Covid news – live: UK daily cases hit three-month high as record number sign up for booster jabs

The UK has recorded more than 50,000 daily coronavirus cases for the first time since mid-July, as ministers continue to reject calls from health leaders for some restrictions to be introduced.

Health secretary Sajid Javid said the current strain facing the NHS was not “unsustainable”, while Boris Johnson said infection numbers were “high” but “within the parameters of what the predictions were”.

Doctors described the government’s decision as “wilful negligence” and said “Plan B” should be activated to protect the NHS. Under this scenario, face masks would be made mandatory and working from home would be advised.

Meanwhile, a record 234,000 people booked to receive their booster jab on Wednesday, Mr Javid said.

The announcement came after Labour criticised the speed of the booster jab rollout, urging the government to complete it by Christmas rather than March.

Read More

Plan B: What are the Covid measures NHS chiefs want imposed this winter?

Will there be another lockdown? Everything we know

Covid restrictions could return unless public ‘do their bit’, Sajid Javid warns

Key points
Tory MPs won’t wear masks because they ‘know each other’, says Rees-Mogg
Booster programme ‘stalling’, warns Labour
Minister denies Christmas mixing ban being considered for ‘plan C'
BMA calls government negligent for not implementing ‘plan B’ despite Covid surge
UK records more than 50,000 daily Covid cases

BMA calls government negligent for not implementing ‘plan B’ despite Covid surge
07:47 , Jon SharmanThe government is being “wilfully negligent” by not introducing measures to suppress the recent rise in coronavirus cases, the chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) has said.Dr Chaand Nagpaul made the comments after the health secretary ignored NHS leaders’ pleas for the implementation of ‘Plan B’, which could see the return of mandatory mask wearing in indoor spaces and the need to work from home where possible, writes Rory Sullivan.Speaking at a No 10 press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Sajid Javid said the current pressure on the NHS was not “unsustainable”, noting that the contingency plan would only be introduced if hospitals were at risk of being “overwhelmed”.Doctors accuse government of being ‘wilfully negligent’ for ruling out Plan B

Covid restrictions could return unless public ‘do their bit’, Sajid Javid warns
07:49 , Jon SharmanSajid Javid has warned that coronavirus restrictions could return in England in the run-up to Christmas, as UK infections hit almost 50,000 in a single day – their highest since July, writes Andrew Woodcock.Mr Javid rejected calls from NHS bosses for the government to immediately trigger its Plan B for Covid-19 - involving mandatory masks, vaccine passports for crowded venues like nightclubs and guidance to work from home - insisting that pressures on the health service are not yet “unsustainable”.But he called for a return to the “Blitz spirit” of the early days of the pandemic, warning Britons that unless they “do their bit” by taking up the offer of vaccines and booster jabs they could lose the freedoms they have enjoyed since the lifting of lockdown in July.Covid restrictions could return unless public ‘do their bit’, Sajid Javid warns

Health minister denies government has ‘plan C’ for Covid-19 this winter
08:08 , Jon SharmanThe government does not have a “plan C” for tackling coronavirus this winter despite reports to that effect, a minister has said.Edward Argar, a health minister, said the government was not considering banning household mixing at Christmas.He told Sky News: "That's not something I'm aware of, I checked it out and I'm told that is not a story with foundation."Of course, as a government, you look at – as we've done with our “plan B” – alternatives and ways that you might, if you needed to, start easing that pressure."The specifics of that and what was mooted in it as I understand it, as I only glanced at it I'm afraid on my way in this morning, about limiting household mixing, things like that ... is that it isn't something that is being actively considered."The government has been accused of negligence for refusing to implement its “plan B” now. Instead it is waiting until hospitals are at risk of being “overwhelmed”, Sajid Javid has said.Mr Argar was asked how bad the situation in the NHS would have to get before the government acted, but said it would not "be appropriate to set an arbitrary figure, X number of infections, X number of hospitalisations".He said: "We need to look at all this in the round, we need to look at the death rate, absolutely."We need to look at that booster rollout programme ... vaccination programme ... vaccination rates in young people, the 12- to 15-year-olds, because we're seeing in that school-age population, that's where we're seeing actually the biggest increases driving these infections."He added: "I can't give you a simple, here is a sort of black-and-white answer, here is a binary line, because it takes ... there's a whole range of factors we'll take into consideration."

