Covid-19: Hospital pressure and five things to help this winter - BBC News

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday. We'll have another update for you on Tuesday morning.

1. Emergency services under pressure as cases rise

Hospitals and ambulance services are coming under increased pressure as the new coronavirus variant fuels a rise in infections, health bosses have said. London Ambulance Service received as many emergency calls on Boxing Day as it did at the height of the first wave of Covid-19, the BBC has learned. The service and at least two others have urged people to call 999 only if there is a serious emergency. And NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts in England, said hospitals in London and the south of England were under "real pressure" due to demand from Covid-19 and other conditions, as well as staff absence.

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2. Trump signs relief and spending package

Donald Trump has signed into law a coronavirus relief and spending package worth $900bn (£665bn), averting a partial government shutdown. The outgoing US president had initially refused to sign the bill, saying he wanted to give people bigger one-off payments. The delay meant that millions of Americans temporarily lost unemployment benefits. Congress approved the stimulus package last week, after months of negotiation. You can read here about how food banks across the country have been straining to meet rising demand during the pandemic, even in some of the country's wealthier regions.

3. South Africa passes one million infections

South Africa has become the first country on the African continent to register more than one million Covid-19 cases. The grim milestone was reached just days after authorities confirmed that a new, faster-spreading, coronavirus variant had been detected. Some hospitals and medical centres have reported a huge rise in admissions, putting a heavy strain on resources. President Cyril Ramaphosa is widely expected to announce tougher restrictions to prevent the virus from spreading further. The variant - known as 501.V2 and separate to the one driving infections in the UK - is believed to be behind the surge in cases. Two cases linked to the South African variant were last week detected in the UK.

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4. Doctor 'has shed more tears than ever'

Dr Bethan Gibson says she has shed more tears during the pandemic than in her entire career. The senior intensive care doctor, from the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, said Wales' lockdown - brought forward by eight days to start on 20 December - was "vital" amid rising critical care numbers. She said the pandemic had been "relentless" on staff, with many taking time off with burnout or stress. But she hopes vaccination will bring some kind of normality by Easter.

5. Five ways to stay positive through the winter

With Christmas over and the long, dark months upon us, winter can be tough for many of us in normal times - let alone during a pandemic. But the country's leading mental health experts say there are things many of us can do to give ourselves a lift. From moving more to thinking less, here are some of their top tips to stay positive through the winter.

Get a longer news briefing from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning, by signing up here.

And don't forget...

Find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.

With more areas of England brought under the toughest tier four Covid restrictions on Boxing Day, and new lockdowns in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, read our guide to the current rules.

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2020-12-28 08:17:00Z
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Angry Tory Remainer REFUSES to back Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal – calls on MPs to abstain - Daily Express

Lord Heseltine was joined by Labour peer Lord Adonis and former Tory minister Stephen Dorrell, who defected to the Liberal Democrats, in urging politicians to abstain.

The peer, who is also chairman of the European Movement group, said that there was “no doubt” the trade deal will pass, but urged MPs and peers to oppose it.

They said: “We call on all opposition voices, including any Conservatives who put country before party, to refuse to endorse the Government's deal.

"This deal bears no resemblance to what was promised; it damages Britain's economy, jobs, security, trade in vital goods and the respect with which the UK is held and opponents of the deal should not allow themselves to be held responsible for its consequences.

"The only people who should vote for this deal are those who are willing to accept responsibility for its consequences."

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2020-12-28 07:01:00Z
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COVID hospital admissions near first wave peak - as London Ambulance Service reports 'one of busiest days ever' - Sky News

Hospital admissions are nearing the level of the first peak, with one ambulance service reporting that Boxing Day was one of its busiest ever days.

There were 21,286 people in hospital with coronavirus in the UK on 22 December, the last day for which government figures are available.

This is only slightly less than the 21,683 patients recorded on 12 April.

The London Ambulance Service said Boxing Day was one of its "busiest ever days", with 7,918 calls - up by more than 2,500 compared with the same day in 2019.

