21,052 new people tested positive for Covid and 24 people died in the UK as weekly cases decrease and weekly deaths rise, the latest government figures show.
The health secretary, Sajid Javid, has announced that the NHS coronavirus app will be modified today so that fewer contacts are told to self-isolate. He said the changes would “ensure we are striking the right balance” between cutting disruption and protecting the at-risk.
Boris Johnson said he wants travel rules that are “as simple and user friendly as possible” but that it was vital to take a balanced approach to avoid importing new coronavirus variants from abroad. Speaking during a visit to Stevenage, the prime minister did not rule out an amber watchlist but said he wanted to see “an approach that is as simple as we can possibly make it”.
Conservative MP Henry Smith, the chair of the Future of Aviation Group, has said further complicating international travel rules will put people off travelling. He warned the introduction of an amber watchlist would be “squandering the successful vaccine rollout”.
Unite has urged the government to take further action to support travel industry jobs amid the pandemic, claiming the traffic light system is not working. Diana Holland, the union’s assistant general secretary for civil air transport, also said there is disagreement within the government about how to move forward.
US Travel Association presidentand CEO, Roger Dow, said the White House was being “too cautious” on reciprocating the UK’s decision to lift restrictions on transatlantic flights. He praised the British government’s “very wise” decision to remove isolation requirements for vaccinated US arrivals and urged the US government to do the same.
A decision on whether over-50s will be given a third coronavirus vaccine will be made within weeks. If it is given the go-ahead, all people in the age bracket, plus the clinically vulnerable, in England are expected to be offered a booster jab before Christmas.
The Heathrow CEO, John Holland-Kaye,has urged the government to “keep things simple” rather than introduce new rules in an attempt to rebuild public confidence in travel. It comes as ministers are in discussions about creating a new amber watchlist of countries that potentially could be moved onto the red list.
A leading psychologist has accused the government of implying that “infections don’t matter” – in turn potentially putting young people off getting the coronavirus vaccine. Stephen Reicher, a professor of psychology at the University of St Andrews who sits on the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (Spi-B), said the government needed to send out “clear” and “consistent” messaging that getting vaccinated is a matter of both personal and social responsibility.
New rules for vaccinated travellers from US and EU lead to ‘300% increase’ in bookings but Airlines UK warns government’s handling of France was ‘total disaster’. It comes as from 4am on Monday, new rules came into effect meaning that fully vaccinated travellers from the US and EU no longer have to isolate when they arrive in the UK. But the rules have not yet been reciprocated for UK travellers.
That’s it from us for today. For the latest coronavirus news from around the world, you can follow our global Covid blog:
Prof Christina Pagel, director of the clinical operational research unit at UCL, reports some good news:
Some good covid news:
More evidence that the reduction in covid cases after 19th July was real - hopsital admissions in England have dropped quite a bit over the past few days.
Looking regionally, this is mostly driven by drops in the NE, but no region is increasing. pic.twitter.com/y5x2UonZNU
The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said he found it “really beneficial” being in an office at the beginning of his career - as opposed to working from home - as he told of the importance for young people of reopening workplaces.
He told LinkedIn News: “I have spoken previously about young people in particular benefiting from being in offices. It was really beneficial to me when I was starting out in my career.”
He said that on a visit last week to Scotland he met young people starting careers in financial services, Sunak’s former industry.
I was telling them the mentors that I found when I first started my job I still talk to and they have been helpful to me all through my career even after we have gone in different ways.
I doubt I would have had those strong relationships if I was doing my summer internship or my first bit of my career over Teams and Zoom.
And that’s why I think for young people in particular being able to physically be in an office is valuable.
But he said the government is leaving the decision on returning to offices up to businesses:
We’ve kind of stopped saying that people should actively work from home and have now left it up to businesses to work with their teams to figure out the right approach.
In terms of a return to work, which we have said we would expect that and recommend that to be gradual from when the restrictions eased, in keeping with everything else that we are doing, it’s been gradual, it’s cautious, it’s careful, so there will be a gradual return back to the offices and I think that is what broadly will happen.
More than 3 million 18- to 29-year-olds in the UK have still not gone for their first jab.
