UK

COVID-19 vaccines could be airlifted to the UK next year if Brexit trade talks collapse and cause delays at Channel crossings. The government is hoping to receive millions of doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine by the end of the year, with the first vaccinations due to begin this week. However, the NHS doesn’t expect to

The government will push ahead with Brexit legislation that could break international law – despite fears that it could upset the EU at a critical time for trade talks. Foreign Office minister James Cleverly told Sky News the government’s Internal Market Bill would return to the House of Commons today. Time is running out to

Brexit negotiations are stuck on three critical issues and “further effort” is needed to break the deadlock, UK and European Union leaders have said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a joint statement following an hour-long discussion on Saturday. They said that while “progress has been achieved in

Hospitals are preparing to begin the first phase of the “largest scale vaccination campaign” in the UK’s history. The first COVID-19 vaccines will arrive at hospitals by Monday ahead of the first jabs being given on Tuesday. GP surgeries in England have been told to start staffing COVID-19 vaccination centres by 14 December. Image: The

A batch of the coronavirus vaccine has been pictured arriving at a hospital in south London ahead of the UK-wide rollout of the treatment this week. Staff have been unloading doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab from boxes at Croydon University Hospital before placing them in freezers on the site. The COVID-19 vaccine must be stored

COVID-19 will keep hospitals under continued strain in the coming months as new vaccines will only have a “marginal impact” on patient numbers over winter, the UK’s chief medical officers have warned. In a letter written to healthcare colleagues, the group – which includes England’s Professor Chris Whitty – also said that festive gatherings were

A 16-year-old boy has been named among the four victims of an explosion at a waste water treatment site near Bristol. The four people who died have been named by police as Michael James, 64, Brian Vickery, 63, Raymond White, 57, and Luke Wheaton, 16. Avon and Somerset Police said a fifth person was injured

The White House’s chief immunologist has told Sky News he believes the British approval of the Pfizer COVID vaccine has been done in a “much less deep” way than would have been done in the US. Dr Anthony Fauci told Sky News he believed the data “clearly shows that the vaccine is safe and effective” but

Hand sanitiser is one of the most common ways people are protecting themselves from COVID-19 when out and about, but some contain less alcohol than they claim – and too little to kill the disease. The worst of the 18 sanitisers tested by consumer group Which? had an alcohol content of 10%, rather than the

The public should take the COVID-19 vaccine when it is offered to them if they want to see an end to social distancing, one of the government’s top medical officers has said. Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer, told a Downing Street news conference that while people were “fed up” with ongoing coronavirus

It will take “some months” for the UK’s most vulnerable people to be vaccinated against coronavirus, the prime minister has said. Speaking at a Downing Street news conference, Boris Johnson acknowledged there will be “immense logistical challenges” in distributing the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which has approved for use in the UK. Live updates on coronavirus from

The UK’s independent healthcare regulator has approved the Pfizer/BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine for use. It will be rolled out for use next week. “The government has today accepted the recommendation from the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for use,” the government said. “The vaccine will be made available

England’s new tiered system of coronavirus restrictions has been approved by MPs, although a sizable number of Conservatives appear to have rebelled against the measures. The system was approved by 291 votes to 78, a majority of 213. A full breakdown of the vote has not yet been released, but the figures suggest that there

The government has been accused of producing a “rehashed document” in a bid to quell a Tory rebellion over its strengthened coronavirus tiers. Ministers have released an impact assessment of the new tiered system ahead of a Commons vote on Tuesday. Boris Johnson is battling to avoid a damaging Conservative revolt over the measures, with

Some 13,000 retail jobs are hanging in the balance after high street giant Arcadia collapsed into administration. Sir Philip Green’s retail empire operates from 444 sites in the UK and 22 overseas as well as online – and currently has more than 9,000 staff on furlough. The workforce now faces an uncertain future, though no

Several police forces in England have said they have handed out multiple fines after breaking up a number of large-scale illegal parties over the weekend.  Police were called to at least four locations, including a university hall of residence in Nottingham where up to 200 people were discovered at one gathering. Nottinghamshire Police said in