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Covid news live: Boris Johnson to face MPs over lockdown party claims; Germany sets new daily case record Covid news live: Boris Johnson to face MPs over lockdown party claims; Germany sets new daily case record
(32 minutes later)
Furious Tory MPs call on PM to confess he attended rule-breaking party in Downing Street; Germany reports more than 80,000 new casesFurious Tory MPs call on PM to confess he attended rule-breaking party in Downing Street; Germany reports more than 80,000 new cases
Germany has reported more than 80,000 new daily Covid-19 infections, marking a new daily record.Germany has reported more than 80,000 new daily Covid-19 infections, marking a new daily record.
A total of 80,430 coronavirus cases and 384 deaths were recorded for Tuesday, according to figures from the Robert Koch Institute.A total of 80,430 coronavirus cases and 384 deaths were recorded for Tuesday, according to figures from the Robert Koch Institute.
In Norway, the country also set a new daily record with 9,622 new infections registered in the last 24 hours, This is 3,000 cases more than the average of the previous seven days (6,622), local media reports.In Norway, the country also set a new daily record with 9,622 new infections registered in the last 24 hours, This is 3,000 cases more than the average of the previous seven days (6,622), local media reports.
And a big thank you to very alert reader Francisco Javier Torres Tobar who brought these figures to my attention.And a big thank you to very alert reader Francisco Javier Torres Tobar who brought these figures to my attention.
The line of questioning for Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner on the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme has touched on the technicalities of whether the 20 May party that is at the centre of the UK politics news today really counted as a party.
Rayner said she did not accept that Downing Street staff should have been able to meet up outside during the first lockdown because they were key workers or that the alleged gatherings could have been for work reasons. PA Media quote her saying:
Asked whether she thought the garden of No 10 constituted a workplace, added:
A couple of quick snaps from Reuters here. Austria appears to have set a new record of 18,427 daily Covid cases – according to newspaper Kronen Zeitung. Russia, meanwhile, has confirmed that it has 698 cases of the Omicron virus. The country recorded 17,946 new daily Covid cases, up slightly from the day before.
PA Media have confirmed that Keir Starmer will attend PMQs today at noon. There’s been a little bit of stirring up by some conservative voices that NHS guidelines suggest you should work from home if possible on the seventh day after coming out of isolation, suggesting that Starmer might be breaking those rules if he attended Westminster today. However, that has been very quickly slapped down by people pointing out that Jacob Rees-Mogg ended remote attendance of parliament, so it isn’t possible for MPs to attend PMQs remotely anymore.
There’s a flurry of tweets from political journalists that Labour leader Keir Starmer has tested negative again for Covid this morning and so will be in parliament to face Boris Johnson at PMQs.There’s a flurry of tweets from political journalists that Labour leader Keir Starmer has tested negative again for Covid this morning and so will be in parliament to face Boris Johnson at PMQs.
Assuming Boris Johnson also attends, of course …Assuming Boris Johnson also attends, of course …
As I mentioned earlier, this morning’s Covid UK news has been rather more about the politics of the pandemic than the actual disease itself, although PA Media have highlighted today a recent blog post by Dr Richard Cree, an intensive care consultant at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, which has an optimistic outlook that he country can “ride out the Omicron wave”. He writes:As I mentioned earlier, this morning’s Covid UK news has been rather more about the politics of the pandemic than the actual disease itself, although PA Media have highlighted today a recent blog post by Dr Richard Cree, an intensive care consultant at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, which has an optimistic outlook that he country can “ride out the Omicron wave”. He writes:
While stressing that people would still die from Covid during this phase of the pandemic, he also said:While stressing that people would still die from Covid during this phase of the pandemic, he also said:
Here’s a little bit more from Angela Rayner, the Labour deputy leader in the UK, being interviewed on Sky News. She said:Here’s a little bit more from Angela Rayner, the Labour deputy leader in the UK, being interviewed on Sky News. She said:
Hungary’s daily tally of new Covid-19 cases has risen to 7,883, up from 5,270 reported a week earlier, but the number of patients treated in hospital declined over the week, the government has said.Hungary’s daily tally of new Covid-19 cases has risen to 7,883, up from 5,270 reported a week earlier, but the number of patients treated in hospital declined over the week, the government has said.
