Covid news LIVE – Vaccines 'not enough' to avoid coronavirus changing our lives FOREVER, as Rishi accepts June 21 delay
COVID cases have almost doubled in a week – casting further doubt on the June 21 Freedom Day amid a surge of Indian variant infections.
The latest figures released on Tuesday by the Government showed 6,048 new cases and 13 new deaths were recorded in the 24 hours from Monday.
The news comes as Boris Johnson reportedly weighs up whether to delay the lifting of all Covid restrictions in England on June 21.
Rishi Sunak is understood to have said he would accept a delay of up to four weeks to the end of the Covid road map according to the Guardian.
Government ministers will continue to scrutinise data on cases and hospitalisations over the course of this week, with a final decision set to be announced by the prime minister on Monday.
Read our coronavirus live blog below for the latest news and updates…
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NEWEST DATA ON US VACCINATION EFFORT
The United States had administered 303,923,667 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and distributed 372,100,285 doses in the country as of this morning, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Those figures are up from the 302,851,917 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by June 7 out of 371,520,735 doses delivered.
The agency said 171,731,584 people had received at least one dose while 140,441,957 people are fully vaccinated as of Tuesday.
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WATCH: ANDY BURNHAM CALLS FOR VACCINES TO BE DIVERTED TO MANCHESTER TO FIGHT INDIAN VARIANT
Boris Johnson can save June 21 Freedom Day by diverting vaccines to Manchester to crush Indian variant, says Burnham
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HOSPITALS 'COPING' WITH INFECTION LEVELS
Hospitals in Covid hotspots are seeing a "significantly" lower death rate among people admitted for treatment and are coping with current levels of infection, the head of NHS Providers has said.
Chris Hopson, chief executive of the body which represents NHS trusts, said there was a degree of confidence that vaccines appear to have "broken" the link between infections and the "very high level of hospitalisations and mortality we've seen in previous waves".
He told Times Radio: "And if, and it is a big if, if Bolton has gone through its complete cycle and if other areas follow Bolton, the view from the hospital there was that they were able to cope with the level of infections.
"It's important not to just focus on the raw numbers here… you also do need to look at who's being admitted into hospital and how clinically vulnerable and what level of acuity they've got.
"What chief executives are consistently telling us is that it is a much younger population that is coming in, they are less clinically vulnerable, they are less in need of critical care and therefore they're seeing what they believe is a significantly lower mortality rate which is, you know, borne out by the figures.
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COVID REQUIREMENTS FOR WEMBLEY HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED FOR THE EUROS
UK-based supporters attending European Championship group games at Wembley can be admitted with proof of a second COVID-19 vaccine dose more than two weeks before the match, European soccer’s governing body UEFA said on Tuesday.
The announcement offers an alternative to the existing requirement of a negative COVID-19 test.
However, other ticket holders from elsewhere must still show evidence of a negative Lateral Flow Test taken within 48 hours before gates open, UEFA said on its website.
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ASPIRIN DOES NOT IMPROVE HOSPITAL SURVIVAL RATES, SAYS STUDY
Aspirin does not improve survival for patients admitted to hospital with coronavirus, a study has found.
Patients with Covid-19 are at increased risk of blood clots forming in their blood vessels, particularly in the lungs.
Between November 2020 and March 2021, the Recovery trial included nearly 15,000 patients admitted to hospital with the virus an assessment of the effects of aspirin, which is widely used to reduce blood clotting in other diseases.
A total of 7,351 patients were randomised to receive 150 mg of aspirin once daily and compared with 7,541 patients randomised to usual care alone.
The study found no evidence that the drug treatment reduced mortality.
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UN-FARE
The boss of Ryanair has slammed the government for the "bonkers" travel rules which have caused holiday chaos for Brits.
Last week, the government announced that Portugal was to be removed from the UK's green list, just three weeks after it was added.
Thousands of Brits frantically scrambled home to avoid the new amber restrictions which require a 10-day quarantine at home – leading to overcrowded airports and flight prices hitting highs of £800.
Ryanair's Michael O' Leary slammed the "stop, go, stop, go" approach, telling Sky News: "Portugal has the exactly the same Covid cases rates and higher vaccination rates than when it was taken off the UK's green list than it had when it went on it.
"Malta which has higher vaccinations than the UK can't get on the green list.
"The whole thing is a shambles and typical of Boris Johnson's government making this up as we go along.
"There is no green list.".
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NEWEST DATA ON US VACCINATION EFFORT
The United States had administered 303,923,667 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and distributed 372,100,285 doses in the country as of this morning, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Those figures are up from the 302,851,917 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by June 7 out of 371,520,735 doses delivered.
