That's it for today...
Here's a summary of today's Covid-19 headlines:
- Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are both in self-isolation after getting 'pinged' by the NHS Covid app and reversing course on an earlier plan to avoid isolation through a daily contact testing pilot scheme.
- Standard face coverings are just "comfort blankets" that do little to reduce the spread of Covid particles, a scientist advising Sage on ventilation has said.
- An "independent" group of scientists that regularly criticises the Government for not introducing tougher Covid-19 restrictions is being run by a body which boasted last week that it is "good at creating havoc" and was founded by an activist journalist accused of peddling conspiracy theories about Brexit, The Telegraph can disclose.
- Team GB’s Olympic plans have been thrown into disarray by news that six track and field athletes, two athletics staff members and two headquarters staff members have been forced to isolate in Japan after they were identified as close contacts of positive Covid cases.
- Thousands of families kept apart, holiday plans thwarted and tourism businesses close to collapse – the UK Government’s decision to move France to a new ‘amber plus’ category has far-reaching implications.
- Britain has opted against mass Covid vaccinations for all children and teenagers, with ministers instead preparing to offer jabs to vulnerable 12 to 15-year-olds and those about to turn 18.
Revealed: Independent Sage is run by Left-wing group including anti-Brexit activists
An "independent" group of scientists that regularly criticises the Government for not introducing tougher Covid-19 restrictions is being run by a body which boasted last week that it is "good at creating havoc" and was founded by an activist journalist accused of peddling conspiracy theories about Brexit, The Telegraph can disclose.
The Citizens, founded by Carole Cadwalladr, describes itself as "founders and producers" of Independent Sage, a committee of academics that claims to "provide independent scientific advice".
The Citizens is also currently bringing legal action over ministers' use of apps such as WhatsApp to communicate about official business, and claims to be gathering evidence of "the privatisation of the NHS".
Writing in the body's newsletter, Ms Cadwalladr states that its "mission is impact journalism" and says that it has "been running a handful of experimental projects in stealth mode", including Independent Sage.
Covid deaths dip in Italy but cases climb, lifted in part by football parties
Italy reported just three coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday against 13 the day before, the lowest toll since last August, however, the daily tally of new infections edged up to 3,127 from 3,121.
Sundays normally see a fall in cases because only limited testing is done at weekends, so although the rise in infections was minimal it still represented a sixth consecutive daily increase, underscoring concerns of a fresh wave of contagion.
Health experts believe the surge was fuelled by celebrations during the recent European football championships, which Italy won and which triggered street parties and a total breakdown in social distancing in many cities and towns.
The head of Italy's health institute, Franco Locatelli, said the average age of those infected was 28. "The gatherings and crowds have helped the spread of the virus," he told La Republica newspaper on Sunday.
Boris Johnson to spend 'Freedom Day' in self-isolation
Boris Johnson will spend so-called "freedom day" self-isolating after being "pinged" by Test and Trace following a meeting with Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who has tested positive for Covid-19.
The Prime Minister and Chancellor Rishi Sunak - who also met Mr Javid on Friday - initially tried to get round the requirement to quarantine by saying they would join a workplace testing scheme.
But after a furious outcry with accusations of hypocrisy at a time when staff shortages due to people being forced to self-isolate were threatening supply chains, the two men hurriedly agreed to do so.
In a video statement posted on his Twitter feed, Mr Johnson said they had "briefly" looked at joining the daily contact testing scheme which is being trialled in the Cabinet Office and a number of other public and private sector organisations.
However, he added: "I think it is far more important that everybody sticks to the same rules and that's why I'm going to be self-isolating until July 26.
Keir Starmer: 'I would follow the rules'
Asked if he would use a workplace testing scheme instead of isolating if given the option, Sir Keir said: "I would follow the rules and if I was asked to self-isolate, I would self-isolate.
"I wouldn't do what the Prime Minister has done and pretend I was on some scheme randomly chosen to get out of the rules that are being applied to other people."
Boots pharmacies to join in flu vaccination effort as Prof Ferguson warns lack of immunity poses 'real concerns'
A resurgence of influenza in the winter could be almost as damaging for the health system as Covid, Prof Neil Ferguson warned today.
