Covid UK news: Vaccine passports for football matches & airline staff may dodge self-isolation as 'pingdemic' fury grows
VACCINES have forced down waves of Covid deaths to just ripples – despite a spike in the number of cases reported, according to the data.
Hospital patients are, on average, younger, less poorly and able to leave the wards faster than in previous waves, analysis shows.
Brits are also facing weeks of pandemic chaos with disruptions to transport, bin collections and food supplies due to isolating workers.
Companies and councils have warned the August 16 date to lift quarantine for the double-vaccinated could now be delayed amid fresh concern.
Read our coronavirus live blog for the very latest updates…
- Joseph Gamp
TAXPAYERS TO FACE COVID BILL FOR DECADES TO COME, MPS WARN
Taxpayers will be facing the costs of Covid for decades while an inquiry will not come quickly enough to learn the lessons needed from the pandemic, MPs have said.
Two reports from the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) released on Sunday slammed the Government’s spending on unusable personal protective equipment (PPE) and said a public inquiry expected next year was not soon enough to fix some issues.
The PAC said the taxpayer would be exposed to “significant financial risks for decades to come”, and already the estimated cost of the Government measures had reached £372 billion.
While the committee also “remains concerned that despite spending over £10 billion on supplies, the PPE stockpile is not fit for purpose”.
The PAC said that as of May this year, out of 32 billion items of PPE ordered by the Department of Health and Social Care, some 11 billion had been distributed, while 12.6 billion are stored in the UK as central stock. Some 8.4 billion on order from other parts of the world have still not arrived in the UK.
- Joseph Gamp
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
THOUSANDS RUN THROUGH LONDON IN FIRST MASS 10K SINCE LOCKDOWN WAS LIFTED
Thousands of runners have taken to the streets of London for their first mass 10k since lockdown restrictions were lifted.
Roads across central London were closed as the runners in the Asics London 10k swept past views of landmarks to the sound of cheering crowds and entertainers who lined the streets.
Race director Ian Allerton described it as "an important day for the mass participation industry" as many runners helped raise funds for more than 200 charities in what he hoped would be the start of "a new season of safe running events in 2021".
TV presenter and activist Katie Piper, who was the victim of an acid attack in 2008, officially started the race before stepping out to become one of up to 14,000 runners on the course.
Her run was to raise funds for a rehabilitation centre and she later said she had "such an amazing day".
Ms Piper said it had been "really powerful" to see the benefit the race had on her mental wellbeing and on others who took part.
- Joseph Gamp
CASES OF CHILDHOOD VIRUS EIGHT TIMES HIGHER THAN PRE-COVID
The number of RSV infections is currently eight times higher than the same time period before the pandemic.
The “out-of-season” trend has resulted in PHE giving a warning to parents to watch out for symptoms.
It’s expected the wave will continue well into the winter, when experts have warned of pressure on NHS paediatric intensive care units.
Azra Ghani, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at Imperial College London, told the Sun: “This is of concern for the NHS because although RSV is a mild infection in the majority of children, a few require intensive care.
“Paediatric intensive care units are limited in capacity.”
- Joseph Gamp
GRAPH: DAILY VENTILATED PATIENTS PER 10,000 COVID-19 CASES
- Joseph Gamp
MINISTERS EYE VACCINE PASSPORTS FOR PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHES AND LARGE EVENTS
Only fully-vaccinated football fans may be able to attend Premier League matches and other events with more than 20,000 spectators from October under Government plans.
Boris Johnson risks provoking further criticism from backbench Conservatives as ministers seek to extend the future use of vaccine passports from nightclubs to sporting stadiums.
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.
While no final decisions have been made, it is currently being discussed whether vaccine passports could be introduced for seated events with a capacity of 20,000 people and over.
- Joseph Gamp
POLICING MINISTER SUGGESTS AIRLINE STAFF COULD BE EXEMPT FROM PINGDEMIC ISOLATION
Policing minister Kit Malthouse has apologised for delays at the borders as he suggested airline staff could also receive isolation exemptions to relieve the "pingdemic".
He told Times Radio: "I know Border Force are one of the frontline services that will be able to access more of this test and release.
"And I think at Heathrow yesterday we had a technical issue with the e-gates where they went down for 90 minutes or so that caused a problem and I'm very sorry about that and I'm sorry for the people that were inconvenienced.
"Hopefully Border Force will be relieved of some of the aspects of the pingdemic."
Asked whether airline staff could receive exemptions as well, he said: "Yes, we would be in conversation with employers."
- Joseph Gamp
POLICING MINISTER REFUSES TO RULE OUT VACCINE PASSPORTS AT FOOTBALL STADIUMS AND VENUES WITH 20,000+ CAPACITIES
Policing minister Kit Malthouse did not rule out the idea of vaccine passports becoming mandatory at football stadiums and other venues with capacities of 20,000 and above.
He told Times Radio: "No doubt they will have looked at some of the impact of the virus that came out of the Euros recently.
