Covid UK news LIVE – Infections next week CRITICAL to lockdown lifting plan as London coronavirus cases plummet fastest

'SLOWLY AND CAUTIOUSLY' LIFT RESTRICTIONS IN WALES

First Minister Mark Drakeford has said restrictions could be eased "slowly and cautiously" in Wales around spring time if levels of Covid-19 infection continued to drop.

Mr Drakeford said this would only happen if infection levels fell, the impact on the health service was "drained away", and the vaccination programme offered protection to people against the virus.

"If that is the path that we are on, then a pattern in Wales as we move towards the spring and Easter will be one in which we will be able to slowly and cautiously lift the restrictions that are currently in place in all aspects of our lives," Mr Drakeford told a press conference in Cardiff.

MORE HOTEL ROOMS WILL BE ADDED 'AS REQUIRED' SAYS NO.10

Downing Street has said it can add extra hotel rooms for quarantine "as required", after signing contracts for 4,600 rooms so far.

A No 10 spokesman said: "We've signed contracts with 16 hotels for an initial 4,600 rooms.

"We can expand the service as needed, adding the hotels and rooms as required."

R RATE IS 0.8, ACCORDING TO DATA

There are currently 14,818 daily new symptomatic cases of Covid-19 in the UK on average, according to the latest figures from the Zoe Covid Symptom Study app.

The data, which is based on swab tests data from up to five days ago, also puts the UK reproduction number (R) of coronavirus at 0.8.

The Zoe app figures, which includes information from around one million weekly reporters, estimates around one in 233 people in the UK currently has symptomatic Covid-19.

MIDDLE-AGED MEN 'DRIVING INFECTIONS' IN LIVERPOOL

Middle-aged men are driving coronavirus infection rates in Liverpool, the city's director of public health has said.

Matthew Ashton said infection rates had reduced in the city since January but in the last few days had plateaued.

He said: "We know from some analysis of the data that middle-aged men are driving the infection rate in some areas. That is why testing, and self-isolating if you test positive, are so important.

"If we give it a huge push over the next four weeks we will be in a much stronger position when the Government decides to start to ease lockdown restrictions and that will give us more of the freedoms that we all crave."

CAMBRIDGE COLLEGE SLASHES BURSARIES BECAUSE OF LOCKDOWN

Prince Charles’ former college at Cambridge University has been slammed for slashing poor students’ bursaries while also banning them from working during term time.

Trinity College has slashed them for some of the uni’s poorest undergrads by half.

It stated that the portion of cash normally used for halls rent is no longer needed by those studying from home due to lockdown.

Trinity - where the Prince of Wales studied in the late 60s - is one of the wealthiest colleges at the historic university, with an endowment of £1million.

The college said they will continue to provide 50 per cent of the amount usually available to students with a household income of below £42,620.

THREE MILLION TESTS CARRIED OUT IN ENGLISH SCHOOLS

More than three million rapid coronavirus tests have been carried out among school and college staff and pupils in England since January.

Figures released by the Government show that 1.7 million lateral flow tests have been taken on site in secondary schools and colleges, where students are offered two tests on their return and staff are offered tests twice-weekly.

A further 1.7 million rapid Covid-19 tests have been taken at home by staff in primary schools and council-run nurseries.

The Department for Education (DfE) has said 97% of schools and colleges in England are now ready to offer tests.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "I hope it gives parents and students the same confidence it gives me - that every possible action is being taken to get all students back into education as soon as possible."

PEOPLE OVER 60 NOW GIVEN JAB

People aged 60 to 69 will now be invited for a Covid-19 vaccine in England if supplies allow and if GPs have done all they can to reach those at higher risk.

Some parts of England have already begun vaccinating the over-65s with their first dose after they reached everyone in the top four priority groups - including the over-70s and care home residents - who wanted a jab.

Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group is among those that has invited over-65s to receive a vaccine, while in Shropshire, Coventry and Hampshire some vaccines have been given already.

NHS England said regions could now move onto people aged 60-69 if every effort has been made to contact and vaccinate those in groups one to four, and if there are supplies.

MAN 'PUNCHED' SHOPPER WHO QUESTIONED WHY HE WASN'T WEARING A MASK

Police are seeking a man wanted for assaulting a shopper who challenged him for not wearing a face mask in a Gloucester supermarket.

A CCTV image of the wanted man has been issued today by Gloucestershire Police following the incident on January 9th.

"We are appealing for the public's help to identify a man in a supermarket in Gloucester," said a force spokesperson.

"It's alleged that the man then became verbally abusive and was further challenged by a shopper.

"Following that challenge the man is suspected to have physically assaulted a shopper and then left the store.

"The victim has suffered some reddening to the side of his face."

'LOOKING FORWARD' TO DOMESTIC HOLIDAYS

Professor Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, was asked about the prospect of summer holidays on BBC Radio Scotland's BBC Good Morning Scotland programme on Friday.

She said: "I'm very hopeful that we'll have breaks in Scotland and be able to take advantage of our fantastic hospitality and tourism industry here, and we need to support them. I think we're looking forward to that.

