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UK coronavirus live: Rhondda Valley outbreak linked to Doncaster races; patients urged not to go to A&E for tests | UK coronavirus live: Rhondda Valley outbreak linked to Doncaster races; patients urged not to go to A&E for tests |
(32 minutes later) | |
Fresh restrictions in south Wales after cluster of new cases; Bolton hospital boss says 100 people turned up to ask for Covid tests | Fresh restrictions in south Wales after cluster of new cases; Bolton hospital boss says 100 people turned up to ask for Covid tests |
Scotland has recorded 267 new coronavirus cases, amounting to 3.6% of people testing positive. And it has recorded one new death. | |
There have been no further deaths in Wales, but Public Health Wales has recorded 199 new cases. | |
And in Northern Ireland 129 new cases have been recorded, and two new deaths. | |
A new UK body to advocate for freedom of religion and belief has been launched with the backing of more than 50 organisations. | |
The first action of the UK Freedom of Religion or Belief Forum was to urge the prime minister to act swiftly in appointing a new special envoy on religious freedom following the resignation on Monday of Rehman Chishti in protest at the government’s moves towards breaking international law through the internal market bill. | |
The forum is chaired by Philip Mounstephen, the bishop of Truro, who last year led an independent review commissioned by the foreign office on how the government should respond to Christian persecution around the world. | |
MPs were told that it was a “national priority” for GCSE and A-level exams to be held in England next year, with education secretary Gavin Williamson assuring parliament’s education committee that back-up plans would be in place, including the use of public buildings as emergency exam sites. | |
Susan Acland-Hood, the new permanent secretary of the Department for Education, told the committee: | |
Williamson told the MPs that pushing back next summer’s exam dates – likely to be by two or three weeks - was still being considered, and that an extra “reserve set” of exam papers may be created for pupils unable to sit a scheduled exam if they are unwell or self-isolating, or in areas under local lockdowns. He said: | |
Williamson was questioned by MPs about this year’s exams fiasco, but he rebuffed most questions by highlighting the role of the independent exam regulator Ofqual, and contradicting some of the answers that Ofqual staff gave to the same committee earlier this month. | |
Noting that Sally Collier, Ofqual’s chief regulator, made it clear to the DfE on March 18 that running an exam series was not something the watchdog “thought would be viable” during a national lockdown, Williamson said that Ofqual’s model used to award grades left “too many youngsters with a grade that didn’t reflect their effort, and that was why Ofqual ended up in the position that they were.” | |
Williamson also carefully dodged a series of questions, including why Acland-Hood’s predecessor Jonathan Slater resigned as a result of the exams fiasco. | |
Asked if Ofqual’s reputation had been “damaged beyond repair” by the summer chaos, Williamson said: | |
NHS England has recorded a further 11 coronavirus hospital deaths. The people who died were aged between 69 and 98 and NHS England says they all had underlying health conditions. The full details are here. | NHS England has recorded a further 11 coronavirus hospital deaths. The people who died were aged between 69 and 98 and NHS England says they all had underlying health conditions. The full details are here. |
Every household in Middlesbrough will be given free masks with information leaflets as the elected mayor steps up the fight against coronavirus, PA Media reports. The town is on the government register as an area of concern and the independent mayor, Andy Preston, is in the process of updating residents with 65,000 leaflets. Reusable face coverings will be handed out alongside the leaflets to help people follow the latest guidance. | Every household in Middlesbrough will be given free masks with information leaflets as the elected mayor steps up the fight against coronavirus, PA Media reports. The town is on the government register as an area of concern and the independent mayor, Andy Preston, is in the process of updating residents with 65,000 leaflets. Reusable face coverings will be handed out alongside the leaflets to help people follow the latest guidance. |
Robert Halfon, the Conservative MP who chairs the Commons education committee, told Radio 4’s World at One that his understanding was that schools would get priority for testing under the new plans due to be announced shortly. “As I understand it, schools will be on the priority list,” he told the programme. | Robert Halfon, the Conservative MP who chairs the Commons education committee, told Radio 4’s World at One that his understanding was that schools would get priority for testing under the new plans due to be announced shortly. “As I understand it, schools will be on the priority list,” he told the programme. |
