25 COVID variants being monitored - and without restrictions Delta could push R to 7, PHE chief says - Sky News

There are 25 coronavirus variants "under monitoring", Public Health England's strategic COVID-19 response director has told MPs.

Dr Susan Hopkins told the Science and Technology Committee: "We're living in a world of variants now, so everything we see is a variation of the original.

She said eight COVID-19 variants are "under investigation", along with the 25 that are being monitored.

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Image: Dr Susan Hopkins has been addressing MPs on the Science and Technology Committee

"All of them have mutations that we're concerned about, but mutations alone are not enough to predict whether it's really going to impact on our journey through vaccines and impact on the public health risk of hospitalisation," she added.

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Dr Hopkins explained how every variant that does not go "extinct very rapidly" is either going to have a "transmissibility advantage or an immune evading advantage".

The 25 variants under monitoring appear to be higher than the most recent technical briefing from Public Health England on 11 June, which showed 13 variants under monitoring, eight under investigation and five variants of concern.

Dr Hopkins also told the committee that if the Delta (Indian) variant was "unmitigated", left to spread without any lockdown restrictions, the R number could become "greater than five and maybe up to seven".

R is the average number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to.

"We're seeing it as much greater transmissibility than Alpha, which had greater transmissibility than the viruses that had gone before unmitigated - so if we were in the real world where we had none of the measures that we were seeing right now - we would estimate R greater than five and maybe up to seven," she told MPs.

She went on to stress the importance of getting vaccinated, saying it is a "clear mitigation measure".

The health secretary said last week Delta now makes up 91% of new UK coronavirus cases.

Earlier today, Whitehall sources said the government is to make coronavirus vaccinations compulsory for care home staff who work with elderly and vulnerable people.

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2021-06-16 10:52:30Z
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PMQs: Boris Johnson faces questions over delay to unlocking – watch live - Guardian News

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2021-06-16 10:50:14Z
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MPs to vote on delaying England's lockdown easing by four weeks - BBC News

PA Media

MPs are to vote on extending emergency Covid laws in England for another four weeks, amid concern over rising cases.

On Monday, Boris Johnson said delaying the planned lifting of restrictions would give the NHS "a few more crucial weeks" to get people vaccinated.

Labour is likely to support extending the rules and the government is expected to win the vote.

However the opposition party has accused ministers of letting Covid variants in through "the front door".

Business minister Nadhim Zahawi said the government had "put in place some of the most stringent Covid border measures in the world".

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• Reopening delay a hammer blow - live event sector

On Monday, the prime minister announced that the final stage of easing lockdown restrictions in England would be delayed from 21 June to 19 July.

The announcement means pubs, clubs and theatres will still have to operate within capacity limits and nightclubs will remain closed.

And limits remain on how many people can meet up, with groups of up to 30 allowed to meet outdoors and up to six people or two households allowed indoors.

Restrictions on the number of guests allowed at a wedding will, however, be lifted as planned, but hosts will have to ensure social distancing can still take place.

The decision to delay the lifting of other lockdown measures followed a rise in cases, driven by the more transmissible Delta variant, which was first identified in India.

Government scientists said the short delay could lead to a significant drop in the number of Covid patients seeking hospital treatment.

'Devastating but not inevitable'

On Wednesday afternoon, MPs will get the chance to debate and then vote on extending the coronavirus restrictions.

A number of Conservative MPs have expressed concern about the delay and could oppose the government.

Mark Harper, chairman of the Covid Recovery Group of backbench Conservative MPs, said those in the risk group had been offered the vaccine and it was time to "let people make judgements about how to live their lives".

Another Conservative backbencher, Marcus Fysh, described the delay as a "disastrous and unacceptable policy".

However, even if some Conservatives vote against the government, the extended restrictions are likely to pass, with Labour expected to support the measures.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said extending coronavirus rules "is devastating but it was not inevitable".

"The Delta variant is here in such force because of lax Conservative border policy - and the fallout from that chain of events is enormous."

"Pakistan and Bangladesh were added [to the travel red list] on 9 April, yet the prime minister waited 14 more days before adding India.

"The responsibility for breaking the promise of 'freedom day' lies squarely with this Conservative government."

The opposition party had proposed moving all countries on the government's amber travel list to the red list - but the plan was rejected by MPs on Tuesday with 363 votes to 256.

Responding to Labour criticism, Mr Zahawi said "the data and the science" had informed the government's approach.

"Each of the measures that we have put in place - informed by the latest scientific advice - adds layers of protection against importing the virus, including through reducing the risk of importing new variants."

