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UK Covid live news: ‘no sign’ people are deleting NHS Covid app to avoid isolating, says minister UK Covid live news: ‘no sign’ people are deleting NHS Covid app to avoid isolating, says minister
(32 minutes later)
Latest updates: Grant Shapps says ‘lots of people are still downloading app’ as government pledges to ‘tweak’ app’s sensitivity Latest updates: Grant Shapps says ‘lots of people are still downloading app’; around 1 in 160 people in households in England had Covid, says ONS
The World Health Organization has said that it is not clear whether Covid-19 booster vaccines would be useful to maintain protection against the virus, as Pfizer-BioNTech said people’s immunity starts to wane six months after they have been vaccinated with their jab.
Pfizer plans to ask US regulators to authorise a booster dose of its Covid-19 vaccine within the next month, the drugmaker’s top scientist said today, based on emerging evidence of greater risk of reinfection six months after inoculation and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.
The WHO said in a reply to a Reuters query:
Pfizer’s chief scientific officer, Mikael Dolsten, said early data from the company’s own studies shows that a third booster dose generates antibody levels that are five to 10-fold higher than after the second dose, suggesting that a third dose will offer promising protection.
In a statement emailed to CNN, Pfizer-BioNTech said evidence was building that people’s immunity starts to wane six months after they have been vaccinated.
Pfizer said:
The absence of long term data, as is usually customary with vaccines, means that only now are Pfizer learning about these issues with their two-shot vaccine.
In a joint statement the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pushed back against the Pfizer announcement and said Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot.
Children’s risk of dying from Covid, or severe illness, is extremely low, according to three of the most comprehensive studies to date which suggest the threat may be lower than initially thought.
One study found that 99.995% of the 469,982 children in England who contracted Covid during the first 12 months of the pandemic survived, the Wall Street Journal reports, with 25 under-18s dying in that time.
Of the 61 child deaths linked to a positive Covid-19 test in England, 25 were actually caused by the illness, it said. Fifteen had serious underlying illnesses, while four had chronic underlying conditions. The other six did not appear to have an underlying health condition.
Researchers estimate that with a population of some 12 million children in England, there was an overall mortality rate of 2 per million children during the year studied, the BBC reports.
Ministers are to pave the way for an overhaul of university funding, with tuition-fee cuts, a cap on student numbers for certain courses and minimum qualifications among the options being considered in a soon-to-be-published consultation.
The long-awaited consultation document, intended as a response to the Augar review of tertiary funding, is to list potential policies designed to lower the cost to the government of financing England’s student loan system, after ministers and advisers failed to settle on a central option.
Divisions between No 10, the Department for Education and the Treasury over alternative policies means the consultation is to include what one sector leader called “a menu of unpalatable options” that have been argued over behind the scenes for several months.
The options include a return to student-number controls, abandoned in 2015, as well as setting minimum entry requirements such as barring school-leavers without GCSE passes in maths or English from accessing student loans.
The cut in undergraduate tuition fees recommended by the review conducted by Philip Augar in 2017 – from £9,250 down to £7,500 – is also among the options, including differential fees for certain courses such as nursing, sciences and maths, to encourage greater uptake.
Another option is freezing fees at their current level and letting inflation erode their value. When tuition fees were set at £9,000 in 2012 the intention was for increases to keep pace with inflation. But since being raised to £9,250 in 2016 ministers have refused to go further, meaning their real value has declined by 12%.
The Treasury in particular is keen to lower its exposure to student loans by directly cutting fees and increasing repayments, while No 10 and the DfE appear to favour more indirect means such as minimum entry requirements and course caps.
Read more here:
Reducing the sensitivity of the NHS Covid app to cut the number of people self-isolating is like “taking the batteries out of the smoke alarm”, Keir Starmer has said as he raised questions about the decision to press ahead with reopening on 19 July.
Speaking as he completed a three-day visit to Northern Ireland, the Labour leader said he had been alarmed by reports that ministers have decided to “tune” the app.
He said:
The decision to tune the app to cut its sensitivity was made amid reports that people were removing it from their phones because of fears about being repeatedly asked to self-isolate.
Dr Jenny Harries, the head of the UK Health Security Agency, told MPs on Thursday: “We have a piece of work ongoing at the moment because it is entirely possible to tune the app to ensure that it is appropriate to the risk.
“When the app came into action, we know it has been hugely successful, but it has been utilised in a world where we did not have vaccinations. So working through what a vaccinated population using the app means is something that we are actively doing at the moment.”
Ministers are expected to make a final decision on Monday about whether to go ahead with lifting almost all restrictions on daily life on “freedom day”, 19 July.
They will do so on the basis of new modelling from experts on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) about the likely impact on hospitalisations and deaths of allowing infections to rise sharply.
