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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.
Birmingham figures update
Nearly 1,000 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in Birmingham in the seven days to September 7, according to new data from Public Health England.
A total of 975 cases were recorded - the equivalent of 85.4 cases per 100,000 people, up from 32.0 per 100,000 in the previous week (the seven days to August 31).
Birmingham now has the second highest seven-day rate in England.
Police were forced to break up a string of parties in Belfast last night.
Officers issued 10 community resolution notices and eight fixed penalty notices, which carry a £60 fine, after responding to a number of parties at residential addresses in the Holyland area of south Belfast in the early hours of Thursday.
Chief Inspector Gavin Kirkpatrick said: "Some young people who have moved to the area to pursue their studies, and others visiting the area, are not listening to our repeated warnings.
"Alongside the universities and colleges, we have issued multiple appeals for young people to follow the latest health and safety advice and highlighted the importance of being good neighbours.
"Last night, we gave advice and guidance at a number of residential properties. However, 18 of those people we spoke with failed to understand the seriousness of the situation."
New restrictions in NI
Arlene Foster has announced new coronavirus restrictions for Ballymena, Co Antrim, the area covered by Belfast City Council, and a postal area including Lisburn.
The Stormont first minister said: "There are areas where the spread is of particular concern, where cases are double or treble the average rate for the province."
There will be "no mixing of households in private dwellings", she added.
Those with child care and other caring responsibilities will be exempt.
No more than six people from two households can meet in gardens.
Opinion: Matt Hancock’s strategy is clear – reach for the moon and blame everyone else when it fails
When most people look at Matt Hancock they see a man serving in a government that is anathema to everything he believes in because his career is more important to him than his values, writes Tom Peck.
I suspect what Matt Hancock sees, on the other hand, is a kind of Brexit Donnie Brasco. A good guy, doing right, keeping the bad guys in check.
Trouble is, the unforeseen coronavirus plotline has both increased his cover and deepened his infiltration, to the point where, one suspects, even close family members don’t know who’s side he’s really on anymore.
Tom Peck: Matt Hancock’s strategy is clear - blame everyone else when it goes wrong
The health secretary sees himself as a kind of Brexit Donnie Brasco. But the coronavirus has both increased his cover and deepened his infiltration to the point where few know who’s side he’s really on anymore
Operation Moonshot ‘not feasible’ and ‘massive gamble,’ health experts warn
Boris Johnson's 'Operation Moonshot' mass testing programme is “not feasible” and poses a “massive gamble”, health experts have warned, writes Sam Lovett.
Figures from Public Health England (PHE), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and those close to the project, which is expected to cost close to £100bn, have told The Independent that the programme is “flawed” and could be too ambitious in scope.
Operation Moonshot ‘not feasible’ and ‘massive gamble,’ health experts warn
Government hoping to roll out rapid-fire Covid-19 tests that could provide a result in just 20 minutes
Travel industry reacts to Portugal quarantine move
Abta, the association of travel agents and tour operators, has said that government quarantine restrictions hamper business. It follows Grant Shapps’ announcement that Portugal, Hungary and other regions have been removed from the UK’s list of ‘travel corridor’ destinations.
An Abta spoksperson said: "Every country, mainland or island that is taken off the government's travel lists lessens the ability of travel businesses to operate and increases the necessity for the government to provide tailored industry support.
"There are travel agents and tour operators based in every region of the UK that are viable businesses, which are unable to trade because of the measures to control the pandemic, and tens of thousands of livelihoods are at risk until we are able to move beyond widespread travel restrictions.
"As part of the Save Future Travel Coalition, Abta has today written to the chancellor, alongside other travel associations, setting out its suggested plan to help, which includes changes to quarantine policy, the introduction of testing and the granting of an APD holiday. It explains that with the right policy and regulatory support the government can save jobs and ensure the viability of the UK's travel industry."
Creative spaces, blended learning and limited ‘bedroom’ contact: How return to university will look
niversity students can expect to be banned from holding large parties in their halls of residence and attend lectures only for priority courses if coronavirus surges on campus, according to new government guidance, writes Jon Sharman.
Meanwhile, a health minister has warned young people to be responsible about their activities in the bedroom, as well as in pubs and elsewhere, to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The guidance, updated in the early hours of Thursday, governs the return of thousands of students to campuses across England.
Return to university will include limited ‘bedroom’ contact and ‘virus-secure spaces’
Students must abide by Boris Johnson’s ‘rule of six’, new guidance confirms. It follows warnings campus outbreaks are highly likely, writes Jon Sharman
New coronavirus cases have increased by nearly 3,000 for another day running, government figures show.
Officials said that as of 9am on Thursday, there had been a further 2,919 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus. Overall, 358,138 cases have been confirmed.
The government also said 41,608 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Thursday, an increase of 14 on the day before.
Separate figures published by the UK's statistics agencies show there have now been 57,400 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
Huge coronavirus insurance payout coming
Lloyd's of London expects to pay out £5bn in claims relating to the coronavirus pandemic, making it the costliest event in the insurance market's 334-year history, writes Ben Chapman.
Lloyd's said on Thursday that the market lost £400m in the first half of the year, compared to a profit of £2.3bn in the same period last year.
The 90 members who make up the Lloyd's market have faced additional claims for event cancellation, travel and business interruption policies.
Lloyd’s of London to pay out £5bn on coronavirus insurance claims
Insurance market faces costliest event ever - more than September 11 terror attacks and the disatrous hurricane season of 2017
Pelosi attacks Trump for downplaying coronavirus danger
Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped into Donald Trump after revelations this week from famed journalist Bob Woodward’s forthcoming book that the president downplayed the threat of coronavirus publicly while privately expressing his concerns about its deadliness, writes Griffin Connolly.
“In those comments, he showed his contempt — contempt for the American people and their health, contempt for science, contempt for any real effort to crush the virus,” Ms Pelosi told reporters on Thursday.
‘Contempt for the American people and science’: Pelosi rips Trump for Woodward revelations he downplayed coronavirus
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