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Government faces 'certain' defeat on Coronavirus Act, says Steve Baker

Steve Baker, the Chairman of the ERG, leaving a Cabinet Meeting at Downing Street. - Jeff Gilbert
Steve Baker, the Chairman of the ERG, leaving a Cabinet Meeting at Downing Street. - Jeff Gilbert
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter

The Government is facing "certain" defeat on the Coronavirus Act provided that a Tory rebellion is supported by opposition MPs, a leading Conservative backbencher has said.

Steve Baker has said that he is sure that there will be enough support to force through an amendment which would force Boris Johnson to put all future lockdown measures to a vote in the House of Commons.

"It’s all about MPs having a vote on the Government's policy before it comes into force and takes away people’s civil liberties," Mr Baker told Sky's Sophy Ridge.

“I back Boris Johnson, I want him to succeed. But we do need to share with the Government the burden of decision on these measures and not just come in days or weeks later voting retrospectively on measures that may have then been amended. It’s been a nonsense."

In all, 42 Tory MPs have backed an amendment tabled by 1922 Committee chairman, Sir Graham Brady to require a new Parliament vote as soon as possible on new powers. Mr Baker described the amendment as a "modest proposal".


04:34 PM

What happened today

Good evening. Here are the main coronavirus developments from today:

Follow the latest coronavirus updates in Monday's live blog.


04:27 PM

Poland follows Sweden into the UK's 'red zone' as second wave spreads

With cases rising, Poland has now joined Sweden in entering the 'red zone' of the system used by the UK to determine whether a country is taken off its quarantine-exempt list, writes Annabel Fenwick Elliott.

Countries in which the number of infections surpasses 20 per 100,000 citizens over seven days risk losing their air corridor status under the FCDO's guidance.

People wear protective face masks and seat according to social distance rules during a Theatre performance part of the 33rd edition of Street Theatre Festival at Krakow's UNESCO listed Main Square on September 04, 2020 in Krakow, Poland. - Omar Marques/Getty Images Europe

Poland today reached 20.1, while Sweden has seen its case rate double in the past week to 26.3. 

As it stands, Spain leads with by far the highest rate of 162.9. In Italy, currently at 19.1, there has been a slow, steady increase rather than a spike. Greece is at 21, Portugal at 47.8, and the UK is at 58.4.


04:21 PM

Children's immune systems better equipped to deal with coronavirus, research shows

The immune systems of children react to the novel coronavirus more rapidly than the immune systems of adults, meaning they are affected much less severely by the disease, writes Marcus Parekh.

A new study published in Science Translational Medicine shows that the immune system of children is evolved to protect the body against unfamiliar pathogens by rapidly destroying them before they have the chance to harm the body. In the more developed immune system of adults, the response to new pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, is muted.

When the human body detects a foreign pathogen, an innate immune response is triggered, whereby the immune system begins to attack and overwhelm the invader. Children are more likely to encounter pathogens new to their immune system, meaning their innate defence system responds more quickly.

“The bottom line is, yes, children do respond differently immunologically to this virus, and it seems to be protecting the kids,” said Dr. Betsy Herold, a pediatric infectious disease expert at New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine who led the study.

Read the full story here.


04:16 PM

NHS app downloaded more than 10 million times, says Matt Hancock

More than 10 million people have downloaded the NHS Covid-19 app since it launched on Thursday, the Health Secretary has said.

Matt Hancock said on social media it was an "absolutely fantastic" response so far, and urged more people to download it.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said six million people had downloaded the app the first day it launched, which had since risen to 10 million by midday on Sunday.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) contact tracing smartphone app of Britain's National Health Service (NHS) is displayed on an iPhone in this illustration photograph taken in Keele, Britain - Carl Recine/Reuters

At least 1.5 million check-ins at venues were recorded on Saturday, while more than 460,000 businesses have downloaded and printed QR code posters that can be scanned.

Mr Hancock said: "The enthusiastic response of over 10 million people downloading the app in just three days has been absolutely fantastic.

"If you haven't downloaded it yet I recommend you join the growing numbers who have, to protect yourself and your loved ones."


04:02 PM

Work from home: One-third would work remotely forever if they could, research finds

The Government’s drive to get workers back to the office was dealt two fresh blows earlier this month - by research that showed productivity had stayed stable, and a rise in cases that caused ministers to reinstate 'work from home' guidance.

Not that every worker will mind. A survey of more than 2,000 Britons carried out by Fisherman's Friend found that 34 per cent of employees would work from home permanently if they could.

The findings support top employers' expectations that 37 per cent will work from home regularly post-pandemic. Three in ten younger workers are dreading the return of office life, the research found, while 46 per cent of older works relish the prospect of no more Christmas parties.


03:46 PM

The most wonderful time of the year? What a Covid Christmas could look like

It may be too early to put up the Christmas tree, but that doesn't mean Christmas isn't on the minds of many Britons. It will be here before we know it, but it's clear Christmas 2020 will be unlike any other, writes Yolanthe Fawehinmi.

The Government has announced yet another fresh wave of lockdown rules following a rapid increase in coronavirus cases in the UK.

In addition to the 'rule of six', which bans social gatherings of more than six people, Britons will face new curfews for hospitality venues, stricter face mask requirements and pleas to work from home if possible from later this week. But how long is it expected to last?  

Telegraph journalist Nick Curtis takes part in a Covid compliant version of the Santa School - Heathcliff O'Malley

"Unless we palpably make progress, we should assume that the restrictions I have announced will stay in place for six months," Boris Johnson said on Tuesday. 

In wake of the coroanvirus pandemic, life events and traditions have cancelled, postponed or tweaked - from weddings to graduations and most recently Rosh Hashanah.  The 'rule of six' and social gathering makes family gatherings strenuous, and Christmas is no exemption. 

