UK

The prime minister and his wife Carrie attended a “bring your own booze” event in the Downing Street garden during the UK’s first national COVID lockdown. More than 100 employees in Number 10 were invited to the drinks on 20 May 2020. In what has been described as evidence of “more rule breaking at the heart

Michael Gove has refused to deny that free lateral flow tests could be phased out in the coming weeks, less than 24 hours after another minister told Sky News the government would “absolutely not” charge for the devices. The housing secretary told Kay Burley that lateral flow tests will be free for “as long as

A cabinet minister has said he is in favour of reducing the coronavirus isolation period from seven days to five – provided the move is backed by officials. Speaking to Trevor Phillips on Sunday, Nadhim Zahawi said the issue is something that the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is looking at. Live COVID updates from

The scale of loss to COVID-19 is so vast, barely a community in the country can have been spared. In north London, John and Ida Sullivan have been suffering the pain of that loss for nearly two years. Their daughter Susan was one of the first to die from the virus, which has now claimed

The UK has recorded more than 150,000 COVID-related deaths since the start of the pandemic after the latest daily figures showed 313 further fatalities. It brings the total number of deaths reported within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test to 150,057. A further 146,390 COVID cases have also been reported, according to the latest

COVID booster jabs provide 90% protection against hospitalisation in the over-65s for at least three months, UK scientists have said. It means there is “no immediate need” for a fourth jab to be administered to vulnerable people, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. Older adults who have not had a booster suffer a significant

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has been directly challenged by an unvaccinated hospital consultant over the government’s policy of compulsory COVID jabs for NHS staff. During a visit to King’s College Hospital in south London, Mr Javid asked staff members on the intensive care unit about their thoughts on new rules requiring vaccination for NHS workers.

Some 200 Armed Forces personnel are being deployed to support the NHS in London as hospitals grapple with staff shortages. Military medics will assist NHS doctors and nurses with patient care, while general duty personnel will help fill gaps caused by other absences. The Royal College of Nursing has said the deployment means the government

The epicentre of the current COVID outbreak has moved from London to the North West of England and more older people are being admitted to hospital, new data reveals. The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) latest surveillance report also shows that the uptake of booster jabs is slowing in every age group. Rates in the

Pre-departure coronavirus testing for people returning to England has been scrapped because it has “outlived its usefulness” amid the rapid spread of Omicron in the UK and around the world, the transport secretary has told Sky News. “Omicron is global, it is worldwide, everybody has it now, the proportion that comes in overseas is completely

“Around a million people” are currently isolating as a result of coronavirus, a minister has said, as Sky News understands an announcement on the relaxation of testing rules will be announced today. “We don’t actually collect that data on a daily basis, but it’s obvious if you look at how many people tested positive yesterday,

Travel firms are calling for the removal of COVID testing restrictions, saying it would have no real impact on the spread of the Omicron variant in the UK. The call from trade body Airlines UK and Manchester Airports Group (MAG) comes after recent figures showing one in 25 people in England had COVID-19 just before

Key workers across several industries that keep the country running will be required to take COVID tests daily, the prime minister has announced. Boris Johnson said 100,000 workers “from food processing to transport to Border Force” will have to test every day they are in work from 10 January. The government will send lateral flow

Multiple hospitals have declared critical incidents amid warnings the NHS is “in a state of crisis” in the face of staff shortages caused by coronavirus and rising pressures. In a letter to Health Secretary Sajid Javid, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the NHS can “ill afford” the current level of absences as it

Boris Johnson has warned it would be “absolute folly” to say the pandemic is over – but said Omicron “is plainly milder” than other variants. Despite a huge increase in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, the prime minister said the UK is in a better position than most other countries due to the “very, very

A confidential settlement between Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre, which could be key to a legal case involving Prince Andrew, is set to be made public today. The 2009 agreement between Epstein – the late disgraced financier – and Ms Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, is due to be released following an order by

A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms in the south of England has now expired. The Met Office had said that the stormy weather could cause road closures, power cuts and damage to trees and buildings. Sunday’s warning stretched from Exeter in the West across to Norwich in the East. Further yellow warnings are already in

The NHS faces intensifying strain over coming weeks as a “health emergency” created by pressures such as surging hospital admissions and staff absences build further, it has been warned. Matthew Taylor, head of the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations in the healthcare system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, acknowledged the current Omicron-driven wave of

Contingency plans are being drawn up over fears a quarter of public sector workers could be absent due to the Omicron wave of COVID infections. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told ministers to test preparations for a possible worst-case scenario as daily coronavirus numbers continue to hit record levels. All government departments are also renewing

A spectacular display in London has helped the UK usher in 2022, with people turning out to watch despite being encouraged to stay at home and enjoy the show on television. Details of the location of the spectacle, which involved a light show, drones and fireworks, were not revealed in advance amid the continuing spread