This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60856179
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Covid: Wales' mask law to end in shops and watchdog reports on testing contracts | Covid: Wales' mask law to end in shops and watchdog reports on testing contracts |
| (6 months later) | |
| Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday morning. | Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday morning. |
| 1. Wales' mask law to end in shops, but not NHS | 1. Wales' mask law to end in shops, but not NHS |
| Rules requiring people to wear face coverings in shops, on buses and trains in Wales will not be extended beyond Monday. Earlier this week, the Welsh government said it might delay the planned 28 March end to restrictions but it has decided to restrict the mask requirement to just health and social care settings. Self-isolation rules will be scrapped and PCR tests will no longer be available, although rapid tests are expected to remain free until June. More on when lateral flow testing around the UK here. | Rules requiring people to wear face coverings in shops, on buses and trains in Wales will not be extended beyond Monday. Earlier this week, the Welsh government said it might delay the planned 28 March end to restrictions but it has decided to restrict the mask requirement to just health and social care settings. Self-isolation rules will be scrapped and PCR tests will no longer be available, although rapid tests are expected to remain free until June. More on when lateral flow testing around the UK here. |
| 2. 'Gaps in audit trail' of Covid testing contracts | 2. 'Gaps in audit trail' of Covid testing contracts |
| The government failed to fully document how it decided to award Covid testing contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds to health company Randox, the National Audit Office says. The watchdog accepts ministers were acting quickly in exceptional circumstances and found no evidence Department of Health contracts had been awarded improperly. But the probe criticises "gaps in the audit trail", with Labour accusing the government of acting "fast and loose". Former health secretary Matt Hancock said the report "confirms a total clean bill of health on ministers' work". | The government failed to fully document how it decided to award Covid testing contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds to health company Randox, the National Audit Office says. The watchdog accepts ministers were acting quickly in exceptional circumstances and found no evidence Department of Health contracts had been awarded improperly. But the probe criticises "gaps in the audit trail", with Labour accusing the government of acting "fast and loose". Former health secretary Matt Hancock said the report "confirms a total clean bill of health on ministers' work". |
| When Covid hit, ministers had to scale up testing capacity | When Covid hit, ministers had to scale up testing capacity |
| 3. Persistent cough may be TB, not Covid - doctor | 3. Persistent cough may be TB, not Covid - doctor |
| Anyone with a persistent cough and fever should not automatically assume it is Covid - and should consider other infectious illnesses like tuberculosis (TB), the UK's top public health doctor says. Dr Jenny Harries' warning comes as provisional data shows there were 4,430 TB cases recorded in England in 2021, despite sharp declines in recent years. | Anyone with a persistent cough and fever should not automatically assume it is Covid - and should consider other infectious illnesses like tuberculosis (TB), the UK's top public health doctor says. Dr Jenny Harries' warning comes as provisional data shows there were 4,430 TB cases recorded in England in 2021, despite sharp declines in recent years. |
| An X-ray showing signs of tuberculosis | An X-ray showing signs of tuberculosis |
| 4. Motorist drove into man after fight over face mask | 4. Motorist drove into man after fight over face mask |
| A man has been jailed for nine months for driving his car into another motorist, after attacking him in a petrol station for not wearing a face mask. Darren Smith, 47, admitted assault and dangerous driving at Morrisons in Caerphilly. "He looked at my Covid exemption badge, said something I didn't fully understand and then headbutted me," victim Stephen Callaghan says. | A man has been jailed for nine months for driving his car into another motorist, after attacking him in a petrol station for not wearing a face mask. Darren Smith, 47, admitted assault and dangerous driving at Morrisons in Caerphilly. "He looked at my Covid exemption badge, said something I didn't fully understand and then headbutted me," victim Stephen Callaghan says. |
| This video can not be played | This video can not be played |
| To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. |
| Shopper Stephen Callaghan was headbutted and run down as he left a petrol station | Shopper Stephen Callaghan was headbutted and run down as he left a petrol station |
| Shopper Stephen Callaghan was headbutted and run down as he left a petrol station | Shopper Stephen Callaghan was headbutted and run down as he left a petrol station |
| 5. UK's rainfall records rescued by lockdown volunteers | 5. UK's rainfall records rescued by lockdown volunteers |
| A project launched in the first days of the March 2020 lockdown asked people to while away the hours by helping to digitise a series of pre-1960 weather records form the UK Met Office archive. In just 16 days, the British public raced through 66,000 scanned paper sheets, with 5.4 million individual rainfall observations - each recorded four times for quality control purposes. And now meteorologists say it will help us understand climate change. Find out more. | A project launched in the first days of the March 2020 lockdown asked people to while away the hours by helping to digitise a series of pre-1960 weather records form the UK Met Office archive. In just 16 days, the British public raced through 66,000 scanned paper sheets, with 5.4 million individual rainfall observations - each recorded four times for quality control purposes. And now meteorologists say it will help us understand climate change. Find out more. |
| Met Office archivist Catherine Ross says the digitisation project was a Herculean task | Met Office archivist Catherine Ross says the digitisation project was a Herculean task |
| Get a longer daily news briefing from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning, by signing up here. | Get a longer daily news briefing from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning, by signing up here. |
| And don't forget... | And don't forget... |
| You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page. | You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page. |
| The provision of free lateral flow tests ends soon for most of us. Find out how long you will still be able to get them in your area - and how you can buy them once you run out. | The provision of free lateral flow tests ends soon for most of us. Find out how long you will still be able to get them in your area - and how you can buy them once you run out. |
| What questions do you have about coronavirus? | What questions do you have about coronavirus? |
| In some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy. | In some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy. |
| Use this form to ask your question: | Use this form to ask your question: |
| If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in. | If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in. |
| WHAT'S THE COST OF STARDOM?: Brand new drama staring Nicôle Lecky (Sasha) a 25-year-old wannabe singer and rapper | WHAT'S THE COST OF STARDOM?: Brand new drama staring Nicôle Lecky (Sasha) a 25-year-old wannabe singer and rapper |
| FROM NORWAY TO AUSTRALIA: Four fascinating places that are unfortunately out of bounds for all of us | FROM NORWAY TO AUSTRALIA: Four fascinating places that are unfortunately out of bounds for all of us |
| Related Topics | |
| Coronavirus pandemic |