He added that the government had put India on the red list before the Delta variant was labelled "a variant of concern".

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• FACE MASKS: When do I need to wear one?

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2021-06-16 04:35:50Z
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COVID-19: Vaccinations to be made 'compulsory' for care home staff and looked at for NHS workers - Whitehall sources - Sky News

The government is to make coronavirus vaccinations compulsory for care home staff who work with elderly and vulnerable people, Whitehall sources say.

Ministers are also considering extending the policy to all NHS staff, a proposal which has previously been criticised by some groups representing nurses and doctors.

The government will open a consultation on Wednesday requiring vaccination as a condition of employment for all health service workers in an attempt to reduce transmission in hospitals, sources add.

The full plans are expected to be formerly announced by ministers in the coming days.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Vaccines are our way out of this pandemic and have already saved thousands of lives - with millions of health and care staff vaccinated.

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"Our priority is to make sure people in care homes are protected and we launched the consultation to get views on whether and how the government might take forward a new requirement for adult care home providers, looking after older people, to only deploy staff who have had a COVID-19 vaccination or have an appropriate exemption.

"The consultation has ended and we will publish our response in due course."

More on Covid-19

The move would mean compulsory vaccination for most of the 1.5 million people working in social care in England, despite concerns having been previously raised that it could lead to some leaving the profession.

It comes as ministers look to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in care homes and hospitals by staff who are infected as cases of the Delta variant are rising in the community.

There have also been concerns about the uptake of the vaccine from those working in the care sector, with the latest figures suggesting more than 50,000 carers remain unvaccinated.

Some legal experts have previously suggested that compulsory vaccination could be challenged as a breach of European human rights law or equalities legislation.

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Care home workers and families who have lost loved ones to COVID-19, have disputed Matt Hancock's handling of the pandemic.

Under the proposals, care home workers will have 16 weeks to take up the offer of the jab or face losing their roles, reports say.

There have been more than 40,000 deaths involving COVID-19 in care homes in England during the pandemic to date.

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2021-06-15 23:03:45Z
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COVID-19: Vaccinations to be made 'compulsory' for care home staff and looked at for NHS workers - Whitehall sources - Sky News

The government is to make coronavirus vaccinations compulsory for care home staff who work with elderly and vulnerable people, Whitehall sources say.

Ministers are also considering extending the policy to all NHS staff, a proposal which has previously been criticised by some groups representing nurses and doctors.

The government will open a consultation on Wednesday requiring vaccination as a condition of employment for all health service workers in an attempt to reduce transmission in hospitals, sources add.

The full plans are expected to be formerly announced by ministers in the coming days.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Vaccines are our way out of this pandemic and have already saved thousands of lives - with millions of health and care staff vaccinated.

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"Our priority is to make sure people in care homes are protected and we launched the consultation to get views on whether and how the government might take forward a new requirement for adult care home providers, looking after older people, to only deploy staff who have had a COVID-19 vaccination or have an appropriate exemption.

"The consultation has ended and we will publish our response in due course."

More on Covid-19

The move would mean compulsory vaccination for most of the 1.5 million people working in social care in England, despite concerns having been previously raised that it could lead to some leaving the profession.

It comes as ministers look to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in care homes and hospitals by staff who are infected as cases of the Delta variant are rising in the community.

There have also been concerns about the uptake of the vaccine from those working in the care sector, with the latest figures suggesting more than 50,000 carers remain unvaccinated.

Some legal experts have previously suggested that compulsory vaccination could be challenged as a breach of European human rights law or equalities legislation.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Care home workers and families who have lost loved ones to COVID-19, have disputed Matt Hancock's handling of the pandemic.

Under the proposals, care home workers will have 16 weeks to take up the offer of the jab or face losing their roles, reports say.

There have been more than 40,000 deaths involving COVID-19 in care homes in England during the pandemic to date.

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2021-06-15 22:31:19Z
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Covid-19 vaccine rollout likely to slow down before 19 July thanks to tricky measures needed to complete it - iNews

The pace of the vaccine rollout is likely to slow down rather than speeding up in the coming weeks, Government officials fear, as the logistical difficulties of reaching the remaining population become more complex.

The head of the NHS said that all English adults should be able to book their first dose by the end of this week, as the health service uses the four-week delay to the lockdown roadmap to “finish the job” of the rollout.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set the target of offering a first dose to all over-18s, and getting second doses to two thirds of adults, by 19 July – the new date for the final removal of all remaining Covid-19 rules.

