BORIS Johnson has begged Brits not to go crazy next week as Covid restrictions are eased - and stressed July 19 should not be “treated as a great jubilee”.
The PM urged the public to exercise “extreme caution” as the country unlocks fully, warning that hospitalisations could rise this summer.
Mr Johnson told a Downing Street press conference that the pandemic is “not over” as he said mask use will be advised in crowded and enclosed spaces even after legal controls end.
He said that "the unlocking should not be taken as an invitation by everybody to have a great jubilee".
The PM said: “It is absolutely vital that we proceed now with caution and I cannot say this powerfully or emphatically enough: this pandemic is not over.
“This disease, coronavirus, continues to carry risks for you and your family.
“We cannot simply revert instantly from Monday July 19 to life as it was before Covid.
"We will stick to our plan to lift legal restrictions and to lift social distancing, but we expect and recommend that people wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with those you don't normally meet, such as on public transport.”
Read our coronavirus live blog below for the latest updates...
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk 8 minutes ago
COVID FEAR CONTINUED
Professor Dingwall told Sky News "I think the situation that we're dealing with now is really more of a psychological one than an epidemiological one.
"Over the last couple of weeks the data haven't really changed, the science hasn't really changed, but I think we have seen the consequences of the levels of fear and anxiety that have been generated in the population over the last 12 to 15 months.
"And it's going to take some time for those to subside as people get used to Covid as an endemic infection that sits in the background, that doesn't really represent the sort of catastrophic threat that it might have presented when it first appeared last spring," he said.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk 18 minutes ago
IT WILL TAKE TIME FOR PEOPLE TO GET OVER THE FEAR OF COVID-19, SAYS EXPERT
It will take people "some time" to get over the fear and anxiety that has arisen as a result of the pandemic, a sociology expert has said.
Robert Dingwall, professor of sociology at Nottingham Trent University, said the concerns which have arisen over the last 15 months would take time to subside as people get used to living with Covid-19 as an infection which circulates in society.
And he said that the focus on masks and face coverings "signal of the levels of fear".
Prof Dingwall said that it was time for the Government to "make a much more conscious shift towards positive messaging" around coronavirus.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk 28 minutes ago
HERD IMMUNITY CAN STOP FUTURE ‘BIG WAVES’ IN THEIR TRACKS SAYS PATRICK VALLANCE
On herd immunity, Sir Patrick Vallance says “we are getting to really quite decent level of antibody”, which will make it harder for the virus to spread.
“Whether you reach the stage where you get to true herd immunity is a different issue,” he says.
“It is really important we get to everybody,” he adds, particularly young people.
“The possibility of future big waves would go at that point.”
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk 38 minutes ago
VALLANCE: VACCINES REDUCING COVID TRANSMISSION BY 75%
The Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance has said vaccinations are reducing the overall chances of someone transmitting the virus by about 75%.
Sir Patrick told a Downing Street news conference that people who had been vaccinated were both less likely to catch the virus and less likely to pass it on.
He said there was “no doubt” the country was in a third wave of the virus that would lead to an increase in the number of hospital admissions.
“If behaviour returns immediately to pre-pandemic levels that will be a very, very big rise. If we go slowly and cautiously, it will be less of a rise,” he said.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk 48 minutes ago
FORMER HEAD OF AMAZON UK DOUGLAS GURR APPLIES TO HEAD UP NHS AS SERVICES FACE 5 MILLION PATIENT BACKLOG
The British businessman, who has net worth of more than ￡1million, would replace Lord Stevens of Birmingham who leaves the role next month.
According to the The Times, Gurr was interviewed by Treasury officials last week, which involved a number of evaluations and ten rounds of interviews.
The 57-year-old, who divides his time between London and Yorkshire, served as global vice-president of the online shopping giant between 2016 and 2020.
Since leaving Amazon, he has been the director of the Natural History Museum and chairman of the British Heart Foundation.
He is also believed to have close ties with the UK government – something he utilised when he was allegedly given free access to NHS data as Amazon boss in 2019.
The Times sources listed him as one of many applicants vying to become the head of Europe’s largest employer which oversees a huge ￡150 billion budget.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk 58 minutes ago
RUSSIA REPORTS 25,140 NEW COVID-19 CASES, 710 DEATHS
Russia reported 25,140 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, including 5,403 in Moscow, taking the official national tally since the pandemic began to 5,808,473.