The agency said 171,731,584 people had received at least one dose while 140,441,957 people are fully vaccinated as of Tuesday.
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GOVERNMENT CRITICISED OVER HANDLING OF GOVERNMENT DISPUTE
Union officials and MPs have voiced concern over the Government's handling of a long-running dispute over Covid-related safety at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), claiming the Department for Transport (DfT) intervened to prevent an agreement to end the row.
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has written to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps asking for an explanation.
Union members at the DVLA office in Swansea have launched a series of strikes as part of a campaign for more safety measures to be taken, including a reduction in the number of staff expected to work at the site.
Further industrial action is planned.
The DVLA insists it has followed official guidance and is doing all it can to keep staff safe.
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WATCH: ROBERT JENRICK ON 'FREEDOM DAY'
Robert Jenrick says PM is reviewing data ahead of July 21 Freedom Day decision but cases are ‘clearly rising’
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ARMY SCRAMBLED TO BATTLE AGAINST INDIAN VARIANT
Greater Manchester and Lancashire have been hit with new travel rules as a huge vaccination surge is launched to combat spiralling Covid cases.
People are being told to “minimise” travel in and out of the two areas, which are experiencing the sharpest rise in infections in the country.
The Army will be sent in to help with a huge new jabbing drive in a mirror of measures introduced in neighbouring Bolton last month.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the “strengthened package of support” for both council areas in the Commons today.
He said: “This includes rapid response teams, putting in extra testing, military support and supervised in-school testing.”
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PRINCE CHARLES WARNS WORLD IS “DANGEROUSLY EXPOSED” TO ANOTHER PANDEMIC DUE TO HABITAT DESTRUCTION
The world is being left “dangerously exposed” to further pandemics due to the rapid destruction of the diversity and interconnectedness of all species, the Prince of Wales has warned.
Charles said he did not need to stress the “planetary emergency confronting us, nor the desperately urgent need for action”.
He made the comments during a speech to the Sustainable Growth 2021 Conference, hosted by Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, on World Oceans Day and ahead of the G7 summit, which begins on Friday.
Other speakers at the online event included Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, who said there was no “get out of jail free” card to reaching the target of net-zero emissions by 2050.
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DELTA VARIANT CASES IN WALES ALMOST DOUBLE IN A WEEK
The number of cases of the Delta variant in Wales has almost doubled within a week to 178, the country’s health agency has said.
Public Health Wales warned community transmission of the variant may have started and urged people to get vaccinated and keep to social distancing measures.
On Tuesday, they said the number of confirmed cases of the mutated strain of the virus had increased by 81 since June 3.
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NEW DAILY COVID CASES SHOT UP BY 90% IN A WEEK
The latest figures released on Tuesday by the Government showed 6,048 new cases and 13 Coronavirus deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, compared to 3,165 cases last Tuesday.
The news comes whilst Boris is weighing up the option on whether to extend lockdown. The current road map gives Brits freedom come June 21 with nightclubs set to open and restrictions set to ease.
Meanwhile the NHS has reported a web meltdown as over-25s jam up the vaccine booking system.
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RISHI SUNAK WILLING TO ACCEPT FOUR WEEK DELAY TO COVID LIFTING
Rishi Sunak is understood to have said he would accept a delay of up to four weeks to the end of the Covid road map according to the Guardian.
Government ministers will continue to scrutinise data on cases and hospitalisations over the course of this week, with a final decision set to be announced by the prime minister on Monday.
The UK is currently expected to move to the final stage of the road map on June 21.
- The Sun
UK IS ONLY COUNTRY IN EUROPE WHERE CASES ARE SURGING
Infections are being driven by the new Delta variant that first emerged in India.
At least 3,500 cases of Delta have been detected in the UK.
But the true figure is likely to be twice as high, given that only half of Covid tests are screened to see which variant they were caused by.
Daily new cases per million people have doubled in the UK between May 25 and June 7, according to official Covid figures collected by Our World in Data.
During the same period, other EU nations have continued on a downward trend.
- The Sun
FANS AT ENGLAND'S OPENING EUROS GAME TO BE FIRST TO USE COVID PASSPORTS
Fans attending England's opening Euro 2020 match against Croatia on Sunday will be the first at a sporting event in Britain to have the option of using coronavirus vaccine passports.
European governing body UEFA has confirmed that ticket holders based in Britain can gain entry either by providing proof of a negative lateral flow test or by showing proof of full vaccination — both doses received at least 14 days before the match.
Ticket holders based elsewhere must provide proof of a negative lateral flow test.
