COVID-19: Three-quarters of adults in UK have now had first vaccine dose - Sky News

More than three-quarters of adults in the UK have now had their first COVID-19 vaccine dose.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed the milestone was reached by midnight on Tuesday in a speech in which he praised the role of the NHS, scientists, the UK medicines regulator the MHRA and the vaccines taskforce in the vaccine rollout.

More than 65.6 million vaccines have now been administered across the UK between 8 December and 1 June, with more than 39.5m first doses - 75.2% of adults - and more than 26m first doses - 49.5% of adults.

Speaking at the University of Oxford, where the AstraZeneca vaccine was developed, he said his first meeting about the vaccine was in January 2020, just after the virus' genomic sequence was traced and was told a vaccine might never be developed as a jab against a human coronavirus had never been made before.

"Who'd have thought just 11 months later we'd be able to deploy the first-ever clinically approved coronavirus vaccine?" he said.

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He added that the government has entered into commercial negotiations with AstraZeneca to buy a vaccine that works against the South Africa variant, which was found to be more transmissible.

Mr Hancock also revealed last March he flew to Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff to speak to the devolved governments' health ministers face-to-face to organise the vaccine rollout "as a union" - something he said was essential to get the vaccines developed and into people's arms.

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Western countries have faced criticism for buying up vaccines, which Mr Hancock acknowledged by saying: "As of today I can confirm over half a billion doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have now been released for supply globally - the majority in low and middle-income countries."

He added that Pfizer will also deliver its vaccine at cost to low-income countries.

Monday marked the first time since 30 July last year that no deaths within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus were reported.

Mr Hancock's comments came amid a continuing debate over whether the final stages of unlocking restrictions in England can go ahead later this month due to concerns over the spread of the Indian variant.

The health secretary said there is nothing "yet in the data to say we're definitely off track" to move to step four of the roadmap on 21 June, adding that it is "too early to make the decision".

He echoed Boris Johnson's comments, with the prime minister also saying there was a need to wait "a little bit longer" before a firm decision could be made.

However, Dr David Nabarro, the World Health Organisation's special envoy on COVID-19, told Sky News that despite low infection levels, unlocking restrictions too quickly in the UK could create a further "spike" in infections.

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2021-06-02 14:03:45Z
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Wetherspoons boss denies facing shortage of EU workers - BBC News

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The boss of Wetherspoons has denied claims his pubs are facing a staff shortage caused by Brexit.

It comes after Tim Martin was quoted by the Daily Telegraph as saying he favoured a more "liberal" visa scheme for EU workers to tackle shortfalls.

Mr Martin, a vocal Brexit supporter, told the BBC he had always favoured an Australian style system which treated near neighbours preferentially.

There was "no recruitment issue" other than in small coastal towns, he added.

Many hospitality businesses have struggled during the pandemic despite extensive government support, and firms are reportedly now struggling to recruit as they reopen.

According to trade group UK Hospitality, Brexit has added to the problem, as more EU workers return to their home countries.

• Why are hospitality workers leaving the industry?
• Hospitality 'struggling to fill thousands of jobs'

According to the Telegraph, Mr Martin said a more flexible visa system for EU workers could help ease the pressure on firms.

"The UK has a low birth rate. A reasonably liberal immigration system controlled by those we have elected, as distinct from the EU system, would be a plus for the economy and the country," he told the paper.

"America, Australia and Singapore have benefited for many decades from this approach. Immigration combined with democracy works."

However, Mr Martin later told the BBC the comment has been taken out of context.

He added that Wetherspoons was not struggling to recruit, and in some towns, such as Northallerton, jobs at its pubs were oversubscribed.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics in April suggest that more than one in 10 UK hospitality workers left the industry in the last year.

UK Hospitality has urged the government to encourage UK-based workers to join the sector.

It is also asking the government to renew its list of shortage occupations and consider a visa scheme for workers who would not qualify under the points-based system.

Over the past 12 months Wetherspoons, which has 871 pubs, has reduced the number of staff by about 6,000 to almost 38,000.

