Babak Belurs

Selasa, 23 Februari 2021

Prince Philip 'a lot better' and 'we're keeping our fingers crossed', Prince Edward says - Sky News

Prince Edward has said the Royal Family are keeping their “fingers crossed” but that his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, is “a lot better” a week after he was admitted to hospital.

Speaking to Sky News, the Earl of Wessex, Prince Philip's youngest son, said he had talked to his father on the phone.

Asked how he was doing, he said: "As far as I'm aware, well I did speak to him the other day, so he's a lot better thank you very much indeed, and he's looking forward to getting out, which is the most positive thing.

"So we keep our fingers crossed."

Buckingham Palace has said Philip is likely to remain in hospital "for several days".

"The Duke of Edinburgh remains at King Edward VII's Hospital where he is receiving medical attention for an infection," the palace said in a statement.

"He is comfortable and responding to treatment but is not expected to leave hospital for several days."

Asked if the duke was frustrated at being in hospital, Prince Edward added: "Just a bit! I think that gets to all of us, and then, you can only watch the clock so many times and the walls are only so interesting."

He also wanted to say thank you on behalf of his family and father for all the kind messages they have received.

"We've had some brilliant and lovely messages from all sorts of people and we really appreciate that and so does he, I've been passing them on. It's fantastic, thank you," he said.

The earl was speaking to Sky News for a report about the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and the positive impact it has had on young people during the pandemic.

Prince Philip, 99, has been at the King Edward VII Hospital in central London for a week after being driven there by car last Tuesday "as a precautionary measure".

There haven't been any official updates from the palace since last Friday when sources said the Duke of Edinburgh was likely to remain in hospital until later this week for rest and observation, although he was said to be in "good spirits".

The royal household has not given details about what he is being treated for but have said it is not COVID-related.

Yesterday Prince William said his grandfather was "ok" and doctors were "keeping an eye on him" in hospital.

The Duke of Cambridge was asked about the duke as he was visiting a vaccination centre in King's Lynn, Norfolk.

On Saturday, the Duke of Edinburgh was visited by his son the Prince of Wales, and the pair spent about 30 minutes together.

While it was unusual for the duke to have a visitor, Prince Charles returned to Highgrove in Gloucestershire, potentially a sign he wasn't unduly concerned about his father's health.

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2021-02-23 15:11:15Z
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Scotland's roadmap out of lockdown unveiled - BBC News

The reopening of Scotland's economy - including shops, bars, restaurants, gyms and hairdressers - is expected to start in the last week of April, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

She said there would be a "progressive easing" of restrictions before then, with four people from two households allowed to meet outdoors from 15 March.

All primary and more secondary school pupils could return from that date.

It is hoped to lift the stay at home restriction on 5 April.

Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish government's strategic framework was "deliberately cautious" at this stage.

"But in the coming weeks, if the data allows and positive trends continue, we will seek to accelerate the easing of restrictions," she said.

However, opposition parties said the statement "fell short" of expectations and lacked clarity on its "ultimate goal".

On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that shops, hairdressers, gyms and outdoor hospitality in England could reopen on 12 April as part of a four-step plan to ease lockdown.

Ms Sturgeon said the aim in Scotland was to move fully back to a levels system of restrictions from the last week in April.

"At that stage, we hope that all parts of the country currently in level four will be able to move out of level four and back initially to level three - possibly with some revision to the content of the levels."

She said that from the last week of April, the government would expect to see "phased but significant re-opening of the economy, including non essential retail, hospitality and services like gyms and hairdressers".

More detail will be set out in mid-March, including the order in which parts of the economy will reopen.

The aim is for a "progressive easing" of the level four restrictions at three-week intervals.

Scotland's youngest children and some senior pupils returned to the classroom on Monday, and Ms Sturgeon said schools were the "immediate priority".

It is hoped that the next phase will see the remaining primary school pupils and more senior pupils back in the classroom "for at least part of their learning" from 15 March.

