Boris Johnson is urged to toughen border controls

Boris Johnson is urged to toughen border controls after traveller from South Africa reveals she walked through Heathrow in 10 minutes with NO checks

• Travellers to the UK will be tested for coronavirus a few days after they arrive
• Test must be taken in the 72 hours before travelling, and those without face fine 
• One traveller said she walked through Heathrow in 10 minutes with no checks 

The Prime Minister has been urged to toughen border controls after a passenger arriving from South Africa revealed she walked through Heathrow unchecked. 

Sharon Feinstein, who lives in Islington, north London, claims she walked through the terminal following a trip to Johannesburg, where the mutant strain is rife. 

Ms Feinstein landed yesterday after visiting her mother, and had documents to prove she’d had a negative test result – but claims she was ushered through passport control.  

This comes as it emerged travellers are going to be tested a few days after they land in the UK, or face a £500 fine. 

In more coronavirus news today, it emerged:

• Matt Hancock says over-70s no longer need to wait for Covid vaccine invite from the NHS and they can book their own jabs online; 
• Covid deaths hit a six-week low as UK records 333 more victims and 14,104 infections on Monday; 
• Unions push back at plan to extend school summer term by two weeks as Boris Johnson vows to go ‘flat out’ to help children catch up after Covid;
• Coronavirus patients treated with a experimental hepatitis drug were four times more likely to have cleared the infection within seven days, study finds;
• An extra 10,000 people will be tested for Covid in Manchester after four cases of new Kent strain are found in the city; 
• Boris Johnson refuses to rule out making lockdown longer if South African variant continues to spread.

Sharon Feinstein, from Islington, north London, claims she walked through Heathrow following a trip to Johannesburg

Ms Feinstein landed yesterday after visiting her mother, and had documents to prove she’d had a negative test result – but claims she was ushered through passport control

Hotel quarantine may leave passengers stranded abroad as airlines warn they could refuse flights to those who have failed to book a room in advance 

Airlines fear any lack of rooms under the quarantine hotels scheme could force them to leave travellers stuck abroad.

It is understood ministers are considering adding a section to passenger locator forms, which all must fill out before departure. It could ask them if they have booked into a quarantine hotel in the UK.

But it is unclear whether carriers will be expected to bar travellers who answer no, leaving them stranded.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock will announce today that the Government has struck its first deals with hotel chains to accommodate those quarantining.

Ministers are expected to unveil a booking system for travellers this week.

But an aviation source said yesterday: ‘We’re completely in the dark. We don’t know yet whether the Government will want us to deny boarding.’ Airlines are legally required to check passenger locator forms have been completed. They also have to check that a passenger has a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of travel.

Ministers have been accused of being too slow to bring in quarantine hotels. The policy was announced in the Commons on January 27 but does not come into force until Monday.

Under the rules, hotels will have to provide three meals a day for guests for 11 nights. Travellers will be tested twice, on the second and eighth day of their stay.

Security guards will be stationed on each floor and by entrances and exits, with police on standby if passengers try to abscond.

But Heathrow airport has raised concerns about how the new scheme will work at borders.

A spokesman said: ‘Now that the Government has set a date, ministers need to work with industry to establish how this policy will actually be implemented at the border.

‘Our offer to support remains, but time is ticking and this very complex initiative requires airports, airlines and the Government to work closely together for it to be workable.’

Lucy Moreton, professional officer at the Immigration Services Union, which represents border staff, said border guards were yet to receive any fresh guidance about how the policy will work.

Ms Feinstein told the Daily Express: ‘I could have had Covid, they don’t know where I am staying, they didn’t ask. 

‘As a country we’re messing up.’

Ms Feinstein said the Covid strain in South Africa was ‘rife’, but travellers were made to have tests after five days and again 14 days after arriving. 

She said: ‘Why can a third-world country get it right and we can’t?’

All travellers arriving in the UK will have to take two coronavirus tests in a fresh attempt to prevent mutant strains entering the country under new rules to be announced this week.

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the move was designed to provide a ‘further level of protection’ enabling the authorities to track new cases more effectively.

It is expected that people isolating at home will be told they must get a test two and eight days into their 10-day quarantine period.

It comes after it was confirmed last week that UK nationals returning from 33 ‘red list’ countries would be required to quarantine in closely monitored government-designated hotels, where they would have to take two tests.

A DHSC spokesman said: ‘Throughout the pandemic, the Government has put in place proportionate measures, informed by the advice of scientists, that have led to some of the toughest border regimes in the world.

