BORIS Johnson is currently self-isolating after coming into contact with an MP who tested positive for coronavirus.
A spokesperson for the PM said that he was doing well and had no symptoms.
Mr Johnson met with a small group of MPs in No10 on Thursday morning including Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield who subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.
It comes as the UK experienced its deadliest Saturday since May 2, with 462 more people dead on Saturday during the second Covid wave bringing the total fatalities to 51,766.
But Professor Sir Ian Diamond, the head of the Office for National Statistics , sid that there had been slow down in new cases.
Follow our coronavirus updates below...
- Niamh Cavanagh
LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY
The NHS is to launch 43 “long Covid” mini-hospitals to treat up to half a million long-term sufferers.
The centres are set to offer care to some 500,000 people still suffering with fatigue, brain fog and breathlessness months after contracting coronavirus.
Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said the health service needed to mobilise to help long Covid patients in the same way that it dealt with coronavirus infections in March.
He said: “Long Covid is already having a very serious impact on many people’s lives and could well go on to affect hundreds of thousands.”
A recent study by King's College London found that people still suffered from muscle pain, loss of taste and smell and excessive tiredness for 12 weeks or more after catching the virus.
- Lottie Tiplady-Bishop
NO 10 STATEMENT ON PM
No10 said: “The Prime Minister has today been notified by NHS Test and Trace that he is required to self-isolate as a contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
“The Prime Minister will follow the rules and is self-isolating. He will carry on working from Downing Street, including on leading the Government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The PM is well and does not have any symptoms of COVID-19.”
- Lottie Tiplady-Bishop
BREAKING: PM SELF-ISOLTING
Boris Johnson is currently self-isolating after coming into contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus.
A spokesperson said the PM is feeling well and not showing any symptoms.
More to follow.
- Niamh Cavanagh
FIGHT THE FLAB
Britain's obesity crisis is the reason why the country has the highest coronavirus death rate in Europe, according to a medical expert.
Professor Dame Sally Davies, has blamed the fast food industry and the amount of grub on our plates for the country's soaring death toll.
The UK has one of the highest levels of obesity in the world and the second highest in Europe, with nearly one in three adults in the obese category.
Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) over 30, raises the risk of dying from Covid-19 by 48 per cent.
Last week the country is believed to be the first in Europe to hit the morbid milestone of more than 50,000 coronavirus deaths.
Chris Whitty's predecessor, Professor Sally Davies said: “There is a direct correlation between obesity and a high mortality for Covid, and I’m highlighting that, as a nation, one of the reasons we have a problem with our weight is because of our structural environment to which advertising, portion size, and many other things come into play.”
- Niamh Cavanagh
FACE COVERINGS COULD BE MANDATORY IN WELSH SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Face coverings could be made compulsory for pupils at secondary schools in Wales, education minister Kirsty Williams has said.
Ms Williams said the Welsh Government was looking at new scientific evidence about the spread of coronavirus among young people and was considering a range of measures to make schools more Covid secure.
Ms Williams told BBC's Politics Wales show the evidence suggested that if children did catch Covid-19 they were unlikely to suffer significant harm.
“We have seen a growth in the amount of cases in the secondary school population and it does seem that that those age group children do have a role in passing the virus around,” she said.
“What's really important is that it says that teachers are no more likely to have a positive coronavirus test than other frontline workers.
“We need to see what other measures we can put in place in our school system to make it even more Covid secure so we're looking at face coverings for instance as to whether there are more opportunities to use face coverings.”
- Niamh Cavanagh
CLASS ACTION
An NHS boss has called for school closures and tighter lockdown restrictions in England's Covid blackspot as cases continue to skyrocket.
Chris Long, the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive, has said that a stiffer lockdown is needed to tackle growing cases in the area.
Hull has become the country's worst affected area, with 743 cases of coronavirus per 100,000 people recorded last week.
Nearly 2,000 new cases of coronavirus were reported in just one week – causing Hull to overtake Oldham as England's Covid blackspot.
Mr Long told Sky News: “We are at the next point in our surge plan so we are redeploying staff from other departments. There are still people out there who think COVID is some sort of massive hoax or that it's just flu. It's definitely not a hoax and the number of deaths we are experiencing is evidence of that.
“We need to be looking quite seriously at much stiffer lockdown restrictions than we have got. We are seeing very high transmission rates around us and that's because, despite the lockdown, a lot of people are just going about their normal lives.”