He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "The real concerns are a resurgence of influenza because we haven't had any influenza for 18 months, immunity has waned in the population."
Echoing these concerns, Marc Donovan, Chief Pharmacist at Boots, said: "I would urge people to book their flu jabs now amid concerns of a serious influenza epidemic this winter, with immunity among the UK population thought to be lower as a result of lockdowns.
“Flu can be a nasty virus that makes you feel extremely unwell, and it can pose a serious risk to older people and others in vulnerable categories. That is why I recommend booking a vaccination as early as possible. Increased take up of flu vaccinations will not only protect you, but also protect the NHS from being overwhelmed by serious flu cases."
Mr Donovan added that to help with the flu vaccination effort, Boots has opened bookings for flu jabs earlier this year and has created "special hubs" to deliver vaccinations in over 100 of their pharmacies across the UK.
Plan to lift all restrictions tomorrow is a 'mistake' and 'wrong thing to do', says Keir Starmer
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described the Government's plans to lift "all restrictions" from Monday as a "mistake" and the "wrong thing to do".
He said: "I've said consistently that lifting all restrictions in one go tomorrow is a mistake, it's reckless.
"We can already see that the infection rates are going through the roof, we know what's going to happen with hundreds of thousands of people being asked to self isolate.
"The Prime Minister is essentially putting the whole nation into a car, pressing the accelerator and taking the seatbelt off."
He said Boris Johnson's "reckless decisions" were causing "utter chaos".
Keir Starmer accuses the Government of 'double standards' after u-turn over self-isolation
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the Government of "double standards" and being "contemptuous of the British public" over the Prime Minister's now abandoned plans to avoid quarantine after being contacted by NHS Test and Trace.
Speaking to the media in north London, Sir Keir said: "Yet again, it's double standards from the Government.
"The Prime Minister is causing utter chaos with his reckless decision making and that means infection rates are going through the roof, hundreds of thousands of people are having to self-isolate, and they're doing the right thing.
"What happens when the rules apply to the Prime Minister? He tries to wriggle out of them and to pretend that he's on some pilot scheme that exempts him.
"So I'm afraid yet again, we see it's one rule for them and another rule for everybody else."
Sir Keir added of the Prime Minister: "The only reason that he's u-turned on this is because he's been busted.
"It's like bank robbers who've got caught and now they're offering the money back.
"One rule for them, another rule for everybody else. It's contemptuous of the British public."
This Conservative Government is in chaos.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 18, 2021
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak tried to fix the rules yet again to benefit themselves.
They only backtracked when they got found out.
They’re like failed bank robbers who only offered to give the money back because they’ve been caught.
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak reverse decision to not self-isolate after getting 'pinged'
The Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer have been pinged as Covid close contacts, and have reversed an earlier decision not to self-isolate amid widespread criticism that there is "one rule for them".
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak were contacted by NHS Test and Trace as contacts of someone who has tested positive for Covid and had initially decided to participate in a daily contact testing pilot to allow them to continue to work from Downing Street.
However, both have now reversed course, with Mr Sunak posting on Twitter that he recognises that "the sense that the rules aren't the same for everyone is wrong" and a Downing Street spokesman confirming that Mr Johnson will isolate at Chequers.
It comes after Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced he was self-isolating having picked up the virus despite being double vaccinated. He also said today that all adults in the UK have been offered their first dose of a Covid vaccine.
Mr Johnson is proceeding with the full re-opening of the economy on July 19 despite a fresh surge of cases fuelled by the highly transmissible delta variant. New infections are running at their highest level since January.
Boris Johnson: 'It is far more important that everybody sticks to the same rules'
The Prime Minister has urged the nation to self-isolate when "pinged" by the NHS Covid app, and admits that "it is far more important that everybody sticks to the same rules", despite him originally wanting to take part in a daily testing pilot scheme that would have allowed him to avoid isolation.
Mr Johnson said he will be in self-isolation until Monday, July 26.
He added that the nation has to reopen "cautiously" tomorrow and warned about the "extreme countagiousness" of the delta variant.