- The Sun
COVID REQUIREMENTS FOR WEMBLEY HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED FOR THE EUROS
UK-based supporters attending European Championship group games at Wembley can be admitted with proof of a second COVID-19 vaccine dose more than two weeks before the match, European soccer's governing body UEFA said on Tuesday.
The announcement offers an alternative to the existing requirement of a negative COVID-19 test.
However, other ticket holders from elsewhere must still show evidence of a negative Lateral Flow Test taken within 48 hours before gates open, UEFA said on its website.
- The Sun
JUNE 21 MUST REMAIN 'FREEDOM DAY'- THE ALTERNATIVE IS POTENTIAL ECONOMICAL MELTDOWN SAYS JANE MOORE
She says: " The Cabinet is reportedly locked in fevered discussions over whether “Freedom Day”, aka June 21, will be delayed because of whatever same-iant they’re fretting about now.
Laughable really, because if any of them bothered to leave the Westminster bubble and tour the country they purport to lead, they’d notice that the majority of people took back what little “freedom” they could weeks ago."
- The Sun
NEWEST DATA ON US VACCINATION EFFORT
The United States had administered 303,923,667 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and distributed 372,100,285 doses in the country as of this morning, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Those figures are up from the 302,851,917 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by June 7 out of 371,520,735 doses delivered.
The agency said 171,731,584 people had received at least one dose while 140,441,957 people are fully vaccinated as of Tuesday.
- The Sun
ARMY SCRAMBLED TO BATTLE AGAINST INDIAN VARIANT (CONTINUED…)
"I want to encourage everyone in Manchester and Lancashire to get the tests on offer.
"We know that this approach can work, we've seen it work in south London and in Bolton in stopping a rise in the number of cases.
"This is the next stage of tackling the pandemic in Manchester and Lancashire and of course it's vital that people in these areas, as everywhere else, come forward and get the jab as soon as they are eligible because that is our way out of this pandemic together."
- The Sun
ARMY SCRAMBLED TO BATTLE AGAINST INDIAN VARIANT
Greater Manchester and Lancashire have been hit with new travel rules as a huge vaccination surge is launched to combat spiralling Covid cases.
People are being told to "minimise" travel in and out of the two areas, which are experiencing the sharpest rise in infections in the country.
The Army will be sent in to help with a huge new jabbing drive in a mirror of measures introduced in neighbouring Bolton last month.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the "strengthened package of support" for both council areas in the Commons today.
He said: "This includes rapid response teams, putting in extra testing, military support and supervised in-school testing."
- The Sun
NEARLY A THIRD OF SECONDARY SCHOOL KIDS IN BOLTON ABSENT DUE TO COVID
Nearly a third of secondary school pupils in Bolton were absent for Covid-related reasons on the week before half-term, Government figures suggest.
In the North West of England, Covid-19 related pupil absence was 4% on May 27, compared to the national average of 1.8%, according to the statistics,
This is predominantly due to an increase in cases of coronavirus in Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen, the Department for Education (DfE) analysis said.
In Bolton, 21% of primary and 31% of secondary pupils were reported as absent for Covid-19 related reasons on May 27.
The South West of England had the lowest levels of Covid-19 related pupil absence of any region, with levels well below 1% throughout the half term.
- The Sun
GRISLY FIND
Doctors who are treating patients with Covid-19 in India have identified new symptoms including gangrene and hearing loss.
The mutant coronavirus variant that is driving India's second wave is believed to be the most infectious variant to emerge so far.
Medics believe severe gastric upsets, hearing impairment and blood clots that lead to gangrene have been linked to the deadly delta variant.
Abdul Ghafer, an infectious disease physician at Chennai's Apollo Hospital, said the virus has become more "unpredictable" as new variants emerge.
“Last year, we thought we had learned about our new enemy, but it changed,” Dr Ghafur told Bloomberg.
“This virus has become so, so unpredictable.”
- The Sun
80% OF THE WORLD NEED TO BE VACCINATED FOR PANDEMIC TO BE OVER
WHO chief says high vaccination coverage of over 80% will ultimately end pandemic
- The Sun
ASPIRIN DOES NOT IMPROVE HOSPITAL SURVIVAL RATES, SAYS STUDY
Aspirin does not improve survival for patients admitted to hospital with coronavirus, a study has found.
Patients with Covid-19 are at increased risk of blood clots forming in their blood vessels, particularly in the lungs.
Between November 2020 and March 2021, the Recovery trial included nearly 15,000 patients admitted to hospital with the virus an assessment of the effects of aspirin, which is widely used to reduce blood clotting in other diseases.
A total of 7,351 patients were randomised to receive 150 mg of aspirin once daily and compared with 7,541 patients randomised to usual care alone.
The study found no evidence that the drug treatment reduced mortality.
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