THE UK's Covid death tally shot up by 29 in the past 24 hours – but scientists are hopeful cases will plateau despite a spike in numbers.
The jump in deaths is up 163 per cent compared to the number of fatalities recorded just three weeks ago.
Despite this, experts issued a message of hope to Britain after they confirmed that Covid-cases "will fall" in the future after a recent spike in cases.
Scientists from SAGE, who advise Government officials, say vaccination and herd immunity will help drive the outbreak down as the country gears up for the final unlocking of restrictions on July 19.
The claims were made in a series of letter presented to the government today which suggested that cases will "plateau and then fall" within weeks.
It comes as Covid hospital admissions have been revealed to be the highest since March – with 509 new patients in the past 24 hours.
Cases on Friday rose by 35,707 – the biggest daily jump in almost six months.
Read our coronavirus live blog below for the latest updates…
- Joseph Gamp
OVER 250 DEATHS OF PEOPLE WITH DELTA VARIANT
As of June 21, there had been 257 deaths in England of people who were confirmed as having the Delta variant and who died within 28 days of a positive test, Public Health England said.
Of this number, 26 were under the age of 50 and 231 were aged 50 or over.
Of the 231 aged 50 or over, 71 were unvaccinated, one was within 21 days of a first dose of vaccine, 41 at least 21 days after one dose of vaccine and 116 had received both doses.
Of the 26 under 50, three were at least 21 days after a first dose of vaccine, two had received both doses and 21 were unvaccinated.
- Joseph Gamp
'DANGEROUS' TO RETURN TO LIFE AS NORMAL ON JULY 19, EXPERT WARNS
High levels of Covid-19 vaccination rates could "challenge the virus" to mutate into variants against which the jab is less effective, a Government advisor has warned, amid fears it "would be dangerous" to return to life as normal on July 19.
Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (Spi-M) Government advisory panel told Times Radio that "there is a risk" with the planned July 19 reopening, when the Government is expected to lift the vast majority of remaining coronavirus restrictions.
It comes at a time when cases are rising, and Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, said deaths were beginning to rise again too.
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We've only just heard in this bulletin about the rising numbers of cases, the rising numbers of people requiring hospital treatment, in intensive care and sadly deaths are starting to rise again, too."
"There seems to be a misapprehension that life will return to normal from then (July 19), and that we can throw away all the precautions, and frankly, that would be dangerous."
- Joseph Gamp
VACCINE IN NUMBERS: MORE THAN 34 MILLION SECOND COVID-19 JABS ADMINISTERED
Vaccine in numbers: More than 34 million second Covid-19 jabs administered
- Joseph Gamp
NHS TEST AND TRACE ‘HAS BEEN A SUCCESS’, SAYS FORMER BOSS BARONESS HARDING
The much-criticised NHS Test and Trace programme has proved a “success” in fighting the Covid pandemic, the organisation’s former head has said.
Baroness Harding rejected accusations that it had failed in its objectives after the country was forced into a second national lockdown last winter.
Giving evidence to the Commons Public Accounts Committee, she said it was responsible for helping to break the chains of virus transmission, reducing infections by up to a third.
“I do appreciate that a lot of people listening to this will find this rather incredulous given some of the way it’s been reported, but I would actually argue that NHS Test and Trace has been a success, that it has delivered on the objective to help break the chains of transmission,” she said.
Her comments come amid widespread criticism of its performance, with the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) having said it had only a marginal impact on transmission, despite a budget of £37 billion over two years.Edit
- Joseph Gamp
EXTRA QUEUES FOR HOLIDAYS FOR COVID CHECKS, TRANSPORT SECRETARY WARNS
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has warned that holidaymakers should expect additional queues when they check in for their flights home due to the need for coronavirus checks.
Mr Shapps told BBC Breakfast: “Before you board a plane you would need to show you have completed your passenger locator form, that you have carried out a pre-departure test, that you have got your test booked for day two and all of that needs to be checked by the carrier – the airline usually – before you travel.
“So the place to expect queues is the airport you are coming from. Once you get back to the UK all of that is starting to be automated.
“People should expect more disruption than usual but I know that everyone is working very hard to minimise those queues.”
- Joseph Gamp
FACE MASKS SHOULD STAY MANDATORY IN SHIPS, UNIONS SAY
The Government is coming under increasing pressure from unions representing workers across the UK to reverse plans to end compulsory face coverings on July 19.
Usdaw, which represents shop workers, is the latest union to warn against relaxing measures which have been in place for over a year.
Usdaw has written to Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng saying there was no reason why requirements to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing in busy public areas like shops cannot continue.