He said that there "is no doubt at all" that the national vaccination programme has "severely weakened the link" between infection and hospitalisation or serious illness, which he described as an "immense consolation".
Like so many people I've been pinged by NHS Test and Trace as I have been in contact with someone with COVID-19, and I will be self-isolating until Monday 26th July. pic.twitter.com/X57gDpwDqe
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 18, 2021
Six Team GB track and field athletes isolating as Covid hits Tokyo Olympics
Team GB’s Olympic plans have been thrown into chaos by news that six track and field athletes and two athletics staff members have been forced to isolate in Japan after they were identified as close contacts of a positive Covid case.
All are now shut inside their own rooms of Team GB’s preparation camp hotel in Yokohama and unable to train less than a week from the start of the Tokyo Games.
The British group were identified as close contacts after someone unconnected to Team GB on their flight to Japan on Thursday was subsequently found to have Covid. The GB contingent all tested negative on arrival and have continued to do so every day since, but they remain in isolation as per Tokyo Games guidelines.
Thailand expands lockdown areas as Covid-19 cases surge
The Thai government on Sunday announced plans for a tighter lockdown in Bangkok and high-risk provinces next week, suspending most domestic flights and expanding curfew areas after the country reported a third straight day of record Covid-19 case numbers.
Thailand reported 11,397 infections and 101 deaths on Sunday, bringing the cumulative total to 403,386 cases and 3,341 fatalities, the vast majority from an outbreak since early April that is being fuelled by the highly transmissible Alpha and Delta Covid-19 variants.
Domestic flights to and from Bangkok and other provinces classified by the Thai government as at high risk from Covid-19 will be suspended from Wednesday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand said in an announcement.
UK to face a difficult summer of 100,000 daily cases per day, says Prof Ferguson
It is "almost inevitable" that coronavirus infections will reach 100,000 daily cases alongside 1,000 people admitted to hospital a day, a Government scientific adviser has said on the eve of restrictions being lifted in England.
Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London and a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that these these figures could double, but this was "much less certain".
Asked where the country was heading amid the lifting of restrictions, Prof Ferguson said: "It's very difficult to say for certain, but I think 100,000 cases a day is almost inevitable."
He highlighted that the relaxation of measures coincided with the start of school holidays, which will probably see contact rates among teenagers "tick down".
Labour does not want Freedom Day to be a 'free-for-all'
The shadow health secretary said Labour did not want so-called Freedom Day to be a "free-for-all-day".
Ahead of further unlocking on Monday, Jonathan Ashworth said the party would not have released restrictions in the same way as its Conservative counterparts.
"We are saying keep masks, keep working from home, why don't we use our British manufacturing to put air filtration systems in every school and every public building?" he said, speaking on The Andrew Marr Show on BBC One.
"We don't want Freedom Day to be a free-for-all-day.
"I think what is going to happen tomorrow is infection rates will probably increase further.
Cloth face masks are 'comfort blankets' that do little to curb Covid spread, Sage adviser warns
Standard face coverings are just "comfort blankets" that do little to reduce the spread of Covid particles, a scientist advising Sage on ventilation has said.
Dr Colin Axon, who has advised the government on minimising the risk of cross-infection in supermarkets, accused medics of presenting a "cartoonish" view of how how tiny particles travel through the air.
He warned some cloth masks have gaps which are invisible to the naked eye, but are 500,000 times the size of viral Covid particles.
"The small sizes are not easily understood but an imperfect analogy would be to imagine marbles fired at builders' scaffolding, some might hit a pole and rebound, but obviously most will fly through," he told The Telegraph.
Tony Blair calls for isolation to end for fully-vaccinated people
Tony Blair has called on ministers to drop the requirement for people who are fully-vaccinated to self-isolate if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.
The former prime minister said the current system was "not rational" and he understood why people were deleting the NHS Covid app from their mobile phones.
"We're at risk of moving in two contradictory directions," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.
"On the one hand we're going to open everything up, free restriction altogether, and on the other hand we've still got this pinging track and trace system where people have got to go into complete isolation if they're pinged in circumstances where probably the vast majority of those people do not need to do so."
"I don't want the Prime Minister of the country to be in isolation at the moment, I need him at his desk doing his job," he added.