Less drastic elements of ‘plan B’ already being introduced
08:27 , Jon SharmanSome elements of the government’s “plan B” for containing coronavirus this winter are already being introduced despite ministers’ steadfast refusal to implement mandatory face masks and other more drastic curbs, according to reports.From tomorrow, four council areas will reportedly be classed as locations experiencing “enduring transmission” of Covid-19 and receive extra support.They are Leicester, Luton, Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen.The “enduring transmission” categorisation was contained in the “plan B” section of the government’s autumn and winter 2021 strategy document.Another element of that strategy already being implemented – thanks to Sajid Javid’s press conference last night – is ministers “communicating clearly and urgently to the public that the level of risk has increased, and with it the need to behave more cautiously”.On Wednesday evening Mr Javid told Britons they needed to “do their bit” to keep transmission down because daily infections could hit 100,000 in the coming months.

Covid: Health minister claims NHS is under ‘sustainable pressure’ - despite warnings from doctors’ union
08:46 , Jon SharmanHealth minister Edward Argar has claimed the NHS is under “sustainable pressure” despite the alarm being raise by a major doctors’ union urging the government to introduce measures to control the spread of Covid, writes Ashley Cowburn.It comes after Sajid Javid, the health secretary, suggested the country could see 100,000 cases a day, but resisted demands to implement “plan B”, which includes advice to work from home, making face masks mandatory and vaccine passports.On Thursday evening, the British Medical Association (BMA) insisted that the “time is now” for further measures and accused ministers of being “wilfully negligent” for ignoring NHS leaders’ pleas for the implementation of “plan B”.NHS is under ‘sustainable pressure’ despite Covid warnings, health minister says

Health minister refuses to say if Patrick Vallance has advised government to implement 'plan B’
09:05 , Jon SharmanEdward Argar has refused to say whether Patrick Vallance has advised the government to fully implement its coronavirus “plan B” amid rising cases and deaths.Asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme whether Sir Patrick, the chief scientific adviser, had urged action, the health minister said: “What we have to make a judgement call on is when is the right time to do ‘plan B’ and whether it’s the right time to do ‘plan B’. And it’s not.”Mr Argar said he understood the desire to know “the binary moment” when the government thought it would trigger the plan, but insisted “it’s not that simple because there’s a range of considerations”.Pressed further, Mr Argar refused to say whether Sir Patrick had advised implementing “plan B”.You could argue he failed to deny it, as well...

Suffolk school pupils will have to wear masks again
09:24 , Jon SharmanSecondary school pupils and staff in Suffolk are to be asked to wear face masks again.Stuart Keeble, Suffolk County Council's director of public health, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the virus is "really working its way through that younger population at the moment".He said: "For me now it is also about trying to keep children in school."We have had around 7,300 pupils test positive in the last 28 days. If we can keep transmission rates down, we can also keep more pupils in school as well while the vaccine is being run out for 12- to 15-year-olds."He said there is a risk if the infection starts to spread to the older population.Mr Keeble added: "We have started to see that. We have started to see an increase over the last few weeks in that parent age group of those in secondary school."He also said increases are now also seeing an increase in our over-60s and this "is a concern given, there are more vulnerable people in those age groups".PA Media