‘Enhancing our testing regime to cover all arrivals while they isolate will provide a further level of protection and enable us to better track any new cases which might be brought into the country, and give us even more opportunities to detect new variants.’

A formal announcement could come as early as Tuesday when Health Secretary Matt Hancock updates MPs in a Commons statement on the pandemic.

The move comes as officials sought to reassure the public that vaccines should provide effective protection against people falling seriously ill from the new South African variant.

South Africa has suspended use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine after a preliminary trial suggested it offered a reduced level of protection against infection and mild illness from the variant.

However the deputy chief medical officer for England said that, unlike the variant which emerged last year in Kent, there was no evidence it enjoyed a ‘transmissibility advantage’ so was unlikely to become the dominant strain in the UK in the coming months.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said he believed it was ‘likely’ the AstraZeneca jab – like the other vaccines – would give ‘substantial’ protection against serious illness from the South Africa variant.

He said that it was possible people would need annual or biennial booster jabs as the vaccines were updated to deal with new variants, and that there were ‘a lot of steps behind the scenes’ to ensure that could happen.

New rules on hotel quarantine are due to come into force on next week – although the Government has yet to announce any agreement with any of hotel chains on providing accommodation.

On Monday the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said no formal contracts had yet been awarded after the Government issued commercial specifications last Thursday.

However the Financial Times reported that ministers were said to be close to signing up a series of hotels near Heathrow, and were optimistic of agreeing deals with others around Manchester, Gatwick, Birmingham and London City airports.

Some 10,000 extra coronavirus tests will be rolled out in Manchester from Tuesday, after four people from two unconnected households were found to be infected with the E484K mutation linked to the Kent variant, Manchester City Council said.

Meanwhile the Government is urging any over 70s in England who have yet to receive an appointment to be vaccinated to contact the NHS to ask for one. Previously people were told to wait until they invited to get the jab.

Ministers remain confident they will hit their target to offer a vaccination to the 15 million people across the UK in the four most vulnerable groups – including the over 70s – by Monday.

Mr Hancock said 12.2 million people have now received the jab, including 91% of all over 80s as well as 93% of eligible care home residents.

The new figures came as the Government launched an urgent campaign to recruit more social care staff in England to fill gaps left by staff forced to self-isolate.

DHSC urged the unemployed, volunteers and people on furlough to register to fill short-term gaps in the sector with opportunities including personal care – helping people to wash and dress – providing wellbeing support, collecting and delivering supplies or helping out with cooking and cleaning.  

Boris Johnson refuses to rule out making lockdown LONGER if South African variant continues to spread 

Boris Johnson yesterday refused to rule out extending lockdown if the South African variant continues to spread amid fears Oxford University’s vaccine may not stop people falling ill with the mutant strain.

An alarming study found the British-made jab had ‘minimal effect’ in preventing mild disease caused by the strain, suggesting vaccinated people may still be able to catch and spread it. One prominent SAGE adviser claimed the finding meant ‘more restrictions might be needed for longer’.

Pressed on whether there may need to be a delay to easing restrictions if the jab is proven to be less effective at reducing transmission of the South African variant, the Prime Minister said vaccines are ‘going to offer a way out’ and ‘remain of massive benefit to our country’ — but failed to dismiss the prospect of a lockdown extension.

During a visit to a coronavirus test manufacturing facility in Derby, he said: ‘We’re very confident in all the vaccines that we’re using. And I think it’s important for people to bear in mind that all of them, we think, are effective in delivering a high degree of protection against serious illness and death, which is the most important thing.’

Top experts — including Oxford academics and the UK’s leading vaccine panel — also believe the jab will protect against severe illness, ultimately easing pressure on the NHS when lockdown restrictions are eventually lifted and saving tens of thousands of lives.

Health minister Edward Argar told the public not to lose sight of the main purpose of jabs – which is to drive down hospital admissions and deaths to manageable levels. His comments echoed those of vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi, who said preventing severe disease was the ‘vitally important’ factor for the roll-out.

Government sources insisted the worrying study — which prompted South Africa to stop dishing out the Oxford jab — had not changed the plan to get schools back from March 8. However, they pointed out the PM had cited the threat of new variants as a factor that will be taken into account when decisions are made on easing lockdown.

So far there have only been 147 confirmed cases of the South African variant in the UK but this is likely to be a vast underestimate because up until last week officials were only analysing 10 per cent of random positive swabs.

Scientists say the true number of cases is likely 10 to 20 times higher than the official count. No10 has deployed extra testing into more than 10 areas of England where the South African strain is thought to be spreading in the community.

