Get back to work! Furious bosses condemn Whitehall blueprint to give workers the right to work from home forever and make it ILLEGAL to force them back to the office

  • Proposed law change could make it impossible for employers to insist on their staff attending the workplace
  • The Government will consult on the plan over the summer, ahead of possible legislation later this year
  • The move is likely to spark a backlash amid fears it could damage productivity and harm certain sectors

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Millions of office staff would be given a 'default' right to work from home under post-pandemic plans from ministers.

The proposals would change the law to make it impossible for employers to insist on staff attending the workplace unless they can show it is essential.

The Government will consult on the plan – part of a drive to promote flexible working – over the summer, ahead of possible legislation later this year.

The move is likely to spark a backlash amid fears it could damage productivity, harm businesses that rely on workers going into the office and prevent a return to normality in town and city centres. 

A report from Tony Blair warned this week that almost six million white-collar jobs were at risk of being shipped abroad if the work-from-home revolution continued.

The plans are also likely to spark a fierce Cabinet battle. Both Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson have spoken about the benefits of office life as well as the danger that a permanent home-based culture could create 'zombie towns'.

A Whitehall source said: 'We are looking at introducing a default right to flexible working. That would cover things like reasonable requests by parents to start late so they can drop their kids at childcare.

'But in the case of office workers in particular it would also cover working from home – that would be the default right unless the employer could show good reason why someone should not.'

Millions of office staff would be given a 'default' right to work from home under post-pandemic plans from ministers

Millions of office staff would be given a 'default' right to work from home under post-pandemic plans from ministers

 

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove suggested this week that a hybrid model that included home working was likely to become the norm for many, adding: 'We won't go back to the status quo.'

It could effectively allow the millions of office staff who have worked from home during the pandemic to remain doing so for all or part of the week, indefinitely.

Yesterday, a leaked Cabinet Office presentation on the post-Covid 'new normal' revealed ministers had been told they should not encourage workers to go back to their desks even if all social distancing measures are lifted on July 19.

Ministers were told that the Government was now 'actively looking at ways to help people continue working from home if there is no need for them to be in an office'. A formal consultation on giving workers a legal right to work from home goes a stage further however.

Ministers were also advised that face masks were likely to be needed 'in some settings', potentially for months or even years. And there was a warning that restrictions on foreign travel may have to remain in place for a 'significant period'.

The development came as:

  • Dominic Cummings published expletive-laden messages apparently from Boris Johnson, in which the PM branded the Health Secretary 'hopeless';
  • When asked if he was 'useless', Mr Hancock replied: 'I don't think so';
  • Mr Cummings also claimed the PM was planning his Downing Street exit – and wanted to 'make money and have fun';
  • A string of Tory MPs spoke out in the Commons against plans to delay the June 21 'Freedom Day';
  • Hundreds of thousands of NHS and care staff could be forced to have jabs for flu as well as Covid – despite fears the move could fuel a staffing crisis;
  • Scientific advisers indicated they have no plans to recommend that under-40s are given the Oxford AstraZeneca jab despite pressure on Pfizer stocks;
  • Infections are now five times higher in young adults than in over-65s;
  • A major British trial identified a lifesaving treatment for Covid victims;
  • Patients would be given health MOTs when they go for vaccine boosters or flu jabs under NHS plans;
  • Virus cases in Cornwall have skyrocketed following the G7 summit of world leaders in the county and an influx of holidaymakers.

Any move to sanction a permanent shift to home working is likely to meet resistance from Conservative MPs.

Felicity Buchan, Tory MP for Kensington, said the continued advice to work from home was having a devastating impact on central London businesses.

Mark Harper, chairman of the Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs, said ministers had no business interfering in relations between employers and their staff.

And fellow Conservative Sir Charles Walker claimed that for many younger people working from home was the equivalent of the new 'dark satanic mills'.

Under existing law, employers can require staff to attend the workplace. Ultimately, a refusal to go in to work can be deemed an 'unauthorised absence', allowing an employer to begin disciplinary proceedings. But the Business Department is now looking to change the law to encourage flexible working.

Mr Johnson pledged to introduce the change at the 2019 election.

A Flexible Working Taskforce, established by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng this year to advise on the change, is expected to recommend that people are given the right to continue working from home.

Peter Cheese, the co-chairman of the taskforce, said last month that the pandemic had demonstrated that staff could work effectively outside traditional workplaces. He cited a survey showing that 71 per cent of firms had found home working either boosted or made no difference to their productivity.

In March, Mr Sunak said that home working was no substitute for an office environment with 'people riffing off each other'.

And a senior source last night insisted Mr Johnson continued to believe in the benefits of office working. 

 

Britain's daily Covid cases hit 9,000 for the first time since February as cases spike by a fifth in a week and hospitalisations soar by another 40% amid the rapid spread of Indian variant - but deaths stay flat

By Stephen Matthews and Sam Blanchard for the MailOnline

Britain yesterday recorded 9,000 daily Covid cases for the first time since February as the Indian variant continues to spread widely across the country.

Department of Health bosses posted 9,055 positive tests across the UK — up by a fifth on last Wednesday's count. It is the highest toll since February 25, when 9,985 infections were registered.