There are currently more than 500,000 people being forced to stay at home for up to 10 days after receiving an alert telling them they have been near someone who tested positive for Covid-19.
What is the workplace contact-tracing pilot scheme causing a political row?
A pilot scheme which allows contacts of people testing positive for coronavirus to carry out essential activities and not self-isolate has been the centre of a furious political row on Sunday.
Here we look at the scheme hoping to help avert the so-called "pingdemic."
What is the new scheme?
The workplace pilot scheme will assess the effectiveness of daily contact tracing for those who have been in contact with people testing positive for coronavirus.
The study is being led by Public Health England and NHS Test and Trace, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Why is it being carried out?
It is hoped the scheme will provide evidence to help reduce the length of time that contacts of Covid- positive people need to self-isolate for.
The DHSC said reducing self-isolation periods would prevent individuals missing work and doing day-to-day activities, helping to reopen the economy and society.
How does it work?
Close contacts of people with Covid-19 will be contacted by phone and sent seven days' worth of lateral flow tests, the DHSC said.
All contacts will be required to perform a test every morning for seven days.
Those who develop no symptoms and also test negative will be exempt from self-isolation on that day and can leave their homes to carry out essential activities, but will still need to take another test the following day to check they remain exempt.
Who is involved in the workplace pilot?
The scheme is being piloted with a variety of selected organisations from the private and public sectors.
Currently, 20 organisations are involved, including Network Rail, TFL, Heathrow and Border Force, and Downing Street.
Can anyone apply to be involved?
The DHSC said no further organisations would be invited to take part in the scheme until further data from the preliminary trials was returned.
Nigeria puts six states on red alert after 'worrisome' rise in Covid infections
Nigeria has put six states on red alert after seeing a "worrisome" rise in Covid-19 infections, a government official said, urging people to curb gatherings and hold prayers outside mosques during this week's Muslim festival Eid-el-Kabir.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is like most parts of the continent now facing a Covid-19 third wave after detecting the more transmissible Delta variant.
The head of the presidential steering committee on Covid-19, Boss Mustapha, said Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory had been placed on red alert as part of preventive measures against the pandemic.
A red alert allows authorities in the states to restrict celebrations and gatherings to a minimum.
Every adult in the UK has now been offered their first Covid vaccine, says Sajid Javid
Following the Health Secretary's positive Covid test result and the furious political backlash over Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak's now-reversed plans to avoid quarantine, Sajid Javid has announced that all adults in the UK have now been offered their first dose of a Covid vaccine.
He hailed the "phenomenal national effort" and shared the good news ahead of England's long-awaited 'Freedom Day' tomorrow.
Every adult in the UK has now been offered their first dose of the vaccine. A phenomenal national effort.
— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) July 18, 2021
Please come forward for your jab if you haven’t already - it protects you and your loved ones. 👏🏾
Herd immunity could be reached if next wave peaks without lockdown measures, says Prof Ferguson
Covid herd immunity could be reached if the next wave of infections peaks without a change of course like lockdown measures, Prof Neil Ferguson said.
He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "Fundamentally, this will be a different wave from the previous two.
"The previous two peaked because we introduced lockdown measures, and that's the only reason.
"This time if we don't have to change course, then it will peak because herd immunity is being reached, and then it overshoots and you still get infections beyond that point, but the epidemic will be in decline."
Prof Ferguson said the precise level of immunity in the population was not known, with data on vaccines being "not perfect".
Asked if high levels of people with sufficient antibodies could be reached without vaccinating children, Prof Ferguson replied: "In the absence of vaccinating teenagers ... we're already seeing very high numbers of cases in teenagers - and we won't be able to reach herd immunity without significant immunity in basically people under 18."
Union boss says workers 'live in fear of being pinged' by the NHS Covid app
Steve Turner, assistant general secretary of Unite, said: "How are we meant to get this virus under control when those who set the guidelines don't even follow them?
"My members at Nissan and thousands more across manufacturing, health, hospitality, retail and public transport live in fear of being pinged by the app as it means that they can't work because they have to isolate.
"Businesses, already reeling from Covid disruption, face more insecurity, downtime, closures and lost services.