Starmer said he did not want to pre-empt the data, which is expected to be published on Monday, but underlined his concerns about the risks of the government’s no-holds-barred plan.
He said:
Read the full story here:
In Scotland, around one in 100 people are estimated to have had Covid-19 in the week to July 3 - up from one in 150 in the previous week, and the highest level since the week to January 16.
For Wales, the latest estimate is one in 340 people, up from one in 450 in the previous week and the highest level since the week to February 27.
In Northern Ireland the latest estimate is one in 300 people, up from one in 670 and the highest since the week to April 3.
All figures are for people in private households.
The percentage of people testing positive for Covid-19 is estimated to have increased in all regions of England, the ONS said.
North-east England and north-west England had the highest proportion of people of any region likely to test positive for coronavirus in the week to July 3: around one in 80.
Eastern England had the lowest estimate: around one in 350, PA news reports.
When modelling the level of infection among different age ranges in England, the ONS said rates have increased for all groups.
Around one in 45 people from school year 12 to age 24 are estimated to have had Covid-19 in the week to July 3, the highest positivity rate for any age group.
Around one in 160 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to July 3, up from one in 260 in the previous week, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).Around one in 160 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to July 3, up from one in 260 in the previous week, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This is the highest level since the week to February 19, PA news reports.This is the highest level since the week to February 19, PA news reports.
Here’s transport secretary Grant Shapps saying he would be keeping a ‘close eye’ on the app as it remained an ‘important tool’ in monitoring Covid-19 amid concerns people are deleting it to avoid self-isolation after close contact with coronavirus cases.Here’s transport secretary Grant Shapps saying he would be keeping a ‘close eye’ on the app as it remained an ‘important tool’ in monitoring Covid-19 amid concerns people are deleting it to avoid self-isolation after close contact with coronavirus cases.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has urged against an amnesty being offered over events in Northern Ireland’s troubled past.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has urged against an amnesty being offered over events in Northern Ireland’s troubled past.
The UK and Irish governments recently announced “intensive engagement” to take place on legacy matters.The UK and Irish governments recently announced “intensive engagement” to take place on legacy matters.
It was reported earlier this year that London is considering a statute of limitations which would ban all prosecutions for Troubles-era offences.It was reported earlier this year that London is considering a statute of limitations which would ban all prosecutions for Troubles-era offences.
Starmer urged the prime minister to talk to victims.Starmer urged the prime minister to talk to victims.
He told the PA news agency during a visit to Londonderry:He told the PA news agency during a visit to Londonderry:
Starmer has been undertaking two days of official engagements in Northern Ireland.Starmer has been undertaking two days of official engagements in Northern Ireland.
On Thursday he met a number of victims of the Troubles at the Wave Trauma Centre in north Belfast.On Thursday he met a number of victims of the Troubles at the Wave Trauma Centre in north Belfast.
He said:He said:
Starmer and shadow secretary of state Louise Haigh met with Sara Canning, the partner of journalist Lyra McKee who was killed by dissidents in the city in 2019.Starmer and shadow secretary of state Louise Haigh met with Sara Canning, the partner of journalist Lyra McKee who was killed by dissidents in the city in 2019.
After walking across the peace bridge he was greeted by SDLP leader and Foyle MP Colum Eastwood before visiting the Guildhall.After walking across the peace bridge he was greeted by SDLP leader and Foyle MP Colum Eastwood before visiting the Guildhall.
He told the PA news agency it had been very special to meet Canning and talk to her about her fight for justice for McKee.He told the PA news agency it had been very special to meet Canning and talk to her about her fight for justice for McKee.
Public Health England’s latest data bulletin shows that numbers of the Delta variant in the UK have risen by 54,268 since last week.Public Health England’s latest data bulletin shows that numbers of the Delta variant in the UK have risen by 54,268 since last week.
This represents a 32% increase in total cases, and a slight rise on the number of new cases recorded the previous week.This represents a 32% increase in total cases, and a slight rise on the number of new cases recorded the previous week.
Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK health security agency, said:Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK health security agency, said:
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, PA news reports.
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.
The home office paid £30,000 towards the legal fees incurred by a senior civil servant who made a bullying claim against the home secretary, Priti Patel, bringing the total bill for the settlement to £370,000, it has emerged.
The department’s annual accounts show it made the contribution towards Sir Philip Rutnam’s legal costs on top of a £340,000 settlement after he threatened to take Patel to an employment tribunal last year.
He claimed he had been hounded out of his job for defending his staff, and was suing the government under whistleblowing laws.
Patel has consistently rejected Rutnam’s claims.
After the allegations at the home office surfaced, it then emerged that Patel had also been accused of bullying in two other government departments – the department for international development and the department for work and pensions.
An aide in the DWP received a £25,000 government payout after a threatened lawsuit in which Patel was named.
