Leeds, Middlesbrough, Corby, Kettering and South Tyneside have been added to the government’s coronavirus watchlist after cases spiked. Norfolk, Rossendale in Lancashire and Northampton will also become “areas of enhanced support”, which means more residents will get access to testing, after seeing their own rises in COVID-19 infections. Some areas previously subject to local lockdown
UK
A new £500m funding package will support trials of a 20-minute coronavirus test, the health secretary has announced. Matt Hancock said part of the money will also go towards efforts to explore the benefits of repeatedly testing people for the virus, with a new community-wide repeat population testing trial set to be launched in Salford,
409 migrants crossed the English Channel to reach UK shores in small boats today – significantly breaking the previous single-day record. Hundreds were intercepted while others managed to land on beaches, according to the Home Office. It brings the total number who have successfully made the journey this year to more than 5,600. The previous
Travellers from mainland Portugal and parts of Greece will have to isolate when arriving in Wales but not England. The two nations made different decisions at the weekly point when their quarantine lists are normally updated. There was speculation about what would happen to Portugal given COVID-19 cases there rose to 23 per 100,000 people
Travellers arriving in Scotland from Greece will have to quarantine for two weeks following a “significant” spike in coronavirus cases. The rule will come into force from 4am on Thursday due to “evidence of virus importation”. In Wales, people coming back from Zante will be asked to self-isolate for two weeks, after seven infections were
Police searching for missing diplomat Richard Morris have found a body in the forest where he jogged regularly. Detectives have not formally identified the body, but Mr Morris’s family has been told of the discovery. The former UK ambassador to Nepal, 52, vanished on 6 May after setting out on a run from his home
All good things must come to an end, they say, and today sees the end of the government funded Eat Out To Help Out scheme. Launched by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in July, for three days a week the deal offered half-price discounts on eat-in food up to the value of £10 per person. It was
It’s been six months since COVID-19 began disrupting – and ending – lives in the UK. So: time to take stock. The graph below shows the official shape of the UK’s epidemic. According to government data, more than 330,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus and around 42,000 of them have died. Even at this
Police have been responding to reports of illegal gatherings after rules were brought in just before the bank holiday weekend. The new rules came into force on Friday, prompted by more than 1,000 unlicensed events since the end of June. Anyone in breach of the rules could be fined £10,000. People not wearing masks and
Police have issued £10,000 fines to at least nine people for their part in organising illegal gatherings this weekend. The heavy fines are the first to be handed out since new rules came into force in England on Friday ahead of the bank holiday weekend. West Yorkshire Police said officers had attended several parties on
There could be nationwide restrictions or very extensive local lockdowns in England if there is a second spike in COVID-19 cases this winter, Matt Hancock has warned. The health secretary also said in a worst-case scenario, the UK could be fighting a bad outbreak of flu and a growth in coronavirus as people spend more
Teachers’ unions have reacted with dismay after the government published new COVID-19 guidelines for secondary schools last night – just days before millions of pupils in England are due to return to the classroom next week. If there is a local lockdown in an area with significant numbers of infections, schools could have to bring
Lockdown restrictions will be eased in northern England next week after a decrease in coronavirus cases, meaning more than one million people in parts of the region can mix again in different households. In line with the rest of England, social gatherings can take place between two homes in Bolton, Stockport, Trafford, Burnley, and Hyndburn
“It is now safe to go back” to work, a cabinet minister has told Sky News as the government prepares a push to get people back to the office. In a new advertising blitz next week, government messages will emphasise the benefits of employees returning to workplaces, as well as encouraging businesses to make their
The number of weekly COVID-19 cases in England has declined for the first time since July, new figures show. A total of 6,115 people tested positive for coronavirus in the week from 13 to 19 August, figures from the government’s test and trace operation have revealed. That is 8% lower than the week before and
Payment will soon be given to people on low incomes, that are self-isolating in areas that are deemed to be high risk from coronavirus, the government has announced. Those eligible for the scheme will be paid £182 if they are forced to self-isolate for 14 days, with a payment of £130 for those who have