Coronavirus news UK LIVE –BORIS Johnson set to announce June 21 lockdown lifting will be DELAYED by FOUR weeks

BORIS Johnson will make a major announcement on Monday that June 21's lockdown lifting will be delayed until July 19, The Sun can reveal.

A two-week review will be included meaning coronavirus restrictions could be dropped on July 5 if hospitalisations stay down.

But sources told The Sun the chances of lifting restrictions as planned on June 21 were close to zero due to a 240 per cent surge in the Indian strain, now known as the Delta variant.

This is a huge blow to Wembley's hosting of some crucial Euros matches.

Group games will have a 25 per cent stadium cap – 22,500 fans – with that hopefully rising to around 45,000 people for the Semis and the July 11 Final.

Read our coronavirus live blog below for the latest news and updates…

  • The Sun

    BRITAIN’S ‘EVERYDAY HEROES’ HONOURED BY THE QUEEN FOR THEIR WORK IN COMBATING COVID – continued

    Prof Keith Willett, NHS England’s national director of emergency planning and incident response, is knighted.

    Among ordinary Brits honoured are Rhys Mallows, 25, of Pontyclun, near Cardiff, who produced more than a million bottles of hand sanitiser for NHS trusts and care homes.

    Bottling firm boss Rhys, who receives the British Empire Medal (BEM), said: “We’re not scientists, but we really felt that if we can give people little bullets to protect themselves, then it’d make a big difference.

    “We calculated that we have sanitised 81million hands.”

    The owner of Cambridge taxi firm CamCab, Rowhi Mahmoud Nemer, 63, is made an MBE for community service after he offered free rides to NHS staff.

    Read the full story here

  • The Sun

    WILL WE STILL HAVE TO WEAR FACE COVERINGS WHEN LOCKDOWN LIFTS?

    Face masks will likely still be needed in public spaces when lockdown lifts in a bid to stop the Indian variant from spreading and to bring case numbers down.

    It's likely you'll still need a face covering in places like pubs, shops and public transport – despite hopes we'd no longer need them next month.

    It comes after Public Health England analysis showed infections have risen to 42,323 from 12,431 last week, a jump of 240 per cent.

  • The Sun

    HALF OF ANTI-VAXXERS HAVE BEEN VACCINATED, STUDY FINDS

    Half of anti-vaxxers have been jabbed, a new study has revealed.

    Thousands who said they will “definitely not” get a Covid vaccine have since been won over.

    The research also showed 94 per cent of people offered a vaccine have taken it up.

    Muslims are least likeliest to accept, with almost a fifth wrongly believing they contain pork.

    But among that group jab confidence has risen since December from 23 per cent to 67 per cent.

    Nearly 75 per cent of people from ethnic minorities say they will have a vaccine, up from 36 per cent at the end of last year.

    Dr Siobhan McAndrew, of the University of Bristol, which conducted the research with King’s College London, said: “The high rates accepting a vaccine are extremely encouraging. There’s a large difference in intention to get vaccinated between religious groups, with Muslims in particular standing out.”

  • The Sun

    WE SHOULD COME OUT OF LOCKDOWN ON JUNE 21 ACCORDING TO NHS HOSPITAL DATA

    Hospitals are no where near as full with Covid patients as what scientists had modelled earlier in the year.

    Models given to Sage – the Govt scientific advisory group – date back to February, when ministers were considering how and when to exit the crippling lockdown.

    Data shows that the number of patients in beds across England is currently ten times lower than worst-case predictions.

    Boris Johnson will be looking at hospital data to see if vaccines have succesfully prevented severe disease, case rates and the threat of new variants.

    But the Sage models have since been updated to reflect the new Covid variant (Delta), showing to cause more severe disease, has become dominant.

  • The Sun

    ONLY 5% CASES OF INDIAN VARIANT WERE FULLY VACCINATED

    Only five per cent of people who have caught the Delta (Indian) variant were fully vaccinated, figures show.

    It further confirms jabs are working to protect people from Covid – but those unvaccinated remain at high risk.

    Public Health England said today more than 42,000 cases of the Delta strain had been detected through screening.

    It published an analysis of 33,206 cases, revealing that only 1,785 were in people who were double-jabbed.

    Of those, only 62 (three per cent) were admitted to hospital.

    In comparison, 397 (two per cent) of the 19,573 unvaccinated cases were admitted to hospital.

    Twelve fully vaccinated people have died of Delta, as public health experts have said the jabs are not 100 per cent effective.