Under pressure from claims, Boris Johnson ordered a cabinet office inquiry last year, which was conducted by Sir Alex Allan. He wrote a report sent to the prime minister that said Patel’s behaviour amounted to bullying and was therefore a breach of the ministerial code.
As the sole arbiter of the rules, the prime minister stood by Patel, concluding in his view that she had not broken the ministerial code.
Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary , said:
A total of 1,904 people had been admitted to hospital in England with the Delta variant of Covid-19 as of June 21, Public Health England said.
Some 1,283 of the 1,904 people were under the age of 50 while 615 were 50 or over, PA news reports.
Of the 1,283 under 50, 987 (77%) were unvaccinated, 106 (8%) were less than 21 days after their first dose of vaccine, 118 (9%) 21 or more days after their first dose of vaccine and 48 (4%) were fully vaccinated.
Of the 615 aged 50 or over, 195 (32%) were unvaccinated, 11 (2%) less than 21 days after their first dose of vaccine, 140 (23%) 21 or more days after their first dose of vaccine and 265 (43%) were fully vaccinated.
A total of 216,249 confirmed and probable cases of the Covid-19 Delta variant have now been identified in the UK, according to the latest figures from Public Health England.
This is up by 54,268 from 161,981 cases in the previous week, a rise of 34%.
Of the 216,249 cases, 180,643 have been in England, 28,559 in Scotland, 3,666 in Wales and 3,381 in Northern Ireland, PA news reports.
The Delta variant currently accounts for approximately 99% of confirmed cases of coronavirus across the UK.
Dr David Strain, senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter, who has participated in the NHS long Covid taskforce, said allowing younger people to get infected through rising cases could have a “devastating long-term effect”, in terms of long Covid.
He told LBC radio that between 10% and 15% of all people with Covid develop long Covid and what was currently happening was a “dangerous experiment with the next generation.”
He added:
Grant Shapps has warned that holidaymakers should expect additional queues when they check in for their flights home due to the need for coronavirus checks.
The transport secretary told BBC Breakfast:
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said the government is “actively working” on plans to accept vaccination certificates from travellers who receive a coronavirus jab in other countries.
On Thursday Shapps announced that travellers from amber list countries who were fully vaccinated in the UK would no longer have to self-isolate from July 19.
Speaking on Sky News, he said he expected to be able to make an announcement “in the next couple of weeks” on extending it to people who receive a World Health Organisation-approved vaccine in other countries.
He said:
During the first year of the pandemic 25 children and teenagers died as a direct result of Covid-19 in England and about 6,000 were admitted to hospital, according to the most complete analysis of national data on the age group to date.
Children seen to be at greatest risk of severe illness and death from coronavirus were in ethnic minority groups, and those with pre-existing medical conditions or severe disabilities.
The findings, which have not yet been peer reviewed, will be submitted to the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to help inform policies about who should be offered Covid-19 vaccines or continued to ask to shield.
“This is essentially the first complete national cohort of children and young people affected by Covid-19,” said Prof Russell Viner, at University College London (UCL) Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, who contributed to the research.
Viner added that although children and young people were known to be at low risk of severe illness or death these findings were the first “to really and precisely, in a very large population, give us clear estimates of those risks”..
Using data on hospital admissions covering children in England under a year old up to 17-year-olds, researchers led by Joseph Ward, a doctor at UCL calculated that 5,830 children and young people were admitted to hospital with Covid-19 during the first year of the pandemic, up to the end of February 2021.
Of these children 251 (4%) required intensive care, equivalent to a one in 50,000 chance of being admitted to ICU with Covid-19 for those under 18.
Read more from my colleagues Linda Geddes and Ben Quinn:
Grant Shapps urged people not to ignore the NHS Covid app if they are “pinged” and advised to self-isolate.
Travel restrictions for people in England are due to be eased on July 19 but rules on self-isolation for people who are fully vaccinated will remain in place until August 16, raising fears that people will delete the app rather than risk having to cancel a holiday.
However, the transport secretary said it is important that people continue to use the app.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
He said the app is being kept under review to ensure it is “calibrated in the right way” for the prevailing circumstances.
He said:
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has said there is “no sign” people are deleting the NHS Covid app to avoid being told to isolate.
He told Sky News “that’s not actually the evidence” and that the government is “still seeing lots of people downloading the app”.
He did say, however, that the “sensitivity” of the app is being kept under constant review.
Shapps said it was important that it remained a “useful tool” in the fight against the disease amid concerns about the increasing numbers of people being “pinged” as restrictions are eased.
He said:
I’m Nicola Slawson and I’ll be taking you through the day’s events today. Do drop me an email on nicola.slawson@theguardian.com or find me on Twitter (@Nicola_Slawson) if you think I’ve missed anything or if you have any questions.
Politics Live has been a mix of Covid and non-Covid news recently and that will probably be the case today. For more coronavirus developments, do follow our global Covid live blog: