Babak Belurs

Jumat, 24 Juli 2020

Coronavirus: Luton councillors break lockdown rules at party as town placed on watchlist - Sky News

The mayor of Luton and two local councillors have apologised after they were pictured at a party breaking lockdown rules.

Mayor Tahir Malik was at the outdoor gathering on Tuesday (21 July) with councillors Waheed Akbar and Asif Masood, and about nine other men - double the number allowed under coronavirus laws.

Photos of the event in the Bedfordshire town were shared on Facebook, including one of the mayor with a mask hanging below his face, prompting anger from residents who are potentially facing a local lockdown.

On Thursday, Luton was placed on the government's "area of intervention" list - the same level on the coronavirus watchlist as Leicester, where stricter measures were introduced - following an increase in coronavirus cases.

In the pictures of the party, none of the men were wearing face masks and they were all sitting close together around a long table as they ate and chatted.

Since 1 June, a maximum of six people have been able to meet outdoors, including in gardens, as long as those from different households stay two metres apart, or more than one metre with a face covering.

The three Labour councillors said in a statement to Luton Today: "We apologise unreservedly to the people of Luton for our breach of the lockdown rules.

"We attended what we believed was going to be a small socially distanced gathering, in line with the government guidelines.

"During the course of the event, the arrival of additional guests meant the rules were breached.

"We should have left immediately, and it is a matter of sincere regret for each of us that we did not do so.

"It is all of our responsibility to follow the guidelines. We are sorry that we did not live up to the standards that are rightly expected of us."

A spokesman from the eastern branch of the local Labour Party said the Chief Whip was investigating the lockdown breach.

"It is essential that everybody follows social distancing measures in order to protect the public from COVID-19," the spokesman told Luton Today.

"It is even more important for those in positions of authority to be setting the right example.

"The Labour Party investigates all complaints received and where rules have been breached, action will be taken in line with the Labour Party's processes."

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Luton Borough Council confirmed it received a complaint and is investigating the incident.

Sky News has contacted the mayor and the two councillors and asked for a response.

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2020-07-24 21:53:55Z
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Boris Johnson admits government “didn't understand” coronavirus for months - BBC News - BBC News

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Boris Johnson admits government “didn't understand” coronavirus for months - BBC News BBC News
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2020-07-24 21:19:58Z
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Coronavirus: Boris Johnson says 'we get things wrong' but worst will be over by 'middle of next year' - Sky News

Boris Johnson has admitted the government has got some things wrong during the pandemic, but expects the worst of it will be over "by the middle of next year".

"Of course... there are things we get wrong and we're learning the whole time," he told Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates.

"You've got to learn from your mistakes as fast as possible and that's what we're doing."

Speaking on his first anniversary as prime minister, Mr Johnson said he expects Britain will be "well on the way past" COVID-19 by the middle of next year, although warned of "tough times ahead".

"But I've absolutely no doubt that we are going to [keep the virus under control] and this country is going to bounce back stronger than ever before," he said.

More than 40,000 people in the UK have died with coronavirus, making it one of the worst-hit countries in the world.

A further 123 people have died with coronavirus in Britain as of 5pm on Thursday, according to government figures.

Although the lockdown has gradually eased, a number of social distancing measures are still in place - and people are wondering when they will be able to hug friends and family again.

"I'm not going to make a prediction about when these various social distancing measures will come off," Mr Johnson said.

"Obviously we have been able to reduce some of them. We no longer ask people to stay at home, we're trying to get back much closer to normal, but our ability to dispense with the social distancing measures will depend on our continued ability to drive down the virus."

Asked whether people should be "shamed" for not complying with social distancing measures, the prime minister replied: "I think we should rely on the massive common sense of the British people that have so far delivered the results that we've seen, and that's going to work."

The reproduction number, or R value, remains at 0.7 to 0.9 across the UK. This refers to the number of people on average that one infected person will pass the virus on to.

