Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Sunday morning.
Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Sunday morning. We’ll have another update for you on Monday morning.
People over the age of 40 in Scotland are being urged to have their second Covid jab as soon as possible. The UK vaccines committee has recommended shortening the interval between jabs from 12 to eight weeks, amid a rising number of cases of the Delta variant. The Scottish government has said anyone in that age group who has a scheduled appointment more than eight weeks after their first jab should seek an earlier slot. Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Boards are boosting their capacity to administer second doses alongside the delivery of first doses to younger cohorts and appointments are now being issued in accordance with the new recommendation of an eight week gap.” You can read more about the impact of the Delta variant, first identified in India, here.
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The government must “be cautious” in deciding whether to end all Covid restrictions in England on 21 June, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said. Details of the next stage in the roadmap out of lockdown are due to be announced on Monday. But Mr Johnson warned that hospitals admissions were increasing, in part fuelled by the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant. The prime minister told the BBC it was important any easing of restrictions was “irreversible”. Our health correspondent Nick Triggle explains, while infection rates were always expected to rise at this point, the current trajectory is steeper than government scientists had hoped.
Couples preparing to wed are among those who could be affected by England’s unlocking being delayed. Sian Holmes and Daniel Whiteley have planned a 54-guest wedding on 25 June. However, the couple from Liverpool will lose “thousands of pounds” if the 30-person cap isn’t lifted from 21 June, as had been planned. Miss Holmes said she “struggled to understand the disparity” in rules between weddings and larger sporting events. “It’s not just a party. It is an important life event for people to celebrate together.”
A pop-up Covid vaccine clinic in Sheffield reached capacity shortly after opening – prompting officials to ask people not to attend. Over-18s were invited to attend no-appointment drop-in sessions at the Crucible Theatre on Saturday. An online post advertising the clinic, open between 09:00 and 14:00 BST, was shared thousands of times.
Disruption in the global container shipping industry could lead to shortages in the run-up to Christmas, industry experts have said. In what is the latest in a series of severe setbacks for the industry, an outbreak of Covid-19 in Guangdong province in southern China has caused acute congestion at the region’s ports. It means shipments have been delayed, exacerbating tensions within global supply chains. The knock-on effects could take many months to resolve.
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Uncertainty hangs over plans to lift the last of the UK’s restrictions. Find out about the roadmap for lifting lockdown.
Find further information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.
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