thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-30--This Is Where We're At With Treatments For Covid-19 Right Now

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With a vaccine not looking likely this side of Christmas, scientists and health experts are scrabbling to find existing drugs that can help fight against the worst effects of Covid-19.
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The Recovery trial in the UK has already unearthed one game-changing drug, dexamethasone, and has crossed two other treatments off the list after they didn’t show any clinical benefits. The first is hydroxychloroquine, the drug fiercely advocated for by Donald Trump despite studies showing it’s not effective; the other is lopinavir-ritonavir, a drug commonly used to treat HIV.
More than 11,500 Covid-19 patients from over 175 NHS hospitals in the UK have been enrolled on the trial with a view to finding treatments that reduce deaths and the need for mechanical ventilation.
Here’s what you need to know about the drugs currently being tested, as well as those already in use for treating the virus.
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Remdesivir
What is it? Remdesivir is an antiviral drug that was originally developed to treat ebola but was dropped from trials after other drugs were found to be more effective.
What’s the deal? The experimental drug, produced by US pharmaceutical company Gilead, was revived as a potential treatment for coronavirus after animal trials showed it had some impact fighting other strains of coronavirus: MERs and SARs.
The aim of antiviral drugs is to directly target a virus (such as Covid-19) and either kill it or prevent it from spreading.
The drug is being trialled worldwide with data suggesting it can shorten recovery time by approximately four days in hospitalised patients. Results have also shown a small trend toward better survival rates for the drug – 8% of patients given remdesivir died, compared to 11.6% in the placebo group. However, scientists admitted the difference wasn’t significant enough to be sure it was down to the effect of the drug.
The Department of Health and Social Care has approved the drug for limited use in the UK, which means it will be made available to selected patients in NHS hospitals.
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Dexamethasone
What is it? Dexamethasone is a type of steroid that prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation. It’s typically used to treat inflammatory conditions such as allergic disorders and skin conditions.
What’s the deal? As part of the UK’s Recovery trial, 2,104 patients were given dexamethasone once a day for 10 days and outcomes compared with 4,321 patients receiving usual care. The steroid reduced deaths by one third in ventilated patients and by one fifth in other patients receiving oxygen. There was no benefit found among patients who did not require respiratory support.
The drug works by suppressing the body’s immune response to Covid-19. This is important because in some people the immune system can go into complete overdrive and cause more havoc than the actual virus itself. As immunologist Dr Jenna Macciochi previously told HuffPost UK: “For some reason the natural brakes of our immune system fail and the inflammatory reaction overshoots.”
This can result in blocked airways, overwhelmed organs, and can potentially lead to multi-organ failure and death. The steroid drug, however, is thought to suppress this process. Professor Peter Horby, an expert in emerging infectious diseases at University of Oxford and one of the chief investigators for the trial, said the survival benefit is “clear and large” in those patients sick enough to require oxygen treatment.
Dexamethasone is the first drug shown to improve survival in Covid-19 and is already being used to tackle the virus by the NHS. Its use is still being studied in children and is not suitable for mild cases.
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SNG001
What is it? SNG001 is an inhaled form of interferon beta, which is typically used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). Interferon beta is a naturally occurring protein in the body which is made into a drug and used to reduce inflammation in the body.
One of the key impacts of the coronavirus is suppressing the body’s production of interferon beta, Richard Marsden, CEO of Synairgen, the company behind SNG001, told the BBC. The aim of the drug is to put the protein straight into the lungs of Covid-19 patients to help give them a fighting chance.
What’s the deal? A small clinical trial of the drug found it stopped the disease from progressing and in some cases sped up recovery. Patients who received SNG001 had a 79% lower risk of developing severe disease compared to placebo, and were more than twice as likely to recover from Covid-19 compared to those taking a placebo.
Over the treatment period, the measure of breathlessness was markedly reduced in patients who received SNG001 compared to those receiving the placebo. And there were no deaths among subjects treated with SNG001, compared to three from the placebo group.
The results haven’t been published in a peer-reviewed journal yet.
Azithromycin
What is it? A commonly used antibiotic with antiviral and immunomodulatory properties (which basically means it modifies the immune response or the functioning of the immune system). It’s traditionally used to treat different types of infections caused by bacteria, such as respiratory infections, skin infections, ear infections, eye infections, and sexually transmitted diseases.
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What’s the deal? Most studies to date have been conducted on hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin as a combination, so it’s been hard to gauge the drug’s potential as a treatment on its own. The reason it’s being trialled is because it’s thought azithromycin might have potential when it comes to handling the body’s immune response to Covid-19 and preventing it from going into overdrive (a key factor in most of treatments being trialled.)
Professor Martin Landray, an expert in medicine and epidemiology at the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, and deputy chief investigator of the Recovery trial, tells HuffPost UK: “Azithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic. In addition to their antimicrobial properties, macrolide antibiotics modify the response of the immune system by decreasing the production of cytokines, proteins that cause inflammation. In some patients, excessive levels of cytokines are released, resulting in a ‘cytokine storm’, a complication of Covid-19 which can kill the patient.
“We hope that azithromycin will show positive benefit for hospitalised Covid-19 patients but whether there is a benefit can only be determined by testing the treatment through a randomised controlled trial. We do not anticipate results until later in the year.”
Some experts are sceptical of whether the antibiotic will work. Writing in the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases in June, Dr Jennifer Lighter and Dr Vanessa Raabe from New York University’s School of Medicine argued there is “no justifiable preclinical or clinical evidence” to suggest that the benefits of azithromycin for Covid-19 outweigh the risks of treatment, and warned that clinicians should stop prescribing it.
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Tocilizumab
What is it? An anti-inflammatory treatment given by injection. It’s normally used to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis in adults, as well as cytokine release syndrome (CRS), which is caused by an overactive immune response to certain types of blood cell treatments for cancer.
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What’s the deal? Tocilizumab is currently being trialled in the UK, and the timing of the results will depend on the scale of the epidemic in the coming months, Professor Landray tells HuffPost UK.
The drug has had a promising impact in Italy where a study of adults with severe Covid-19 pneumonia who were admitted to hospital during the height of the pandemic found that out of 544 patients with severe Covid-19 pneumonia, 16% of patients in the standard care group needed mechanical ventilation, compared with 18% of patients treated with tocilizumab.
One in five patients (20%) in the standard care group died, compared with 7% of patients treated with tocilizumab. The study’s authors concluded that treatment with tocilizumab “might reduce the risk of invasive mechanical ventilation or death in patients with severe Covid-19 pneumonia”.
One concern is that taking the drug can lead to other bacterial infections in the body. The same study from Italy found 13% of patients treated with tocilizumab were diagnosed with new infections, compared with only 4% of patients treated with standard of care alone.
Convalescent Plasma
What is it? Convalescent plasma is collected from donors, via their blood, who have recovered from Covid-19 and contains antibodies which help fight against the virus. The hope is that this antibody-rich plasma can be donated by recovered Covid patients and transfused into infected patients whose immune systems are struggling to fight the infection.
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What’s the deal? There is some limited evidence that patients might benefit from the use of convalescent plasma. Clinical trials are now underway in the UK to confirm whether transfusions are safe and effective for treating Covid-19.
The first transfusion happened back in June and was given to a child – since then 300 people have received plasma. Professor Landray says: “We anticipate that much larger numbers will be needed before we have a clear result. Like the other treatments we are studying, there are good theoretical reasons to believe this treatment may be beneficial – but we need the evidence from this large randomised trial before we will know whether that hope is translated into real benefits for patients.”
NHS Blood and Transplant is appealing for people who have recovered from Covid-19 or the symptoms, and who live near one of its 23 donor centres, to offer to donate their plasma by calling 0300 123 23 23 or visiting www.nhsbt.nhs.uk.
Plasma donations from men are particularly welcomed, as figures show that 43% of male blood plasma donors have high antibodies, compared to 29% of women. Explaining why men might have a higher antibody count, Professor David Roberts, from NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “Our studies and many others around the world show men with Covid-19 are more likely to become seriously ill than women. This makes them better plasma donors once they’ve recovered.”
Researchers anticipate results from the plasma trial in the last quarter of 2020.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-30--These Are The Books Brits Have Been Reading During The Coronavirus Pandemic

