Javid wants to ditch PCR tests for travellers ‘as soon as possible’ – as vaccine passports axed

Published

3 years ago

September 12, 2021

admin

Sajid Javid has told Sky News he wants to remove the PCR test requirement for travellers returning from some foreign countries “as soon as I possibly can”.

The health secretary said he was aware of the cost for families holidaying abroad and that the measure should not be in place “for a second longer than is absolutely necessary”.

Mr Javid said he had asked officials to remove the rule “at the moment we can”.

Meanwhile, the health secretary also told Sky News he did not “like the idea” of vaccine passports and hoped to “avoid” introducing them.

“We have got a huge number of defences; of course we still want to remain very cautious, and there are some things that – when it comes to travel for example – there are some rules that are going to have to remain in place,” Mr Javid told Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday.

“But the PCR test that is required upon your return to the UK from certain countries, look, I want to try and get rid of that as soon as I possibly can.

“I am not going to make that decision right now, but I have already asked officials that at the moment we can, let’s get rid of these kind of intrusions, the costs that generates for families, particularly families just trying to go out and holiday.

“We shouldn’t be keeping anything like that in place for a second longer than is absolutely necessary.”

At present, passengers returning from green list countries, or amber list destinations if they are fully vaccinated, must take PCR tests on or before day two after they arrive in England.

Last month, the government announced the cost of NHS coronavirus tests for international travel were being reduced from £88 to £68 each, with the sum for two rests reducing from £170 to £136.

The travel industry, which has been hammered by the pandemic, has long complained that the costs of tests are too high.

In August, Mr Javid announced a “rapid internal review” of prices charged by government-approved companies after claims holidaymakers were being exploited over private testing.

Asked on Sky News whether Labour would support scrapping the need for PCR tests to be taken by those travelling internationally, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said his party “will have to see what the proposal is when it comes before Parliament”.

Mr Ashworth added that, “at first sight”, reports of the government plans “looks like a reasonable approach”.

The debate comes as the Welsh government announced that international travellers returning to Wales will be offered a wider choice of COVID test providers from 21 September.

The Welsh government said in a statement it would make the change from September 21 as “new standards and spot checks are being introduced, which will help to address long-standing concerns and issues about the market for PCR tests” for those returning to the UK.

Meanwhile, on the use of vaccine passports, Mr Javid said the government would not introduce the measure unless there is “no alternative”.

“I think if we went down the road of vaccine passports or vaccine certification as it is sometimes called, that is a big decision for any government to make,” the health secretary told Sky’s Trevor Phillips on Sunday.

“We have been looking at that, we have been open about that, instinctively I do not like the idea at all of people having to, let’s say, present papers to do basic things.

“So if we do that, it has to be something that is looked at very carefully and something that we believe has to be done with no alternative.”

The health secretary said “rising” vaccination rates should be taken into account when making “a final decision” on whether vaccine passports should be used, adding: “But I hope we can avoid it.”

He continued: “I am not here today to rule that out, we haven’t made a final decision as a government.

“We have been looking at it, we have been very open about that, but as I have said, I think that if we did something like that it has to be supported by the evidence and it has to be something that is absolutely, absolutely necessary with no alternative.

“So as I say, I hope we can avoid it.”

Earlier this week, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said an extension to use of vaccine passports will be looked at if there is a “public health need”.

Mr Dowden told Sky News the government “want as few restrictions for as short a period as possible”, but that if the situation with coronavirus worsens, ministers will consider requiring vaccine certification to attend more venues to “protect” the public.

The culture secretary did, however, emphasise that the government is “always reluctant to impose further burdens on businesses unless we really have to”.

It came a day after Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that vaccine passports will be introduced in Scotland for entry into venues with large crowds from 1 October.

COVID-19 certification will be required to enter events such as nightclubs, music festivals and some football grounds, Ms Sturgeon said.

MSPs in Holyrood voted by 68 to 55 in favour of the measure which will be introduced from 1 October after all Scottish adults have had the opportunity to receive both COVID-19 vaccines, with two weeks having passed to allow the vaccine to take effect.

Speaking on Sky’s Trevor Phillips on Sunday, Ms Sturgeon said the measure “is part of a package of measures, it has a part to play”.

“Anybody who thinks there is one single magic wand solution to this virus probably haven’t learned a lot over the last 18 months, and secondly, any measure we take has upsides and it has downsides.”

