Coronavirus news latest – DELAY June 21 lockdown ‘gamble’ say experts as Brits pack beaches & parks despite rising cases

WATCH: 15,000 PEOPLE FLOOD TWICKENHAM FOR FREE VACCINES WITH QUEUES ‘LONGER THAN GLASTO’

THOUSANDS DESCEND ON TWICKENHAM TO GET IN LINE FOR COVID-19 VACCINE

Thousands of people descended on Twickenham Rugby Stadium when it was turned into a major walk-in vaccine centre for anyone over the age of 18.

11,000 people received jabs after slots were made available for those in the local area who had not yet been vaccinated.

The event – called Let’s Tackle Covid – aimed to increase the number of vaccinations as cases of the Indian coronavirus variant surge in Hounslow, west London.

People who are aged over 30 are being called up for a vaccination in England at the moment, but by 2.30pm event organisers said that anyone over 18 would be able to get an injection at the stadium as they did not want any of the vaccine to be wasted.

Huge queues formed around the famous venue as young people queued to get their first dose of the Pfizer jab. Organisers said gates were closing at 6.45pm, adding that there had been an «amazing» response and thousands had been vaccinated.

GRAPHIC: COVID VACCINATIONS IN THE UK TO DATE (MAY 31)

ONLY 1 DEATH RECORDED IN 24 HOURS BUT 3,383 MORE CASES AMID FEARS JUNE 21 FREEDOM

THE UK has seen just one new coronavirus death reported in the last 24 hours – while cases have risen 40% in a week as the Indian Covid variant continues to spread.

A further 3,383 more people have tested positive for the killer bug, according to the figures released by the government.

It means the number of infections has increased by 40% after 2,439 cases were recorded this time last week. And today is the fifth day in a row daily infections have topped 3,000.

The one death reported today occurred in Scotland, while England, Wales and Northern Ireland reported zero fatalities.

As a whole the UK has seen a total of 4,487,339 cases and 127,782 deaths over the course of the pandemic.

Read more here.

REFUGEE WHO WORKS ON NHS FRONTLINE HITS OUT AT PRITI PATEL’S IMMIGRATION PLANS

An NHS worker who has spent the pandemic helping save lives on a Covid-19 ward says Priti Patel’s immigration plans will see refugees like her turned away from the UK.

Mariam, from Eritrea, is determined to help people and has been working exhausting 12-hour shifts in a Leeds hospital assisting coronavirus patients, sometimes four days in a row.

But figures released on Tuesday suggest two in every three women and children that the UK would accept as refugees now would be turned away in future under proposed new Government rules, campaigners say.

Coalition group Together With Refugees is calling for a more effective, fair and humane approach to the UK’s asylum system.

The Home Office said the figures released by the group «wrongly conflate» refugees with people arriving via an «illegal route».

WATCH: BORIS JOHNSON SAYS HE DOESN’T BELIEVE COVID-19 ESCAPED FROM LAB BUT INSISTS HE’LL ‘KEEP AN OPEN MIND’

MORE THAN 15,000 TURN UP FOR VACCINES AT TWICKENHAM WITH QUEUES ‘LONGER THAN GLASTO’

MORE than 15,000 people turned up for jabs at Twickenham Stadium today after a vaccine free-for-all for anyone over 18.

Queues at the London rugby stadium were «longer than Glastonbury» as tens of thousands of young people turned up in the hopes of getting their first shot.

Images taken today show visitors waiting patiently for the one-time-only event as temperatures soared to 25C today.

Anyone under the age of 30 was invited to come along for a jab as health chiefs tried to shift doses to meet targets. It sparked a late rush to the stadium this evening as many Brits not yet on the NHS list for vaccinations tried to get inoculated.

However, volunteers doling out jabs have been forced to turn people away.

Read more here.

MAPPED: THE HUNT FOR CHINA’S ‘PATIENT SU’

XI JINPING ‘COULD BE OVERTHROWN’ IF WUHAN LAB LEAK IS PROVEN

CHINA’S leader could be overthrown if scientists proved Covid escaped from a Wuhan lab, a health chief has claimed. Rumours the deadly virus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology have swirled since the crisis began.

But if evidence for the claims was ever found, Xi Jinping could be toppled and world leaders would demand unprecedented reparations, a leading World Health Organisation (WHO) adviser says.

