Latest coronavirus news

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  Sky News

  Party was in full swing on the first Saturday after a long lockdown

  Those without a booking lingered on the pavement, with the crowd getting dense at times. Restaurateurs say the demand from customers has been unprecedented.
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  PA Media: UK News

  COVID progress must not be risked by ‘lax’ foreign travel rules, Sturgeon warns

  Nicola Sturgeon said she was continuing to push the UK Government to take a tougher approach.
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  The Telegraph

  Europe's vaccination programme is taking off - and could catch the UK

  When it comes to Europe’s Covid vaccination rollout, could it be that slow and steady wins the race? After a lacklustre start to delivering doses around the continent, that is certainly the message European leaders are now sending. Following a debut marred by delays and a dearth of supplies, the EU’s vaccination drive is finally gathering pace, leading some even to suggest - chief among them President Emmanuel Macron himself - that it could catch up with Britain “in the coming weeks”. “With all the shots rolling in, it’s even no longer unthinkable that the EU will finish vaccinating its entire adult population ahead of the UK,” claimed Joshua Livestro, member of the Committee on European Integration of the Advisory Council on International Affairs of the Dutch Foreign Ministry. "While the UK is likely to finish its vaccination marathon crawling on all fours, the EU will be sprinting toward the tape.” As the UK reopens, such claims appear wildly exaggerated. Indeed, with the continent still in the grip of a deadly third wave and fresh health concerns over the new Johnson&Johnson jab as well as new variants, the EU is struggling to make headway against the pandemic. Yet undoubtedly there are encouraging indicators.
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  The Independent

  Michelle Obama asks Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jennifer Lopez, Faith Hill, and more to ‘help spread the word’ about Covid vaccines

  ‘We all want to get together with our family and friends, and the best way to make that happen is getting the vaccine as soon as it’s available to you’
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  The Independent

  Joe Biden says all adults are eligible for Covid-19 vaccine ‘starting tomorrow’

  ‘For months I’ve been telling Americans to get vaccinated when it’s your turn. Well, it’s your turn now’
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  The Independent

  Barack Obama urges viewers to get Covid-19 vaccine on Roll Up Your Sleeves special: ‘The sooner we get more people vaccinated, the better off we’re going to be’

  ‘As the vaccine becomes more available, I want to make sure that our communities, particularly ones, African-American, Latino, as well as young people understand that this will save lives and allow people to get their lives back to normal’
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  The Guardian

  Trial to study effect of immune system on Covid reinfection

  Trial to study effect of immune system on Covid reinfection . Oxford scientists will track whether participants are reinfected when re-exposed to coronavirus
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  The Guardian

  Organisers of AJ Tracey gig fined £10,000 for breaching Covid rules

  Organisers of AJ Tracey gig fined £10,000 for breaching Covid rules. Rapper said he ‘didn’t expect that many people’ after huge crowds gathered in a Manchester park to see him perform
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  The Telegraph

  Police struggle to control crowds after Covid hospitality rules relaxed

  Covid rules forcing people to eat and drink outside pubs and restaurants have left police in an impossible position with officers unsure how to deal with large crowds, it was claimed on Sunday. The first weekend since restrictions were eased, combined with fine and settled weather, brought thousands of people out to enjoy their first taste of socialising since before Christmas. In city centres across the country, closed off roads were transformed into makeshift party venues with bars and restaurants offering outdoor seating for customers. But despite warnings that social distancing rules must be maintained, scenes in areas like Soho in central London, suggested little notice was being taken of the law. As the drink flowed, hundreds of revellers crowded together in the narrow streets, leaving police with the headache of trying to control the crowds, pictured below.
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  The Independent

  Half of American adults have had one Covid vaccine dose with 16 year olds and up eligible from Monday

  Almost a third of American adults are fully vaccinated against Covid-19