- Niamh Cavanagh
FRENCH PROTEST VIRUS BAN ON RELIGIOUS SERVICES
With banners reading Let us Pray and We Want Mass, Catholic protesters held scattered demonstrations around France on Sunday to demand that authorities relax virus lockdown measures to allow religious services.
In the western city of Nantes, hundreds gathered in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary, some kneeling on the rain-soaked pavement, according to local broadcaster France Bleu.
Similar gatherings were reported or planned in the eastern city of Strasbourg, in Bordeaux in the southwest, and outside the Saint-Louis Cathedral in Versailles.
With more confirmed virus cases than any other European country, predominantly Catholic France banned Mass and other religious services for the month of November as part of nationwide partial lockdown measures aimed at reining in infections and relieving pressure on hospitals. Churches and other religious sites remain open for individual visitors to come and pray.
Frances interior minister is scheduled to meet with religious leaders Monday to discuss when and how services could again be permitted, notably amid pressure to allow Christmas ceremonies.
- Niamh Cavanagh
HIDDEN TOLL
A baby has been left with a lifelong heart condition after contracting an illness linked to coronavirus.
Little Leia Godwin, just 11-months-old, was first diagnosed with Paediatric Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome (PMIS)- similar to Kawasaki Disease – back in April.
The tot was hospitalised for four weeks at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, Wales with the terrifying symptoms, which included a bright red rash all over her little body, shortness of breath and swollen arteries.
Now six months on, Leia's mum – Hannah, 36, said: “You would not think there is anything wrong with her. She is doing really well.”
But little Leia, who has a twin, Thea, was left with multiple aneurysms in her heart.
More on the story here.
- Niamh Cavanagh
FESTIVE HOPE
Coronavirus cases are starting to flatten after the deadly bug's resurgence was fuelled by young Brits, the UK's top statistician said.
Sir Ian Diamond said the data is showing a “slowdown in the rate of growth” as he provided a glimmer of hope for people dreaming of being able to see their families at Christmas.
The UK's National Statistician told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday the change is “good news”.
He said there remains an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in some parts of England but that they have started to flatten off in some of the worst-hit areas.
Sir Ian also said the second wave currently washing over Britain was sparked by younger people such as teenagers and young adults.
- Niamh Cavanagh
EXPENSIVE MASK
A bus passenger had the most expensive ride of his life after being hit with a £1,700 fine for refusing to wear a mask.
Frederick Adomako-Frimpong, 49, was slapped with the penalty for not wearing a face covering for two days on a London bus.
Adomako-Frimpong from Stratford in east London, offered “no reasonable excuse” for not wearing a face mask at Stratford bus station on July 15.
He was then stopped again by Transport for London staff the following day for the same reason.
Adomako-Frimpong was among dozens of people fined at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Friday for failing to wear coverings earlier this year.
More on the story here.
- Niamh Cavanagh
INDIA TO FLY IN MEDIC STAFF, RAMP UP TESTING AMID RISING CASES IN DELHI
India will fly doctors in from other regions, double the quantity of tests carried out and ensure people wear masks in efforts to contain the coronavirus spread in the capital New Delhi, Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday.
“Amit Shah also directed that the hospital capacity and availability of other medical infrastructure should be ramped up considerably,” the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement on Sunday
While India's daily increase in cases has been under the 50,000 mark for eight straight days, around half its record peak, the city state of Delhi has recorded over 7,000 cases a day over the last five days – a record level.
“Delhi has witnessed a huge surge in daily active cases which is likely to worsen over next few weeks,” India's Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in a tweet on Sunday.
India will also employ retired doctors, conduct door-to-door surveys and employ increased tracking to fight the spread of the virus in Delhi, Vardhan said.
- Niamh Cavanagh
CORONAVIRUS TESTING SITE CLOSED FOLLOWING OUTBREAK AMONG STAFF
A coronavirus testing site in Norfolk has closed after several members of staff tested positive for Covid-19, its operator G4S has said.
People with tests booked at the Postwick Park and Ride site on the eastern edge of Norwich were turned away on Sunday following the outbreak.
Security firm G4S said the drive-through facility will now be deep cleaned and reopened “as soon as possible”.
As first reported by the Eastern Daily Press, there have been four confirmed coronavirus cases among staff on the site within the past 72 hours.
A G4S spokesman said in a statement: “On Sunday November 15, a testing site at Postwick, Norwich, was closed after several staff reported positive coronavirus tests.
