Covid: Sue Gray updated report promise and measles warning as restrictions lifton February 1, 2022 at 7:51 am

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

After Boris Johnson initially declined to answer whether the Sue Gray report into lockdown parties in Downing Street would be published in full, No 10 later said an updated one will be made public. The update to the initial 12-page report, which found “failures of leadership”, will not emerge until the police investigation into 12 of the 16 gatherings concludes. While the wait continues and amid the angry backlash – including from some of his own MPs and his predecessor Theresa May – the prime minister reassured his Tory colleagues and promised a shake-up of how No 10 is run. Here’s what our political editor Laura Kuenssberg has to say on the situation.

Measles cases have plummeted during the Covid pandemic, largely due to social distancing and less travel. But the UK Health Security Agency’s concerned it could make a comeback in the unvaccinated when restrictions are fully lifted. Measles is more contagious than Covid and can cause serious disease, and uptake of the MMR vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella is the lowest for a decade. It’s almost 10% below the target recommended to stop a resurgence. Read more here.

Vaccination should be a personal choice, says LOu Moser, a ceramic artist who hasn’t had the Covid jab. She lives in the south of Vienna, where, like the rest of Austria, a new law makes vaccination against Covid-19 compulsory for anyone over 18. Vaccine mandates aren’t usual – the UK has one for care home staff, although one for NHS staff in England is due to be scrapped – but Austria is the first country in Europe to introduce such sweeping measures. Here’s the story.

As many as three billion trips are made across China for the Lunar New Year but celebrations have been dampened down for another year due to coronavirus. Resurgent virus outbreaks have forced many to cancel their plans as China pursues a zero-Covid strategy, enforcing strict measures.

Travel testing restrictions for fully-vaccinated people will soon be removed in the UK, and airlines and tour operators are racing to recruit staff. So is this the summer where travel gets back to normal? Find out here.

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Confused about when to wear a face covering? Here’s the lowdown on the latest rules.

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