Covid news: UK records highest daily death toll as Whitty to front new ‘stay at home’ TV campaign
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The UK has reported 1,325 more coronavirus deaths, its highest daily total since the pandemic began, as a new TV campaign fronted by Professor Chris Whitty urges people in England to stay home.
The new death figures surpassed the previous record of 1,224 set in April and fuelled fears the current lockdown is not working.
Meanwhile, new adverts in England emphasise the risk posed by the new strain of the disease and how stretched hospitals are becoming, while driving home the country’s “stay at home” message.
It comes as London mayor Sadiq Khan declared a “major incident” in the capital, as one in 20 people now have Covid-19 in some parts of the city.
The mayor told LBC one in 30 people in London on average have the virus, “but in some parts of London one out of 20 Londoners now has this virus”.
City Hall said Covid-19 cases in London have exceeded 1,000 per 100,000, while there are 35 per cent more people in hospital with the virus than at the peak of the pandemic in April.
It comes after the UK’s medicines watchdog approved the Moderna vaccine for use, making it the third one given the go ahead after the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca jabs.
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic. Stay tuned for rolling updates and statistics throughout the day.
Pfizer vaccine works against mutant variants, study finds
The Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech protects against two new mutant variants, including one causing rapid spread across the UK, according to new research.
The pharmaceutical giant and researchers from the University of Texas carried out lab tests on the variants, one of which was found in the UK while the other originated in South Africa.
Each contains mutations including N501Y, an alteration in spike protein of the virus, which is a target for vaccines.
In the new study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, blood samples were taken from 20 people who received the Pfizer vaccine.
Laboratory studies found the samples had neutralising levels of antibodies which worked against the new strains.
Mandatory negative test to enter England and Scotland
All travellers to England and Scotland from international destinations will have to test negative for coronavirus before they can enter the country.
Under plans set out by transport secretary Grant Shapps, from next week passengers arriving in England by boat, train or plane - including UK nationals - will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country of departure.
Similar measures have been announced by the Scottish government, while officials were said to be working closely with the devolved administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland on adopting them there.
Mr Shapps said the move was designed to prevent new variants of the disease which have emerged in countries such as South Africa and Denmark. Failure to comply will lead to an immediate £500 fine.
There will be a limited number of exemptions, including hauliers, children under 11, crews, arrivals from the Common Travel Area with Ireland and for those travelling from countries without the infrastructure available to deliver tests.
New mandatory Covid tests for travellers - explained
The Independent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder has put together this explainer about the new Covid testing requirements for travellers into England and Scotland:
Government announcement on testing for travellers into UK leaves unanswered questions
‘This should be a short-term, emergency measure only’ – Tim Alderslade, Airlines UK
UK Covid death toll above 1,000 for second day in a row
Yesterday saw more than 1,000 new UK Covid-19 deaths reported for the second day in a row while hospital admissions rose above the first wave peak.
The government said a further 1,162 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Thursday, the second consecutive day it had been above 1,000.
It was also the highest daily reported total since the peak of 1,224 reported on 21 April.
Welsh first minister ‘strongly supports’ mandatory tests for travellers to England and Scotland
Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford said he "strongly supports" plans to require all travellers to England and Scotland from international destinations to test negative for coronavirus before they can enter the country.
"We don't have anybody coming into Wales at the moment," he told BBC Breakfast.
"Our airport is closed to passenger traffic and the people who come in to the Welsh ports are all coming from the common travel area and these rules don't apply to people in those circumstances.
"So at the moment, this doesn't apply in Wales because nobody is coming into Wales in the way that people are still coming into England and Scotland, but I strongly support what is being done.
"When people start travelling into Wales from other parts of the world, we will expect exactly the same rules to apply."
Heathrow Airport boss suggests ‘common international standard for testing’
Differences between countries’ travel and testing rules are “very confusing” for travellers, Heathrow Airport's chief executive has said.
John Holland-Kaye argued the UK government could take the lead in the development of a “common international standard for testing”.
Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme if there was a country doing well at handling travel and testing rules, he said: “It's not clear that any one country has it right.”
Mr Holland-Kaye added: “Actually one of the concerns that passengers have is that it's very confusing as to what the rules are in different countries.”
Heathrow boss floats idea of ‘global standard’ for pre-flight testing
Expanding on his earlier comments, Heathrow Airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye said the government should move to a "global standard" for pre-departure testing.
He told Sky News: "Having people taking a test three days before they are due to fly, self-isolating in their home country, and then taking a second test at the airport to confirm that they don't have Covid before getting on the plane, and then being able to travel freely afterwards.
"Now is not the time to do that - we are facing a new threat with these new variants from South Africa and here in the UK, so we need a much tighter regime, but there has to be a plan put together now for what comes next."
Passenger numbers should start ‘building up’ as vaccines rolled out, says Heathrow boss
Heathrow Airport's chief executive John Holland-Kaye has said as coronavirus vaccines are rolled out in the UK and other countries, flights would return and passenger numbers would start "building up” through the summer and into the autumn.
But he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: “That's an awful long time for the aviation sector to survive and we need to see some support from the government for the airport sector. Already we're seeing some airports closing.”
He said Heathrow had been calling for business rates relief for airports as has been provided to the retail sector.
Workers exempt from travel quarantine must still take Covid test, says Shapps
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said people whose jobs mean they qualify for travel quarantine exemptions will be required to take a coronavirus test before travelling.
The government lists dozens of jobs that qualify for exemption from completing the passenger locator form or self-isolating, including some defence personnel, elite sportsmen and women, and health workers.
Mr Shapps told ITV's Good Morning Britain that, despite not needing the quarantine, they "won't be exempted from taking the Covid test".
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