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2021-06-02 10:32:20Z
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COVID-19: Education recovery plan criticised as inadequate amid reported Whitehall squabbles over cost - Sky News

A COVID rescue plan to help children in England catch up on lost lessons, costing £1.4 billion, is being unveiled by the government.

But plans to add half an hour to the school day, extending it from 8am to 5pm or 6pm, are reported to have been postponed after a Whitehall row over the cost.

As part of the recovery package, 17 and 18-year-old students will be given the option to repeat their final year if they have been badly affected by COVID.

The government claims children across England will be offered up to 100 million hours of free tuition to help them catch up on learning lost during the pandemic.

The plan has been drawn up by Sir Kevan Collins, appointed as the Government's COVID catch-up tsar in April, who says at its heart are "three Ts": extra time, teaching and tutoring.

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But lengthening the school day or shortening the summer holiday is now under review as Sir Kevan battles against the Treasury for an estimated £15 billion to fund the longer hours plans, with Chancellor Rishi Sunak said to be "pushing back against them" because of the massive cost.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson says: "One would imagine, intuitively, that combining this tutoring with more time in the school day would have an impact.

More on Covid-19

"But I recognise that this is a major step. That's why I am launching a formal review of the evidence."

The £1.4 billion includes £1 billion to support up to six million 15-hour tutoring courses for disadvantaged children, as well as expanding 16-19 tuition, targeting key subjects such as maths and English.

But funding has been denounced as inadequate by Labour, unions and education campaigners, who claim the money pledged by the government over three years is only £50 per pupil per year.

"This announcement makes a mockery of the Prime Minister's claim that education is a priority," said Labour's shadow education secretary Kate Green.

"His own education recovery commissioner has all but said this plan is insufficient. Sir Kevan Collins told ministers that 10 times this level of investment was needed to help children recover."

And the Education Policy Institute (EPI) think tank, headed by former Liberal Democrat cabinet minister David Laws, claimed the government's package was dwarfed by other countries' plans.

"The government's education recovery package does not remotely match the scale of lost learning and is unlikely to be enough to support children to catch up on the many months of lost learning that most have suffered," he said.

The EPI claims its research shows that despite pupils making some progress to recover during the Autumn term, on average they were as far behind in March this year, after closures early this year, as they were in September.

Announcing the plan, Boris Johnson said: "Young people have sacrificed so much over the last year and as we build back from the pandemic, we must make sure that no child is left behind.

"This next step in our long-term catch up plan should give parents confidence that we will do everything we can to support children who have fallen behind and that every child will have the skills and knowledge they need to fulfil their potential."

£400 million will help give early years practitioners and 500,000 school teachers across the country training and support, and schools and colleges will be funded to give some year 13 students the option to repeat their final year.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson added: "This is the third major package of catch-up funding in 12 months and demonstrates that we are taking a long-term, evidence-based approach to help children of all ages.

"The package will not just go a long way to boost children's learning in the wake of the disruption caused by the pandemic but also help bring back down the attainment gap that we've been working to eradicate."

And Sir Kevan Collins said: "The pandemic has caused a huge disruption to the lives of England's children. Supporting every child to get back on track will require a sustained and comprehensive programme of support.

"The investments in teaching quality and tutoring announced today offer evidence-based support to a significant number of our children and teachers. But more will be needed to meet the scale of the challenge."

But teaching unions, predictably, were scathing. Geoff Barton of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), claimed there had been a battle behind the scenes over funding between the Treasury and the Department for Education.

"This is a hugely disappointing announcement which lets down the nation's children and schools at a time when the government needed to step up and demonstrate its commitment to education," he said.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union the NAHT, said: "It's a damp squib - some focus in a couple of the right areas is simply not enough."

But he said the union was relieved to see that extending the school day had been "shelved for now", adding: "Extending the school day in particular had the potential to negatively impact on pupils' mental health, reduce family time and leave less time for extra-curricular activities."