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Mr Johnson also responded to suggestions that junk food adverts could be banned before the 9pm watershed in a bid to tackle obesity - widely regarded as a risk factor for becoming more seriously ill with COVID-19.

"I'm not normally a believer in nannying... type of politics," Mr Johnson said, but he added: "Losing weight is, frankly, one of the ways that you can reduce your own risks from COVID."

Having spent three nights in intensive care with coronavirus, the prime minister said he had since lost more than a stone in weight "primarily by eating less, but also by a lot of exercise".

The PM called anti-vaxxers '"nuts" during a conversation at a GP surgery. — Johnson attacks anti-vaxxers

In a separate interview with BBC News, Mr Johnson admitted the UK did not understand COVID-19 well enough in the "first few weeks and months" of the pandemic.

"And I think probably, the single thing that we didn't see at the beginning was the extent to which it was being transmitted asymptomatically from person to person," he added.

Responding to the prime minister's remarks, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said it "finally puts to bed the prime minister's previous claim his government took the right decisions at the right time".

"It was too slow to acknowledge the threat of the virus, too slow to enter lockdown and too slow to take this crisis seriously," he said.

Sir Ed Davey, acting Liberal Democrat leader, accused Mr Johnson of showing "no remorse for the catastrophic mistakes" made and called for an "immediate" inquiry.

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2020-07-24 20:15:39Z
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First face masks, now GLOVES... Health minister admits UK could enforce hand coverings - Express

Speaking in the House of Lords this afternoon, Conservative Baroness McIntosh of Pickering asked: "Has the Government formed a view on the use of gloves? "Obviously we're all following the guidance of washing our hands but surely the correct use of gloves outdoors and indoors could prevent the passing on of the virus?"

Health Minister Lord Bethell, concluding a debate on coronavirus regulations, replied: "To date, gloves are not in the guidance but they remain an area that we're looking at."

A European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control report released earlier this month however claimed that gloves could “neglect” a core public message of regularly washing hands to combat COVID-19.

The report added: “The use of gloves by the public in the community can lead to the misconception that handwashing/hand disinfection can be neglected, while it remains one of the important pillars of effective prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

It stressed that prolonged glove use was associated with an “increased risk of dermatological side effects, particularly if there is insufficient use of skin care products.”

The report concluded: “In the community, the recommended measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are physical distancing, adherence to a respiratory etiquette and meticulous hand hygiene; and use of face masks in areas where there is community transmission and in settings where physical distancing cannot be guaranteed.

“There is currently insufficient evidence to recommend that individuals in the community should wear medical gloves or gloves for household activities in the context of COVID-19 [8-13].

The exchanges in Parliament came on the day people in England were required to start wearing face coverings in shops, shopping centres, banks, takeaways, post offices, sandwich shops and supermarkets.

Police can hand out £100 fines to people who flout the rules.

But John Apter, the national chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said forces "do not have the resources" to widely enforce the law that came into force on Friday.

He said: "It is our members who are expected to police what is a new way of living and I would urge retail outlets to play their part in making the rules crystal clear - if you are not wearing a face covering then you are not coming in.

"Officers will be there to help stores if needed - but only as a last resort, as we simply do not have the resources.

"The vast majority of the public have complied with the lockdown rules so far and I would hope they will continue to do the right thing and wear face coverings in stores to help protect fellow citizens to minimise the spread of the virus."

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The Government said the responsibility for wearing a face covering "sits with individuals", adding: "Businesses are encouraged to take reasonable steps to encourage customers to follow the law, including through signs and providing other information in store."

The Prime Minister's official spokesman, added: "With shops, we would expect them to give advice to customers and remind them that they should be wearing a face covering and I'm sure the overwhelming majority of the public will do so."

The laws could be in place until at least January, and even last a year, unless the Government decides to scrap them in the meantime.

