Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday evening.
Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday evening. We’ll have another update for you tomorrow morning.
1. Tesco shoppers and staff encouraged to keep wearing masks
Supermarket Tesco said it would encourage shoppers and staff to continue to wear masks after Plan B rules were relaxed in England on Thursday. Sainsbury’s and John Lewis have done the same, while Asda said people should consider wearing one in crowded spaces. Face masks are no longer legally required in public spaces in England, but the government is still advising people to wear them in enclosed or crowded spaces and when meeting strangers.
Image source, Getty Images
2. Sue Gray’s parties report to be published in full, PM confirms
Boris Johnson has promised that the official report into parties held in Downing Street during lockdown will be published “in full”. But the prime minister said he did not know when senior civil servant Sue Gray’s findings would come out. Her findings are said to be undergoing checks by lawyers and human resources experts before they can be handed to the government. Mr Johnson said he will address MPs in Parliament once he has the report.
Image source, Reuters
3. Chris Whitty attacker jailed for eight weeks
A man has been jailed for eight weeks after he accosted Prof Sir Chris Whitty in a central London park. Jonathan Chew, 24, and Lewis Hughes, 24, approached England’s chief medical officer in St James’s Park last June. Appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Chew, from Chelmsford, Essex, pleaded guilty to a charge of intending to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Chew, who also admitted obstructing a police officer, was ordered to pay £1,058 in costs and compensation. Hughes was previously sentenced for assault by beating.
Image source, PA Media
4. Plastic PPE to be recycled in waste-reduction project
Hundreds of tonnes of plastic personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks and gloves could be recycled as part of a new waste-reduction project. Since the start of the pandemic, about 8.4 million tonnes of plastic PPE waste has been generated from 193 countries. The majority ends up in landfill or, in some areas, dumped at sea. But it’s hoped a new project will develop cost- and energy-efficient recycling and repurposing that could be adopted globally.
Image source, Getty Images
5. Man spent most of £50,000 Covid loan on drugs
A man has been given a six-year bankruptcy order after spending most of a £50,000 Covid loan on drugs. Louis Glyn Maxwell, 35, obtained the Bounce Back Loan in August 2020 after overstating his projected income for his company, Mr Tow Recovery Logistics. Mr Maxwell, from Newport, spent about £22,000 of the loan on a tow truck, but the rest on Class A drugs. He later sold the truck to buy more drugs. He cannot borrow more than £500 without disclosing his bankrupt status.
Image source, Getty Images
And there’s more…
The rules on masks and Covid passes have changed in England – find out the current rules across the UK here.
And there’s more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.
Image source, BBC
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