‘Set an example’: Sajid Javid urges Tory MPs to wear face masks in crowded Commons
09:43 , Jon SharmanSajid Javid has urged his Tory colleagues to wear masks in the crowded Commons chamber, saying public figures should “set an example” as Covid cases surge.The health secretary was questioned at a Downing Street press conference over Conservative MPs seen without face coverings in parliament, writes Tom Batchelor.It was suggested that this could leave members of the government open to allegations they were not practising what they preach.Sajid Javid urges Tory MPs to ‘set an example’ and wear masks in crowded Commons

Warnings of ‘debt crisis’ as millions fall into arrears during pandemic
10:02 , Jon SharmanExperts are warning of a “debt crisis” for millions of families in the UK after research revealed the number of households on low incomes in arrears has tripled since the pandemic hit, writes May Bulman.A study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) into households in the bottom 40 per cent of incomes in the UK – those with an income of £24,752 or less – shows a third of them are in arrears with household bills, compared with around 11 per cent prior to the pandemic.Of these, 950,000 are in rent arrears, 1.4 million are behind on council tax bills and 1.4 million are behind on electricity and gas bills.Warnings of ‘debt crisis’ as millions fall into arrears during pandemic

Covid: What could a ‘plan C’ involve?
10:21 , Jon SharmanMinisters are reportedly considering additional Covid measures that could amount to a “plan C”, as England prepares for another winter of the pandemic, writes Zoe Tidman.While the government has so far resisted calls to implement new Covid measures, the health secretary has warned restrictions could return in England in the run-up to Christmas.According to The Daily Telegraph, Cabinet Office ministers are discussing proposals which could potentially form a “plan C” involving even tougher measures than the existing “Plan B”.However, a member of the government denied this could include a ban on household mixing at Christmas.What Covid measures could a ‘Plan C’ involve?

Care home residents still haven’t had booster jabs, says trade body chief
10:40 , Jon SharmanResidents in care homes are still waiting for Covid-19 booster jabs, the chairman of the National Care Association has said.Nadra Ahmed told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the situation was "either [to do with] the availability, or the actual rollout isn't as smooth as the previous one".She said that "people are unsure", and added: "Some teams are coming in and doing the flu jab, because we have got both running together, but not having enough booster vaccine to bring that in as well."Ms Ahmed told the programme that "the entire methodology of getting this booster in is not quite mirroring what we did last time to get the vaccine in" and care homes are "waiting to be contacted; if they are contacting GPs, the GPs are saying, 'Well, you need to contact the NHS, it might not be them that are dealing with it'."She added: "We have got some homes who are telling us they have not been contacted at all, which is really worrying because they know that they are in the cohort to be having it. They are worried."We are hearing every day that providers are saying to us that, 'We have not been contacted yet' or, 'We were contacted to be ready and it is two weeks since then'."There is a concern because obviously the six-month gap is getting bigger and bigger so the efficacy of the vaccine is reducing."We have infection rates that are rising so, for both staff and residents, there is this fear."We are still having visitors coming in who don't have to be vaccinated to come into our service."It is the pressure of the challenge now when we are also facing this chronic shortage of staff which is not being addressed at all."PA Media

Javid accused of complacency after saying NHS pressure not unsustainable
10:44 , Jon SharmanLabour’s Jonathan Ashworth has branded his government opposite number complacent over his claims about pressure on the NHS.The shadow health secretary secured an urgent question in the Commons this morning to ask Sajid Javid about the UK’s coronavirus situation.Responding to Mr Javid’s suggestion last night that the government’s “plan B” was not yet necessary because the NHS was not under “unsustainable” pressure, he asked: “Has there ever been in the history of the NHS a more complacent attitude from the secretary of state as we go into the winter?”He claimed that at the current rate the booster vaccine campaign would not be complete until March next year.Maggie Throup, the parliamentary under-secretary for health, is fielding questions in the Commons now.She said she was “disappointed” by Mr Ashworth’s tone and said the government was carrying out the plans it had laid before parliament.She added: “Our vaccines have created a wall of defence, it’s incredible how many people have taken up the offer.”

