‘Completely fearless’ police officer and father-of-two, 40, dies in hospital one month after testing positive for Covid-19 PC Abbasuddin Ahmed, 40, had been serving on Greater Manchester Police He died in hospital on Thursday, only a month after testing positive for Covid-19 PC Ahmed had been working from home in the pandemic ‘to look after his … Read more
Frontline workers at Covid testing centres are NOT being offered vaccines yet because they are ‘not in close contact’ with the virus and have PPE Department of Health said they weren’t in ‘close contact’ with the virus It also said they had ‘appropriate PPE’ to protect them from the disease Testing staff lean into cars … Read more
Everyone testing positive for Covid could be given £500 under dramatic plans being considered by ministers. The proposal, which would cost up to £450million a week, is aimed at encouraging more people to undergo swabs and self-isolate to stop the virus spreading. Detailed in an official policy paper, it is said to be the ‘preferred … Read more
Anger as Tory donor’s firm gets £350m coronavirus contract: Healthcare company controlled by Lord Ashcroft is given Covid-19 testing role Deal requires Medacs Healthcase to provide staff for both lab and mobile testing Lucrative contract was awarded without an open competitive tender process Lord Ashcroft’s involvement fuels controversy over the so-called ‘chumocracy’ By David Rose … Read more
Robbie Williams is reportedly self-isolating in a luxurious £15,000-a-night six-bedroom villa in St. Barts after testing positive for COVID-19. The singer, 46, is holed up with wife Ayda Field, 41, and their four children Teddy, seven, Coco, 23 months, and sons Charlton, five, and Beau, six months, at the lavish property that also boasts its … Read more
Government denies claims its schools testing plans have been thrown into chaos because the medical regulator has refused to green-light using the necessary kits Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency ‘would not sign off’ Reportedly objected to the use of rapid 30-minute lateral flow tests for pupils Government has denied the claims and defended its … Read more
Caribbean nations frantically struggle to increase testing as US and UK demand returning holidaymakers present negative result Carribean vacation spots face a strain on their Covid-19 testing resources It comes as US becomes latest country to require negative test from passengers Jamaica named a special task force to boost country’s testing capacity By Reuters and … Read more
Premier League clubs have recorded 36 positive tests for coronavirus in the latest round of testing among players and staff. Some 2,593 tests were carried out between January 4 and 10 and the infection rate was 1.39 per cent. Top tier clubs have been tested twice a week for Covid since the turn of the … Read more
We begin 2021 knowing that vaccines are our way out of this pandemic. Human ingenuity and phenomenal scientific advances make it a case of when, not if, we will return to normal life. The cavalry is here, thanks to our vaccination programme. Across the UK we have already protected more people through vaccinations than any … Read more
Health Secretary Matt Hancock today announces plans for the mass rollout of rapid Covid-19 testing for people who cannot work at home during the lockdown. In an article for The Mail on Sunday, Mr Hancock says that while the vaccines represent the ‘cavalry’ in the battle, the ratcheting up of testing was an ‘important weapon in … Read more