Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday morning.
Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday morning. We’ll have another update for you this evening.
Ministers are stepping up calls for people to accept a coronavirus vaccination as soon as they are offered one, especially in Indian variant hotspots. Health Secretary Matt Hancock is urging people to “look at… Bolton” where he says most people in hospital had chosen not to have the jab. MP Yasmin Qureshi argues her area was slow to receive appropriate vaccine infrastructure.
image copyrightPA Media
The UK’s unemployment rate fell to 4.8% in the three months to March, from 4.9% previously, amid “early signs of recovery” in the jobs market, the Office for National Statistics says. Its figures also show the number of workers on payrolls increased by 97,000 between March and April, although the total is still 772,000 fewer than before the pandemic.
image copyrightReuters
A number of UK universities are preparing to keep lectures online into the autumn term, it’s emerged, with many anticipating a blend of online and in-person study. It will prompt more questions about fee refunds, with students calling the plans “unacceptable”.
image copyrightReuters
A decision on whether key workers with “long Covid” should get compensation could take more than a year, government advisers say. More than 120,000 healthcare workers are thought to remain ill months after contracting coronavirus. Asad Khan tells us he’s been off work for nearly six months with a number of debilitating symptoms, having treated patients using an “abysmal” level of personal protective equipment.
image copyrightDr Asad Khan
The easing of restrictions has paved the way for some emotional reunions. Front-line NHS worker Viv Hudson hadn’t hugged her daughter, Theresa, for over a year. She describes how it felt.
You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.
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