Covid leads to sharp rise in sick and diseased kittens being sold online by rogue dealers
10:59 , Jon SharmanCovid lockdowns have led to a sharp rise in sick, diseased and weak kittens and cats being sold online by rogue dealers cashing in on people being at home more, crime experts say.Action Fraud, the UK centre for online fraud and cybercrime, received 1,146 reports of cat buyers being conned in the 2020-21 financial year - a more than fivefold increase on 2019-20, when 190 instances were reported.Buyers lost an average of £216 each, the latest figures show – up from £169 last time, writes Jane Dalton.Rogue dealers cash in on Covid to sell sick kittens online

Russia reports another record number of Covid-19 deaths
11:09 , Jon SharmanRussia reported a record 1,036 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours as well as 36,339 new infections, a surge that has seen some health restrictions reinstated.Moscow's mayor announced four months of stay-home restrictions for unvaccinated over-60s and Vladimir Putin’s government approved a week-long workplace shutdown to cope with fast-rising cases that the Kremlin has blamed on a slow vaccination campaign.It is the second one-day deaths record in a row.Yesterday 1,028 fatalities were reported. Overall some 227,000 people have died.

Government facing pressure from former ministers on Covid handling
11:28 , Jon SharmanTwo former health ministers have questioned the government’s approach to handling coronavirus this winter.Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt also asked if the vaccines minister Maggie Throup, who is answering questions in the Commons this morning, should be a cabinet minister.He said: "Is not one of the issues that the vaccines minister before sat round the cabinet table and now does not? And this is such an important thing for our national defence against the virus."Ms Throup said: "I have regular meetings with the prime minister and the prime minister takes the vaccine rollout extremely seriously, as does the secretary of state."And Steve Brine, a Conservative ex-minister, said there is a "depressingly familiar drumbeat towards plan B, plan B+, plan C in the papers today", adding the government has not mentioned how it is proposing to spend money raised for the NHS via the national insurance tax hike.Ms Throup replied: "We are in plan A and we still have more to do in plan A to put all the measures in place to protect our communities ... to continue to build that wall of defence and to continue to have our freedoms."

UK likely already nearing 100,000 infections a day, virologist warns
11:38 , Jon SharmanA top virologist has warned the UK is likely already close to experiencing 100,000 new Covid-19 infections per day.Dr Chris Smith, from the University of Cambridge, told BBC Breakfast that about half of coronavirus cases are asymptomatic.“So probably, with detected cases at 50,000, we’re probably already close to 100,000 cases a day anyway, we just don’t know about lots of them,” he said.“We are looking very hard, we’re doing more than a million tests a day now, but probably we do have really high levels bordering on that sort of number at the moment.”

Moscow to go back into lockdown to combat surging Covid cases
11:57 , Jon SharmanMoscow authorities have announced a new 10-day lockdown, as the city’s hospitals struggle to cope with a major uptick in Covid admissions and deaths, writes Oliver Carroll.Starting next Thursday, October 28, all non-essential business will be required to shutter. This means factories, shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure facilities will be off limits, with only supermarkets, chemists and certain other services allowed to remain open.An exception has been made for theatres and museums, which will be allowed to work at half capacity for the fully vaccinated.Moscow to go back into lockdown to combat surging Covid cases

12:16 , Jon SharmanIndia has administered 1 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines since its inoculation drive began in January.About 75 per cent of India's total eligible adult population has received at least one dose, while around 30% per cent is fully immunised, officials said.The country of nearly 1.4 billion people is the second to exceed 1 billion cumulative doses after China, the most populous country, did so in June.Coronavirus cases have fallen sharply in India since the devastating months at the start of the year when the highly transmissible Delta variant, first detected in the country a year ago, was infecting hundreds of thousands daily.On Thursday, India confirmed more than 18,400 new cases. Active cases make up less than 1% per cent of its total caseload, now more than 34 million, including more than 450,000 deaths, according to the health ministry.Associated Press