    The 12 fatalities were disproportionately high compared with the 23 deaths in those unvaccinated.

  • The Sun

    NHS WAITING LISTS HIT RECORD HIGH AS 5 MILLION WAIT FOR TREATMENT

    England’s NHS waiting list has topped five million for the first time since records began, new figures have revealed.

    Over a quarter of a million Brits have waited more than a year to start hospital treatment, with appointments pushed back by the pandemic, data from NHS England showed.

    Around 385,490 had to wait over a year, with 5.12million still on the waiting list at the end of April.

    Experts today warned that delays on this scale can “cost lives” and the British Medical Association (BMA) warned that the backlog is “dangerously close to crippling” the NHS.

    In England, A&E attendances last month was 65 per cent higher than a year ago.

    NHS England said this is a reflection of lower-than-usual numbers for May 2020, which were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

    In May this year, a total of 2.08million attendances were recorded – up from 1.26million in May 2020.

  • The Sun

    MATT HANCOCK DENIES HE USED SCIENCE AS A SHIELD FOR COVID MISTAKES

    Health Secretary Matt Hancock has denied a claim by Dominic Cummings that he used the phrase “we follow the science” to shift blame for government failures.

    The former No 10 adviser claimed he heard Hancock tell the prime minister they could say they were misled by the science whenever they made mistakes in their Covid response.

    But Hancock hit back claiming he tried to avoid using that phrase and had even defied scientific advice at the start of the pandemic by forcing people to isolate when they returned from Wuhan in February and March 2020.

  • The Sun

    UK COVID CASES PASS 8,000 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOUR MONTHS AS INDIAN VARIANT TRIPLES IN A WEEK AND 17 DEATHS

    UK daily Covid cases have passed 8,000 for the first time in four months – as the Indian variant continues to spread.

    There were 8,125 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours, while there were 17 deaths from the bug in the same time frame.

    The last time cases surpassed 8,000 was on February 26 this year, when there were it was 8,523.

    Cases in the UK on Wednesday rose by 7,540 – the highest leap in daily infections since February.

    This was followed by an increase of 7,393 yesterday.

    Last Thursday, there were 18 deaths recorded over a 24-hour period.

    Cases of the Indian variant have more than tripled in a week – with 42,323 confirmed cases of the B.1.617.2 strain this week, up from 12,431 one week ago.

  • The Sun

    UK COVID CASES RISE BY A THIRD IN ONE WEEK AS ANOTHER 7,738 TEST POSITIVE AND 12 MORE PEOPLE DIE BEFORE ROADMAP DELAYED

    Covid cases have risen by a THIRD in a week with a further 7,738 Brits testing positive today.

    Fatalities increased by 12 amid growing fears that the government’s roadmap out of lockdown may be delayed.

    The rise in cases brings the total since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,558,494.

    It is higher than last Saturday’s total of 5,765 and much higher than the 3,398 infections reported a fortnight ago on May 29.

    The increase in fatalities also brings the total number of deaths in the UK to 127,896.

  • The Sun

    WATCH: BORIS JOHNSON ‘SERIOUSLY CONCERNED’ ABOUT INDIAN ‘DELTA’ COVID VARIANT AS HE PREPARES TO DELAY JUNE 21 LOCKDOWN EASING

    Boris Johnson ‘seriously concerned’ about Indian ‘Delta’ Covid variant as he prepares to delay June 21 lockdown easing

  • The Sun

    BORIS JOHNSON ‘SERIOUSLY CONCERNED’

    Boris Johnson today admitted he is seriously concerned about the Indian Covid variant and will be "cautious" over lifting the fourth and final stage of his roadmap.

    The Sun revealed yesterday that "Freedom Day" would be delayed until July 19 – after cases of the mutant Indian 'Delta' strain exploded last week.

    The Prime Minister today said it is clear the Indian variant is "more transmissible", with coronavirus cases and the number of people in hospital increasing in the UK.

    He also acknowledged that it was "certainly fair" to say he was less optimistic than he was at the end of May.

    Speaking of the Indian strain's rise from the G7 summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, Mr Johnson told Sky News: "Now we don't know to what extent that exactly is going to feed through into extra mortality but, clearly it's a matter of serious, serious concern."

    He added that the Government wants "make sure the roadmap is irreversible – but you can’t have an irreversible roadmap unless you are prepared to be cautious".

