Covid infections fall, but PM ‘anxious’ on variants – NationalWorld digital front page

Boris Johnson’s worry over variants of concern and their affect on his plans for ending lockdown lead tomorrow’s front page
The digital front page of NationalWorld for 14 May (Image: NationalWorld)The digital front page of NationalWorld for 14 May (Image: NationalWorld)
The digital front page of NationalWorld for 14 May (Image: NationalWorld)

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Parliament on Wednesday (12 May) that the variant, officially known as B.1.617, is of “increasing concern” and warned the “lethal danger” posed by Covid variants could lead to a new wave of disease worse than that endured in January this year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It is understood that members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) have been called for an emergency meeting on Thursday (13 May) to assess the threat of the increasing number of cases, amid fears it could delay the government’s road map out of lockdown.

Boris Johnson’s worry over variants of concern and their affect on his plans for ending lockdown lead tomorrow’s front page (Image: NationalWorld)Boris Johnson’s worry over variants of concern and their affect on his plans for ending lockdown lead tomorrow’s front page (Image: NationalWorld)
Boris Johnson’s worry over variants of concern and their affect on his plans for ending lockdown lead tomorrow’s front page (Image: NationalWorld)

The government has said it is “anxious” about the Indian variant of concern and is “ruling nothing out”, although England’s road map still looks on track, the Prime Minister has said.

Speaking at a primary school in Ferryhill, County Durham, Boris Johnson said: “It is a variant of concern, we are anxious about it.

“We want to make sure we take all the prudential, cautious steps now that we could take, so there are meetings going on today to consider exactly what we need to do.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“There is a range of things we could do, we are ruling nothing out.”

Hundreds gather in Glasgow to protest Home Office dawn raid

Hundreds of protesters gathered on a Glasgow street today in an attempt to prevent immigration officers from detaining people.

Residents from Kenmure Street, in Glasgow’s Southside, and the nearby area, surrounded an immigration enforcement van following a dawn raid carried out by the Home Office on Thursday (13 May).

The vehicle, which was surrounded by police officers, was holding two male detainees and the protesters were blocking it to stop it from driving away.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

One man forced himself under the van while others were sitting on the road in front of it.

The men detained in the raid have since been released, with Police Scotland basing the decision on “public health and well-being”.

A statement from Police Scotland said: “In order to protect the safety, public health and well-being of all people involved in the detention and subsequent protest in Kenmure Street, Pollokshields, today, Chief Superintendent Mark Sutherland has, following a suitable risk assessment, taken the operational decision to release the men detained by UK Immigration Enforcement back into their community in the meantime.”

Do children need to take tests before holidays?

Travel abroad for leisure is set to reopen on May 17, with travellers now able to visit 12 countries without needing to self-isolate on their return.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Many hardworking families could be priced out of international travel, however, with tests required before and after travel.

While travel companies have driven down the price of PCR tests, costs for large families could mount up to £100s of pounds on top of the usual travel expenses.

Children aged between 11 and 18, however, must take a Covid-19 test before travelling. Proof of the child's negative test result must be shown by an adult travelling with the child upon arrival.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

At this stage it remains unclear whether children would also be required to use a vaccine passport in order to avoid a period of quarantine.

10 books to improve your mental wellbeing

This week (10 to 16 May) marks Mental Health Awareness Week, an annual event focused on encouraging people to have conversations about their mental health, seek support if they need it, and reduce the stigma that can stop people from asking for help.

If you would like to improve your mental health, a self-help book can be a good place to start, providing expert advice without you having to leave your home.

They offer a cost effective means of learning good behaviours and habits to help you become more productive, develop a new daily routine, curb anxious thoughts, or feel more courageous in difficult situations.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mental health charity MIND advocates the use of self-care to help improve your mental wellbeing, saying, “Self-care techniques and general lifestyle changes can help manage the symptoms of many mental health problems.

A great book can teach you these techniques.

With that in mind, Rochelle Barrand runs through some of the best reads out there to help get your mental health in shape.

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who’s who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going.