“The site will be deep cleaned as per PHE (Public Health England) guidelines and reopened as soon as possible. Those with tests booked have been redirected to nearby test sites.”
- Niamh Cavanagh
132 MORE PEOPLE DIE FROM COVID-19 IN UK
A further 132 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 36,322, NHS England said on Sunday.
Patients were aged between 45 and 100. All except one, aged 69, had known underlying health conditions.
The deaths were between October 23 and November 14.
Three other deaths were reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.
- Patrick Knox
UK DEATH TOLL HITS 51,934
That total was reached after Covid-19 claimed the lives of 168 in the past 24 hours.
As the country battles the second wave of the bug, a further 24,962 have been infected bringing the total number of cases to 1,369,318.
Infections numbers on those dates were 23,254 on Nov. 1 and 20,572 on Nov. 8.
Figures are generally lower on Sundays because of the way the data is calculated.
- Patrick Knox
PIERS MORGAN SLAMS GARETH SOUTHGATE AS ‘DISGRACEFUL’
He has revealed he saw the England football team manatee three days before testing positive for coronavirus — and says it's “disgraceful” he wasn't told.
The TV presenter shared today's front page of The Sun on Sunday, which revealed the England manager, 50, secretly battled Covid.
- Patrick Knox
REAL MADRID TO ‘ASK SQUAD TO TAKE ANOTHER PAY CUT DUE TO CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC’
Football's finances have taken a major hit in the crisis with ticket and merchandise income slashed.
Los Blancos had already agreed a pay cut, ranging between 10 and 20 per cent of their annual wage, in the spring.
That allowed the LaLiga giants to avoid job losses and the club saw out a quiet summer transfer window.
According to ESPN, Madrid fear more pay cuts are necessary to avoid substantial losses in the new season.
Spain has suffered a second wave of the pandemic and there is no sign of fans returning to grounds en masse anytime soon.
- Patrick Knox
GERMANY WARNS MANY MONTHS MORE VIRUS CURBS
Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told the Bild an Sonntag newspaper: “We will have to live with considerable precautions and restrictions for at least the next four to five months.
Europe's largest economy went into partial lockdown in early November, closing bars, restaurants and other recreational facilities but keeping schools and shops open.
His comments came ahead of a government meeting tomorrow to decide whether to extend the new measures, which are provisionally in place until the end of November.
The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care has soared from just over 360 in early October to more than 3,300, as the country battles a second coronavirus wave along with the rest of Europe.
Demonstrations against the restrictions were held on yesterday across Germany, including one in Frankfurt where police used water cannons.
- Patrick Knox
COALITION CALLS FOR CUT IN WORKING WEEK IN RESPONSE TO PANDEMIC
A coalition from the UK, US, Germany, Spain, New Zealand and Ireland has written a letter to the leaders of every country setting out the case for a cut in the working week.
The letter, signed by former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, chairwoman of the Die Linke party in Germany Katja Kipping and Inigo Errejon — Mas Pais MP at the Spanish Parliament — says that “for the advancement of civilisation and the good society, now is the moment to seize the opportunity and move towards shorter working hours with no loss of pay”.
Joe Ryle, of the 4 Day Week UK Campaign, said: “Working hours have barely reduced at all over the last half a century and it's ridiculous how much everyone still works.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown the world of work up in the air offering a much-needed opportunity to rethink how we work.
“The four-day working week has hit the mainstream and it's now up to governments, business leaders and trade unions to work together to make it a reality.”
- Patrick Knox
WIDESPREAD CHRISTMAS TRAVEL TO IRELAND WOULD BE 'RECIPE FOR DISASTER'
Infection risks associated with the widespread movement of people back to Ireland for Christmas would be a recipe for disaster, a leading epidemiologist has warned.
Dr Gabriel Scally said he agreed with Tanaiste Leo Varadkar's assessment that it was too early for people to consider booking flights home for the festive period.
Dr Scally, who is president of epidemiology and public health at the Royal Society of Medicine, said some travellers who did return would not experience “much of a Christmas” due to the need to comply with self-isolation restrictions depending on where they had arrived from.
“I really don't think travel should be on the agenda this Christmas,” he told RTE Radio One's This Week programme.
“And I hope people stick to that because we know this virus travels very well and having people flowing in and out of countries and through airports and all the other travel that involves is a recipe for disaster.”