"There was also checking there as well on the Covid app on the phone, but we'll be having a look at how that works and setting out for the future, but at the moment I think that's all speculative."
- Joseph Gamp
VACCINE EXPERTS WARN GOVERNMENT MUST BE CAREFUL TO NOT MAKE PUBLIC FEEL THEY ARE FORCED INTO GETTING JABBED
Professor Adam Finn, of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said "nudging" people to get jabbed needs to be done "really quite carefully" so they do not feel they are being forced to get it.
When asked on LBC on Sunday if the Government should use vaccine passports as a way of encouraging uptake in younger people, he said: "It has to be done really quite carefully.
"If people begin to feel they are being kind of forced against their will to do something, then in a sense that's quite a damaging thing to do because it gives people the impression vaccination is something being imposed on them from outside.
"Nudging can be done but it has to be done in a way that people don't feel that people are being pushed into something they don't want to do."
- Joseph Gamp
DISCONTENT GROWS OVER 'PINGDEMIC' AMID FOOD WARNINGS AND TRANSPORT DISRUPTION
Discontent with the Government's self-isolation policy is growing as food industry bosses condemned changes to ease the "pingdemic" as "worse than useless", hospitality leaders warned of a summer of closures and train operators were forced to cut services.
There were increasing calls for Boris Johnson to bring forward his wider relaxation of quarantine rules for the fully vaccinated from August 16 as businesses were hampered by staff being told to isolate as coronavirus cases soar.
In a bid to calm the concerns of industry, ministers published a limited list of sectors whose double-jabbed workers are eligible to avoid isolation if they undergo daily testing before the wider easing of rules for England.
Industry leaders said the move did not include sufficient workers, but doctors warned the problem is that the Prime Minister has let the virus "rip" and not the "pings" being issued by the NHS Covid-19 app to tell coronavirus contacts to isolate.
The mounting criticism came as data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed Covid-19 cases continued to rise, with around one in 75 people in England infected.
- Joseph Gamp
TAXPAYERS TO FACE COVID BILL FOR DECADES TO COME, MPS WARN
Taxpayers will be facing the costs of Covid for decades while an inquiry will not come quickly enough to learn the lessons needed from the pandemic, MPs have said.
Two reports from the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) released on Sunday slammed the Government's spending on unusable personal protective equipment (PPE) and said a public inquiry expected next year was not soon enough to fix some issues.
The PAC said the taxpayer would be exposed to "significant financial risks for decades to come", and already the estimated cost of the Government measures had reached £372 billion.
While the committee also "remains concerned that despite spending over £10 billion on supplies, the PPE stockpile is not fit for purpose".
The PAC said that as of May this year, out of 32 billion items of PPE ordered by the Department of Health and Social Care, some 11 billion had been distributed, while 12.6 billion are stored in the UK as central stock. Some 8.4 billion on order from other parts of the world have still not arrived in the UK.
- Joseph Gamp
MINISTERS EYE VACCINE PASSPORTS FOR PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHES AND LARGE EVENTS
Only fully-vaccinated football fans may be able to attend Premier League matches and other events with more than 20,000 spectators from October under Government plans.
Boris Johnson risks provoking further criticism from backbench Conservatives as ministers seek to extend the future use of vaccine passports from nightclubs to sporting stadiums.
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.
While no final decisions have been made, it is currently being discussed whether vaccine passports could be introduced for seated events with a capacity of 20,000 people and over.
- Joseph Gamp
PIERS MORGAN REVEALS HE CAUGHT COVID IN WEMBLEY EURO FINAL CHAOS
Piers Morgan reveals he caught Covid in Wembley Euro final chaos
- Joseph Gamp
GRAPH: DAILY UK DEATHS PER 10,000 COVID-19 CASES
- Joseph Gamp
BEREAVED CRITICISE SAJID JAVID FOR SUGGESTING PEOPLE HAVE 'COWERED' FROM COVID
Health Secretary Sajid Javid's suggestion that the nation needs to not "cower" from coronavirus has been criticised as "deeply insensitive" by those who have lost loved ones to Covid-19.
Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice joined opposition MPs in branding the Cabinet minister's remark insulting to people who have shielded and those who stayed at home to protect society.
Mr Javid said on Saturday he had made a "full recovery" and that his "symptoms were very mild, thanks to amazing vaccines", of which he had received two doses.
"Please, if you haven't yet, get your jab, as we learn to live with, rather than cower from, this virus," he wrote on Twitter.
- Joseph Gamp
SIX MILLION MAY FACE HOLIDAY TRAUMA IF SPAIN AND GREECE JOIN FRENCH RESTRICTIONS
Summer holiday plans for nearly six million Britons could be ruined if Spain and Greece follow France onto the "amber plus" list requiring isolation on return, according to an analysis.
Labour said an estimated 5,857,558 people face the prospect of last-minute quarantine requirements to protect against the spread of coronavirus after booking trips over the "summer of chaos".
