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UK Covid live news: school leaders 'disappointed' that teachers will not be prioritised in new vaccination wave | UK Covid live news: school leaders 'disappointed' that teachers will not be prioritised in new vaccination wave |
(32 minutes later) | |
Latest updates: adults aged 40-49 will be next in line for vaccine across UK but heads call for reassurance before schools return | Latest updates: adults aged 40-49 will be next in line for vaccine across UK but heads call for reassurance before schools return |
A further 307 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England, NHS England said on Friday. | |
This brings the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 82,717. | |
Patients were aged between 34 and 100. All except nine, aged between 60 and 94, had known underlying health conditions. | |
A total of 16,785,841 Covid-19 vaccinations took place in England between December 8 and February 25, according to provisional NHS England data, including first and second doses, which is a rise of 448,280 on the previous day’s figures. | |
Of this number, 16,227,104 were the first dose of a vaccine, a rise of 432,112 on the previous day, while 558,737 were a second dose, an increase of 16,168. | |
Health Secretary Matt Hancock will lead today’s press conference, Downing Street has confirmed. | |
He will be joined by England’s deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam and Dr Susan Hopkins, senior medical adviser at Public Health England. | |
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Unions representing police, prison officers and teachers have expressed dismay at the decision to base the next stage of the coronavirus vaccination programme purely on age, with no account taken for people’s profession. | |
The recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), endorsed by the government, means people over 40 will be the next group to be prioritised once those in phase 1 of the rollout, aimed at older and more vulnerable people, have been offered at least one dose of the vaccine. | |
Vaccination will then proceed down the age groups, with those aged 30-39 next in line, followed by everyone aged 18-29. The timetable is to complete phase 1 by the end of April, with all adults offered at least one dose by the end of July. | |
Read the full story by my colleagues Linda Geddes and Peter Walker: | |
Festival organisers are calling for government-backed insurance in case events have to be cancelled last minute, ahead of chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget announcement next week. | Festival organisers are calling for government-backed insurance in case events have to be cancelled last minute, ahead of chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget announcement next week. |
Paul Reed, chief executive of the Association of Independent Festivals, said: “Insurance is more critical than ever and it is something we have been pushing for as a sector for many months. We welcome the roadmap, but the 2021 festival season is not guaranteed. There is still a chance of cancellations.” | Paul Reed, chief executive of the Association of Independent Festivals, said: “Insurance is more critical than ever and it is something we have been pushing for as a sector for many months. We welcome the roadmap, but the 2021 festival season is not guaranteed. There is still a chance of cancellations.” |
He said it was an “enormous risk” for independent businesses to go forward without insurance, as the cost of staging an event was about £6m. “There are essential costs to be met for it to get signed off. It is not just about artist or production deposits, where there may be flexibility, but there are essential costs like medical provision,” he said. | He said it was an “enormous risk” for independent businesses to go forward without insurance, as the cost of staging an event was about £6m. “There are essential costs to be met for it to get signed off. It is not just about artist or production deposits, where there may be flexibility, but there are essential costs like medical provision,” he said. |
It comes as festival organisers are enjoying record ticket sales after the government’s announcement of its roadmap out of lockdown in England, as punters prepare to “make up for lost time” despite uncertainty over what state support exists if last-minute cancellations have to take place. | It comes as festival organisers are enjoying record ticket sales after the government’s announcement of its roadmap out of lockdown in England, as punters prepare to “make up for lost time” despite uncertainty over what state support exists if last-minute cancellations have to take place. |
Monday’s announcement triggered a 600% rise in traffic to Ticketmaster this week, said the managing director of the site’s UK wing, Andrew Parsons, and there was no sign of it slowing down. | Monday’s announcement triggered a 600% rise in traffic to Ticketmaster this week, said the managing director of the site’s UK wing, Andrew Parsons, and there was no sign of it slowing down. |