The rules on outdoor mixing would also be relaxed on that date, with up to four people from two households allowed to meet, and non-contact sports for under-18s resuming.

The final phase of the return to school would take place on 5 April, when it is hoped to lift the stay at home restrictions.

At least six people from two households should be able to meet together outdoors from that date, and communal worship will be allowed to resume.

The levels system of restrictions would then be reintroduced from 26 April, along with a "more substantial" reopening of society and the economy.

"It is important to stress, of course, that all of this depends on us continuing to suppress the virus now - and continuing to accept some trade-offs for a period, for example on international travel," said Ms Sturgeon.

"However, if we do so, I am optimistic that we can make good progress in returning more normality to our lives and the economy."

'Holding document'

The Scottish Conservatives' Holyrood leader, Ruth Davidson, said the statement "fell short of public expectations".

"We didn't get information about when measures like social distancing will end and when we will be able to do something as basic as give a loved one a hug," she said.

"Everyone understands that we might not be able to give people absolute certainty - but they were at least expecting the first minister to give them some kind of hope.

"Nothing has been published about what happens after 26 April. This isn't a route map out of Covid, it is holding document."

Scottish Labour's interim leader, Jackie Baillie, said the statement lacked clarity on its "ultimate goal".

She also called for a revised testing strategy which includes mass community testing where appropriate.

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2021-02-23 14:53:27Z
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Scotland's roadmap out of lockdown unveiled - BBC News

The reopening of Scotland's economy - including shops, bars, restaurants, gyms and hairdressers - is expected to start in the last week of April, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

She said there would be a "progressive easing" of restrictions before then, with four people from two households allowed to meet outdoors from 15 March.

All primary and more secondary school pupils could return from that date.

It is hoped to lift the stay at home restriction on 5 April.

Ms Sturgeon said it would be necessary to "rely very heavily" on restrictions to suppress the virus for "a bit longer".

She said the Scottish government's strategic framework was "deliberately cautious" at this stage.

"But in the coming weeks, if the data allows and positive trends continue, we will seek to accelerate the easing of restrictions," she said.

Ms Sturgeon said the aim was to move fully back to a levels system of restrictions from the last week in April.

More detail will be set out in mid-March, including the order in which parts of the economy will reopen.

The aim is for a "progressive easing" of the level four restrictions at three-week intervals.

Scotland's youngest children and some senior pupils returned to the classroom on Monday, and Ms Sturgeon said schools were the "immediate priority".

It is hoped that the next phase will see the remaining primary school pupils and more senior pupils back in the classroom "for at least part of their learning" from 15 March.

The final phase of the return to school would take place on 5 April, when it is hoped to lift the stay at home restrictions.

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COVID-19: Review into whether Britons will need 'vaccine passports' to enter pubs or theatres - Sky News

The government will conduct a review of the "deep and complex" issues around whether Britons should be asked to show a "vaccine passport" before entering venues such as a pub or theatre, the prime minister has said.

In its four-stage roadmap for lifting England's current lockdown, the government has committed to reviewing whether "COVID-status certification" - commonly referred to as a "vaccine passport" - could "play a role" in the full reopening of the economy.

And Boris Johnson has revealed the review will both look at whether the government could introduce such certification or, conversely, ban businesses from requiring people to prove their vaccination or COVID testing status.

Live COVID news from UK and around the world

"This is an area where we're looking at a novelty for our country," he said on Tuesday.

"We haven't had stuff like this before, we've never thought in terms of having something that you have to show to go to a pub or theatre.

"So there are deep and complex issues that we need to explore, ethical issues about what the role is for government in mandating people to have such a thing or, indeed, banning people from doing such a thing.

"There are complex issues we need to work out.

"We can't be discriminatory against people who, for whatever reason, can't have the vaccine - there might be medical reasons why people can't have the vaccine, or some people may genuinely refuse to have one.

"Now I think that's a mistake, I think everybody should have a vaccine but we need to thrash all this out."

