Health News at Your Fingertips

The Evening Standard is to cut around a third of jobs after advertising and circulation were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

It is understood that around 115 employees at the media business will be affected by the cost-cutting move.

The company has said it will focus on its “digital and mobile offering” as part of the restructure, while also developing a live events business. It stressed that the restructuring is a result of “difficult market conditions” which have recently affected the media industry and been accentuated by the pandemic.

In March, the newspaper altered its distribution model to deliver issues to homes in London, in a move which roughly halved its distribution.

In June, it named Emily Sheffield as the newspaper’s new editor, with the former Tory chancellor George Osborne becoming its new editor-in-chief.

Chief executive Charles Yardley said:

The proposed restructuring at the Evening Standard comes at a challenging time for the industry, which has been accentuated by the pandemic.

However, there remains a huge opportunity for the company, moving from London’s leading newspaper to London’s leading media platform, delivering the best content and services to our readers and our customers across multiple channels, whilst also launching new products and experiences.

Chairman John Paton said:

The Evening Standard has served London for nearly two centuries and is accustomed to evolving with our great city and Londoners.

This is the next phase of the company’s evolution and as we develop new channels and services, the focus will remain on delivering quality journalism, informing and engaging our readers and with our digital offerings bringing the best of London to the world.

It is the latest media business to announce job cuts, after Daily Mirror owner Reach said it will cut around 550 jobs in a bid to reduce costs.

Four thousand British Airways workers are “being forced out of the jobs that they love today by naked, company greed”, trade union Unite said.

Cabin crew, engineers and airport staff are among those receiving letters from the airline telling them whether or not they are being made redundant. Many of those who keep their jobs face pay cuts.

Howard Beckett, Unite’s assistant general secretary, said:

This is a very bleak day for the incredible BA workforce and will go down in the history of the airline as the day that it put the interests of the boardroom ahead of its passengers and workforce.

These workers have given years of dedicated service to this company, some as many as 40 years, and indeed to our country, as many were involved in the repatriation of British citizens at the outset of this pandemic.

Today they will be dismissed by email by an employer whose spiteful mistreatment of them is nothing other than despicable.

He went on:

This company has displayed scant regard for either employment law or basic common decency. We cannot trust them to do the right thing by this workforce, so we will be doing everything in our power to prevent this continued industrial thuggery.

Make no mistake, 4,000 loyal workers are being forced out of the jobs that they love today by naked, company greed.

The airline insists it is trying to “protect as many jobs as possible”. It said more than 6,000 workers have applied for voluntary redundancy.

British Airways’ owner IAG announced in April that it would cut up to 12,000 jobs out of a total of 42,000 as business took a hammering amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The PA news agency understands that around 40% of cabin crew, generally those at the lower end of the pay scale, will receive a small increase in their salary.

Others will see their basic pay cut by 20%, although many claim their total earnings will be reduced by as much as 50% due to other changes to the terms and conditions of their jobs.

More on this story here:

The landlord of a Staffordshire pub linked to a coronavirus outbreak has admitted he was “simply not strong enough” in ensuring social distancing measures were enforced.

Custodio Pinto, who runs the Crown and Anchor in Stone near Stoke-on-Trent, apologised on Facebook after at least 19 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were linked to the venue.

Pinto wrote:

First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest regret for all the anguish, disruption and sadness that the events that occurred in the Crown and Anchor last month have caused to so many.

I have lived in Stone since 2001 where we have raised our three children and it has always been nothing but the greatest pleasure to be part of this fantastic community.

However, on July 18, I accept that I was simply not strong enough in enforcing the government’s Covid-19 secure rules, despite detailed preparation according to their guidelines.

I regret I was complacent in enforcing these rules with the customers.

Around 1,000 people have been tested after health chiefs urged anyone who had worked at or visited the pub between 16 and 18 July to get checked.

The apology came as pubs across the UK were advised to ensure adherence to government guidelines.

Sacha Lord, night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, where an enhanced local lockdown is in place, criticised venues for failing to follow the rules:

Over the past week, I have heard of numerous pubs, bars and restaurants who have been squeezing customers in, flouting social distancing rules, ignoring contact tracing and actively persuading mixed groups not to cancel bookings.

These venues clearly have a disregard for the safety of both their customers and their staff, and I support our Mayor, Andy Burnham, and Greater Manchester police in taking action over repeat breaches in these venues.

Restaurants and drinking establishments in Aberdeen were forced to closed at short notice on Wednesday as part of stricter measures put in place after a local rise in cases linked to a bar in the city.

Fears of further breaches have been heightened by soaring temperatures going in to the weekend. The Met Office predicted peak temperatures of 37C (98.6F) in some areas.

Lord added:

As this week’s heatwave draws in, it seems unnatural not to be with our friends and go out, but we have seen a big spike in Covid-19 cases over the past few weeks in our region and the regulations are in place for a reason – to keep you safe.

Disregarding social distancing not only puts yourself in danger, but also those you meet on your way home, at work, and those who live with you.

New analysis has found there was a clear and lasting “Cummings effect” on public confidence in the UK government’s handling of coronavirus after the prime minister’s senior aide appeared to break lockdown rules, my colleague Archie Bland reports.

The research found a significant decrease in public confidence in the government after the Guardian and Daily Mirror revealed that Dominic Cummings had travelled 264 miles to Durham with his sick wife and child despite official advice that people “should not be visiting family members who do not live in your home”.

The University College London paper, published in the Lancet, tracked more than 40,000 people’s views of the government’s approach to the pandemic over a six-week period. It also found that over the three weeks following the Cummings revelations, willingness to adhere to lockdown guidelines dropped more steeply in England than in Scotland and Wales.

More on this story here:

An average of 28,300 people in private households in England had Covid-19 between 27 July and 2 August, according to new estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This was the equivalent of about 0.05% of the population, or one in 1,900 individuals.
The figures do not include people staying in hospitals, care homes or other institutional settings.

An average of 3,700 people per day in private households in England were estimated to be newly infected with Covid-19 between 27 July and 2 August, according to the ONS – down slightly from 4,200 per day in the period 20-26 July.

The ONS said that while recent figures had suggested the percentage of individuals testing positive for Covid-19 had risen since the end of June, there was now evidence to suggest this trend may have levelled off.

Now is not the time to discuss Scottish independence, the chancellor has said on a trip to Scotland.

Following a visit to generator manufacturers Peak Scientific in Glasgow on Friday morning, Rishi Sunak said he believed Scotland was one of the UK’s “power brands” in the tourism sector and could drive the recovery of the whole country.

The fourth UK cabinet minister to visit Scotland in recent weeks, Sunak also said new fiscal powers for the Scottish parliament should be decided in a “proper way” through a review of the fiscal framework. That is the agreement between the UK and Scottish governments on funding arrangements. He said:

I don’t think now is the time to be talking about these constitutional questions, I think everyone’s sole focus and my sole focus right now is doing what we can to protect people’s jobs and their livelihoods at what is an incredibly difficult time for our economy.

That’s what I think everyone should be focused on, let’s not focus on these divisive constitutional questions, let’s focus on rebuilding for the future.

The chancellor echoed the sentiment expressed by the prime minister, Boris Johnson, when asked about Scottish independence, saying the coronavirus pandemic had highlighted the importance of the union to Scotland and how it will prove just as important in the economic recovery to come. He added:

Tourism is a really important industry for the United Kingdom and Scotland is one of our power brands when it comes to UK tourism, and Scotland can help drive our recovery in that regard.

Which is why the UK initiatives like ‘eat out to help out’ or the VAT reduction for tourism and hospitality can disproportionately benefit the Scottish economy and Scottish jobs and in doing so help drive the UK recovery.

As the chancellor visited Glasgow, the Scottish finance secretary, Kate Forbes, tweeted that she doubts his understanding of the urgency for more fiscal powers for the Scottish parliament – something that has been requested several times during the pandemic.

Forbes said most of the new powers sought would not cost the Treasury a penny, and claimed Sunak therefore “either doesn’t care … or it’s purely a political position”.

The constitution secretary, Mike Russell, has said extending the borrowing powers of the Scottish parliament could lead to the furlough scheme in Scotland continuing past the October cancellation date.

In response, Sunak said:

I strongly want our fiscal framework to work well, and we’re happy to be constructive on that. The fiscal framework is big and important and should only be changed after a proper process, that process is due to happen, I think, next year. There should be a timeframe for those things and I think those timeframes have been set out for a while and are being adhered to. We will approach those constructively, as our track record demonstrates.

The Department for Transport has provided more clarity in relation to the quarantine rules for people driving through Belgium.

It said in a statement:

If you travelled from Germany or the Netherlands through Belgium, unless all passengers remained in the car and no one got out or in for the entire time while transiting through Belgium, you need to self-isolate.

Rail travellers returning to or arriving in the UK on journeys which include a stop in Belgium will also need to quarantine unless no new passengers boarded the train and no one left it before getting back on.

This means Eurostar passengers travelling from Amsterdam to London will need to self-isolate, as the journey involves a change of trains in Brussels.

Visitors to the south-west of England are being urged to avoid busy beaches over the weekend. Crowds are expected to head to the coast as temperatures are forecast to hit the mid to high 20s.

The RNLI has called on beachgoers to follow water safety advice and adhere to social distancing, PA Media reports. Last week, the charity carried out 30 rescues in one day on just one beach in Cornwall, mainly involving bathers and bodyboarders caught in rip currents, going out of their depth and being cut off by the incoming tide.

Kitty Norman, water safety delivery support at the RNLI, said:

The beaches across the whole of the south-west are extremely busy at the moment with both locals who are holidaying at home this year and an influx of visitors to the region.

The sheer volume of people making social distancing tricky is one thing to be conscious of before planning your trip to the beach.

You might choose to visit the beach at a quieter time of day, or choose a beach with more space, where you can still bathe between the flagged area, but spread out further when setting up camp for the day.

If you arrive at the beach and it is simply too crowded, consider moving on and spending your day elsewhere.

Checking the tide times is advised – as the tide comes in, it reduces the available space for people to spread out and leads to beaches getting more crowded.

She also asked people to respect a 2-metre distance when approaching lifeguards.

Large tides are still present this weekend, meaning the tide will flood in quickly. This will increase the amount of water moving around and raise the risk of stronger rip currents.

The RNLI said people caught in a rip current should always raise their hand and shout for help. They should not try to swim against it and should wade if they are able to stand. They should swim parallel to the shore until free and then head for the beach. People who cannot swim should float by leaning back in the water, extending their arms and legs and resist the urge to thrash around.

Anyone who sees a person in trouble should alert lifeguards or call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.

If, like me, you’re struggling to keep up with the travel corridors UK travellers can visit without any restrictions on arrival (such as testing or quarantine), our travel reporter Antonia Wilson has compiled an updated list here:

And that’s me for the day as I hand over to Lucy Campbell. Stay cool!

With the heat already starting to kick in, there’s lots of advice around at the moment on how to stay cool in a face mask.

The BBC has a neat little guide. They say that first of all, it’s key that you:

*Choose the right mask.

“We have all got to wear masks here, but there’s a few things you can do,” says consultant dermatologist Dr Adil Sheraz, who works at a London NHS hospital. The top tip for him is to choose a mask made from a breathable material, such as cotton or even bamboo. He says although surgical masks – the thin, blue masks that many people are seen wearing – provide protection from spreading the virus, they aren’t that breathable and “they are not the best to use for keeping cool”.

But he adds that one downside to cotton masks is that they absorb more fluid and can get damp – so he suggests taking a spare out on hot days. The colour of the mask might also help. “Consider having a mask that’s a lighter colour, rather than a darker one,” says Sheraz. Dark colours absorb more light, converting it into heat.

*Don’t forget to use sun cream.

“You can still get UVA and UVB rays through a mask,” Sheraz said: “Put [sun cream] on and wear a mask on top. It won’t clog up if you use the right one.”

*Mop your brow.

If you’ve invested in a visor held in place by a headband worn against your forehead – aka the sweatiest part of your face on a hot day – that is a must.

*Stay hydrated.

Don’t be tempted to withhold from drinking because you want to cover your mouth. Just remember to clean your hands before touching your mask and try to only remove it when you are at a safe distance from others.

*Use a fan.

In some Asian countries that experience hot weather, they carry battery-powered fans. That, said Sheraz, might also be worth a try.

Parents and staff are still confused over the wearing of face coverings in schools, says Unison, and clearer guidance is needed on face coverings in schools in England.