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2021-06-02 00:19:42Z
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Covid-19: Tutoring sessions in £1.4bn catch-up school plan - BBC News

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Tutoring sessions for pupils in England are being promised in school catch-up plans that will cost £1.4bn over three years.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "We will do everything we can to support children who have fallen behind."

The extra funding will help pupils whose learning has been disrupted by the pandemic.

Head teachers criticised the proposals as a "damp squib" and "hugely disappointing".

"Young people have sacrificed so much over the last year and as we build back from the pandemic, we must make sure that no child is left behind," said Mr Johnson, announcing "this next step in our long-term catch up plan".

No extended school day

The recovery plan, in addition to the £1.7bn already announced, will include £1bn for 100 million hours of tutoring and £250m for teacher training and development.

• What students really want from school catch-up
• £13.5bn needed for pupils to catch up, report says
• Parents worry about lost learning as schools reopen
• Sir Kevan Collins named as education recovery tsar

Tutoring will be targeted at those considered most in need of support, but it will not be an entitlement for all pupils.

There had been reports that a recovery plan could include a longer school day - but funding for any further catch-up proposals will depend on the next spending review.

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The BBC has learned a much bigger and more ambitious plan costing just over £10bn was still under discussion between government departments as recently as last week but this was rejected by the Treasury.

Sources close to the talks said the Treasury was reluctant to sign off on such a big upfront commitment.

In response, a Whitehall source said: "Together with DfE [Department for Education] we will work out what exactly is needed in terms of extra time for children's catch up - as well as what teachers and parents think is best and will work too.

"It's right for both children and the taxpayer that we know what we're buying before we spend."

The amount announced is lower than had been previously suggested - with the Education Policy Institute (EPI) calculating a recovery plan would cost £13.5bn.

The think tank, which warned primary pupils had lost up to two months of learning in reading and three months in maths, said the extra funding amounted to £50 per pupil per year - a tenth of what was needed.

The support was lower than in other countries, said the EPI, with catch-up funding so far in England worth £310 per pupil over three years, compared with £1,600 in the United States and £2,500 in the Netherlands.

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• LOOK-UP TOOL: Check cases in your area

'Teaching quality'

Geoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, said the government's response "shows a failure to recognise the scale of learning loss".

"There has obviously been a battle behind the scenes over funding for education recovery," said Mr Barton - with a settlement much lower than anticipated.

"Where is the funding for drama and music, sport and skills development?" asked Mary Bousted, co-leader of the National Education Union, who added: "Rarely has so much been promised and so little delivered."

But the education recovery tsar, Sir Kevan Collins, said: "The investments in teaching quality and tutoring announced today offer evidence-based support to a significant number of our children and teachers. But more will be needed to meet the scale of the challenge."

Paul Whiteman, leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, said the announcement was a "damp squib" and "education recovery cannot be done on the cheap".

But the heads' union leader welcomed that there was no plan to extend the school day, which could have caused "more harm than good".

Labour's Education Secretary Kate Green said the announcement "makes a mockery of the prime minister's claim that education is a priority".

Labour's recovery proposals included breakfast clubs and mental health support, as well as tutoring and teacher development.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "This is the third major package of catch-up funding in twelve months and demonstrates that we are taking a long-term, evidence-based approach to help children of all ages.

"The package will not just go a long way to boost children's learning in the wake of the disruption caused by the pandemic but also help bring back down the attainment gap that we've been working to eradicate," said Mr Williamson.

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2021-06-01 23:39:01Z
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Kingstanding stabbing: Murder arrests after boy, 14, killed in attack - BBC News

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Six people, including two young teenagers, have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Birmingham.

The boy was confirmed dead at the scene on College Road, Kingstanding, at about 19:30 BST on Monday.

West Midlands Police said a 13-year-old boy was detained in the Walsall area and a 14-year-old boy was arrested from a vehicle in Cheshire.

Four men, aged 33, 35, 36 and 38, have also been held, the force added.

Police said the victim - who has not been formally identified - was thought to have been chased towards the nearby McDonald's by a group of youths who fled the scene after the teenager collapsed.