Hospitalisations have also risen by 40 per cent in the space of a week in a clear sign that the rapid spread of the mutant strain has started to increase pressure on hospitals despite the success of the vaccination drive. Health officials recorded 173 admissions on June 12, the most recent day figures are available for. For comparison, the figure the previous Saturday was 123.

Despite the uptick in the number of infected patients needing NHS care, deaths remain flat. Another nine victims were added to the official fatality toll today, up from six last week — but the overall daily average for the past week has remained in single figures. 

But in a glimmer of hope the fast-spreading strain won't force ministers into delaying Freedom Day again, figures also show Covid outbreaks appear to be flat or falling in Bolton, Blackburn and other areas that were the first to be hit by the Indian Delta variant.  

Fears are growing, however, that a shortage of jabs may force No10 to push back the final unlocking once again, with the pace of the roll-out having already slowed to around 450,000 a day — half of the speed seen during the best days of the programme.

Ministers have conceded supply of Pfizer's jab is 'tight' while Moderna's is also limited, and regulators have advised under-40s are not given the British-made AstraZeneca jab – the only other one available – because of its rare links to fatal blood clots, massively increasing demand for the other two options.

Boris Johnson stressed the urgent need to inoculate as many people as possible to finally end restrictions on July 19, insisting the four-week delay gave the NHS 'more crucial weeks' to protect Britons from the Indian variant. 

But government advisers have warned that some restrictions are likely to remain even after the final step of lifting lockdown has been taken, with social distancing and measures like work from home, face masks and test and trace continuing. Peaks of future outbreaks 'would be much higher' if all the advice was abandoned completely, scientists warned.

In other developments today:

  • One of the country's top scientists today insisted Britain's Covid crisis 'will be over' if vaccines still keep people out of hospital even when they catch the Indian 'Delta' variant or future versions of the coronavirus;
  • Sadiq Khan today called for ministers to send more Pfizer and Moderna Covid vaccines to London despite the UK having a 'tight' supply of both jabs; 
  • Britain will not give coronavirus vaccines to children yet because No10's advisors want more data on risks before expanding the rollout;
  • Matt Hancock confirmed Covid vaccinations will be made compulsory for care home workers, despite backlash from unions and industry bosses that the controversial move would worsen staff shortages;
  • Fewer than 40 per cent of care home staff in parts of London have been fully vaccinated against Covid, MailOnline analysis revealed;
  • A leaked document gave a glimpse of the UK's potential 'new normal' with facemasks, working from home and travel quarantine rules set to stay beyond July 19.; 
  • Humiliated Matt Hancock insisted he 'doesn't think' he is 'f****** hopeless' after Boris Johnson's devastating private verdict on his performance was revealed in slew of extraordinary messages posted on social media by maverick ex-No10 chief Dominic Cummings.
Just two thirds of care home staff have had their first vaccination in Hackney, east London, official data has shown with uptake rates among staff lowest in the capital

Just two thirds of care home staff have had their first vaccination in Hackney, east London, official data has shown with uptake rates among staff lowest in the capital

'We live in a world of Covid variants': PHE boss says there are 30+ strains in the UK

There are at least 25 known Covid variants circulating in the UK and scientists are constantly monitoring them to see which ones might be dangerous, a Public Health England boss said today. 

Dr Susan Hopkins, infectious disease expert at the agency, told MPs: 'I just wanted to highlight the point that we're living in a world of variants now. 

'Everything we see is a variation of the original and, actually, everything we see that's going to live and not become extinct very rapidly has either got to have a transmissibility advantage or an immune evading advantage.

'So the challenge, always, is trying to understand which one of these is going to do something as it emerges. We start following and monitoring them when we get to about 30 cases that we can see in the genome sequencing, but that's not enough to give us real-life data on the impact of vaccines [or] on the impact of transmissibility.'

Dr Hopkins added: 'We have about 25 under monitoring and eight under investigation at the moment... all of them have mutations that we're concerned about but the mutations alone is not enough to predict whether it's really going to impact on our journey through vaccines and impact on the public health risk of hospitalisation...

'You would expect that you are going to be able to start to make an assessment when you've got thousands [of cases], rather than tens or hundreds... and, really, you need at least 100 cases in hospital.'

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Meanwhile, Britain's Covid crisis 'will be over' if vaccines still keep people out of hospital even when they catch the Indian 'Delta' variant or future versions of the coronavirus, one of Oxford's jab-makers said today.

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, chief of the Oxford Vaccine Group that made and trialled the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, said that coronavirus would never go away but it wouldn't cause disaster if the jabs continue to work.

Speaking in a meeting with MPs on the science committee in Parliament he said that, if vaccines break the link between infections and mass deaths, 'we will reach a point where we stop looking at what's happening in the community'.

He cautioned that there will be a constant stream of new variants in the coming years and that most will evolve to try and get past vaccine immunity, but jabs should still work and they can continue to be updated.

He said: 'If that very high protection against hospitalisation continues, despite spread in the community, then the public health crisis is over. And so far, up to Delta, we're in a very good position as long as we've got people vaccinated.' 

Sir Andrew's comments were latest in a line of scientific voices warning people that Britain must learn to live with the virus even in a post-vaccine world.

Despite this, leaked SAGE documents suggest that some social distancing and measures like work from home, face masks and test and trace will have to stay in place even after lockdown rules come to an end in July. Peaks of future outbreaks 'would be much higher' if all the advice was abandoned completely, scientists warned.

