UK: Latest News

All news where UK is mentioned

18.12.2021 / 13:01

Two-week lockdown among plans to tackle Omicron in UK

Britain is facing tougher pandemic measures to stem the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, reports have suggested, as ministers debate how to tackle the rising number of infections.

Boris Johnson Britain World UK

UK reports record daily Covid case number as travel rules to change

The British government has said a further 93,045 Covid-19 cases have been recorded today, the highest daily total recorded since the pandemic began, and a rise of 4,669 on the previous record set yesterday.

Britain France World UK

England's CMO urges caution as Omicron cases rise

England's chief medical officer has urged people to "prioritise" social and work interactions before and during Christmas, as the government grapples with surging Omicron coronavirus cases.

Boris Johnson Chris Whitty Britain World UK

Omicron spreading at 'phenomenal rate' - UK Health Secretary

The Omicron variant of novel coronavirus is spreading at a "phenomenal rate" so people should get an additional dose of the vaccine because double-jabbed people are vulnerable, the UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said today.

Sajid Javid Britain city London World UK

UK Covid alert level increased over rapid rise in Omicron cases

The UK Covid Alert Level has been increased from Level 3 to Level 4 "in light of the rapid increase in Omicron cases," the four UK chief medical officers have said in a joint statement.

Britain World UK

Tougher restrictions 'may be needed' in UK to prevent Omicron spread

Tougher Covid restrictions may be needed to prevent Omicron causing anywhere between 25,000 to 75,000 deaths in England over the next five months, according to scientists advising the British government.

Britain World UK

70%-75% protection against Omicron with booster - study

Preliminary data has shown vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron Covid-19 variant "considerably increased" in the early period after a booster dose, providing around 70% to 75% protection against symptomatic infection.

Britain UK Coronavirus

Passengers arriving from UK advised to take daily antigen tests

Passengers arriving from Britain are being advised by the Government to undertake daily antigen tests for five consecutive days, beginning on the day of arrival.

Tony Holohan Britain Ireland UK

'Work from home' and wider use of masks in England to curb Omicron

Work-from-home guidance will return, vaccine passports will become mandatory in nightclubs and large venues and mask rules will be extended to combat the Omicron variant as Boris Johnson announced a move to "Plan B" to tackle coronavirus.

Boris Johnson Britain UK Coronavirus

Britain considering new Covid-19 restrictions

The British government is considering a new set of coronavirus restrictions including orders to work from home and the introduction of vaccine passports to deal with rising cases and the spread of the Omicron variant.

Boris Johnson Britain city Westminster World UK

UK Omicron cases doubling every two days - scientist

Cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in the UK are soon expected to be higher than in some African countries placed on their travel red list, a scientist has warned.

Tim Spector Britain city London World UK

'Omicron circulating in community' - UK health minister

The Omicron variant of coronavirus is now circulating within the community, the UK's health secretary has confirmed.

Britain World UK

Next pandemic could be more lethal, warns AZ vaccine creator

Another pandemic will threaten human lives and could be "more contagious" and "more lethal", one of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine inventors has warned.

Sarah Gilbert Britain World UK

UK tightens testing rules for inbound passengers

The UK will require all inbound travellers to take a pre-departure Covid-19 test, and arrivals from Nigeria will have to quarantine in hotels to slow the spread of the Omicron variant, British Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said.

Sajid Javid Britain Ireland county Island Nigeria Isle Of Man World UK

Mask mandates to tackle Omicron come into force in England

New mask mandates and other measures aimed at curbing the spread of the Omicron variant come into force in England, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson eyes an expanded booster programme to help increase protection against Covid-19.

Boris Johnson Britain World UK

Common travel area exempt from UK travel measures

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has welcomed confirmation that new travel measures taken by the UK against the Omicron variant will not apply to the common travel area.

Britain Ireland Angola Malawi Lesotho Botswana Mozambique UK

Two cases of new Covid-19 variant detected in UK

Two cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant which was first detected in southern Africa have been found in the UK, according to British health secretary Sajid Javid.

Sajid Javid Britain Hong Kong South Africa Belgium Botswana World UK

Pfizer vaccine efficacy wanes three months after second dose - study

Experts who have been tracking the effectiveness of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have found that the risk of Covid infection increases the longer it is since people had a second dose.

Britain Israel World UK

UK to expand Covid booster vaccine programme

Britain's booster programme for Covid-19 vaccinations is to be expanded to younger people.

Britain World UK

England sees record Covid prevalence in October - study

Covid-19 prevalence in England rose to its highest level on record in October, Imperial College London said, led by a high numbers of cases in children and a surge in the southwest of the country.

Paul Elliott Britain city London World UK

UK pupils urged to take Covid test before school return

Students in England are being urged to get tested for coronavirus before returning to school to minimise disruption to lessons and to ensure families can "enjoy the best" of the festive season.

Britain World UK

UK Labour's Starmer tests positive for Covid-19

British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has tested positive for Covid-19.

Lindsay Hoyle Keir Starmer Ed Miliband Britain World UK

NHS 'on the edge' as Covid cases rise and winter pressures mount

Britain's health service is close to the edge of being overwhelmed in many areas and and pressure is only going to increase as winter approaches, the head of a healthcare system body has said.

Boris Johnson Britain World UK

Covid testing at UK lab suspended over incorrect results

Covid testing at a laboratory in Britain has been suspended after 43,000 people may have been given incorrect negative PCR coronavirus test results.

Britain World UK

'Serious errors and delays' cost lives during pandemic, say UK MPs

A study by a joint committee of British MPs has described the UK government's early response to the Covid-19 pandemic as one of the worst national public health failures ever.