According to a snapshot of government vaccination figures by the Press Association, vaccination take-up among young people is consistently low across the UK.
In England an estimated 32% of 18- to 29-year-olds have not had their first jab, or around 2.7 million adults. In Wales the figure is 25%, in Scotland it’s 28% and in Northern Ireland it’s 39%.
Here’s the report from Jessica Elgot, chief political correspondent, on the changes to the NHS Covid app (also see 16:05 and 16:11):
From Monday, the app will only instruct close contacts to isolate if it is within two days of a positive test, rather than five days, which the government said was in line with the latest public health advice.
It comes amid reports that people are ditching use of the app in droves and the Department of Health said it was urging people to continue to use the app now the changes have been made.
It said the update did not impact the sensitivity of the app, or change the risk threshold, and would result in the same number of high-risk contacts being advised to self-isolate.
The health secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “We want to reduce the disruption that self-isolation can cause for people and businesses, while ensuring we’re protecting those most at risk from this virus. This update to the app will help ensure that we are striking the right balance.
21,052 new people tested positive for Covid and 24 people died as weekly cases decrease and weekly deaths rise
An additional 21,052 people in the UK tested positive for coronavirus today and 24 have died.
Government figures show that a total of 535 people died in the last week - marking a 20.2% rise compared with the previous seven days. Meanwhile, 184,550 people tested positive in the last week - marking a 27% decrease on the previous seven days.
On 30 July there were 5,943 people in hospital with coronavirus and 889 people on beds with ventilators.
The number of coronavirus patients in hospital rose by 14.8% in the seven days between 21 July and 27 July.
The latest vaccination figures show that as of yesterday, 46,872,411 people had received their first dose and 38,464,025 their second.
Sky News reports that the NHS app (see 16:05)will be modified today so that fewer people will be “pinged”.
Currently, the app looks at contacts dating back five days of a person who inputs a positive test and is asymptomatic. Going forward, it will look at contacts dating back just two days.
The government says far fewer contacts will be notified to reduce disruption to businesses while protecting those most at risk, reports the broadcaster.
NHS app to be modified to reduce the number told to self-isolate
The health secretary, Sajid Javid, has announced that the NHS coronavirus app will be modified so that fewer contacts are told to self-isolate, reports the Press Association.
He said the changes would “ensure we are striking the right balance” between cutting disruption and protecting the at-risk.
Boris Johnson also said (see 15:36) that he wants to “convert” the vaccine rollout into a “fast and sustainable” economic recovery.
Asked what he would do to hold on to Conservative voters in southern constituencies during a visit to Airbus in Stevenage, the prime minister said:
All I would say to everybody in the country is we are in favour of jobs and growth throughout the UK. We have got a big programme to convert the vaccine rollout into the fastest and most sustainable economic recovery that we can.
There were emotional scenes at Gatwick today as couples and families separated by coronavirus were reunited after the loosening of travel restrictions.
Here’s a report from the Press Association:
A couple separated by Covid were engaged at Gatwick as the airport marked the first day of relaxed quarantine measures.
Ben Gilkes and Cristina Paiva had been apart for two months after Ben was unable to go on their joint trip to Portugal after catching Covid-19 between his first and second jabs.
Cristina, a nurse, returned from Porto on the first day of relaxed quarantine rules for EU arrivals. Ben heralded her homecoming by popping the question alongside a bouquet of flowers. His mother, Rosie Nightingale, was also present.
The proposal was one of many emotional reunions marking the relaxation of restrictions for double-jabbed EU and US travellers.
Those who have had both jabs of a Covid vaccine were allowed to enter the UK from 4am this morning after the government announced they would be exempt from quarantine on 27 July.
John Gurney, a British ex-pat who lives in Amsterdam with his family, brought his young children to see their grandmother who lives in the UK for the first time since Christmas 2019.
Mr Gurney said: “It’s just a relief because of the tension of the [vaccine] passport thing and you wonder ‘are all of these QR codes going to work?’ My mum just said to the grandkids: ‘You’re real, you’re not just on a screen’.
“We normally come every Christmas and then last Christmas we sort of presumed you will and then haven’t and then they were like. ‘oh, it’s happening and then oh it’s not’.”
