All passengers who were on a flight from Zante to Cardiff have been ordered to self-isolate after seven confirmed cases of coronavirus.
Passengers who were on TUI flight 6215 on Tuesday are now being considered as "close contacts" of those who tested positive for COVID-19.
The seven cases were from three different parties on board the flight from the Greek party island, which is also called Zakynthos.
Image:Wales' health director blamed young people on holiday in Zante for not social distancing. File pic
Dr Giri Shankar, Public Health Wales director, said: "These passengers will be contacted shortly, but meanwhile, they must self-isolate at home as they may become infectious, even without developing symptoms. Anyone with symptoms should book a test without delay.
"Our investigations into a number of cases of coronavirus have indicated that a lack of social distancing, in particular by a minority of the 20-30 year age group, has resulted in the spread of the virus to other groups of people."
Advertisement
He appealed to young people specifically to remember that "even if they feel they would not be badly affected by COVID-19" if they were to test positive, the virus could be "extremely serious, even fatal" if they passed it on to older or more vulnerable family members, friends or colleagues.
Dr Shankar added that although Wales has a low infection rate, "coronavirus has not gone away". He reminded people over the bank holiday weekend of the importance of social distancing.
More from Covid-19
Greece is not on the list of countries travellers have to self-isolate for two weeks on their return to the UK.
The country's case rate has risen recently, with 11.73 cases per 100,000 people in the week 8-14 August, compared with 14.89 cases per 100,000 people from 22-28 August, according to data from the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control.
Countries with 20 cases per 100,000 people, or those nearing that, will be considered for the quarantine list, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.
There has been a "number of small clusters" of COVID-19 cases in Cardiff that are not related to the TUI flight, Public Health Wales said.
In north Wales, customers of the North and South Wales Bank pub in Wrexham between 9-20 August have been told to remain vigilant for symptoms of COVID-19 after staff members tested positive.
All passengers who were on a flight from Zante to Cardiff have been ordered to self-isolate after seven confirmed cases of coronavirus.
Passengers who were on TUI flight 6215 on Tuesday are now being considered as "close contacts" of those who tested positive for COVID-19.
The seven cases were from three different parties on board the flight from the Greek party island, which is also called Zakynthos.
Dr Giri Shankar, Public Health Wales director, said: "These passengers will be contacted shortly, but meanwhile, they must self-isolate at home as they may become infectious, even without developing symptoms. Anyone with symptoms should book a test without delay.
"Our investigations into a number of cases of coronavirus have indicated that a lack of social distancing, in particular by a minority of the 20-30 year age group, has resulted in the spread of the virus to other groups of people."
Advertisement
He appealed to young people specifically to remember that "even if they feel they would not be badly affected by COVID-19" if they were to test positive the virus could be "extremely serious, even fatal" if they passed it on to older or more vulnerable family members, friends or colleagues.
Dr Shankar added that although Wales has a low infection rate, "coronavirus has not gone away" and reminded people over the Bank Holiday weekend of the importance of social distancing.
More from UK
Greece is not on the list of countries travellers have to self-isolate for two weeks on their return to the UK.
The country's case rate has risen recently, with 11.73 cases per 100,000 people in the week 8-14 August, compared with 14.89 cases per 100,000 people from 22-28 August, according to data from the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control.
Countries with 20 cases per 100,000 people, or those nearing that, will be considered for the quarantine list, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.
There has been a "number of small clusters" of COVID-19 cases in Cardiff that are not related to the TUI flight, Public Health Wales said.
In north Wales, customers of the North and South Wales Bank pub in Wrexham between 9-20 August have been told to remain vigilant for symptoms of COVID-19 after staff members tested positive.
The risk of infection on campuses could see universities become the ground zero of a second wave of Covid-19 unless they avoid face-to-face teaching, academics have warned.
The movement of an expected one million students around Britain as they return to higher education in the next month has led the University and College Union (UCU) to warn that the government is “encouraging a public health crisis”.
Jo Grady, the general secretary of the UCU, said the mass movement “could lead to universities being the care homes of any second wave of Covid”.
She also accused the government of a lack of planning. More students are expected on campuses following the admissions fiasco as data suggests that infection rates are increasing among younger people.
FURIOUS business chiefs and MPs have blasted Rishi Sunak's bombshell tax hikes plan to raise £20billion after the coronavirus crisis.
Treasury officials are said to be planning a five-way blitz of the economy that would see the better off hit with the largest tax rises in a generation.