The Government introduced an exemption for the requirement to isolate at home for 10 days for fully-vaccinated holidaymakers returning from countries on the amber list.
But ministers removed the exemption for France amid concerns over the Beta variant, creating what critics call an "amber plus" designation on the traffic light system for foreign travel.
There has been speculation that Greece and Spain could face the same measures as France, though the Government has not confirmed this.
- Joseph Gamp
MEXICO POSTS 15,823 MORE COVID-19 CASES, 362 ADDITIONAL DEATHS
Mexico's health ministry on Saturday recorded 15,823 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 362 fatalities.
It brings the total number of confirmed cases to 2,741,983 and the reported death toll to 238,316.
- Joseph Gamp
OLYMPICS-ORGANISERS REPORT 10 MORE COVID-19 CASES
Olympics organisers reported on Sunday 10 new Olympics-related Covid-19 cases,
Today's figure brings the disclosed total to 132.
- Joseph Gamp
GERMANY'S CONFIRMED CORONAVIRUS CASES RISE BY 1,387
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 1,387 to 3,755,898, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Sunday.
The reported death toll rose by 4 to 91,524, the tally showed.
- Joseph Gamp
INDIAREPORTS 39,742 NEW COVID CASES IN 24 HOURS
India reported 39,742 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, a government statement said on Sunday.
The Covid-19 death toll rose by 535 deaths in the last 24 hours, with the total reaching 420,551, health ministry data showed
- Joseph Gamp
PM TRIES TO SHIFT FOCUS TO CRIME AFTER PRITI PATEL REBUKE AND 'PINGDEMIC' ROW
Boris Johnson will seek to shift the focus on to tackling crime when he re-emerges from isolation to counter criticism over the "pingdemic" and police anger at Home Secretary Priti Patel.
The Prime Minister is expected to unveil his new "beating crime plan" on Tuesday after leaving quarantine at his Chequers country retreat following a coronavirus contact.
As he began his third year in No 10, Mr Johnson vowed to ensure that every victim of crime has "a named officer to call – someone who is immediately on your side".
His Government has faced anger over the Covid-19 rules causing staff shortages as infections soar during his time in isolation over a contact with Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
And Ms Patel received an extraordinary rebuke from the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents rank-and-file officers. The body said it no longer has confidence in the Home Secretary after describing a bitterly opposed pay freeze as "the final straw".
- [email protected]
COVID RULES COULD BE ‘BACK IN WEEKS’ AS MINISTERS DRAW UP PLANS AMID RECORD CASES IN YOUNG BRITS
Infections are on the up in younger age groups as society opens up once more.
Now, ministers part of a Covid task force are set to be drawing up plans which will include fresh guidance on working from home, social distancing and mask wearing.
Sources told the Independent that there was “no plan” to return to a hard lockdown that had been seen at the start of the year with others saying adding restrictions would be a “last resort”.
One expert told the Independent that the government’s current plan for reintroducing lockdowns fits with the way they have handled previous waves.
They said: “First ignore the problems and deny action is needed, then realise there is a problem and tell people it is up to them to act, then, belatedly, impose greater restrictions than would have been needed if one acted early.”
- [email protected]
NORTH EAST GETS EXTRA SUPPORT IN BID TO SLOW GROWTH OF COVID-19
The North East of England is to be given a five-week package of support by the Government in a bid to slow the growth of Covid-19 in the region.
The package includes the option to deliver extra testing in the area, as well as providing logistical support to maximise vaccine and testing uptake.
It will be deployed to the seven local authorities across Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County Durham, and five local authorities in the Tees Valley.
The move comes as similar support in Bedford and much of the North West, which has been in place for between six and 10 weeks, is being scaled back.
- [email protected]
CASES OF CHILDHOOD VIRUS EIGHT TIMES HIGHER THAN PRE-COVID
The number of RSV infections is currently eight times higher than the same time period before the pandemic.
The “out-of-season” trend has resulted in PHE giving a warning to parents to watch out for symptoms.
It’s expected the wave will continue well into the winter, when experts have warned of pressure on NHS paediatric intensive care units.
Azra Ghani, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at Imperial College London, told the Sun: “This is of concern for the NHS because although RSV is a mild infection in the majority of children, a few require intensive care.
“Paediatric intensive care units are limited in capacity.”
- [email protected]
POLICE, FIRE CREWS AND BORDER FORCE STAFF CAN SKIP COVID ISOLATION
Downing Street was forced into another U-turn as they announced police, fire crews and some Border Force staff at ports can skip isolation regardless of vaccine status.
So will those at the most critical parts of transport and freight systems.
Amid growing alarm at the sheer scale of the pingdemic crisis, No 10 has scrambled to free more essential workers from the draconian rules.
Along with food distribution workers, thousands of these frontline staff will be able to take daily tests so they can carry on with their duties if they are pinged by the NHS Covid app.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Daily testing will keep our frontline teams safe while they continue to serve the public and communities across our country.”
Source: Read Full Article