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Listen to HuffPost UK’s weekly podcast Am I Making You Uncomfortable? about our health, bodies and private lives. Available on Spotify, Apple, Audioboom and wherever you listen to your podcasts
Reading has enjoyed a renascence during the coronavirus pandemic, with 41% of people saying they’ve read more books than usual since March. But what pages have we actually been turning?
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The Black Lives Matter movement spurred sales of a number of books relating to race, as the bestseller charts show, while restaurant closures inspired unusually high sale volumes of cookery books. Meanwhile, viewers of BBC’s Normal People clearly couldn’t get enough of Connell and Marianne, with sales of Sally Rooney’s novel – from which the show was adapted – skyrocketing.
Nielsen Book, the UK’s official book sales monitor, provided HuffPost UK with a list of the 20 most-sold titles between March 22 and July 25 – and they offer a real snapshot of lockdown.
HUffPost UK
Slime by David Walliams took the top spot, while The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy came in second.
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Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge came in third overall, but it was the number one book for two weeks in June, following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.
The book has remained in the top 10 every week since, with Natives by Akala and Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad also making it into the weekly top 10 in the second half of June – despite missing out on the overall top 20 list.
Cookbooks are also seeing higher than usual sales for this time of year, according to the data, with two titles by Pinch of Nom duo Kate Allinson and Kay Featherstone making the top 20 and another by Joe Wicks, dubbed ‘the nation’s PE teacher’ for his daily online workouts.
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“Other categories related to hobbies and activities like puzzles, gardening and arts and crafts – which includes colouring books for adults – have seen increased popularity while everyone has been at home,” says Jackie Swope from Nielsen Book Research. “Self-help books have been in growth the past few weeks, and they’ve been a big growth area for the past few years.”
NurPhoto via Getty Images Reni Eddo-Lodge, author of Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race.
New self-help titles such as Women Don’t Owe You Pretty by Florence Given have sold highly during the pandemic, says Swope, but there’s also been a resurgence of some previous bestsellers in this genre, including Good Vibes, Good Life by Vex King and Happy by Fearne Cotton. Meanwhile, clean influencer Mrs Hinch’s Little Book Of Lists was at number four overall.
In fiction, Sally Rooney’s Normal People topped the weekly UK chart when the BBC series premiered, in both the UK and Ireland, and it’s the overall fiction bestseller for the past four months combined.
BBC/Element Pictures/Hulu Actors Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal in the TV adaptation of Normal People.
“Other literary fiction like Girl, Woman, Other [Bernadine Evaristo’s Booker Prize-winning novel] and Where the Crawdads Sing [by nature writer Delia Owens] have proved steadily popular,” says Swope. “But the biggest increase in sales for fiction genres in recent weeks has come from Crime and Thriller, which has increased by more than 100,000 purchases over the past five weeks compared to the same weeks in 2019.”
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Hilary Mantel’s The Mirror and the Light, the much-anticipated final instalment in The Wolf Hall Trilogy, which has been longlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize, just scraped into the top 20 list, at number 20.
While they might not have made the top 20, Swope says the last notable trend is the increased interest in children’s educational books and home learning, even as schools reopen. “But the category that’s seen the largest jump in sales in the UK market in recent weeks is picture books,” she says.
Here are the top 20 bestsellers overall, from March 22 and July 25:
1. Slime, by David Walliams
2. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse, by Charlie Mackesy
3. Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, by Reni Eddo-Lodge
4. Mrs Hinch: The Little Book of Lists, by Mrs Hinch
5. The World’s Worst Parents, by David Walliams
6. Normal People, by Sally Rooney
7. Blue Moon:(Jack Reacher 24): Jack Reacher, by Lee Child
8. Girl, Woman, Other, by Bernardine Evaristo
9. Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens
10. The Family Upstairs, by Lisa Jewell
11. The Beekeeper of Aleppo, by Christy Lefteri
12. Lockdown, by Peter May
13. Pinch of Nom Everyday Light:100 Tasty, Slimming Recipes All Under 400, by Kate Allinson, and Kay Featherstone
14. Wean In 15: Up-to-date Advice and 100 Quick Recipes, by Joe Wicks
15. Pinch of Nom:100 Slimming, Home-style Recipes, by Kate Allinson, and Kay Featherstone
16. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel), by Suzanne Collins
17. The Flatshare, by Beth O’Leary
18. The Night Fire: The Brand New Ballard and Bosch Thriller, by Michael Connelly
19. The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-30--Working At A Laptop All Day? How To Combat The Aches And Pains

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Listen to our weekly podcast Am I Making You Uncomfortable? about women’s health, bodies and private lives. Available on Spotify, Apple, Audioboom and wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Working from home can be a real pain in the neck – literally.
People have converted spare rooms, dining room tables and bedrooms into makeshift offices during the pandemic. But few have had much guidance on making these new spaces ergonomically safe, says Kermit Davis, an expert in office ergonomics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
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“You can use your laptop from home, but it is designed to be a short-term option,” he says. “It should be used for a few hours while travelling. It is not meant to be used for eight or nine hours each day.”
The reality of using a laptop for a full working day, multiple days a week, is that it starts to take a toll on your back, shoulders and neck.
Malte Mueller via Getty Images
The issue is that screens are smaller, so you often have to look downwards as they sit well below eye height.
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There’s also a temptation to work from your bed and sofa – a survey by Nuffield Health found a quarter of Brits have taken up residence on their sofa with a laptop, and one in four are sitting in bed or the living room floor (17%) to work.
And this is wreaking havoc on posture. The same survey found seven in 10 Brits working from home are experiencing more aches in the back, neck, shoulders, and legs, more problems with eye strain, and more headaches than usual.
After analysing photos of work from home setups submitted by employees at the University of Cincinnati during the coronavirus pandemic, Davis identified some key issues that could be adversely affecting workers.
Many chairs were the wrong height: 41% were too low and 2% were too high. Support of the back of the chair wasn’t used by 69% of workers and often without any support for the lower back. The position of a computer monitor was often too low or off to the side – and three quarters of monitors were laptops, which were too low relative to the workers’ eye height.
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So what can you do about it?
If you use your laptop on your lap, Davis recommends placing a lap desk or large pillow underneath to raise the monitor.
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Ultimately, though, it’s best to try and work at a desk or table, he says. If you can do this, put your laptop on a laptop stand (a stack of books or a box will work fine), and use an external keyboard and mouse if possible.
Take a break from working every 30 minutes, which will help minimise injury to your back, shoulders and arms, says Davis. “The body doesn’t like static postures continually,” he says. “You don’t want to do all sitting or all standing all the time. You want to alter your position and change it up throughout the day.”
If you keep forgetting to take breaks, download an app like The Work Break Timer, or Google Chrome extensions like Break Timer or Micro Breaks.
Not everyone can spend hundreds of pounds on a new chair or other equipment when working from home. But thankfully there are some cheap and easy fixes that will go a long way in improving your WFH set-up, says Davis.
Tips for improving your work setup without spending money:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-30--Kids Are Sexting Loads More In Lockdown. What Can Parents Do?

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With so many of us resorting to screen-time to cope with social distancing during the lockdown, not to mention all the online home-schooling and FaceTime chats with friends and relatives, it can be hard to keep track of everything our kids are sending and receiving on their digital devices.
Even so, news that the number of ‘sexts’ tapped out by children using mobile phones or other digital devices has risen by an alarming rate in recent months will no doubt worry parents.
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Data from safeguarding app SafeToNet found that ‘sexts’ typed out by children in the UK rose 183% during lockdown – with a 55% rise in inappropriate messages drafted during normal school hours.
Shockingly, children as young as six were found to have been sending ‘sexts’ to other kids. So, what do parents need to understand about the situation – and what can we do to make our kids safer?
LM-Photo via Getty Images
HuffPost UK spoke to child psychologist Dr Amanda Gummer, who says that it’s important to recognise why children might be sending messages like these – and believes that if parents are “more open” with their kids, it will help.
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“We make sex a taboo,” she says. “If we were all a bit more open about it from the beginning then it wouldn’t be so underground and have a certain mystique.”
Dr Gummer says children always want to do what older boys and girls do; whether that’s riding a bike, dating, swearing, smoking – or sexting. And she says that while sending inappropriate messages or photos might sometimes be a more serious indicator of abuse, in the majority of cases it’s often more to do with kids enjoying attention, and a natural urge to “try stuff out”.
“First of all, you need to have a very honest look at whether you think this could be an indicator of something serious,” she says. “If you’re sure there isn’t, then it’s maybe coming from seeing something on TV, or hearing older kids talking about it.”
“If your eight-year-old is starting to use the “F” word, or sending inappropriate messages, you can use the same parenting techniques as you would to say, ‘you don’t steal, you don’t hit people’,” Dr Gummer suggests.
“You can also use role-play with dolls or action figures and let the kids lead, to see what comes up. The more you play and interact with your kids, the better your communication will be – and the more they’ll listen to you, and tell you.”
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Sarah Castro, one of the UK’s leading child safety experts, who works with SafeToNet – agrees that open communication between parents and children is crucial to tackling threats such as cyberbullying, abuse and aggression.
Here are her top nine tips for parents.
Communication, communication, communication
“Research shows that parents spend, on average, just 46 minutes talking about online safety with their child – in a child’s entire childhood,” Castro says.
“Parents don’t know how to have that conversation, or they think, ‘this won’t happen to my child’, so they ignore it – and it’s those children who are most at risk. It can happen to any child.” Castro recommends the Thinkuknow website, which has age-appropriate tips on having the conversation, as well as videos and resources to help parents “have those chats, without scaring their kids”.
When to let your child have a phone
If your child isn’t old enough to go out alone, they’re not old enough to have a phone, Castro believes. “Parents often ask me, ‘When should my child be given a mobile phone?’ I say to them, ’until your child is able to go out by themselves, and to walk to school alone, they should not have a phone. A phone is the equivalent of going out. These devices are a portal to the outside world.”
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Sexting comes in all different guises
“We have whole conversations in emojis,” Castro says. “A nine or 10-year-old may be sending emojis that look harmless, such as the peach emoji, the aubergine emoji, the water splash emoji, but actually have a whole different connotation. A six-year-old may respond to these kind of messages in the same way, and they – and their parents – might not even know what they mean. It’s important parents familiarise themselves with the risks.”
Know who your children’s friends are
“Do parents know who their child’s best friends are? Many don’t, because so many of those relationships are online,” Castro says. “So, make an effort to find out who they’re in contact with. Ask yourself if you can have their parents’ phone numbers, and if not, get them.”
Have a dedicated ‘Zoom space’
“Parents need to be really careful with the background of Zoom calls – are they dressed appropriately? Are their kids dressed appropriately?” Castro says. “One possible outcome of home schooling is an increase in bullying, because kids can see into each other’s homes during video calls, and tease each other about the type of TV they have, for example. So, make sure all video calls are made in a dedicated place in the home, against a plain background, and also think about what those on the call might be hearing in the background. Bedrooms and bathrooms are never appropriate places for them to be making these calls.”
Bring your child up to be a ‘good digital citizen’
“We are not educating our children to be good digital citizens,” Castro says. “That’s the crux of the problem. If a child is acting inappropriately, it can be tempting to blame the parents, but it’s not necessarily their fault. Kids could be in chat rooms where grooming or radicalisation occurs; they could be using bad language or hearing older siblings using racist slurs. Young people who are posting things online now might be applying for jobs, five years down the line – and suddenly realise that their digital footprint makes them inappropriate.”
Have a ‘family contract’
“Work out a family contract,” Castro advises. “It’s a great thing to do with teenagers – they love putting restrictions down, and holding their parents to account. Establish rules about how you’re going to act digitally in your home. You could set rules such as no mobile phones at dinner, or no mobile phones in the bedroom. You could have a basket and keep devices in there – parents, too! Work together to choose a designated area to do video calls; and agree that if people are gaming, they don’t use headphones while on those calls.”
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Respect your child’s privacy
“You can take your child’s phone off them and demand to see what they’re saying, but that might have the opposite effect of teaching them to become more secretive,” Castro warns. “If you do that, your child will find ways around you. They might have secret folders on their phone – or ‘fake’ social media accounts that look fine, with real ones hidden for more risky behaviour.
“By opening up both communication and trust, you will allow your children to explore and be creative – and make mistakes they can talk to you about. Normalise the behaviour your child will carry on using as they get older.”
Think about using a safeguarding app