General secretary Paddy Lillis said: “The Government should not be weakening safety measures in shops at the same time as opening up other venues.
“Retailers may be able to attempt to enforce their own face covering policies, but in the absence of a legal requirement, as has already been highlighted by the British Retail Consortium, this is likely to result in further significant increases in abuse, threats and violence towards retail workers.
“Wearing a face covering in crowded public areas like shops is not merely a personal choice, it is an important measure to help protect workers who have no option but to interact with large numbers of people as a part of their job.”
- Joseph Gamp
TOKYO UNDER STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR OLYMPICS DUE TO RISING COVID INFECTION RATES
Tokyo will be in a state of emergency for the Olympic Games after the Japanese government took action against rising coronavirus infection rates.
The measures are set to remain in place until August 22, a fortnight after the Games finish, Japanese agency Kyodo News reported.
The decision throws into doubt the possibility of even limited numbers of Japanese spectators attending the Games, with overseas fans having been barred in April.
“We must take stronger steps to prevent another nationwide outbreak, also considering the impact of coronavirus variants,” Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said in quotes reported by Kyodo News.
Games organisers last month put in place plans to allow venues to be 50 per cent full, up to a maximum of 10,000 people.
- Joseph Gamp
ONE IN 17 OVER-80S IN ENGLAND MAY NOT HAVE ANY COVID-19 VACCINE, FIGURES SUGGEST
Some 6% of people aged 80 and over in England may not have received any doses of Covid-19 vaccine, new data suggests.
The figure is the equivalent of around one in 17 over-80s, or just over 171,000 people, with 47,000 of them in London.
Other age groups among the over-50s are likely to have a much lower percentage of unvaccinated individuals, with estimates of 0.5% for 70 to 79-year-olds, 2.3% for 60 to 69-year-olds and 4.9% for 50 to 59-year-olds.
The data has been published by NHS England and covers vaccinations delivered up to July 4.
The Government has said all adults in England will have been offered a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine by July 19.
- Joseph Gamp
EXTRA QUEUES FOR HOLIDAYS FOR COVID CHECKS, TRANSPORT SECRETARY WARNS
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has warned that holidaymakers should expect additional queues when they check in for their flights home due to the need for coronavirus checks.
Mr Shapps told BBC Breakfast: “Before you board a plane you would need to show you have completed your passenger locator form, that you have carried out a pre-departure test, that you have got your test booked for day two and all of that needs to be checked by the carrier – the airline usually – before you travel.
“So the place to expect queues is the airport you are coming from. Once you get back to the UK all of that is starting to be automated.
“People should expect more disruption than usual but I know that everyone is working very hard to minimise those queues.”
- Joseph Gamp
EXTRA QUEUES FOR HOLIDAYS FOR COVID CHECKS, TRANSPORT SECRETARY WARNS
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has warned that holidaymakers should expect additional queues when they check in for their flights home due to the need for coronavirus checks.
Mr Shapps told BBC Breakfast: “Before you board a plane you would need to show you have completed your passenger locator form, that you have carried out a pre-departure test, that you have got your test booked for day two and all of that needs to be checked by the carrier – the airline usually – before you travel.
“So the place to expect queues is the airport you are coming from. Once you get back to the UK all of that is starting to be automated.
“People should expect more disruption than usual but I know that everyone is working very hard to minimise those queues.”
- [email protected]
OVER 250 DEATHS OF PEOPLE WITH DELTA VARIANT
As of June 21, there had been 257 deaths in England of people who were confirmed as having the Delta variant and who died within 28 days of a positive test, Public Health England said.
Of this number, 26 were under the age of 50 and 231 were aged 50 or over.
Of the 231 aged 50 or over, 71 were unvaccinated, one was within 21 days of a first dose of vaccine, 41 at least 21 days after one dose of vaccine and 116 had received both doses.
Of the 26 under 50, three were at least 21 days after a first dose of vaccine, two had received both doses and 21 were unvaccinated.
- [email protected]
FACE MASKS SHOULD STAY MANDATORY IN SHIPS, UNIONS SAY
The Government is coming under increasing pressure from unions representing workers across the UK to reverse plans to end compulsory face coverings on July 19.
Usdaw, which represents shop workers, is the latest union to warn against relaxing measures which have been in place for over a year.
Usdaw has written to Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng saying there was no reason why requirements to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing in busy public areas like shops cannot continue.
General secretary Paddy Lillis said: “The Government should not be weakening safety measures in shops at the same time as opening up other venues.