- Patrick Knox
DOCTOR HAILED AS HERO AS ROMANIA HOSPITAL FIRE KILLS 10
The medic was left badly burned in a Romanian hospital fire that left 10 dead as he had tried to help Covid-19 patients to safety.
After suffering second and third-degree burns to 40 percent of his body, the doctor, named in local media as Catalin Denciu, was transferred to Belgium's Queen Astrid military hospital on Sunday for specialised treatment.
Prime Minister Ludovic Orban told local media, in praise echoed by doctors' unions and local media, said: “I express my respect for the heroic doctor who showed particular courage and spirit of sacrifice in trying to save the patients.”
Ten people suffering from Covid-19 died in the fire late last night in an intensive care unit of a hospital in the northeastern town of Piatra Neamt.
The seven men and three women ranged in age from 67 to 86, the hospital said. Six others were seriously injured.
- Patrick Knox
MUTANT VIRUS FEARS: THOUSANDS MORE MINK ARE CULLED
Professor Wendy Barclay, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said there was a “worry” that mutations of Covid-19 mean vaccines “won't work quite so well as we'd hope them to”.
Mutations in coronavirus have triggered the cull of millions of farmed mink in Denmark over fears the genetic change might undermine the effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines.
Professor Wendy Barclay, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: “The worry would be if these mutations that are arising naturally in people, or in animals and then the virus coming back into people from animals.”
A problem would arise, she said, if the mutated virus affected the way that antibodies can see the virus.
She added: “Maybe the vaccines which we're generating now won't work quite so well as we'd hope them to on the virus, as the virus continues to evolve.”
- Patrick Knox
VACCINE INNOVATOR SUGGESTS RETURN TO NORMAL BY 'WINTER NEXT YEAR'
Professor Ugur Sahin, chief executive of BioNTech, said it was “absolutely essential” to have a high vaccination rate before autumn next year to ensure a return to normal life next winter.
He acknowledged that the next few months will be “hard” and that the promising preliminary results on the vaccine, created in partnership with Pfizer, will not have an impact on infection numbers in the current wave.
Prof Sahin told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: “If everything continues to go well, we will start to deliver the vaccine at the end of this year, beginning next year.
“What is absolutely essential is that we get a high vaccination rate before autumn/winter next year, so that means all the immunisation, vaccination approaches must be accomplished before next autumn.
“I'm confident that this will happen, because a number of vaccine companies have been asked to increase the supply, and so that we could have a normal winter next year.”
- Patrick Knox
PRISON LOCKED DOWN
The Prison Service said eleven staff at HMP Dartmoor in Devon have tested positive for Covid-19 but sources say about 20 have been told to self isolate.
A spokesperson said “Our priority is to limit the spread of the virus and to protect the lives of those who live and work in our prisons.
“We have taken precautionary measures at HMP Dartmoor following a number of positive cases, in line with public health guidance, and will continue to closely monitor the situation.”
- Patrick Knox
LABOUR PARTY: FACEBOOK MUST BE FINED FOR FAILING TO REMOVE DANGEROUS ANTI-VACCINE CONTENT
Lies peddled by online groups are a “real and present danger” to the jabs roll-out, say critics.
Labour is demanding emergency legislation enforcing financial and criminal penalties for tech giants.
They say them agreeing not to profit from anti-vax material is not enough.
Shadow Digital Secretary Jo Stevens said: “This a growing problem.”
Unchecked social media posts on TikTok using the hashtag vaccinesaredangerous has had 800,000 views.
A host of videos on YouTube show advertising which generate an income stream for the tech firm.
- Patrick Knox
CHINA FINDS CORONAVIRUS ON FROZEN MEAT, PACKAGING FROM LATIN AMERICA, NEW ZEALAND
The Chinese city of Jinan said over the weekend it had found coronavirus on beef and tripe and their packaging from Brazil, Bolivia and New Zealand, while two other provincial capitals detected it on packaging on pork from Argentina.
China is ramping up testing on frozen foods after repeatedly detecting the virus on imported products, triggering disrupting import bans, even as the World Health Organisation says the risk of catching Covid-19 from frozen food is low.
In Jinan, capital of eastern China's Shandong province, the goods involved were imported by a unit of Guotai International Group, and Shanghai Zhongli Development Trade, the city's municipal health commission said late yesterday.
They entered through ports in Shanghai, it said, without naming the companies that shipped the products to China.
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