Mr Johnson said Michael Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, would conduct the review into the use of COVID certification, which is due to report back before the fourth stage of easing lockdown restrictions on 21 June.

Under the final stage of its roadmap, the government hopes to remove all legal limits on social contact, allow larger events, permit weddings with no limit on the number of guests, and to reopen venues such as nightclubs.

"We've got time because what we're doing is rolling out the vaccination programme and that will go on for the next couple of months," the prime minister added.

"And, in the interval, what I want to see is a proper review into the issue.

"That's going to be led by Michael Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, who will be getting the best scientific, moral, philosophical, ethical viewpoints on it.

"And we'll work out the way forward.

"I know the fervent libertarians will object but other people will think there is a case for it."

The prime minister has previously raised the prospect of using rapid coronavirus tests to allow Britons to return to nightclubs or theatres.

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Mr Johnson did confirm that the use of vaccine passports for international travel was more than likely.

"When you look at the international side of things, international travel, there's no question that's where a lot of people, a lot of countries will be going," he said.

"They will be insisting on vaccine passports in the way that people used to insist on evidence that you've been inoculated against Yellow Fever or whatever.

"So it's going to come on the international stage whatever."

Ministers have already been in talks with other countries about the possible introduction of an international system for demonstrating someone's vaccination or testing status when crossing borders.

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2021-02-23 13:03:50Z
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Coronavirus latest: Rush to book holidays spurs rally in UK travel stocks - Financial Times

The US on Monday reported its smallest daily increase in new coronavirus cases in more than four months, continuing recent glimmers of hope for the country’s management of the pandemic.

States reported an additional 52,530 infections, down from 58,702 on Sunday, according to Covid Tracking Project. It was the smallest one-day increase in cases since October 18.

Over the past week, the US has averaged 64,034 new cases a day, which is the lowest the rate since late October. This represents a drop of 74 per cent from a peak rate in early January of more than 247,000 cases a day.

However, Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cautioned at the White House’s coronavirus response briefing on Monday afternoon that while the average has been declining for the past five weeks, it is still “high” and on par with the summer surge when states in the sunbelt were among the most afflicted.

Casting a shadow over Monday’s figures, the US death toll topped 500,000 for the first time, according to Johns Hopkins University. Covid Tracking Project, whose data the Financial Times use for analysis, put the death toll at 490,382.

“Since our dataset uses [New York State] reported deaths which does not include the more than 8,000 deaths that are reported by [New York City], our total death count is lagging behind other trackers that marked 500k deaths today,” Covid Tracking Project said in a Twitter message, adding that it recognised coronavirus deaths in the US “are an undercount”.

Authorities on Monday attributed a further 1,235 deaths to coronavirus, the smallest one-day increase in seven days.

The number of patients currently hospitalised in the US with coronavirus dropped to 55,403, the lowest level since early November.

Figures on Monday tend to be lower than other days of the week due to weekend delays in reporting. Severe winter weather may also still be having a dampening effect on data from states due to closures of testing and vaccination sites and power outages.

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2021-02-23 12:11:05Z
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Covid-19: Everyone 'has to play their part' in lockdown easing, says Hancock - BBC News

Everybody has to "play their part" to meet the dates for England's lockdown to be eased, Matt Hancock has said.

But it is currently "too early" to say how long social distancing will be in place, the health secretary said.

The aim is for measures like masks to become a "matter of personal responsibility", rather than law, in the future.

Boris Johnson has outlined a strategy that could see restrictions lifted by 21 June - if strict conditions are met.

Nicola Sturgeon is to reveal plans to ease restrictions in Scotland later.

She has said Scotland will return to a tiered system, meaning different parts of the country could be under different rules.

The health secretary told the BBC it is "vital" that "everybody plays their part" to make sure "that we hit these dates and get out of this as soon as we possibly can, safely".

People should be able to hug friends and family from 17 May, when the most vulnerable groups have had two coronavirus vaccine jabs, he said.