“Retailers may be able to attempt to enforce their own face covering policies, but in the absence of a legal requirement, as has already been highlighted by the British Retail Consortium, this is likely to result in further significant increases in abuse, threats and violence towards retail workers.
“Wearing a face covering in crowded public areas like shops is not merely a personal choice, it is an important measure to help protect workers who have no option but to interact with large numbers of people as a part of their job.”
- [email protected]
R-AMPING UP
The UK’s official R rate has gone up to 1.5 – as Covid cases reach highs not seen since February.
It is quite a leap on from last week, following on from dramatic increases in infections all over the country.
The R rate, also known as the reproduction number, helps the government measure the rate of coronavirus infections.
An R number between 1.2 and 1.5 means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 12 and 15 other people.
It gives an indication of the number of people that one person with coronavirus is likely to pass it on to.
- [email protected]
EXTRA QUEUES FOR HOLIDAYS FOR COVID CHECKS, TRANSPORT SECRETARY WARNS
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has warned that holidaymakers should expect additional queues when they check in for their flights home due to the need for coronavirus checks.
Mr Shapps told BBC Breakfast: “Before you board a plane you would need to show you have completed your passenger locator form, that you have carried out a pre-departure test, that you have got your test booked for day two and all of that needs to be checked by the carrier – the airline usually – before you travel.
“So the place to expect queues is the airport you are coming from. Once you get back to the UK all of that is starting to be automated.
“People should expect more disruption than usual but I know that everyone is working very hard to minimise those queues.”
- [email protected]
NHS TEST AND TRACE ‘HAS BEEN A SUCCESS’, SAYS FORMER BOSS BARONESS HARDING
The much-criticised NHS Test and Trace programme has proved a “success” in fighting the Covid pandemic, the organisation’s former head has said.
Baroness Harding rejected accusations that it had failed in its objectives after the country was forced into a second national lockdown last winter.
Giving evidence to the Commons Public Accounts Committee, she said it was responsible for helping to break the chains of virus transmission, reducing infections by up to a third.
“I do appreciate that a lot of people listening to this will find this rather incredulous given some of the way it’s been reported, but I would actually argue that NHS Test and Trace has been a success, that it has delivered on the objective to help break the chains of transmission,” she said.
Her comments come amid widespread criticism of its performance, with the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) having said it had only a marginal impact on transmission, despite a budget of £37 billion over two years.
- [email protected]
TRAVEL INDUSTRY SAYS AMBER LIST RULE CHANGES ARE LIKE ‘WATER IN THE DESERT’ FOR COMPANIES
Mark Tanzer, the chief executive of travel sector body Abta, welcomed the changes to travel rules.
He told Sky News: “It will be like water in the desert for a lot of travel companies that have been living without any meaningful revenue for 18 months now.
“This is desperately needed. And the sooner it comes, the better.”
- [email protected]
BOUNCE BACK
The UK economy grew by 0.8% in May as lockdown restrictions continued to ease.
It comes as hotels and cinemas reopened, while pubs and restaurants could welcome diners inside for the first time in months.
Growth in gross domestic product (GDP) slowed from April though, when it grew by 2.3%, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
In comparison, it expanded by 2.1% in March and by 0.4% in February.
Despite the recent growth, the economy still remains 3.1% below what it used to be before the coronavirus pandemic hit in February 2020.
Analysts had predicted that the economy would report a 1.5% increase for May.
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PM’S COVID APPROACH ‘AN EXCEPTION’, SAYS STURGEON IN PLEA FOR CAUTION
The UK Government’s approach to dropping coronavirus regulations “is something of an exception”, Nicola Sturgeon said as she stressed she and her ministers will have to “think carefully about what steps we do take at this juncture”.
The Prime Minister has promised to tear up most of England’s coronavirus regulations at Step 4 of the road map on July 19, but Scotland’s First Minister said many protections will be retained north of the border.
Ms Sturgeon told a Scottish Government coronavirus briefing on Thursday that current high case numbers are concerning, but there is a “suggestion that the recent surge in cases may be to some extent levelling off”.
Case numbers are now 1,432 lower than they were last Thursday, she said, adding that the seven-day average also appears to show a “slowdown in the rise of positive cases”.
She added: “This is encouraging news but obviously case numbers remain high and that is a worry.”
- [email protected]
PM’S COVID APPROACH ‘AN EXCEPTION’, SAYS STURGEON IN PLEA FOR CAUTION
The UK Government’s approach to dropping coronavirus regulations “is something of an exception”, Nicola Sturgeon said as she stressed she and her ministers will have to “think carefully about what steps we do take at this juncture”.