Dr Susan Hopkins, a Public Health England infectious disease expert, cautioned in the same meeting that the true number of daily infections in the UK right now could be as high as 25,000, much higher than the 7,500 average positive tests.

She said: 'It doesn't take very much double to get to large numbers... But what we hope we won't see – and I think we won't because of vaccines – is the same number of hospitalisations.

In one gloomy prediction Dr John McCauley, a flu expert at the Francis Crick Institute in London, said the Covid death toll could still be as high as 45,000 per year when lockdown rules have ended completely. He told the i newspaper: 'There's no inherent reason why the virus will lose its virulence.' 

But Government minister Michael Gove said on Times Radio yesterday: 'We have to accept that this virus will circulate and it will be the case, unfortunately, that in winters to come we will find that people contract it or subsequent variants and they will fall ill.' 

The NHS figures going up to June 6 ¿ the latest date data is available for ¿ show uptake rates among care home staff are significantly lagging behind in London boroughs compared to the rest of the country

The NHS figures going up to June 6 — the latest date data is available for — show uptake rates among care home staff are significantly lagging behind in London boroughs compared to the rest of the country

In the committee meeting this morning Sir Andrew, who was knighted last week for his work tackling Covid, said: 'If we're able to build immunity in our population and keep people out of hospital we will reach a point where we stop looking in this granular detail at what's happening in the community because, if we do, we'll just focus on it and worry because [the virus] will escape from vaccines... 

'This will happen – it's going to continue to happen. But in the end we're going to have to come back to focusing on the really important public health issue, which is the hospitalisation and the death. 

'If transmission is disconnected by vaccine immunity from severe disease to a large extent, then we'll need to monitor new variants perhaps if we need to design a new vaccine and so on, but we are going to have to live with it being in our communities and transmitting.' 

Learning to live with the virus spreading could involve carrying on with some of the behaviour changes brought in in the past year. 

Scientists on the SAGE advisory group said rules 'are likely to be needed beyond the end of the current road map process,' The Times reported, or resurgences of the virus could lead to a need to 'reverse' the reopening.

The Whitehall paper suggests that the government will stop short of urging workers to return to offices even after 'Freedom Day' finally arrives. There is also a suggestion that face masks will be needed in some settings long-term, as well as keeping post-travel isolation rules.

Matt Hancock confirms Covid vaccines WILL be compulsory for care home workers 

Matt Hancock has today confirmed Covid vaccinations will be made compulsory for care home staff despite backlash from unions and industry bosses.

The Health Secretary told MPs that carers will have to have a jab in order to 'protect residents'.

The move comes after Whitehall sources last night leaked the plans, which were expected to be announced later in the week.

And critics today slammed the proposals, saying the move will force many to 'walk away'. They said mandatory jabs could worsen the social sector's staffing crisis.

The policy will see 1.5million people working in social care told to get inoculated within 16 weeks — or face losing their jobs.

Despite care workers being among one of the top priority groups for Covid jabs and being eligible since December, latest figures show just two thirds of them have had both doses of the vaccine.

Speaking in the commons today, Mr Hancock said the Government will 'ensure mandation as a condition of deployment for staff in care homes'.

The Financial Times today reported ministers are also debating whether to make flu jabs compulsory for the same staff.

Consultation is expected to begin on whether other health workers should also have the jabs, meaning Covid vaccines could also be made compulsory for the 1.4m employed by the NHS.

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Anyone who has coronavirus symptoms will still be expected to isolate, according to the draft proposals. And fears have been raised that more restrictions will be needed if the disease surges again in the winter.

The document – seen by Politico – emerged as furious Tories predicted up to 70 MPs could inflict a bloody nose on Boris Johnson in a crunch lockdown vote tonight.

Professor Hopkins said on the future of social distancing: 'This is a balance. In some countries like Sweden they have done a lot in terms of social responsibility. In other countries, they have legislated heavily. 

'So I think there is a middle road, as we have vaccination heavily rolled out, that requires potentially in some areas where there is higher risk to look at them. And one might consider, for example, transport. For those of us that pack ourselves into the tube regularly, we may feel more comfortable if everyone else was asked to wear a mask as well for those very close encounters for potentially periods longer than 15 minutes. 

'But in the more general societal areas, such as shops, it is going to come down to personal opinions and responsibilities rather than legislation for the longer term.'

Sir Andrew Pollard said it was inevitable that the coronavirus would continue mutating and that new variants would keep appearing forever as the virus adapts to the human immune system.

A virus can only keep circulating if it can be transmitted between living things and to do this it must be able to escape protections in the immune system, Sir Andrew said.

The vaccine chief told MPs: 'What we've been waiting for over the last month with the Delta variant is to find out whether, with two doses of the vaccine, we have good protection against hospitalisation.

'And the data that came out on Monday from Public Health England that show over 90 per cent protection against hospitalisation is incredibly reassuring in that regard.

'That's the key bit that we have to look at with future variants. If that very high protection against hospitalisation continues, despite spread in the community, then the public health crisis is over. And so far, up to Delta, we're in a very good position, as long as we've got people vaccinated.

'Of course, the WHO [World Health Organization] at the moment, with variants under investigation, we're up to Kappa so there's a lot more Greek alphabet letters still to go through. But hopefully we'll still be in a good position when we get to Omega but we have to keep monitoring it because we don't know yet.'