Read the full story here.


03:32 PM

France coronavirus news: Alarm over spread of Covid-19 in schools and universities

Schools and universities have become a major source of new Covid-19 infections in France, accounting for about a third of clusters detected in the past few days, David Chazan reports from Paris.

Until last week, many of the country’s new coronavirus cases had originated in workplaces. But Public Health France says the spread of Covid-19 is now accelerating faster in schools and universities, with 285 clusters compared with 195 in workplaces.

Many teachers have complained that restrictions have been eased in schools and universities while they are being tightened for bars, rest and social gatherings.

Students of the Pantheon university wearing face masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus attend a class in Paris - Michel Euler/AP

The government, however, says only 19 schools are now closed because pupils or staff have caught the virus, compared with about 2,000 ten days ago. Jean-Michel Blanquer, the education minister, said: “This indicates that barrier measures are working and rules are being followed.”

The official figures group schools and universities together, but doctors are demanding a separate tally for universities. They argue that students are more likely to transmit the virus than schoolchildren and the start of the university term has increased the risk.

Read the full story here.


03:25 PM

Revellers take to the streets as the 10pm curfew kicks in

The 10pm curfew appeared to cause confusion at the weekend, as revellers took to the streets following early pub closures, reports Lucinda Borrell.

Following additional restrictions brought in last week to curb the spread of Covid-19, bars and restaurants must close early. Impromptu street parties across the country followed.

Footage and photos shot in Liverpool City Centre showed spontaneous crowds gathering outside off licences and taking to the streets to socialise. 

The city’s mayor has criticised this behaviour and claimed Government restrictions were making the spread of the virus worse. 

Liverpool Police confirmed that a gathering had taken place, but thanked people for moving on quickly when asked to leave the area.

Read the full story here.


03:17 PM

UK coronavirus cases today: 5,693 new infections confirmed

A further 5,693 infections have been recorded across all settings in the UK as of 9am today, the Department for Health has confirmed.

The Department for Health has also confirmed 17 deaths with coronavirus within 28 days of a positive test.

The UK's caseload now stands at 434,969, with its official death toll at 41,988.

Two-hundred and sixty-six patients have been admitted to hospital within the most recent 24 hour period, taking the number in hospital to 1,727.


03:08 PM

Wales lockdown areas now cover half of local authorities

Half of the local authorities in Wales will soon be subject to local lockdown measures as three more counties are to be subject to new regional restrictions.

Neath Port Talbot, Vale of Glamorgan and Torfaen will join an array of other affected areas when the new rules come into force from 6pm tomorrow.

A couple wearing protective face coverings, walk through the city in the late summer sunshine in Cardiff, south Wales on September 27, 2020, during preparations for the reinstatement of a lock-down, ahead of a 6pm deadline, as new restrictions are introduced to combat the spread of the coronavirus covid-19 - Geoff Caddick/AFP

The rules include a 10pm curfew on hospitality settings, residents not being able to enter or leave their areas without a reasonable excuse, households not being able to mix in houses, pubs or elsewhere without a good reason, and all over-11s having to wear face coverings in public outdoor places.

Measures also come into force in Cardiff and Swansea from 6pm tonight.

Mark Drakeford, the Welsh First Minister, said the "difficult decision" was taken in an effort to "protect people's health and to try and break the chain of transmission and stop the situation from getting worse".


02:39 PM

Bubonic plague: Three-year-old in China suspected to have disease

A three-year-old boy in China’s southwest Yunnan Province is suspected to have the bubonic plague, the state's Global Times newspaper has reported.

The case is the only one detected so far as per reports from local officials in Menghai county. It said that the infection was found during a regional screening after three rats were found dead for unknown reasons in a village.

Menghai county has started a level four emergency response to prevent the spread of the disease, the newspaper said.

China in July confirmed a case of bubonic plague in the northern province of Inner Mongolia.


02:16 PM

UK coronavirus deaths: 17 more deaths in English hospitals

A further 17 deaths among those who had tested positive for Covid-19 have been recorded in English hospitals, NHS England has confirmed this afternoon.

All patients were between the ages of 49 and 93, and all but one patient, who was aged 59, had known underlying health conditions. The deaths took place between September 21 and September 26.

The UK's caseload and death toll across all settings will be updated later today.


02:05 PM

Something for the weekend

Here are some of the best and brightest reads from across The Telegraph today:

The charming hilltop towns in Italy where you won't see another tourist

A wide view of the Civita di Bagnoregio city in the centre of Italy.  - Laura Zulian Photography

Ondine Cohane has a stupendous selection of unexpected Italian gems that offer an escape from the crowds, as Italy continues to offer quarantine-free travel.

Why it's time for cinemas to crack on

Cinema-goers at Showcase Cinema in Bluewater Shopping Centre, Dartford, Britain - Will Oliver/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Our resident film critic Robbie Collin argues that hardly any Covid cases have been linked to cinemas - and that it's time for Hollywood to reward public support.

And how Covid could change our houses by 2030

Self-cleaning wardrobes. Mirrors that check health. And toilets that monitor your dietary habits... Harry de Quetteville has more on how Covid could change the way we live.


01:45 PM

2021 Scotland election could be delayed due to coronavirus

Crucial Holyrood elections due to take place next May could be axed due to the coronavirus pandemic, reports our Scottish correspondent Daniel Sanderson.

Contingency plans are being drawn up which would see the vote, currently scheduled for May 6, delayed for several months, potentially until autumn next year.

John Swinney, the deputy first minister, said that  it remains the hope that the Scottish election will go ahead as planned. However, discussions about alternative arrangements are underway between ministers, opposition parties, as well as Electoral Commission and Holyrood officials.

First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon wears a Tartan mask as she visits New Look at Fort Kinnaird Retail Park, in Edinburgh, Scotland June 26, 2020. - Jeff J Mitchell/Pool via Reuters

The possibility of conducting the election by postal vote only, meaning there would be no polling stations on election day, is also believed to be under consideration.

The vote is seen as potentially the most important in the history of devolution, with Nicola Sturgeon to include a commitment to holding a second independence referendum in the SNP’s manifesto. 

While Boris Johnson has insisted he would not allow a repeat of the 2014 vote to take place, a resounding majority victory for the SNP would see him face intense calls to reconsider.


01:34 PM

Israel coronavirus cases surge as officials advise caution

Israeli officials have today pleaded with the public to adhere to lockdown measures ahead of Yom Kippur, which is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

A total of more than 9,200 cases were recorded in Israel on Saturday, with Haaretz reporting that measures intended to isolate religious scholars have not worked as intended, with around 340 students at one yeshiva testing positive.

An Israeli man walks in a closed market as Israel imposes a second nationwide coronavirus disease - Corinna Kern/Reuters

The Israeli health ministry yesterday reported that the current case positivity rate is 13.7 per cent, with 750 people reported to be in a critical condition.

Intensive care director Dr. Eliyahu Sorkin has highlighted that 40 per cent of the most seriously ill patients with Covid-19 in Israel are now between the ages of 19 and 50.

And despite being the first major country to impose a second nationwide lockdown, Israel is poised to make several restrictions even tougher.


01:17 PM

10pm curfew 'making things worse not better', claims Liverpool Mayor

The Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson has pointed to busy scenes at kicking-out time in the Merseyside city last night.

Mr Anderson said that "the 10pm closure of pubs and restaurants is simply making things worse not better".

New restrictions applied to Merseyside and other North-West areas include a rule that forbids residents from socialising with other households in gardens or homes.

Liverpool City Council said on Friday that 1,100 new cases had been logged in the city within the last week.


01:04 PM

Netherlands coronavirus cases reach new record high

The single-day coronavirus caseload in the Netherlands has reached a record high, with health authorities confirming 2,995 new infections.

Coronavirus infections have reached record levels on a number of occasions since mid-September, with a previous high of 2,777 reported on Friday.

Eight new deaths with Covid-19 have also been logged, taking the Netherlands' death toll to 6,374.

A warning sign to keep distance in a bar in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 26 September 2020 - Ramon van Flymen/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

More than 100 people are in intensive care with Covid-19 in the Netherlands for the first time since June.

As the Amsterdam-Amstelland Safety Region prepares stricter new measures. Dutch society is divided over the country's Covid curbs. A significant minority would like all restrictions lifted but others feel that the existing rules do not go far enough.


12:44 PM

Third wave of coronavirus entirely possible, admits professor

A third wave of coronavirus is "entirely possible" and another lockdown would only serve to "defer" further outbreaks, Professor Mark Woolhouse has warned.

Professor Woolhouse, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh, said that while strict measures stop the immediate crisis and quickly reduce transmission, they do not make the virus go away.

Speaking on BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday he said that modelling had previously shown it was "entirely possible" that another lockdown would be needed in September.

When asked if there could be a third wave of coronavirus he said: "That's entirely possible.

"The scenario I mentioned earlier does actually include this possibility and this is just another demonstration of what I was saying earlier that lockdown doesn't solve the problem, it defers it.

"That's why we need some kind of cavalry on the horizon or alternatively, if you think that vaccine is not going to be available in six months or 12 months or two years or whenever, it means that we do need alternatives.

"The alternatives that have been mentioned so far are things like the Moonshot programme of mass testing."


12:31 PM

Bank of England official defends negative rates as recovery is 'interrupted'

The Bank of England has stoked expectations of an unprecedented move to negative interest rates as new pandemic restrictions cast a shadow over the recovery, writes Lizzy Burden.

In a Sunday Telegraph interview, Monetary Policy Committee member Silvana Tenreyro rejected criticisms over the policy, insisting the evidence from other countries was “encouraging” and that banks would cope with further pressure on their finances.

Last week, the Bank launched formal talks with the Prudential Regulation Authority about the operational practicalities of the policy, hitting the pound.

A man wearing a protective face mask walks past the Bank of England in the City of London, Britain, August 6 - Toby Melville/Reuters

Andrew Bailey, the Bank’s Governor, who has shifted his position on taking rates below zero since March, described other countries’ experiences as a “mixed bag” last week. 

However, Ms Tenreyro said: “There has been almost full pass-through of negative rates into lending rates in most countries.”

She added: “Banks adapted well – their profitability increased with negative rates, largely because impairments and loss provisions decreased with the boost to activity and the increase in asset prices.”

Read more: Bank of England rejects negative interest rate criticism


12:16 PM

Prince Charles: 'The task ahead is vast - but not insurmountable'

Writing exclusively for The Sunday Telegraph, Prince Charles says:

When faced with enormous challenges to our society and with deep uncertainty about the future, it can be all too easy to assume that nothing can be done.

Sometimes, it seems that any optimism is drowned beneath a deluge of negative economic information and daunting employment statistics. For anyone, this is a difficult time – but it is a particularly difficult time to be young.

This year, we celebrate the fact that over the last nearly forty-five years, the Prince's Trust helped a million young people to change their lives for the better.
File photo of the Prince of Wales - Niall Carson/PA
Over all these years since the Trust was launched, there has never been an easy time.
However, there has never been a time as uniquely challenging as the present, when the pandemic has left perhaps another million young people needing urgent help to protect their futures.

