Coronavirus latest news – New York variant hits the UK as holidays abroad BANNED until end of June
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A NEW coronavirus variant first detected in New York has found its way to the UK after health chiefs detected three cases.
Experts fear the new variant, called B.1.526, may carry a mutation that could weaken the effectiveness of vaccines.
Many cases of B.1.526 in New York have been found to contain the E484K mutation, which has also been seen in South Africa and Brazil variants, and is thought to make vaccines less effective.
But Public Health England say the three cases found in the UK for the first time do not contain the worrying mutation.
It comes as Brits face an official holiday ban in law from Monday - with the risk of a £5,000 fine for escaping.
Under new Covid laws, which were published by ministers today, people across the country will be officially banned from leaving the country without a reasonable excuse.
Previously the holiday ban was implied, as it was not one of the reasons people are allowed to leave their homes.
The new laws come in on Monday as part of lockdown rules being lifted, but effectively there's no big change for holidays as they are already banned.
People will face a fine of £5,000 for breaking the new law, however.
Follow our coronavirus live blog below for the very latest news and updates on the pandemic...
DEATHS REGISTERED IN ENGLAND AND WALES FALLEN BELOW FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE
The number of deaths registered in England and Wales has fallen below the five-year average for the first time in six months, the ONS said.
Some 10,987 deaths were registered in the week to March 12, 4.4% below the average for the corresponding period in 2015-19.
It is the first time deaths have been below average since the week to September 4.
DR HILARY SLAMS 'FOOLHARDY' SUMMER HOLIDAY PLANS IN FACE OF THIRD COVID WAVE
Brits could witness another wave of Covid-19 from Europe if summer holidays go ahead and if people travel by aircraft, Dr Hilary Jones has warned.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain this morning Dr Hilary warned that summer holidays could result in "more hospitalisations and more deaths".
He said: "It’s international travel that is transmitting the virus more quickly than anything else. Aircraft and people being able to move very quickly throughout the world.
"We don’t want to go back to the position we were in a year ago, if we are too lax with the regulations we will have another wave, we will have more people in hospital, we will have more deaths again and people will suffer with their mental health, they will suffer with education.
"That’s why it’s really imperative that people take this seriously still and obey the regulations which are set down by the government but are advised by scientists."
ORGANISED FIVE-A-SIDE BACK FROM MONDAY BUT KICKABOUTS STILL BANNED
Organised five-a-side matches are back on from March 29 - but you still won't be allowed to have a kickabout in the park with your mates.
As part of the Prime Minister's lockdown roadmap, outdoor sport can finally return on Monday - but casual games with your pals are still banned.
Government guidance states that from March 29, people will be able to take part in "formally organised" outdoor sports.
This means that grassroots and community teams can play sports like football, rugby, and hockey once again - after over three months in lockdown. But just meeting up with your friends for a kickabout is still prohibited, because it is not part of a "formal" sport organisation.
WATCH - PRINCE CHARLES CALLS ON BRITS TO 'TAKE A MOMENT TO REMEMBER' THOSE LOST TO COVID ON ANNIVERSARY
Prince Charles has called on Brits to “take a moment” to remember those lost to coronavirus on the anniversary of lockdown.
Watch the Prince of Wales' message below.
LABOUR LEADER TWEETS ABOUT ONE YEAR SINCE PANDEMIC START
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to the people who lost loved ones during the last year of the coronavirus pandemic.
"As we mark one year since our country entered the first lockdown, my thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones since the pandemic began," he tweeted.
"Today at 12pm, I will join people across our country to observe a minute's silence on this National #DayOfReflection."
THE LAST YEAR WAS 'HARDEST YEAR IN A GENERATION' SAYS MATT HANCOCK
Reflecting on the last year, Matt Hancock told BBC Breakfast: "I think the last year has been probably the hardest year in a generation.
"This crisis has touched everybody. My first thoughts go to those who've lost loved ones.
"The impact of that is permanent, I know that from my family."
He said he was at home when he heard of the first death, adding: "I remember sitting down and you know it really hit me."
He added: "That was the first death and there have been many more since then, and it's touched many, many families in this terrible way, and it's just made me more determined to get us out of this.
"You can see now that the number of people going to hospital, thankfully, is really falling sharply and the number of people who are dying ... these can just be statistics but they really mean something.
"It's very good news because fewer families are having to go through what so many families have been through."
THERE IS A 'LIKELIHOOD' OF THIRD WAVE IN SUMMER SAYS SAGE MEMBER
There is a "likelihood" of a third wave of coronavirus in the summer, a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has said.
Professor Calum Semple told Sky News: "The concern at present is that in countries where there's less vaccination and a very strong third wave, that's the perfect breeding ground for further variants of concern.
