More than 618,000 people had coronavirus in community settings in England last week, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said. The estimated total, which covers 25 to 31 October, equates to around one in 90 people in the population. New infections in England stabilised at around 50,000 a day, suggesting a levelling off in
UK
People should be paid to have a COVID-19 jab so the country reaches herd immunity as quickly as possible, a leading ethicist has suggested. Professor Julian Savulescu from the University of Oxford said incentives would help to overcome rising vaccine hesitancy due to perceived safety concerns. People could either be given a financial inducement to
Four weeks of lockdown in England is “enough” to make a “real impact” on coronavirus infection rates, Boris Johnson has said. The prime minister spoke at a Downing Street news conference alongside NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens, which was held on the first day of England’s second national lockdown. Pubs, bars, restaurants and non-essential
Along with the rest of England, people in the West Yorkshire city of Wakefield are beginning a new lockdown. Until 2 December, at least, the majority of households cannot mix indoors or outdoors, non-essential shops will close along with hospitality venues, beauty services and leisure facilities. In Wakefield, the prospect of another month under lockdown
England will enter a fresh month-long lockdown from tomorrow after MPs approved the new shutdown. In a House of Commons vote on Wednesday, MPs supported the new coronavirus measures by 516 to 38, a majority of 478. It means that, from one minute past midnight, pubs, bars, restaurants and non-essential shops will close across England
People who ignore coronavirus restrictions should be prepared to “face the consequences of greater levels of enforcement”, police have warned. The chief constables of five forces in the north-west of England have said in an open letter that they will “collectively target” the minority of people who break the rules by holding large gatherings, music
The UK’s terror threat level has been raised from “substantial” to “severe”, meaning an attack is now judged to be “highly likely”. The move follows Monday night’s attack in Austrian capital Vienna, in which four people were killed. Last week, three people died after a knife attack in Nice, France, while teacher Samuel Paty was
The entire population of the COVID-19 hotspot city of Liverpool will be regularly offered a coronavirus test in a pilot scheme using the armed forces. The city, which has been under Tier 3 restrictions for nearly three weeks and has one of the highest coronavirus rates in England at 366.4 cases per 100,000, volunteered for
Self-employed workers will be able to claim government support worth 80% of trading profits as England prepares to enter a new lockdown, Boris Johnson has announced. Ahead of the new national measures coming into force on Thursday, the prime minister used a House of Commons statement to warn of an “existential threat” to the NHS
Sir Bobby Charlton, one of England’s greatest footballers, has been diagnosed with dementia. The news was confirmed by the Football Association. Earlier in the day, his wife Lady Norma Charlton told The Telegraph of her husband’s diagnosis, in a bid to raise awareness of the disease. The 83-year-old star is best known for being part
Police in South Gloucestershire have closed down an illegal rave at a warehouse near Bristol – attended by up to 700 people – describing it as an “incredibly challenging operation”. The Avon and Somerset force said they was called to reports of an unlicensed music event in Millbrook Road, Yate, at around 10.35pm on Saturday,
England will enter a month-long lockdown from Thursday, Boris Johnson has announced. Until 2 December, people in England will only be allowed to leave their homes for specific reasons, such as education, work or food shopping. Mr Johnson, speaking at a Downing Street news conference on Saturday evening, said there was “no alternative” to a
Boris Johnson is set to announce a month-long lockdown of England, Sky News understands. The measures, which will run through November until 2 December, will see the closure of pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops. The prime minister is expected to move the whole of England into a new “Tier 4” of COVID-19 measures when he
Cosmetic practitioners are warning about the dangers of seeking “back alley” treatments during lockdown. Professional clinics offering procedures such as lip fillers and botox are closed again, prompting concerns that some may turn to unregulated and often untrained practitioners. Some doctors say the last lockdown resulted in large increases in people needing corrective treatments after
The prime minister is considering new national lockdown restrictions, which could be imposed in England as early as next week. Whitehall sources confirmed Boris Johnson met his most senior cabinet colleagues on Friday to discuss the possible toughening of restrictions in light of worsening coronavirus infection rates and hospital admission data. Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Health
A further 24,405 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the UK and another 274 have died, according to the latest government data. It comes after 23,065 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and another 280 deaths were recorded. It brings the total number of deaths recorded within 28 days of a positive test