England’s R number has jumped to between 1.2 and 1.4, according to new figures. R represents the average number of people each person with COVID-19 goes on to infect. Last week, the estimated R number was between 1 and 1.2 in England. An outbreak can grow exponentially when the figure is above 1. When it
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The scientists behind some of the most significant advancements in the battle against COVID -19 have been commended in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. The life-saving work of those involved in the creation of coronavirus vaccines is celebrated in this year’s list, with the heroes behind the design of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab recognised for their
The UK will donate at least 100 million surplus COVID vaccines to other countries within the next year, Boris Johnson has pledged. As he prepares to welcome world leaders to Cornwall for the G7 summit, the prime minister has vowed to “take a massive step towards beating this pandemic for good”. Mr Johnson’s action builds
A woman whose employment contract was not renewed after expressing views that sex cannot be changed and transgender women are “not women” has won an appeal against an employment tribunal. In 2018, Maya Forstater posted a number of tweets expressing her beliefs about sex and gender, including her opposition to proposed reform of the Gender
More than one million people booked a COVID-19 vaccine through the NHS website on Tuesday – a record high. The landmark came on the day that bookings were opened up to those aged 25 to 29 and appear to have put to rest any suggestions that younger people might be reluctant to be vaccinated. A
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has called for vaccinations for 18 to 30-year-olds to be included in the government’s “strengthened support package” to tackle the Delta variant. On Wednesday the health secretary asked people in Greater Manchester and Lancashire to minimise travel and meet people outside where possible to prevent the variant spreading further there.
Boris Johnson is battling to avoid a sausage trade war with Brussels which could see chilled meats barred from shops in Northern Ireland from the end of this month. The PM’s Brexit minister Lord Frost is holding a showdown with a top EU official who is threatening to prevent sausages and mince produced in Britain
Former Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens has admitted to the kidnap and rape of Sarah Everard at the Old Bailey. Sarah, 33, vanished while walking home from a friend’s house in Clapham, south London, in March. Couzens, 48, appeared at the Old Bailey on Tuesday morning when he entered the guilty pleas. Appearing via video
A second England cricketer is being investigated over historical “offensive” social media posts. A spokesman for the England and Wales Cricket Board said: “It has been brought to our attention that an England player has posted historic offensive material on their social media account. “We are looking into it and will make a further comment
Boris Johnson could narrowly avoid a rebellion by some of his own Conservative MPs as a vote over cuts to the foreign aid budget hangs in the balance. Thirty Tories, including former prime minister Theresa May and four other cabinet ministers, were backing a rebellion against the £4bn reduction and had hoped to force a
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have welcomed their second child – a baby daughter named Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. Harry and Meghan announced that the infant, a first sibling for Archie, was born on Friday in California. Lili is named after her great-grandmother the Queen – who was affectionately nicknamed Lilibet by her family
Social media companies must do better in removing posts that are “glamourising” dangerous migrant crossings, the home secretary says. Priti Patel wrote to the companies on Saturday to say they must deal with the “totally unacceptable” posts promoting the “lethal crossings”. Among them is a video on TikTok which has been watched more than 800,000
The UK has reported another 5,765 coronavirus cases – significantly up on the total on the same day last week, but down on yesterday’s two-month high. Saturday’s figure compares to 6,238 on Friday – the highest since 25 March – and 3,398 last Saturday. A further 13 deaths have also been recorded within 28 days
The government is “drawing up other options” before making a decision on whether to completely lift COVID restrictions on 21 June. A government figure said Number 10 was still planning to go ahead with the final step in the roadmap, but is waiting for more data before taking any decisions. “It would be remiss of
Primary school children lost more than two months’ learning during the last lockdown, with northern and disadvantaged pupils hardest hit, a report has found. By the time they returned to school in March this year, pupils had regressed to the level they were in September, according to the research for the Department for Education (DfE).
Portuguese authorities have questioned why the UK has switched the popular holiday destination from its travel green list to amber. The move, announced on Thursday, means thousands of Britons who travelled there for the half-term school break are now scrambling to get home before the mandatory 10-day self-isolation kicks in at 4am on Tuesday. Live