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UK Covid live: 16,135 new cases reported – highest total for more than 4 months | |
(32 minutes later) | |
Latest updates: UK reports highest number of new cases since 6 February | |
The Office for Students, the higher education regulator for England, has announced a review of “inclusive” assessment at universities that overlooks spelling and grammar in marking student work.The move follows controversy around a small number of universities that have adopted policies allowing markers to ignore errors in writing unless they are “central to the assessment criteria”.Susan Lapworth, the OfS’s director of regulation, said: | |
The regulator said its review would identify “future regulatory concerns as well as areas of good practice”. | |
The latest edition of the Guardian’s Politics Weekly podcast is out. Heather Stewart and Gaby Hinsliff look at the latest news out of Westminster. Plus: as we mark the fifth anniversary of the Brexit referendum, has it transformed British politics forever? Laura Parker, James Starkie and Anand Menon look back. If you listen carefully you’ll hear a Janet Jackson lyric quoted to discuss Brexit ... | |
Scotland’s health secretary Humza Yousaf has insisted that the county’s nurses “are the best paid in the UK” as the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland lodged a formal trade dispute for the first time in the union’s history. | |
Describing the RCN’s action as “unprecedented”, Scottish Labour’s Jackie Baillie said: | |
But Yousaf insisted that his government had an “exceptional record” on pay; in May it confirmed a NHS pay deal that will see most workers receive a 4% rise, with an additional £500 thank you payment. He said the government was committed to investing in its workforce, including supporting their mental health. | |
The RCN has been calling for a 12.5% pay increase in recognition of the urgent need to fill vacancies as well as the complexity and responsibility of the job. | |
Zahawi ends by saying the “Dunkirk Spirit” is playing a role in ensuring people are coming together and getting the vaccine. | |
And that’s it. The press conference is over. | |
Q: One in six people in Pakistani or Bangladeshi communities is still not getting the jab. Why are you failing to reach these people? | |
Zahawi says work is being done to reach these communities. | |
He says they are learning from what works. In Haringey in London officials have been helping people book appointments. In other places walk-in centres and advertising is being used. | |
Kanani says media voices can play an important role too. | |
Q: In the Pakistani community messages are being spread saying vaccines could kill you, or stop you having a child. What is being done to combat this misinformation? | |
Zahawi says claims like this are completely untrue. He says the system used to check the safety of vaccines is very thorough. | |
A unit in the Cabinet Office is looking at disinformation, and working with the social networks to get this removed as quickly as possible. | |
The important thing is to spread true information, he says. | |
And he says through the G7 the UK is working to get true information circulated. | |
Q: Could the Delta Plus variant derail the reopening next month? | |
Zahawi says viruses always continue to mutate. | |
The vaccines being deployed now are “incredibly effective” against the Delta variant after two doses. | |
And he says the UK has one of the largest genomic sequencing capacities in the world. That is why the UK picks up these variants early, he says. | |
Ramsay says we have only seen 41 cases of the Delta Plus variant. Enhanced testing is being done, she says. She says she thinks they are on top of this. | |
Q: Why not introduce vaccine passports? Wouldn’t that encourage people to get vaccinated? | |
Zahawi says people can either use the app, or get a letter, if they need to show they have been vaccinated for travel. | |
Q: Should the government websites be updated to reflect different symptoms for the Delta variant [said to be headaches, a runny nose and a sore throat, rather than a persistent cough, loss of smell or a temperature]? | |
Ramsay says she is not convinced the symptoms are that different. Symptoms like a headache or runny nose are very common anyway, she says. | |
She also says it is important to test people without symptoms. | |
Q: The latest data shows black people are less likely to have had a vaccine. There is still some reluctance there. Is it time for a new approach? | |
Zahawi says if you look at the uptake for phase one, black and Afro-Caribbean communities were behind. But it has improved since then. | |
He says since April vaccine uptake in the white community has gone up by 3%. But in the black and Afro-Caribbean community is up by 7%. And in the Pakistani and Bangladeshi community it is up by 10%. | |
Q: Why are vaccination centres closing? | Q: Why are vaccination centres closing? |
