UPDATED DAILY : UK CORONAVIRUS - UPDATED 29/10/22

Last to come out of lockdown, fist to go back into lockdown.....There's devolution for you !!!

No government has come out of it well, why should they ? China has been best at stamping out the outbreaks but what would the twitteratti think of police kicking the door in to arrest people suspected of breaking lockdown, or throwing barricades up on the M4.

Boris pulled the panic button in March because he had to, Drakeford has done it for political expediency. Funny how Starmer flipped 180 last week when he used Wales as his political petri dish and dopey Drakeford has done as his party leader told him. Is Andy Burnham still trying to oppose a far lighter lockdown ?

Manchester 449 / 100K
Cardiff 270

and how many of those 449 or 270 are actually ill ?

Probably half if their previous attempts at maths is anything to go by? As for 2wks that's fantasy land uf you listen to so called experts who all say need at least 3wks probably more to see effect on covid cases! Unless of course drakeford manipulates the figures...

You are right about 2 weeks being of no use as a lockdown. The self proclaimed experts say it takes a minimum of 3 weeks to have any effect, which is why the initial lockdown in March, was 3 weeks. So what is the point of a 2 week lockdown?
This lockdown will only delay the possible spread to the Christmas period. Why do that?

they will claim it has worked either way.. just like the earlier 3 month lockdown when 39,500 of UK covid deaths happened .. but.... it would have been more had we not locked down .... you dont need a shred evidence just needs to be said and people buy it..

If you look around the news media there is a lot of contradictory information on deaths coming out that do not collate with original figures given out...... there is no evidence to support a lockdown but drakeford likes to be seen as the great leader and will do anything to bolster this image.

the World Health Organisation say lockdowns should only be used as a last resort...
so are they wrong and Drakeford correct... or is this really a last resort ?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -boss.html
https://www.rki.de/EN/Content/infection ... _2018.html

Well drakeford believes it's a last resort as he doesn't know what else to do... he as put in place financial measures for certain businesses but is relying on Westminster to prop up the rest.. my problem with this measure is it will only come back once lockdown is lifted exactly what happened when restrictions were lifted previously!

1 person died today Allan.... one. id assume thats not what WHO meant

No idea what W.H.O meant as cant access links?

I am lead to believe that this "Fire Break " as the 1st FM calls it will start next Friday 23rd Oct 18:00 to Nov 9th 00:01.

Boooom - As posted Saturday and Not on any BBC Website or Press site at the time ....It's happened

Genuine question. Have I missed something? When this 17 day "Firebreak" starts, do the local restrictions that have been in place end? The reason I ask that I haven't picked this up before, but the female reporter on BBC Wales 6:30 news who was answering viewers written questions just said that they do end? Does any of you know for certain?

Genuine question. Have I missed something? When this 17 day "Firebreak" starts, do the local restrictions that have been in place end? The reason I ask that I haven't picked this up before, but the female reporter on BBC Wales 6:30 news who was answering viewers written questions just said that they do end? Does any of you know for certain?

BLUE - This is the link which i think Nicola Smith gave on the BBC News tonight - to the changes ...click the link BLUE


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-54597306

Thanks for that TC. Info (of course) right at the end. It seems HE has SUGGESTED that the local restrictions will end, but no indication YET on what will follow. We await as they say with bated breath!

What happens next?
The first minister has suggested there will not be a return to local lockdown measures in Wales once the 17 days are over.

Instead of different communities having different rules, Mr Drakeford has stressed the need for national rules, which will apply in all parts of Wales, so that people will know who they can spend time with over the festive period.

It remains to be seen what these measures will be.

Thanks for that TC. Info (of course) right at the end. It seems HE has SUGGESTED that the local restrictions will end, but no indication YET on what will follow. We await as they say with bated breath!

What happens next?
The first minister has suggested there will not be a return to local lockdown measures in Wales once the 17 days are over.

Instead of different communities having different rules, Mr Drakeford has stressed the need for national rules, which will apply in all parts of Wales, so that people will know who they can spend time with over the festive period.

It remains to be seen what these measures will be.

What a stupid statement at end so no local area lockdown? but will it be on national basis so presume that means if get situation like caerphilly again whole wales will be locked down not just caerphilly? Xmas is looking very dodgy if want to do anything

UK records more than 26,000 daily cases

The UK government has announced there have been a further 26,688 daily coronavirus cases.

Another 191 people died within 28 days of positive test, it said, taking the UK's total to 44,158.

South Yorkshire has become the latest region set to enter tier three restrictions after an agreement for a financial support package was reached with local leaders. The new restrictions come into place on Saturday

Greater Manchester will receive £60m in funding support for businesses as it moves into tier three. Local leaders had called for at least £65m

And 12 men who claimed to be members of the same household - but were in fact part of a football team - have been fined for visiting a pub in South Tyneside. Meanwhile, four students at Nottingham Trent University have also been fined £10,000 each for holding a house party.

