Covid-19: UK to US travel to restart and Chelsea Flower Show back in bloom

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Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday evening. We'll have another update for you tomorrow morning.

1. UK to US travel to reopen for double-jabbed

Double-jabbed UK and EU citizens will be able to fly to America from November after the US government announced an end to its 18-month travel ban. Passengers must prove they are fully vaccinated and undergo testing and contact tracing, officials said. Airline shares rose following reports of the new travel rules.

The announcement ends the UK and EU travel ban introduced by Donald Trump in March 2020

2. Pfizer/BioNTech jab safe for children aged five to 11

The Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is "safe, well tolerated" and produces a "robust" antibody immune response in children aged five to 11, a US trial has found. The makers of the jab will now seek approval from regulators for the vaccine to be given to children younger than 12 - the current age limit. The Pfizer jab is being offered to over12s in countries including the UK, which today started its rollout to healthy teenagers.

The results of the study are the first of their kind for children under 12

3. Booster jabs must be UK's priority - PM

Boris Johnson has said the rollout of booster jabs "has to be our priority" rather than sending all the UK's surplus vaccine to poorer nations. "But that doesn't mean we're not making also a massive commitment to the rest of the world," he said speaking in New York. But former UK PM Gordon Brown said over-ordering meant the UK could have more than a billion spare jabs by the end of the year, which it could donate to the rest of the world.

Boris Johnson has previously pledged that the UK will donate more than 100 million doses of Covid vaccine to poorer countries in the next year.

4. Man jailed for breaking Covid isolation rules

A man has been jailed for two weeks for breaking Covid isolation rules in Guernsey. Aivis Licitis, 34, admitted allowing a woman into his hotel room in May while he was supposedly isolating after arriving from Latvia. His visitor, Gundega Dremaine, 43, was given a £1,000 fine and a two-year suspended sentence after she admitted aiding and abetting him. Sentencing, Judge Graeme McKerrell said the pair's actions were "selfish".

Aivis Licitis was jailed after telling the court he would not be able to pay any fine

5. RHS Chelsea Flower Show returns for autumnal one-off

The Chelsea Flower Show is getting ready to open for a one-off autumn version tomorrow. The world-famous Royal Horticultural Society event is normally held in May, but this year it was delayed due to coronavirus restrictions. Members of the Royal Family, including Princess Anne, and various flower-loving celebrities had a first glimpse of the show a day ahead of its public opening.

Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade.

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And don't forget...

You can find out what the new rules for travel to the US travel mean for you here.

And there's more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.

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