Covid news: Boris Johnson ‘optimistic’ on 21 June date as ‘fear and anxiety’ in hospitality sector
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson has said he is “very optimistic” he will be able to fully relax all of England’s coronavirus restrictions on 21 June.
He said the vaccination programme had made “all the difference” though added that successfully hitting his target would require the government to “follow the guidance” at each of the four stages announced yesterday and warned “nothing can be guaranteed”.
Earlier, business leaders warned financial support will be “imperative” if the hospitality and entertainment sectors are to survive as restrictions are lifted.
Meanwhile, Michael Gove was appointed to lead a review of Covid vaccine and testing certification, which will report by 21 June, by when the programme for the lifting of restrictions set out by the prime minister yesterday is expected to be complete.
It comes as Scotland’s economy will begin a “phased reopening” from the last week of April, as the country moves to a regional level system of coronavirus restrictions, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
Police officer sacked for breaking lockdown and crashing car while over drink-drive limit
A police officer has been sacked after breaking lockdown rules to attend a party and then crashing her car while over the drink-drive limit, Jon Sharman reports.
Police officer sacked for breaking lockdown and crashing car while over drink-drive limit
Dismissal only way to protect reputation of police, misconduct hearing told
Huge rise in online gambling amid end-of-year coronavirus restrictions
Coronavirus restrictions towards the end of last year were accompanied by a spike in online gambling, new statistics have revealed, Zoe Tidman reports.
The gross gambling yield among the biggest operators increased by 30 per cent between November and December, according to data from the Gambling Commission.
Huge rise in online gambling amid end-of-year coronavirus restrictions
Total number of bets rose to almost six billion in December, data shows
‘Serious questions’ about government modelling on easing restrictions, lockdown-sceptic Conservative MPs
Mark Harper, leader of the Covid Recovery Group (CRG) of lockdown-sceptic Conservative MPs, said there are "serious questions" about the modelling the Government is using to support its lockdown easing timetable.
In a six-part thread posted on Twitter, the former chief whip said the modelling from the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, Operational sub-group (SPI-M-O) had been more cautious than the reality when it came to predicting the impact the vaccine would have on reducing hospital admissions, deaths and cutting transmission of the virus.
Mr Harper said the modelling had predicted Covid-19 vaccines would reduce the risk of infection by 48% and 60% with the first and second doses respectively but Public Health England data suggested it was more like 57%-70% after one dose and 85% after two.
He tweeted: "Key decisions determining the pace of the Govt's roadmap were based on SPI-M-O modelling. Some serious questions arise from the assumptions on which the modelling is based.
"There is a clear and concerning pattern of assumptions not reflecting the (much more positive!) reality.
"At the very least, this raises some serious questions about the extent to which these models should be relied on."
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