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Henry Long: Driver Who Killed PC Andrew Harper Jailed For 16 Years

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Teenage driver Henry Long, who dragged police officer Andrew Harper to his death, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Long, 19, and 18-year-olds Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole were convicted of manslaughter, but cleared by a jury on July 24 of murdering the 28-year-old newlywed as he responded to an early-morning burglary in Berkshire on August 15 last year.
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Long admitted manslaughter, and the jury found the two other defendants guilty of the same charge. The judge, Mr Justice Edis, handed Cole and Bowers 13-year jail sentences each.
During the sentencing prosecutor read a victim impact statement from PC Harper’s mother Deborah Adlam.
She said: “I am unable to explain the enormity of what I’m feeling and have been struggling with since we were awoken on August 15, 2019, at 4.45am to the worst news imaginable.
“He died because these defendants chose to steal a quad bike.
“My family and I feel broken – can you imagine a loved one dying with such indignity?”
She continued: “He was our first-born child and he has been ripped from me.
“I haven’t been able to work for fear of breaking down, my mind just isn’t in the right place, my anxiety is overpowering.
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“I hardly sleep… I have no motivation or even daily routine – chores or cooking a meal, it just feels pointless now.
“I have sat in the mortuary of my son’s covered body, too damaged for me to see.
“He will never get to be called ‘daddy’ or hold his own child – we imagined this was not too far away in the future.
“Andrew was such a good man, a brave, a caring person, funny and uplifting. I love and miss him daily with every passing moment. He will be loved forever.”
Speaking at the time of the conviction, Pc Harper’s widow Lissie said she was “immensely disappointed” with the verdict.
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of (left to right) Henry Long, 19, Albert Bowers, 18, and Jessie Cole, 18, published at the time of their conviction. PA
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During the sentencing she read her victim impact statement to the court herself.
She said: “This is my third attempt at writing a statement.
“I simply find myself in a lost and endless world.
“That’s the reason in particular this question defeats me – unless you have stood in my shoes, lost a soulmate, a beloved partner you intended to spend your life with – how is this grief possible to describe?
“I have used every word possible to describe this torture – indescribable trauma I have been forced to endure these past 11 months. I have cried and broken down.”
Breaking down twice as she delivered her statement, she added: “My husband was brutally killed four weeks after our wedding day.
“Should I speak again of how we were robbed of our future or the plans stolen from us?
“Four weeks was all I had with my husband – four weeks to be called his wife.
“My life often feels bleak, hopeless, irreparable.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--How The Pandemic Changed Two Businesses For Better And For Worse

How The Pandemic Changed Two Businesses For Better And For Worse
Consumer confidence, social distancing measures and government guidelines have changed the way we spend our money. For some businesses that has been a good thing, but for others it has not been so kind. Here we speak to Max Geddes, co-founder of bike-repair shop The Cyclery in Lewisham which has seen a huge boom in business since lockdown measures eased. We also speak to Jason Jenkins, founder of Little Dinosaurs soft play centre and garden who is still awaiting permission to reopen.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Your Go-To Guide To The Current Lockdown Rules In England

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
More than half of people in England don’t know the current lockdown rules, according to a survey of 70,000 people.
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The Covid-19 Social Study, run by University College London, has been charting the psychological and social experiences of adults living in England, Wales and Scotland during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Its latest findings suggest that as lockdown restrictions have eased, people have become more baffled by what they can and can’t do.
During strict lockdown, nine in 10 people reported understanding the rules about what they should be doing to prevent the spread of the virus. However as lockdown has eased – and each nation has set its own rules – understanding has slipped somewhat.
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J614 via Getty Images
In Scotland, there’s still a good understanding of the rules, with 75% of people claiming they understand them. In Wales, this falls to 61%.
But in England, just 45% of respondents claim to understand the rules. Perhaps unsurprisingly, figures show compliance of lockdown measures has been lower in England compared to Scotland and Wales.
So what can and can’t you do as per the lockdown rules in England? Here’s a quick recap.
Outdoors
You can meet in groups of up to six people who you do not live with or who are not in your support bubble.
You can also meet people in groups of more than six people if everyone is exclusively from two households (anyone in the same support bubble counts as one household).
You should physically distance when meeting up with other people from outside of your household. This doesn’t apply when you’ve formed a bubble with another household.
Indoors
You can socialise indoors with one other household – this includes staying overnight at their house or going to a holiday home together. You should still physically distance when meeting people indoors.
You shouldn’t socialise indoors in groups of more than two households – this includes when dining out or going to the pub.
You can form a support bubble with another household if you live alone, which means you can act like you live together and don’t have to distance – so hugging and kissing is allowed. You can also stay overnight. You should not switch the household you are in a bubble with or connect with multiple households.
You should wear a face cover when visiting shops, supermarkets, takeaways, banks and travelling on public transport. Face coverings will be made compulsory in museums, cinemas, art galleries and places of worship from August 8.
Indoors and outdoors
You can meet in larger groups if necessary for work, voluntary or charitable services, education, childcare or training, elite sporting competition or training, to fulfil legal obligations, to provide emergency assistance, or to enable someone to avoid illness, injury or risk of harm.
Otherwise, it is against the law for gatherings of more than 30 people to take place in private homes (including gardens and other outdoor spaces).
Despite it previously being mentioned that wedding ceremonies of up to 30 people could go ahead from August 1, due to prevalence of the virus rising in the community, the easing of this restriction is not going ahead.
It’s worth noting these rules will change if local lockdowns are enforced. For example, in north of England, households in affected areas are banned from meeting each other inside their homes or in gardens.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Cruz Beckham Buys Dad David A Scrotum Shaver And We Have No Words

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When you’ve exhausted the classic gifts like socks and smellies, buying presents for your dad can be tricky.
But even when we’re out of inspiration, we can honestly say we’ve never considered gifting him a ball trimmer instead.
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The same cannot be said, however, for Cruz Beckham.
The Beckhams’ youngest son, 15, bought dad David a special gift to smoothen those famous ‘golden balls’.
Cruz bought dad David this special gift Instagram
David posted a snap of a Balls trimmer on his Instagram Stories, along with the caption: “Things my son buys all us Beckham boys. Thanks @CruzBeckham.”
On their website, the Balls brand promises their products deliver “beautiful, shining balls”, but thankfully David stopped short of telling us if his gift lived up to its reputation.
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David Beckham and son Cruz Martin Rickett - PA Images via Getty Images
In non-pubic-hair Beckham news, the family recently celebrated the engagement of Brooklyn’s engagement to girlfriend Nicola Peltz.
Victoria and David’s eldest son announced the news in a post on Instagram earlier this month.
He revealed he’d popped the question to the US actor and heiress two weeks prior, sharing a photo along with the caption: “I am the luckiest man in the world. I promise to be the best husband and the best daddy one day. I love you baby.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Face Masks Compulsory In Museums, Galleries And Cinemas From August 8