Jamie Metzl spoke days after it was revealed British spies are looking into the theory – and consider it «feasible», telling LBC: «In China, if it was absolutely proven, I think there is a real chance Xi Jinping could be overthrown.

«There would be claims for reparations around the world against China. It would be a massive geopolitical blow to that country. Just think of the anger of everyone around the world who has lost a spouse, a child, parents, would feel.

«Not just at the original mistake, but the criminal cover-up afterwards.»

COVID-19 NEWS ROUND-UP: THE LATEST

BRITS IN INDIAN VARIANT HOTSPOTS ‘TO GET 2ND JAB SOONER’

The NHS is being urged to speed up the coronavirus vaccine roll out and try to give as many second doses as soon as possible as the spread of the Indian variant accelerates. 

Officials have told all staff in charge of administering the jabs that second doses for over 50s should be brought forward, from 12 weeks to eight weeks, but the delay for under 50s would remain at 12 weeks.

But some people in their late 40s and early 50s are now being invited for their second jab after just six weeks, the i reports.

The government’s plan to lift all restrictions by June 21 is reportedly “on a knife edge” due to the rapid spread of the indian variant. 

Sources claim that the government is urging vaccination centres with sufficient supply to accelerate the roll out of the jabs

SIR CAPTAIN TOM MOORE DONATED HIS BODY TO SCIENCE – REPORTS

Captain Sir Tom Moore donated his body to science after his death, according to reports.

The twinkly-eyed fundraiser, who died aged 100 in February, raised over £38.9million to NHS Charities Together.

Details of the former Army officer’s legacy have now been revealed in official probate documents.

They set out how his £73,400 estate should be split equally between daughters Hannah, 50, and 52-year-old Lucy.

And in a final, selfless gesture he ordered his body be offered for medical research or even organ transplants. Captain Tom, who was knighted in May last year, passed away after a battle with Covid.

GRAPHIC: COVID VACCINATIONS IN THE UK TO DATE (MAY 31)

COVID UK: ONLY 1 DEATH RECORDED IN 24 HOURS BUT 3,383 MORE CASES AMID FEARS JUNE 21 FREEDOM

THE UK has seen just one new coronavirus death reported in the last 24 hours – while cases have risen 40% in a week as the Indian Covid variant continues to spread.

A further 3,383 more people have tested positive for the killer bug, according to the figures released by the government.

It means the number of infections has increased by 40% after 2,439 cases were recorded this time last week. And today is the fifth day in a row daily infections have topped 3,000.

The one death reported today occurred in Scotland, while England, Wales and Northern Ireland reported zero fatalities.

As a whole the UK has seen a total of 4,487,339 cases and 127,782 deaths over the course of the pandemic.

Read more here.

SHOCKING MOMENT COVID VICTIM’S CORPSE IS DUMPED INTO A RIVER IN INDIA FROM A BRIDGE

UK COULD MAKE COVID-19 JABS COMPULSORY IN HEALTHCARE, MINISTER SAYS

The British government is thinking about making COVID-19 vaccination compulsory for healthcare workers to stop the spread of the virus in hospitals, vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Sunday.

“It would be incumbent on any responsible government to have the debate, to do the thinking as to how we go about protecting the most vulnerable by making sure that those who look after them are vaccinated,” he told Sky News.

“There is precedent for this; obviously surgeons get vaccinated for hepatitis B. So it’s something that we are absolutely thinking about.”

GRAPHIC: UK COVID-19 CASES AND DEATHS PER DAY

TENS OF THOUSANDS FLEW INTO THE UK FROM INDIA IN APRIL

The UK welcomed tens of thousands of people who flew in from India in April – it was put on the red travel list the same month.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has released updated figures which show that 42,406 passengers travelled between the UK and India.

Unfortunately it didn’t give details of how many flew each way.

Those returning from red list countries have to quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days upon returning to the UK.

CHINA’S ‘COVID COVER-UP’

It is crucial that the West gets to the bottom of China’s Covid cover-up, urges the Sun on Sunday.

It adds: “Explosive new evidence suggests the virus was created in a lab and researchers used science to hide their tracks.

“The toothless World Health Organisation was led on a merry dance by the Communist regime and came away with nothing from its Wuhan investigation.

“But these highly disturbing new findings have emerged just as American President Joe Biden has ordered a fresh probe. Western experts are increasingly suspicious that Covid escaped from the lab in what would be one of history’s most terrible scientific blunders.