Booster programme ‘stalling’, warns Labour
12:20 , Rory SullivanLabour has warned the government that its vital booster jab programme will not be completed until March next year unless it speeds up the process. “Isn’t the truth the vaccination programme is now stalling?” shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said on Thursday. Instead of the current 165,000 doses being administered each day, he called for the government to commit to 500,000 a day.Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt also urged ministers to accelerate the programme by offering booster shots to those who received their second vaccine five months ago, rather than the current six-month waiting time. Here’s our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn with more details: Booster jab programme won’t be completed until March, Labour warns

Welsh NHS faces one its ‘hardest ever’ winters
12:39 , Rory SullivanThe Welsh NHS faces one of its hardest ever periods this winter, its boss has warned. Dr Andrew Goodall said that Covid-19 and other respiratory viruses would put significant strain on an already stretched health service. “We know this winter will be one of the hardest periods we have ever faced, as we face the twin challenges of the pandemic and respiratory viruses, but our Winter Plan will ensure essential services keep running,” the chief executive said.

Which countries could ban UK travellers due to soaring Covid cases?
12:51 , Rory SullivanHalf-term holidays were thrown into turmoil yesterday when Morocco made the decision to ban all flights from the UK, effective from midnight on 20 October, writes Simon Calder.While easyJet brought back two planeloads of passengers from Marrakesh to Gatwick and Manchester overnight, no further departures will take place until December at the earliest.The Moroccan government has said the suspension is “until further notice”, and the country is also suspending flights from Germany and the Netherlands. Which countries could ban UK travellers due to soaring Covid cases?

Scientific and medical advisers have not formally requested ‘Plan B’, says Downing Street
13:10 , Rory SullivanNeither Chris Whitty nor Sir Patrick Vallance has formally asked the government to activate ‘Plan B’, No 10 has said. The prime minister’s spokesperson said they did not know whether the chief medical officer and the chief scientific adviser backed the decision not to trigger the plan, which would involve mandatory face coverings and working from home. “If you are asking me if they have formally requested that change to move to Plan B, they have not,” the spokesperson said. They also said it is “not accurate” that ministers were working on a Plan C to ban household mixing this winter.

Tory MPs won’t wear masks because they ‘know each other’, says Rees-Mogg
13:28 , Rory SullivanConservative MPs will not wear masks in the Commons because they “know each other”, Jacob Rees-Mogg has said.Hours after Sajid Javid recommended face covering should be worn in parliament, the Leader of the House contradicted him. “The advice on crowded spaces is crowded spaces with people that you don’t know – we on this side know each other,” Mr Rees-Mogg said. The prime minister’s spokesperson seconded this position. Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick reports: Tories won’t wear masks in Commons as they ‘know each other’, Jacob Rees-Mogg says

Watch: Rees-Mogg says he will not wear mask in Commons
13:35 , Rory SullivanEarlier today, Jacob Rees-Mogg defended Tory MP’s refusal to wear face covering in the Commons. Here’s what he said:

Watch: COVID-19: PM vows to stick with his strategy, as WHO warns the UK's current situation is 'not healthy'

Lack of boosters in care homes ‘really worrying’, says social care leader
13:47 , Rory SullivanThe slow rollout of Covid-19 booster jabs in care homes is “really worrying”, a social care leader has warned.Nadra Ahmed, who leads the National Care Association, said some care homes had not even been contacted about booster vaccines, despite residents and staff being eligible for them. She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We are hearing every day that providers are saying to us that ‘We have not been contacted yet’ or ‘We were contacted to be ready and it is two weeks since then’.“There is a concern because obviously the six-month gap is getting bigger and bigger so the efficacy of the vaccine is reducing.” Ms Ahmed said it was particularly worrying given the rising infection rates.