"Working people worried for their futures certainly won't be impressed to discover that there's one rule for the PM and the Cabinet, but a different set of more punishing rules for them.
"The Government has to get this sorted. It's chaos for employers, the NHS and public transport."
Prof Ferguson says he 'can't be certain' whether the country would have to lock down again
Prof Neil Ferguson said he "can't be certain" over whether the country will need to lock down again before Christmas.
Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, he was asked if there was a likelihood of a return to restrictions.
Prof Ferguson said this would be a Government decision, adding: "Clearly, if we end up in a more, let's say, worst-case scenario ... at the higher end of the modelling and the projections of two, three thousand hospital admissions per day, there may be a need to basically slow spread to some extent."
Asked if there could be a lockdown again before Christmas, he replied: "You're asking me about six months ahead, that's harder."
He added: "I hope not, but I can't be certain."
Resurgence of flu in winter could be almost as damaging for NHS as Covid
A resurgence of influenza in the winter could be almost as damaging for the health system as Covid, Prof Neil Ferguson warned.
He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that there was a "difficult" summer ahead, but that cases numbers were "likely to be declining at least by late September".
Prof Ferguson added: "Going into the winter, I think we'll have quite a high degree of immunity against Covid.
"The real concerns are a resurgence of influenza because we haven't had any influenza for 18 months, immunity has waned in the population.
"That could be, frankly, almost as damaging, both for health and for the health system by December, January, as Covid has been this year."
Expect three week delay to see effects of 'Freedom Day', says Prof Ferguson
It will take three weeks before the effects of relaxing coronavirus restrictions on Monday is known, Prof Neil Ferguson said.
Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, he was asked how long it would be before it was known whether the current pandemic strategy was going to work in terms of getting towards herd immunity.
Prof Ferguson said: "We'll know it's worked when case numbers plateau and start going down, we know then hospitalisations and deaths will take some more weeks.
"The best projections suggest that could happen any time from, really, mid-August to mid-September. So, we will have to be patient.
"It'll also take us three weeks before we know the effect of Monday, of relaxing restrictions, and what that will do to case numbers. So, it's going to be quite a period of time."
Rishi Sunak reverses course and announces he will now self-isolate
Mr Sunak posted on his Twitter that "even the sense that the rules aren't the same for everyone is wrong".
Whilst the test and trace pilot is fairly restrictive, allowing only essential government business, I recognise that even the sense that the rules aren’t the same for everyone is wrong.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) July 18, 2021
To that end I’ll be self isolating as normal and not taking part in the pilot.
Government is not proceeding with caution ahead of Freedom Day, says Jonathan Ashworth
The shadow health secretary accused the Government of "putting their foot down on the accelerator and throwing off the seatbelts" ahead of so-called Freedom Day.
Jonathan Ashworth said the Labour Party did not oppose the full unlocking on Monday but that they wanted "to proceed with caution".
"The problem with people getting pinged and having to isolate is that that is a symptom of increased transmission in society," he told Sky News.
"We know the virus is climbing again very steeply but what you've got to do is put measures in place to break transmission chains.
"Instead of that, we're about to have Freedom Day tomorrow, where the Government - Sajid Javid and others - are effectively putting their foot down on the accelerator and throwing off the seatbelts."
Angela Rayner criticises PM and Chancellor for 'not following rules that they created'
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has criticised the Government as it was announced that Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak do not have to self-isolate despite being contacted by NHS Test and Trace after Sajid Javid tested positive for Covid-19.
She wrote on Twitter: "Sorry for the unparliamentary language but this just takes the p***.
"Not following the rules that they created and which they expect my constituents to follow.
"This Government treats the public with contempt and think they are above the law and that the rules don't apply to them."
Decision soon on vaccinations for children
Robert Jenrick, the Communities Secretary, has said the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will be advising ministers shortly on vaccinations for children.
He told Sky News's Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme: "We will be looking carefully at their advice when we receive it - we expect it very soon - on whether or not we should open up the vaccine programme in the first instance to those children who are just short of their 18th birthday, to those children who have particular vulnerabilities and those children who are in households where there are people who are particularly vulnerable.