Rishi Sunak's Treasury officials are said to be planning a five-way blitz that would see the largest tax rises in a generationCredit: Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
The Treasury is looking at raising corporation tax and capital gains tax, while cutting pension tax relief among a raft of other revenue-raising measures, reports say.
Capital gains tax might also be paid at the same rate as income tax, under the ideas reportedly being looked at.
But the move, which could be introduced in the Budget, was slammed by backbench MPs and business leaders this morning, describing the planned tax hikes as "no way to help the UK economy restart."
It is also being blocked by some senior figures at No10, The Sunday Telegraph reports.
Marcus Fysh, MP for Yeovil, said on Twitter: "Tax rises are the wrong response to the current situation and Number 10 @BorisJohnson is right to resist them if the Sunday papers have the story right.
"We need to help the economy not strangle it. These mixed messages are in themselves damaging and must stop."
'NOT THE WAY'
Adam Marshall, Director General at the British Chambers of Commerce tweeted: "Hammering businesses, entrepreneurs & investors w/ big tax rises is no way to help the UK economy restart, rebuild and renew. @RishiSunak must consider risks to our still-fragile recovery."
Fuel and other duties could be raised and an online sales tax could also be introduced to help plug any gaping holes in the economy, and prop up high street shops - who have to pay business rates.
A revamp of the inheritance tax system and the introduction of an online sales tax was also being considered.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Stephen Barclay, has refused to be drawn on reports on the tax hikes this morning.
Mr Barclay told Times Radio: "Treasury ministers don't get into what a Budget will or will not do.
"And particularly on tax measures ahead of that, that's for the Chancellor, the Budget."
According to the Sunday Times, Chancellor Rishi Sunak is considering hiking corporation tax from 19% to 24% in order to boost revenue by £12 billion next year.
The international development budget could also be caught up in Treasury reappraisals due to the cost of the pandemic, the Telegraph claimed.
The aid budget has already been cut by £2.9 billion from £15.8 billion this year, due to the contraction in the economy caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.
TAKE A HIKE
However, the Government insists it still meets its obligation to provide 0.7% of gross national income to international development.
It is hoped the plans could raise the £20billion needed to help pay for debt caused by the coronavirus chaos.
But aides at No10 fear the hikes could derail the economic recovery - with some questioning whether the money could be taken from cuts to Whitehall departments’ current spending budgets.
Senior economists and business leaders have also warned raising taxes in the current recession would be "whistling in the wind".
They have called on Sunak not to raise taxes during the worst recession for 300 years but focus on aiding growth.
It is also feared the proposals would hit the south of England and London more than the rest of the UK.
A Treasury spokesman told the Telegraph: “We do not comment on speculation about tax changes ahead of fiscal events.”
Lawyers' 'shameless touting' price list to help migrants stay in the UK
D-DAY TUESDAY
Kids' return to school 'will kick-start Britain and boost economy by £650m'
Exclusive
PHOTO STOP
Celebs like Lauren Goodger may be BANNED from secretly altering pics by new law
BOUNCE BACK
Eat Out to Help Out: Nearly 2/3 of Brits want to extend 50% off deal
FAN TRACKING
Footie fans to be monitored with trackers in bid boost numbers in grounds
Britain's economic recovery following the pandemic has gathered pace, but the government borrowed a record £127.9bn between April and June and is keen to encourage workers back to their offices to fend off further job losses.
Britain entered lockdown in late March and shops in England only reopened fully on June 15, followed by bars and restaurants on July 4.
Sunak has already indicated that some taxes will need to rise over the medium term.
6
Britian's high streets have been hot hard by the recessionCredit: Alamy
6
6
Fuel increases could be among the new proposals Credit: PA:Press Association
VIRUS DENIER
NHS worker investigated after claiming Covid-19 is 'a load of b*****ks'
ROAD SMASH
Toddler falls from car into road before she's hit by second vehicle
Treasury officials are proposing a number of dramatic tax hikes in an attempt to reverse the UK’s piling public debt and ward of a recession. The Chancellor is looking to target capital gains tax, corporation tax and pension tax relief in a bid to raise at least £20billion in extra funds after the coronavirus crisis haemorrhaged the public purse.
Some of the new measures could be introduced as early as the autumn budget, which Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to announce in late November.
Though the plans have yet to be finalised, the £20billion tax raid is expected to largely affect the wealthy, businesses, pensions and foreign aid.
If the measures are approved second-home owners could be hit especially hard, as the Government looks to bring capital gains tax in line with income tax.
The move would see capital gains tax almost double to 40 or even 45 percent, instead of the current 28 percent.