The numbers were so high that the service was forced to get help from other services across the South.

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LAS said: "Like NHS organisations across the country, demand for our services has risen sharply over the past weeks and we are now taking up to 8,000 999 calls a day compared to 5,500 on a typical 'busy' day.

"Our colleagues in emergency departments are also under pressure receiving our patients as quickly as they can.

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"We are working urgently with NHS partners to reduce any delays."

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, told the BBC: "We're seeing a real rise in the pressure for hospital services, but also other types of NHS services as well... ambulance trusts in particular are coming under extreme pressure, as are community and mental health services."

Regarding London and the South, Ms Cordery added: "Part of the issue is many more people coming through the door with COVID, but also people coming through the door with other conditions as well."

There are also signs of stress in Wales, as a surgeon there warned that life-saving care for non-COVID patients was under threat if critical care units continued to fill up.

Shakir Mustafa, a consultant surgeon at the Cwm Taf Univeristy Health Board, told Sky News critical care units across South Wales were reaching capacity.

"If it's filled with COVID patients, it does not mean that we're just dealing with COVID and not dealing with anything else," he warned.

"It does mean that we are unable to physically have someone who's had a bleed after giving birth, for instance - or had a burst appendix, or somebody suffering from sepsis.

"We'd like to look after all our patients and we're at a situation where this is under threat."

On Sunday, the government said a further 316 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19, bringing the UK total to 70,752.

As of 9am on Sunday, there had been a further 30,051 lab-confirmed coronavirus cases.

However, Scotland is not releasing death figures between 24 and 28 December and Northern Ireland is not releasing case or death figures during the same period.

It comes as more than 24 million people - or 43% of the population - are in England's highest level of restrictions.

Scotland is also in Level 4 restrictions, a stay-at-home order is in place across Wales, and Northern Ireland is in a six-week lockdown.

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2020-12-28 04:53:32Z
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NHS leaders warn of intense pressure as Covid cases surge across UK - BBC News - BBC News

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1. NHS leaders warn of intense pressure as Covid cases surge across UK - BBC News  BBC News
2. Millions more Britons face being plunged into Tier 4 lockdown this week  Daily Mail
3. Only 388 people under 60 without underlying health conditions have died of coronavirus in hospitals across  The Sun
4. Hospitals in England told to free up all possible beds for surging Covid cases  The Guardian
5. London Ambulance Service said Boxing Day was 'one of their busiest ever days' | ITV News  ITV News
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-12-27 22:19:41Z
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Brexit: Britons warned over travel insurance, roaming charges and exports despite deal - Sky News

Britons travelling to the European Union have been warned they face disruption and potential charges after the Brexit transition period ends on Thursday.

Travellers from the UK have previously been able to rely on free healthcare with their European Health Insurance Card, and to escape roaming charges thanks to a ban on the fees throughout the bloc.

But the trade deal brokered between the European Union and the UK does not allow for Britons to keep either of these advantages.

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Brexit: Fishing and finance services frustrated

The deal only says both sides must encourage mobile providers to have "transparent and reasonable rates", while government guidance tells British travellers to check with their mobile provider to see what charges they will face.

Any British visitor to the EU will also have to make sure their passport has enough validity when they begin their journey.

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Cabinet minister Michael Gove acknowledged there will be "some disruption" as the nation adjusts, so he said "it is vital" to be as ready as possible.

Mr Gove also warned businesses that the time left to make final preparations before the new deal comes into force "is very short".

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Businesses must understand the new rules on importing and exporting goods between Great Britain and the EU, as well as rules when trading with Northern Ireland.

EU officials are set to meet on Monday to discuss the Brexit trade deal agreed with the UK on Christmas Eve.

If the Brexit agreement, covering £660bn of trade, can be provisionally approved by EU ambassadors, it will then move on to formal ratification by the European Parliament.

It will almost certainly be passed by the UK parliament this week, with Labour backing what it describes as a "thin" treaty, as the alternative would be a chaotic no-deal situation on 1 January.