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Whitehall insiders are confident they will reach this goal, which does not require the current rate of vaccinations to accelerate, but believe that the existing pace of around 400,000 doses a day in England may not be sustained over the next five weeks.

Read More

Britons must live with Covid even if it means hundreds of deaths and full hospitals, ministers warn

One problem is a squeeze on supplies of the Pfizer vaccine, which one health official said would do the “heavy lifting” in vaccinating younger groups because they are advised against taking the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab and Moderna supplies are very low.

Another is that second doses can only be given to people who had their first jab eight to 12 weeks ago, providing an upper limit to the number which can be administered each day.

There are currently no plans to revise the advice on Oxford/AstraZeneca for younger groups or to reduce the gap between doses to less than eight weeks, although either move would help speed the rollout.

A No 10 spokesman said: “What we’ll see is what we have seen throughout that supply fluctuates week from week and day from day. We have a robust supply of vaccinations that allows us to proceed at pace.”

Sir Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, told a press conference on Tuesday: “It is now very important that we use the next four weeks to finish the job to the greatest extent possible for the Covid vaccination programme.”

He added: “I expect that by the end of this week, we’ll be able to open up the national booking service to all adults aged 18 and above.”

He warned that supply remained a brake on the speed of the rollout, saying: “Of course, vaccine supply continues to be constrained, so we’re pacing ourselves at precisely the rate of which we’re getting that extra vaccine supply between now and 19 July.”

Wales and Northern Ireland have been offering vaccines to all adults for several weeks. Scotland is will invite all over-18s to book their first dose by the end of next week, according to Nicola Sturgeon.

On Tuesday the UK passed the landmark of giving a second vaccine dose to more than 30 million people, meaning that 57 per cent of adults are fully protected against Covid-19. The second dose appears to be particularly important in defending against the Indian (Delta) variant.

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2021-06-15 20:44:00Z
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Boris Johnson condemns 'disgraceful hounding' of BBC journalist - BBC News

Boris Johnson has condemned as "disgraceful" footage of a journalist being abused by protesters.

A clip shared on social media shows demonstrators haranguing BBC Newsnight's political editor Nicholas Watt on Monday outside Downing Street.

A crowd had gathered to protest the extension of coronavirus restrictions for a further four weeks.

The protesters shouted "traitor" at Mr Watt and accused him of "lying" about lockdowns being legal.

The Metropolitan Police said they were interviewing a man in his fifties at a police station in Hertfordshire in relation to the incident.

"A second man has been identified and is being actively sought by officers," it added.

• Man admits harassing BBC news reporter
• Lockdown easing in England delayed to 19 July

Following the emergence of the footage, the prime minister tweeted: "Disgraceful to see the hounding of Nick Watt doing his job.

"The media must be able to report the facts without fear or favour - they are the lifeblood of our democracy."

In a statement, BBC director-general Tim Davie said: "The safety of journalists is fundamental to any democracy - they must be able to report unhindered free from abuse.

"There is absolutely no justification for any journalist to be treated in this way."

'Disturbing footage'

The footage was also condemned by the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, while media minister John Whittingdale said the incident was "totally unacceptable" adding that the UK was "taking the lead" in tackling intimidation of journalists through its national action plan.

Measures in the plan include new training for police officers and journalists, as well as "commitments from social media platforms and prosecution services to take tough action against abusers".

Labour's shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens, said: "This extremely disturbing footage showing clear intimidation of a journalist while carrying out his job is absolutely unacceptable and should be condemned in the strongest terms.

"It is shocking that a BBC lanyard makes someone a target like this."

Following suggestions online that officers should have intervened in the incident, the Metropolitan Police initially said: "In this instance, while officers were nearby as part of the policing response to the ongoing protest, they were not in the immediate vicinity of the incident."

The force later released a further statement saying: "An initial statement issued earlier today suggested officers were not in the immediate vicinity of the incident. It was drafted based on the 45 second video of the incident which was shared very widely on social media this morning.

"We were subsequently made aware of a longer piece of footage lasting 3 minutes and 28 seconds which shows the incident in full.

"It is clear that the incident began on Whitehall where officers were present."

It added that "the behaviour shown in the video is unacceptable - members of the public, of any profession, have the right to go about their day without being subjected to verbal harassment or actions that put them in fear for their safety".

Responding to concerns about police actions during the incident, the Met said it would "be reviewing our actions with a view to improving the policing of events for all Londoners".

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2021-06-15 17:24:55Z
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