Dr Susan Hopkins said that all discussions about Covid now are about variants because almost none of the original 'wild' virus is left.

She said in the same meeting: 'We're living in a world of variants now. 

'Everything we see is a variation of the original and, actually, everything we see that's going to live and not become extinct very rapidly has either got to have a transmissibility advantage or an immune evading advantage.

'So the challenge, always, is trying to understand which one of these is going to do something as it emerges. We start following and monitoring them when we get to about 30 cases that we can see in the genome sequencing, but that's not enough to give us real-life data on the impact of vaccines [or] on the impact of transmissibility.'

She said there were more than 30 being investigated in the UK, as well as the four 'variants of concern' that are dominant.

And the transmissibility advantage of the Delta variant has led to thousands and potentially tens of thousands of new cases every day – significantly more than are being recorded by NHS Test & Trace, Dr Hopkins said.

Facemasks forever, WFH, self-isolation and travel quarantine to stay, and MORE restrictions in winter? 

A leaked document gave a glimpse of the UK's potential 'new normal' today with facemasks, working from home and travel quarantine rules set to stay beyond July 19.

The Whitehall paper suggests that the government will stop short of urging workers to return to offices even after 'Freedom Day' finally arrives.

There is also a suggestion that face masks will be needed in some settings long-term, as well as keeping post-travel isolation rules.

Anyone who has coronavirus symptoms will still be expected to isolate, according to the draft proposals. And fears have been raised that more restrictions will be needed if the disease surges again in the winter.

The document - seen by Politico - emerged as furious Tories predicted up to 70 MPs could inflict a bloody nose on Boris Johnson in a crunch lockdown vote tonight.

The PM is facing a bruising revolt from his own benches as the Commons is asked to approve the delay of 'Freedom Day' until July 19.

Victory is guaranteed for the government as Labour has thrown its backing behind the extension of the brutal restrictions.

The shift from Mr Johnson, amid warnings from scientists that the Indian variant will cause thousands more deaths, has incensed many Conservatives who argue that vaccines have protected the most vulnerable and the country must learn to live with the virus.

Downing Street later said it did not recognise the Politco document and it 'does not reflect the latest Government thinking'.

Mr Johnson insisted to MPs at PMQs today that the Covid rules were temporary. Responding to Tory backbencher Philip Davies he said: 'Nobody, least of all me, wants to see Covid restrictions last forever, nor do I think they are going to last forever.'

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'What we are seeing at the moment are about 7,000 to 8,000 infections per day – that's what we're detecting,' she said.

'But we know that is less than half of what the true infections are in the community and we've measured that out in a number of ways. So the estimate for current infections today is probably in the order of between 15,000 and 25,000 new infections a day. 

'It doesn't take very much double to get to large numbers... But what we hope we won't see – and I think we won't because of vaccines – is the same number of hospitalisations. 

'So we will have a much, much greater amount of infection in the community, without seeing the same impact on hospitalisations. But the more infections we do have, the more impact there will be. 

'If we say 90 per cent [vaccine] effectiveness that means 10 per cent could actually come into hospital. So that means we do need to have some measures in place – both social responsibility measures and the measures that are in place right now to try and hold that peak down, so that we can get as much vaccine into the individuals to reduce symptomatic disease, reduce transmission, then clearly the severity and hospitalisation.'      

The Government advisers' comments come after independent experts yesterday said achieving zero Covid deaths was 'impossible' and that the focus should be to bring them down to levels comparable with flu — which kills roughly 17,000 people in England annually and up to 50,000 in a bad year.  

Boris Johnson and England's chief expert advisers Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance have all repeated the line that we will 'have to learn to live with Covid' this week, in what seems to be a concerted effort to take emphasis away from the daily death numbers. 

There has been fierce debate about what level of Covid deaths would be 'tolerable' when Britain emerges from the shutdown — but one of the Government's top scientists, Professor Graham Medley, said it was 'quite possible' there could be hundreds per day after lockdown.  

Professor Karol Sikora, an expert in medicine at the University of Buckingham, told MailOnline: 'All deaths are very emotional and upsetting... but it's important we embrace Covid like we have other viruses because it will become a normal feature in society.

'We should consider it a success if we bring it [Covid deaths] down to levels comparable with flu deaths every year. We will never achieve zero Covid.' 

Cambridge University epidemiologist Dr Raghib Ali told MailOnline that once July 19 comes and most of the adult population have been given a vaccine: 'It's my view that we will be in as strong a position as we ever will be. Prolonging restrictions beyond that point doesn't achieve much.'

Asked what an acceptable number of Covid deaths would be, he added: 'If you look at deaths and excess deaths from influenza, the Government tolerates numbers up to about 50,000 [per year].'

Cabinet Office minister Mr Gove said: 'Unfortunately there are respiratory diseases, including flu itself, which do every year result in an upsurge of people being taken into hospital, and in some cases suffering tragic consequences.' In a separate interview with BBC Radio 4, he said 'we're going to have to learn to live with Covid'.

Learning to live with Covid could mean making some permanent lifestyle changes, SAGE files have revealed, with experts saying 'baseline' measures like mask-wearing and social distancing should remain for the long term.

Scientists on the advisory group said rules 'are likely to be needed beyond the end of the current road map process,' The Times reported, or resurgences of the virus could lead to a need to 'reverse' the reopening.