In an interview with the Evening Standard Prof Kevin Fenton, London director of Public Health England, has suggested that pubs could be forces to close early in the capital to help combat coronavirus. A policy like this is already in force in Bolton, where pubs, restaurants and takeaways have to close between 10pm and 5am. | In an interview with the Evening Standard Prof Kevin Fenton, London director of Public Health England, has suggested that pubs could be forces to close early in the capital to help combat coronavirus. A policy like this is already in force in Bolton, where pubs, restaurants and takeaways have to close between 10pm and 5am. |
Some media organisations have described restrictions like this as amounting to a curfew but that’s misleading. A curfew does not just stop you going to the pub after a certain time at night; it means you cannot even leave your home. | Some media organisations have described restrictions like this as amounting to a curfew but that’s misleading. A curfew does not just stop you going to the pub after a certain time at night; it means you cannot even leave your home. |
A hospital boss in Bolton has urged people to stay away from its accident and emergency unit unless strictly necessary after nearly 100 turned up to request Covid-19 tests. As PA Media reports, the plea came as admissions of patients with coronavirus increased over the weekend and the infection rate across the borough - the highest by far in England - continued to rise sharply. Bolton NHS foundation trust, which is based at the Royal Bolton hospital in Farnworth, said this morning there were three coronavirus patients in critical care and a total of 20 on wards. It added an increased number of patients under 65 are being admitted, with some in their 40s and 50s. | A hospital boss in Bolton has urged people to stay away from its accident and emergency unit unless strictly necessary after nearly 100 turned up to request Covid-19 tests. As PA Media reports, the plea came as admissions of patients with coronavirus increased over the weekend and the infection rate across the borough - the highest by far in England - continued to rise sharply. Bolton NHS foundation trust, which is based at the Royal Bolton hospital in Farnworth, said this morning there were three coronavirus patients in critical care and a total of 20 on wards. It added an increased number of patients under 65 are being admitted, with some in their 40s and 50s. |
The trust’s medical director, Dr Francis Andrews, said: | The trust’s medical director, Dr Francis Andrews, said: |
Here is the Guardian story by my colleagues Heather Stewart and Severin Carrell about Lord Keen of Elie being on the brink of leaving the government. | Here is the Guardian story by my colleagues Heather Stewart and Severin Carrell about Lord Keen of Elie being on the brink of leaving the government. |
A trip to Doncaster races has been blamed for a cluster of coronavirus cases in the Rhondda Valley, south Wales, as restrictions were tightened severely. | A trip to Doncaster races has been blamed for a cluster of coronavirus cases in the Rhondda Valley, south Wales, as restrictions were tightened severely. |
The Welsh government said one of the clusters in the area was associated “with a club outing to the Doncaster races, which stopped off at a series of pubs on the way”. | The Welsh government said one of the clusters in the area was associated “with a club outing to the Doncaster races, which stopped off at a series of pubs on the way”. |
More than 2,500 spectators were allowed into the first day of the meeting last week. | More than 2,500 spectators were allowed into the first day of the meeting last week. |
Other clusters are associated with a rugby club and pub in the lower Rhondda. | Other clusters are associated with a rugby club and pub in the lower Rhondda. |
A range of new measures will come into force from 6pm tomorrow. | A range of new measures will come into force from 6pm tomorrow. |
People will not be allowed to enter or leave the Rhondda Cynon Taf council area without a reasonable excuse. | People will not be allowed to enter or leave the Rhondda Cynon Taf council area without a reasonable excuse. |
People will only be able to meet outdoors for the time being. People will not be able to meet members of their extended household indoors or form an extended household. | People will only be able to meet outdoors for the time being. People will not be able to meet members of their extended household indoors or form an extended household. |
All licensed premises will have to close at 11pm. | All licensed premises will have to close at 11pm. |
The Welsh health minister, Vaughan Gething, said: | The Welsh health minister, Vaughan Gething, said: |
The latest figures show the rolling seven-day new case rate is 82.1 per 100,000 people in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Yesterday, the testing positivity rate was 4.3% – this is the highest positivity rate in Wales. | The latest figures show the rolling seven-day new case rate is 82.1 per 100,000 people in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Yesterday, the testing positivity rate was 4.3% – this is the highest positivity rate in Wales. |
Contact-tracing teams have been able to trace about half of the cases back to a series of clusters in the borough. The rest are linked to community transmission. | Contact-tracing teams have been able to trace about half of the cases back to a series of clusters in the borough. The rest are linked to community transmission. |
From Joanna Cherry, the SNP’s justice and home affairs spokesperson in the Commons: | From Joanna Cherry, the SNP’s justice and home affairs spokesperson in the Commons: |