Britain World UK

17% of Covid patients in England ICUs are pregnant

Almost a fifth of the most critically ill coronavirus patients in England in recent months were unvaccinated pregnant women, health officials said as they urged expectant mothers to get their jabs.

Britain UK Coronavirus

Past covid infection plus vaccination gives greater protection, study suggests

Previous coronavirus infection gives double jabbed people greater protection, new research suggests.

Tim Spector Zoe Covid Britain city London World UK

Llama antibodies have 'significant potential' as covid treatment - study

Tiny antibodies produced by llamas could provide a new frontline treatment against coronavirus in the form of a nasal spray, research suggests.

Britain World UK

BBC presenter died due to Covid vaccine complication - coroner

An award-winning BBC radio presenter died due to complications of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination, a coroner in the UK has concluded.

Lisa Shaw Britain county Durham city Newcastle UK Coronavirus

UK-wide Covid antibody testing programme to be launched

A UK-wide antibody testing programme is to be launched for people who have contracted Covid-19, the UK government has announced.

Britain World UK Coronavirus

Wales to reopen nightclubs as most restrictions end

Nightclubs are set to reopen and all restrictions on meeting others are to be removed in Wales, in the biggest easing of coronavirus measures since the pandemic began.

Mark Drakeford Britain World UK

Scotland drops need to self-isolate with negative test

The requirement to self-isolate after close contact with a Covid-positive person will be dropped in Scotland if a negative test result is received, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Britain Scotland World UK Coronavirus

Firms in UK to offer incentives for Covid-19 vaccines

Food delivery and taxi-hailing companies in the UK are to offer discounted lifts and meals for customers who get a Covid-19 jab to help boost vaccine uptake, the British government has announced.

Britain World UK Coronavirus

UK urges pregnant women to get vaccinated as Delta variant spreads

British health authorities have urged more pregnant women to get coronavirus jabs after a national study found the Delta variant appeared to increase their risk of severe symptoms.

Britain World UK

UK records 31,117 confirmed cases of Covid-19

The UK government has said another 31,117 confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been reported.

Britain World UK Coronavirus

Testing to replace self-isolation for 'pinged' UK food supply chain workers

Emergency measures to protect food supplies in the UK will see thousands of workers at up to 500 critical sites potentially avoid the need to self-isolate if identified as a contact of a coronavirus case.

Boris Johnson Sajid Javid Britain UK Coronavirus

Decision on easing most restrictions in NI is delayed

Stormont ministers have delayed final decisions on the majority of Covid-19 relaxations proposed for Northern Ireland next week.

Britain Ireland UK Coronavirus

Remaining legal Covid-19 restrictions lifted in England

The last remaining legal measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 have been removed in England.

Boris Johnson Sajid Javid Britain World UK

How can Britain reconcile reopening as virus rampages?

The daily coronavirus cases reported in the UK went past 50,000 yesterday - the highest number there since mid-January and one of the highest rates of infection in the world.

Britain UK Coronavirus Health

Boris Johnson 'pinged' by NHS as Covid close contact

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been contacted by NHS Test and Trace as a contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 but will not be self-isolating, Downing Street has said.

Boris Johnson Rishi Sunak Sajid Javid Britain World UK Coronavirus

Britain's health minister tests positive for Covid-19

Britain's health minister Sajid Javid has said he had tested positive for Covid-19, but that his symptoms were mild and he has had two doses of vaccine against the disease.

Sajid Javid Britain World UK Coronavirus

UK sees more than 50,000 cases ahead of lockdown easing

A further 51,870 Covid-19 cases have been reported in the UK while 48 people have died with the disease.

Britain World UK Coronavirus

Half of Covid patients in first wave had complications - UK study

Half of the coronavirus patients admitted to hospital during the first wave developed at least one complication, new research has found.

Britain World UK Coronavirus

Retain face coverings on London public transport - Sadiq Khan

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for use of face coverings to remain compulsory on public transport in the British capital after government plans to relax Covid-19 curbs begin on 19 July.

Britain World UK Coronavirus

UK doctors say Johnson 'irresponsible' to ease lockdown

The British Medical Association has condemned UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's "irresponsible" decision to press ahead with lockdown lifting in England despite Covid-19 infections continuing to surge.

Boris Johnson Chaand Nagpaul Britain World UK Coronavirus

Euro 2020 final fuels fears of new UK outbreaks

British authorities warned against large gatherings ahead of the Euro 2020 football final today, fearful of the highly transmissible Delta coronavirus variant that has fuelled outbreaks across the world.

India Italy Britain World UK Coronavirus

Experts say easement plan in England 'dangerous and unethical experiment'

More than 100 scientists and doctors have signed a letter accusing the UK government of conducting a "dangerous and unethical experiment" and urging it to reconsider its plans to abandon all Coronavirus restrictions in England.

David King Chaand Nagpaul Britain UK Health

9 in 10 adults in UK likely to have Covid-19 antibodies

Around nine in 10 adults in most parts of the UK are now likely to have Covid-19 antibodies, new figures suggest.

Britain Ireland Scotland World UK Coronavirus

United States	Cases: 46 252 513 Deaths: 750 423 Recovered: 0
India	Cases: 34 321 025 Deaths: 459 652 Recovered: 0
Brazil	Cases: 21 835 785 Deaths: 608 235 Recovered: 0
United Kingdom	Cases: 9 215 683 Deaths: 141 607 Recovered: 0
Russia	Cases: 8 494 589 Deaths: 237 619 Recovered: 0