Coronavirus infections could grow “out of control” in the UK with a second spike leading to 120,000 deaths in a “reasonable worst-case scenario”, ministers have been warned. The forecast counts the number of people who could die in hospitals before next June and comes from a report commissioned by Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief
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Social care workers do not qualify for the government’s new health and care visa under the UK’s post-Brexit immigration system, Downing Street has confirmed. Home Secretary Priti Patel has unveiled details of how the UK’s new points-based system will operate when it comes into effect on 1 January next year, after EU freedom of movement
Dozens of key workers picking and packing vegetables at a farm in Herefordshire have tested positive for coronavirus. AS Green and Co, based in Mathon near Malvern, says 73 of its 200 employees have COVID-19 following an outbreak there. Workers are being asked to isolate on the farm and stay within household groups to reduce
More employees should return to work rather than stay at home to ensure “the economic engines of this country are fired up again”, Michael Gove has told Sky News. Ditching the previous government messaging during the coronavirus pandemic, the Cabinet Office minister said people who can “add value” from being in the workplace should do
Football clubs, sports stars and politicians have paid tribute to former England footballer and Ireland manager Jack Charlton, who has died aged 85. The Football Association of Ireland changed its mast head picture on Twitter to an image of a smiling Charlton, and tweeted videos and pictures of some of the national team’s finest moments
England World Cup hero and Leeds United legend Jack Charlton has died. The 85-year-old passed away peacefully at his Northumberland home on Friday, his family said. He was diagnosed with lymphoma in the last year and was also suffering from dementia. Charlton, the older brother of Bobby Charlton, was part of England’s World Cup-winning team
Boris Johnson has served notice that tougher rules on wearing face masks could be on the way, as he appealed to people working from home to go back to work. In a significant shift in COVID-19 policy, the prime minister said the government now needs to be stricter on insisting people wear masks in confined
Quarantine rules end today for people travelling to the UK from more than 70 countries and British Overseas Territories. People will no longer have to isolate for 14 days but they will still have to provide an address where they are staying. There are some exceptions for not providing an address, including those travelling within
Beauty salons, tanning shops and tattooists can reopen in England from Monday, the government has said, while gyms and indoor swimming pools will be allowed to let customers return later this month. In a further easing of lockdown restrictions, outdoor swimming pools can reopen from Saturday and indoor gyms, swimming pools, dance studios and sports
Thousands of workers whose jobs put them at higher risk of catching coronavirus will be tested even if they have no symptoms. A select group of staff such as taxi drivers, cleaners and retail assistants will be part of the pilot. The Department of Health said it was to see if there is demand for
A woman has died after a 20-metre crane collapsed on houses in east London. The woman was found on the first floor of one of the properties that was damaged after the crane came down in Bow, London Fire Brigade said. Two people are in hospital with head injuries while two others were treated by
Campaigner Marie Lyon broke down in tears as she read the report. “At last!” she exclaimed. After four decades of campaigning, she has achieved something extraordinary – recognition, finally, that she and hundreds of other families have been wronged. An independent review has found that children suffered “avoidable harm” from failure to regulate a drug
Ethnic under-representation in local government is “perpetuating racial inequality and disadvantage” in the UK, according to a report. New data shared with Sky News shows only 7% of all UK councillors are from a black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) background, which is half the percentage BAME people make up of the country’s overall population
A third of Britons have said they are either unsure or definitely wouldn’t use a vaccine for coronavirus, a poll suggests. The survey, conducted on behalf of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), coincides with the release of a report by the same group into the spread of anti-vaccine misinformation online. Members of the
British gymnasts, including Olympians and elite competitors, claim the sport is riddled with cases of physical and emotional abuse with some suggesting their complaints about welfare issues weren’t taken seriously by the governing body. One former elite artistic gymnast who retired after a decade in the sport told Sky News she was “beaten into submission”
People planning to visit Wales have been urged to behave safely and respectfully as restrictions on travel are lifted today. The “stay local” requirement had advised people to remain within five miles of their home. Visitors are now able to travel into and around Wales for the first time since lockdown measures were introduced in