Covid has killed more than 150,000 people since the crisis began last spring, but the vaccines have shown to be extremely effective at preventing deaths - reducing fatalities by more than 90%.  Independent scientists seeking to manage expectations before restrictions are lifted told MailOnline that achieving zero Covid deaths going forward was 'impossible' and that the focus should be to bring them down to levels comparable with flu — which kills roughly 17,000 people in England annually (shown on graph). Source: Office for National Statistics and Public Health England

Covid has killed more than 150,000 people since the crisis began last spring, but the vaccines have shown to be extremely effective at preventing deaths - reducing fatalities by more than 90%.  Independent scientists seeking to manage expectations before restrictions are lifted told MailOnline that achieving zero Covid deaths going forward was 'impossible' and that the focus should be to bring them down to levels comparable with flu — which kills roughly 17,000 people in England annually (shown on graph). Source: Office for National Statistics and Public Health England

It is not clear what levels of Covid deaths the country can expect when lockdown is ended next month, and this has been made less clear due to the outbreak of the highly transmissible Indian variant.

That strain has proven to be at least 60 per cent more infectious than the Kent version and twice as likely to put unvaccinated people in hospital. 

But two doses of the jabs are extremely effective against the mutant virus, reducing hospitalisations by up to 96 per cent. 

The Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) warned there could have been 250 to more than 500 deaths per day in the third wave this summer if Step 4 of the roadmap out of lockdown went ahead as planned on June 21.

The group did not provide clear projections for what effect delaying the unlocking until July 19 will have on deaths, but its estimates around hospitalisations show the four-week gap could shrink admissions by more than half.

Prominent SAGE member Professor Graham Medley warned that, even with the extra breathing room the delay gives, Britain could still suffer hundreds of Covid deaths every day later in the year. 

Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at Reading University, said this was possible because there will still be millions of people who are vulnerable to the disease even when the entire country is vaccinated.

A small percentage of people who get the jab will still catch and die from Covid, usually because they are frail and have compromised immune systems.  

Dr Clarke told MailOnline: 'Even if you've got a vaccine that cuts deaths by more than 90 per cent, that still leaves almost 7million people not protected.

'Then there will be even more people who get infected but do not get seriously ill. So that still means lots and lots of virus circulating which poses a risk to those vulnerable 7m.'

But he said emphasis should be taken away from the Covid death figures and focused on NHS capacity, which he said was now the most important metric.

Keith Neal, a professor in infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham, said that once the adult population had been vaccinated with at least once dose against Covid it was no longer the Government's responsibility to try to save every life.

'We can't stay in lockdowns forever, people need to make their own risk assessments. If people are worried about Covid or think they might be vulnerable, then they might decide not to meet up with others or socially distance.'

Backbench Tory MPs, including former prime minister Theresa May and Mark Harper, chairman of the Covid Recovery Group (CRG), criticised the Government for delaying the June 21 unlocking by a month, saying it was moving away from its goal of protecting the NHS. They said Britons had to learn to live with the virus.

However, other experts have said it is the Government's duty to do prevent all 'avoidable' deaths and warned ministers against becoming cocky about the virus. 

Professor Gabriel Scally, a public health expert at the University of Bristol, told MailOnline: 'What's an acceptable level of road traffic accidents? We don't accept those deaths we have inquests to find out what went wrong and how can we put it right.

'Like any infectious disease it's our duty to do whatever we can to protect people from it. If we don't take sensible  action and people get ill then we're being careless with people's lives.'

Meanwhile, millions more people in the Midlands and North West of England are being urged not to travel or meet people indoors in an attempt to curb the spread of the Indian Covid variant.

In guidance released last night, roughly 3.6million residents in Birmingham, Liverpool, Warrington and parts of Cheshire were asked to minimise their movements in and out of the affected areas, which are recording higher than average levels of the mutant strain.

But Mr Johnson made no mention of the fresh advice in his dramatic Downing Street press conference last night, where he confirmed England's final unlocking would be pushed back by four weeks amid fears the mutant strain could overwhelm hospitals. 

 

Facemasks forever, WFH, self-isolation and travel quarantine to stay, and MORE restrictions in winter? Leaked Step 4 document reveals how 'new normal' could look even AFTER July 19 Freedom Day - despite 60 MPs voting against the delay

  • Boris Johnson is facing the prospect of a damaging revolt by dozens of MPs in crucial lockdown vote tonight
  • Government all-but guaranteed victory as Labour is backing the move but opposition seems to be growing
  • Leaked Whitehall document has suggested that a number of restriction will stay even after new July 19 date  

A leaked document gave a glimpse of the UK's potential 'new normal' yesterday with facemasks, working from home and travel quarantine rules set to stay even beyond July 19 - as MPs have now voted through Boris Johnson's Freedom Day delay. 

The Whitehall paper suggests that the government will stop short of urging workers to return to offices even after the new target for lifting restrictions finally arrives. There is also a suggestion that face masks will be needed in some settings long-term, as well as keeping post-travel isolation rules.      

Anyone who has coronavirus symptoms will still be expected to isolate, according to the draft proposals. And fears have been raised that more restrictions will be needed if the disease surges again in the winter. 