Mr Hancock said eradicating Covid-19 completely is "not going to be possible" and that everyone would have to "learn to live with it", as we do with flu.

He said he wanted measures to become a "matter of personal responsibility and social norms" that could see people choosing to wear masks on public transport, for example.

Deaths continuing to decline

There is already evidence that the vaccines were working, with the number of deaths "coming down really sharply", he added.

He urged people to take up their vaccine offer, amid warnings the virus could persist in inner city communities where uptake is low.

Dr Mike Tildesley, reader in mathematical modelling of infectious diseases at the University of Warwick and member of government advisory group SPI-M, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this was a "real concern".

"It's really important that we get the vaccines out to those deprived communities to prevent a potential wave of infections occurring as we do unlock," he added.

Mr Hancock said it is "absolutely on all of us" to get the vaccine when invited.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show coronavirus deaths continue to decline. In the week of 12 February, there were 17,136 deaths registered in the UK, down by 1,710 on the previous week.

Deaths are still running above usual levels for this time of year, however. They were 26% higher than the average for the same week over the past five years.

In the first step of the prime minister's roadmap, all pupils in England's schools are expected to return to class from 8 March, with mass testing and wider use of face masks in secondary schools.

There will be a further easing on 29 March, with groups of up to six people or two households allowed to gather in parks and gardens.

Shops, hairdressers, gyms and outdoor hospitality, as well as self-contained holiday accommodation, could reopen on 12 April. A review of international leisure travel restrictions will be completed by this date.

From 17 May, two households or a group of six may be able to meet indoors in a pub or other hospitality venue such as restaurants.

Cinemas, museums, hotels, performances and sporting events will also reopen, with up to 30 people able to attend weddings, receptions, funerals and wakes.

The final step from 21 June will potentially see all legal limits on social contact removed, with the final closed sectors of the economy reopened - such as nightclubs.

Progressing along the schedule will depend on four tests: the success of the vaccine rollout, evidence of vaccine efficacy, an assessment of new variants, and keeping infection rates below a level that could put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.

There will be a gap of at least five weeks between each of the plan's subsequent steps to allow for the impact of changes on infection rates and hospital admissions to be assessed.

On Monday, Mr Johnson told a Downing Street news conference he could not guarantee his plan would be irreversible "but the intention is that it should be".

He added that the coming spring and summer would be "seasons of hope, looking and feeling incomparably better for us all".

As part of its plans, the government wants to determine whether offering "Covid status" certificates, which could be used by people to demonstrate they had received a vaccine or a negative coronavirus test, could help venues open again.

Mr Johnson acknowledged there were "clearly some quite complex issues, some ethical issues" but later told a meeting of his own MPs that "a debate had to be had".

MPs will vote on the roadmap in late March.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the plan but said certainty was needed over the future of the government furlough scheme for both businesses and workers.

Labour shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that without clarity on business support - like the VAT reduction and the business rates holiday - "many businesses are simply throwing in the towel now and we cannot afford that in the UK when we've already had record redundancies".

Conservative MP Steve Baker, deputy chair of the Covid Recovery Group of Tory lockdown-sceptics, said the "pace of change will be a hammer blow" to industries such as aviation, hospitality and the arts.

The four conditions for easing England's lockdown measures

The devolved nations have the power to set their own restrictions.

In Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said he hopes the "stay-at-home" requirement could end within three weeks, with some non-essential shops and hairdressers possibly reopening at the same time.

Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster wants its executive to discuss the reopening date for schools following Mr Johnson's announcement in England.

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A further 10,641 coronavirus cases were reported on Monday, alongside another 178 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

More than 17.7 million people across the UK have now received at least one vaccine dose, according to latest government figures.

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How will you be affected by the plan to ease Covid restrictions? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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2021-02-23 11:30:23Z
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BREAKING: PM 'very optimistic' England's lockdown will end on 21 June - Sky News

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2021-02-23 11:12:17Z
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Selasa, 23 Februari 2021

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