Zahawi says it is decided locally whether national vaccination sites, or GPs, or pharmacies, should administer most of the vaccines. | Zahawi says it is decided locally whether national vaccination sites, or GPs, or pharmacies, should administer most of the vaccines. |
Sometimes vaccines are being moved around the system. That can mean vaccination centres being stood down in favour of other sites. | Sometimes vaccines are being moved around the system. That can mean vaccination centres being stood down in favour of other sites. |
Q: Most people going into hospital now are unvaccinated. Is that because they refused the vaccine, or had not been offered one yet? | Q: Most people going into hospital now are unvaccinated. Is that because they refused the vaccine, or had not been offered one yet? |
Zahawi says more than 60% of hospitalisations for the Delta variant are for people who have not been vaccinated. | Zahawi says more than 60% of hospitalisations for the Delta variant are for people who have not been vaccinated. |
He says if 85% of all adults are double vaccinated, and the vaccines are 85% effective, then the protection level is 72%. That means 28% of the population would still remain unprotected. | He says if 85% of all adults are double vaccinated, and the vaccines are 85% effective, then the protection level is 72%. That means 28% of the population would still remain unprotected. |
He says by 19 July he wants to have 66% of the adult population double-vaccinated. | He says by 19 July he wants to have 66% of the adult population double-vaccinated. |
Dr Nikki Kanani says the NHS has made good progress in tackling vaccine hesitancy. | Dr Nikki Kanani says the NHS has made good progress in tackling vaccine hesitancy. |
She urges people to book an appointment if they have not done so already. | She urges people to book an appointment if they have not done so already. |
Ramsay says today’s figure is very high. (See 4.25pm.) That is largely explained by surge testing in Scotland, she says. | Ramsay says today’s figure is very high. (See 4.25pm.) That is largely explained by surge testing in Scotland, she says. |
She presents the next slide, showing hospitalisations. That suggests the link between cases and hospitalisations is being broken, she says. | She presents the next slide, showing hospitalisations. That suggests the link between cases and hospitalisations is being broken, she says. |
And she says death figures are so low you can barely see the increase on the graph. | And she says death figures are so low you can barely see the increase on the graph. |
Dr Mary Ramsay is playing the Chris Whitty role today, and introducing the slides. | Dr Mary Ramsay is playing the Chris Whitty role today, and introducing the slides. |
She says vaccines protect against the Delta variant, particularly against hospitalisations. | She says vaccines protect against the Delta variant, particularly against hospitalisations. |
And she says if people have missed appointments for other vaccines, they should get those too. | And she says if people have missed appointments for other vaccines, they should get those too. |
She starts with the slide for cases. | She starts with the slide for cases. |
Zahawi says the latest ONS figures show that vaccine hesitancy has halved among black and Asian people since February. | Zahawi says the latest ONS figures show that vaccine hesitancy has halved among black and Asian people since February. |
In London first doses are behind the rest of the country. But the government will help address this with a London summit later this week which will explore what more can be done. | In London first doses are behind the rest of the country. But the government will help address this with a London summit later this week which will explore what more can be done. |
He says the country is getting “a little bit safer” every day. | He says the country is getting “a little bit safer” every day. |
Zahawi says the UK has one of the highest rates of vaccine take-ups in the world. | Zahawi says the UK has one of the highest rates of vaccine take-ups in the world. |
The government has gone out to address people’s concerns, and explain why vaccines are safe, he says. | The government has gone out to address people’s concerns, and explain why vaccines are safe, he says. |
Zahawi says the time until 19 July will be used to give the NHS more time to get people vaccinated. | Zahawi says the time until 19 July will be used to give the NHS more time to get people vaccinated. |
Two weeks ago there were two million people in England who had had one dose but not two. | Two weeks ago there were two million people in England who had had one dose but not two. |
Now that number is down to 900,000. | Now that number is down to 900,000. |
So the pause until the final easing of restrictions will save lives, he says. | So the pause until the final easing of restrictions will save lives, he says. |