  • The Sun

    THE LOCKDOWN RULES SET TO BE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY AS ROADMAP DELAYED (Continued…)

    Weddings

    Senior government sources told the Telegraph that while the 30-person limit for ceremonies could be increased, a cap on numbers of some form is likely to remain after officials from Matt Hancock's health department warned they could become "super-spreader" events.

    The changes will affect around 50,000 couples who booked their nuptials for the four weeks after June 21.

    It means restrictions are likely to continue as they are – with those attending still having to wear face masks unless they are eating or drinking.

    Apart from the couple's first dance, dancing would be advised against "due to the increased risk of transmission".

    Guests would also still be told to be "cautious" about contact with different households.

  • The Sun

    THE LOCKDOWN RULES SET TO BE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY AS ROADMAP DELAYED (Continued…)

    Sporting events

    The June 21 delay comes as a massive blow to sporting events – namely Wembley hosting of the Euros.

    Group games will have a 25 per cent stadium cap – 22,500 fans – with that hopefully rising to around 45,000 for the Semis and the July 11 Final.

    It had been hoped Wembley could be full of fully jabbed or tested fans by then, but the delay to the last phase of the roadmap has scotched that.

    Running the big matches as pilots for Covid certification trials means the capacity numbers can be stretched, but there will still be thousands of empty seats.

  • The Sun

    THE LOCKDOWN RULES SET TO BE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY AS ROADMAP DELAYED (Continued…)

    Nightclubs

    Nightclubs, which are all currently shut, are expected to stay completely closed until the rules change again – despite having planned to reopen on June 21.

    It means anyone with a club night booked before July 19 is likely to have it cancelled.

  • The Sun

    THE LOCKDOWN RULES SET TO BE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY AS ROADMAP DELAYED (Continued…)

    Social distancing

    Under the changes expected to be announced on Monday, social distancing rules and the rule-of-six are expected to remain in place.

    Pubs and restaurants are unlikely to be able to open to full capacity, with the number of customers allowed in limited by social distancing rules, and table service remaining.

    It will mean still only six people can eat together inside, with gatherings of up to 30 people allowed outside.

    The limit on numbers allowed into arenas, cinemas, sporting events and theatres is also expected to stay – even though these were all set to lift.

  • The Sun

    THE LOCKDOWN RULES SET TO BE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY AS ROADMAP DELAYED

    Hopes of a care-free summer were bitterly dashed last night when the Sun revealed "freedom day" is set to be delayed until July 19.

    Despite the Government planning for all restrictions to lift on June 21, a surge in the Indian variant has meant many rules are now set to continue for longer. Here's what we're expecting to be announced on Monday.

    Face masks

    Face masks will likely still be needed in public spaces from June 21 in a bid to stop the Indian variant from spreading and bring case numbers down.

    It's likely you'll still need a face covering in places like pubs, shops and public transport – despite hopes we'd no longer need them next month.

    It comes after Public Health England analysis showed infections have risen to 42,323 from 12,431 last week, a jump of 240 per cent.

  • The Sun

    SCOTLAND, NORTHERN ISLAND AND WALES FIGURES

    Scotland saw a rise of 1,030 cases and two further deaths.

    The figures for Northern Ireland and Wales have not yet been released.

  • The Sun

    WE SHOULD COME OUT OF LOCKDOWN ON JUNE 21 ACCORDING TO NHS HOSPITAL DATA

    Hospitals are no where near as full with Covid patients as what scientists had modelled earlier in the year.

    Models given to Sage – the Govt scientific advisory group – date back to February, when ministers were considering how and when to exit the crippling lockdown.

    Data shows that the number of patients in beds across England is currently ten times lower than worst-case predictions.

    Boris Johnson will be looking at hospital data to see if vaccines have succesfully prevented severe disease, case rates and the threat of new variants.

    But the Sage models have since been updated to reflect the new Covid variant (Delta), showing to cause more severe disease, has become dominant.

  • The Sun

    UK COVID CASES PASS 8,000 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOUR MONTHS AS INDIAN VARIANT TRIPLES IN A WEEK AND 17 DEATHS

    UK daily Covid cases have passed 8,000 for the first time in four months – as the Indian variant continues to spread.

    There were 8,125 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours, while there were 17 deaths from the bug in the same time frame.

    The last time cases surpassed 8,000 was on February 26 this year, when there were it was 8,523.

    Cases in the UK on Wednesday rose by 7,540 – the highest leap in daily infections since February.