The document - seen by Politico - emerged as Boris Johnson's crunch bill to delay the return to freedom passed through the House of Commons, winning 461 ayes and 60 noes. Victory was guaranteed for the government as Labour threw its backing behind the extension of the brutal restrictions.

For now, limits on numbers for sports events, theatres and cinemas will remain in place, nightclubs will stay shuttered and people will be asked to continue working from home where possible.

It comes after furious Tories rounded on Mr Johnson, Matt Hancock and the Government's scientific advisers over the extension of Covid restrictions in England. They cast doubt on the Prime Minister's commitment that July 19 would be a 'terminus' date for the lockdown after he was forced to postpone easing restrictions on June 21.

The shift from Mr Johnson, amid warnings from scientists that the Indian variant will cause thousands more deaths, has incensed many Conservatives who argue that vaccines have protected the most vulnerable and the country must learn to live with the virus.

Downing Street later said it did not recognise the Politco document and it 'does not reflect the latest Government thinking'. 

Mr Johnson insisted to MPs at PMQs today that the Covid rules were temporary. Responding to Tory backbencher Philip Davies he said: 'Nobody, least of all me, wants to see Covid restrictions last forever, nor do I think they are going to last forever.'

Mr Johnson also came under fire from Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions, with the Labour leader saying he had 'blown it' by failing to block flights from India soon enough. 

Boris Johnson (pictured today) is facing a bruising revolt from his own benches as the Commons is asked to approve the delay of 'Freedom Day' until July 19

Boris Johnson (pictured today) is facing a bruising revolt from his own benches as the Commons is asked to approve the delay of 'Freedom Day' until July 19

Daily UK figures show 7,673 people tested positive for the virus, 184 patients were admitted to hospital and 10 people died. The data also shows that 41.8million people have been given their first dose of a vaccine, while 30.2million have received their second

Daily UK figures show 7,673 people tested positive for the virus, 184 patients were admitted to hospital and 10 people died. The data also shows that 41.8million people have been given their first dose of a vaccine, while 30.2million have received their second

Mr Johnson also came under fire from Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions, with the Labour leader saying he had 'blown it' by failing to block flights from India soon enough.

Mr Johnson also came under fire from Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions, with the Labour leader saying he had 'blown it' by failing to block flights from India soon enough.

Over-21s urged to get vaccine appointments 

England's Covid vaccination drive has opened to everyone over the age of 21 today, as ministers race to get every adult jabbed by the country's new 'Freedom Day' on July 19.

Around one million people aged 21 and 22 will begin to be invited to come forward for their vaccine from this morning, leaving only 18 to 20-year-olds waiting for the call. NHS bosses expect to open up the scheme to all adults by the end of this week 

Boris Johnson this week delayed the final step of the roadmap back to normality by four weeks to give the NHS a 'few more crucial weeks' to protect Britons from the rapid spread of the Indian variant. 

The Government brought forward its target for vaccinating all adults from July 31 to July 19 to deal with the rapidly growing Delta strain variant and to hit the jab target in time for the country unlocking. No10 has also pledged to get two-thirds of adults fully inoculated by the same date.

But there are fears a shortage in supply of vaccines could threaten a further delay to the final unlocking. Although No10 hasn't made achieving the goal a clause of going ahead with the final unlocking, Freedom Day was only ever delayed to ensure millions more adults were fully protected. 

Ministers have conceded that the supply of the Pfizer jab is 'tight' while the Moderna vaccine — which has only just become available — is thought to be similarly limited. Both are shipped in weekly batches from factories in Europe. 

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The Opposition leader told the Commons: 'Last March he said we can turn the tide in 12 weeks, remember that? 

'Then he said it will all be over by Christmas, then we were told June 21 would be Freedom Day. Now we are told July 19 is Terminus Day. 

'The British people don;'t expect miracles buy t they do expect basic competence and honesty, and when it comes to care homes, protective equipment or borders, we see the same pattern from this Prime Minister - too slow, too indecisive, over-promising, under-delivering.'

The Cabinet Office insisted no decisions have been taken on the guidance after July 19, which Mr Johnson has vowed will represent a 'terminus' point for lockdown.

The premier said on Monday that the delay would save 'thousands of lives' and allow millions more people to receive their first and second jabs.

But he insisted he is 'confident' he would finally be able to end restrictions on July 19, describing it as a 'terminus point' – while refusing to give a categorical guarantee.

The Politico document covered several key areas of lockdown restrictions remaining in place.

Staff not ordered back to their workplace 

The document suggests that ministers should not force workers back to their regular workplace when Step 4 of the lockdown is finally reached. 

It outlines three approaches the Government could take: backing a return to offices and factories not yet up and running, staying neutral or continuing to encourage working from home.

It recommends that Mr Johnson should abandon what he did last year when he called for workers to restart commuting and instead back a 'hybrid' model that helps people work from home if their journey is not absolutely necessary.

This is likely to prove controversial with Mr Johnson under pressure to help kickstart retail growth by getting workers back into English towns and cities.  

Stay off work if you are even slightly ill 

Scientists have suggested a culture change away from people bravely going into work if they don't feel very well, amid fears they will spread Covid. 

Isolating at home if you have the key symptoms of Covid - a cough, temperature or a loss of taste/smell needs to become the new normal, they argue, until you have taken a test.

However others suggest tests and quarantine can be phased out over a period of months as vaccines hopefully drive down the infection rate to manageable levels. 