UPDATED: Thursday 22nd October 2020

UK
21,242 New Daily Virus

189 New Daily Deaths

44,347 Total Deaths

New government Covid scheme to pay up to half of wages

The chancellor has unveiled increased support for jobs and workers hit by Covid restrictions after growing clamour from firms in tier two areas.

Rishi Sunak announced big changes to the Job Support Scheme (JSS) - set to replace furlough in November.

He told the Commons that even businesses not forced to shut were facing "profound economic uncertainty".

Under the revised scheme, employers will pay less and staff can work fewer hours before they qualify.

At the same time, the taxpayer subsidy has been doubled.

At an afternoon news conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked the chancellor for introducing measures that "will protect people's livelihoods".

But he warned that the UK would face "many thousands more deaths" if it put the economy before health.

United Kingdom

Coronavirus Cases:
810,467

Deaths:
44,347

Wales lockdown: Covid 'firebreak' comes into force

Wales has entered a national 17-day lockdown in an effort to slow the rise of Covid cases and hospital admissions.

Major restrictions to people's lives came into force at 18:00 BST on Friday.

People can leave home for limited reasons including to buy food and medication, provide care, exercise or to work if they cannot do so from home.

All but essential businesses have closed with economists warning the measures may cost the Welsh economy more than £500m.

The Welsh Government said any delay would have caused greater harm.

But opposition parties have called for clarity on what happens at the end of the period.

Covid: Wales lockdown supermarket rules 'need urgent debate'

Pressure is mounting on the Welsh Government to reverse a ban on supermarkets selling "non-essential" items such as clothing in Wales.

A petition on the issue has more than 35,000 signatures - those that attract over 5,000 are debated in the Senedd.

Welsh Conservatives leader Paul Davies said the Senedd should be recalled to "urgently debate" the measure.

First Minister Mark Drakeford tweeted to say he would be reviewing the measures after the weekend.

close parts of their stores which sell products such as clothes, shoes, toys and bedding during Wales' 17-day "firebreak lockdown".

The petition, asking that supermarkets should be allowed to sell "non-essential" items, is already one of the largest ever sent to the Senedd.

Covid in Wales: Supermarket rules 'will not be reversed'

Rules banning shops selling non-essential items during Wales' firebreak lockdown will not be reversed, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said.

On Sunday afternoon, Mr Drakeford said the implementation of the rules may be tweaked, but the "basic decision" behind the ban was the right one.

A petition on the issue has exceeded 60,000 signatures, making it the largest ever submitted to the Senedd.

The Welsh Conservatives earlier said the rules were "mixed-messaging".

Supermarkets have been told they can only sell "essential" items and must close parts of their stores which sell products such as clothes, shoes, toys and bedding during Wales' 17-day "firebreak" lockdown.

Think you've got covid 19.Boots will soon have a 12 minute test.
120 quid ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Big deal by drakeford! Supermarkets can use discretion when selling non essential items? Using discretion means items person cannot do without.... what a load of bollocks

Updated: Monday 26/10/20

United Kingdom

New Deaths 102

Coronavirus Cases:
894,690

20,890 New Cases

Deaths:
44,998

Nottingham, along with parts of the surrounding county, is to enter tier three restrictions on Thursday, it has been announced. The city has consistently recorded one of the highest infection rates in England

Tier three rules are due to come into force in Warrington on Tuesday rather than Thursday following an agreement between the council and government

North and South Lanarkshire are being considered for the tightest restrictions in Scotland's new five-level system of rules

High street pharmacy Boots will soon sell a Covid test which provides a result in 12 minutes. The test, which costs £120, will be available to people with no symptoms

Tesco was "simply wrong" to tell a woman she could not buy period products during lockdown, Wales' health minister has said. It comes amid a ban on sales of non-essential items during the nation's firebreak lockdown

Younger people are more than twice as likely than older workers to lose their job in pandemic, BBC research finds

The UK has recorded its highest number of daily deaths since May. A further 367 deaths within 28 days of a positive test have been reported. It brings the total number of UK deaths to 45,365, according to government figures. Yvonne Doyle, medical director of Public Health England, warned that the rising death toll from Covid-19 was likely to "continue for some time".

Covid tests with results within an hour are being piloted in universities - which could help students get home for Christmas. In England, about 1.2 million students are expected to move in December from a university to a home address in another region, raising concerns about the virus being spread between areas with different levels of infection.

In England, Downing Street has suggested trick or treating can happen as long as local restrictions are adhered to. The Cabinet Office said it was not planning to issue guidance on Halloween, with the prime minister's spokesman urging people to use their common sense

In Wales, people are being asked to stay at home during the country's 17-day firebreak lockdown - which is in place during Halloween - and bans other households from meeting either indoors or outdoors

It's wrong that one part of the country (the biggest by some margin)will be allowed to trick or treat,but our grandkids etc won't be able to do the do the same Can see them now watching the news,and seeing kids being allowed try explaining to a 6yr old that she can't have friends around to trick or treat, and party as normal.