The government coronavirus task force said 710 people had died of coronavirus-linked causes in the past 24 hours, pushing the national death toll to 143,712.
The federal statistics agency has kept a separate count and has said Russia recorded around 290,000 deaths related to COVID-19 from April 2020 to May 2021.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 10:40
MORE THAN 250 DELTA VARIANT DEATHS
As of June 21, there had been 257 deaths in England of people who were confirmed as having the Delta variant and who died within 28 days of a positive test, Public Health England said.
Of this number, 26 were under the age of 50 and 231 were aged 50 or over.
Of the 231 aged 50 or over, 71 were unvaccinated, one was within 21 days of a first dose of vaccine, 41 at least 21 days after one dose of vaccine and 116 had received both doses.
Of the 26 under 50, three were at least 21 days after a first dose of vaccine, two had received both doses and 21 were unvaccinated.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 10:30
PRINCE WILLIAM ‘SICKENED’ BY ‘TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE’ RACIST ABUSE OF ENGLAND’S SAKA, RASHFORD & SANCHO AFTER EUROS FINAL
Prince William has slammed vile racists who posted messages of abuse to three young black Lions after last night’s heartbreaking defeat.
The royal – who was at yesterday’s game with wife Kate and son George – said he’s “sickened” at the disgusting trolls who targeted Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho.
And Gareth Southgate has told journalists the attacks are “unforgiveable” – and it’s “just not what we stand for”.
The Duke of Cambridge, who serves as president of The FA, tweeted: “I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match.
“It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour. It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable. W.”
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 10:20
MAPPED: COVID HOTSPOTS
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 10:10
MAJOR HOLIDAY BOOST AS MORE COUNTRIES TO BE ADDED TO THE GREEN LIST THIS WEEK
England fans can drown their penalty drubbing with pasta and pizza on sun-kissed Italian beaches – with Italy set to be added to the Green list just days after the Wembley defeat.
Insiders say the data for many top Euro destinations are looking “positive” with the quarantine-free list set to expand next week.
But the Whitehall insiders say that more holiday destinations will go green.
One said: “The landscape is looking more positive for a number of destinations, so we should see some more additions to the list.”
Read the full story here
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 10:00
MINISTERS TOLD TO ‘BRACE FOR 2MILLION COVID CASES IN THE WEEKS AFTER FREEDOM DAY’
Ministers have reportedly been told to brace for two millions Covid cases in the weeks after Freedom Day.
Restrictions are set to lift entirely from next Monday – with thousands more infections expected as Delta still runs rampant.
It is thought ministers are prepping for at least one to two million new cases, sparked by the unlocking, the Guardian reports.
Public alarm has been growing in the face of rising case numbers fuelled by the super-infectious Delta variant.
Labour has called the “big bang” reopening “reckless” and urged the PM to instead take baby steps back to normality.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 09:50
SIMPLE BLOOD TEST COULD DIAGNOSE LONG COVID WITHIN MONTHS, FIRST STUDY FINDS
A simple blood test could confirm if you’re suffering with long Covid within months, a study has found.
Scientists noticed a pattern of irregularities in people with the debilitating condition.
Imperial College London researchers discovered rogue antibodies in the blood of afflicted people.
Danny Altmann, a professor of immunology at Imperial, said: “It’s hard to escape a prediction that 100,000 new infections a day equates to 10,000 to 20,000 long Covid cases a day, especially in young people.
“That’s a lot of damage to a lot of lives. And it’s hard to see that we’d have the healthcare provision to deal with it on that scale.
“All of us working on this could not be more alarmed.”
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 09:40
FLU JABS ‘PROTECTS AGAINST SOME SEVERE COVID EFFECTS’, SCIENTISTS DISCOVER
Flu jabs protect against some of the serious effects of Covid, scientists have discovered.
It serves as another reason to get the vaccine in the autumn, when it’s feared flu and Covid could cause a double whammy of disease.
Researchers looked at the health records of almost 37,400 people who had gotten Covid from the UK, US, Germany, Italy, Israel and Singapore.