    This was followed by an increase of 7,393 yesterday.

    Last Thursday, there were 18 deaths recorded over a 24-hour period.

    Cases of the Indian variant have more than tripled in a week – with 42,323 confirmed cases of the B.1.617.2 strain this week, up from 12,431 one week ago.

  • The Sun

    MATT HANCOCK DENIES HE USED SCIENCE AS A SHIELD FOR COVID MISTAKES

    Health Secretary Matt Hancock has denied a claim by Dominic Cummings that he used the phrase “we follow the science” to shift blame for government failures.

    The former No 10 adviser claimed he heard Hancock tell the prime minister they could say they were misled by the science whenever they made mistakes in their Covid response.

    But Hancock hit back claiming he tried to avoid using that phrase and had even defied scientific advice at the start of the pandemic by forcing people to isolate when they returned from Wuhan in February and March 2020.

  • The Sun

    NHS WAITING LISTS HIT RECORD HIGH AS 5 MILLION WAIT FOR TREATMENT

    England’s NHS waiting list has topped five million for the first time since records began, new figures have revealed.

    Over a quarter of a million Brits have waited more than a year to start hospital treatment, with appointments pushed back by the pandemic, data from NHS England showed.

    Around 385,490 had to wait over a year, with 5.12million still on the waiting list at the end of April.

    Experts today warned that delays on this scale can “cost lives” and the British Medical Association (BMA) warned that the backlog is “dangerously close to crippling” the NHS.

    In England, A&E attendances last month was 65 per cent higher than a year ago.

    NHS England said this is a reflection of lower-than-usual numbers for May 2020, which were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

    In May this year, a total of 2.08million attendances were recorded – up from 1.26million in May 2020.

  • Olivia Burke

    ONLY 5% CASES OF INDIAN VARIANT WERE FULLY VACCINATED

    Only five per cent of people who have caught the Delta (Indian) variant were fully vaccinated, figures show.

    It further confirms jabs are working to protect people from Covid – but those unvaccinated remain at high risk.

    Public Health England said today more than 42,000 cases of the Delta strain had been detected through screening.

    It published an analysis of 33,206 cases, revealing that only 1,785 were in people who were double-jabbed.

    Of those, only 62 (three per cent) were admitted to hospital.

    In comparison, 397 (two per cent) of the 19,573 unvaccinated cases were admitted to hospital.

    Twelve fully vaccinated people have died of Delta, as public health experts have said the jabs are not 100 per cent effective.

    The 12 fatalities were disproportionately high compared with the 23 deaths in those unvaccinated.

  • Olivia Burke

    WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THE J&J VACCINE?

    Around 55 percent of people who were vaccinated experienced systemic side effects.

    The most commonly reported side effects were headaches, fatigue and muscle pain.

    Less common symptoms were nausea and fever, which lasted for just one day on average.

    Typically, the side effects of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are similar to those who had one of the mRNA (Moderna) vaccines.

    Although, a 74-year-old man was hospitalized with a severe body rash triggered by the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

  • Olivia Burke

    HALF OF ANTI-VAXXERS HAVE BEEN VACCINATED, STUDY FINDS

    Half of anti-vaxxers have been jabbed, a new study has revealed.

    Thousands who said they will “definitely not” get a Covid vaccine have since been won over.

    The research also showed 94 per cent of people offered a vaccine have taken it up.

    Muslims are least likeliest to accept, with almost a fifth wrongly believing they contain pork.

    But among that group jab confidence has risen since December from 23 per cent to 67 per cent.

    Nearly 75 per cent of people from ethnic minorities say they will have a vaccine, up from 36 per cent at the end of last year.

    Dr Siobhan McAndrew, of the University of Bristol, which conducted the research with King’s College London, said: “The high rates accepting a vaccine are extremely encouraging. There’s a large difference in intention to get vaccinated between religious groups, with Muslims in particular standing out.”

  • Olivia Burke

    WILL WE STILL HAVE TO WEAR FACE COVERINGS WHEN LOCKDOWN LIFTS?

    Face masks will likely still be needed in public spaces when lockdown lifts in a bid to stop the Indian variant from spreading and to bring case numbers down.

    It's likely you'll still need a face covering in places like pubs, shops and public transport – despite hopes we'd no longer need them next month.

    It comes after Public Health England analysis showed infections have risen to 42,323 from 12,431 last week, a jump of 240 per cent.

    Source: Read Full Article

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