The government faces renewed calls for the central NHS test and trace system to be scrapped in favour of handing responsibility for contact tracing to local public health teams. Weekly test and trace figures for England show it reached just under 60% of close contacts of people testing positive, the lowest since the service began. … Read more
Thousands of independent retailers have urged the government to crack down on major chains such as The Range, Carpetright and Ryman for continuing to trade during lockdown despite largely selling “non-essential” goods. Andrew Goodacre, the chief executive of Bira, a trade association representing 3,000 independent retailers, said his members were furious that large homewares and … Read more
Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London and the Lowry in Salford are among eight cultural organisations and venues which will benefit from the government’s latest round of coronavirus funding. The venue operator Academy Music Group, the Marlowe theatre in Canterbury and the London Venue Group, which is led by Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons, … Read more
The UK’s first mass Covid testing trial in Liverpool risks being “an expensive mess that does more harm than good”, health experts said as it got under way on Friday. Six new testing centres opened their doors to Liverpudlians at midday on Friday as part of the government’s Operation Moonshot drive to eventually test up … Read more
New national restrictions are due to come into effect in England on Thursday, after MPs vote on them, and remain in place at least until 2 December. What can I leave home for? For childcare or education, where it is not provided online. To go to work unless it can be done from home. Outdoor … Read more