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2020-07-24 18:44:00Z
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Owen Jones: Man jailed for attacking journalist - BBC News

A man has been jailed for attacking Guardian journalist Owen Jones outside a north London pub.

James Healy, 40, admitted assaulting Mr Jones, claiming it was because the 35-year-old had spilled his drink.

However, a judge ruled that Healey carried out the attack because of Mr Jones's sexuality and political views.

Appearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court, he was sentenced to two years and eight months for affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Two other men - Charlie Ambrose, from Brighton, and Liam Tracey, from Camden - were given suspended sentences of eight months each, suspended for two years after pleading guilty to affray.

Mr Jones suffered cuts, swelling to his back and head, and bruises down his body in the attack outside the Lexington pub on Pentonville Road in Islington, on 17 August last year.

Healy, from Portsmouth, has a string of convictions for football-related violence.

The 40-year-old Chelsea FC fan had argued he "had the hump" because the victim had bumped into him and spilled his drink.

Following his arrest, a search of his home revealed a photograph of him performing a Nazi salute as well as other items connected to far-right ideology.

In his evidence, Mr Jones told the court he "absolutely did not" knock Healy's drink.

He said he was "an unapologetic socialist, I'm an anti-racist, I'm an anti-fascist" and he was "the subject of an unrelenting campaign [of abuse] by far-right sympathisers".

'A political problem'

Recorder Judge Anne Studd QC said she would sentence Healy on the basis that the attack had been due to Mr Jones's "widely published left-wing and LGBTQ beliefs".

Following the sentencing, the journalist tweeted that "prison is not a solution to far right extremism" as Healy "will go to a prison a violent far right extremist, and probably leave prison a violent far right extremist".

"There is no judicial solution to the far right: it is a political problem," he wrote.

In another tweet he called the attack "the worst example of a concerted far right campaign of intimidation centring on the fact I'm left-wing, gay and an anti-racist".

"Far right extremists have been responsible for murder, attempted murder, terrorist plots and violence.

"That threat is not taken seriously because it means having to ask searching questions of who is responsible for radicalising them. That must end," he said.

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2020-07-24 17:48:28Z
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Coronavirus: We could have done things differently, says PM - BBC News

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Boris Johnson has admitted the government did not understand coronavirus during the "first few weeks and months" of the UK outbreak.

The PM told BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg there were "very open questions" about whether the lockdown had started too late.

Mr Johnson also spoke of "lessons to be learned" and said ministers could have done some things "differently".

Labour accused the government of "mishandling" the crisis.

More than 45,000 people in the UK have died after testing positive for coronavirus, government figures show, with almost 300,000 cases confirmed.

Last week, Mr Johnson promised an "independent" inquiry into the pandemic, but no details have been given of its scope or timing.

Previously, the prime minister has said he took the "right decisions at the right time", based on the advice of scientists.

But, in an interview with Laura Kuenssberg to mark the first anniversary of his entering Downing Street, he said: "We didn't understand [the virus] in the way that we would have liked in the first few weeks and months.

"And I think, probably, the single thing that we didn't see at the beginning was the extent to which it was being transmitted asymptomatically from person to person."

The prime minister added: "I think it's fair to say that there are things that we need to learn about how we handled it in the early stages...There will be plenty of opportunities to learn the lessons of what happened."

The UK went into full lockdown in late March, which critics say was too late and cost lives.

Mr Johnson said: "Maybe there were things we could have done differently, and of course there will be time to understand what exactly we could have done, or done differently."

He added that these were still "very open questions as far as [scientists] are concerned, and there will be a time, obviously, to consider all those issues".

On Friday, the government announced that 30 million people in England would be offered a flu vaccine this year, to reduce pressure on the NHS in case of a surge in coronavirus infections during the autumn and winter.

Mr Johnson said this was in addition to increased testing and tracing and more procurement of personal protective equipment, adding: "What people really want to focus on now is what are we doing to prepare for the next phase."