“But it would be far worse if the Chinese deliberately deceived the world by manipulating the bug to conceal its origins. If proven, that would be an outrageous crime against humanity. More than 3million have died in the pandemic and economies destroyed.”

INDIAN COVID VARIANT SPREADING IN VIETNAM

Fears are growing that a rampant hybrid of the UK and Indian Covid variant is spreading in Vietnam after officials locked down a city of nine million.

Authorities plan to test every resident in Ho Chi Minh – at a reported rate of 100,000 per day – as it imposed more restrictions today to deal with the outbreak.

People in the city are only allowed to leave home for necessary activities and public gatherings of more than 10 people are banned for the next two weeks, the government said.

Prior to the order, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam’s largest city and economic hub, shut down non-essential business last Thursday when cases started to increase.

Since the end of April, a surge in Covid has spread to 31 areas in Vietnam with over 4,000 cases, almost double the total number that the country reported since the beginning of the pandemic.

BRITS IN INDIAN VARIANT HOTSPOTS ‘TO GET 2ND JAB SOONER’

The NHS is being urged to speed up the coronavirus vaccine roll out and try to give as many second doses as soon as possible as the spread of the Indian variant accelerates. 

Officials have told all staff in charge of administering the jabs that second doses for over 50s should be brought forward, from 12 weeks to eight weeks, but the delay for under 50s would remain at 12 weeks.

But some people in their late 40s and early 50s are now being invited for their second jab after just six weeks, the i reports.

The government’s plan to lift all restrictions by June 21 is reportedly “on a knife edge” due to the rapid spread of the indian variant. 

Sources claim that the government is urging vaccination centres with sufficient supply to accelerate the roll out of the jabs

CAPTAIN TOM MOORE DONATED HIS BODY TO SCIENCE

Captain Sir Tom Moore donated his body to science after his death, according to reports.

The twinkly-eyed fundraiser, who died aged 100 in February, raised over £38.9million to NHS Charities Together.

Details of the former Army officer’s legacy have now been revealed in official probate documents.

They set out how his £73,400 estate should be split equally between daughters Hannah, 50, and 52-year-old Lucy.

And in a final, selfless gesture he ordered his body be offered for medical research or even organ transplants.

Captain Tom, who was knighted in May last year, passed away after a battle with Covid.

APPRENTICE STAR SLAMMED OVER QUARANTINE CLAIMS

GOOD Morning viewers were left outraged this morning as a former Apprentice wannabe revealed she wouldn’t quarantine after going on holiday to an amber country.

Bushra Shaikh, who appeared on the show in 2017, was branded “totally irresponsible” by host Adil Ray during the heated debate.

Currently those going on holiday to a country on the amber list legally most quarantine when returning to the UK, but Bushra insisted she wasn’t going to. 

She appeared alongside NHS palliative care doctor, Rachel Clarke, who was also horrified by her comments and pointed out she could spread Covid when she got back.

Adil added:  «Your selfishness could cause people to die.»

CHINA RAGES OVER WUHAN LAB LEAK PROBE

China has raged that the Wuhan lab Covid leak probe will be like the «US finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq» and warned the West faces its «Waterloo».

An editorial published by Communist Party-run Global Times claims the American government is «full of arrogance» and blasts the theory that Covid-19 emerged from a laboratory in Wuhan.

The attack comes after Joe Biden last week announced a review of the Covid lab leak theory.

The US president said the intelligence community will «redouble their efforts» to discover the origins of the Covid outbreak and report back to him within 90 days.

China hit back at the announcement, with foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian saying Biden is not interested in «serious» scientific origin tracing and doesn’t care about «facts or truth».

PLANS FOR COVID PASSPORT TO BE SCRAPPED

The Government is reportedly ditching plans for Covid passports – after months of debate on whether Brits would need them to watch the football or visit a pub.

Top officials on the Covid-19 taskforce believe there’s no chance the law will be changed to mandate their use within the UK, although ministers are yet to make the final call.

If the scheme is given the green light, Brits could be forced to produce evidence of a jab, a negative test or Covid antibodies to get into big events like concerts or sports matches.

It’s understood that, whatever the decision is for crowds, the idea has been jettisoned altogether for boozers and restaurants.

And one ‘well-placed’ source told The Telegraph the idea is dead in the water.