The government said 29% of the new infections were caused by the Omicron variant, although Krisztina Than reports for Reuters that some private labs have reported much higher figures.The government said 29% of the new infections were caused by the Omicron variant, although Krisztina Than reports for Reuters that some private labs have reported much higher figures.
Away from UK political shenanigans for a moment, Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi has left isolation just over a week after testing positive for Covid without symptoms, the government has said.Away from UK political shenanigans for a moment, Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi has left isolation just over a week after testing positive for Covid without symptoms, the government has said.
“His medical team has assessed his health status and subsequently cleared him because he continues to have no Covid associated symptoms,” government spokesman John-Thomas Dipowe said.“His medical team has assessed his health status and subsequently cleared him because he continues to have no Covid associated symptoms,” government spokesman John-Thomas Dipowe said.
Reuters report that new coronavirus infections have risen in the southern African country since the detection of the Omicron variant late last year, from fewer than 300 every three days before Omicron to an average of more than 2,500.Reuters report that new coronavirus infections have risen in the southern African country since the detection of the Omicron variant late last year, from fewer than 300 every three days before Omicron to an average of more than 2,500.
But health officials say there has not been a feared surge in hospitalisations. Botswana has fully vaccinated nearly three quarters of its eligible population of around 1.3 million people.But health officials say there has not been a feared surge in hospitalisations. Botswana has fully vaccinated nearly three quarters of its eligible population of around 1.3 million people.
The suggestion doing the rounds from journalists on Twitter is that we should have been enjoying the company of transport secretary Grant Shapps this morning. The government has instead opted not to put a minister forward.The suggestion doing the rounds from journalists on Twitter is that we should have been enjoying the company of transport secretary Grant Shapps this morning. The government has instead opted not to put a minister forward.
Here’s more from Angela Rayner on Sky News. Labour’s deputy leader said:Here’s more from Angela Rayner on Sky News. Labour’s deputy leader said:
Some speculation from political journalist Paul Waugh here about how Boris Johnson might attempt to defuse the situation today.Some speculation from political journalist Paul Waugh here about how Boris Johnson might attempt to defuse the situation today.
Here are some of the early quotes from Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner on Sky News. She said:Here are some of the early quotes from Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner on Sky News. She said:
She said that Keir Starmer, Labour’s leader, had tested negative for Covid yesterday, and so, provided he tested negative again this morning, would be taking PMQs against Boris Johnson rather than her.She said that Keir Starmer, Labour’s leader, had tested negative for Covid yesterday, and so, provided he tested negative again this morning, would be taking PMQs against Boris Johnson rather than her.
There’s been a rather weird interlude on Sky News in the UK where they were trying to interview a part-time GP Fui Mee Queck who wanted to explain why she didn’t want to take the vaccine, but she appeared to cut the interview abruptly short over the line of questioning that Kay Burley was taking. So they then immediately went to an improvised sofa chat with Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner, who started talking about the British prime minister’s failure to come clean over 10 Downing Street parties as “shameful”. I’ll have some quotes from that in due course.There’s been a rather weird interlude on Sky News in the UK where they were trying to interview a part-time GP Fui Mee Queck who wanted to explain why she didn’t want to take the vaccine, but she appeared to cut the interview abruptly short over the line of questioning that Kay Burley was taking. So they then immediately went to an improvised sofa chat with Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner, who started talking about the British prime minister’s failure to come clean over 10 Downing Street parties as “shameful”. I’ll have some quotes from that in due course.
In the UK, the opposition Labour deputy leader has said Boris Johnson’s position would be “untenable” if it is proved that he had attended parties in contravention to lockdown rules.In the UK, the opposition Labour deputy leader has said Boris Johnson’s position would be “untenable” if it is proved that he had attended parties in contravention to lockdown rules.