Half of them, in the first group, had gotten the flu jab between two weeks and six months before a Covid diagnosis, while those in the second group had not been vaccinated against the flu.
Those who had not gotten a flu jab were up to 20 per cent more likely to have been admitted to ICU with Covid.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 09:30
POSSIBLE THAT DAILY COVID CASE NUMBERS COULD HIT 100,000
Health minister Edward Argar said it is “possible” that daily coronavirus case numbers could hit the 100,000 mark but stressed that vaccines are helping to protect people from serious illness and hospital admission.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “You’ve seen the Secretary of State and others talk about between a range of 50,000 to 100,000 is possible.”
Mr Argar added: “If you look at hospital admissions, and forgive me if my figures are a little bit out, but the seven-day rolling average of hospital admissions for now, when we’re seeing this level of infection rate, is roughly between 350 and 400 a day.
“Back in January, with an equivalent infection rate, we were seeing 1,800 to 2,000.
“So you can see how that vaccine programme may not have broken it by 100% because the vaccine isn’t 100% effective, but it has really severely weakened that link and therefore the numbers we are going to see in hospital are going to be much smaller.”
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 09:20
ANTI-VAX BEAUTY THERAPIST REFUSES TO TREAT JABBED CUSTOMERS
Anti-vaxxer Sarah McCutheon announced that her business, Wellness and Wellbeing With Sarah, will not “conduct treatments on any vaccinated person.”
McCutcheon posted the message on her Facebook page for the business, based in Glasgow, Scotland, claiming that her “long term clients follow a very natural path.”
But a national beauty trade body has said that her policy goes against UK government guidance, which has been put in place to keep customers safe.
According to the Daily Record the health and beauty therapist shared the message from an Australian hair salon which read: “We are not your hairdresser if you have had the Covid vax.”
She added: “We agree and will not conduct massages or treatments on any vaccinated people.”
When one follower asked why she had decided to take the stance, the business responded: “Many of my loyal long term clients follow a very natural path and I want to ensure they feel safe in the environment that they come to relax in”.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 09:10
MASK FORCE
Brits will be “expected” to wear masks in indoors and enclosed spaces, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi revealed yesterday.
Face coverings will no longer be mandatory from July 19 once all Covid curbs are lifted.
Boris Johnson is expected to confirm tomorrow that all remaining restrictions will be lifted on Freedom Day.
Last week, the PM said masks would become a “personal choice” as he tore up laws making them a legal requirement on buses, trains, and in shops and other indoor venues.
But new guidance to be published on Monday will advise people to wear masks in crowded, indoor settings, Mr Zahawi told Sky News this morning.
Mr Zahawi said: “I think it is important that we remain cautious and careful and the guidelines that we will set out tomorrow will demonstrate that.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 09:00
MORE THAN 250 DELTA VARIANT DEATHS
As of June 21, there had been 257 deaths in England of people who were confirmed as having the Delta variant and who died within 28 days of a positive test, Public Health England said.
Of this number, 26 were under the age of 50 and 231 were aged 50 or over.
Of the 231 aged 50 or over, 71 were unvaccinated, one was within 21 days of a first dose of vaccine, 41 at least 21 days after one dose of vaccine and 116 had received both doses.
Of the 26 under 50, three were at least 21 days after a first dose of vaccine, two had received both doses and 21 were unvaccinated.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 08:52
WHAT HAPPENS IF I TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19?
If you get a positive lateral flow test you should:
Follow up with a PCR test to confirm the test result. Self-isolate immediately, along with anyone you live with Report your rapid lateral flow test result on GOV.UK
If your PCR test comes back as positive, you and your household must self-isolate. The self-isolation period includes the day your symptoms started (or the day you had the test, if you do not have symptoms) and the next 10 full days.
If you were already self-isolating and had a test because you’ve been in close contact with someone who tested positive, your self-isolation period restarts if you test positive.
You may be contacted by NHS Test and Trace or someone who works for your local council who will ask for information about where you’ve been recently and who you’ve been in close contact with. You should also inform those in your support bubble and your workplace or school/ college.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 08:40
DISCO PASS
Covid vaccine passports could be made compulsory for pubs and nightclubs after lockdown ends on July 19.
Boris Johnson tonight confirmed that “freedom day” will go ahead yesterday - but some measures could be introduced to stop the spread of the bug.
