covid-19: Latest News

.We will be reverting to the contractual position on remote working on 16 May 2022, which will give providers 6 weeks to adjust. Your contract allows for 50% of controlled work applications to be made remotely.

The Health Service Executive could face a loss of up to €7m due to its dealings with a medical devices company that provided respiratory technology during the Covid-19 pandemic.

.The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the rapid implementation of many digital health products. This page explains why it is important to evaluate these products and what evaluation approaches might work best in these circumstances.When developing or introducing a new technology, it is important to . When you are introducing technology at speed, it may be even more important to consider evaluation, because it is more likely that you make mistakes or not foresee problems.You should reflect on what your project has done and be open to feedback from stakeholders, including people using your product.

LFD) tests for the management of outbreaks in higher risk settings will come to an end in England. However, free polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to determine the cause of an acute respiratory infection outbreak in higher risk settings, where deemed appropriate by a local UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) health protection team (HPT), will remain to test for a wide range of respiratory viruses.The cohort of people eligible for COVID-19 treatments can still access free COVID-19 LFDs from their local pharmacy.

here.DBS is offering a temporary new service for certain roles such as nurses, midwives and social workers. When an application for an enhanced DBS check comes in and has been identified as an application for particular roles for COVID-19, we will do a check of both barred lists, within 24 hours.The Department for Health and Social Care have advised users that if there is no match against the barred lists, the applicant can be recruited in advance of receiving the full DBS certificate.Guidance for this new service can be found here.Applications that are already in progress will follow the usual checking route.DBS checks have no official expiry date.

Information, resources and guidance relating to the evaluation of COVID-19 tests. Added DHSC guidance 'Serology and viral detection testing: UK procurement overview'.First published.

.In civil representation cases you are entitled to claim a Payment On Account (POA) for your profit costs incurred throughout the life of your legal aid certificate. This is subject to the following restrictions:certificate has been live for at least 3 monthsyou claim within the agreed cost limit of the certificateyou do not claim more than 4 profit cost POAs within a 12-month periodYou will be paid 80% of the costs incurred to date.

Information on COVID-19 reinfection surveillance programme in England. We are still at a relatively early point in the COVID-19 pandemic regarding opportunities for reinfection and limited cases have been published worldwide.The aim of COVID-19 reinfection surveillance programme is to look at how long immunity lasts, protection against clinical disease (disease with symptoms) and protection against more severe disease.

Meeting minutes taken from meetings of the Commission on Human Medicines' Vaccine Benefit Risk Expert Working Group (VBREWG) between 25 August 2020 and 5 May 2023. The data on this page was temporarily withdrawn in January 2025 to uphold our commitment to providing accurate and transparent records.

PDF, 44.5 KB, 1 pageThis file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.MS Word Document, 11.4 KBThis file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.ODT, 27.7 KB This file is in an format This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.Ref: UKHSA gateway number 2021451PDF, 718 KB, 5 pagesThis file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination consent form for children and young people or their parents and carers are available in different software versions and can be or downloaded.A of this consent form is available to view or download.An is available to download.A is available to order.A is available for the schools COVID-19 vaccination programme. aimed at children and young people are available to download or order.The easy-read consent form is aimed at children and young people who have a learning disability is available for download only.

Report COVID-19 fraud There are different ways to report other kinds of fraud (not related to COVID-19) or report a crime. You can:If you’re in danger or it’s an emergency, dial 999 and ask for the police.

ODT, 28.9 KB This file is in an format This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.MS Word Document, 30.6 KBThis file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.Ref: PHE gateway number 2020376PDF, 51.1 KB, 1 pageThis file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.ODT, 192 KB This file is in an format This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.MS Word Document, 205 KBThis file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination consent form and letter templates are available in different software versions and can be downloaded. The letter templates can be adapted to suit the needs of local healthcare teams.Copies of the adult consent form (PDF version) are available to order using product code COV2020376V2.A is available to view and download.Find public health resources Find this resource on www.gov.uk/publichealthresources where you can view, download or order resources free of charge.

[email protected]) with:Please do not send any other documents or personal information.You will receive a response in 5 working days to explain how to arrange repayment.If you’ve seen or received something that doesn’t feel right, STOP:Don’t forget that if you contact us via email, we’ll only email you through an official government email address, ending with ‘gov.uk’.Whether you’ve seen something suspicious or been a victim of fraud, you should always report it. Providing details of what happened will help the police crack down on the criminals and could prevent the same thing happening to others.If you’ve been scammed, defrauded or experienced cyber crime, report it to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040.Some websites, emails or phone numbers look like they’re part of an official government service when they’re not.