Sacha Lord, the co-founder of Parklife festival and the Warehouse Project, and night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester said: “Let’s follow in the footsteps of other countries, where there is an insurance indemnity policy. We are not expecting a free handout and we will pay a small percentage of the turnover figure. Putting a festival on is hard without insurance in place, that is why Glastonbury cancelled.” | Sacha Lord, the co-founder of Parklife festival and the Warehouse Project, and night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester said: “Let’s follow in the footsteps of other countries, where there is an insurance indemnity policy. We are not expecting a free handout and we will pay a small percentage of the turnover figure. Putting a festival on is hard without insurance in place, that is why Glastonbury cancelled.” |
Lord said he was expecting news on insurance at Rishi Sunak’s next budget on 3 March. “This coming Wednesday is the most critical day of my 26-year career. For those who work behind the scenes, it will be make or break. They need hope.” | Lord said he was expecting news on insurance at Rishi Sunak’s next budget on 3 March. “This coming Wednesday is the most critical day of my 26-year career. For those who work behind the scenes, it will be make or break. They need hope.” |
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Twitter: @sloumarshInstagram: sarah_marsh_journalistEmail: sarah.marsh@theguardian.com | Twitter: @sloumarshInstagram: sarah_marsh_journalistEmail: sarah.marsh@theguardian.com |
A leading blood cancer charity has said it is “hard to accept” that those who live with clinically extremely vulnerable people will not be prioritised in the next phase of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout. | A leading blood cancer charity has said it is “hard to accept” that those who live with clinically extremely vulnerable people will not be prioritised in the next phase of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout. |
There are 230,000 people with blood cancer in the UK who are in the “clinically extremely vulnerable” group, and blood cancer increases your risk from Covid by more than almost any other health condition. | There are 230,000 people with blood cancer in the UK who are in the “clinically extremely vulnerable” group, and blood cancer increases your risk from Covid by more than almost any other health condition. |
Many of them are anxious about their household members bringing the virus into the home, and so vaccinating the people they live with is important for protecting them, the charity said. | Many of them are anxious about their household members bringing the virus into the home, and so vaccinating the people they live with is important for protecting them, the charity said. |
Gemma Peters, chief executive of Blood Cancer UK, said: | Gemma Peters, chief executive of Blood Cancer UK, said: |
She added that it was difficult to avoid the conclusion that by refusing to act in the absence of absolute certainty about transmission, the JCVI have “made a bad decision that will needlessly put the lives of people with blood cancer at risk”. | She added that it was difficult to avoid the conclusion that by refusing to act in the absence of absolute certainty about transmission, the JCVI have “made a bad decision that will needlessly put the lives of people with blood cancer at risk”. |
The R number across the UK has not changed since last week and is still between 0.6 and 0.9, according to the latest government figures. | The R number across the UK has not changed since last week and is still between 0.6 and 0.9, according to the latest government figures. |
The R value – the coronavirus reproduction number – represents the average number of people each person with Covid-19 goes on to infect. | The R value – the coronavirus reproduction number – represents the average number of people each person with Covid-19 goes on to infect. |
A figure below 1 implies the epidemic is shrinking. | A figure below 1 implies the epidemic is shrinking. |
An R number between 0.6 and 0.9 means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between six and nine further people. | An R number between 0.6 and 0.9 means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between six and nine further people. |
The lower end of the UK’s coronavirus R estimate is 0.6 – which is the lowest R range seen since the government first started publishing the figures in May 2020. | The lower end of the UK’s coronavirus R estimate is 0.6 – which is the lowest R range seen since the government first started publishing the figures in May 2020. |
New cases of coronavirus continued to fall across the UK in the week ending 19 February, according to the Office for National Statistics. | New cases of coronavirus continued to fall across the UK in the week ending 19 February, according to the Office for National Statistics. |