Sweden extends ‘pause’ of Moderna jab for under 30s
14:04 , Rory SullivanSweden will pause the use of the Moderna vaccine in under 30s beyond its original 1 December deadline, the public health agency has confirmed.The country made the decision in October, citing data which indicated that the jab increased the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis among this age group. Young Swedes who have been given one Moderna dose, will be offered a Pfizer shot as their second jab.

How are other countries responding to surge in Covid infections?
14:20 , Rory SullivanThe British government does not intend to reintroduce coronavirus restrictions for the time being, claiming that the pressure on the NHS is not “unsustainable”. But what are other countries doing to contain a new wave of the virus? My colleague Thomas Kingsley takes a look: How other countries are considering a Covid lockdown amid the latest surge

Cop26 will cause Covid spike and need for restrictions, professor warns
14:40 , Rory SullivanThe Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow could lead to a surge in coronavirus cases, causing more stress on the NHS, a scientific adviser to the Scottish government has warned.Professor Devi Sridhar, of Edinburgh University, said such a spike would trigger the need for more restirctions.“A mass event (with major movement of people in & out) with an infectious virus will cause an increase in cases. While in the case of COVID will put stress on limited health services. Which triggers need for further restrictions,” she wrote. Up to 30,000 people are expected to travel to Glasgow between 31 October and 12 November.

Israel to welcome vaccinated tourists from next month
15:00 , Rory SullivanIsrael is set to open its borders to vaccinated travellers from the start of November, after being largely shut to foreigners since the start of the pandemic. Those who have received both Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines will be allowed into the country.The plan has not yet been given cabinet approval and could change if new variants are discovered, the tourism and health ministries said in a joint statement.

PM blames public for slow booster jab rollout
15:11 , Rory SullivanBoris Johnson has blamed the slow booster jab rollout on people not coming forward for their vaccines. Speaking from Northern Ireland, the prime minister insisted there was adequate supply. “It’s a demand issue. We really urge people to come and do it,” he said.His remarks come after Labour claimed two million eligible people are yet to receive an invitation for their booster doses.Boris Johnson blames people not getting booster jabs for slow rollout

Covid rates in England surge in all age groups, data shows
15:25 , Rory SullivanInfection rates in England are surging in every age group, the latest data shows. In the seven days to 17 October, cases were most common among 10 to 19-year-olds, with 1,366.8 infections recorded per 100,000 people, up from 1,134.9 the previous week, according to the UK Health Security Agency. This was the highest weekly increase in this group since records began in October 2020. The lowest rate was in the over-80s, which stood at 121.2 per 100,000, up slightly from the week to 10 October.

Government’s existing Covid plan will not work, says scientific adviser
15:45 , Rory SullivanThe government’s attempt to halt rising coronavirus cases by appealing for voluntary behaviour change from the public will not work, one of its scientific advisers has warned. Professor Robert West, who is part of the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (Spi-B), said the plan is not going to be effective.He added: “But also I think people will be a bit suspicious and think, ‘Hang on a minute, what about you? What is the government doing because it’s not just about us it’s about everyone taking responsibility and that does include the government’.”

Ukraine sees highest daily Covid death toll
16:02 , Rory SullivanDaily Covid-19 cases and deaths reached all-time highs in Ukraine on Thursday, with 22,415 new infections and 546 fatalities reported. Authorities there have blamed the slow vaccine take-up for the rise in numbers. With only 15 per cent of Ukrainians fully jabbed, Armenia is the only country in Europe with lower vaccination levels than Ukraine. From today, Ukrainians will need to show vaccination certificates or proof of a negative test to travel on planes, trains and long-distance buses.