And Boris Johnson has said that, although he accepts that "the devil is in the detail" of the deal, he believes that it will stand up to inspection from sceptics such as the European Research Group of Brexiteers.

But while Mr Johnson will have the support of most of his party, Tory grandee Lord Heseltine has called on MPs and peers to abstain when voting on the deal, which he warned will inflict "lasting damage" on the UK.

The Scottish National Party has confirmed that it will vote against the deal, with its Westminster leader Ian Blackford describing it as an "unforgivable act of economic vandalism and gross stupidity".

Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds told Sky News that while it was a "relief" that a deal had been secured, there was still a lot of concern among businesses.

"There will be people struggling to understand what this deal means for them - this is a real scramble for a lot of businesses to get ready for," she said.

Meanwhile, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said she expects to sign a continuity trade agreement with Turkey this week.

The move was not possible until the deal with the EU was struck because Ankara is in a customs union with the bloc.

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2020-12-28 02:36:55Z
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Rishi Sunak calms nerves over the impact of Brexit on the financial sector - Daily Mail

Rishi Sunak calms nerves over the impact of Brexit on the financial sector after Boris Johnson said the deal 'perhaps does not go as far as we would like'

• The Prime Minister said Brexit deal 'perhaps does not go as far as we would like'
• But Rishi Sunak insisted the Brexit deal would be a boon for the financial sector 
• No decision on 'equivalence', allowing firms to sell services in EU single market

By Daniel Martin for the Daily Mail

Published: 22:11 GMT, 27 December 2020 | Updated: 22:14 GMT, 27 December 2020

Rishi Sunak insisted the Brexit deal would be a boon for the financial sector after Boris Johnson admitted he wished he had been able to extract more from Brussels.

The Prime Minister said the agreement allows the UK to 'do things differently where that's useful for the British people'.

But he admitted that the deal 'perhaps does not go as far as we would like'.

As part of the trade agreement, free movement of services will end, meaning British firms will have to comply with varying rules across member states.

There was no decision on 'equivalence', which would allow firms to sell their services into the EU single market from the City of London.

Rishi Sunak (right) insisted the Brexit deal would be a boon for the financial sector after Boris Johnson admitted he wished he had been able to extract more from Brussels

And there will be no joint declaration to support enhanced cooperation on financial oversight until March.

But Mr Sunak told Sky News: 'This deal can represent an enormously unifying moment for our country and bring people together after the divisions of the last four years.

'To those who voted to leave this deal means that we will have the freedom that people sought – control of our laws, our borders, our trade.

'But to those who were anxious about the economic implications of leaving they should be enormously reassured by the comprehensive nature of this free-trade agreement, ensuring tariff-free, quota-free access for British businesses to the European market, ensuring that close economic partnership and crucially protecting British jobs.'

Boris Johnson speaks during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, December 24

On financial services, the Chancellor said: 'Now that we've left the European Union, we can do things a bit differently.

'We're embarking on that journey, for example examining how we make the City of London the most attractive place to list new companies anywhere in the world.' Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Sunak said next year would begin a 'new era' for the nation as he pledged to invest in infrastructure and reward 'risk-takers and entrepreneurs'.

He said: 'I want next year to be the start of something much more meaningful for all of us – a moment to look afresh at the world and the opportunities it presents, and to consider how to take advantage of them.'

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2020-12-27 22:11:00Z
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Hardliners fall in behind Brexit deal: Boris Johnson appears to win support of Tory Eurosceptics - Daily Mail

Hardliners fall in behind Brexit deal: Boris Johnson appears to win support of Tory Eurosceptics for his EU trade agreement

• PM rang members of ERG to argue it meets demands on return of sovereignty
• The ERG has convened team to go through the 1,200-page document line by line
• Not one of the group's MPs has gone public with any concerns about the deal 

By Daniel Martin Policy Editor For The Daily Mail

Published: 22:08 GMT, 27 December 2020 | Updated: 22:48 GMT, 27 December 2020

Boris Johnson looks to have won his battle to persuade hardline Brexiteers in his party to back his EU trade deal in the Commons this week.