Angela Rayner told BBC Breakfast: “It is very simple for me, I’ve been asking the prime minister for the last couple of days, you just have to say, were you at this party or not on 20 May?”Angela Rayner told BBC Breakfast: “It is very simple for me, I’ve been asking the prime minister for the last couple of days, you just have to say, were you at this party or not on 20 May?”
“He can clear this up very quickly and he has refused to do so, so far, and he has really undermined the office of prime minister by letting this carry on and continue because he refuses to tell the British public what they deserve to hear, and that’s whether or not he broke the lockdown rules and whether he was at this party or not.”“He can clear this up very quickly and he has refused to do so, so far, and he has really undermined the office of prime minister by letting this carry on and continue because he refuses to tell the British public what they deserve to hear, and that’s whether or not he broke the lockdown rules and whether he was at this party or not.”
Asked whether Labour would call for Johnson to resign, Rayner said: “Boris Johnson has to account for his actions and the ministerial code is very clear that if he has misled Parliament and he has not abided by that code, then he should go.”Asked whether Labour would call for Johnson to resign, Rayner said: “Boris Johnson has to account for his actions and the ministerial code is very clear that if he has misled Parliament and he has not abided by that code, then he should go.”
She added that if it proved he had “lied to the British public, lied to parliament and he has attended parties during lockdown, then his position is untenable”.She added that if it proved he had “lied to the British public, lied to parliament and he has attended parties during lockdown, then his position is untenable”.
In Australia, state and territory leaders will consider relaxing isolation requirements for the trucking and logistics sector, as the prime minister, Scott Morrison, calls for patience over the country’s disrupted supply chains.In Australia, state and territory leaders will consider relaxing isolation requirements for the trucking and logistics sector, as the prime minister, Scott Morrison, calls for patience over the country’s disrupted supply chains.
With estimates from industry that between 20% and 50% of the transport and logistics workforce is currently out of action as a result of Covid exposure, the government is also pushing for national cabinet to agree to scrap testing requirements for border crossings.With estimates from industry that between 20% and 50% of the transport and logistics workforce is currently out of action as a result of Covid exposure, the government is also pushing for national cabinet to agree to scrap testing requirements for border crossings.
The federal government is also set to allow international students to work more than 40 hours a fortnight in affected sectors, in an attempt to ease workforce pressures in critical industries.The federal government is also set to allow international students to work more than 40 hours a fortnight in affected sectors, in an attempt to ease workforce pressures in critical industries.
After urgent talks with industry groups and unions on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, Morrison convened a meeting of the national coordinating mechanism on Wednesday, which was also attended by senior ministers and the heads of the infrastructure, treasury and health departments.After urgent talks with industry groups and unions on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, Morrison convened a meeting of the national coordinating mechanism on Wednesday, which was also attended by senior ministers and the heads of the infrastructure, treasury and health departments.
Morrison said that the challenge being posed by escalating case numbers linked to the Omicron outbreak was “keeping things moving”.Morrison said that the challenge being posed by escalating case numbers linked to the Omicron outbreak was “keeping things moving”.
“That’s what riding this wave of Covid means, and of course … with so many cases appearing every day and that expected to continue until its peak, this will have an obvious impact right across our supply chains,” he said.“That’s what riding this wave of Covid means, and of course … with so many cases appearing every day and that expected to continue until its peak, this will have an obvious impact right across our supply chains,” he said.
Read more of Sarah Martin’s report: Isolation rules may be relaxed for transport workers as Scott Morrison asks for patience on shortagesRead more of Sarah Martin’s report: Isolation rules may be relaxed for transport workers as Scott Morrison asks for patience on shortages
A very quick snap from Reuters here, that Kyrgyzstan’s healthcare ministry has said it had confirmed the Central Asian nation’s first cases of the Omicron variant.A very quick snap from Reuters here, that Kyrgyzstan’s healthcare ministry has said it had confirmed the Central Asian nation’s first cases of the Omicron variant.