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Face coverings will be made compulsory in museums, cinemas, art galleries and places of worship from August 8 as England’s chief medical officer warns the nation has “reached the limit” of what it can do to ease lockdown.
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Boris Johnson announced the changes at a press conference on Friday afternoon, which also covered the changes to rules in the north-west, as cases spike.
The PM also confirmed that some of the planned reopening of some venues, including bowling alleys, skating rinks and casinos, will now not go ahead for two more weeks.
Wedding receptions with up to 30 people have now also been put on ice, though weddings themselves can still happen.
The PM said: “I know that the steps we are taking will be a real blow to many people, to everyone whose wedding plans have been disrupted or who cannot now celebrate Eid in the way that they would wish.
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“And I’m really, really sorry about that, but we cannot simply take the risk.”
However, employees are still being encouraged to return to work from tomorrow, and all currently open venues such as shops, restaurants and pubs will remain open.
The growth rate and R value of coronavirus transmission in the UK have changed slightly in the last week, new figures published by the government show.
Data released on Friday revealed the growth rate is now between minus 4% to minus 1%, compared with a rate of minus 5% to minus 1% per day, last week.
The R value for the UK is between 0.8 to 0.9, a slight change from 0.7 to 0.9.
The figures are published by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).
A growth rate between minus 1% to minus 4% means the number of new infections is shrinking by between 1% to 4% every day, the report said.
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It added: “However, we are starting to see early indications that these values may be increasing.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Boris Johnson Scraps Plan To Ease Some Lockdown Measures From August 1

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Boris Johnson has scrapped some of his plans to further ease coronavirus lockdown restrictions in England from August 1 “in order to keep the virus under control”.
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It came as Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, warned the country had “probably reached the limits of what we can do in terms of opening up as a society”.
Johnson’s decision means venues including bowling alleys, skating rinks and casinos will now not be allowed to reopen tomorrow as planned.
Other venues affected include indoor performances to a live audience, such as theatres, and pilot schemes with socially distanced events in places like sports stadiums.
Wedding receptions for up to 30 people will also now not be allowed to take place as hoped.
But shielding will still end as planned tomorrow, and Johnson said people should still return to work if possible.
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Face coverings will be made compulsory in museums, cinemas, art galleries and places of worship from August 8 .
Speaking at a press conference in Downing Street on Friday, the prime minister said lifting these restrictions would be delayed until August 15 at the earliest.
Johnson said that despite progress being made in combating Covid-19, the UK cannot think it is exempt from a rise in cases and he had to “squeeze the brake pedal in order to keep the virus under control”.
“I’ve also consistently warned that this virus could come back and that we would not hesitate to take swift and decisive action as required,” he said.
“I’m afraid that in parts of Asia and in Latin America, the virus is gathering pace and some of our European friends are also struggling to keep it under control.
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“As we see these rises around the world, we can’t fool ourselves that we are exempt. We must be willing to react to the first signs of trouble.”
Whitty said: “The idea that we can open up everything is clearly wrong. Choices will need to be made.”
The move came as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there had been an increase in the number of people testing positive for coronavirus in England.
According to the ONS, between July 20 and 26 there were around 0.78 new Covid-19 infections for every 10,000 people in the community population in England.
This is equal to around 4,200 new cases per day. This is up from an estimated 2,800 new cases a day in the previous week.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--A Minute Of Kindness: The Black Queer Print Sale That Raised €12,000

A Minute Of Kindness: The Black Queer Print Sale That Raised €12,000
My Queer Blackness, My Black Queerness is a limited edition print sale where 100% of the proceeds are donated to charities centred around aiding Black trans men/women. The digital project, started by Jordan Anderson, features work from photographers including Tim Walker, Campbell Addy and Damien Frost.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Beyoncé Stuns Fans After Debuting Already Music Video To Tie In With Black Is King Release On Disney

Beyoncé Stuns Fans After Debuting Already Music Video To Tie In With Black Is King Release On Disney+

The new visual album of the songs will debut on Disney+ on 31 July, and is described as a “celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience”, and will “reimagine the lessons of The Lion King for today’s young kings and queens in search of their own crowns”.
Beyoncé said: “With this visual album, I wanted to present elements of Black history and African tradition, with a modern twist and a universal message, and what it truly means to find your self-identity and build a legacy.
“I spent a lot of time exploring and absorbing the lessons of past generations and the rich history of different African customs. While working on this film, there were moments where I’ve felt overwhelmed, like many others on my creative team, but it was important to create a film that instills pride and knowledge.
“I only hope that from watching, you leave feeling inspired to continue building a legacy that impacts the world in an immeasurable way. I pray that everyone sees the beauty and resilience of our people.”
Songs include My Power, Mood 4 Eva, and Brown Skin Girl, while the film also stars many of the album’s featured artists as well as some special guest appearances, including Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell, and Beyoncé’s husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy Carter.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Environment Ministers And Officials Have Flown 11m Miles In Five Years

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Ministers and officials from the environment department have flown 11.3m miles in the past five years, it has been revealed.
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The distance is the equivalent of flying over 23 times to the moon and back.
It means 1,952 tonnes of CO2 were emitted by the department over the five years since 2015 due to flights, including 540 in 2019.
The figures were uncovered by a parliamentary question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) by Lib Dem leadership candidate Layla Moran.
According to the data, 3.3m miles were flown by Defra officials and ministers officials in 2019, double the 1.5m flown in 2015.
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Moran said: “This department is supposed to be responsible for protecting our environment.
“So it is deeply troubling to see such a steep rise in flights taken by ministers and officials over the past five years.
“The government should be leading by example in the fight against climate change, not racking up air miles and carbon emissions.
“I want to see Britain move to a carbon-negative economy by 2045, through a green recovery that creates new jobs while tackling the climate emergency.”
But environment minister Victoria Prentis said Defra had reduced its CO2 emissions by 49% since 2009-10.
“Rather than offsetting our emissions, we have done this through investing in energy efficiency measures across our estate, reducing the amount of travel we do and changing the way we travel to lower CO2emitting forms of transport, shrinking our estate, and we have benefited from the UK grid becoming greener,” she said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Unsealed Documents Reveal Damning Accusations Against Ghislaine Maxwell

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Hundreds of pages of court documents involving British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein’s who has been accused of enabling the late financier’s sexual abuse of underage girls, were unsealed on Thursday night following a months-long court battle over the documents.
Maxwell’s lawyers filed multiple challenges – most recently on Thursday – in a bid to block the release of the documents, which they described as “extremely personal, confidential and subject to considerable abuse by the media.”
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But US district judge Loretta Preska, who ordered the unsealing of the documents earlier this month, roundly rejected these requests. On Thursday afternoon, Preska admonished Maxwell for the “eleventh-hour request for reconsideration.”
“The Court is troubled – but not surprised – that Ms. Maxwell has yet again sought to muddy the waters,” Preska wrote.
The documents come from a now-settled lawsuit filed in 2015 against Maxwell by Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
Giuffre has accused Maxwell of acting as Epstein’s madame and helping him traffick her to influential men around the world, including allegedly Prince Andrew, former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson and attorney Alan Dershowitz. Giuffre claims Maxwell recruited her when she was just 15. Prince Andrew, Richardson and Dershowitz have denied the allegations.
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As Thursday’s document release shows, Giuffre has also accused Maxwell herself of engaging in sexual relations with underage girls.
Virginia Roberts says she witnessed Ghislaine Maxwell engaging in sexual relations with girls as young as 15 pic.twitter.com/OFg7OpYu1n — Chris Spargo (@chrisonchris) July 31, 2020
Last August, another cache of court documents from the Giuffre v. Maxwell suit was made public. Hours later, Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell, where he’d been awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Maxwell was arrested earlier this month and charged with several federal crimes, including sex trafficking and the enticement of minors. She denies the charges, has pleaded not guilty and is being held in a Brooklyn jail pending trial.
The newly released documents appear to contain more damning details about the allegations against Maxwell and Epstein – and their famous friends.
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More additional documents from the 2015 suit, including a deposition related to Maxwell’s sex life, are expected to be made public on 3 August. Maxwell and her legal team have also sought to block their release.
Jeffrey Epstein sexually assaulted more than 100 underage girls per Virginia Roberts pic.twitter.com/P0JYyqJmw7 — Chris Spargo (@chrisonchris) July 31, 2020
Testimony by two Jane Doe accusers are in another unsealed file.
"Epstein then became enamored with Jane Doe #3, and with the assistance of Maxwell converted her into what is commonly referred to as a 'sex slave.'" #MaxwellFiles
Doc: https://t.co/gaJQAPH8Xv pic.twitter.com/wKU3tig5Xe — Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) July 31, 2020
Q: "It is your contention that Ghislaine Maxwell had sex with underage girls virtually every day when I was around her, correct?"
Virginia Giuffre: "Yes."
Q: [Asked who]
VG: "Well, there's a lot of girls that were involved. We weren't on a first name basis with each other." — Sara B. (@sara_bee) July 31, 2020
Virginia Roberts says she was trafficked to Glen Dubinn, Stephen Kaufmann, Alan Dershowitz and Prince Andrew at the direction of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell pic.twitter.com/sMdeZjIUBz — Chris Spargo (@chrisonchris) July 31, 2020
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Men who Ghislaine Maxwell directed Virginia Giuffre to engage in activities with, according to Giuffre's deposition:
- Alan Dershowitz
- Glenn Dubin
- Stephen Kaufmann
- Prince Andrew
- Jean Luc Brunel
- Bill Richardson
- Marvin Minsky
Other names, many more names, redacted. pic.twitter.com/bPLztoIkEP — Epstein Files Unsealed by Cernovich (@Cernovich) July 31, 2020
Maybe this is why Alan Dershowitz keeps insisting that he always visited Jeffrey Epstein’s island with his wife… pic.twitter.com/o8azhwS0Po — Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) July 31, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Gethin Jones 'Gutted' To Miss Masterchef Final After Falling Ill With Covid-19 Symptoms

