MORE than 800,000 people in the UK are thought to have caught Covid in the space of just ONE week, a national survey has suggested.
Shock figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today, as part of it's ongoing Covid infection survey, say 1 person in 75 was estimated to have the virus -a steep rise from 1 in 95 recorded the previous week.
Meanwhile, UK charities are warning of a spike in youth violence this summer, fuelled by lockdowns, patchy education and compounded mental health issues.
Youth worker Kayeligh Wainwright told The Guardian: “In recent weeks some youth workers have said to me that lockdown, especially for young people already involved in gangs, has given them the opportunity to strategise and to think.
"Now lockdown has been lifted, we’re seeing this violence and conflict play out."
The director of collective action at UK Youth added: "We saw a real increase in the number of young people being exploited as a result of Covid, because they were vulnerable and isolated.”
Read our coronavirus live blog for the very latest updates…
- Joseph Gamp
THREAT LEVELS
The UK has 25 areas on the Covid watchlist due to their amount of active cases.
The Delta variant is now the cause of around 99 per cent of infections and driving the third wave in the UK.
North East Lincolnshire is number one on the watchlist created by the ZOE Covid Symptom Study, with the most active cases as of July 18 (3,324 in every 100,000 people).
Prevalence is second highest in Stockton-on-Tees, with 2,691 cases in every 100,000, and third highest in Falkirk (2,434).
The most hotspots are in London, making up eight of the 25 spots on the list.
Read more here.
- Joseph Gamp
HOW RELIABLE ARE LATERAL FLOW TESTS?
Lateral flow tests are not as reliable as the PCR tests used by the NHS.
The Department of Health says because the tests have been rigorously assessed by scientists, it means they are “accurate, reliable and successfully identify those with Covid-19 who don’t show symptoms”.
But the tests were not designed to look for Covid in people without symptoms, but for people who did have symptoms.
It means the results are not 100 per cent correct.
The Government website states that “when a person has low levels of virus in their system, lateral flow tests are less sensitive than some of the other tests we use, such as PCR tests”.
- Joseph Gamp
BUSINESSES MUST APPLY FOR STAFF TO BE EXEMPT FROM PINGDEMIC SELF-ISOLATION RULES
The full list of crucial sectors where workers can skip pesky isolation rules if they are pinged by the NHS Track and Trace app has finally been revealed.
Anyone working in critical sectors – including food and water supply, medicines and public transport – no longer have to spend days under house arrest if they come into contact with a Covid case – as long as their application for exemption is accepted.
The government’s guidance states that employers who feel their workers should be exempt from self-isolation need to contact the relevant government department for their sector themselves.
They are also asked to provide information on the number of people who they want to leave self-isolation, the jobs they do and the impact that self-isolation would have on their business.
If a worker is deemed to meet the criteria then their employer will get a letter from the government telling them what measures they now need to follow.
- Joseph Gamp
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19?
- Joseph Gamp
GREGGS, TOBY CARVERY AND MANY OTHERS CLOSE VENUES DUE TO PINGDEMIC STAFF SHORTAGES
Hundreds of thousands of workers are isolating after being pinged by the NHS COVID app, bringing businesses to their knees with staffing crises.
Greggs has had to shut a small number of stores although the closures are not long term, the Sun understands.
Harvester said on social media that its Clifton Moor, York branch temporarily closed this week while Toby Carvery wrote on Facebook that its Park Place branch in London had shut – although neither gave specific reasons as to why.
Pub chain Wetherspoons also warned it had a couple of hundred staff off.
- Joseph Gamp
ENGLAND’S OFFICIAL R RATE
- Joseph Gamp
SUPERMARKET SHORTAGES
In his Freedom Day speech, Boris Johnson name-checked a handful of industries in line for exemption, if the workers have been double-jabbed.
They included food and water supply, power supply, medicines, public transport, border force and the armed forces.
Fully vaccinated NHS workers have already been exempt to stop hospitals coming to a standstill.
Shoppers have spotted shortages in supermarkets this week, including bottled water and fresh fruit and veg.
Ice creams and beer are also among the items running low in some locations, as supermarkets warned customers not to panic buy.
- Joseph Gamp
COVID CASES WILL RISE ‘EXPONENTIALLY’ AGAIN WITHIN DAYS
Yesterday the Government reported 39,906 new infections, which was almost 18 per cent lower than last Thursday’s figure and down for the first time since May.
But Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, said it was likely the unusual statistic was only “temporary”.
He said: “It is still too early to see any impact of the relaxations of Monday 19th and some of the reduction in cases will be because of many children no longer being tested as regularly now schools are closed.
