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Your support makes all the difference.Travellers returning to England from mainland Portugal must self-isolate for 14 days if they arrive after 4am on Saturday, Grant Shapps has said.
It came after the number of weekly coronavirus cases in England rose by 43 per cent, according to government data, in the highest weekly figure since the end of May.
In total 9,864 new infections were reported in the seven days up 2 September. Positive cases have been increasing since the start of July and are now 12 per cent higher than the number recorded when Test and Trace first launched.
UK should follow Italy’s lead pre-flight tests
Former transport minister Paul Maynard has suggested the UK should follow Italy's lead and make a negative coronavirus test compulsory before a passenger can board a plane.
Mr Maynard told MPs: "I agree with everything everyone has said so far, there's no point me repeating it, but on testing let me make a plea to try and learn from Italy.
"They have now obligatory pre-departure testing. There is no environment more conducive to transmitting the virus than on-board an aircraft.
"We have a chance to test people before they board. We should oblige all UK-registered airlines to do just that.
"Passengers check in half an hour early as they do in Italy at the moment, if they test positive, they're not allowed to board.
"That stops the importation of the virus into the UK. To me, it stands for reason."
At least six US teachers die as students return to school
Teachers had just returned last month to prepare for the autumn term at John Evans Middle School in Potosi, Missouri, when AshLee DeMarinis started to feel ill.
Ms DeMarinis had been worried about returning to work at the rural middle school, where she was starting her 11th year of teaching. She had asthma, which put her at a higher risk for complications from Covid-19 despite her young age.
"She was scared," her sister, Jennifer Heissenbuttel, told The Washington Post.
Read more here:
At least six US teachers die from coronavirus as students return to school
One teacher’s sister said her sibling, now dead due to the virus, was scared to return to work
Canary Islands aim for quick tourist testing to save winter season
The Canary Islands' hoteliers have revealed they are in talks with regional and national authorities to set up quick coronavirus testing for tourists to try and save at least some of the winter season after a poor summer season across Spain.
The Atlantic archipelago is a rare warm destination in winter in Europe, and that season accounts for half of its annual tourism revenues.
After a sharp drop in tourism amid worries over the Covid-19 pandemic, a UK quarantine and travel warnings from Germany, officials hope quick testing on arrival and departure could help.
Referring to the widely used PCR laboratory tests, a spokeswoman for the regional government tourist department told Reuters: "There are tests that are faster and much cheaper than PCRs. There are frequent meetings about it."
Hoteliers said they hoped results in less than 15 minutes could help lure tourists back. But with the idea for tests on arrival already floated a few months back, they feared their plan might take time to materialise.
Professor Neil Ferguson said people should “hesitate” at the “headlong rush to get everybody back into offices” as coronavirus cases rise sharply across the UK.
The former government adviser said he was still working from home, and cautioned: “Certainly I think we should hesitate and maybe pause at the headlong rush to get everybody back into offices.”
Liam James has more details:
Professor Neil Ferguson urges ‘pause’ on rush to return to office
Former scientific adviser calls for caution amid surge in cases
Scotland’s Covid regulations to be extended to March 2021
Coronavirus regulations are being extended in Scotland so they remain in place until the end of March 2021.
The current regulations, brought in at the start of the pandemic, are due to expire on 26 September.
But the Scottish Government's latest route map on easing lockdown confirms measures will be taken so these will remain in force until 31 March.
The move comes as the latest version of the document warns: "We expect that cases will continue to rise as we approach winter."
It notes there have been "significant increases" in coronavirus cases in Scotland and other countries since the last review of lockdown on 20 August.
The number of people who can meet up has been reduced to a maximum of six from no more than two households.
As students return to college and university, ministers will make it an offence to attend a party in student accommodation.
Opinion: Never fear, Boris is here
If you don’t understand the rules, fear not. Boris Johnson is coming with Moonshot to zap the virus into another galaxy, writes Mark Steel.
Some people complain they don’t understand what we’re now allowed to do, but the government’s rules are clear. No more than six people can gather anywhere, unless it’s at a gathering. Of these, four out of every three must be outside during daylight unless two are facing east and south at the same time, and one must hover over the others like a hummingbird.
Mark Steel: Fear not, Boris is coming with Moonshot to zap the virus into another galaxy
For those who are still confused, the prime minister will explain everything clearly in one of his addresses to the nation, with bits of Latin chucked in to make it even simpler
Opinion: Why I’d never place a bet on when gigs and music festivals will return
Heavy metal’s best weekend of the year, Download Festival, was an early casualty of the coronavirus crisis, with the Derbyshire-based festival postponing all activity until 2021. Glastonbury – due to celebrate its 50th anniversary – Reading and Leeds, Wireless, Latitude, my favourite festival, Bloodstock; all went the same way, writes James McMahon.
“How’s this summer been?” I asked Andy Copping, promoter of Download, last week. “Empty!” he laughed, smiling to mask the disappointment of a summer wasted. Few in the UK music industry haven’t spent this summer depressed, even in despair.
Andy, like all music promoters, and festival crew, and the musicians that play at them, and of course music fans, have had a wretched summer.
Why I’d never place a bet on when gigs and music festivals will return
We know our responsibilities as members of society, even if we are stressed and scared for the future
Woodward criticised for holding back Trump tapes
As Donald Trump comes under siege for telling journalist Bob Woodward in February that he was deliberately downplaying the coronavirus in public, Mr Woodward himself is facing criticism for not reporting the interview sooner, writes Andrew Naughtie.
The news of the interviews and ensuing backlash comes as the estimated US coronavirus death toll nears 200,000, with several states still struggling to bring outbreaks under control.
The audio of Mr Woodward’s 7 February discussion with the president, conducted for his upcoming book Rage, captures Mr Trump relating what he knew of the disease, saying that it is “more deadly than even your strenuous flu” and calling it “deadly stuff".
Woodward criticised for holding back Trump coronavirus interview tape while pandemic raged
Critics argue that releasing tapes during explosive spread could have saved thousands of lives
Portugal removed from quarantine exemption list
Travellers returning to England from Portugal will have to self-isolate for 14 days if they arrive after 4am on Saturday, Grant Shapps.
The transport secretary announced the decision on Twitter.
He added: "Through enhanced data we now have the capability to assess islands separate to their mainland countries. If you arrive in England from the Azores or Madeira, you will NOT need to self-isolate for 14 days."
Travellers from Hungary, French Polynesia and Reunion must also quarantine.
Meanwhile, Sweden has been added to the list of ‘travel corridor’ countries.
More information here:
Quarantine: Portugal mainland now no-go, but islands escape
Arrivals from Hungary, French Polynesia and the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion must also self-isolate for two weeks
Oxford vaccine trial to resume within days
The coronavirus vaccine trials conducted by Oxford University are reportedly set to continue, days after they were paused for an urgent investigation into potentially risky side effects, writes Kate Ng.
AstraZeneca, the company developing the vaccine with researchers from Oxford University, said on Tuesday it had caused late-stage trials to allow an independent committee to review safety data.
The pause was announced after a volunteer reportedly began suffering from neurological symptoms associated with a rare spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis.
Oxford coronavirus vaccine trial ‘to resume in days’ after side-effect checks
Vaccine trial volunteer with symptoms of transverse myelitis ‘improving’, says AstraZeneca CEO
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