Politics

Senior ministers will consider a ban on travel to the UK from Brazil following concern over a new coronavirus strain in the South American country. The government’s COVID-19 operations committee is due to meet on Thursday to discuss the issue, amid reports any travel ban could also be extended to countries neighbouring Brazil. Live COVID

The prime minister has acknowledged there are “teething problems” with trade between Britain and Northern Ireland in the wake of the Brexit transition period coming to an end. Britain’s new trading relationship with Brussels came into effect at 11pm on December 31, following an 11-month Brexit transition period. There have been empty shelves on some

Boris Johnson has told MPs that recent coronavirus restrictions “are starting to show signs of some effect” – but he refused to rule out even tougher measures. The prime minister came under fresh pressure from Labour on Wednesday to tighten COVID rules in order to drive down infections. Live COVID updates from UK and around

Pressure on the NHS will not start to reduce until March, ministers have been warned – amid fears that new infections could be running at more than 250,000 a day. Downing Street has been told by government scientists that the rollout of the vaccines is unlikely to cause the mortality rate to decline until later

Peak demand on hospitals might not be reached until “early to mid-February” leading to a “more extended period of pressure” on the NHS than had initially been hoped, MPs have been told. Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers – which represents all NHS trusts, said it was now “pretty clear” the COVID infection

The health secretary has suggested the prime minister was operating within the rules when he went cycling seven miles from Downing Street during lockdown. Boris Johnson was spotted at the Olympic Park in east London with members of his security detail on Sunday, according to the Evening Standard. Live COVID updates from UK and around

Lockdown rules are “not boundaries to be pushed against”, a government minister has warned – as he admitted there was concern at non-compliance with social distancing measures in supermarkets. As the second week of England’s third national lockdown begins, ministers are considering how to achieve greater enforcement of social distancing and mask-wearing in supermarkets. Vaccines

Demand for hospital services caused by the rampant coronavirus has put ambulance staff under “unprecedented pressure”, with handover delays on a scale not seen before, a paramedic boss has told Sky News. Speaking on the Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, Tracy Nicholls, chief executive of the College of Paramedics, said some crews had reported waiting

More than 200,000 people are getting a COVID-19 jab every day and the government is on course to reach its target of 13 million people vaccinated by mid-February, Matt Hancock has told Sky News. But speaking on Sophy Ridge On Sunday, the health secretary said the pressure on the NHS was “very bad” and repeated

More than nine in 10 headteachers say they don’t have confidence in the Department for Education’s decision-making, after schools were closed and exams cancelled due to the pandemic. Millions of children are being taught remotely and students will no longer sit their 2021 exams because of sharp rises in COVID-19 cases. Now a survey of

Wales its continuing its lockdown and will be toughening up some restrictions as the nation struggles to manage the spread of the new highly infectious coronavirus variant. People in Wales are already being told to stay at home and not mix with other households, but the lockdown measures had been due for a review. After

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been accused by her predecessor Alex Salmond of submitting evidence to a parliamentary inquiry that is “simply untrue”. A spokesperson for the first minister has said she “entirely rejects” the claims and accused Mr Salmond of “spinning false conspiracy theories”. Mr Salmond claims she attended a meeting at which

Boris Johnson has been slammed by MPs for being too secretive about the scientific advice that informed lockdowns and the tier system in England. The prime minister has been warned that transparency is essential for allowing scrutiny of scientists’ advice and promoting public confidence in lockdown decisions. The warning comes in a hard-hitting report by

All travellers to England from overseas will need to test negative for coronavirus before they are allowed to enter the country, the government has announced. The test will need to be taken up to 72 hours before their departure – and failure to comply will result in an immediate £500 fine. Arrivals by boat, plane

The GP surgery visited by the health secretary to mark the expanded rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine has not yet received any of it. Matt Hancock was at Bloomsbury Surgery in Camden, north London on Thursday, as the government’s plans to offer a COVID-19 jab to the most vulnerable by the middle of next

MPs have approved England’s third coronavirus lockdown – but the government has been urged by leading Conservatives to allow further votes on the measures both this month and next month. Following a four-hour debate in the House of Commons, MPs approved the newest lockdown by 524 votes to 16, a majority of 508. Their approval