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Celebrity Masterchef contestant Gethin Jones was forced to withdraw from this year’s series after falling ill with Covid-19 symptoms.
The former Blue Peter presenter was due to battle it out with five other celebrities on Thursday night for a place in the final stage of the competition.
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However, Gethin was “gutted” that he had to immediately pull out after suspecting he might have coronavirus when the final was filmed back in March.
Gethin Jones BBC/Shine TV
Judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace were seen telling Gethin’s fellow contestants Riyadh Khalaf, Judi Love, Sam Quek, Phil Daniels, Amar Latif and Sir Matthew Pinsent that he was too unwell to compete for a place in the final three.
As the episode aired, Gethin explained the situation to his followers, tweeting: “Thank you for all your lovely messages re @MasterChefUK. I had symptoms of Covid-19 the morning of the next stage.
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“Absolutely GUTTED... but it was the easiest decision.
“Would never put anyone at risk. Enjoy the next hour – these guys can cook!!!”
Thank you for all your lovely messages re @MasterChefUK. I had symptoms of Covid-19 the morning of the next stage. Absolutely GUTTED... but it was the easiest decision. Would never put anyone at risk. Enjoy the next hour - these guys can cook!!! — Gethin Jones (@GethincJones) July 30, 2020
Thursday’s final saw YouTuber Riyadh Khalaf and Olympians Sam Quek and Sir Matthew Pinsent make it to the final three, where they were challenged to prepare a three-course meal in two hours.
Riyadh was later crowned the champion after impressing with a starter of monkfish scampi in beer batter with wild garlic mayonnaise and a main course of beef fillet with port shallots, celeriac cream and a Parmesan tuile.
He finished with a dessert of white chocolate fondant with rhubarb poached in elderflower liqueur.
YouTuber Riyadh Khalaf was crowned the winner of Celebrity Masterchef BBC/Shine TV
Recalling his win, Riyadh told the PA news agency: “I felt like I might faint, vomit, cry or scream – or all at the same time.
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“I was so sure it wasn’t me. I was so sure that I was trying to prepare myself for not winning by in my head saying another contestant’s name over and over and over – so that way I was ready to hear their name and not mine.”
He also spoke of the impact he hoped his on-screen presence would have on young LGBTQ people.
He said: “I think back to when I was a kid watching TV and I had virtually no positive role models who I could look up to.
“I really truly believe that who I am, my identity and my feelings, were a curse and something that needed to be fixed and weeded out, a sickness even at one point.
“I think if I had had just one person that was respected and admired and talented and just a nice person in an elevated position, I could have looked at that guy, girl or person and gone: ‘Wow I can do that too.’”
Riyadh follows in the footsteps of last year’s winner Greg Rutherford, as well as stars including Angellica Bell, Lisa Faulkner and Kimberly Wyatt.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Katie Price Breaks Both Feet In Accident During Holiday In Turkey

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Katie Price has broken both her feet after an accident during her holiday in Turkey.
The reality star has been told she will not be able to walk for three to six months after fracturing her heels and ankles when she jumped from a wall during a visit to an amusement park.
Katie – who is away with children Junior and Princess and new boyfriend Carl Woods – is now set to cut short her holiday and fly back to the UK for surgery, where she could have pins put in her feet.
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A rep for the star told The Sun: “I can confirm Katie has incurred an injury.
“It was sustained by her own doing when visiting a family amusement park with her children, Carl and friends.
“Katie is expected to cut her holiday short and fly back to the UK for further treatment.”
Posting a picture of both of her feet in plaster on her Instagram account, Katie added: “Yes it’s true I have broken my ankles and my feet, I have to have both feet operated on and pins put in been told I won’t be able to walk for 3 to 6 months, @carljwoods is being amazing looking after me.”
Katie and her family were visiting the Land of Legends park in Belek, Turkey, when the incident happened.
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She was due to go away with her other three children – Harvey, Jett and Bunny – after returning from Turkey.
In a video on YouTube, Katie explained that she had wanted to take Harvey away following his recent health scare.
The 18-year-old – who has Prader-Willi syndrome and autism – was rushed to hospital earlier this month with a fever and difficulty breathing.
Katie's son Harvey was rushed to hospital earlier this month PA Archive/PA Images
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Katie also confirmed Harvey had been tested for coronavirus, but the result had come back negative.
He was discharged from hospital just hours after Katie virtually attended a bankruptcy hearing.
The reality star – who was once reported to be worth £40 million – was declared bankrupt in November last year, and told a court earlier this month that she’d “lost everything”.
“I haven’t got anything, I haven’t got absolutely anything left, everything has been stolen off me,” she said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Matt Hancock Insists Northern Lockdown Rules Are 'Crystal Clear'

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Matt Hancock has insisted that new localised lockdown rules for the North West are “crystal clear” – despite the sudden imposition of the new measures being described as a “disaster” by some opposition MPs.
Households in Greater Manchester – as well as parts of East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire – were told late on Thursday evening that they would be banned from meeting one another indoors.
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The announcement was made by the health secretary on Twitter, who wrote: “We’re constantly looking at the latest data on the spread of coronavirus, and unfortunately we’ve seen an increasing rate of transmission in parts of Northern England.”
In a later tweet, Hancock added: “The spread [of the virus] is largely due to households meeting and not abiding to social distancing.”
1/4 We're constantly looking at the latest data on the spread of coronavirus, and unfortunately we've seen an increasing rate of transmission in parts of Northern England. — Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) July 30, 2020
As a result, new rules came into force at midnight which banned households in the affected areas from meeting each other inside their homes or in gardens. While pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues will remain open, two members of different households will not be allowed to meet up in them.
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The change to lockdown measures – and the way in which they were announced – has sparked confusion, with many people questioning why pubs had remained open when other peoples’ gardens had once again become off limits.
Hancock insisted on Monday morning that the rules were “crystal clear”, telling Sky News: “We brought them in to target specifically the problems that we’ve been able to see through the data because we want to keep the control of the spread of this virus, we want to do that with the minimum impact on people’s lives.
“I appreciate these decisions do have significant impacts on people’s lives but we want to do it with the minimum impact.”
But in a series of tweets on Thursday night in the wake of the lockdown, Labour leader Keir Starmer described the government’s approach as “a new low for the government’s communications during this crisis.”
No one would argue with putting in place local action to reduce the transmission of coronavirus.
But announcing measures affecting potentially millions of people late at night on Twitter is a new low for the government’s communications during this crisis. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 30, 2020
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He continued: “When the government ended the daily press conferences, they said they would hold them for ‘significant announcement’, including local lockdowns. It’s hard to imagine what could be more significant than this.
“For all the bluster, government has failed to deliver a functioning track and trace system that would spot local flare ups like these.
“The people of Greater Manchester now need urgent clarity and explanation from the government - and there must be proper support for those businesses and people affected by any lockdown.
In his tweets on Thursday night, Hancock said the government had worked with “local leaders across the region”, but shadow business minister Lucy Powell said on Friday morning she was “none of the wiser” about the data that has led to widespread restrictions on parts of northern England, including in her own constituency.
Speaking to Times Radio, she described the way in which the government had announced the new coronavirus restrictions on parts of northern England as a “disaster”.
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Powell added: “I’m the MP for Manchester Central, I live in Manchester, I follow the data extremely closely as a Member of Parliament and I’m still none the wiser about what the data is that has generated this action so swiftly across such a broad area.
“If we had a much better track and trace system in place we’d be able to see much more clearly some of the localised nature or where these transmissions are actually occurring, and take action more strongly in a more localised fashion rather than across such a broad area.
“We are still getting less than 50% of tests back within 24 hours and frankly that is just not good enough.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Ryan Reynolds Helps Reunite Woman With Incredibly Special Teddy Bear