Under current rules, vaccine passports are only encouraged and not legally enforced.
But new guidance released by the government states: “If sufficient measures are not taken to limit infection, the Government will consider mandating the NHS Covid Pass in certain venues at a later date.”
It means Brits could need to prove they are double-vaccinated, provide a negative Covid test in the past 48 hours or a positive PCR result within the previous six months.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 08:30
JAB WARNING
The CDC is confirming a “rare” link between the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and 100 cases of auto-immune disease Guillain-Barré syndrome.
The shot has recently been linked to the serious, but very rare, side effect - which is a condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves.
Around 100 preliminary reports of the condition have been detected, after the administration of 12.8 million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement Monday.
According to Washington Post reports, the cases have largely been reported about two weeks after vaccination, and mostly in men, many aged 50 and older.
The warning on the single-dose vaccine comes as the latest blow to the vaccine, which has been widely anticipated for its ease of use but has been plagued by problems.
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 08:20
WATCH: EMMANUEL MACRON MAKES JABS COMPULSORY FOR FRENCH HEALTH WORKERS
Macron makes Covid jabs compulsory for health workers and vaccine passport needed to eat at cafe or get on a bus
caroline.mortimer@thesun.co.uk Today, 08:12
BURNED TO DEATH
At least fifty people have died in southern Iraq after a fire swept through a coronavirus isolation ward last night.
Dozens of people suffered severe burns as the blaze engulfed the ward at the Al-Hussein hospital in the city of Nasiryah.
Officials said the flame was sparked by an electric short circuit, but did not provide more detail.
Another health official said the fire erupted when an oxygen cylinder exploded.
Iraq’s health ministry has not provided an official account of the cause of the fire.
Ammar al-Zamili, spokesman for the local health department, told Iraqi media there were at least 63 patients inside the ward when the fire began.
Harvey Lindsay Today, 08:00
DELTA VARIANT’S TERRIFYING SPREAD ACROSS UK LAID BARE IN SHOCKING MAPS – JUST WEEKS APART
THESE shocking maps show how the Delta variant has become dominant in all corners of the country in a matter of weeks.
The strain is behind several hundreds of thousands of infections each day, as it now makes up around 99 per cent of all cases.
Data from the Wellcome Sanger Institute reveals that in almost every local authority of England, the Delta variant is the most prominent strain.
It is now seeding itself in parts of the North East that until now, had been barely touched.
Maps show that around a month ago - on June 12 - several authorities were yet to be overtaken by Delta. The most recent stats, to July 3, paint a very different picture.
Harvey Lindsay Today, 07:30
MP SORRY FOR SAYING RASHFORD SHOULD HAVE SPENT LESS TIME 'PLAYING POLITICS'
A Tory MP has apologised after suggesting that Marcus Rashford should have spent more time "perfecting his game" than "playing politics".
Natalie Elphicke made the comment in a message to fellow MPs after the footballer missed a penalty in the Euro 2020 final on Sunday night.
His failure to convert from the spot - along with misses from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka - consigned England to another agonising penalty shoot-out defeat in a major tournament as Italy secured victory at Wembley.
Rashford waged a high-profile campaign to persuade the Government to provide free meals to vulnerable youngsters throughout the school holidays during the coronavirus pandemic, forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson into a U-turn.
In a late-night private message, Ms Elphicke said: "They lost - would it be ungenerous to suggest Rashford should have spent more time perfecting his game and less time playing politics."
Harvey Lindsay Today, 07:00
FLU JABS ‘PROTECTS AGAINST SOME SEVERE COVID EFFECTS’, SCIENTISTS DISCOVER
FLU jabs protect against some of the serious effects of Covid, scientists have discovered.
It serves as another reason to get the vaccine in the autumn, when it’s feared flu and Covid could cause a double whammy of disease.
Researchers looked at the health records of almost 37,400 people who had gotten Covid from the UK, US, Germany, Italy, Israel and Singapore.
Half of them, in the first group, had gotten the flu jab between two weeks and six months before a Covid diagnosis, while those in the second group had not been vaccinated against the flu.
Those who had not gotten a flu jab were up to 20 per cent more likely to have been admitted to ICU with Covid.
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