"So, at this point, Britain has got its act together, the concern is as this third wave is going on elsewhere, that will generate new variations. Even within Britain there is a likelihood of a third wave in potentially July and August time when we do unlock society.
"That third wave we would expect to occur in people that are less susceptible to very severe disease. It's inevitable as we unlock there will be an rise in cases, the key here is have we won the race to vaccinate the most vulnerable members of society so we can keep society open this time."
CARE HOME STAFF WILL BE FORCED BY LAW TO GET COVID JAB, SAYS LEAKED DOCUMENTS
Care home workers will be forced by law to get the Covid vaccine, it was reported last night.
Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock are said to have agreed to make it illegal for health staff to refuse the jab.
They have taken the hugely controversial decision amid growing alarm at the low take-up of the vaccine in some care homes, The Daily Telegraph reported.
In parts of London, fewer than half of care home staff have had the jab despite being fast-tracked to the front of the queue.
The last time the British government made a vaccine compulsory was in 1853 to tackle smallpox. Families were allowed to opt-out by 1898.
WHAT TIME IS THE MINUTE SILENCE OF THE NATIONAL DAY OF REFLECTION 2021?
A minute of silence will be held at midday on Tuesday, March 23.
A live online event has been organised by Marie Curie where guests will share their thoughts, words and songs.
A note of the website reads: "During this session we'll pause to observe the national minute of silence at 12 noon."
You can register for the live online event
Those who would rather not join the online event can observe the minute of silence in their own way.
A further minute's silence will be held at 8pm.
At this time, people are invited to stand outside with a light - be it a candle, a torch or even your phone.
END LOCKDOWN 'ONCE AND FOR ALL' SAYS PM
Boris Johnson yesterday vowed to end lockdown “once and for all” ahead of today’s first anniversary.
The PM warned a third Covid wave in Europe would “wash up on our shores”, but hailed our jabs success and national spirit.
He also called for calm amid barmy EU threats of a vaccine export ban on the UK.
The PM personally phoned Brussels leaders to urge them to dial down the rhetoric in the supply row.
As the EU splintered over whether to seize AstraZeneca doses coming to the UK, ministers privately warned they would have no choice but to retaliate on jab ingredients flowing to the continent.
£5K FINE FOR BRITS WHO TRY TO TRAVEL ABROAD
Brits face an official holiday ban in law from Monday - with the risk of a £5,000 fine for escaping.
Under new Covid laws, which were published by ministers today, people across the country will be officially banned from leaving the country without a reasonable excuse.
Previously the holiday ban was implied, as it was not one of the reasons people are allowed to leave their homes.
The new laws come in on Monday as part of lockdown rules being lifted, but effectively there's no big change for holidays as they are already banned.
People will face a fine of £5,000 for breaking the new law, however.
KATE GARRAWAY WILL QUIT GMB
Kate Garraway has revealed she will quit Good Morning Britain to care for Covid-stricken husband Derek Draper.
She is seen in a TV documentary tonight discussing his fight for life with their children, Darcey, 15, and Billy, 11.
They talk about their North London home being made wheelchair-friendly for him, with a downstairs bedroom.
Kate, 53, says: “If I have to give up work to care for him it’s best to do it now. If he needs 24-hour care, I’ll be the primary carer.
“I’ve a fear of the reality. We’ll have to fall in love again a bit.”
NATIONAL DAY OF REFLECTION
It has been one year since the UK first went into lockdown, and since then hundreds of thousands of lives have sadly been lost.
A National Day of Reflection has been organised by end-of-life charity Marie Curie for people to come together to remember those who have died during the coronavirus pandemic, and to support those who have been bereaved.
A minute of silence will be held at midday on Tuesday, March 23.
A live online event has been organised by Marie Curie where guests will share their thoughts, words and songs.
A note of the website reads: "During this session we'll pause to observe the national minute of silence at 12 noon."
WHO CALLS ON VACCINE FIRMS TO OVERCOME INEQUALITY
The World Health Organisation has called on more vaccine producers to follow the example of AstraZeneca and license technology to other manufacturers.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this model would boost supplies to developing countries as he described existing inequalities as “grotesque”.
PRINCE CHARLES MARKS DAY OF NATIONAL REFLECTION
The Prince of Wales has lent his support to the day of national reflection being held on the anniversary of the first UK lockdown.
The nation will pause in remembrance of those who have died during the crisis in the past year, organised by the end-of-life charity Marie Curie.
In a recorded message, Prince Charles said: “We have all been inspired by the resourcefulness we have witnessed, humbled by the dedication shown by so many, and moved, beyond words, by the sacrifices we have seen.”
“Whatever our faith or philosophy may be, let us take a moment together to remember those who have been lost, to give thanks for their lives, and to acknowledge the inexpressible pain of parting.”