He was pronounced dead a short time later.

A post-mortem examination has confirmed the boy died from a stab wound to his chest.

• Latest news from the West Midlands

All six were arrested within a few hours on Tuesday afternoon, the force said.

The 33-year-old man was arrested from an address in Kingstanding at 15:35 BST followed by the 13-year-old boy.

Police said the 38-year-old man and 14-year-old boy were detained from the vehicle and the other two men - aged 35 and 36 - surrendered to police stations in the West Midlands.

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Det Ch Insp Stu Mobberley said: "We've made rapid progress on the investigation so far and these arrests are a significant step forward.

"We are keeping an open mind and pursuing all lines of enquiry. We ask people not to speculate on social media."

The force has voluntarily referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after "looking at previous incidents involving the victim".

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2021-06-01 20:36:19Z
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COVID-19: UK reports zero daily coronavirus-related deaths for first time since pandemic began - Sky News

The UK has reported zero daily coronavirus-related deaths for the first time since the pandemic began, but the health secretary has warned "we haven't beaten this virus yet".

According to the latest government data, 3,165 new COVID-19 cases were also recorded in the latest 24-hour period.

Matt Hancock tweeted that although the "whole country will be so glad there were no COVID-related deaths recorded yesterday... we know we haven't beaten this virus yet".

The latest figures come after a bank holiday weekend when the number of deaths and cases can be lower due to reporting lags.

But despite this undoubtedly good news we know we haven’t beaten this virus yet, and with cases continuing to rise please remember hands, face, space and let in fresh air when indoors, and of course, make sure when you can you get both jabs.

2/2

— Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) June 1, 2021

Live COVID updates from UK and around world

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The last time there were no deaths was on 7 March 2020, before the first lockdown.

On 10 May this year, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all reported no deaths, but four were logged in Wales.

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Meanwhile, another 93,103 people had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine on Monday, taking the total to 39,477,158.

Some 195,546 people had their second jab on Monday, meaning 25,734,719 have now been fully vaccinated.

Tuesday's figures take the total number of recorded cases so far to 4,490,438 and deaths to 127,782.

The race to vaccinate the UK gathered pace yesterday after a major walk-in vaccination centre at Twickenham Stadium opened up the jab offer to anyone aged over 18 for one day only in order not to waste doses.

Currently, only those aged over 30 in England are being invited to book their first vaccine.

The call led to lengthy queues in south-west London as thousands of young people lined up for a jab.

It comes amid growing calls from some experts for the government to delay the lifting of the remaining lockdown restrictions in England later this month.

Professor Ravi Gupta, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), told Sky News that a further easing of measures on 21 June was "a bit early".

"I think we need at least a few weeks - probably a month until schools have closed when the risk of transmission within schools falls during summer holidays," he said.

"It then gives us another four weeks' worth of data to collect about how the [Indian variant of the] virus is growing in the population, what sort of rate it is growing at, how it is doing relative to the previous strain B117.

"And also how effective our vaccines are against this new virus.

"All of that information is coming in weekly and it will enable us to build up a better picture whilst staying safe and maintaining the gains we made through that really painful three of four months we had."

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Prof Gupta warned the Indian variant - now renamed as the Delta variant by the World Health Organisation - offered a "real risk now of generalised transmission in young people who are not vaccinated and, of course, school-age children as well as those who are vulnerable and haven't responded to the vaccine".

Prof Gupta's view is reinforced by Professor Adam Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), who suggested going ahead with the 21 June reopening would be a "bad decision".

And British Medical Association (BMA) council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul has said the country is at a "pivotal moment" in the fight against coronavirus.

Image: Twickenham Stadium offered the COVID-19 jab to anyone aged over 18 on bank holiday Monday

"A premature ending of all legal restrictions which then resulted in a surge of infections would undermine our health service's efforts to tackle the biggest level of backlog of care it has ever faced," he said.

While the government has not made an official decision on the 21 June reopening it has promised to make an announcement on 14 June - a week before.

