Coronavirus vaccinations could be under way for everyone over the age of 18 by the end of January, leaked NHS plans show. If a vaccine is approved on schedule the first doses are expected to become available next month and will first be given to people living in care homes and the carers who look … Read more
Matt Hancock suggested today the mass roll out of a coronavirus vaccination programme could be just weeks away Vulnerable Britons could start to be vaccinated against coronavirus within weeks, Matt Hancock suggested again today. The Health Secretary raised hopes last week when he said it could be possible to dish out Pfizer’s vaccine – which looks … Read more
Matt Hancock today poured cold water on the prospect of a major loosening of coronavirus restrictions at Christmas as he said he wants a UK-wide set of rules for the festive period ‘if at all possible’. The Health Secretary said negotiations are ongoing between the four home nations as they try to hammer out proposals … Read more
The bereft daughters of two elderly men who died in care homes after Covid-19 outbreaks are taking Matt Hancock, the NHS and Public Health England to the High Court today over their handling of the crisis. Dr Cathy Gardner believes the Government breached the human rights of thousands of vulnerable people including her father Michael Gibson, 88, … Read more
Care homes desperately need more funding to enable family visits this Christmas, a major report concluded yesterday. Ninety-four per cent of care home managers are trying to arrange visits but the cost of making it happen is an enormous barrier, the National Care Forum (NCF) found. It said an urgent injection of Government funding is … Read more
Boris Johnson was facing a growing Tory rebellion over lockdown last night, as MPs warned a relaxation of the rules could not be ‘just for Christmas’. The Prime Minister is due to announce plans next week for a fresh series of restrictions, which would come into force on December 2 when the national lockdown expires. … Read more
Britons could be required to show QR codes on their phones to attend football matches, the theatre and other events, it was suggested today. The unique codes would only be given to those who have been vaccinated against coronavirus, under plans being considered by ministers, to signal they can attend large gatherings currently considered to … Read more
Nearly 87,000 residents have died in care homes since the start of the pandemic with the majority denied a last hug from their family. The figures reveal the tragic toll taken by visiting restrictions and the urgent need to extend Covid testing of visitors to all homes so families can reunite with dying relatives in … Read more
British Airways, American Airlines and Oneworld have launched a Covid-19 testing trial on selected flights from the U.S to London Heathrow in a combined effort to scientifically demonstrate how testing for the virus can reopen international travel and quash quarantine requirements. The new British Airways CEO, Sean Doyle, explained that at the end of the … Read more
Health chiefs have warned families could be still banned from mixing at Christmas even if lockdown is formally lifted on December 2 – as ministers admitted people will not know what is happening for weeks. Dr Susan Hopkins, a Public Health England director, suggested last night that the lowest level of restrictions could be upgraded, meaning … Read more