The union has written to the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, urging him to allow all school staff to be allowed to wear face coverings if they choose.

The union also supports calls to let pupils wear face coverings, given emerging evidence that transmission rates among secondary school children could be equal to those for adults.

Employers must also provide safety kit, such as masks where necessary, to staff found to be at higher risk of Covid-19 following an individual assessment, they said today.

The union’s intervention comes ahead of updated government guidance coming into effect this weekend which makes face coverings compulsory for all inside public spaces from Saturday.

Current Department for Education guidance to schools needs an immediate review to ensure measures to protect staff, pupils and the wider community are improved, says the union.

Unison’s senior national officer for education, Ruth Levin, said: “Parents, staff and the public are suffering needless anxiety because of the government’s confused messages around face coverings.

“We’re just weeks away from a return to the classroom and staff and pupils need to know where they stand. Unison believes they should be allowed to wear face coverings if they want to.

“It’s been a shambles from the start on what the rules are. The government must act urgently to sort out this mess and ensure the reopening of schools is as safe as possible for staff, pupils and the public.”

Ahead of a visit to Scotland intended to highlight the benefits of schemes put in place by the UK government, Rishi Sunak has said government schemes to support businesses recovering from coronavirus have paid out £2bn in Scotland.

The loan schemes have assisted some 65,000 businesses across Scotland, the chancellor announced on BBC Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme.

The bounce-back loans scheme, which was announced in April, offers between 2,000 and 25% of the turnover of small and medium businesses.

The government also guarantees the loans, which have no interest for the first year before the rate rises to 2.5% after 12 months.

Since its inception, the Treasury says that 63,469 loans have been approved, totalling £1.8bn.

In the case of the coronavirus business interruption loan scheme, more than £587m has been paid out to date, to 2,693 small and medium businesses looking for up to £5m.

The government pledged to guarantee up to 80% of the loan and will pay interest in fees inside the first year.

Sunak is the fourth minister in recent weeks to visit Scotland, with his deputy, Steve Barclay, the business secretary Alok Sharma, and Boris Johnson all making the trip north.

The Office for National Statistics has released its weekly report on the coronavirus and the social impacts on Great Britain.

The main findings are:

• Almost all adults (96%) who had left their homes said they had worn a face covering to slow the spread of the coronavirus – an increase from 84% last week and 71% the week before.
• This differs between nations as 97% report wearing one in England, with 94% and 74% in Scotland and Wales (it should be noted that the guidance around the mandatory wearing of face coverings differs between countries).
• Almost four in 10 adults (37%) said they would feel comfortable or very comfortable eating indoors at a restaurant this week, an increase from last week (34%).
• Of those adults who had left their homes this week, more than one in five (21%) said they had visited a pub, restaurant or cafe, an increase from 10% three weeks ago.
• Over four in 10 adults (41%) reported that the coronavirus was affecting their wellbeing this week; of these adults, 14% reported that they were worried about a possible job loss.
• Over half of adults (53%) reported they currently see family members less than they did before the coronavirus pandemic, despite the easing of restrictions.
• Almost seven in 10 adults (69%) said they would feel comfortable or very comfortable to attend an appointment with a healthcare professional in person; however, fewer people reported that they would feel comfortable or very comfortable if they were attending a hospital appointment (61%) or A&E (55%).

The NHS test-and-trace system should work like jury service, with full pay, according to the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.

People are not handing over the names of contacts in the test and trace programme for fear of putting friends and family in a “really difficult position”, he added.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Burnham said people were worried about taking 14 days off work knowing they will not be paid, or be at risk of losing their job.

Burnham said the system was “not good enough yet”. “So when I say not yet, it’s because in Greater Manchester, when you look at the contacts of people who are testing positive, the wider group of friends and family, only 52% of people are being reached by the national test-and-trace system.

“And I think one of the reasons for that, there’s a number of reasons, but one is a number of people in our poorer communities are finding it very, very hard to agree to a request to take 14 days off work when they know they won’t be paid, or worse, they will lose their job.

“And this of course particularly affects people who are self-employed, or who are on zero-hours contracts.”

Burnham added: “The average rate the last time I checked was that people were giving the names of two and a half contacts, which suggests to me that some people are not producing names because they know their wider group of friends and family would be put in a really difficult position.”