Small business minister Paul Scully said that ramping up the vaccination programme could yet see the restrictions lifted later this month.

He said: "We're taking a careful view on where any increase in infections with the Indian variant are happening and that's why we're looking at surge testing in those areas and really making sure we're getting on the front foot."

Also, Heathrow Airport has opened a dedicated terminal for passengers on direct flights from red list countries, following concerns that they are mixing with those from green and amber nations.

Travellers will now go through Terminal 3, although a dedicated facility for processing such travellers is eventually planned for Terminal 4.

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2021-06-01 17:38:03Z
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Covid: Zero daily deaths announced in UK for first time - BBC News

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The UK has announced zero daily Covid deaths within 28 days of a positive test for the first time since March 2020.

The latest figures also reported another 3,165 new cases, compared with 3,383 on Monday and 2,493 one week ago.

It comes amid concern over a recent small rise in cases linked to the variant first identified in India.

Reports of daily deaths are often lower at weekends and at the start of the week.

This is because less counting takes place while statisticians are off - and adding in the bank holiday weekend will make this figure less certain still.

Any deaths that happen on Tuesday will be reported in days to come.

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Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the whole country would be "so glad" to hear the news.

He added: "The vaccines are clearly working - protecting you, those around you and your loved ones.

"But despite this undoubtedly good news we know we haven't beaten this virus yet, and with cases continuing to rise please remember hands, face, space and let in fresh air when indoors, and of course, make sure when you can you get both jabs."

Meanwhile, Public Health England's medical director Dr Yvonne Doyle said the death figure was "encouraging", but echoed the health secretary's call for people to get a vaccine due to rising cases.

It is a blessed relief for the government to announce no deaths in their daily figures for the first time since the pandemic got going.

There are always ifs and buts.

Today's deaths tell us what was happening with infections a month ago and, right now, it looks like the virus is on the rise again from its current low base.

And the daily count isn't a perfect picture: some people who died over the bank holiday may have their passing reported on Wednesday.

In fact, according to the UK's current definition, deaths within four weeks of a positive test, there was a day with no reportable deaths last summer - on 30 July.

But the government did announce some deaths on that day as they were using a different definition at the time.

The pandemic is far from over, but this is a unique day in its history to date.

We can celebrate it and hope that we'll see more like it in the near future.

The UK's daily death rate, the number of people being admitted to hospital and those catching the virus have fallen from a peak reached in January.

This comes against the backdrop of the increasing numbers of people receiving the first or second dose of a vaccine.

More than a third of the adult population have now received both doses.

The latest figures show 25,734,719 people in the UK have had two jabs, while 39,477,158 - some 74.9% of the adult population - have received a first dose.

However, the success of the UK's vaccination programme does not mean that the battle with Covid is over, a scientist advising the government has said.

Earlier, Prof Adam Finn said the country remained vulnerable as there were still large numbers of unvaccinated people.

There have been calls to delay ending Covid restrictions in England on 21 June amid warnings of a third wave.

But earlier Downing Street reiterated that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had seen nothing in the data to suggest the plan would need to be postponed.

A final decision on the last stage of the government's roadmap in England for lifting lockdown - which would remove all limits on how many people you can meet - will be reached on 14 June.

The timetable for relaxing Covid measures varies across the UK.

In Scotland, the easing of restrictions has been paused for millions - but rules are to be relaxed in Glasgow from Saturday.

In Wales, there is due to be a review on 3 June. In Northern Ireland, some measures were relaxed on 24 May - the next review is due on 10 June.

The UK has now reported more than 3,000 new coronavirus infections for seven days in a row.

This increase in cases comes amid the spread of the more transmissible Indian variant, now known as Delta - after the World Health Organization announced new names for Covid-19 variants using letters of the Greek alphabet.

The Delta variant - also known as B.1.617.2 - is thought to account for up to three quarters of new cases in the UK, and has been linked to a surge in cases in some parts of the country.

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• LOOK-UP TOOL: Check cases in your area

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2021-06-01 16:26:40Z
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