What a total mess! Got so called experts saying can have 25k admissions in hospitals by end next month... then got them saying flue deaths are not as bad as previous year yet overall death average is way above 5yr normal but those figures dont equate to rise in covid deaths? So you need to guess who or what is right.. .And you take pot luck at which covid death figures you take notice of as there seem to be several ways they calculate them and they all equate to different totals... no wonder people don't have confidence in drakeford or boris or any other gvmnt leader for that matter.

UPDATED:


Wednesday 28th October 2020

UK

New cases 22,885

New deaths 367


Total deaths 45,365

France going into national lockdown from tomorrow until end November. Oy essential reasons allowed for going out.

Around of two-thirds of coronavirus fines have been issued to people under the age of 35 and the vast majority of fines went to men, new figures show.

Police in England and Wales handed out 20,223 fines for breaching coronavirus restrictions between 27 March and 19 October, according to the National Police Chiefs' Council data.

It's too early to say what rules will be in place this Christmas, environment secretary George Eustice has said - while warning that people "may not be able to get together in the larger groups that they normally would"

Wales records highest daily death toll in six months

Wales has recorded its highest number of daily coronavirus deaths in more than six months, the Welsh first minister has said.

Mark Drakeford tweeted: "I am deeply saddened the number of coronavirus deaths in Wales reported over the past 24 hours is 37 - the highest number in more than 6 months."

There have also been a further 1,414 cases of Covid-19 recorded in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 46,459.

Public Health Wales said after the latest 37 deaths, the total number had risen to 1,827.

On Tuesday, the UK as a whole recorded its highest daily death toll since May, after another 367 people died within 28 days of a positive test.

UPDATED: Thursday 29th October 2020


UK

285 New Daily Deaths

980,000 Covid-19 Virus

Covid-19: Delia Smith urges PM to reopen football grounds

Celebrity chef Delia Smith has written to the prime minister urging him to allow football fans back into stadiums.

The Norwich City director warned that smaller clubs could be at risk of closure unless supporters were able to watch live games again soon.

In an open letter, she said having distanced spectators was a "far better option than six round a table inside".

The government has set up a taskforce to look at how fans might return to stadiums.

Plans to reopen higher-level football grounds to supporters were postponed by the government in September amid rising Covid-19 cases.

Covid-19 is spreading "significantly" faster across England than even the government's predicted "worst-case" scenario, documents from the government's scientific advisory committee, Sage, reveal. Infection levels are around four times higher than the government's worst-case plan - which is used by officials and the NHS to prepare for winter

The UK's latest daily Covid figures show 24,405 further positive cases and 274 more deaths as of Friday

The latest weekly infection data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests a glimmer of hope, with cases appearing to be levelling off in north-east England. The data also estimated around 570,000 people in homes in England had coronavirus in the week ending 23 October

When Wales' national 17-day lockdown comes to an end on 9 November, there will not be a return to local restrictions. Instead, First Minister Mark Drakeford said he would announce on Monday a set of national rules "for the sake of clarity and simplicity"

Updated: Saturday 31st October 2020

UK

24,405 new cases

274 new deaths

46,229 Total deaths

Apparently a second full lockdown will be announced in England tomorrow in a special tv announcement by Boris Johnson

Reading an article from top scientist he doesnt think will get back to normal for 5yrs and will need masks and social distancing be around for at least a year if not longer as no garauntee wont have 3rd or 4th wave!
But what is still concerning is the disparency in the figures used? 4k deaths a day unless we lockdown again and by mid dec all hospitals including field ones will be full ... basically life as we know it is going to be around for at least 18mnths and take 5yrs to get back to pre covid times..... there are other scenarios but that mentioned never going back to what we consider normal with covid always being around and vaccine not working well on vulnerable/older people... as he says no hugging 85yr old grannie again!

Coronavirus latest news: Second national lockdown for England from Thursday -

Boris Johnson has announced a second national lockdown that will come into force on Thursday, November 5.

Here's what will happen at-a-glance:

1. People must stay at home, with the following exceptions:

Education

Work (if you cannot work from home)

Recreational exercise with one person from another household or your household

To escape injury or harm

To shop for food and essentials

To provide care for vulnerable people as a volunteer

2. Pubs, restaurants and non-essential retail must close.

3. Workplaces should stay open where people can't work from home in the constructing and manufacturing centres.

4. Schools, childcare, colleges and universities will stay open.

5. No shielding - but PM urges those who are clinically extremely vulnerable to minimise their contact with others.

6. Furlough will be extended until December, with time limited measures from November 5.