PA Media Covid-related staff absences at hospitals in England have risen sharply since Omicron took hold last month, latest figures show. The number of workers off sick for Covid reasons trebled from the beginning of December. The Royal College of Nursing said growing absences meant the situation was “simply not safe.” NHS national medical director
Month: January 2022
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. President Joe Biden has said rioters who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 “held a dagger at the throat of America and American democracy”. In a televised speech marking the first anniversary of the events,
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. World number one men’s tennis player Novak Djokovic should be deported from Australia if he has not told the truth about his exemption from vaccination rules, the deputy prime minister says. Barnaby Joyce told the BBC that
EPA World number one tennis player Novak Djokovic has been denied entry to Australia over an issue with his visa. The player arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday where authorities noticed a mistake with his application. Djokovic was due to play in the Australian Open, after being exempted from vaccination rules. He has been told he
Getty Images Covid testing rules are to be eased for people without symptoms, who will no longer need to confirm a positive lateral flow test with a PCR. The UK Health Security Agency said the change will come in from 11 January in England. While Covid levels are high, people can be confident that rapid
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson says he hopes England can “ride out” the current wave of Covid-19 without further restrictions. But he acknowledged parts of the NHS would feel “temporarily overwhelmed” amid a surge of Omicron cases. The prime minister
Getty Images Vaccinating everyone on the planet against Covid-19 regularly is not sustainable or affordable, a UK vaccine scientist has said. Prof Sir Andrew Pollard, who helped develop the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, said the most at risk should be identified and prioritised instead. He said the vaccine rollout had gone “extremely well” in the UK but
Reuters Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has been found guilty of four charges of fraud at a trial in California. Prosecutors argued Holmes knowingly lied about her blood-testing firm and technology able to detect diseases with just a few drops of blood. Jurors found Holmes guilty of four charges, including conspiracy to commit fraud against investors
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. England will continue with its Plan B Covid measures amid growing pressures on the NHS, Boris Johnson has said. The prime minister said it would be “folly” to think the pandemic was over and pressure on hospitals
Getty Images Secondary schools pupils in England will be tested for Covid at least once before rejoining classes for the new term, the government has announced. Ministers have assured schools that testing kits will be provided as needed and urged pupils to test twice weekly. It comes as the government stressed on Sunday that nothing
PA Media Ministers have been tasked with developing “robust contingency plans” for workplace absences, as the government warned rising cases could see up to a quarter of staff off work. Public sector leaders have been asked to prepare for “worst case scenarios” of 10%, 20% and 25% absence rates, the Cabinet Office said. The UK
PA Media Face masks are to be worn in secondary classrooms in England’s schools to reduce the spread of the Omicron variant, the government has announced. The temporary reintroduction of face coverings aims to address concerns about schools remaining open for face-to-face learning this coming term. Meanwhile, six school staff unions have issued a demand
PA Media Further Covid restrictions in England must be an “absolute last resort”, Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said, despite rising case numbers in the UK. Writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Javid said the UK must look to “live alongside” coronavirus in 2022. The number of people in intensive care was not following the