It comes as at least ten vaccination centres due to inoculate thousands were shut today as Storm Darcy struck the UK with 50mph winds and a foot of snow turning roads into ‘lethal’ ice rinks. More than 12million Brits have already had their first dose, with the Government on course to hit its ambitious target of vaccinating 15million by February 15.

The ‘more elaborate’ your summer holiday plans, the more likely that you will have to CANCEL them, Prof Van Tam warns Britons 

By Katie Feehan for MailOnline 

England’s deputy chief medical officer has warned against organising elaborate holidays this year as it is still too soon to say when restrictions will be relaxed.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam was asked about holidays and said he could not give a proper answer as the data is not yet available.

Speaking at the No 10 news briefing, he explained: ‘The more elaborate your plans are for summer holidays, in terms of crossing borders, in terms of household mixing, given where we are now, I think we just have to say the more you are stepping into making guesses about the unknown. I can’t give people a proper answer at this point because we don’t yet have the data. It’s just too early.’

He said any easing of lockdown restrictions in England would have to take place ‘gradually’ and that contemplating what will happen in summer is stepping into the realm of a guessing game. 

Prof Van-Tam also added: ‘Public health counter measures, non-pharmaceutical interventions, social distancing restrictions, they will have to be released gradually. 

‘How quickly they can be released will depend upon three things – the virus, the vaccine and the extent to which the public obey the rules that are in place, which thankfully the vast majority always do.’

Prof Van-Tam added: ‘The key with this coronavirus is again through vaccination, to take the whole curve and shift it to the left, so the vast majority of the illness is an illness that is manageable in the community – as opposed to causing enormous pressure on our hospitals.

‘And we can do that through vaccination, and if we do that we open up a whole way of living normally – much more normally – again in the future.’ 

It comes as Department of Health figures show another 333 Covid victims were recorded today, the lowest 24-hour toll since December 27 and a drop of 18 per cent on the 406 last Monday.

Another 14,104 infections were also added to the official tally. The daily figure has dropped by a quarter week-on-week, with today’s number lower than at any time since December 8. 

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer for England, has warned Britons against making elaborate holiday plans as it is too soon to tell what will be allowed this year

Professor Van Tam said restrictions on crossing borders and mixing households could still be in place this summer as he said it is too soon to advise Britain on summer holiday possibilities

Meanwhile, Matt Hancock said that all over-70s in England who haven’t yet had a Covid vaccine should book their own online.

The Health Secretary tonight trumpeted the success of the roll-out so far, confirming the NHS is on track to hit its target of immunising the 15million most vulnerable Brits by next Monday.

Almost 12.5million people have already received their first dose of vaccine and the health service is administering 450,000 every day, on average, putting the country well on track to hit the milestone next Monday.

Previously, over-70s were told to wait until they were contacted — through a letter, email, text or phone call — to ensure all over-80s, care home residents and patients with serious underlying health conditions had first access.

People in that age group can now schedule an appointment using the NHS booking service or those unable to get online can phone 119.

Mr Hancock said take-up of the vaccines has so far been ‘significantly better than we hoped for’, claiming it has hit a staggering 95 per cent in people in their late 70s, 91 per cent of over-80s and almost three quarters of people in their early 70s. He said the Government had been expecting approximately 75 per cent. 

Analysis shows infection rates are lower than at any time since before Christmas in all four nations of the UK.

While the big picture shows infections are falling in most parts of the country, the decline is slow and positive tests were still rising in 17 areas in the week ending February 3.

One of those areas was Rutland in the Midlands, where new infections more than doubled from 180 per 100,000 people to 386.

And in another glimmer of hope that Britain could be freed from lockdown restrictions within weeks, another 278,988 people got their first dose of a vaccine yesterday.

Despite being one of the slowest days of the rollout so far, it means 12.3million Britons have now been immunised.

Meanwhile, Britain’s hotel quarantine scheme came under fresh criticism on Sunday when it emerged 35 countries where mutant coronavirus strains have been found are not on the list. 

Last week, the Government confirmed that all passengers from 33 ‘red list’ countries would have to quarantine for ten days in a hotel from February 15.

But an analysis carried out by the World Health Organisation has found dozens of countries where the highly-infectious South African and Brazilian variants have been found are not on the list. 

They include Austria, Denmark, France, Greece, Japan, Kenya, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada and the United States.

Labour Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds reacted with fury at the news, branding the Government’s quarantine measures ‘dangerously inadequate’.   

Scientists also said the oversight was ‘not good enough’, adding that the virus ‘spreads like wildfire’.