"I'm certainly already thinking about where I could go in a couple of months' time, and I think if we continue to make progress we will be able to holiday, not abroad, I think because of quarantine unfortunately foreign travel is going to be off the cards for a while, but travelling around more domestically - absolutely."

SCOTS: HAVE A DOMESTIC HOLIDAY, SAYS EXPERTS

People should be able to take holidays in Scotland this summer if the country continues to make progress in suppressing coronavirus, a public health expert has said.

Professor Linda Bauld said while holidays abroad will be "off the cards for a while", she is hopeful people will be able to take breaks domestically.

She also voiced hope that pubs and restaurants will open up again in the next few months, and "people should be hopeful that we're not going to be stuck in this situation indefinitely".

However she said measures such as mask wearing and social distancing are likely to continue for some time to control the virus.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has advised people against booking holidays abroad and has also urged caution over booking trips domestically.

PRITI TELLS PEOPLE TO 'PERSEVERE' AS GOV'S TESTING WEBSITE IS DOWN

Priti Patel has told people to "persevere" with the Government's testing website after a woman raised fears she will not be able to travel back from the US because of issues.

An LBC radio listener said she is a UK citizen married to a US citizen and is due to return from the States on February 22 but has been unable to book a test.

The Home Secretary responded: "I do understand there have been problems with the testing package website, which I think was launched yesterday.

"I've been told it was back up and running this morning so please persevere with this.

"This is a fresh website clearly."

PM HAS 'SOME BANDWIDTH' TO REOPEN SCHOOLS

Boris Johnson will "have some bandwidth"; to start reopening schools in March before potentially beginning to ease other restrictions the following month, Professor Neil Ferguson has said.

The key scientist advising the Government as part of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group said he is "hopeful" that the nation could be in its "final lockdown".

His comments came as the Prime Minister faced pressure from Tory MPs not to delay the timetable for easing lockdown.

Mr Johnson's "road map" for easing England's third national lockdown is due out in the week starting February 22, with March 8 earmarked for a wide reopening of schools.

Prof Ferguson, the Imperial College London academic whose modelling was crucial in shocking Mr Johnson into imposing the first lockdown, said the nation is "in a better place than I might have anticipated a month ago".

KPMG CHAIRMAN RESIGNS AFTER TELLING STAFF TO 'STOP MOANING' ABOUT COVID CUTS

The chairman of KMPG in the UK has resigned after reportedly telling staff to "stop moaning" about worries over possible cuts to pensions, pay and bonuses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bill Michael will step down from his position at the audit giant after his comments during a conference call on Monday.

He said: "I love the firm and I am truly sorry that my words have caused hurt amongst my colleagues and for the impact the events of this week have had on them.

"In light of that, I regard my position as untenable and so I have decided to leave the firm.

"It has been a privilege to have acted as chair of KPMG. I feel hugely proud of all our people and the things they have achieved, particularly during these very challenging times."

'UP TO SCOTLAND' TO DECIDE IF PEOPLE SHOULD QUARANTINE

Safeguarding minister Victoria Atkins said it is "up to Scotland" to decide where passengers landing in England but travelling on to the country should quarantine.

Scotland has closed its airports to all international travel, but people can still land in England and drive in.

"People should not be travelling, it is illegal to travel overseas unless you meet the criteria of an essential reason," Ms Atkins told BBC Breakfast.

When pressed on quarantine measures for the devolved administrations, she said: "That will be for the Scottish Government to work out."

FUNDRAISER LAUNCHED FOR NHS WORKERS WHOSE TYRES WERE SLASHED DURING NIGHT SHIFT

A fundraiser has been launched after nine NHS workers had their tyres slashed in a hospital car park while working night shifts.

The workers parked their cars near Musgrove Hospital in Taunton in Somerset.

They returned after finishing their shifts to find their tyres slashed.

A JustGiving page to help them pay for the damage has so far raised over £1,400.

Chloe Sedgbeer, a nurse, had just finished a night shift and walked back to her car, when she noticed she had a flat tyre.

"I walked out of work after my second 12 and a half hour night shift and walked towards my car, another nurse (parked closer to the hospital than me) had a flat tyre and we joked about how it's just not what you need after a night shift," she said.

NHS WORKERS FOUND LOVE ON ICU WARD

A pair of NHS workers who met while caring for patients in intensive care during the pandemic have found love.

Ollie Foster, 43, from Shrewsbury, has recently sparked a relationship with Helen Birch, 33, since discovering they had an undeniable connection while working alongside each other in ICU.

Ollie first met Helen, an operating department practitioner who usually works at a specialised orthopaedic hospital, when she was redeployed due to the pandemic and began volunteering in the same department as Ollie.

But after meeting last month, the pair have become inseparable after initially connecting 'through their eyes' due to PPE.

EMMA SAMMS 'MASSIVELY AFFECTED' BY LONG COVID

Former Dynasty star Emma Samms says she is still "massively affected" by long-term Covid.

The actress contracted coronavirus in March last year.

She told Good Morning Britain she is "still massively affected by long Covid and really frustrated by it."

Asked whether she has been given any guidance on how long her symptoms will last, she said: "Nobody really knows because they don't know about long Covid. It's a new illness."