UK records more than 50,000 daily Covid cases
16:25 , Rory SullivanThe UK has detected 52,009 new Covid-19 infections, the highest number of daily cases since mid-July. The government also announced a further 115 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. Amid a steep rise in the number of infections, ministers have rebuffed calls for coronavirus restrictions to be introduced.UK daily Covid cases surpass 50,000 for first time since end of lockdown

WHO calls on G20 countries to donate more Covid vaccines
16:50 , Rory SullivanThe world’s wealthiest 20 countries should increase their vaccine donations to poorer nations, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. “The G20 countries must fulfil their dose-sharing commitments immediately,” the organisation’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Former British prime minister Gordon Brown said that failure to do so would be a “dereliction of duty”. Western nations currently have 240 million doses lying spare, according to Mr Brown.

Government should ‘get a grip’, says Starmer
17:08 , Rory SullivanMinisters should “get a grip” and scale up the booster jab programme, Keir Starmer has said.On a visit to a pharmacy in London, the Labour leader said the government was letting the country’s defence against the virus “crumble”. “So the government needs to change, it needs to get a grip, I think it needs to drive those numbers up to at least 500,000 vaccines a day,” he said.

Pfizer booster dose gives strong protection against Covid, study shows
17:22 , Rory SullivanThe risk of symptomatic Covid-19 infection is reduced by 95.6 per cent in those who receive a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the latest trial data shows. Ugur Sahin, head of BioNTech, said “booster vaccinations could play an important role in sustaining pandemic containment and a return to normalcy”. The study involved 10,000 participants. Samuel Lovett reports: Pfizer booster dose offers exceptionally high levels of protection against Covid

Russian disinformation about vaccines backfiring, says EU
17:40 , Rory SullivanRussia’s campaign to sow doubts about the efficacy of western coronavirus vaccines is backfiring, the EU has said in a new report. The country is now experiencing its highest daily Covid-19 death tolls, the bloc noted.“Disinformation can kill. That should be kept in mind when we see Kremlin media continue spreading lies on Covid-19 and the vaccines, even as the death tolls in Russia are surging,” the study said. The Kremlin has denied that it is engaged in a disinformation campaign.

AY.4.2 variant could be 10 per cent more infection than Delta, says Russian researcher
18:00 , Rory SullivanThe AY.4.2 variant could be 10 per cent more infectious than the Delta variant, a Russian researcher has said. But Kamil Khafizov, senior researcher at the state consumer watchdog, added that vaccines should work well against it. “The vaccines are effective enough against this version of the virus, which is not so different as to dramatically change the ability to bind to antibodies,” he said.The subvariant is also on the rise in England, accounting for around 6 per cent of all infections in the week starting 27 September. Sajid Javid said on Wednesday that it was not more of a threat than the Delta variant.

Ireland records 2,029 new Covid infections
18:25 , Rory SullivanIreland has confirmed 2,029 new cases of Covid-19. Dr Tony Holohan, the country’s chief medical officer, said there had been a “significant increase” in transmission since the start of October.He urged the public to be vigilant over the bank holiday weekend.

Test and Trace fails to contact one in ten
18:52 , Rory SullivanTest and Trace was unable to contact almost one in ten people who tested postive for Covid-19 in the seven days to 13 October. As a result, health authorities did not receive the details of close contacts from 9.8 per cent of these people.The figure rose from 9.4 per cent the previous week.

Cases in France jump by almost 20% in week
19:10 , Rory SullivanNew coronavirus infections in France have leapt by almost 20 per cent since last week, with 6,127 cases recorded on Thursday. Health ministry data also revealed a further 37 deaths from the virus, bringing the death toll up to 117,389. Infections in France have fallen from 28,000 per day in mid-August but have started to rise again in recent days.

Police in Toronto must be fully jabbed by 30 November, force says
19:30 , Rory SullivanPolice in Toronto will not be allowed to work unless they are fully vaccinated against coronavirus by the end of November, officials have said.Those who do not comply with the rules will be placed on unpaid leave. “The safety of our workplaces and the health of our members is of critical importance to the service,” the force said in a statement. The federal government and other large employers such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corp have also set similar deadlines for their staff to be fully inoculated.