The WHO analysis, which was reported by the Sunday Times, also found that the Brazilian Covid strain has been found in ten nations, six of which have not been added to the UK red list.

As well as South Africa and Brazil, nations which are also on the list include Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Rwanda and Botswana.

But of the 41 countries which the WHO’s report said the South African strain had spread to, 29 of them do not feature on Britain’s red list. 

Overall, it means arrivals from 35 counties were more infectious strains which could beat or limit the effect of the available coronavirus vaccines will be free to avoid the hotel scheme when they land in Britain.

Instead, they will be trusted to quarantine at home for ten days.

In other news, thousands more people in Manchester will be tested for coronavirus after four new cases of the Kent variant were detected there.

‘Surge testing’ has been ordered in several areas to tackle the South African and Kent variant of coronavirus

A local resident hands over their completed coronavirus test kit as part of surge testing for the South African variant of Covid-19, in West Ealing, west London

Some 10,000 extra tests will be rolled out in the region from Tuesday, after four people from two unconnected households were found to be infected with the mutation, Manchester City Council has said.

This follows similar surges in testing in Worcestershire WR3, an area in Sefton PR9, and areas in Bristol and South Gloucestershire, after variants were found in these locations.

WHERE IS DOOR-TO-DOOR TESTING BEING OFFERED?

London

W7: Hanwell (South African variant)

N17: Tottenham (South African variant)

CR4: Mitcham (South African variant)

West Midlands

WS2: Walsall (South African variant)

WR3: Worcestershire (South African variant) 

WR9: Worcestershire (South African variant) 

East of England

EN10: Broxbourne (South African variant)

South East 

ME15: Maidstone (South African variant)

GU21: Woking (South African variant)

North West

PR9: Southport (South African variant)

Liverpool (Original variant with E484K mutation)

M14 4, M14 7, M15 5, M15 6, M16 7, M16 8: Manchester (Kent variant) 

South West

Bristol (Kent variant with E484K mutation)

Extra testing sites will be set up, and volunteers will be offering doorstep swabs to anyone aged over 16 who is living, working or studying in the affected areas – which includes postcodes in Hulme, Moss Side, Whalley Range and Fallowfield.

Those who have been vaccinated should also take a test, the council has said.

The rollout will use PCR swabs, which take a few days to return results, and anyone who tests positive will be asked to self-isolate and pass on details of their contacts to NHS Test and Trace.

Manchester City Council said it is working with Public Health England and NHS Test and Trace to investigate the spread further and take action to limit the number of people exposed.

David Regan, public health director at Manchester City Council, said: ‘We all know that the virus will change over time and it’s important that we investigate new strains to understand how they might spread.

‘This is exactly what we’re doing with the intensive testing in parts of Manchester, with local testing units and people going door to door to offer people tests.’

Those living or working in postcodes M14 4, M14 7, M15 5, M15 6, M16 7, M16 8 should check the council’s website for more information.

Last Tuesday, extra coronavirus testing was deployed into certain neighbourhoods in Woking in Surrey, Walsall in the West Midlands, as well as parts of London, Kent, Hertfordshire and Lancashire. 

A few days later, ‘surge testing’ was also announced in Worcestershire. 

Over the weekend, a million people in the North West of England were told to take a Covid test if they have a runny nose, as part of a clampdown on a mutated virus detected in the region.   

Residents in the Liverpool city region, Preston and Lancashire were urged by health bosses to get swabbed if they have even the slightest suspicion they are ill. 

It comes after more than 40 cases of an altered strain of the original virus, which carries a mutation experts fear makes vaccines less potent, was spotted in the three areas. 

Despite the frantic bid to try and stop the mutated variants spreading in Britain, scientists have warned the cases identified so far are likely just the ‘tip of the iceberg’. 

Door-to-door and mobile testing began in Britain at the start of the month as part of urgent efforts to swab 80,000 people. 

This came after 11 cases of the variant were identified in people who had no links to travel – suggesting it may be spreading in communities.  

Which countries are not currently on the red list but have reported cases of the South African variant

Austria

Austria, has, according to latest data, recorded 75 cases of the South African variant and 25 of the British variant.

It has recently warned against non-essential travel to its Alpine province of Tyrol because of an outbreak of the so-called South African variant of the coronavirus there, the government said in a statement on Monday. 

Denmark

The numbers for Denmark are less clear. The first case of the South African variant in Denmark was on January 16, but there have been no reports since.

Denmark has recently announced that everyone entering the country through land or ports would be subject to a coronavirus test on arrival.

