” alert [...]
London to enter Tier 2 next Wednesday November 26, 2020 London will return to Tier 2 when England’s national lockdown lifts next Wednesday, the government has announced. Liverpool will join the capital on “high alert” on 2 December, while Manchester, Lancashire, Blackpool, Kent and Birmingham will enter Tier 3. Just three regions — the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly — will [...]