The task ahead is unquestionably vast, but it is not insurmountable.

12:00 PM

Turkey holidays see last minute surge amid low case rate

Britons desperate for some winter sun are turning to Turkey as one the last restriction-free options for a holiday, writes Annabel Fenwick Elliott.

Currency expert FairFX has reported a 78 per cent spike in orders for Turkish lira, with the pound currently up 24 per cent against the currency compared to the start of 2020. 

While Travelsupermarket points to a 15 per cent jump in bookings to Turkey in the past 14 days, accounting for a third of all search traffic, and a fall in demand for Greece.

A drone photo shows an aerial view of touristic area in Mugla, Turkey on September 25, 2020.  - Anadolu Agency

Turkey remains comfortably under the UK's threshold of 20 cases per 100,000 over seven days, with a rate of 14.1. The UK itself currently stands at 56. 

There are now just nine destinations Britons can visit that don’t include some form of test or restriction, including Sweden, Italy and Germany, but cases are spiking in many of these destinations too.


11:49 AM

Labour ahead in polls for first time since Sir Keir Starmer became leader

The Labour Party has overtaken the Tories for the first time since Sir Keir Starmer became leader, according to a new poll by Opinium.

Sir Keir, who became the Labour leader in April, has given the party a three point increase in a fortnight, putting them on 42 per cent. The Conservatives are on 39 per cent, a drop of three points.

Labour leader Keir Starmer speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London - House of Commons

Early in the pandemic 65 per cent of those surveyed backed the Government's handling of Covid-19, but the latest poll suggests only 30 per cent now approve. 

The poll also suggested 55 per cent of voters believe Sir Keir is ready to be prime minister, and 40 per cent believe Labour is ready to form the next government.

It is the latest poll to suggest unease among voters at Boris Johnson's handling of the coronavirus crisis.


11:36 AM

Coronavirus Act: Government faces 'certain' defeat', says Steve Baker

The Government is facing a "certain" defeat on the Coronavirus Act provided that a revolt is supported by opposition MPs, Tory backbencher Steve Baker has said .

Mr Baker is sure that there will be enough support to force through an amendment which would force Boris Johnson to put all future lockdown measures to a vote in the House of Commons.

"It’s all about MPs having a vote on the Government's policy before it comes into force and takes away people’s civil liberties," Mr Baker told Sky's Sophy Ridge.

“I back Boris Johnson, I want him to succeed. But we do need to share with the Government the burden of decision on these measures and not just come in days or weeks later voting retrospectively on measures that may have then been amended. It’s been a nonsense.

“We’re into a nonsense position where MPs’ consent for draconian policy has ended up being missing. So we’re trying to put this right and it’s a very modest proposal that MPs should vote on law before it takes effect and takes away people’s liberties.”


11:17 AM

Scottish students Covid lockdown: Even those who test negative urged to stay in halls

John Swinney, Scotland's Education Secretary, has said that even students who test negative for Covid-19 should remain in their accommodation after hundreds were given orders to self-isolate amid the spread of coronavirus.

Mr Swinney said that students staying in accommodation would prevent the spread of coronavirus in other regions of the country.

"Our advice to students is that they should stay in their halls if they are able to do so and that's to ensure that we minimise the spread of the virus around the country," he told the BBC.

A sign saying 'help us, send beer' at Murano Street Student Village in Glasgow, where Glasgow University students are being tested at a pop up test centre - Andrew Milligan/PA

"It's important that any student that is self-isolating or students in general in the situation that they are facing are given the full and proper support of the college or the university that is supporting them."

He added that the Scottish Government's "absolute priority" was to ensure that students will be able to return home for Christmas.


11:09 AM

Covid PPE litter is a growing problem, warn councils

Litter from personal protective equipment is becoming a growing problem, councils have said, warning it could be spreading infections, writes Max Stephens.

Almost half of the 187 councils responding to the District Council’s Network survey confirmed that instances of people discarding masks, gloves and other PPE have been steadily increasing during the pandemic. 

As well as being unsightly and potentially dangerous for pets and wildlife, there is a risk that they could spread infection, the organisation said. 

The World Health Organisation has cautioned that appropriate disposal is essential to avoid any increase in transmission. 

This problem comes as nearly nine in 10 councils have seen an increase in recyclable waste since lockdown measures were imposed in March, with some weeks being like Christmas collections.


11:02 AM

Coronavirus bailout fund seeks £15bn to save thousands of companies

Money managers and Treasury officials are racing to build a £15bn bailout fund by Christmas, as a leading figure in the effort warns that Rishi Sunak’s “short term fixes” will not be enough to save thousands of businesses, writes Russell Lynch.

Stephen Welton, chief executive of the Business Growth Fund, is in talks with investors to create a £15bn pot, potentially backed up with taxpayer cash, to take equity stakes in struggling businesses.

The so-called National Recovery Fund was first mooted in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic as a lifeline to firms laden with debts following the lockdown.

Mr Welton said he was now in “meaningful discussions” with a “significant range of institutions” such as pension funds and insurers over a private sector-led fund as a bleak winter looms for the economy.

Corporate restructuring experts are bracing for an insolvency surge next year as state support delays a wave of company collapses until 2021.

Read more from Russell here.


10:52 AM

NHS app problems: Third of daily tests missing due to flaw

Officials were forced to urgently remove a major blindspot in the Government's Covid-19 app on Saturday which meant that more than a third of daily tests were being excluded from the system, reports Edward Malnick.

On Saturday morning, it emerged that those who tested positive for the virus in NHS hospitals and Public Health England labs were unable to share their result using the official contact-tracing app for the first 48 hours after its introduction on Thursday.