The Prime Minister and top adviser Oliver Lewis have been ringing senior members of the pro-Brexit European Research Group to argue that the agreement meets their demands on the return of sovereignty.

The ERG has convened a self-styled 'star chamber' legal team, with veteran Eurosceptic Sir Bill Cash as chairman, to go through the 1,200-page document line by line.

And so far, not one of the group's MPs has gone public with any concerns about the deal – although there is criticism that only one day of Commons debate has been set aside.

Boris Johnson looks to have won his battle to persuade hardline Brexiteers in his party to back his EU trade deal in the Commons this week. He is pictured at his desk just before the final agreement

Ministers expect most of them to fall in behind the agreement on Wednesday when it is voted on, with only about ten Tory rebels voting against.

One ERG member said they had not yet found any 'absolute horrors', while another said they were 'cautiously optimistic'. Andrew Bridgen, Conservative MP and a member of the ERG, said: 'If you had offered me what we've got here back in 2016 I wouldn't have snapped your hand off, I'd have had your arms and your legs as well.'

Both the Commons and the Lords will sit for a single day to pass the Future Relationship Bill implementing the Government's free trade deal.

More than three quarters of MPs are expected to dial in remotely after the Commons Speaker urged them to stay at home and said those present in person will not be given priority to speak.

 The Prime Minister and top adviser Oliver Lewis have been ringing senior members of the pro-Brexit European Research Group to argue that the agreement meets their demands on the return of sovereignty

Andrew Bridgen, Conservative MP (pictured) and a member of the ERG, said: 'If you had offered me what we've got here back in 2016 I wouldn't have snapped your hand off, I'd have had your arms and your legs as well'

The deal is certain to pass because Sir Keir Starmer has announced that Labour MPs will be whipped to support it. But the Labour leader is set for a rebellion of around 20 MPs and the possibility of resignations of a few junior shadow ministers. As expected, the Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats will vote against the deal.

Although the Prime Minister does not need the support of the ERG to get the agreement through the Commons, he wants as many as possible to support it to show that the decades-long Tory wars over Europe are over.

But in a sign the conflict may still rumble on, last night Tory grandee Lord Heseltine called on MPs and peers to abstain when it comes to the vote, warning the deal will inflict 'lasting damage' on the UK. However, the former deputy prime minister said that he would not vote against because the consequences of a No Deal would be even graver.

The ERG has convened a self-styled 'star chamber' legal team, with veteran Eurosceptic Sir Bill Cash (pictured) as chairman, to go through the 1,200-page document line by line

Some ERG members have accused the Prime Minister of showing 'contempt' for Parliament by confining discussion of the agreement to just one day. They demanded that a binding vote be delayed for three weeks to allow full scrutiny of the treaty. David Davis, former Brexit secretary, said a one-day debate was 'too fast'.

He told the Observer: 'Whatever you think of this treaty it is going to affect the rest of our lives.

'It is a treaty that is going to bring to an end an argument that has dominated the first half of our lives, and the outcome is going to be for the rest of our lives, and it does require more than just a rubber stamp.'

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said the ERG's lawyers were 'far better than anything the Government has got'.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith (pictured) said the ERG's lawyers were 'far better than anything the Government has got'

He said: 'The Government legal service make so many mistakes in European treaties. Time and again the EU tricks them. We will do them a favour by exposing what they have got rather than what they say they have got.'

Criticising the short debate, he added: 'We had 25 days of debate on the Maastricht Treaty' – the founding treaty for the EU.

The most recent data indicates that 75 per cent of MPs have registered for proxy votes, meaning that they will be taking part in the debate online rather than travelling across the country.

Stuart Andrew, the Tory deputy chief whip, holds 269 proxy votes for Conservative MPs.

In a letter to all MPs, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle wrote: 'I would strongly urge you not to physically come to Westminster to participate in any business unless absolutely necessary.'

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2020-12-27 22:08:00Z
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