Boris Johnson news: Care home workers excluded from ‘shambolic’ new NHS visa, as Brexit ad blitz warns of higher travel cost

Leicester’s lockdown exit ‘can’t be rushed’ says top health official

Any decision to lift Leicester’s lockdown “can’t be rushed” and will depend on coronavirus disease rates falling to levels comparable with other areas, one of the government’s deputy chief medical officers has said.

Deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said a lockdown exit plan for the city depends on when Covid-19 rates are “consistently and obviously” falling.

Van-Tam told BBC Radio Leicester that data published on Saturday showed the city is “really quite an outlier” compared with anywhere else in the country.

The latest figures for Leicester show a seven-day rate of 126 cases per 100,000 people, compared with figures of 17.8 for Leicestershire as a whole, 9.3 in Derby and 5.4 in Nottingham.

Answering claims from Leicester’s mayor Sir Peter Soulsby that data being provided to local health officials is not detailed enough and up to two weeks out of date, Van-Tam said: “The local authority is getting absolutely granular postcode-level data.

“The director of public health has been having access to a digital dashboard showing the rates of disease in Leicester city since June 11. There have been bumps in the road ... in terms of data, but I think the idea that it's two weeks out of date is just not true.”

PM to decide on mandatory face coverings within ‘next few days’ – and wants Britons back at work

We have a splurge of statements from the prime minister. Boris Johnson has said the government will make an announcement “in the next few days” on whether face coverings should be mandatory in shops.

“Yes, face coverings, I think people should be wearing in shops, and in terms of how we do that – whether we will be making that mandatory or not – we will be looking at the guidance, we will be saying a little bit more in the next few days,” the PM said during a visit to the London Ambulance Service.

Johnson also said people “should start to think about getting back to work” if their employers have made their workplaces safe against coronavirus.

“What I want to see is people, who have been working from home for a long time, now talking to their employers, talking to their places of work, about the steps that have been taken and looking to come back to work in a safe way.”

The PM also said he will take a “staycation” this year, and encouraged people to holiday at home. “This country is uniquely blessed with fantastic places to holiday, whether coastal or otherwise,” he said. “And I am certainly going to be doing that, but I won’t necessarily tell you where at this stage.”

Coronavirus puts questions about Brexit cost ‘in perspective’, says PM

Boris Johnson has told the public to “get ready” for the end of the transition period. Asked about Brexit possibly pushing up costs, the PM told reporters: “I think one of the amazing things about the last few months, the whole Covid crisis, is I think it’s put all those questions very much into perspective

“Actually I don’t think, I never have thought, that the so-called project fear with Brexit would ever materialise in quite the way that some people did.

“I do think there are big opportunities for this country to do things differently and do things better but obviously we have to get ready for the end of the transition period in December, January and get it done.

“All we’re saying is there will be changes, people should get ready but there will also be great opportunities for this country.”

Johnson also said the UK will have a “humane and sensible” immigration system. “Although of course we are going to be taking back control and we are controlling our immigration system we’re not going to be simply slamming the gates and stopping anybody anywhere coming into this country.”

Foreign criminals jailed for more than a year to be banned from entering UK, papers confirm

Foreign criminals who have been jailed for more than a year could be banned from coming to Britain under the new immigration rules, government papers confirm. The rule changes will apply to EU nationals with regard to “conduct committed after the end of the transition period”.

A policy document setting out more information on the proposed points-based immigration system added that those seeking to come to the UK can be refused where they have:

- A conviction with a custodial sentence length of at least 12 months;

- Committed an offence which caused serious harm;

- Are a persistent offender who shows a particular disregard for the law

- Their character, conduct or associations means their presence is not conducive to the public good.

The document providing further information on the new immigration system said: “For EU citizens who are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement or the UK’s domestic implementation of the withdrawal agreements, the tougher UK criminality thresholds will apply to conduct committed after the end of the transition period.

“The EU public policy, public security or public health test will continue to apply to their conduct committed before the end of the transition period.”

Social care workers won’t be eligible for new NHS visa, says No 10

Downing Street confirmed that social care workers would not be able to take advantage of the new NHS visa.

The PM’s official spokesman said: “We want employers to invest more in training and development for care workers in this country.

“On care workers specifically, our independent migration advisers have said that immigration is not the sole answer here, which is why we have provided councils with an additional £1.5 billion of funding for social care in 2021/22, as well as launching a new recruitment campaign.”

Existing EU workers in the care sector could apply to stay in the UK through the settlement scheme “and a very large number have done so”, the spokesman said.

“Those people will remain in the UK providing really important care to the elderly and the vulnerable.”

Healthcare workers to receive visa decisions within three weeks

Healthcare workers coming to the UK from abroad will receive visa decisions within three weeks under a new post-Brexit immigration system, the government has announced.

The changes, made possible because of biometric technology, will be part of a new Health and Care Visa. But many social care workers will not be eligible, despite fears of widespread staff shortages, ministers have confirmed.

Only those in “eligible occupations in the social care sector” can apply, Priti Patel, the home secretary has said.

Asked if the visa will cover social care workers, the prime minister’s official spokesman said earlier: “We want employers to invest more in training and development for care workers in this country. Our independent migration advisers have said that immigration is not the sole answer here.”

Huawei decisions will be made and announced ‘as soon as possible’, says No 10

Downing Street said any change to the government’s stance on Huawei would be presented to parliament “as soon as possible”.

The PM’s official spokesman said: “I think we’ve said we will be in a position to say more on the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) review into the impact of the US sanctions soon, and we've also said that if there is a change in the Government's position then we would deliver an update to Parliament as soon as possible.

“What the NCSC review is looking at is the possible impact of the US sanctions and they will have studied exactly what they entail and looked at all the relevant parts of the UK’s communication network to see if they are affected.”

The spokesman said he was not going to “pre-empt” the review’s findings, when asked about BT’s warning that it would take more than a decade to remove Huawei entirely from the UK's network.

Coming up in the Commons

There are a series of written ministerial statements due to be made in the House of Commons from 2.30pm today.

Most of interest is home secretary Priti Patel setting on the government’s post-Brexit immigration plan.

At 3.30pm there will be an urgent question from shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry on arms sales to the Saudi-led coalition for use in Yemen.

Following that there will be an oral statement from Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove on the end of the Brexit transition period.

Travelling to the EU in 2021: a guide

What’s in store when Britons heading to the EU from January? More expensive travel insurance, potentially higher roaming charges and new rules for taking pets on trips. British citizens will also have to double-check passports are valid for a specific period because European rules are tougher.

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder has taken a closer look.

End confusion over face coverings in shops, says Labour

Labour has written to health secretary Matt Hancock calling for urgent clarity to address the confusion over the use of face coverings in shops in England.

Shadow health secretary Johnathan Ashworth wrote: “The confusion around the use of face coverings and whether they will become mandatory needs to be addressed through a statement from ministers as a matter of priority.

“Conflicting advice and conflicting statements from the government only hinder our fight against the virus. Clear communication is vital in combating the spread of Covid-19.

“For the public to know that they are doing the right thing in shops, restaurants and other crowded places, I am asking that you urgently set out the position on face coverings.

“As lockdown rules are further relaxed this week, it is vital that updated guidance on this issue is published by the government without delay.”