The Department of Health said it had worked "urgently" to fix the problem.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson scans his NHS Coronavirus App at Uxbridge Library during a walkabout where he met shoppers and shopkeepers in his constituency of Uxbridge, west London - Stefan Rousseau/PA

Tests carried out by the NHS and Public Health England make up one in three tests each day, and their exclusion would have meant that casual contacts of a large proportion of medics who tested positive would not have received notifications asking them to isolate.

The disclosure came as ministers considered enshrining local bans on mixing indoors in law - meaning those who flout the rules could be fined.

Read more: Those who tested positive in NHS labs omitted by lab flaw


10:37 AM

10pm curfew: 'Definitely science' behind it, insists Government minister

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden insisted there was "definitely science" behind the 10pm curfew for hospitality venues.

"There is definitely science behind it, that's why we're requiring people to be seated in pubs and restaurants, so that stops the flow of them to and from the bar," he told Andrew Marr.

We are reducing the closing times to stop people staying later and drinking. And the point about all of this is that everyone has their part to play. If we all play by the rules, we can ensure that there are not further, more draconian restrictions.

Against this backdrop of rapidly rising infections, much as I would like to contemplate further easements we can't do [reopen theatres and sport venues] at this stage.

We are working intensively with all of the arts sector and theatres to see how we can mitigate risks so that we can go down that path - but we have had to stall on that path, given where we are with the rapidly rising infections.

10:30 AM

10pm curfew leads to busy streets in Soho

Town and city centres up and down the UK were once again packed at closing time last night following the introduction of the new 10pm hospitality curfew earlier this week.

People in Soho, London, after pubs and restaurants were subject to a 10pm curfew to combat the rise in coronavirus cases in England. PA Photo. Picture date: Saturday September 26, 2020. - Yui Mok/PA Wire

Nearly three months after pubs and restaurants were allowed to reopen their doors, the rules were tightened again from Thursday following a rise in the UK's Covid-19 caseload.

Police have the power to enforce these rules, and businesses are expected to as well. Individuals who fail to comply can be handed a £200 fine, doubling with each offence, to a maximum of £3,200.


10:20 AM

New Covid rules: 'Parliament must take back control'

Today, 100 Acts of Parliament have enabled 242 statutory instruments related to the diseased, notes Steve Baker:

Rapid, repeat amendment and revocation have been commonplace. According to  The Telegraph, coronavirus rules controlling how people live their lives have changed almost 200 times since March. Fines are hefty, but who can keep up? 

Covid-19 remains a dangerous disease for those vulnerable to it but it is now clear the position is not as catastrophic as feared. It is no longer appropriate to curtail our freedoms by ministerial decree with only retrospective approval by Parliament, often after rules have been amended or repealed.

Doubtless ministers have acted in good faith, but today’s is not a fit legal environment for a democratic and free society.  Parliament must take back control.

We need a system which meets the joint ambitions of the Government and Parliament for prompt and effective action, with few opportunities for mischief and yet prior parliamentary approval before liberties are taken away.

10:14 AM

Covid Vitamin D action 'could save thousands of lives'

As we face six tough months of curfews, isolation and economic misery, with vaccines a distant hope, it’s surely time to try anything reasonable to slow the pandemic down, write Matt Ridley and David Davis.

There is one chemical that is known to be safe, known to be needed by many people anyway, known to have a clinically proven track record of helping people fight off respiratory diseases, and is so cheap no big firm is pushing it: vitamin D.

It is not a silver bullet, but growing evidence suggests that it might help prevent Covid turning serious in some people.

The gold standard of medical research is the randomised controlled trial. Back in May, we had no such test for vitamin D and Covid-19. Now we do. The world’s first randomised control trial on this has just been published and the results are clear-cut.

Read more: 'A cheap, safe, effective way of tackling Covid'


10:00 AM

UK coronavirus cases not rising as fast as Vallance's 'nightmare projection'

Newly reported Covid-19 cases are not rising as fast as projections presented by the government's chief scientists, analysis by The Telegraph's Dominic Gilbert can reveal.

On Monday, the chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance presented a scenario in which the number of new confirmed cases could reach close to 50,000 a day by October 13 if it began doubling every seven days.  

Sir Patrick made clear the scenario was “not a prediction”, but an example of how the virus can spread when left unchecked. It was based on the situation as of September 15.

The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, and the Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, give a Coronavirus Data Briefing in 10 Downing Street.  - Pippa Fowles/No10 Downing Street

Since the dire warning the UK has seen the highest daily rise in detected infections since the start of the pandemic for two days running, with 6,634 new cases reported on September 24th and 6,874 on September 25th.

However, had the number of new cases been doubling every seven days, the UK would have been reporting closer to 8,000 cases a day by this time.

Analysis by the Telegraph shows – at the current rate - the virus is doubling between every nine and 14 days. In a worst case scenario, this would lead to marginally more than 32,000 new daily cases by October 13.


09:41 AM

10pm pub curfew: Labour warns of mixed messaging and job losses risk

On the 10pm pubs curfew, shadow justice secretary David Lammy has told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show: "There cannot be a situation in which we have two different public health messages to the people of this country.

"The Government is the lead, the Government has the science, so we support the Government in the restrictions it has to bring forward, but it does look like the 10pm.

"But it's not clear where that came from - has led to a situation where people are bubbling out of pubs, they're hanging around towns and they're potentially spreading the virus."

Mr Lammy added that employment in his constituency of Tottenham could be running at 45 per cent, which he described as "an eye-watering figure" and believes it comes in the absence of "proper support" from the Government. 

"It worries me greatly that you could see unemployment in a constituency like mine beyond 40 per cent," he said. "We did see civil disorder in the past, I don't want to see civil disorder again, I don't want to see streets on fire, but I'm very, very worried this morning."


