Covid-19: Record GCSE results and economy rebounds as restrictions easeon August 12, 2021 at 3:50 pm

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

GCSE students have received another set of record grades, in the second year of Covid disruption to exams in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Top grades (7/As and above) rose to 28.9% from 26.2% last year, while grades 4/Cs and above – seen as passes – rose to 77.1% up from 76.3%. Instead of exams, teachers submitted grades for the more than half a million pupils on GCSE courses this year. Exams regulators said the process has been fair and thorough, while some students told us of their relief at getting their grades.

The UK economy grew by 4.8% between April and June as most businesses emerged from lockdown. Data from the Office for National Statistics showed that the expansion in gross domestic product (GDP) was fuelled by retail, restaurants and hotels. Education also boosted the economy as schools reopened in the second quarter. However, the figure was slightly below the 5% the Bank of England expected. The UK economy is now 4.4% smaller than it was before the pandemic. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “The economy and our public finances have experienced a significant shock. It is going to take us time to fully recover from that.”

The UK holiday recovery is lagging behind the rest of Europe, partly due to uncertainty over shifting travel restrictions, Europe’s biggest travel firm has said. Tui chief executive Friedrich Joussen said frequent UK rule changes had deterred people. He also said the cost of PCR tests for Covid would also be putting off customers. The UK government has consistently said that travel restrictions are needed to combat the Covid pandemic. Meanwhile a law firm representing travellers is challenging the UK’s quarantine hotel policy and seeking a judicial review. Currently, passengers must spend 11 nights in quarantine hotels on returning from red list countries, despite being fully vaccinated and testing negative for Covid. On Thursday, the cost of staying in a quarantine hotel jumped from £1,750 to £2,285. London-based firm PGMBM’s managing partner Tom Goodhead called hotel quarantine “a fundamental breach of human rights”.

The Australian capital Canberra is going into a snap one-week lockdown after recording its first case of Covid-19 in more than a year. The lockdown was called for the whole of the Australian Capital Territory – home to around 400,000 people – because authorities do not know how the infected person caught the virus. Residents will only be able to leave home for essential reasons. Queues were reported at supermarkets as the lockdown approached. Australia is struggling to get on top of the highly infectious Delta strain, which has resulted in two of its largest cities – Sydney and Melbourne – going into strict lockdowns.

Gypsies and travellers are arriving at Appleby in Cumbria as the annual horse fair gets under way for the first time since the pandemic. Tens of thousands are expected at the event, which is normally held in June but was postponed this year, and cancelled in 2020, due to Covid. Some businesses in the town have decided to close over fears the fair may prompt a rise in Covid cases. Organisers say pop-up clinics are being made available for those who have not yet been vaccinated.

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As the UK’s vaccine rollout out continues down the age groups, here’s our explainer on which teenagers can now get the vaccine.

Find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.

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