“I would caution that this may just be a temporary slowing in reports before we start to see a return to exponential growth towards the end of next week as a result of the ending of restrictions last week.”
- Joseph Gamp
PINGDEMIC DEVELOPMENTS
- Mr Eustice suggested isolation could continue for the fully-vaccinated beyond August 16
- The minister said the army remained on standby in case the food supply chain weakened
- Hospitality bosses fumed they were overlooked for a test to release exemption scheme
- The Government published a list of critical sectors available for isolation exemption applications
- Joseph Gamp
FULL LIST OF WORKERS EXEMPT FROM PINGDEMIC SELF-ISOLATION RULES
THE full list of workers exempt from 'pingdemic' self-isolation rules has been revealed after fears the country could grind to a halt.
Staff in critical sectors – including food and water supply, medicines and public transport – can dodge 10 days quarantine if their bosses get permission from the Government.
It will be welcome news to industries facing major staff shortages, with more than 618,903 Brits 'pinged' by the NHS Covid-19 app in just one week.
The Government has not published a list of essential workers – like it did in the first lockdown – but has identified vital industries.
The sectors included are:
- energy
- civil nuclear
- digital infrastructure
- food production and supply
- waste
- water
- veterinary medicines
- essential chemicals
- essential transport
- medicine
- medical devices
- clinical consumable supplies
- emergency services
- border control
- essential defence outputs
- local government
NORTH LONDON HOSPITAL PLEADS FOR PEOPLE TO AVOID CHECKING INTO A&E
A north London hospital has pleaded for people to avoid checking into A&E where possible as it struggles to cope.
Barnet Hospital’s emergency department is struggling with a higher attendance level and the borough has seen a 35,000 Covid cases in four weeks.
Dr Angshu Mukherjee, clinical director of the department, made an exceptional appeal to the public in a YouTube video released on July 21.
Dressed in scrubs and speaking through a clinical face mask, Dr Mukherjee said: “Every day we are seeing more and more patients arrive and the demand for our services is growing exponentially. We are at a stage now where we are asking the general public in Barnet to consider using other services for their health requirements. If you think that you do need to see a clinical, doctor or nurse but your condition is not life threatening please call 111.”
GRAPH: COVID-19 CASES AND DEATHS PER DAY
UK COVID CASES DOWN 35% IN A WEEK
The UK’s daily coronavirus cases have fallen by 35 per cent in a week with 36,389 new cases reported today – compared with 51,870 last friday.
Meanwhile a further 64 new deaths have been reported, giving a total of 129,044 lives lost since the start of the pandemic.
It is the third day in a row that cases have fallen with 39,306 infections and 84 fatalities announced yesterday.
Latest figures show that 43,000 people had their first jab yesterday – meaning that 46,476,845 have now received one dose of a vaccine.
Meanwhile another 174,742 Brits have had their second shot, bringing the total number of those now fully vaccinated to 36,762,646.
SUPERMARKET SWEEP
Shoppers have spotted shortages in supermarkets including bottled water and fresh fruit and veg.
Supplies to shops have been hit by the “pindemic” forcing workers to self-isolate adding to existing worker shortages and increased demand from the heatwave.
Ice creams and beer are also among the items running low in some locations, as supermarkets warned customers not to panic buy.
Empty shelves have been spotted in supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Iceland and Lidl.
Food will still be available in stores, but shoppers are likely to see fewer items on shelves and less choice of products.
CASES OF CHILDHOOD VIRUS EIGHT TIMES HIGHER THAN PRE-COVID
The number of RSV infections is currently eight times higher than the same time period before the pandemic.
The “out-of-season” trend has resulted in PHE giving a warning to parents to watch out for symptoms.
It’s expected the wave will continue well into the winter, when experts have warned of pressure on NHS paediatric intensive care units.
Azra Ghani, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at Imperial College London, told the Sun: “This is of concern for the NHS because although RSV is a mild infection in the majority of children, a few require intensive care.
“Paediatric intensive care units are limited in capacity.”
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MARTIN LEWIS EXPLAINS HOW TO CLAIM UP TO £500 IF YOU’RE SELF-ISOLATING
Martin Lewis reveals how to claim money if you’re self-isolating
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WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19?
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COVID CASES WILL RISE ‘EXPONENTIALLY’ AGAIN WITHIN DAYS
Yesterday the Government reported 39,906 new infections, which was almost 18 per cent lower than last Thursday’s figure and down for the first time since May.
But Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, said it was likely the unusual statistic was only "temporary".
