Covid news - live: Biden and Boris Johnson discuss ‘green and sustainable’ coronavirus recovery in first call
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson and Joe Biden discussed the future of their response to the Covid-19 pandemic as the world leaders grapple with high levels of infection of death in their first call since the Democrat was named US president.
Sharing news of the call on Twitter Boris Johnson said they had discussed the forging of a green and sustainable recovery from Covid-19 - the death toll for which now stands at 97,329 according to the department of health.
It comes as a leading scientist defends the government’s decision to describe the new coronavirus variant as more deadly after others claimed the evidence is still unclear
Professor Peter Horby, who chairs the government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), defended Boris Johnson’s decision to reveal the information on Friday, but cautioned that the news needed to be “put in perspective” and that the risk of the strain being more deadly was still “very, very small” to most people.
But others cast doubt on the PM’s claim, saying it is still an “open question”. Some said they were “quite surprised” that the government chose to make the announcement, as the evidence was “based on a relatively small amount of data”.
Public Health England medical director Dr Yvonne Doyle said it is still not “absolutely clear” that the new variant is more deadly, adding that there are “several investigations going on at the moment” and more work needed to be done to determine if that was actually the case.
And as the number of people to have received at least one dose of a vaccine reached more than 5.8 million, the nation’s deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam urged those with the partial immunity to continue to socially distance.
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, he said: “Regardless of whether someone has had their vaccination or not, it is vital that everyone follows the national restrictions and public health advice, as protection takes up to three weeks to kick in and we don’t yet know the impact of vaccines on transmission.”
PM discusses Covid response with Biden
Boris Johnson has spoken with Joe Biden in their first call since the Democrat became US president.
Both have talked about the importance of building their way out of the impact of the virus with a focus on green initiatives and renewable energy - with Mr Biden and Mr Johnson both using the phrase “build back better” over the course of the pandemic.
More details below:
Joe Biden and Boris Johnson discuss Covid-19 recovery in phone call
PM raises prospect of free trade deal between UK and US during first discussion
Covid would have been dealt with better if key decisions weren’t all made by men, says Labour frontbencher
The government would have handled the coronavirus crisis better if major decision-making had not been left mostly to men, according to the shadow women and equalities minister.
More below:
Covid would’ve been handled better if women were more involved, warns equalities minister
Exclusive: Marsha de Cordova says ministers have refused to acknowledge Covid emergency’s profoundly unequal impact on women and ethnic minorities
Debate grows as vaccine ID cards appear ever likelier
Covid-19 vaccine ID cards and passports have been debated and discussed since before a workable vaccine was even ready - but are they a vital step to escape lockdown, or an infringement on individual liberty?
More below:
Debate grows over vaccine ID cards as Covid jab rolled out
Access to restaurants, public transport and council services among things that could be restricted without proof of jab…
Jab recipients must continue to distance - Jonathan Van-Tam
The millions of people who have received the coronavirus jab must keep following social-distancing rules if they are not to risk prolonging lockdown restrictions, the deputy chief medical officer for England has warned.
Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said that if those who have been vaccinated begin easing off because they are protected, they are potentially putting at risk those further down the priority list who still need inoculation.
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Prof Van-Tam said it was still not known if people who had been vaccinated could still pass on the virus to others, even though they were protected from falling ill themselves.
"So even after you have had both doses of the vaccine you may still give Covid to someone else and the chains of transmission will then continue," he wrote.
"If you change your behaviour you could still be spreading the virus, keeping the number of cases high and putting others at risk who also need their vaccine but are further down the queue.
"Regardless of whether someone has had their vaccination or not, it is vital that everyone follows the national restrictions and public health advice, as protection takes up to three weeks to kick in and we don't yet know the impact of vaccines on transmission.
"The vaccine has brought considerable hope and we are in the final furlong of the pandemic but for now, vaccinated or not, we still have to follow the guidance for a bit longer."
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