The report says that this will require a reform and increase to sick pay levels, warning that the current isolation regime has only a 'low to medium' effectiveness because people in low-paid or insecure roles cannot afford to lose out.

Air vents in, plastic screens out 

For staff that return to offices and other workplaces, ventilation could become key, with claims that ministers are considering introducing minimum standards. Facemasks could also be required in the longer term as well.

However, plastic screens, seen in shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants across the land, could be scrapped, despite the costs already incurred by businesses. 

The report suggests that they should be removed, as many are installed incorrectly, blocking airflow around the room and may even make the Covid transmission situation worse. 

Winter restrictions and foreign travel quarantine 

With the UK still not yet fully out of London in the early summer, scientists have already started looking to the winter. 

While they don't go as far as suggesting another lockdown they suggest some measures could be either kept in place or reintroduced as the weather gets colder. 

One thing that seems to be remaining for some time is the traffic light system for quarantine after foreign travel. The document suggests isolation and strict border controls will be needed for some time, even if they are eased from where they are now. 

Jabs for care home staff WILL be compulsory 

Care home staff will be forced to have Covid vaccinations, ministers will announce this week.

The controversial measure means 1.5million people working in social care will be told to have the jab within 16 weeks – or face losing their jobs.

It has been introduced following a consultation which concluded it would help protect the most vulnerable in society.

No decision has yet been made on whether vaccination should be made mandatory for the 1.4million who work for the NHS. A separate consultation on that is to be launched.

Ministers are concerned about low take-up of the coronavirus vaccine among care workers, who include care home staff plus home helps.

Despite care workers being among one of the top priority groups for Covid jabs, latest figures show that just two thirds of them have had both doses of the vaccine.

Tens of thousands of care home residents died in the pandemic, largely as a result of infections being brought in by staff during the first wave.

The Daily Mail first revealed in March that the Government was considering making it a legal requirement for NHS and care home staff to have the jab.

Organisations representing care firms and their staff have warned that the move could backfire and see workers quit rather than agree to have the jab.

The social care sector already faces a workforce shortage as a result of years of underfunding, and an exodus of staff would make it harder to meet the expected upsurge in demand once the pandemic subsides.

The move also raises questions about how care homes treat staff who refuse a mandatory jab, and whether they have to be moved into other roles, and over whether the Government could face a legal challenge.

Later this week ministers will confirm that they are pushing ahead with compulsory vaccination for most of the 1.5million working in social care in England.

On Tuesday night it was claimed that, under the plans, those working with adults will have 16 weeks to get vaccinated or face losing their jobs.

The Government is also keen to make it mandatory for the 1.38million who are directly employed by the NHS in England to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and winter flu.

The Department of Health and Social Care will in the coming days launch two separate consultation exercises into making Covid and flu jabs mandatory for NHS staff.

But Health Secretary Matt Hancock believes the arguments in favour of protecting patients from potentially infectious staff now outweigh those that allow health workers the right to choose whether to have either immunisation.

Latest figures show that, as of June 6, 89 per cent of NHS staff had had their first dose of Covid vaccine and 82 per cent had had both.

Some 83.7 per cent of staff in adult care homes had received at least one dose by June 6 and 68.7 per cent had been double-jabbed.

The British Medical Association, which represents doctors, warned that while it wants all NHS staff to get jabbed, 'compulsion is a blunt instrument that carries its own risks'.

The health department said: 'Vaccines are our way out of this pandemic and have already saved thousands of lives – with millions of health and care staff vaccinated.

'Our priority is to make sure people in care homes are protected. We will publish our response [to the consultation] in due course.'

 

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Jacob Rees-Mogg hinted at a growing split in Cabinet yesterday by suggesting it was wrong to keep restrictions in place once all vulnerable people and over-50s had been offered their second jabs – a point which has already passed.

He said people below that age were 'not at particular risk', adding: 'Overwhelmingly the most important thing is the number of deaths. People going into hospital for a couple of days and coming out is not very important.'

In an interview with the Conservative Home website, he added: 'Ultimately, the NHS is there to serve the British people, not the British people there to serve the NHS, and therefore we may need to spend more money on hospitals but you can't run society just to stop the hospitals being full, otherwise you'd never let us get in our cars and drive anywhere or do any of the other things that people want to do, so there has to be some proportionality.'

The interview was recorded on Monday, shortly before Mr Johnson confirmed the four-week delay. 

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss declined to contradict Mr Rees-Mogg during a round of interviews this morning.  

'We are taking a pragmatic approach. The key is making sure that everybody gets vaccinated – by July 19 we will have all over-40s vaccinated so we are protected as a society,' she said.

'That's what we need to do in order to be able to fully open up the economy.'

She added: 'Jacob has his views and those are his views. But what I'm telling you is the reason we are doing this, the reason we are taking these measures is to protect lives and that's what's important.' 

A poll by Savanta ComRes yesterday found that 56 per cent of the public now fear restrictions could go on indefinitely.

It came as ten more deaths and 7,673 new Covid cases were reported yesterday.

Downing Street distanced itself from Mr Rees-Mogg's comments, saying the guidelines for ending lockdown depend on passing the four tests in the roadmap.

They include checking the vaccine rollout is still on track and having evidence the jabs are effective at reducing hospitalisations and deaths.