"That seems a sensible way for us to proceed but ministers will have to make that decision when they are armed with the final advice from the JCVI.
Last night the Telegraph disclosed that Britain has opted against mass Covid vaccinations for all children and teenagers, with ministers instead preparing to offer jabs to vulnerable 12 to 15-year-olds and those about to turn 18.
You can read the full story here by Edward Malnick, our Sunday Political Editor.
'Anger doesn't cover it' says Green Party
Co-leader of the Green Party Jonathan Bartley said "anger doesn't begin to cover it" after it was announced that Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak do not have to isolate after coming into contact with Sajid Javid, who tested positive for Covid-19.
He wrote on Twitter: "Hundreds of thousands of young people, including my children, had their education and lives repeatedly turned upside down again and again after dutifully and responsibly isolating. And now this.
"Anger doesn't begin to cover it."
Hundreds of thousands of young people, including my children, had their education and lives repeatedly turned upside down again and again after dutifully and responsibly isolating. And now this. Anger doesn’t begin to cover it. https://t.co/4XylB29M9q
— Jonathan Bartley (@jon_bartley) July 18, 2021
Why can't employers or schools get onto the pilot, asks Labour
Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretarysaid many people across the UK would be dismayed by the "special, exclusive rule" after it was announced that both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor would not have to self-isolate.
"There will be parents across the country who have struggled this year when their children have been sent home because they were in a bubble and had to self-isolate," he told Sky News.
"There will be workers across the country that have to isolate because they've been pinged, including in public services, including the NHS.
He continued: "Nobody understands how you can get access to this special treatment or VIP lane where you don't have to isolate yourself.
"If it is a pilot, why can't employers apply for their workforce to be part of this pilot, why can't schools apply to be part of this pilot test?
"I do think a lot of people are going to be looking at this and thinking 'what on earth is going on?"'
'It's one rule for them' say the Lib Dems
Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "It is one rule for them and another rule for everyone else. How about the school teachers, transport workers and health workers getting a chance to be part of this test pilot or is it only for the privileged few?
"People have stuck to the rules and done the right thing, Boris Johnson is taking them for granted."
PM and Chancellor must 'avoid poorly ventilated places' in Number 10 according to trial rules
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak's position on the testing pilot means that they do not have to self isolate, but it comes with other rules that seem at odds with working in Downing Street.
According to additional safety measures used to take part in the trial, the pair must:
- avoid being in small, poorly ventilated public spaces for more than 15 minutes
- avoid visiting others indoors
- avoid using public transport
- avoid talking loudly, especially indoors
Downing Street feels like a very curious workplace indeed for this pilot programme.
— Gabriel Pogrund (@Gabriel_Pogrund) July 18, 2021
In 17th century Georgian townhouses, the PM and chancellor must avoid:
- being in small, poorly ventilated public spaces for more than 15 minutes
- talking loudly, particularly when indoors pic.twitter.com/8cTEdIPxu0
Labour MP: 'I've had to cancel my entire week' due to getting pinged
Darron Jones has joined other Labour MPs in calling out Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak for avoiding self-isolation after getting pinged by the NHS Covid app.
I’ve had to cancel my entire week because I had a text from Parliament Test and Trace telling me to isolate until Friday. Taking part in a “daily testing pilot” wasn’t offered to me, nor is it for millions of other workers stuck at home, I assume. https://t.co/PjYpQAPtEd
— Darren Jones MP (@darrenpjones) July 18, 2021
MPs react to the PM and Chancellor avoiding self-isolating: 'One rule for them'
Labour MP Maria Eagle has called Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak "hypocrites" for not needing to self-isolate after getting pinged by the NHS Covid App despite being close contacts of the Health Secretary, who just tested positive for Covid.
Instead, the Prime Minister and Chancellor will take part in a daily contact testing pilot scheme that will allow them to avoid self-isolating for 10 days.
Hypocrites #oneruleforthem https://t.co/xHCY3GXDNe
— Maria Eagle MP 😷💙 (@meaglemp) July 18, 2021
Labour MP Luke Pollard:
Why isn’t the PM and Chancellor self isolating like hundreds of thousands are being required to do?
