Covid news live: UK cases drop as Sturgeon expected to recommend vaccinations for 16 – 17 year olds – The Independent

Boris Johnson hints at U-turn on amber watchlist

Scotlands proposed Freedom Day will be going ahead, first minister Nicola Sturgeon announced today.

The First Minister also suggested that 16 and 17 year olds in the UK may soon start to receive doses of the Covid-19 vaccination.

Most legal coronavirus restrictions in the country are to be lifted on 9 August, next Monday.

Legal requirements for social distancing and limits on the size of social gatherings and access to venues will be removed, but, unlike England, indoor mask-wearing will still be necessary and will be legally mandated for some time to come, the first minister said.

Workers in Scotland will still be advised to work from home wherever possible, she said.

Ms Sturgeon did not, however, rule out the potential for restrictions to be reimposed.

We all hope - I know I certainly do - that the restrictions we lift next Monday will never again have to be re-imposed. But no-one can guarantee that, she told MSPs.

A health commentator, meanwhile, has said England could be over the edge of the third wave of Covid-19 infections.

Jamie Jenkins, former head of health statistics at the Office for National Statistics (ONS), told LBC cases in England and Wales have been falling since 19 July and we might start being over the hill now when it comes to deaths.

We probably are over the edge of the wave at the moment, he said, but added: Lets have a bit of caution as we go into the autumn period.

Good morning and welcome to The Independents live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Well be bringing you rolling updates on the latest news and statistics throughout the day.

Chiara Giordano3 August 2021 08:09

Ministers have abandoned plans to add a new amber watchlist category to the UKs Covid travel rules, after Boris Johnson said the traffic light system should stay as simple as possible.

The government has been considering a new category to let travellers know which amber-list countries are at risk of turning red, but the idea sparked backlash from the travel industry and MPs.

My colleague Adam Forrest has more on this story:

Chiara Giordano3 August 2021 08:10

The nation could be "over the edge" of the third wave of Covid-19, a health commentator has said.

Jamie Jenkins, former head of health statistics at the Office for National Statistics, told LBC: "(Cases) in England and Wales have been coming down since July 19, the cases have been falling for a couple of weeks there, then you get that time-lag effect when cases start coming down you get, around five or six days later, you start seeing hospital admissions come down, and then you start seeing deaths come down.

"I think looking at the data, we normally see deaths peaking around 14 days after cases come down, I think we might start being over the hill now when it comes to deaths."

Mr Jenkins added: "We probably are over the edge of the wave at the moment but let's have a bit of caution as we go into the autumn period."

He said that hospital admissions were around 80 per cent lower than what they would have been in the past and deaths were 90 per cent lower, adding: "The vaccine effect has kicked in as well - if you look at the same number of cases to what we had in the winter, it would have been 800 deaths rather than 65-70."

Chiara Giordano3 August 2021 08:12

Gillian Keegan, the skills and apprenticeship minister, appeared to confirm that the government amber watchlist plan had been ditched.

Asked on LBC radio whether an amber watchlist had been discussed, she said: Everything is discussed before saying the government wanted the traffic light system to stay simple.

The minister said: The important thing when were designing this [travel list] system, and where we came down on, in the end, is to make sure the system is simple enough for people to understand.

Chiara Giordano3 August 2021 08:20

Lifestyle changes driven by the coronavirus pandemic have been linked to a possible rise in short-sightedness among children in a new study.

Analysing children in Hong Kong between the ages of six and eight, researchers found a potential increase in cases of myopia after the pandemic struck.

My colleague Andy Gregory has more details in this piece for Independent Premium:

Chiara Giordano3 August 2021 08:36

A leading behavioural scientist has praised the British public for consistently being ahead of the government in terms of their awareness of the dangers of Covid-19.

Stephen Reicher, professor of Social Psychology at the University of St Andrews and Member of Independent Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (Spi-B), told Sky News: "The public have always been behaving responsibly.

"The remarkable thing when you look at the data is that people have always been ahead of the government in being aware of the dangers (of Covid).

"The problem, to some extent, is that the government is not matching the public with its own responsibilities.

"It does seem as if the changes in the Covid rules come as quickly as medals come to the UK team (at the Tokyo Olympics).

"We've got to use the summer, we squandered it last year.

"We should be installing ventilation in public spaces. In New York, they're going to have two air purifiers in every classroom.

"If the government showed the same responsibility the public is showing, I think we'd be in a far better place in the autumn."

Chiara Giordano3 August 2021 08:45

Gillian Keegan, minister for apprenticeships and skills, has said it is her understanding that the director general of the Joint Biosecurity Centre has resigned, following reports.

Asked on LBC to confirm if Clare Gardiner has resigned, Ms Keegan said: "Yes I believe that she has.

I mean I don't have any responsibility for that area, but you know, all of these things - there is a group of experts who are basically there that are looking at data, analysing data and then giving advice to the government, and so I guess they will be looking for a new chair."

Asked why Ms Gardiner has quit, Ms Keegan said: "I don't have any understanding at all of that, no, I have only heard what you have heard."

Chiara Giordano3 August 2021 08:52

Jeremy Clarkson has criticised Covid scientists and politicians while sharing what he thinks should happen next in a post-pandemic world.

The TV presenter said that he disagrees with the idea of lockdowns designed to keep people safe, calling scientists those communists at SAGE who should get back in their box.

Our culture reporter Jacob Stolworthy has more on this story:

Chiara Giordano3 August 2021 09:02

A new study is being launched to determine what the best gap is between coronavirus vaccine doses for pregnant women, with scientists hoping findings will reassure expectant mothers on the safety of the jabs.

Researchers are aiming to recruit more than 600 pregnant women for the trial, which will monitor the vaccine's effectiveness and follow the development of children up to one year old.

The launch comes less than a week after research revealed the vast majority of pregnant women admitted to hospital with Covid-19 are unvaccinated.

England's chief midwife has written to GPs and fellow midwives across the country urging them to encourage expectant mothers to get a jab.

Those behind this latest Preg-CoV trial said while there are currently no safety concerns when it comes to pregnant women having Covid-19 jabs, they hope it will give expectant mothers and those caring for them "the highest quality of data about these vaccines".

Almost 52,000 pregnant women in England have been vaccinated to date - with no safety concerns reported.

Chiara Giordano3 August 2021 09:30

A minister has estimated about 25 per cent of staff at the Department for Education (DfE) are in the office on any one day at the moment.

Gillian Keegan, minister for apprenticeships and skills, told Times Radio: "I have been in the office four days a week since June last year, as have many of us you know because obviously we have had to navigate these very difficult decisions during the pandemic.

"And many of the civil servants are also back now, more and more are coming back, and quite frankly they are all excited to come back."

She said the Government has said "use the summer to sort of reintroduce people coming back".

Asked how many civil servants are back in the office, she said: "In the DfE, I would say probably 20-25 per cent at the moment on any one day, obviously different people are coming in different days."

Chiara Giordano3 August 2021 09:45

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Covid news live: UK cases drop as Sturgeon expected to recommend vaccinations for 16 - 17 year olds - The Independent