The UK is to offer antibody testing to the general public this week for the first time. Who will be able to get a test? Anyone aged 18 or over in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland will be able to opt in to a programme when they get a PCR test. They will be
UK
An antibody testing programme for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 is to be launched across the UK. The government’s new programme is intended to produce data on antibody protections for people following infection by different coronavirus variants. From Tuesday, anyone aged 18 or over in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, will be
The UK has recorded 32,058 more COVID cases and 104 further deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data. On Friday 37,314 new cases and 114 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded. And this time last week, 29,520 cases and 93 deaths were reported. Another 57,289 people had their
England’s progress to the Euro 2020 final caused a “significant risk to public health across the UK”, according to scientists from Public Health England (PHE). Data from NHS Test and Trace showed that more than 9,000 COVID cases were linked to Euro 2020 football games. Wembley hosted eight matches during the month-long tournament and figures
An Afghan boy, five, died in a fall from a ninth-floor Sheffield hotel window just days after fleeing the Taliban, it has been reported. South Yorkshire Police is appealing for information following the death on Wednesday. In a statement, the force said: “It is reported that a five-year-old boy fell from the window of the
People who become infected with the Delta variant even after being fully vaccinated may still pass the virus on, undermining hopes of herd immunity, new research suggests. Scientists at the University of Oxford found levels of the virus could be just as high in people who get COVID despite having both jabs as in those
The collapse of Afghanistan’s government happened faster “than even the Taliban predicted”, the prime minister has told MPs, but he denied the UK had been caught “unawares”. Opening a recalled session of parliament to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan, Boris Johnson claimed it was “not true” to say the UK was “unprepared” for or “did
The UK will take up to 20,000 vulnerable Afghans over the coming years as part of a resettlement plan, following the Taliban takeover of their country. Under the new bespoke scheme – modelled on the UK’s seven-year programme to resettle Syrian refugees – the prime minister has promised thousands of Afghans who are most in
A child has been taken to hospital by air ambulance following a collision between a car and pedestrians, Sussex Police have said. Six others were also taken to hospital by road, including three children with potentially serious injuries. Officers were called shortly after 4.30pm on Monday after the incident on College Road in the West
A one-minute silence has been held in Plymouth to remember those killed in last week’s mass shooting. Following the silence, a bell was rung five times – once for each life lost. Maxine Davison, 51, Kate Shepherd, 66, Stephen Washington, 59, Lee Martin, 43, and his three-year-old daughter Sophie were shot dead in Keyham on
Snooker stars and former couple Mark Allen and Reanne Evans will face off for the first time at the British Open today. Taking place at Leicester’s Morningside Arena, they will compete against each other in the first round draw from 7pm. The former romantic partners are reported to have split acrimoniously 13 years ago, with
British forces going back to Afghanistan is “not on the cards”, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has told Sky News. Mr Wallace said it was not yet the right time to decide on whether to recognise the Taliban as the Afghan government. “I think there is a lot of more to come before those decisions are
The UK and the US are facing criticism over their handling of the deepening crisis in Afghanistan. Donald Trump has called for Joe Biden to resign in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover – describing the current situation as a “disgrace”. In a statement, the former president wrote: “What Joe Biden has done with Afghanistan
People who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus no longer have to isolate if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive. From today, people in England who have had both doses or are under 18 will not have to spend 10 days in quarantine if they are a contact of a positive case.
A “very young girl” was among those shot dead by a gunman who killed four other people in Plymouth before shooting himself, police have said. Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said the girl was shot dead by 22-year-old Jake Davison, while two people remain in hospital with “significant injuries”. Speaking at a
The 22 year old Plymouth shooting suspect was a loner, with a fascination for guns, who regularly used social media to bemoan his inability to find love. In a series of recent video posts on his YouTube channel, Jake Davison said that his life “amounted to nothing”. Follow Plymouth shooting live updates here He named
The number of alerts sent to users of the NHS COVID-19 app in England and Wales has fallen by 20%. A total of 317,132 alerts were sent to users in the week to 4 August telling them they had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus – a drop of
The government needs to stop “dragging their heels” and address pension disparity for some Gurkha veterans, Labour has said. Speaking to Kay Burley, shadow armed forces minister Stephen Morgan said it was “outrageous the inequality continues”. A group of Gurkhas is staging a hunger strike opposite Downing Street, with their demonstration having now entered its
The UK has recorded 23,510 new COVID-19 cases and 146 more coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data. The figures compare with 25,161 infections and 37 fatalities reported on Monday, while last Tuesday 29,703 cases and 62 deaths were announced. The number deaths reported today is the highest daily total since
More than three quarters of adults in the UK have now received both doses of a coronavirus vaccine, the government has announced. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said a total of 86,780,455 jabs have now been administered, with 89% of people having received a first dose and 75% two doses. Prime Minister