The Prime Minister has promised to tear up most of England’s coronavirus regulations at Step 4 of the road map on July 19, but Scotland’s First Minister said many protections will be retained north of the border.
Ms Sturgeon told a Scottish Government coronavirus briefing on Thursday that current high case numbers are concerning, but there is a “suggestion that the recent surge in cases may be to some extent levelling off”.
Case numbers are now 1,432 lower than they were last Thursday, she said, adding that the seven-day average also appears to show a “slowdown in the rise of positive cases”.
She added: “This is encouraging news but obviously case numbers remain high and that is a worry.”
- [email protected]
PM’S COVID APPROACH ‘AN EXCEPTION’, SAYS STURGEON IN PLEA FOR CAUTION
The UK Government’s approach to dropping coronavirus regulations “is something of an exception”, Nicola Sturgeon said as she stressed she and her ministers will have to “think carefully about what steps we do take at this juncture”.
The Prime Minister has promised to tear up most of England’s coronavirus regulations at Step 4 of the road map on July 19, but Scotland’s First Minister said many protections will be retained north of the border.
Ms Sturgeon told a Scottish Government coronavirus briefing on Thursday that current high case numbers are concerning, but there is a “suggestion that the recent surge in cases may be to some extent levelling off”.
Case numbers are now 1,432 lower than they were last Thursday, she said, adding that the seven-day average also appears to show a “slowdown in the rise of positive cases”.
She added: “This is encouraging news but obviously case numbers remain high and that is a worry.”
- [email protected]
UK COVID CASES RISE BY 34% IN JUST ONE WEEK
A total of 216,249 confirmed and probable cases of the Covid-19 Delta variant have now been identified in the UK, according to the latest figures from Public Health England – up by 54,268 from 161,981 cases in the previous week, a rise of 34%.
Of the 216,249 cases, 180,643 have been in England, 28,559 in Scotland, 3,666 in Wales and 3,381 in Northern Ireland.
The Delta variant currently accounts for approximately 99% of confirmed cases of coronavirus across the UK.
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NHS COVID-19 APP ALERTS HIGHEST SINCE JANUARY
A total of 356,036 alerts were sent to users of the NHS COVID-19 app in England in the week to 30 June.
These were notifications telling them they had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus.
The figure is up from 219,391 the previous week – a jump of 62% – and is the highest weekly figure since data was first published in January.
- [email protected]
PM’S COVID APPROACH ‘AN EXCEPTION’, SAYS STURGEON IN PLEA FOR CAUTION
The UK Government’s approach to dropping coronavirus regulations “is something of an exception”, Nicola Sturgeon said as she stressed she and her ministers will have to “think carefully about what steps we do take at this juncture”.
The Prime Minister has promised to tear up most of England’s coronavirus regulations at Step 4 of the road map on July 19, but Scotland’s First Minister said many protections will be retained north of the border.
Ms Sturgeon told a Scottish Government coronavirus briefing on Thursday that current high case numbers are concerning, but there is a “suggestion that the recent surge in cases may be to some extent levelling off”.
Case numbers are now 1,432 lower than they were last Thursday, she said, adding that the seven-day average also appears to show a “slowdown in the rise of positive cases”.
She added: “This is encouraging news but obviously case numbers remain high and that is a worry.”
- [email protected]
NHS TEST AND TRACE ‘HAS BEEN A SUCCESS’, SAYS FORMER BOSS BARONESS HARDING
The much-criticised NHS Test and Trace programme has proved a “success” in fighting the Covid pandemic, the organisation’s former head has said.
Baroness Harding rejected accusations that it had failed in its objectives after the country was forced into a second national lockdown last winter.
Giving evidence to the Commons Public Accounts Committee, she said it was responsible for helping to break the chains of virus transmission, reducing infections by up to a third.
“I do appreciate that a lot of people listening to this will find this rather incredulous given some of the way it’s been reported, but I would actually argue that NHS Test and Trace has been a success, that it has delivered on the objective to help break the chains of transmission,” she said.
Her comments come amid widespread criticism of its performance, with the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) having said it had only a marginal impact on transmission, despite a budget of £37 billion over two years.
- [email protected]
TRAVEL INDUSTRY SAYS AMBER LIST RULE CHANGES ARE LIKE ‘WATER IN THE DESERT’ FOR COMPANIES
Mark Tanzer, the chief executive of travel sector body Abta, welcomed the changes to travel rules.
He told Sky News: “It will be like water in the desert for a lot of travel companies that have been living without any meaningful revenue for 18 months now.
“This is desperately needed. And the sooner it comes, the better.”
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