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Ryan Reynolds came to the rescue this week ― and it wasn’t as the Green Lantern or Deadpool.
The actor played a heroically generous role in the return of a stolen teddy bear to a woman from Vancouver, Canada. And it wasn’t just any stuffed animal. The bear contained a recording of the voice of Mara Soriano’s late mother telling her she was proud of her daughter.
Ryan Reynolds NBC via Getty Images
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Reynolds got involved on Tuesday, retweeting a CBC article about Soriano’s plight and offering a $5,000 reward for the return of the bear, “no questions asked.”
The bear and other items had been pilfered during a recent move.
Following Reynolds’ plea, Soriano reported that the bear had been returned by “two kind Samaritans” who found it.
In happier news... thank you everyone who searched high and low. To the person who took the bear, thanks for keeping it safe. Vancouver is awesome. #FoundMarasBear https://t.co/X7FlyiR89P — Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) July 29, 2020
That made the Canadian star’s day. “In happier news… thank you everyone who searched high and low,” Reynolds tweeted on Wednesday. “To the person who took the bear, thanks for keeping it safe. Vancouver is awesome.”
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Soriano, a 28-year-old storyboard artist, thanked the actor for his help in the stuffed animal’s recovery, writing that it “wouldn’t have been possible without your signal boost.”
Mara Soriano is desperately seeking this teddy bear stolen in Vancouver's West End. It has a final message from her mother, Marilyn, who died of cancer in 2019. Mara shared this video with @cbcnewsbc pic.twitter.com/GJYLu7QjK1 — Liam Britten (@liam_britten) July 26, 2020
She tweeted earlier that her mother Marilyn, who died of cancer last year, had made the Build-A-Bear. In a recording activated by squeezing the bear’s paw, her mum said that she loved her, was proud of her and would always be with her.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Emmy Nominations & A Beveragino | Good Vibes Only

Emmy Nominations & A Beveragino | Good Vibes Only
This week in entertainment, we’re talking Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Brad Pitt, Pose, Schitt’s Creek and Killing Eve as the Emmy nominations are revealed, with all the surprises and snubs. We celebrate summer with a summer-themed quiz and a “beveragino” in hand.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Ellen DeGeneres Apologises Following Reports Of Toxic Culture On US Chat Show

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Ellen DeGeneres has apologised to staff on her US talk show following an investigation into claims of a toxic work environment.
Warner Bros, which produces The Ellen DeGeneres Show, also announced it will make staffing changes as well as taking “appropriate measures to address the issues that have been raised” after an internal review found “deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management”.
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It comes after a Buzzfeed News investigation made a series of claims about the alleged toxic culture on the day time talk show that has been on the air since 2003.
Ellen DeGeneres SIPA USA/PA Images
The publication spoke to former employees who made allegations of racism, unfair dismissal, intimidation and an overall toxic environment, perpetuated by the show’s senior producers.
Ellen, who is known for her “be kind” mantra, issued an apology to staff in a memo obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.
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“On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness – no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect,” Ellen wrote.
“Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry. Anyone who knows me knows it’s the opposite of what I believe and what I hoped for our show.”
Ellen said as the show had grown she had relied on others to “do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done”.
“Clearly some didn’t,” she said. “That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”
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The 62-year-old star famously came out as gay in 1997 amid fevered media interest, which she referenced in the memo.
“As someone who was judged and nearly lost everything for just being who I am, I truly understand and have deep compassion for those being looked at differently, or treated unfairly, not equal, or – worse – disregarded,” she said.
“To think that anyone of you felt that way is awful to me.”
She finished the note by saying she is “so proud” of the show and apologised again to staff.
“If not for Covid, I’d have done this in person, and I can’t wait to be back on our stage and see you all then,” she concluded.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Oprah Winfrey Gives Up Her Cover Spot On Magazine To Honour Breonna Taylor

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For the first time in over two decades, Oprah Winfrey is nowhere to be seen on the cover of O magazine.
Instead, Breonna Taylor is front and centre.
The decision to place Taylor on the September issue’s cover — one of the long-running publication’s final print editions before it goes completely digital — was explained by Winfrey on the publication’s website.
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“She was just like me,” Winfrey wrote. “She was just like you. And like everyone who dies unexpectedly, she had plans. Plans for a future filled with responsibility and work and friends and laughter.”
Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was shot eight times by officers with the Louisville Metro Police Department on March 13, after they entered her apartment with a no-knock drug warrant searching for another suspect. Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who was there at the time, believed the police were intruders and responded to their entry by firing shots from a legally owned firearm.
Winfrey continued her statement, outlining a personal conversation she had with Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, who was “having a particularly bad day dealing with the loss and the grief of knowing that her daughter is gone forever.”
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Winfrey explained that Palmer couldn’t stop seeing Taylor’s face and smile everywhere she looked, and was constantly grieving over the harsh reality that no one had been charged for the “reckless” killing of her daughter.
Oprah Winfrey Steve Jennings via Getty Images
“Imagine if three unidentified men burst into your home while you were sleeping,” Winfrey wrote, describing the circumstances of Taylor’s death, “and your partner fired a gun to protect you. And then mayhem ... We can’t be silent. We have to use whatever megaphone we have to cry for justice. And that is why Breonna Taylor is on the cover of O magazine. I cry for justice in her name.”
The cover illustration of Taylor was done by Black digital artist Alexis Franklin, who explained in another O article that as she was completing the image, “every stroke was building a person,” and she had based the drawing on an original photo that Breonna had taken of herself that had “an innocence, simple but powerful,” within it.
Franklin said that she had previously tried to shut down her feelings around the killing of Black people because she “couldn’t take living day to day in such a state of awareness,” but was forced to confront these emotions when constructing the cover.
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“Now I was as up close and personal as I could ever get to this woman and, consequently, to this very real problem,” Franklin said. “I felt a new level of determination and pressure to get it right, but I tried not to let that affect me. My greatest work happens when I simply enjoy it and let my hands do what they know how to do.”
Further investigations following Taylor’s death revealed that no drugs were found at her residence. A lawsuit filed by Taylor’s family states that the suspect police were searching for had already been arrested earlier that day.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--Medics Are Taught To Spot Rashes On White Skin. That Could Leave BAME Patients At Risk Of Covid

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A “whitewashed” medical curriculum could be putting Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) communities at greater risk of coronavirus as well as other serious – and potentially fatal – health conditions, doctors have said.
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Rashes are considered a “key diagnostic sign” of coronavirus, and so a lack of representation of Black and brown skin in images of Covid-19 symptoms means doctors could be unable to identify the virus in BAME patients.
In some cases, a Covid-19 rash can occur on its own and without any of the other symptoms of the virus such as a continuous cough, fever, or loss of smell.
One study showed almost one in five (17%) who had tested positive for coronavirus reported a rash as the first symptom of the disease. Among those who reported a rash – and were confirmed as having coronavirus – 21% said it was their only symptom.
Meanwhile, official Public Health England (PHE) research has shown BAME people in Britain are being disproportionately affected by the pandemic and are more likely to die of coronavirus than their white counterparts.
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Despite this, research has shown an overwhelming lack of diversity in images showing coronavirus-related skin manifestations. One study that looked at 130 published clinical photos found not even one featuring dark skin.
“This is a problem because skin disease often presents differently in skin of colour,” the study said. “It may make identification of Covid-19 presenting with cutaneous manifestations more difficult for both dermatologists and the public.”
The Black Lives Matter movement has prompted growing calls to diversify teaching at medical schools in the UK and in clinical textbooks. eranicle via Getty Images
Google “Covid-19 rash” and almost every single result shows pink or red bumps and hives on pale, white skin. In fact, type in “rash” and the first couple of hundred search results all show light skin.
This absence of images of Black and brown skin in clinical teaching has a very real impact on how doctors might later diagnose patients, said Khadija Owusu, director of programmes at Melanin Medics.
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“A couple of months ago it dawned to me that the medical curriculum is whitewashed,” Owusu – herself a fourth-year medical student – told HuffPost UK.
“We were given a handbook from the British Association of Dermatologists where all the images were of white skin. There were no diverse images showing psoriasis, eczema, rashes like measles or rubella, and skin cancers.”
“For a rash on white skin, I would probably be able to identify what it meant. But on darker skin, I would actually struggle to identify what kind of rash it was.”
Google “Covid-19 rash” and almost every single result shows pink or red bumps and hives on caucasian skin. HuffPost UK
Experts have pointed to the lack of diversity in clinical photos as one reason conditions such as Lyme disease, spider bites, and even cancers can go misdiagnosed in BAME patients.
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In the US, for example, the estimated five-year melanoma survival rate for Black patients is only 70% – compared to 94% for white patients.
Dermatologists have suggested these high melanoma mortality rates may be “driven by a lack of representation and data in awareness campaigns, in clinical research, and in the field of dermatology itself”.
The lack of diversity in the medical curriculum could “definitely” influence how a doctor might recognise a coronavirus-related skin condition, according to Owusu.
“If we’re having these issues with misdiagnoses, then that’s absolutely a possibility. [With coronavirus] the likelihood is even higher because Covid is new and research is still underway.”
The language used to describe Covid-related skin conditions is also “very, very important”. Doctors who are being taught to look out for “pink or white raised areas of the skin” or “red bumps” might not recognise these on dark skin, on which such conditions could present very differently.
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“If you send that to a dermatologist who is seeing a patient with potential Covid, all of a sudden that patient might get dismissed. Eventually, it could lead to that person dying – and that shouldn’t be happening,” Owusu added.
If medical students aren’t being taught essential knowledge that is inclusive of BAME communities, then patients could often be “met with bewilderment or confusion,” said Taiwo Oki, co-founder of BME Medics.
“The patient in front of them could be the first time they are seeing this,” Oki told HuffPost UK. “Doctors may not easily identify the diagnosis, delaying crucial management. This can result in poorer prognosis and reduction in overall quality of care.”
Although “no conclusive results can be made” yet between unrecognised biases in the medical curriculum and Covid-19 in BAME communities, “certain skin rashes that are now being linked to Covid-19, for example in Kawasaki-like disease in children, could manifest in the BME community, but are misinterpreted”.
A lack of representation in images of Covid-19 symptoms means doctors could be unable to identify the virus in patients of colour. Maskot via Getty Images
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The coronavirus pandemic has been the “magnifying glasses we’ve all needed to admit to the ongoing racial disparities in healthcare – not genetics,” Dr Victoria Onyeka of the Black Medical Society said.
“Western medicine was focused on improving the health of those in the west: Caucasians.
“This was and is still reflected in the medical curriculum and public health information, and contributes lately to the reason for the disparities in health care we see.”
Many clinical signs are used as early markers of disease, especially life-threatening diseases like sepsis, hypoxia, jaundice, ischaemia.
Doctors and nurses who have not been taught to recognise these clinical signs will then be “left to guess-diagnose non-white patients”.
The Black Lives Matter movement has prompted growing calls within the medical community to diversify teaching at medical schools in the UK and in clinical textbooks.
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In July, a second-year medical student from St George’s, University of London produced a handbook to show how clinical signs appear on Black and brown skin.
Speaking to HuffPost UK, Malone Mukwende said he created “Mind The Gap” after noticing he was taught about signs and symptoms on white skin.
“On arrival at medical school, I noticed that we weren’t really taught that much or we could be being taught more information about how things present on darker skin. I made it my personal mission to find out a way that we could do this.”
A lack of exposure to a diverse patient population in the medical curriculum “absolutely” leads to gaps in clinical knowledge, said Jia Ahmad, a medical student and policy analyst at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
“Many students are primarily taught how rashes present on white skin, which may lead to important delays in diagnosis later in their careers,” she told HuffPost UK.
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“To change this, we need research on diverse patient populations, educational standardisation of teaching on disease presentation among diverse populations and faculty who are able to teach these topics.”
A petition calling for the General Medical Council (GMC) to include ethnically diverse examples of case presentations has received almost 200,000 signatures.
“White normativity in medical teaching means that medical students are often unprepared in recognising signs of certain diseases in BAME patients that do not present in the same way as white patients and/or are not as clinically obvious,” the petition reads.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--'I Got The Last Flight To Zurich': We’re Brits Who Spent Lockdown Abroad