Jack, Sam and Dan are brothers who have reunited with their brother Ryan for the first time in two years after he spent time working in Russia and Ukraine.
On arrival at Gatwick, the brothers and their gathered family cheered Ryan through the arrival gate.
Jack, who had not seen Ryan for a year longer than his brothers, said: “It’s a bit surreal to finally be all together again after so long.”
Passengers arriving at Gatwick airport today. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA
More of the prime minister’s comments from Stevenage:
I understand that people care very much about their holidays, people want to go abroad, I understand how much people plan, prepare, for the summer holidays.
But we have also got to remember this is still a dangerous virus and we must try and stop variants coming in, must stop importing variants from abroad, so we have to have a balanced approach.
What I want to see is something that is as simple and as user-friendly for people as possible.
On travel, we have had to balance it because of the anxiety that I think a lot of people have - I have - about importing new variants, bringing back the disease.
We also have to recognise that people want, badly, to go on their summer holidays, we need to get the travel industry moving again, we need to get our city centres open again and so we want an approach that is as simple as we can possibly make it.
In other Boris Johnson-related news, the Guardian’s Scotland editor, Severin Carrell, writes:
Police Scotland has saved itself from a diplomatic and political gaffe after an attentive officer realised that calling its special security operation to protect the prime minister, Boris Johnson, Operation Bunter might cause problems.
The name was apparently allocated by the force’s computer from a list of pre-selected names, the Scottish Sun has reported, before an officer drew Police Scotland back from the brink and changed it, to Operation Aeration.
The prime minister is thought to be planning a visit to Scotland later this week, to promote his government’s case against independence. There are hints some members of the force enjoyed the joke, before the operation was renamed.
The Sun quoted an “insider” saying: “Operation Aeration was selected as the alternative. But I’m not sure moving away from Billy Bunter to a name that implies the PM is full of air is much of an improvement.”
The paper’s source said: “The name ‘Operation Bunter’ was given to the preparations. But several people pointed out the foolishness of calling it after a fat, posh English public schoolboy - not least given the PM is known for being a bit portly.”
Police Scotland refused to comment on the mechanics of the decision, but a spokesperson said: “Operational names are auto-generated by computer and can be changed if deemed to be inappropriate.”
Jason Groves, political editor of the Daily Mail, believes the prime minister’s comments could hint that the amber watch travel list might be dropped.
Boris Johnson hints the amber watch travel list could be shelved. Acknowledges need to minimise risk of importing Covid variants, but says he wants a system that is 'as simple and user-friendly as possible'
PM says wants travel rules that are 'as simple and user friendly as possible' but warns of danger of importing new Covid variants
Boris Johnson said he wants travel rules that are “as simple and user friendly as possible” but that it was vital to take a balanced approach to avoid importing new coronavirus variants from abroad.
Speaking during a visit to Stevenage, the prime minister did not rule out an amber watchlist but said he wanted to see “an approach that is as simple as we can possibly make it”.
He said while the UK vaccine rollout had been at a “pretty good” pace and, citing IMF growth figures, that the UK economy and society “is just about the most open in Europe”, he said “on travel, we’ve had to balance it”.
He emphasised that there was “still a dangerous virus” and that he and others have anxiety about importing other variants into the UK.
Boris Johnson on a visit to the Airbus Defence and Space plant in Stevenage today. Photograph: Alastair Grant/PA
Gatwick's MP Henry Smith warns amber watchlist would 'squander' the vaccine rollout
Conservative MP Henry Smith, the chair of the Future of Aviation Group, has said further complicating international travel rules will put people off travelling.
He warned the introduction of an amber watchlist would be “squandering the successful vaccine rollout”.
The MP for Crawley, whose constituency includes Gatwick airport, told the Press Association that adding more layers to the traffic light travel system “will just put more people off from booking international travel and will mean that there isn’t an August of meaningful travel to save travel and aviation sector jobs” and have a detrimental impact on families who have been separated for 18 months.
He added: “We are becoming increasingly at a competitive disadvantage to many other countries who have opened up international travel far more, many European countries and the US in particular”.
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