Covid: How TV briefings shaped the pandemic, and faith groups in Wales react to mask law changeon February 27, 2022 at 7:47 am

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

Two years ago, few would have been able to name the UK’s government chief medical adviser and chief scientific adviser. But with dozens of Downing Street TV briefings broadcast to keep the public updated on the pandemic, Sir Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance are now household names. Deducing their thought processes was vital to an understanding of the evolution of Covid. So what did we learn?

From Monday the requirement to wear face coverings in Wales will be removed from most indoor public places, apart from retail, public transport and health and care settings. However, religious leaders across the country have said worshippers are welcome to keep wearing face masks. Some will even be encouraging congregations to do so in order to stop Covid-19 spreading. Read more about the new Covid rules for Wales.

The National Farmers’ Union has said 40,000 pigs have been culled because of a lack of butchers, with the industry facing its “biggest crisis” in at least 25 years. Part of the problem has been caused by Covid, which led to markets for pork, particularly in the Chinese market, drying up. Red tape has also been blamed for stopping foreign butchers coming into the country.

“He helped me through my problems, helped me to get my benefits sorted out, because I really wasn’t aware of anything at that time,” Steve, 75, says. Life was looking bleak for Steve until a specialist link worker in his GP practice helped him with the social causes behind his poor mental health. The city of Aberdeen is one of the few places in Scotland that has a link worker in every GP practice. The idea is to connect patients to the right support for problems such as finances, housing and isolation and free up GPs to deal with medical problems. Dr Alasdair Jamieson, who has been a GP for more than 30 years, said mental health problems “were increasing before the pandemic and they’re going to increase further”. Read more about how coronavirus has affected mental health.

Businesses were hit hard by the impact of restrictions across the UK as governments tried to curb the spread of the virus. Now, the Scottish government is hopeful that its new economic strategy – to be launched on Tuesday – can deliver growth over the next 10 years that “significantly outperforms the last decade”. Finance Secretary Kate Forbes said the new blueprint will take “decisive steps towards the creation of new, well-paid, green jobs”. Ms Forbes said: “In the next decade, Scotland faces a choice to either lead or to lag behind other successful economies all whilst we recover from Covid, deliver net zero, tackle structural inequalities and grow our economy. We choose to lead.” Meanwhile, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has unveiled the Scottish government’s revised plans for tackling Covid. Here’s how the rules will change.

Get a longer daily news briefing from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning, by signing up here.

You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.

Wondering if you’re due another booster jab? Find out who is getting one.

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.

Use this form to ask your question: