Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

UK will be able to 'live with Covid', says Johnson, as cases rise by 76 per cent in a week

UK will be able to 'live with Covid', says Johnson, as cases rise by 76 per cent in a week

CORONAVIRUS daily cases in Britain have risen by 76 per cent in a week, as infections rose by more than 20,000 for a second day in a row, after prime minister Boris Johnson’s declaration that the UK will be able to “live with Covid in the future" - even if cases keep soaring as they are now- due to protection from vaccines. Meanwhile, experts have hinted at the possibility of fourth lockdown in the winter.

Johnson on Tuesday (29) hosted a cabinet meeting, which “agreed that once we have completed the roadmap we will be able to live with Covid in the future, even if cases continue to rise, thanks to the protection provided by the vaccines”, a media report said.


A Downing Street spokesman has said that “we believe the link is being broken” between cases and deaths - even though “we’re waiting to see” if it has been “completely severed”. 

Citing the success of UK’s vaccination programme and testing capacity, the spokesman said “we will be able to live with this disease as we do with flu”.

The government will announce a final decision on July 12 on whether step four of England’s roadmap can begin as planned on July 19.

Recent figures show that 20,479 more infections have been reported in the past 24 hours and 23 new deaths, bringing the UK's total death toll to 128,126. More than 90 per cent of England’s areas are now reporting a weekly rise in the Covid cases, with Tamworth in Staffordshire seeing a massive jump after 199 people were tested positive in seven days - compared to just 37 the previous week.

Meanwhile, experts have warned the government that there may be a need of fourth lockdown over winter, due to a possible spike in Covid-19 cases towards the end of the year.

While speaking on BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show on Wednesday (30), Dr Susan Hopkins, the strategic response director for Covid-19 at Public Health England (PHE), talked about a possibility of further lockdowns this winter, saying it “really depends on whether the hospitals start to become overwhelmed at some point”.

Pointing out “rises and falls” in the cases across the country, Hopkins revealed that virus has “definitely reserved” in Bolton and “stabilised” in Blackburn with Darwen, but continues to “rise quite fast” in London and the northeast.

Professor Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), which advises the government, has also warned a "pretty miserable winter" for the UK with further lockdowns a possibility.

More For You

Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Air India crash probe finds fuel to engines was cut off before impact

Highlights

 
     
  • Fuel to both engines of the Air India flight was cut off seconds before the crash
  •  
  • A pilot was heard questioning the other over the cut-off; both denied initiating it.
  •  
  • The Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
  •  
  • Investigators are focusing on fuel switch movement; full analysis may take months.

FUEL control switches to both engines of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position seconds before the crash, according to a preliminary investigation report released early Saturday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have consistently reported Chinese research vessel presence. (Representational image: Getty Images)

Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

A Chinese research vessel was detected operating in the Bay of Bengal near Indian waters while attempting to conceal its presence by disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), according to a report by The Economic Times, citing French maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs.

The French company conducted a 16-day satellite-based survey tracking ships through radio frequency emissions. It monitored 1,897 vessels, with 9.6 per cent showing no AIS activity, indicating attempts to avoid detection. The survey raised concerns amid increased Chinese activity in the region.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian-inspired garden earns
five awards at Hampton Court

(From left) Malcolm Anderson (RHS, head of sustainability) Clare Matterson (RHS director general), Lorraine Bishton (Subaru UK and Ireland, managing director) Andrew Ball (director, Big Fish Landscapes) Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews with the medals

Asian-inspired garden earns five awards at Hampton Court

BRITISH Asians are being encouraged to take up gardening by a couple who have won a record five medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

“It’s a contemporary reimagining of a traditional walled garden, highlighting the British and Irish rainforests,” said Jewlsy Mathews, who was born in Britain of parents from Kerala, a southern Indian state known for its lush vegetation.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England

iStock

England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

Highlights:

  • Amber heat health alerts in place for large parts of England
  • Hosepipe bans announced in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex
  • Temperatures could reach 33°C over the weekend
  • Health risks rise, especially for elderly and vulnerable groups

Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Essex ladybird invasion

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear

Dee-anne Markiewicz / SWNS

Swarms of ladybirds invade Essex coastline amid soaring temperatures

Highlights:

  • Ladybird swarms reported across Essex and Suffolk coastal towns
  • Hot weather likely driving the sudden surge in population
  • Sightings include Point Clear, Shoebury, Clacton and Felixstowe
  • Similar outbreaks occurred in 1976 during another hot UK summer

Sudden surge in ladybird numbers across the southeast

Millions of ladybirds have been spotted swarming towns and villages along the Essex coast, with similar sightings stretching into Suffolk. Residents have reported unusually high numbers of the red and black-spotted insects, particularly near coastal areas, with the recent hot weather believed to be a major contributing factor.

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear, a village near St Osyth in Essex, where the insects could be seen piling on top of each other on driftwood and plants.

Keep ReadingShow less