She added: “This is a very limited scheme, it is in fact similar to what is being proposed in England as well, and it has a part to play.”

UK

Mpox: More cases of new Clade 1b strain detected in UK

Published

9 hours ago

November 4, 2024

admin

Mpox: More cases of new Clade 1b strain detected in UK

More cases of a new strain of mpox have been detected in the UK, officials say.

Last week, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said a single case of the mpox virus variant Clade 1b had been confirmed in London.

The agency has now announced a further two cases have been detected.

The two patients are household contacts of the first and are currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, it added.

“The risk to the UK population remains low,” the UKHSA said.

“There has been extensive planning under way to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.”

The UKHSA’s chief medical adviser, Professor Susan Hopkins, said: “Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household.

“The overall risk to the UK population remains low. We are working with partners to make sure all contacts of the cases are identified and contacted to reduce the risk of further spread.”

The first case detected in London last week was a person who had been on holiday in Africa.

They developed flu-like symptoms more than 24 hours after returning to the UK and later developed a rash which worsened in the following days.

The agency said contacts of all three cases are being followed up on and would be offered testing and vaccination as needed.

What are the symptoms of mpox and how is it passed on?

Common symptoms of the disease include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions, which can last between two to four weeks. It can also cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.

Mpox, and the Clade 1b strain, is usually passed on by close physical contact, contact with infected animals, or sexual transmission.

The UK has a stock of mpox vaccines and last month announced more were being procured to support a routine immunisation programme.

UK

Valencia floods: British couple Don and Terry Turner found dead in their car after going missing

Published

12 hours ago

November 4, 2024

admin

Valencia floods: British couple Don and Terry Turner found dead in their car after going missing

A British couple have been found dead in Spain after being caught in the floods last week, their daughters have said.

At least 217 people have died after heavy rain in eastern Spain caused flash floods, with thousands of cars left wrecked in the streets and an unknown number still missing.

Ruth O’Loughlin and Renee Turner told Sky News their parents Don, 78, and 74-year-old Terry Turner, from Pedralba, about 20 miles (33km) west of central Valencia, went missing during the floods – only for their bodies to be found in their car days later.

An FCDO spokesperson said it is “supporting the family” and is “in contact with the local authorities”.

It comes as a red alert warning of “extreme danger” from torrential rain has been issued for Barcelona today, with 180mm of rain set to fall in 12 hours according to the national weather agency Aemet.

Speaking to Sky News, Ms O’Loughlin said she last spoke to her mother on Monday last week, and a day later saw her messages to Mr Turner were not delivering on WhatsApp.

After seeing reports of the floods, she tried to contact her father and again received no response, before her nephew rang on Thursday to say her parents were reported as missing.

Despite social media campaigning and calls to the British Consulate, Renee Turner said it was Saturday when they found out Mr and Mrs Turner had died.

“My sister and I both got a phone call to say that they’d been found in their car, and unfortunately they had died,” she said.

Ms O’Loughlin added: “We’d got told they’d nipped out for gas, as they do.

“Obviously, they weren’t aware of how bad the area was, and their friend said they were aware [the couple went out] as they used to talk all the time.

“And then they didn’t come home.”

Renee Turner insisted both Mr and Mrs Turner would have “without a doubt” heeded flood warnings, but told Sky News “there was no alert”.

“My parents would not have been out,” she added. “We are so angry at the slackness of the Spanish authorities in that respect.

“Not just our mum and dad [have died], there’s hundreds of people, hundreds, and they have to be held accountable for that.”

In their hometown of Burntwood, Staffordshire, Ms O’Loughlin said “everybody knows my mum and dad”. As kids, she recalled how people would come over when Ruth was baking.

She added that Mr Turner “was the clown – everyone loved Dad… he made our childhood absolutely wonderful,” before saying that when they moved to Spain, “everyone knew them there”.

Terry volunteered at a local dog rescue centre and adopted two kittens, Ms O’Loughlin said, which are currently being looked after by the couple’s friends in the area.

“We sort of knew [they were dead] because we knew that our mum would have done anything to get back to those pets,” Ms O’Loughlin added.

Both Renee Turner and Ms O’Loughlin had wanted to move their parents back to England, and the couple had been expected to return home permanently soon.

“We had plans,” Ms O’Loughlin said. “Mum was desperate to come back. She’s a shopper, she missed Morrisons.

“We were looking at maybe getting a bigger house and moving mum and dad in with us. We could keep our eye on them, we could make sure they were okay.