09:37 AM

Learning instruments at older age has soared after Covid lockdown

Sales of musical instruments have surged thanks to the thousands of adults who took up an instrument during lockdown, reports Camilla Turner, with the UK's biggest online retailer of instruments and sound equipment having reported a huge rise in sales.

Gear4music saw the value of UK sales rise by 80 per cent from April to June compared with the same period last year to £21.2 million. 

Among the big sellers were electric and acoustic guitar starter bundles as well as digital pianos, the company’s chief executive said.

Brian Cohen having a piano lesson from his tutor Genia via Zoom. Mr Cohen is an orthopedic surgeon at a private hospital in the day - Paul Grover

While children’s music lessons were often the first thing to go for cash-strapped families at the start of the pandemic, there was a surge of interest in learning instruments from adults.

“Covid-19 does change the way you see the world quite a lot and things you might have been putting off," said Deborah Annetts, chief executive of the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM).

Read more: 80 per cent rise in instrument sales as home learning booms


09:27 AM

Manchester students lockdown: 1,700 self-isolating after triple figure Covid cases

Around 1700 university students are self-isolating at Manchester Metropolitan University after more than a hundred tested positive for coronavirus.

The students have been told to stay indoors for 14 days, even if they have no symptoms.

Students Thea Walton and Ellie Jackson say they can’t leave the campus, not even to buy food, and it feels "like a prison". The only positive thing, they say, is they are now allowed to mix with other flats, as the area has been treated as one household. 

 


09:24 AM

End of furlough scheme brings painful forecast for economy

It is small wonder that Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, decided to skip the Budget. The numbers are almost too awful to contemplate, opines Jeremy Warner.

Less than halfway into the financial year, the UK Government has already borrowed more than it did in the whole of 2009-10, the peak of the financial crisis.

With not much if any growth in prospect for the remainder of this year, Capital Economics reckons the full-year total could reach £370bn, or 18.4pc of GDP, the worst deficit by some way of any G7 country.

The Chancellor didn’t want to talk about how it’s all going to be paid for in his economic update last week, except to remark that the furloughed workers scheme – which is being replaced with something less generous – was not sustainable.

On the Keynesian principle of “look after the present and the future will take care of itself”, he’s decided to leave the question on hold.

Given the poisonous politics of the required austerity, and the dreadful precedent of default, I can’t really see any alternative to haircutting creditors via the backdoor of inflation. It's a terrible thing for governments to do nonetheless.

09:11 AM

Brady amendment vote: Tory Covid rebels face 'nuclear' option

Boris Johnson is preparing to effectively dare rebels to vote down his entire package of Covid-19 measures this week if the Commons Speaker blocks a vote designed to give MPs a say on new restrictions, reports our Sunday political editor Edward Malnick.

A growing number of MPs are rallying around an amendment tabled by Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers, which would force a vote on future social restrictions before they are imposed.

A handout picture made available by the UK Parliament shows Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking during Prime Minister's questions in the House of Commons in London - Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament handout/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

With some 60 Conservatives preparing to back the move, Mr Johnson would face his first parliamentary defeat since his landslide election win if opposition parties also vote against the Government en masse.

But ministers believe Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, will rule the amendment "out of scope" of Wednesday's motion on the first six-month renewal of the Coronavirus Act - despite allies of Sir Graham having received advice to the contrary.

Read more: Tory backbenchers rally round Brady amendment


08:57 AM

Protecting elderly from Covid-19 could help to 'relax measures elsewhere'

Professor Mark Woolhouse, an infectious disease expert at the University of Edinburgh who sits on the Government’s advisory body, has said that there is a “middle ground” between draconian restrictions and opening up society and the economy.

“I think there is a middle ground, where you could have some of both,” he said. “The way you find that middle ground is not by simply focusing on suppressing the virus through the whole population, but concentrating on those people who most need protecting.

“We know who those people are, the elderly, the frail, the vulnerable, those with a set of comorbidities.

“They are enormously more at risk of this virus and if we can protect them, that gives us some wriggle room to relax measures elsewhere for the rest of us.

Prof Woolhouse also said that the Government’s current coronavirus strategy amounts to “sitting it out for another six months”.

“Most people I’ve talked to in vaccine development think that we may have a vaccine in six months, but it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to roll it out on a mass scale in that time,” he told The Andrew Marr Show.


08:49 AM

Student lockdown: Government must compensate students, urges Ed Davey

"We do need to help students, and not just financially but we need to help them because they've got some real health issues," the new Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey tells The Andrew Marr Show.

Some of them are being challenged because they're being locked away, and these people have gone through real pain and trauma in recent years.

The exam fiasco, then they're going into halls of residents where they're not allowed to socialise, and now they're being told they may not go home for Christmas.

I'm very worried about them and I hope that the Government won't just act financially but will work with the universities to support them.

I think there needs to be some financial support and some of them have had to sign contracts for accommodation, so it's a complicated issue. I don't see the Government talking about it at all.

08:40 AM

London lockdown update: Government confirms measures 'under review'

Asked about Sadiq Khan's call for a ban on households in London mixing, Mr Dowden says: "Of course we keep all these things under review, but the key thing now is that people stick to the rules that we already have."

He insists that people must stick to the rule of six and the 'hands, face, space' mantra while observing social distancing.

People cross London Bridge as they make their way home in the evening sunshine, in London on September 25, 2020, as new restrictions are introduced to combat the spread of the coronavirus. - Tolga Akmen/AFP

"It really is in the power of everyone to make sure they abide by those rules and prevent further, more draconian restrictions," he says.

