Month: December 2021

Getty Images People catching Omicron are 50% to 70% less likely to need hospital care compared with previous variants, a major analysis says. The UK Health Security Agency says its early findings are “encouraging” but the variant could still lead to large numbers of people in hospital. The health secretary said it was “too early”

Getty Images The number of NHS staff off work because of Covid is rising across England and particularly high in London, official data shows. Nearly 19,000 NHS staff were absent for Covid-related reasons on 19 December – up 54% on the previous week. In London, the figure was almost 3,900 – more than double the

Getty Images The wave of Omicron appears to be milder according to preliminary studies published in the UK and South Africa. Early evidence suggests fewer people are needing hospital treatment – potentially around a two-thirds reduction – than with other variants. However, the Scottish study is based on very few cases and had few people

A maximum of six people will be allowed to meet in pubs, cinemas and restaurants in Wales from 26 December, the first minister has announced. And two metres social distancing rules are to return in public places, Mark Drakeford said. Licensed premises will have to offer table service only, face masks will have to be

Getty Images People infected with Covid in England can stop self-isolating up to three days early if they test negative twice, it has been announced. They will now be able to end quarantine after seven days instead of 10 by providing negative lateral flow results on day six and day seven. Health Secretary Sajid Javid

Getty Images Hospitality and entertainment firms are calling for a clear decision from the government on whether there will be further Covid restrictions in England in the coming days. Boris Johnson did not announce any new measures on Monday, but said data was being reviewed “hour by hour”. Labour’s London mayor Sadiq Khan warned time

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The government “won’t hesitate” to introduce further Covid rules in England as cases of the Omicron variant continue to surge ahead of Christmas, the prime minister has said. Boris Johnson did not announce any new measures but

Getty Images The government “can’t make hard, fast guarantees” that there will not be a Christmas lockdown, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has said. “I’m not going to trail things when decisions haven’t been made,” he said, when asked whether England can expect more restrictions in the coming days. Ministers are considering three different options

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The health secretary has refused to rule out further Covid restrictions for England, as the Omicron variant spreads around the country. A further 12,133 Omicron cases have been confirmed in the UK, although the true number is

Getty Images Germany has become the latest European country to ban most travellers from Britain, to try to slow the spread of the Omicron variant. German nationals and residents will still be allowed to enter from the UK. They must have a negative test and quarantine for two weeks, regardless of whether they have been

Getty Images Brexit minister Lord Frost has resigned from Boris Johnson’s government. He led the UK’s negotiations over the EU Withdrawal Agreement and Northern Ireland Protocol. In a letter to Mr Johnson, Lord Frost said that while “Brexit is now secure” he had “concerns about the current direction of travel”. The Mail on Sunday, which

Getty Images More stringent restrictions need to be brought in very soon in England if ministers want to stop hospital admissions reaching 3,000 a day, the government’s scientific advisers say. The BBC has seen leaked minutes of a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies held on Thursday. The document says there are many

PA Media The UK’s top civil servant is expected to step aside from his role leading an inquiry into Downing Street lockdown parties, after it emerged an event was held in his own office. Simon Case had been due to report on claims Covid rules were broken at events for staff last year. But his

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Conservatives have lost the North Shropshire seat they held for nearly 200 years to the Liberal Democrats in a by-election blow to Boris Johnson. Winner Helen Morgan overturned a Tory majority of almost 23,000, declaring that

Four children have died in a house fire in Sutton, south London, the fire service has said. Eight fire engines and 60 firefighters attended the fire in Collingwood Road, Sutton, at around 18.55 GMT. The four children were given immediate CPR by firefighters, who continued to give treatment until ambulance crews arrived. The youngsters were

EPA Nearly a quarter of patients brought to hospital in an ambulance are facing dangerous delays getting into hospital in England, NHS data shows. Ambulances are meant to hand over patients within 15 minutes of arriving. But in the past week 23% out of nearly 84,000 patients brought in waited over 30 minutes. Staff are