“The thought of that: My mum said to me that ‘that’s more than I could ever wish for’.”

Foreign Secretary David Lammy expressed the UK’s condolences on X, saying: “The UK government expresses its heartfelt condolences to those affected by the tragic floods across Spain – our thoughts are with those that have lost their lives, their families and all those affected. I have offered the UK’s full support to my friend @jmalbares.”

Meanwhile, the local government in Catalonia warned of “continuous and torrential” rain in two regions today, saying people should avoid travel and stay away from streams and ravines.

Authorities told those nearby the “extreme danger” warning issued for the Barcelona region: “Do not travel unless strictly necessary.”

Authorities have also suspended train services in northeast Catalonia on request from civil protection officials.

UK

University tuition fees to increase in England for first time in eight years

Published

12 hours ago

November 4, 2024

admin

University tuition fees to increase in England for first time in eight years

University tuition fees in England will increase for the first time in eight years, the education secretary has announced.

Fees have been frozen at an annual level of £9,250 since the 2017/18 academic year.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the maximum cap will now rise in line with inflation from April 2025.

That will increase the cost of tuition to £9,535 next year – a rise of £285.

Politics latest: Badenoch announcing shadow cabinet

Ms Phillipson also announced a rise in maximum maintenance loans so they will now increase in line with inflation, giving an increase of £414 a year to help students with living costs.

The education secretary tried to ward off any panic from students as she said: “I want to reassure students already at university when you start repaying your loan, you will not see higher monthly repayments as a result of these changes to fee and maintenance loans.

“That’s because student loans are not like consumer loans, monthly repayments depend on earnings, not simply the amount borrowed or interest rates – and the end of any long term, any outstanding loan balance, including interest built up, will be written off.”

She said the decision had not been easy but added: “It is no use keeping tuition fees down for future students if the universities are not there for them to attend, nor if students can’t afford to support themselves while they study.”

Sir Keir Starmer had pledged to abolish tuition fees when he stood to be Labour leader in 2020.

However, the prime minister rowed back on that promise early last year, saying it was no longer affordable because of the “different financial situation” the country was in, and he was choosing to prioritise the NHS.

He said Labour would set out a “fairer solution” for students if they won the election – which they did with a landslide in July.

The change comes as universities have been dealing with a funding crisis, largely driven by a huge drop in overseas students.

Rules brought in by Rishi Sunak’s government made it harder for international students, who pay higher fees than British ones, to bring their families with them to the UK.

Universities have been pleading for more investment, but Ms Phillipson said recently institutes should seek to manage their own budgets before hoping for a bailout from the taxpayer.

When she was in opposition, she also touted the idea of reducing the monthly repayments “for every single graduate” by changing how the loan is paid back.

Writing in The Times in June 2023, she said: “Reworking the present system gives scope for a month-on-month tax cut for graduates, putting money back in people’s pockets when they most need it.”

However, the idea did not make it into Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which only says that “the current higher education funding settlement does not work for the taxpayer, universities, staff, or students”.

It adds: “Labour will act to create a secure future for higher education and the opportunities it creates across the UK.”

Independent MP Zarah Sultana, who lost the Labour whip after rebelling over the two-child benefit cap, called the latest development “wrong”.

“It’s time to abolish tuition fees and cancel student debt because education is a public good, not a commodity,” she posted on X.

‘Maintenance loans bigger issue’

Money saving expert Martin Lewis earlier explained how higher fees will not necessarily lead to students facing higher yearly repayments, as that “solely depends on what you earn not on what you borrow”.

In a thread on X, he said a more damaging policy was the Tories’ decision last year to drop the salary threshold at which repayments must be made – from £27,000 to £25,000 – and increase the time to clear the loan before it is written off, from 30 to 40 years.

He said: “Increasing tuition fees will only see those who clear the loan in full over the 40yrs pay more. That is generally mid-high to higher earning university leavers only, so the cost of increasing them will generally be born by the more affluent.”

University fees of £1,000 per year were first introduced by the Labour government in 1998, going up to £3,000 in 2006.

The coalition government then tripled the amount to £9,000 in 2012, sparking a huge backlash, particularly against the Lib Dems who had vowed to scrap fees in the 2010 general election campaign.

Since then, there have been further changes to student finance such as the abolition of maintenance grants and NHS bursaries, moving student support increasingly away from non-repayable grants and towards loans.