Media playback is unsupported on your device Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called on the public to “summon the discipline and the resolve” to follow the new coronavirus rules announced on Tuesday. In a television broadcast to the country he warned the government may go further if people do not stick to them. New measures
Month: September 2020
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK had reached “a perilous turning point” as he set out new restrictions to combat coronavirus which could last for up to six months. He told MPs that hospitality businesses would close at 22:00 and weddings would be limited to a maximum of 15 people. Face masks will be
All pubs, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues in England must have a 22:00 BST closing time from Thursday, to help curb the spread of coronavirus. The sector will also be restricted by law to table service only. The measures will be set out by the prime minister in Parliament before an address to the
The UK could see 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October without further restrictions, the government’s chief scientific adviser has warned. Sir Patrick Vallance said that “would be expected to lead to about 200 deaths per day” a month after that. The briefing at Downing St comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson considers whether
The husband of one of the Conservative Party’s biggest donors was secretly funded by a Russian oligarch with close ties to President Putin. Lubov Chernukhin has given £1.7m to the Tories, including paying to spend time with the last three prime ministers. Leaked files show her husband received $8m (£6.1m). The money initially came from
Media playback is unsupported on your device Sir Keir Starmer has called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to apologise for a “near collapse” in the government’s coronavirus test and trace system. The Labour leader told the BBC ministers had “lost control of where the virus is”, making the need for further restrictions “more likely”. He
People in England who refuse an order to self-isolate could be fined up to £10,000, the government has said. The new legal duty requires people to self-isolate if they test positive for coronavirus, or are traced as a close contact, from 28 September. New measures also include a one-off £500 support payment for those on
Boris Johnson will spend the weekend considering whether to tighten Covid-19 measures further, after saying the UK was “now seeing a second wave”. The government is understood to be looking at a ban on households in England mixing, and reducing opening hours for pubs and restaurants. At least 13.5 million people, roughly one in five
The UK is “now seeing a second wave” of Covid-19, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said, adding, “It’s been inevitable we’d see it in this country.” Mr Johnson said he did not “want to go into bigger lockdown measures” but that tighter social distancing restrictions might be necessary. Earlier, new rules were confirmed for Lancashire,
Related Topics Coronavirus pandemic image copyrightPA Media Tighter restrictions will come into force in Lancashire, Merseyside, parts of the Midlands and West Yorkshire after significant increases in Covid-19 cases, the government has said. The new rules ban separate households from meeting each other at home or in private gardens. Pubs and restaurants must also shut early
The UK government is considering taking further England-wide measures including a short period of restrictions across the country to try to slow a second surge of coronavirus cases. A few weeks of national rules – or a “circuit break” – could be announced in the next week, BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg has been told.
Related Topics Coronavirus pandemic image copyrightReuters Almost two million people in north-east England will see more restrictions following a rise in coronavirus cases. The temporary measures include restrictions on households mixing and pubs closing earlier at night. The Northumberland, Newcastle, Sunderland, North and South Tyneside, Gateshead and County Durham council areas will be affected from
Related Topics Coronavirus pandemic image copyrightPA Media Almost two million people in north-east England are expected to face local restrictions as coronavirus cases rise. Areas including Newcastle, Sunderland and County Durham are due to be subject to new measures. These are expected to include restrictions on households mixing and pubs being ordered to close earlier.
The government will publish details of its plan to prioritise coronavirus tests in the next few days, after widespread problems with the system. Top of the list will be NHS staff and patients, and those in care homes. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he did “not shirk from decisions” about who should be prioritised. It
The testing system is facing an “enormous challenge” after a “sharp rise” in those seeking a test, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said. When challenged on the reports of people struggling to get a test, Mr Hancock said it would take a “matter of weeks” to resolve the problems. He said No 10 would update
The UK unemployment rate has risen to its highest level for almost two years, official figures show. The unemployment rate grew to 4.1% in the three months to July, compared with 3.9% previously. Young people were particularly hard-hit, with those aged 16 to 24 suffering the biggest drop in employment compared with other age groups.