Based on swab tests in the community – so excluding places such as hospitals, care homes and prisons – the ONS estimate 373,700 people in England had Covid over the seven day period, or about one in 145 people. That is down from the previous week when the estimate stood at 481,000 people, or one in 115, and the lowest since 2 to 8 October, when one in 160 were estimated to have the disease. | Based on swab tests in the community – so excluding places such as hospitals, care homes and prisons – the ONS estimate 373,700 people in England had Covid over the seven day period, or about one in 145 people. That is down from the previous week when the estimate stood at 481,000 people, or one in 115, and the lowest since 2 to 8 October, when one in 160 were estimated to have the disease. |
Similar declines were seen around the UK where the proportion of people estimated to be infected in the week ending 19 February stood at one in 225 in Scotland, one in 205 in Wales and one in 195 in Northern Ireland. | Similar declines were seen around the UK where the proportion of people estimated to be infected in the week ending 19 February stood at one in 225 in Scotland, one in 205 in Wales and one in 195 in Northern Ireland. |
In England, the percentage of people testing positive for the virus, and cases of the more transmissible “Kent variant”, have fallen in all regions apart from Yorkshire and the Humber where the trends are flat, suggesting the lockdown is not having the same impact on the epidemic there as it is elsewhere. | In England, the percentage of people testing positive for the virus, and cases of the more transmissible “Kent variant”, have fallen in all regions apart from Yorkshire and the Humber where the trends are flat, suggesting the lockdown is not having the same impact on the epidemic there as it is elsewhere. |
The highest rates of infection were estimated to be in the North West with one in 110 infected during the week studied, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber with one in 120 infected. In London, the rate stood at one in 125 with the lowest infections in the South West at one in 240. | The highest rates of infection were estimated to be in the North West with one in 110 infected during the week studied, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber with one in 120 infected. In London, the rate stood at one in 125 with the lowest infections in the South West at one in 240. |
Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Sage put the latest UK reproduction number, R, at between 0.6 and 0.9 – the same range as last week, adding that the number of new infections was shrinking at 2-6% every day, a slight slowing on last week’s rate of 3-6%. | Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Sage put the latest UK reproduction number, R, at between 0.6 and 0.9 – the same range as last week, adding that the number of new infections was shrinking at 2-6% every day, a slight slowing on last week’s rate of 3-6%. |
Downing Street has defended the decision not to prioritise key workers such as police officers in the next phase of the coronavirus vaccine rollout. | Downing Street has defended the decision not to prioritise key workers such as police officers in the next phase of the coronavirus vaccine rollout. |
A No 10 spokesman said: | A No 10 spokesman said: |
You can read more on this story here: | You can read more on this story here: |
Festival organisers are enjoying record ticket sales after the government’s announcement of its roadmap out of lockdown, despite uncertainty over what state support exists if last-minute cancellations have to take place. | Festival organisers are enjoying record ticket sales after the government’s announcement of its roadmap out of lockdown, despite uncertainty over what state support exists if last-minute cancellations have to take place. |
“Lots of our members have seen sale spikes since Monday, which has generated lots of consumer confidence,” said Paul Reed, the chief executive of the Association of Independent Festivals. “There is a huge appetite for live experiences and I don’t think that is surprising. It’s about communal experiences, being outdoors in groups.” | “Lots of our members have seen sale spikes since Monday, which has generated lots of consumer confidence,” said Paul Reed, the chief executive of the Association of Independent Festivals. “There is a huge appetite for live experiences and I don’t think that is surprising. It’s about communal experiences, being outdoors in groups.” |
Despite the excitement, however, organisers are concerned about the potential of last-minute cancellations, as the coming months are filled with uncertainty. They are calling for a government-backed insurance scheme so that if they have to change plans, they will not lose all their investment. | Despite the excitement, however, organisers are concerned about the potential of last-minute cancellations, as the coming months are filled with uncertainty. They are calling for a government-backed insurance scheme so that if they have to change plans, they will not lose all their investment. |
Read the full story here: | Read the full story here: |