Laura, Adam, Dima These three people who fled the UK to spend lockdown elsewhere
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Most of us became more familiar with our homes than we ever hoped to be during lockdown. We stared at the same four walls for hours on end, dipping out only for a daily walk, or a trip to the supermarket.
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But for a handful of people, lockdown life meant something else: it meant spending an extended period of time away from their homes – more time, perhaps, than they ever expected. These people either got stuck abroad, or chose to escape the UK to find space, comfort or work elsewhere.
Three Brits who were in west Africa, Zurich, and Portugal between March and June spoke to HuffPost UK about their lockdown experiences.
Here are their stories.
‘I ran around my room packing, without knowing how long I was going for’
Laura Burns, 26
HuffPost UK Spending lockdown abroad
“I made the decision to escape London – and the UK – on March 10 and get one of the last flights to Zurich, where my sister lives. It was before lockdown was announced, and before Switzerland closed its borders. I felt panicked and anxious as I packed, not knowing how long I’d be away for or when I’d return.
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“The flight was taking off too soon to book online, so I had to book over the phone. As I ran around my room packing, I contacted my line manager to check it was okay with the job I started only the week previous. I booked a return flight for May 3, thinking I’d definitely cancel it and get an earlier one.
“I had a steaming hot shower and downed a shot of vodka upon arrival..” - Laura
“When I landed, I definitely had doubts. My sister was pregnant, so we had to talk about the risks involved. I had a steaming hot shower and downed a shot of vodka when I got to her house – it probably wouldn’t have worked but it made us feel like we’d tried to kill anything I might have caught on the flight!
“I ended up spending 80 days living with my sister, my brother-in-law, my two dogs and my niece who was born mid-way through lockdown. I spent my days working from home in Zurich, my weekends lying in the sun or paddle boarding on Lake Zurich, and my evenings with my family. Lockdown lifted there before it did in London, so we were able to go to restaurants and spend time out and about, too. I came back to London the night before the quarantine rule for international arrivals came into play, landing at Heathrow on June 7.
“Before coronavirus, I’d planned to spend one week in Switzerland around the birth of my niece but thanks to lockdown I was there to spend quality time with her for her first six weeks in the big wide world, giving me experiences and memories I’ll never forget.”
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‘As far as I know, I was the only Brit stranded in Benin’
Adam Bradford, 27
HuffPost UK Spending lockdown abroad
“Earlier this year, I was in Nigeria for work – I work with young entrepreneurs around the world to help them with their business ideas, and unlock funding. After a few months in Nigeria, I travelled over the border to Benin – a smaller nation in west Africa – in early March. Shortly after, lockdown struck.
“Flights were cancelled, airports started closing and the government issued guidance to stay at home. The situation was rapidly changing and, fearing being stuck in transit or getting ill, I decided the safest option was to wait it out there.
“When the UK government announced the list of countries it was repatriating citizens from, Benin wasn’t on the list – as far as I knew, I was the only Brit stranded in Benin. Being in lockdown there was a difficult but rewarding experience. I don’t speak the greatest French, so the language barrier was a hurdle! But the people were friendly and it was a good time to focus, work remotely and keep things moving.
“I learned a lot about how to adapt, how to survive in new environments.” - Adam
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“I worked hard, too! After seeing so many young people tackling coronavirus in unique ways, I launched a challenge, calling out to those aged 29 or younger working on coronavirus-related business ideas.
“Our five winners were so impressive! Juliet Namujju from Uganda designed lipreading-friendly face masks from recycled plastic; Patrick Ssremba launched digital on-demand medical and dental services to support communities in Uganda; and Apoorv Shankar, from India, designed a device that allows people to open doors and press ATM buttons contact-free.
“Being in Benin tested my resilience and my ability to cope without the normal methods of support. I learned how to adapt, survive in new environments and even how to work without the internet and proper connectivity, which was certainly new for me! And I came away with new friends, increased confidence and a greater appreciation for everything we have in our day-to-day lives.”
‘The most exciting thing for me was learning how to surf’
Dima Vasilenco, 26
Dima Lockdown abroad
“I live in London, but decided to go to Portugal during lockdown to cohabit with my girlfriend, but also for the freedom. The lockdown in Portugal wasn’t that severe – malls, bars and restaurants reopened on June 1.
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“On May 8, I took a flight to Lisbon from Luton airport. That was my second attempt to fly to Portugal during lockdown. The first one – on April 18 flying from Heathrow with British Airlines – was unsuccessful. I couldn’t fly, as only citizens of Portugal and permanent residents were allowed. Before flying on May 8, I called the embassy of Portugal, the consulate and also the border control and all of them said it was okay for me to go.
“When I arrived, staying in Porto, I felt really safe. It took a bit of getting used to, though, after being in London. On the first day, I was trying to go in a shop but couldn’t because I didn’t have a mask. Masks are mandatory there and no one leaves the house without one. People were just more serious about quarantine and social distancing. In the UK, the rules are formally the same, but people don’t obey it as much – yet, in Portugal, it felt that people were more respectful to others – that’s why I felt so safe.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--I Thought I Liked Being Dominated. I Just Didn’t Have The Confidence To Ask For What I Wanted