“In their memory, let us resolve to work for a future inspired by our highest values, that have been displayed so clearly by the people of this country through this most challenging of times.”
THREE VACCINATED PEOPLE GET COVID
Three fully vaccinated people in Hawaii have tested positive for Covid-19.
Hawaii’s state Department of Health confirmed that none of the three became severely ill after contracting the virus.
Officials have used the cases to highlight that everyone needs to continue being “careful” amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
They said: “It works in a huge percentage of people, but not everyone and that’s an important message”.
PEACEFUL PROTESTS ALLOWED
Peaceful protests will be allowed from next Monday under updated Covid rules in the wake of the Sarah Everard vigil.
Demonstrations have been given an exemption from the rule-of-six limit on outdoor gatherings in the first step to lift lockdown on March 29.
The new public health rules - included in legal paperslaid before Parliament today - come into force next Monday when the stay-at-home order officially ends in England.
Protests will be considered a permitted exception to the rules banning group gatherings, so long as they are "organised by a business, a charitable, benevolent or philanthropic institution, a public body or a political body".
Organisers must take "the required precautions in relation to the gathering", the law says - which is likely to ensuring people wear masks and maintain social distancing.
CARERS 'REQUIRED' TO GET COVID JAB
Carers will be required by law to get a Covid vaccination, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph.
Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock have reportedly agreed to the legislation “in order to reach a position of much greater safety for care recipients”.
It is not clear what would happen to carers who refused a jab or what exemptions will apply.
A government spokesman said: “The review into Covid status certification is considering a range of issues. No final decisions have been made.”
ALL OF EU ON UK RED LIST?
The UK may slap ALL of its European neighbours on a travel ban “red list”, a health minister has said.
And the threat of the ban has caused airlines to axe some summer flights, throwing Brit holidaymaker's plans into chaos.
Tory frontbencher Lord Bethell said Britain’s neighbours could be put on the no-go list as he accused them of “rejecting” vaccination.
British Airways and EasyJet have confirmed they will cancel summer flights across Europe in July and August because of the possibility.
Across the EU, just over 10% of adults have received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, but in the UK the figure is more than 50%.
VACCINE EXPORT BLOCKS
Britain would have “no choice” but to block vaccine ingredient exports to the continent if the EU triggers a full blown jab ban, The Sun can reveal.
It came as ministers vowed the UK is still on course to hit vaccine targets and Downing Street is currently confident there will be no backsliding on the road map to freedom - despite the growing war of words with Brussels.
But privately ministers warn Britain will have to retaliate if the EU blocks imports from the continent coming here.
One senior member of the government told The Sun today “politically and morally it's a no brainer” adding that “the British public would not put up” with anything else.
PM: UK WILL 'FEEL EFFECTS' OF EU THIRD WAVE
Boris Johnson has warned Britain will soon "feel the effects" of Europe's third wave of Covid as he vowed to vaccinate population as quickly as possible.
The PM said Britain wouldn't be able to escape the effects on soaring infections on the continent, despite our vaccine programme going from strength to strength.
But he said he would continue to "bash on with the roadmap we set out" with the "programme we have got" so far despite fears it could delay our own unlocking.
He went on: "On the continent right now you can see sadly there is a third wave underway, and people in this country should be under no illusions. Previous experience has taught us that when a wave hits our friends, I'm afraid it washes up on our shores as well, and I expect we will feel those effects in due course.
DEATH TOLL GOING DOWN
Coronavirus deaths today dropped to their lowest level in almost six months with 17 fatalities recorded.
A further 5,342 infections were recorded, bringing the total to 4,301,925 since the start of the pandemic.
Today’s rise in fatalities is the lowest daily total since September 27, when 17 deaths were recorded.
And it is even lower than yesterday's total of 33 - previously the lowest in five months.
It brings the total to 126,172 since the beginning of the pandemic.
NEW YORK COVID VARIANT FOUND IN THE UK
A new Covid variant first detected in New York has found its way to the UK after health chiefs detected three cases.
Experts fear the new variant, called B.1.526, may carry a mutation that could weaken the effectiveness of vaccines.
Many cases of B.1.526 in New York have been found to contain the E484K mutation, which has also been seen in and variants, and is thought to make vaccines less effective.
But Public Health England say the three cases found in the UK for the first time do not contain the worrying mutation.
UK COVID DEATH DROPS
COVID-19 deaths today dropped to their lowest level in almost six months with 17 fatalities recorded.
A further 5,342 infections were recorded, bringing the total to 4,301,925 since the start of the pandemic.
Today’s rise in fatalities is the lowest daily total since September 27, when 17 deaths were recorded. And it is even lower than yesterday's total of 33 - previously the lowest in five months.
It brings the total to 126,172 since the beginning of the pandemic.