— Luke Pollard MP (@LukePollard) July 18, 2021
Is this daily testing pilot only open to Tory MPs?
Why is it that there’s always one rule for Boris Johnson and his chums and another for the rest of us?
This stinks.
Katie Hopkins' Australian TV gig axed over quarantine
Katie Hopkins has been axed from the upcoming season of Australia's Big Brother VIP after reportedly admitting to deliberately disobeying strict hotel quarantine rules.
She arrived in Australia this week and was immediately placed in two weeks of quarantine in a government-mandated hotel.
On Saturday, the 46-year-old reportedly said in an Instagram live video that she was deliberately disobeying quarantine rules by taunting guards and opening her hotel room door without a mask.
In a statement, the Seven Network, which airs the reality TV show, said: "Seven Network and Endemol Shine Australia confirm that Katie Hopkins is not part of Big Brother VIP.
"Seven and Endemol Shine strongly condemn her irresponsible and reckless comments in hotel quarantine."
Australia's immigration minister Alex Hawke said on Sunday the former Apprentice star turned far-right commentator is under investigation by the Australian Border Force over her actions.
One in five with cancer say life will not return to normal
One in five people living with cancer in England say they will not be able to return to normal life on so-called "Freedom Day", despite the success of the UK vaccine programme.
Out of an estimated 2.4 million people living with the condition in England, 21 percent said they could not enjoy day-to-day activities until new coronavirus cases had stopped being reported.
According to research done by Macmillan Cancer Support, 3 percent (around 70,000 people) said they did not think it would ever be safe for them to return to the way their life was before the pandemic.
It comes as the remaining coronavirus restrictions in England are lifted on Monday July 19, marking the return of major social freedoms.
Government urged to prevent 'avalanche' of homelessness
Calls to prevent a surge in homelessness this autumn are being stepped up after research suggested evictions and repossessions continued throughout the lockdown.
The Big Issue warned of a potential "four-pronged attack" on the public in coming months, with an end to the Universal Credit uplift and the furlough scheme, an increase in evictions and repossessions and a predicted increase in the cost of electricity and gas.
A study by the magazine of official figures found that in the first quarter of 2021, there were 632 mortgage repossessions and rental evictions across the UK.
The Big Issue has called for measures to prevent an "avalanche" of homelessness, including a system of means-tested grants or interest-free-loans to repay arrears and suspending no-fault evictions until a Renters' Reform Act.
Thailand expands restrictions after record rises
Thailand has announced an expansion of coronavirus restrictions that include travel curbs, mall closures and a night-time curfew to three more provinces after the country reported a third consecutive day of record case numbers.
The country reported 11,397 infections and 101 deaths on Sunday, bringing the cumulative total to 403,386 cases and 3,341 fatalities, the vast majority from an outbreak since early April that is being fuelled by the highly transmissible Alpha and Delta variants.
Shopping malls will be closed and a 9pm to 4am curfew will be imposed from Tuesday onwards in Chonburi, Ayutthaya and Chachoengsao provinces, an announcement on the official Royal Gazette on Sunday showed.
Bangkok and nine other provinces have already been under these restrictions, the toughest in more than a year, for a week, as the country battles its longest-running and most severe outbreak so far.
South Korea to rescue crew from infectious destroyer
South Korea is sending military aircraft on Sunday to replace the entire 300-member crew of a navy destroyer on an anti-piracy mission off East Africa after almost 70 of them tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said.
Two transport planes will bring home 300 sailors aboard the destroyer Munmu the Great, Joint Chiefs of Staff and Defense Ministry officials said, requesting anonymity citing department rules.
They said 68 sailors have so far tested positive and the results on 200 of the 300 crew are still pending.
South Korea has taken part in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden since 2009. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about 150 navy personnel will replace the crew and sail the destroyer to South Korea. Officials said the ship was to be replaced with another destroyer next month following a six-month rotational deployment.
Two athletes first to test positive in Olympic village
Two athletes have become the first to test positive for the coronavirus in the Tokyo Olympic Village, officials said on Sunday, just days before the pandemic-delayed Games open.
The cases will heighten concerns over the Olympics, which are facing opposition in Japan over fears they will bring new cases to a country already battling a surge in infections.
