More than 200,000 people are getting a COVID-19 jab every day and the government is on course to reach its target of 13 million people vaccinated by mid-February, Matt Hancock has told Sky News. But speaking on Sophy Ridge On Sunday, the health secretary said the pressure on the NHS was “very bad” and repeated
Politics
More than nine in 10 headteachers say they don’t have confidence in the Department for Education’s decision-making, after schools were closed and exams cancelled due to the pandemic. Millions of children are being taught remotely and students will no longer sit their 2021 exams because of sharp rises in COVID-19 cases. Now a survey of
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been accused by her predecessor Alex Salmond of submitting evidence to a parliamentary inquiry that is “simply untrue”. A spokesperson for the first minister has said she “entirely rejects” the claims and accused Mr Salmond of “spinning false conspiracy theories”. Mr Salmond claims she attended a meeting at which
Boris Johnson has been slammed by MPs for being too secretive about the scientific advice that informed lockdowns and the tier system in England. The prime minister has been warned that transparency is essential for allowing scrutiny of scientists’ advice and promoting public confidence in lockdown decisions. The warning comes in a hard-hitting report by
Wales its continuing its lockdown and will be toughening up some restrictions as the nation struggles to manage the spread of the new highly infectious coronavirus variant. People in Wales are already being told to stay at home and not mix with other households, but the lockdown measures had been due for a review. After
The government has been urged to listen to the concerns of GPs over the rollout of COVID vaccines in order to avoid “frustrating and demoralising” doctors and “confusing and disappointing” patients. On Thursday, GP surgeries across England received their first doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and began administering them to patients. However, the GP surgery
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has predicted England’s latest national lockdown will be the last full shutdown of the COVID crisis – but suggested Britons might need to be re-vaccinated every six to 12 months. The government is aiming to offer a first dose of a COVID vaccine to nearly 14 million of the most vulnerable
MPs have approved England’s third coronavirus lockdown – but the government has been urged by leading Conservatives to allow further votes on the measures both this month and next month. Following a four-hour debate in the House of Commons, MPs approved the newest lockdown by 524 votes to 16, a majority of 508. Their approval
Boris Johnson says he had “no choice” but to implement another national lockdown in England as “the facts are changing” on coronavirus infections. The prime minister told MPs that the government will use “every available second” to place an “invisible shield” around elderly and vulnerable people through the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Follow live updates
Boris Johnson is facing a showdown with Conservative backbench COVID-19 lockdown rebels in the second Commons recall of the Christmas recess. A day which begins with a 90-minute interrogation for the prime minister by COVID critics is likely to end with a Tory rebellion in a vote on the latest lockdown in England. In between,
It was the only thing that could pause a country binge-watching boxsets in 2020; a teatime appointment-to-view event that interrupted whatever we were doing and gripped a nation. The Downing Street coronavirus updates gave us 121 episodes last year, launching on Monday 16 March and ending on Wednesday 30 December. Analysing those briefings gives an
A nationwide lockdown will be introduced in Scotland from midnight tonight, Nicola Sturgeon has announced. The first minister told the Scottish Parliament there will be a legal requirement for people to stay at home for the rest of January, with schools remaining closed to most pupils until the start of February at the earliest. “It
Tougher measures are coming in a bid to control the spread of coronavirus, the prime minister has said. Boris Johnson said there were “tough, tough” weeks ahead in the UK’s fight against COVID-19. He added: “If you look at the numbers there’s no question we will have to take tougher measures and we will be
The prime minister knew, walking into his first broadcast interview of 2021, that he would face some difficult questions. In the last 24 hours alone, teaching unions have warned their members not to take classes face-to-face because of fears over the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading, a record number of new cases has been
Boris Johnson has said “there is no doubt in my mind that schools are safe” in areas where they are open – as he warned of tighter restrictions in the coming weeks. As pressure mounted on the prime minister to keep all of England’s schools closed when the new term starts, Mr Johnson insisted education
Labour’s shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens is being treated in hospital for COVID-19, her team has said. A statement on the 54-year-old MP’s Twitter account said: “Jo has asked us to let you know that she is being treated in hospital for Covid. “Thanks for all your good wishes we will give an update when