The changes to capital gains tax will also affect owners of buy-to-let properties when they sell their houses.
The hike in capital gains is expected to raise up to £14billion a year.
The Treasury is also considering hiking corporation tax from 19 to 24 percent, which would raise £12billion next year alone, the Sunday Times reports.
By the 2023-24 financial year, the move would raise a whopping £17billion.
The Treasury will also look into removing loopholes in the inheritance tax system.
The proposed measures seek to avoid raising income tax.
A Treasury source told the newspaper: “If we don’t do something strategic then we’re stuffed.
“What we don’t want to do is increase income tax rates.”
The new measures would target those with “unearned” rather than “earned” income, which is believed to be a popular move among voters.
A Tory ally said: “The political reality is that the only place you can get the money is from the better-off. The polling shows this would be popular.”
The bombshell measures show the Government is determined to reverse the UK’s dire economic outlook, which has seen Government debt soar well above £2trillion.
Academics have warned the Government is ‘encouraging a public health crisis’ (Picture: Getty)
Academics have warned universities could become a ground zero for a second wave of coronavirus unless they avoid face-to-face teaching.
The movement of an expected one million students around Britain as they return to universities in the next month has led the University and College Union (UCU) to warn the Government is ‘encouraging a public health crisis’.
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said the mass movement ‘could lead to universities being the care homes of any second wave of Covid’.
She also accused the Government of a lack of planning, with more students expected on campuses following the admissions fiasco as data emerges that infection rates are increasing among younger people.
Advertisement
UCU general secretary Jo Grady warned universities could become the care homes of the next wave (Picture: Vickie Flores/LNP/REX)
‘So the very people who are increasingly getting infected by this virus are being encouraged in mass numbers to move all around the country and congregate and live together,’ Ms Grady said.
Advertisement
Advertisement
‘It doesn’t make sense.’
The UCU wants students to avoid campuses until Christmas unless a testing scheme begins operating at universities.
It comes after a group of scientists recommended universities test all students and staff for coronavirus as they arrive on campus and avoid face-to-face teaching.
Independent Sage reported on August 21 that all courses should be offered online – apart from those which are lab or practice-based – as in-person teaching carries a higher risk of virus transmission.
The group also recommended socialising among students should be restricted to ‘residential bubbles’ in the first few weeks to prevent infection.
The World Health Organisation has warned the continent is entering “a tricky moment” as children prepare to head back to school. France reported 7,379 new confirmed cases, the most since lockdown, in what the health ministry described as an exponential surge.
resident Emmanuel Macron has raised the possibility that the government could be forced to shut the country down again.
He said: "We're doing everything to avoid another lockdown, and in particular a nationwide lockdown.
"We've learned enough to know that nothing can be ruled out. But we're doing everything to prevent it."
Italy, one of the countries hardest hit when the pandemic began to sweep across Europe, has also recorded its highest number of new COVID-19 cases since early May when the country was still in lockdown.
The total number of people who have been infected by the virus there is now at 262,000 and more than 35,400 people have died.
But despite the surge the government insists it has no plans to impose a second national lockdown.
Germany has announced a ban on large events until next year as infection numbers rise at a rate not seen since April.
German football fans will not be allowed back into stadiums until 2021, later than had been hoped while festivals, concerts and big sporting events will remain prohibited and regulations on mask-wearing will also be tightened up.
SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
8.53am update: Russia COVID-19 cases approach one million
Russia reported 4,980 new coronavirus cases today to push its confirmed national tally up to 990,326.
Authorities said 68 people had died of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, raising the official death toll to 17,093.
8.22am update: Academics sound coronavirus warning ahead of universtiy reopenings
The risk of infection on campuses could see universities become ground zero for a second wave of COVID-19 unless they avoid face-to-face teaching, academics have warned.
The movement of an expected one million students around Britain as they return to universities in the next month has led the University and College Union (UCU) to warn the Government is "encouraging a public health crisis".
UCU general secretary Jo Grady said the mass movement "could lead to universities being the care homes of any second wave of COVID".
She also accused the Government of a lack of planning, with more students expected on campuses following the admissions fiasco as data emerges that infection rates are increasing among younger people.
Ms Grady said: "So the very people who are increasingly getting infected by this virus are being encouraged in mass numbers to move all around the country and congregate and live together. It doesn't make sense."
8am update: Global COVID-19 infections pass 25 million mark
More than 25 million people have been reported to be infected by coronavirus around the world with the global death toll reaching 840,962.
Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China last December.
