By Tough new Covid-19 restrictions to come into force
The government has announced emergency action against coronavirus after a sudden rise in the number of people being infected.
While at the same time an Oxford University vaccine trial has been temporarily stopped after one of its participants has become ill.
Almost all gatherings of more than six people in England will be banned from Monday to try and halt any resurgence.
More than six people will be prohibited from gathering in homes, parks, pubs and restaurants, but this will not apply to schools or workplaces.
First offenders will be fined £100, which will double on each further repeat offence up to £3,200.
Boris Johnson is due to hold a Downing Street press conference today (Wednesday) to outline the new restrictions.
This dramatic change of approach comes after almost 8,500 positive tests were recorded in England in the last three days.
At present, the guidance says two households of any size are allowed to meet indoors or outdoors, or up to six people from different households outdoors. Until now the police have had no powers to stop gatherings unless they exceeded 30.
The final clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, have been put on hold after a participant had a suspected adverse reaction in the UK.
AstraZeneca described it as a “routine” pause in the case of “an unexplained illness”.
Hopes have been high that the vaccine might be one of the first to come on the market, following successful phase 1 and 2 testing.
Stat News, the health website which first broke the story, said details of the UK participant’s adverse reaction were not immediately known, but quoted a source as saying they were expected to recover.
On Monday Gi News reported hospitals in Northern Lincolnshire had reported an increase in local cases, as well as the first hospital death since June 28 on Saturday.
It is not known if the patient was being treated at a hospital in Grimsby, Scunthorpe or Goole.
However the area’s infection rate remains low, with North East Lincolnshire continuing to hold the country’s lowest infection rate.
Photo: An illegal gathering dealt with by West Midlands Police.
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