£2MIL FUND FOR COPS AT AIRPORTS AND PORTS

Safeguarding minister Victoria Atkins has refused to comment on the number of police officers that will be deployed to ensure arrivals to the UK follow quarantine rules.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she said: "We have announced today a further £60 million for police forces.

"£58 million is to support police forces who have done an incredible job over the last year of the pandemic making sure those few people who aren't sticking to the rules that they stop doing so and, if necessary, they are fined."

She said that another £2 million had been allocated to forces that will be patrolling ports and airports.

But she refused to comment on the number of police officers that would be deployed to enforce the new quarantine rules, saying only: "Police operational details - first of all I wouldn't dream of announcing them on national television."

UK HAVE 'STRONGEST BORDER MEASURES IN THE WORLD'

Safeguarding minister Victoria Atkins has defended the UK's decision only to introduce a hotel quarantine system nearly a year into the pandemic, saying the UK has always had some of the strongest measures in the world.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she said: "We are following the data in our own country and applying the measures that apply in our own countries.

"So we have some of the strongest border measures in the world and as of Monday, with the introduction of the red list set of countries, these measures will be even stronger."

When asked why the UK's standards are lower than Australia's, which has had fewer than 1,000 Covid-19 deaths, she repeated that British standards are among the highest in the world.

"When someone arrives from a red list country, they will be escorted with security guards to a Government-facilitated hotel, they will be required to stay in that room - with the occasional gulp of fresh air - but they are required to stay in that room for 10 days," she said.

'SMALL DIP IN VACCINES COMING TO WALES' SAYS DRAKEFORD

First Minister Mark Drakeford said there would be a ";small dip in the volume of vaccine coming to Wales" over the next two weeks.

Mr Drakeford told BBC Breakfast that those already vaccinated would receive second doses and anyone in the next five priority groups would begin to receive their first doses.

"Then in March, the volume of vaccine accelerates again and that gives us confidence that we will complete the vaccination of the next five priority groups by this spring," Mr Drakeford said.

"That's what we promised we would do, we remain firmly on track to deliver that."

Mr Drakeford said the Welsh Government was "confident" it would vaccinate the top nine priority groups by the spring and aimed to reach the rest of the population by the autumn.

MILESTONE FOR WALES

On Friday, Mr Drakeford said: "To have achieved this first milestone and offered vaccination to everyone in the first four priority groups - those who are most vulnerable to coronavirus - is a truly phenomenal effort.

"I want to thank everyone who has been working around the clock to reach this point."

Health minister Vaughan Gething added said: "Every vaccine given to someone in Wales is a small victory against the virus, and we are already looking ahead to meeting our next milestone.

"The first milestone in our vaccination strategy set out that everyone in first four priority groups will have been offered their first dose appointment by mid-February."

WALES VACCINATES FIRST FOUR PRIORITY GROUPS

Wales has achieved its target of offering coronavirus vaccines to everyone in its first four priority groups, the First Minister has said.

Mark Drakeford said the milestone is a "truly phenomenal effort" for the country's vaccine rollout, which has so far seen 684,097 people receive their first dose.

In England, people in the top four priority groups have already been told to come forward for a vaccine if they want one, regardless of whether they have been contacted by their GP or the NHS with an appointment.

The Welsh Government previously said it would offer vaccines to those in the first four priority groups - residents and staff in care homes for older adults, frontline health and social care workers, all people 70 years old and over, and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals - by the middle of February.

'SERIOUS SHOCK TO THE ECONOMY' SAYS SUNAK

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: "Today's figures show that the economy has experienced a serious shock as a result of the pandemic, which has been felt by countries around the world.

"While there are some positive signs of the economy's resilience over the winter, we know that the current lockdown continues to have a significant impact on many people and businesses.

"That's why my focus remains fixed on doing everything we can to protect jobs, businesses and livelihoods.

"At the Budget I will set out the next stage of our plan for jobs, and the support we'll provide through the next phase of pandemic."

2020 WORST ECONOMIC YEAR SINCE 1921

The 9.9% fall marks the worst year for the UK economy since records began.

GDP was first measured in the aftermath of the Second World War, and the measure has never previously dropped by more than 4.1%.

That last big drop was in 2009, but the Bank of England has also estimated historic GDP going bank centuries.

These measures come with caveats, but if correct, 2020 would be the worst year since 1921.

UK'S ECONOMY SHRUNK BECAUSE OF PANDEMIC

The UK's economy shrunk at its fastest rate since the 1920s last year, as the pandemic forced thousands of businesses to remain closed for several months.

The Office for National Statistics revealed that gross domestic product (GDP) dropped by 9.9%.

However, after registering a 1.2% growth in December, despite strong restrictions across large parts of the country, the economy looks set to avoid what could have been its first double-dip recession since the 1970s.

A double-dip means two recessions within a short period of time, while a recession is defined as two consecutive quarters where the economy contracts.

"Loosening of restrictions in many parts of the UK saw elements of the economy recover some lost ground in December, with hospitality, car sales and hairdressers all seeing growth. An increase in Covid-19 testing and tracing also boosted output," ONS deputy national statistician for economic statistics Jonathan Athow said.