Disruptive social distancing measures will have to remain in place for the rest of this year, the country’s Chief Medical Officer has warned. Professor Chris Whitty said the measures cannot be lifted until either a vaccine for Covid-19 or ‘highly effective’ drugs to treat the virus become available. He told the daily Downing Street press … Read more
Philip Pullman says UK government should face ‘conspiracy to murder’ charges if it is found that MPs rejected EU deal for PPE ‘for Brexit reasons’ Philip Pullman, 73, made arguments as part of a series of essays from Penguin He said ‘entire front bench’ should resign if PPE deal was rejected due to Brexit Novelist … Read more
Care Minister Helen Whately was savaged during a series of brutal interviews this morning as she struggled to provide answers to key questions on the supply of PPE, deaths of frontline workers and testing errors. Ms Whately suffered four car crash grillings after she was sent out to bat for the government by Downing Street. … Read more
Matt Hancock today appeared to admit that some frontline workers who have needed a coronavirus test have struggled to get one as he said the government is piloting a number of schemes to ‘make it easier’ for people to get checked. The UK currently has the capacity to carry out almost 40,000 tests a day … Read more
The UK faces tough coronavirus curbs until 2021 amid claims Boris Johnson’s personal battle with the disease has made him ‘tentative’ about lifting lockdown. Tories have suggested the PM is ‘frightened’ of taking chances with the deadly virus after his own close call, despite fears the economic havoc might prove even more damaging to public … Read more
The UK faces tough coronavirus curbs until 2021 amid claims Boris Johnson’s personal battle with the disease has made him ‘tentative’ about lifting lockdown. Tories have suggested the PM is ‘frightened’ of taking chances with the deadly virus after his own close call, despite fears the economic havoc might prove even more damaging to public … Read more
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is resisting calls to end lockdown early because coronavirus has ‘floored’ him and left him ‘tentative’, Tory sources claimed last night. Cabinet ministers are divided over whether to prolong lockdown in a bid to avoid a potentially catastrophic second wave of infections, or to lift it and ease the economy out … Read more
Matt Hancock‘s target of testing 100,000 people a day for coronavirus ‘could come back and bite him’, Downing Street sources have reportedly warned. The health secretary made the pledge on April 2 at a daily coronavirus press briefing, saying by May 1, Britain should be testing people at the rate of 100,000-a-day. Currently the British Government … Read more
The UK has one of the lowest coronavirus testing rates in the world, data has revealed. In a comparison of 17 countries with the largest coronavirus outbreaks, Britain ranks 15th above only Peru and India. Testing just 5.54 people per every thousand in its population, the UK sits miles below similar nations including Italy, Germany … Read more
To all the Virgin family, For 50 years I have been humbled by the incredible pride our people take in working for Virgin. It is the people across all our businesses, and the hundreds of thousands of people who have worked with us over the years, that make this company so special. They tell their … Read more
Pubs across the UK could remain closed until Christmas as the country continues to control the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The possible lockdown extension on the popular venues comes after cabinet minister Michael Gove warned that pubs and restaurants in the nation would be ‘among the last’ to see the restrictions placed upon them relaxed. … Read more
More than 11 million Britons have been furloughed or left unemployed by the economic shutdown due to coronavirus. Shocking new figures reveal that nearly a third of British workers have been affected by the downturn that has seen many businesses shuttered and employees unable to work. The lockdown is pushing many firms to the brink … Read more
Ministers are underestimating the public by refusing to discuss exit strategies for ending the coronavirus lockdown, senior Tory MPs have warned. The Government has set out what needs to happen before it will consider lifting the measures, but there has been no detail on how the easing of restrictions will take place. Tory backbenchers and … Read more