He said: “It is still too early to see any impact of the relaxations of Monday 19th and some of the reduction in cases will be because of many children no longer being tested as regularly now schools are closed.
“I would caution that this may just be a temporary slowing in reports before we start to see a return to exponential growth towards the end of next week as a result of the ending of restrictions last week.”
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SAJID JAVID SAYS RESTRICTIONS WON’T LAST ‘A DAY LONGER THAN NECESSARY’
Sajid Javid has vowed he doesn’t want the remaining Covid rules to last “a day longer than necessary”.
But the isolating Health Secretary, who tested positive for the virus last week despite being double jabbed, admitted there will be no big bang ending to the pandemic as we learn to live with the virus.
Mr Javid also said his experience dealing with the pandemic has been “rather more personal than I would have wanted.”
In an article for The Spectator today he joked: “Testing positive for Covid-19 definitely wasn’t in the 100-day plan” and revealed he’s even had to isolate from his own wife on their wedding anniversary.
But he stressed that “curtailing people’s precious liberties, as vital as it has been, is never something that’s come easily to me” as a Conservative.
- Joseph Gamp
NO MORE GROUPS WILL BE ADDED TO AUGUST 16 PINGDEMIC SELF-ISOLATION EXEMPTION LIST
Staff in critical sectors – including food and water supply, medicines and public transport – can dodge 10 days quarantine if their bosses get permission from the Government.
The news was welcomed by industries facing major staff shortages, with more than 618,903 Brits ‘pinged’ by the NHS Covid-19 app in just one week.
The Government has not published a list of essential workers – like it did in the first lockdown – but has identified vital industries.
George Eustice said today that the exemption from self-isolation would not be extended to the hospitality industry.
And he made clear that no other sectors are being considered to dodge self-isolation before August 16.
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ERIC’S CLAMPDOWN
Eric Clapton won’t play shows where the attendees are required to prove they’ve been vaccinated against Covid.
The guitarist, 76, made the announcement after previously revealing his “disastrous” reaction to getting two vaccinations.
Eric shared his stance in reaction to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement that vaccine passes would be required to enter nightclubs and other venues.
“Following the PM’s announcement, I feel honor-bound to make an announcement of my own,” Eric said via a statement on architect and anti-vaxxer Robin Monotti Graziadei’s Telegram account.
“I wish to say that I will not perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present.
“Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show.”
- [email protected]
PINGDEMIC DEVELOPMENTS
- Mr Eustice suggested isolation could continue for the fully-vaccinated beyond August 16
- The minister said the army remained on standby in case the food supply chain weakened
- Hospitality bosses fumed they were overlooked for a test to release exemption scheme
- The Government published a list of critical sectors available for isolation exemption applications
PINGDEMIC TRAVEL CHAOS LEAVES PASSENGERS STRANDED AS TRAINS CANCELLED MID-JOURNEY
As lockdown-weary holidaymakers head off for a post-Freedom Day weekend in the sun, rail firms are grappling with severe staff shortages.
Cabinet Minister George Eustice today warned of delays and cancellations over the "next few weeks" as the Delta variant sends alerts into overdrive.
Thameslink and Southern have both slashed upcoming timetables because of the staffing black hole.
Passenger Helena Horton was among exasperated holidaymakers travelling from London to Exeter – and left stranded at Salisbury.
COVID CASES WILL RISE ‘EXPONENTIALLY’ AGAIN WITHIN DAYS AFTER ‘TEMPORARY SLOWING’, EXPERT WARNS
Yesterday the Government reported 39,906 new Covid diagnoses, which was almost 18 per cent lower than last Thursday’s figure and down for the first time since May.
But Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine, The Norwich School of Medicine, University of East Anglia, said it was likely the unusual stat was only “temporary”.
He said: “It is still too early to see any impact of the relaxations of Monday 19th and some of the reduction in cases will be because of many children no longer being tested as regularly now schools are closed.
“I would caution that this may just be a temporary slowing in reports before we start to see a return to exponential growth towards the end of next week as a result of the ending of restrictions last week.”
ARMY ON STANDBY
The army is on standby to step in and help secure the nation’s food supplies if the Pingdemic worsens, a Cabinet minister said today.
Environment secretary George Eustice revealed up to 20% of workers in the sector have now been forced into self-isolation.
Last night the Government scrambled to exempt 10,000 employees from strict quarantine rules to stop supermarkets running bare.
The move came amid warnings the country could be set to face its worst food shortages in 75 years with half of deliveries being delayed.
MPs have even called for troops to be deployed and tasked with vital roles like shipping goods and stocking shelves.
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