"The majority of people up and down the country are abiding by the rules. But I think they are frustrated at a small minority who are not law-abiding, who are putting other people's health at risk. There is a small minority behaving selfishly."


08:35 AM

Students Christmas lockdown: 'Not helpful' to speculate, says Oliver Dowden

On the issue of students returning to universities, Oliver Dowden says:

I very much want students to be able to go home at Christmas. And if we all pull together and observe these new rules, we follow the guidance then we will be able to get to a point where that should be possible.

[Us and Labour] both want to ensure students can go home for Christmas and rather than playing politics with this I’d rather we worked together in order to achieve this outcome.

We’re three months away from Christmas. We are constantly keeping this situation under review, taking the necessary measures.

Of course we want to avoid that situation [of students not going home]. But I don’t think it’s helpful three months away to speculate on that.

08:30 AM

New coronavirus rules: Important for Government to 'move quickly', says Oliver Dowden

Responding to Steve Baker's comments about the death of liberty, Oliver Dowden - the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport - says that Mr Baker's view is "slightly overblown".

"Of course there'll be a chance for MPs to debate and vote on new measures through statutory instruments, they'll be votes on that in relation to the rule of six," he tells Sky's Sophy Ridge.

Asked if MPs should have been able to vote beforehand, Mr Dowden says that in a crisis it is "important that the Government has the power to move quickly".

"These are very difficult choices we're making," he says. "We have a rapidly expanding virus, we also have huge economic consequences from the decisions we're taking and we're having to take measures very quickly."


08:15 AM

Sweden corona strategy: 'The country has remained so calm'

Since the pandemic hit in the middle of March, Sweden has remained so calm, and its restrictions been so gentle, that it has often felt like a crisis happening elsewhere, notes Richard Orange.

Looking at the raised tempers, blame, hysteria and sense of panic over in the UK, the calm here has felt surreal, and something to be grateful for.

People enjoy the weather on a floating bar at Stranvagen in Stockholm on September 19, 2020, during the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic - Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP

The episode also added to my first-hand evidence that Swedes are largely continuing to abide by the public health agency's recommendations - keep your distance, keep good hygiene, and stay home when you're sick.

While in the UK, many are angry and distrustful of their leaders, most people here are glad that politicians stood back and let the rational and reassuring state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell set the strategy.


08:00 AM

Second wave UK: What the signs from across Europe tell us

"Almost all the indicators are on the rise," warned Sophie Vaux, an epidemiologist and programme director at Santé Publique France last week; the virus was once again in an "ascendant phase", its spread “exponential”.

Looking at the data for our nearest continental neighbour, Ms Vaux’s analysis is hard to fault, writes Paul Nuki. A&E admissions linked to suspected Covid cases rose by 21 per cent in France last week. Hospitalisations were up 34 per cent and intensive care admissions rose by 40 per cent nationwide.

As one might expect, the death toll was also up. It rose 25 per cent on the week, with 332 deaths recorded in French hospitals and retirement homes, according to data published on Friday.

Health lab technician prepares samples to process analysis at the Hospital of Argenteuil, north of Paris, Friday Sept. 25, 2020. France's health agency announced Thursday evening that the country has had 52 new deaths and has detected over 16,000 new cases of coronavirus in 24 hours. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) - Francois Mori/AP

That Europe, including the UK, is now fighting a second peak of Covid-19 there can be no doubt. But the health and economic outcomes will - just as they always have - depend largely on government policy and our collective behaviours.

Another lesson from the European data (one that could have been taken from Florida and the sun belt states of the US in the early summer) is that cases start in the young but don’t stay there for long.


07:43 AM

Prince Charles warns one million young people need 'urgent help'

One million young people could need “urgent help” to protect their futures from the coronavirus pandemic, the Prince of Wales has warned, as he said the “enormous challenges” testing society are reminiscent of the Seventies, writes Hannah Furness.

The Prince said the country has never faced a more “uniquely challenging” time, with the “destructive hopelessness” of unemployment looming once again.

Writing exclusively in The Telegraph, he said the young in particular now need “urgent help” to protect them from the worst effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, but warned society must not let optimism “drown beneath a deluge” of negative economic news.

Prince of Wales, handout from Clarence House - Clarence House/News Scans

Saying it is “all too easy to assume that nothing can be done”, he echoed the inspiring message of the Queen in April to pledge: “The task ahead is unquestionably vast, but it is not insurmountable.”

The Prince’s own charity, The Prince’s Trust, has just helped its millionth young person. “Over all these years since the Trust was launched, there has never been an easy time,” the Prince writes.


06:56 AM

Private schools bypassing the NHS and building their testing in-house

About two weeks ago, at Benenden, a £13,000-per-term girls’ boarding school in Kent, a pupil tested positive for Covid-19.

The girl was placed into isolation in the school grounds, along with the 15 or so pupils with whom she shared a bathroom.

With access to their own large garden, the girls took plenty of advantage of the great outdoors, and teachers even erected a volleyball net and tennis court to keep them active.

And of course, they still received a wall-to-wall timetable of remote lessons.

It is certainly a far cry from the long, aimless days of Snapchat and Fortnite experienced by most of the tens of thousands of UK children currently isolating at home.

While state-educated children are languishing at home while they wait for oversubscribed Covid tests, a handful of elite private and boarding schools have bypassed the NHS’s creaky system entirely, spending tens of thousands on in-house testing machines, and building their own track-and-trace systems.

Read the full story


06:07 AM

Half a million sharks could be killed for vaccine, conservationists warn

Sharks face being slaughtered for the coronavirus vaccine, as conservationists warn as many as half a million could be killed for global supplies.

One of the ingredients in some versions of the Covid-19 vaccine under development is squalene, which currently comes from the livers of sharks. 