A daily tally of new cases revealed two athletes tested positive in the village and one elsewhere. They come a day after an unidentified person, who was not a competitor, became the first case in the village.
The Olympic village, a complex of apartments and dining areas, will house 6,700 athletes and officials at its peak when the 2020 Games finally get underway.
Infections dip but Australia lockdowns unlikely to ease
Australia's two largest states reported slight declines in new infections on Sunday, prompting authorities to say it could be days before tough lockdown measures showed progress in containing the spread of the Delta variant.
The country's most populous city, Sydney, and all of Victoria state - totaling almost half the country's 25 million population - are under stay-home orders after a flare-up of the highly infectious virus strain began last month.
New South Wales (NSW), of which Sydney is the capital, reported 105 new cases, down from 111 the day before, while Victoria logged 16 new cases, down from 19.
NSW also recorded an additional death from the virus, taking the total to four since the start of the year and the national total to 914 since the pandemic began.
Britain to spend £20 million on 15 studies into long Covid
Britain is backing 15 new studies into the treatment and diagnosis of "long Covid", a condition that can include dozens of symptoms and last for months after an initial bout of infection with Covid-19.
The projects, which will have almost £20 million ($27.54 million) of government funding, will focus on better understanding the condition, identifying effective treatments and the best ways to care for those suffering from it.
People with long Covid can have symptoms ranging from fatigue and brain fog to breathlessness and organ damage, experts have said.
"This package of research will provide much needed hope to people with long-term health problems after Covid-19," said Nick Lemoine, chair of the National Institute for Health Research's long Covid funding committee.
Iraqi hospital attacked after power cut kills four
Baghdad police said they had arrested a group of related men who allegedly attacked a hospital, as a security source claimed the armed assault was in retaliation after four Covid patients died when their oxygen was cut.
Security forces "arrested an armed group which attacked al-Kindi hospital", one of the main ones in the Iraqi capital, a police statement said.
About 10 people were involved in the attack. They belonged to the family of one of the four patients who died earlier when a power cut turned off ventilators, according to this source.
The situation in hospitals across Iraq has often been catastrophic during the pandemic. There have been two deadly fires in less than three months in Covid-19 units, with one killing more than 80 people in Baghdad in April and the most recent killing at least 60 on Monday in southern Nasiriyah.
Facebook hits back at Biden 'killing' claim
Facebook had defended itself against US President Joe Biden's assertion that the social media platform is "killing people" by allowing misinformation about coronavirus vaccines to proliferate, saying the facts tell a different story.
"The data shows that 85 percent of Facebook users in the US have been or want to be vaccinated against Covid-19," Facebook said in a corporate blog post by Guy Rosen, a company vice president.
"President Biden’s goal was for 70 percent of Americans to be vaccinated by July 4. Facebook is not the reason this goal was missed."
Covid-19 misinformation has spread during the pandemic on social media sites including Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet Inc-owned YouTube. Researchers and lawmakers have long accused Facebook of failing to police harmful content on its platforms.
"They're killing people. ... Look, the only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated. And they're killing people," Biden told reporters at the White House on Friday when asked about misinformation and what his message was to social media platforms such as Facebook.
Today's top stories
- Britain has opted against mass Covid vaccinations for all children and teenagers, with ministers instead preparing to offer jabs to vulnerable 12 to 15-year-olds and those about to turn 18, The Telegraph can disclose.
- The Prime Minister, Chancellor and several senior civil servants may be forced to go into self-isolation after Sajid Javid tested positive for Covid.
- An "independent" group of scientists that regularly criticises the Government for not introducing tougher Covid-19 restrictions is being run by a body which boasted last week that it is "good at creating havoc" and was founded by an activist journalist accused of peddling conspiracy theories about Brexit, The Telegraph can disclose.
- The NHS Covid app is "pinging" some phones and not others despite them being exposed to the virus in the same location at the same time, a Telegraph investigation has revealed.
- The Greek island of Mykonos has banned music and singing in bars and imposed a nighttime curfew a day after four England football players were filmed belting out 'Sweet Caroline' at an island restaurant.