Anna Tarankova via Getty Images
You’re reading Sex Diaries, a HuffPost UK Personal series about how we are (or aren’t) having sex. To share your story, get in touch on ukpersonal@huffpost.com.
Content warning: this article contains description of sexual assault
After a somewhat lacklustre sex life in my teens and early twenties, when I found myself single for the first time in eight years at the age of 24, I promised myself better. I set out on a sexual adventure in search of the things, and the people, that would really get me off.
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I’ve always been a curious person, but not much grabbed my interest the way sex did. It wasn’t long before I discovered the world of kink. After one particularly alcohol-fuelled date, I found myself pinned down on a sofa by a soft, but firm, hand around my neck. He was a construction worker, and I remember how rough his hands felt, being suddenly aware of just how strong he was – and the control he was exercising to make sure he didn’t hurt me.
I didn’t hate it. For the first time since I was a teenager I felt vulnerable, but excited, in the bedroom. The element of perceived risk got my blood pumping, and I couldn’t get enough.
Things escalated, and it wasn’t long before asking about kink felt like a top priority on a date. Through a string of casual partners, I stumbled my way through spanking, rope play, and power play. Being dominated took me out of the driver’s seat. I could let go of the control I was constantly trying to exercise over my entire life and just do as I was told. I got a buzz from being bossed around in bed, but I rarely orgasmed. For a while, pleasing someone else was more than enough, and it was easy finding people into it. A small questioning voice popped up every now and again, but I kept chasing that excitement.
“For a while, pleasing someone else was more than enough, and it was easy finding people into it.”
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I remember the night all the novelty officially wore off. I usually leaned towards regular partners, but on a night out with my best friend we ended up taking twins back to mine. As she cozied up with one, the other kissed me and led me to my room. After a bit of fumbling around, he grabbed a condom. No more than two minutes later I felt a swell of emotion out of nowhere, and started crying. He stopped and checked to see if I was okay. I told him to leave, but he was sweet and hugged me while wiping away my tears.
I would’ve thought this was a big turn off, but no. Instead, he pushed his way on top of me – this time without a condom – and I tried to push him off. I fought for a while, but he fought harder. The risk was no longer perceived. I decided it would be easier, quicker, and probably safer to just let him finish. I cried myself to sleep wondering where I had gone wrong.
Of course none of what happened that night was my fault, but it brought up a lot of questions. I paused my sexual exploration and reflected. While I was searching for answers, they ended up finding me in the form of my current partner. We both talk very openly, and it wasn’t long before he started sharing his preferences with me. It turned out he liked being dominated, and I found myself getting excited again. What began as degradation is now, 10 months on, him asking for permission to use the bathroom when we’re in public. We don’t live this life 24/7, but the feeling I get when I tell him off out of the blue and his eyes light up doesn’t even remotely compare to the thrill I got when I was submitting.
“There’s a fundamental change and calmness in me that comes from knowing who I am, and what I want sexually.”
The more I leaned in, the more natural it felt. It took me a while to work it out, but now I will never go back. Being submissive was a nice break from reality, but now I hold the keys to my own satisfaction. The effect it‘s had out of the bedroom is solid proof this is my most authentic self. Having your body worshipped whenever you demand certainly does wonders for your confidence, but it’s more than that. There’s a fundamental change and calmness in me that comes from knowing who I am, and what I want sexually.
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Sex is an important part of who we are. It can get confusing and messy because we often express it in an external way, and bring others along for the ride, but I’ve learned to embrace the chaos. Empower yourself to go and get what you want, even if you’re not sure what that is. The trial and error could bring up some uncomfortable feelings – shame being the most common – but I know first-hand the only way to get over it is to get through it.
And if my words aren’t enough to convince you, just know that, now, I finish first every time.
Kimberley Slater is a freelance writer


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-31--How Likely Is A Second Wave – And Can It Be Prevented?

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Are we about to see another spike in coronavirus cases in the UK? It’s a question many of us have been asking.
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Boris Johnson spoke of a rise in cases in Europe as a sign of a possible second wave across the continent. But what does that mean for the UK?
Currently, there are between 600-800 new daily cases of Covid-19 in the UK, but these are the laboratory-confirmed cases. The actual number will be higher, as some people will be asymptomatic (they show no symptoms) and others may receive a false negative test result. Some won’t have had a test at all.
Professor David Hunter, an expert in epidemiology and medicine in the Nuffield Department of Population Health at University of Oxford, says this mode of detection – lab-confirmed tests – unearths one in five of the actual cases out there. Realistically, new infections may be 3,000-5,000 cases a day, he says.
The most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest there are around 4,200 new cases per day in England (20-26 July), up from 2,800 new cases per day the week before (13-19 July).
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Cases have been stable for about a month, Prof Hunter tells HuffPost UK, rather than showing a visible decline, which is what data suggests was happening up until the start of July. “There’s a substantial number of infections happening on a daily basis in the UK that could flare up,” he says.
“And, of course, it’s almost silly to talk about the UK as one entity because the numbers are tiny in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but not in the north of England. The one thing we know about Covid is all of that can change very rapidly, almost before we see it happening.”
Malte Mueller via Getty Images
Is it one big wave, or two waves?
A World Health Organisation official has described the coronavirus pandemic as being “one big wave”, while others describe the coming of a second wave, suggesting one “wave” has already passed. So, who’s right?
“Both sides could be right,” says Prof Hunter. “It’s right to say the first wave has never gone completely away and if we do experience a substantial and visible bump in the charts, which you can only recognise in retrospect, I think it would be legitimate to call that a second wave.
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“There’s no universally accepted definition of waves. Some people say it’s not the best analogy and that we might talk about tides coming in and out instead.”
Are we heading for a second wave, then?
It’s hard to say whether the UK faces an imminent second wave, but Prof Hunter says there are “troubling signs” emerging from other countries in Europe, such as Spain, where numbers have doubled from one day to the next.
Does that mean they’re experiencing a second wave, as Boris Johnson suggests? Dr Michael Head, senior researcher in global health at the University of Southampton, says it’s “too early” to say whether they’re experiencing the start of a second wave, or simply seeing spikes in their caseloads.
“The long-term decline to zero cases of Covid-19 will always see bumps in their graphs within the downward trend,” he says, adding that it’s up to all of these countries to “ensure these are only ‘spikes’ and not a ‘second wave’”.
Did the July 4 easing of lockdown restrictions change anything?
On July 4, pubs, cinemas, hair salons and holiday accommodation reopened – and rules on households meeting were eased. How has this impacted cases?
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Professor Jose Vazquez-Boland, chair of infectious diseases at the University of Edinburgh, believes we’re now facing a “comeback of community transmission” after removing the lockdown measures – and experts agree this is largely the case across Europe, too.
The graph below shows a slight weekly rise in lab-confirmed cases in England since July 4. “We have to be clear that the efficacy of lockdowns is only temporary,” he says. “There will be a resurgence of new cases every time social restriction measures are lifted as long as the virus remains in circulation.”
HuffPost UK Covid-19 cases in England (4-27 July)
Data shows Covid-19 cases in the UK were declining steadily until the start of July, when they began to “plateau”. Prof Hunter says this could be attributed to the lockdown easing.
He suggests we’re now starting to see more of an impact – ie. a rise in cases – because people were initially quite cautious about the easing of restrictions, “but as the weeks have gone by, they’ve become less cautious”.
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It’s likely we’ll have to deal with peaks and troughs – and potentially large waves, where lockdowns are needed – until the virus is eradicated. These peaks may become smaller if previously exposed people become immune, Prof Vazquez-Bolan points out – but whether this will happen or not is unclear.
What could we do to help prevent a second wave?
To help mitigate against a severe rise in cases in the UK, Prof Hunter believes the public should: steer clear of super-spreader events, wear face covers and masks, and work from home where possible.
“The one thing we know now that wasn’t as apparent in March is that a large proportion of the cases were due to so-called super-spreader events,” he says. “Estimates show 80% of infections were communicated by about 10% of the people infected – not because they were super infectious, but because they were in an indoor, crowded environment.
“And if people were singing or shouting – so that’s choirs, churches, and pubs and bars where there’s loud music – these are venues where one person can infect, in some cases, 50 or 100 people.”
The World Health Organisation’s Dr Hans Kluge warned this week that young people could be driving spikes in infections across Europe, after several health authorities reported a higher proportion of new infections among this group.
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Prof Hunter adds that it’s now clear face masks do help. “You don’t have to wear a face mask if you’re out for a walk on your own, but if you’re going to come within, 6ft of somebody, put it on – certainly if you’re indoors,” he says.
What could the government do to stop a second wave?
Clear and consistent messaging from the government is key going forward, says Prof Hunter. “They need to follow the data, but get ahead of recommendations and send people a consistent message so people aren’t confused.”
The test, trace and isolate system also needs to be improved, he says, suggesting there could be better (and faster) coordination with local authorities.
Those who do need to self-isolate should be offered some form of income support, he adds. If people aren’t offered financial support during the self-isolation period, there’s a chance they’ll go to work and risk spreading the virus.
Professor James Naismith, director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, a hub for research and technology development, is concerned not enough effort has been put into isolation measures, such as free hotel stays for those who need to self-isolate. “The testing and tracking will all be for nothing if infectious people do not isolate,” he adds. “Without effective isolation, all we will have is a more detailed view of an unfolding tragedy.”
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Countries must also learn from each other, adds Dr Gail Carson, a consultant in infectious diseases at the University of Oxford. Governments need to discuss with other countries what measures and steps work in easing out of lockdown, she says, as well recognising the warning signs of an increase in virus spread.
“The testing and tracking will all be for nothing if infectious people do not isolate.” - Professor James Naismith
On the issue of preventing a second wave, a government spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “We have made significant strides in our approach to tackling coronavirus. We have established, from scratch, one of the world’s largest testing programmes, with capacity for 300,000 tests every day and we have traced more than 200,000 people who may have unknowingly spread the virus.
“This month the prime minister announced a further £3 billion for the NHS to provide high quality care as we head into winter, while treatments like Dexamethasone have been proven to save lives and progress of vaccines is promising.
“As demonstrated in Leicester, this government will be guided by scientific advice and is prepared to take further decisive action as needed. We urge the public to play their part by following the latest government guidance.”