In response scientists are racing to test a synthetic version, made from fermented sugar cane, which would mean plentiful supplies without threatening shark populations.  

Conservationists estimate that over three million sharks are killed each year to obtain their liver oil for various uses, including in cosmetics and machine oil, and fear a sudden rise in demand could push some species closer to the brink.

Read the full story

A basking shark, one of the species which has a liver rich in squalene - Grant Henderson / Alamy Stock Photo

05:51 AM

How Vietnam crushed its second wave

On July 24, Vietnam was enjoying its 99th straight day without any known transmission of the novel coronavirus.

While the international borders remained closed to all but a handful of specific flights, life inside the country would have appeared shockingly normal to much of the world: domestic tourism was fully functioning, restaurants and bars were busy, and social distancing regulations had ended.

The following day, the Ministry of Health announced a new case of community transmission in Da Nang, a large city on the central coast.

The source of this infection remains unknown, as all new cases in the previous three months had been people arriving from abroad who were immediately quarantined for 14 days.

Wherever it came from, the outbreak spread rapidly, and within a few weeks hundreds of new cases were detected in Da Nang, largely concentrated in a cluster of hospitals, while Vietnam’s coronavirus-related death toll jumped from zero to 35.

Read the full story

People shop for Mid-Autumn Festival goods on Hang Ma Street in which houses and sidewalks turned into makeshift shops amid the pandemic in Hanoi - Getty

04:46 AM

DIY a bright spot for consumer spending

Many retailers have been caught off-guard by coronavirus restrictions and shifting consumer habits, but DIY stores are enjoying a boom as people spend money on their homes and gardens.

A recent report by consulting group McKinsey found that faced with a prolonged period of financial uncertainty due to the pandemic, consumers "intend to continue shifting their spending largely to essentials... and cutting back on most discretionary categories".

Data has shown consumers worldwide are cutting back on clothing and shoes, but spending more to improve their homes.

In Britain, the sector has helped consumer spending overall to rebound to a level higher than before the pandemic hit.

"Spending for home improvements continued to rise in August as sales volumes within household goods stores increased by 9.9 per cent when compared with February," Britain's Office for National Statistics said this month.

Read more: A little house therapy can help you fall in love with your home again, here's how to do it


03:42 AM

Australia's hot spot lifting restrictions early as infections slow

Victoria, the epicentre of the Australia's Covid-19 outbreak, will accelerate the easing of social distancing restrictions as infections slow to fewer than 20 cases a day, its premier said on Sunday.

Victoria, which reported 16 cases in the past 24 hours, has placed nearly 5 million residents of its capital Melbourne under one of the world's most stringent lockdowns since early August.

With cases well below the record one-day high of more than 700 cases reported in August, state Premier Daniel Andrews said some curbs, including a night curfew, will be removed almost immediately.

The remaining curbs could be relaxed earlier, with restrictions eased when case numbers hit certain triggers. Victoria state previously said most restrictions would remain in place until the end of November.

A couple enjoy a break while police patrol through Treasury Gardens in Melbourne - AFP

02:51 AM

France's health system will be overwhelmed, expert claims

France will face a months-long coronavirus epidemic that will overwhelm its health system if something does not change, one of the country's top medical figures warned Sunday.

"The second wave is arriving faster than we thought," Patrick Bouet, head of the National Council of the Order of Doctors, told the weekly Journal du Dimanche.

Fresh restrictions to slow the spread of the disease in the country's worst-hit areas, including the Mediterranean city of Marseille and the Paris region, have run into local resistance.

Mr Bouet told the paper that warnings delivered this week by Health Minister Olivier Veran had not gone far enough.

"He didn't say that in three to four weeks, if nothing changes, France will face a widespread outbreak across its whole territory, for several long autumn and winter months," Mr Bouet said.

There would be no medical staff available to provide reinforcements, and France's health system would be unable to meet all the demands placed on it, he warned.

Read more: What hospital admissions in Europe say about the next stage of Covid in the UK

Demonstrators protest in front of La Timone hospital after French authorities announced that they order cafes and restaurants to shut down for two weeks to curb the spread of the virus - Reuters

01:55 AM

West Midlands Police kept busy with restriction breaches

A teenager has been arrested in Birmingham after allegedly assaulting an officer when police were called to a house party.

West Midlands Police said they were called to the party in Oscott which had between 20 and 30 people.

The force received 18 calls to breaches of pandemic laws, mainly due to house parties, between 10pm and midnight.

Around midnight officers shut down a pub in Birmingham which was hosting a wedding party with about 60 guests some two hours after it should have closed due to the new coronavirus restrictions.

"It's simple - stay home, stay safe", the force added in a tweet.


01:50 AM

Cases top 700,000 in Argentina

Argentina's coronavirus infections topped 700,000 on Saturday with new daily infections and deaths among the top five globally, Reuters data showed, despite seven months of quarantine that have ravaged the frail economy.

Argentina reported a rolling seven-day average of 11,082 new cases daily, behind only India, the United States, France and Brazil, all countries with far larger populations than the South American nation. Argentina's average daily death toll this week hit 365.

Health officials on Saturday reported 702,484 total infections since March and 15,543 deaths. On Friday, the province of Buenos Aires announced it had underestimated the death toll from Covid-19 by 3,523, outraging many Argentines already weary from months of lockdown that had failed to slam the breaks on the pandemic.

The additional deaths from Buenos Aires province were not incorporated in those figures, the health ministry said.

An intensive care unit nurse, reflected in a window, looks in on a Covid-19 patient, at the El Cruce Dr. Nestor Carlos Kirchner Hospital, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires - AP

01:22 AM

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