After the test, the person has to undergo a 10-day quarantine at home. 

France

According to reports in France, 40 South-African variant cases and 299 UK variant cases. 

France is said to be tightening rules in a bid to stop the South African and Brazilian variants of Covid-19 taking hold.

Canada

Canada first reported the identification of a South African variant six days ago and has today recorded its first case of the Brazilian variant.

Last week, the area of British Columbia reported 10 cases of the U.K. and South African coronavirus variants, bringing the total number to 28 infections. 

Yesterday, the first two cases of Brazil and South Africa variants were reported in Toronto.

Greece

The South African variant was first detected in Greece at the end of last month.

It was discovered in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city and capital of the region of Macedonia.

Japan

Japan detected its first case of the South African variant at the end of December.

The variant was discovered in a woman in her 30s who arrived in Japan on December 16.

Japan has also had cases of the UK variant and subsequently banned travel from Britain.

Kenya

Kenya identified two cases of the new coronavirus variant at the end of last month.

It was discovered in two men who later left the country, health officials said.

Norway

The South African variant of the coronavirus was first detected in Norway on January 4, but there have been no new reports since.

The virus variant from South Africa was detected in one traveler who came to Norway from South Africa.

Sweden

Sweden recorded its first case of the South African variant on January 3.

A day later it recorded four new cases of strains found in UK and South Africa.

Switzerland

The first case of the South African variant was reported in Switzerland on December 30.

Health officials in the country said two cases had been discovered, along with five cases of the UK variant.

Soon after, officials quarantined two hotels and closed ski schools in St. Moritz.

Australia 

Australia first reported the presence of the new South African coronavirus variant on December 29.

The woman tested positive when in a quarantine hotel and was later taken to hospital.  

Belgium

The first case of the South African variant was detected Belgium in the West-Flanders region.

According to local reports, the patient died from Covid.

Belgium declared its first major outbreak of the South African variant a week later after 15 people tested positive in Ostend. 

China 

The South African variant was first reported in China on January 6 from a throat swab on a patient in Guangdong Provice.

China has also reported a case of the UK variant.  

Cuba

The Caribbean Island is one of the latest places to identify the South African variant.

The variant case was reported on January 27.

Germany

Germany recorded its first case of the coronavirus variant on January 12, in a member of a family that returned from a lengthy stay in the country in December.

It has since has since discovered its own mutated form of the virus and has threatened to close its border with Austria due to its outbreak.

Spain

Spain detected its first strain of the South African variant on January 28.

A second case was discovered n the northeastern region of Catalonia last week.

Finland

Finland confirmed the presence of two new coronavirus variants – one which was first detected in the UK and the other originally found in South Africa – on December 29.

Ghana

The first South African Covid variant was confirmed in Ghana on January 19.

Gambia

There is no reported date when the country first discovered the South African variant, though the World Health Organization say it has been discovered there.

Last month, the country reported it had detected two cases of the UK variant.

Ireland

Ireland first report detection of the South African variant at the start of January.

The cases were in people who had travelled to Ireland from South Africa over the Christmas holidays. 

Health bosses said they were able to contain the spread. 

Israel 

There have been 80 cases of the South African COVID-19 variant discovered in Israel, the Health Ministry last week.

One man is said to have been reinfected with the strain, according to local reports.

South Korea

There is no reported date when the country first discovered the South African variant, though the World Health Organization say it has been discovered there.

The country also reported the presence of the variant first reported in the UK at the end of December.

Lebanon

There is no reported date when the country first discovered the South African variant, though the World Health Organization say it has been discovered there.

The country reported the presence of the UK variant on December 25, on a flight from London.

Luxembourg

Three cases of the South African variant were discovered on January 27.

The discovery was made at a school in Arlon.

Mayotte

The French island in the Indian ocean began a three-week full lockdown on Friday.

It has recorded at least 78 cases of the South African variant.

Netherlands  

The South African variant was discovered for the first time on January 8.

It was found in one person in the Mid and West Brabant region.

New Zealand 

New Zealand first discovered a South African variant when one case emerged on the island.

The patient, a woman, 56, was thought to have contracted illness from a fellow traveller while quarantining at an Auckland hotel. 

Vietnam

The country recorded its first case of the South African variant this month.

It was discovered in Hanoi in a South African woman who had travelled to the country in December.

United States 

The South Africa variant was discovered in the United States for the first time at the end of last month.

South Carolina officials say two such cases were diagnosed in the state. Both had a history of recent travel, according to reports.

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