He said: "We mourn every one of the of those who lost their lives and our thoughts are very much with their with their families. And I take full responsibility for everything that government did."

The prime minister, who was himself placed in intensive care in April after contracting coronavirus, said he would "very soon" set out an new measures to deal with obesity, seen as an added risk factor for patients.

'Doubling down'

In December, Mr Johnson's Conservative Party pulled off a convincing general election win over Jeremy Corbyn's Labour, after promising to "level up" all parts of the UK.

And, despite the economic damage caused by coronavirus in the past four months or so, the prime minister promised to create more nurses, doctors, hospitals and police, saying his government's priorities were "exactly what they always have been except more so. We're doubling down."

"The agenda is what it was when I stood on the steps of Downing Street a year ago, but we want to go further and we want to go faster."

Mr Johnson reminisced about first entering No 10 as prime minister on 24 July 2019, saying it "was very exciting, and everybody seemed to be in a very good mood" and "happy, upbeat". He added that coronavirus had caused many "difficulties" since then.

"Psychologically it's been an extraordinary time for the country," Mr Johnson said,

"But I also know that this is a nation with incredible natural resilience, and fortitude and imagination. And I think we will bounce back really much stronger than ever before."

For Labour, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "Boris Johnson has finally admitted the government has mishandled its response to the coronavirus.

"It was too slow to acknowledge the threat of the virus, too slow to enter lockdown and too slow to take this crisis seriously."

The threat of a second wave of infections was "still very real", he added, while it was "imperative the government learns the lessons of its mistakes so we can help to save lives".

Acting Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said an "immediate" coronavirus inquiry was "essential", and that the prime minister had shown "no remorse" for his "catastrophic mistakes".

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2020-07-24 16:44:18Z
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Coronavirus: We could have done things differently, says PM - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Boris Johnson has admitted the government did not understand coronavirus during the "first few weeks and months" of the UK outbreak.

The PM told BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg there were "very open questions" about whether the lockdown had started too late.

Mr Johnson also spoke of "lessons to be learned" and said ministers could have done some things "differently".

Labour accused the government of "mishandling" the crisis.

More than 45,000 people in the UK have died after testing positive for coronavirus, government figures show, with almost 300,000 cases confirmed.

Last week, Mr Johnson promised an "independent" inquiry into the pandemic, but no details have been given of its scope or timing.

Previously, the prime minister has said he took the "right decisions at the right time", based on the advice of scientists.

"And I think, probably, the single thing that we didn't see at the beginning was the extent to which it was being transmitted asymptomatically from person to person."

England - whose health system is run by the UK government - went into full lockdown in late March, which critics say was too late and cost lives.

Mr Johnson said: "Maybe there were things we could have done differently, and of course there will be time to understand what exactly we could have done, or done differently."

He added that these were still "very open questions as far as [scientists] are concerned, and there will be a time, obviously, to consider all those issues".

He said: "We mourn every one of the of those who lost their lives and our thoughts are very much with their with their families. And I take full responsibility for everything that government did."

'Doubling down'

In December, Mr Johnson's Conservative Party pulled off a convincing general election win over Jeremy Corbyn's Labour, after promising to "level up" all parts of the UK.

"The agenda is what it was when I stood on the steps of Downing Street a year ago, but we want to go further and we want to go faster."

"Psychologically it's been an extraordinary time for the country," Mr Johnson said,

"But I also know that this is a nation with incredible natural resilience, and fortitude and imagination. And I think we will bounce back really much stronger than ever before."

For Labour, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "Boris Johnson has finally admitted the government has mishandled its response to the coronavirus.

"It was too slow to acknowledge the threat of the virus, too slow to enter lockdown and too slow to take this crisis seriously."

The threat of a second wave of infections was "still very real", he added, while it was "imperative the government learns the lessons of its mistakes so we can help to save lives".

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Jumat, 24 Juli 2020

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