The other two tests require proof that unlocking will not risk a surge in cases that could overwhelm the NHS and checking that new 'variants of concern' do not fundamentally change the risks of the virus.

Asked whether the Cabinet minister's views reflected the Government's position, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The position we are using is the four tests. We do not meet those four tests and that is why we are not proceeding with the next stage.'

However, many critics fear cases and hospitalisations could well be even higher in four weeks' time – leading to another delay.

Michael Gove yesterday insisted the reopening would only slip again if something 'unprecedented and remarkable' occurs. He said: 'We have to accept this virus will circulate, and it will be the case... that in winters to come we will find that people contract it or subsequent variants and they will fall ill.'

England's Covid vaccination drive has opened to everyone over the age of 21 today, as ministers race to get every adult jabbed by the country's new 'Freedom Day' on July 19.

Around one million people aged 21 and 22 will begin to be invited to come forward for their vaccine from this morning, leaving only 18 to 20-year-olds waiting for the call. NHS bosses expect to open up the scheme to all adults by the end of this week 

Boris Johnson this week delayed the final step of the roadmap back to normality by four weeks to give the NHS a 'few more crucial weeks' to protect Britons from the rapid spread of the Indian variant. 

The Government brought forward its target for vaccinating all adults from July 31 to July 19 to deal with the rapidly growing Delta strain variant and to hit the jab target in time for the country unlocking. No10 has also pledged to get two-thirds of adults fully inoculated by the same date.

But there are fears a shortage in supply of vaccines could threaten a further delay to the final unlocking. Although No10 hasn't made achieving the goal a clause of going ahead with the final unlocking, Freedom Day was only ever delayed to ensure millions more adults were fully protected. 

Ministers have conceded that the supply of the Pfizer jab is 'tight' while the Moderna vaccine — which has only just become available — is thought to be similarly limited. Both are shipped in weekly batches from factories in Europe.

Ministers are expected to confirm this week that care home staff will be forced to have Covid vaccinations.

The controversial measure means 1.5million people working in social care will be told to have the jab within 16 weeks – or face losing their jobs.

It has been introduced following a consultation which concluded it would help protect the most vulnerable in society.

No decision has yet been made on whether vaccination should be made mandatory for the 1.4million who work for the NHS. A separate consultation on that is to be launched.

Ministers are concerned about low take-up of the coronavirus vaccine among care workers, who include care home staff plus home helps.

Despite care workers being among one of the top priority groups for Covid jabs, latest figures show that just two thirds of them have had both doses of the vaccine.

Tens of thousands of care home residents died in the pandemic, largely as a result of infections being brought in by staff during the first wave.

The Daily Mail first revealed in March that the Government was considering making it a legal requirement for NHS and care home staff to have the jab.

Organisations representing care firms and their staff have warned that the move could backfire and see workers quit rather than agree to have the jab.

The social care sector already faces a workforce shortage as a result of years of underfunding, and an exodus of staff would make it harder to meet the expected upsurge in demand once the pandemic subsides.

The move also raises questions about how care homes treat staff who refuse a mandatory jab, and whether they have to be moved into other roles, and over whether the Government could face a legal challenge. 

Covid has killed more than 150,000 people since the crisis began last spring, but the vaccines have shown to be extremely effective at preventing deaths - reducing fatalities by more than 90%.  Independent scientists seeking to manage expectations before restrictions are lifted told MailOnline that achieving zero Covid deaths going forward was 'impossible' and that the focus should be to bring them down to levels comparable with flu — which kills roughly 17,000 people in England annually (shown on graph). Source: Office for National Statistics and Public Health England

Covid has killed more than 150,000 people since the crisis began last spring, but the vaccines have shown to be extremely effective at preventing deaths - reducing fatalities by more than 90%.  Independent scientists seeking to manage expectations before restrictions are lifted told MailOnline that achieving zero Covid deaths going forward was 'impossible' and that the focus should be to bring them down to levels comparable with flu — which kills roughly 17,000 people in England annually (shown on graph). Source: Office for National Statistics and Public Health England

Later this week ministers will confirm that they are pushing ahead with compulsory vaccination for most of the 1.5million working in social care in England.

On Tuesday night it was claimed that, under the plans, those working with adults will have 16 weeks to get vaccinated or face losing their jobs.

The Government is also keen to make it mandatory for the 1.38million who are directly employed by the NHS in England to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and winter flu.

The Department of Health and Social Care will in the coming days launch two separate consultation exercises into making Covid and flu jabs mandatory for NHS staff.

But Health Secretary Matt Hancock believes the arguments in favour of protecting patients from potentially infectious staff now outweigh those that allow health workers the right to choose whether to have either immunisation.

Latest figures show that, as of June 6, 89 per cent of NHS staff had had their first dose of Covid vaccine and 82 per cent had had both.

Some 83.7 per cent of staff in adult care homes had received at least one dose by June 6 and 68.7 per cent had been double-jabbed.

The British Medical Association, which represents doctors, warned that while it wants all NHS staff to get jabbed, 'compulsion is a blunt instrument that carries its own risks'.

The health department said: 'Vaccines are our way out of this pandemic and have already saved thousands of lives – with millions of health and care staff vaccinated.

'Our priority is to make sure people in care homes are protected. We will publish our response [to the consultation] in due course.'

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