Irish nightclubs to reopen from Friday
19:50 , Rory SullivanThe Irish culture minister has confirmed that nightclubs will be allowed to operate at fully capacity, just hours before the venues are due to reopen. Speaking on Thursday evening, Catherine Martin said new rules including socially-distanced queueing for drinks would apply from Friday. Masks also need to be worn by clubbers who are not dancing or drinking. Ian Redmond, who runs a venue in Dublin, told PA news agency there were a few anomalies in the government’s guidelines. “It seems a bit crazy, but everyone just want to do their best,” he said.

Record number of people in England sign up for booster jab
20:09 , Rory SullivanHealth secretary Sajid Javid has said a record 234,000 people booked a booster jab appointment yesterday. “We know that natural immunity provided by the vaccine reduces over time, which means if you are vulnerable, you are more likely to catch Covid-19 and become seriously ill if you don’t take up the offer of a booster,” he said.In total, more than 4 million people in England have received their booster shot.

Ask a disease control expert anything about the UK’s Covid surge
20:29 , Rory SullivanGiven the UK’s worrying spike in Covid-19 infections, should masks be mandatory again? And should we all start working from home once more? Dr Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter, is on hand tomorrow morning to answer any questions you have about the current coronavirus situation. Join him here from 10am on Friday: Ask a disease control expert anything about UK Covid cases increase

US calls on WTO members to support Covid vaccine waiver
20:54 , Rory SullivanEvery member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) should back a Covid-19 vaccine waiver, the Biden administration has said.“We...need every WTO member to step up as well and support an intellectual property waiver, and every company must act ambitiously and urgently to expand manufacturing now,” White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said. The US announced its support for the move in early May. The intellectual property waiver, which is yet to be backed by the UK, would allow poor nations to manufacture their own coronavirus vaccines.

UK risks becoming a ‘police state’ if mask wearing is enforced, says health minister
21:32 , Emily AtkinsonLord Kamall has raised fears over police-enforced mask wearing after medical professionals urged the government to implement a back-up strategy to combat high levels of Covid-19 infection in the UK.‘Plan B’ includes bringing back legal requirements to wear masks, asking people to work from home and the mandatory use of vaccine certificates.Lord Kamall said the Government is “relying very much on a range of scientific advisers to tell us if we need to move to Plan B”, adding: “But at the moment because we’re not where we were last winter, because we have broken the link between cases, hospitalisation and deaths, at the moment we’d prefer to try Plan A.“One of the concerns we have heard about mandatory face masks at the moment is who enforces it?“Do we suddenly have more police enforcing it and become a police state?”

Watch: COVID-19: UK records another 52,009 cases and 115 virus-related deaths, latest daily figures show

‘Critical incident’ declared at NHS hospital as demand higher ‘than any time during pandemic’
22:22 , Emily AtkinsonA surge in demand at The Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske saw more than 100 patients awaiting treatment in A&E and 25 ambulances queueing outside.Managers at Cornwall’s main hospital raised the operating level from OPEL4 — known as a ‘black alert’ — to an ‘internal critical incident’ to allow for greater cooperation to ease the crisis.Allister Grant, medical director of the RCHT: “Even though they are already working extraordinarily hard, our staff are supporting the opening of extra inpatient areas not only in our hospitals but in care homes who have beds available but not the staff to open them.“Families, friends and neighbours are urged to help us, too, by offering to support someone waiting for home care to leave hospital sooner, and we would ask them to contact the ward directly if they can help in any way.”

Thailand to allow quarantine-free travel from 46 countries, PM says
22:29 , Emily AtkinsonThailand will let vaccinated visitors from 46 countries forgo COVID-19 quarantine from next month, the prime minister said on Thursday.Britain, the United States, China, Singapore, Germany and Australia are among the countries that will be able to enjoy new quarantine-free travel arrangements.The decision comes as the country seeks to revive its vital tourism industry after losing around $50 billion in revenue last year - an 82 per cent drop.