Read the latest See the latest and use the Read and where coronavirus laws are different in Wales.Read details about the including details about Statutory Sick Pay and Universal Credit. via the Welsh Government website.

CEAS) team are now predominantly working from home. Staffing capacity will naturally fluctuate for the foreseeable future, which will inevitably affect response rates, so your patience is greatly appreciated.There is no one to staff the phones so you are asked to email the CEAS group mailbox: .More information can be found on the .The following guidance is in response to Coronavirus (COVID-19).

, individuals can access walk-in vaccinations or request to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments as an unregistered patient through a local GP practice.Local outreach services are available in some areas to but have difficulties accessing vaccination.If an individual has an NHS number, .NHS England and NHS Improvement have created . The letter is available in 25 languages and can be shared with service users and service providers.If someone is denied care because they do not have an NHS number, they can contact .The following resources are also available in various languages.Shareable social media cards to promote uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations have been developed for use in digital campaigns and in .

— AboutThe UK Commission on Covid Commemoration has been established to secure a broad consensus from across the whole of the United Kingdom on how we commemorate the COVID-19 pandemic and mark this distinctive period in our history at a national and community level. The Commission is expected to report to the Prime Minister by the end of March 2023.

, the COVID-19 Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce closed on 31 March 2023.The taskforce worked with NHS England (NHSE) and devolved administrations to ensure access to community-based treatments for coronavirus (COVID-19) for UK patients. The arrangements for accessing treatments described on this page are therefore subject to change in spring and summer 2023.Find the most up to date information on available  and how to access them on the NHS website.Since December 2021, non-hospitalised patients have accessed treatments for coronavirus (COVID-19) through the following ways:The PANORAMIC national study is run by the University of Oxford.

.Any deferred VAT outstanding after 30 June 2021 will be treated as debt and may be subject to a penalty.If you are unable to pay and need more time, find out what to do .To find what other support is available, use the .A financial penalty may be charged if you did not take any action to pay your deferred VAT in full, or make an arrangement to pay by the deadline of 30 June 2021.The legislative framework for the penalty is contained in the Finance Act 2021 section 99 and schedule 19.If you did not pay your deferred VAT in full or made an arrangement to pay by 30 June 2021 you must pay a penalty, this is calculated on the amount of unpaid deferred VAT.Making an arrangement to pay included either:The penalty is charged at 5% of the deferred VAT that’s unpaid when the penalty is assessed.You must pay the penalty within 30 days of the date of the penalty assessment.You can appeal against a penalty if you have a .You can have your tax decision reviewed by someone at HMRC who was not involved in the original decision.

.Published figures relating to staff directly employed by HM Prison and Probation Service is available from the start of the pandemic up to the end of July 2022 and can be found .The link to the February 2023 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 10 March 2023.The link to the January 2023 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 10 February 2023.The link to the December 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 20 January 2023The link to the November 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 16 December 2022.The link to the October 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 11 November 2022.The link to the September 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 14 October 2022.The link to the August 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 12 September 2022.The link to the July 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 12 August 2022.The link to the June 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 15 July 2022.The link to the May 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 17 June 2022.The link to the April 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 13 May 2022.The link to the March 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 14 April 2022.The link to the February 2022 figures have been added to this collection page, these were published on 11 March 2022.The link to the January 2022 figures have been added to

OHID) to support the surveillance of coronavirus (COVID-19).Reports and analysis on the disparities in COVID-19 cases, hospitalisation and death in relation to a range of socio-economic, health and equality measures.Excess mortality reports, broken down by age, sex, region or upper tier local authority , ethnic group, level of deprivation, cause and place of death.Mental health and wellbeing surveillance reports, compiling routinely updated indicators from multiple sources and summarising important findings from ongoing surveys.Added 'The impact of COVID-19 on access to dental care' and the the 'Excess mortality: bespoke analyses' to the collection page.First published.

Updates related to collaboration between the UK Government and devolved administrations on COVID-19.

(PDF, 454 KB, 48 pages).The results from CONSENSUS are regularly reported to the Joint Committee for Vaccines and Immunisations (JCVI) and have been published . A summary of findings include:Subbarao and others.

This page brings together documents relating to published statistics on the immigration system and passenger arrivals since the COVID-19 outbreak.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi has said she had ordered charges to be dropped against a doctor accused of destroying Covid-19 jabs and issuing fake vaccination certificates.

The WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), a panel of 27 independent, international, multidisciplinary experts, today published its report on the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

on the COVID-19 vaccination programme for spring 2025, autumn 2025 and spring 2026. On 26th June 2025, the Government decided, in line with JCVI advice, that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered to those in the population most vulnerable to serious outcomes from COVID-19 and who are therefore most likely to benefit from vaccination.Vaccination will be offered in England in autumn 2025 to:In line with JCVI advice, frontline health and social care workers (HSCWs) and staff working in care homes for older adults will not be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination under the national programme for autumn 2025.This is following an extensive review by JCVI of the scientific evidence surrounding the impact of vaccination on transmission of the virus from HSCWs to patients, protection of HSCWs against symptoms of the disease, and staff sickness absences.In the current era of high population immunity to COVID-19, additional COVID-19 doses provide very limited, if any, protection against infection and any subsequent onward transmission of infection.For HSCWs, this means that COVID-19 vaccination likely now has only a very limited impact on reducing staff sickness absence.

The HSE has apologised to and compensated a 13-year-old girl who was given a Covid-19 vaccination with an already used needle.

“When you are in uncertainty, when you feel at risk, when you feel exposed, don’t tap out. Stay brave, stay uncomfortable, stay in the cringy moment, lean into the hard conversation, and keep leading.” ~Brené Brown

The independent Expert Evaluation of Ireland's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has today launched a public consultation phase.

Members of the World Health Organization have adopted a landmark agreement on how to prepare for future pandemics following the Covid-19 outbreak, which killed millions of people between the years of 2020 and 2022.

© Crown copyright 2025 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected]. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

© Crown copyright 2022 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected].

The White House has unveiled a revamped Covid-19 website that promoted the contentious theory that the virus leaked from a Chinese laboratory, framing it as the pandemic's "true origins."

After more than three years of intensive negotiations, WHO Member States took a major step forward in efforts to make the world safer from pandemics, by forging a draft agreement for consideration at the upcoming World Health Assembly in May. The proposal aims to strengthen global collaboration on prevention, preparedness and response to future pandemic threats.

A spring Covid-19 booster vaccination programme for vulnerable groups has started.

The Central Statistics Office has published a survey detailing the long-term social impacts of the pandemic experience and the restrictions associated with Covid-19 five years on.

Five years ago, in March 2020, the whole of the UK was plunged into lockdown just days after the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak of Covid-19 a global pandemic. As the virus spread, schools, restaurants and shops closed down while everyone was urged to halt non-essential contact and travel to combat the deadly virus.

Five years on from the first cases of Covid-19 in Ireland, many people are living with Long Covid, a group of health problems that persist after initial infection.

Five years since the first cases of Covid-19 here, and it feels like that time and place was another country.

Children who began school this year may be encountering more difficulties and be less prepared compared to those born before the Covid-19 pandemic, the findings of a study from Mary Immaculate College suggest.

Five years ago, the World Health Organization announced Covid-19 had become a pandemic - a moment when the world finally woke up to the unfolding disaster.

th grade within the past five years, encompassing years when schools faced significant disruption from the COVID-19 health emergency. The survey was conducted by web Feb.

The pandemic impacted us all in different ways, with many sadly losing loved ones and others making great sacrifices in their lives. This COVID-19 Day of Reflection will allow people the space and time to reflect and I would encourage everyone to take part in a way that feels right for them.It is right that, as a country, we take the time to remember the COVID-19 pandemic, to reflect on what happened, remember those whose lives were impacted in so many ways and honour those who tragically lost their lives.

A new coronavirus has been discovered in bats which could have a higher chance of infecting humans than other coronaviruses.

In the fall of 2023, U.S. census data revealed a dramatic spike in the number of Americans who said they had serious difficulty remembering, concentrating, or making decisions during and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic, The New York Times reported. What was going on here? Did people develop ADHD symptoms during the pandemic? Or did milder symptoms suddenly become “serious” amid the pandemic’s increased demands and daily disruptions?Either possibility is plausible, according to research from the Multimodal Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Study (MTA).

In week 5:For more information see the and .In week 5:In week 5:In week 5:UKHSA monitors Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) detections in patients seen in GP practices or tested by hospital laboratories and reports on this in the weekly surveillance report.hMPV is a common respiratory infection in winter and current levels are expected at this time of year. Infections are usually mild, causing symptoms of a common cold.

Cases of tuberculosis (TB) are on the rise in England, according to the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).