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Here are five things to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday night. We will have another update tomorrow morning.
1. New emergency measures of the Chancellor
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has revealed a new employment support plan that will allow workers to receive 77% of their normal wages for six months starting November 1. The new framework to support workers only applies to “viable” jobs and the government’s contribution to workers’ wages will be reduced from 80% of monthly salary to 22%. In addition, the Chancellor has extended the VAT reduction for the hospitality and tourism sectors. It comes as the government announced another 6,634 Covid-19 cases, an increase from Wednesday’s figure of 6,178, plus 40 deaths, up from 37.
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2. Longer waits for test results
People are more expecting test results from England’s Community Covid Testing Centers. Only 28% received results within 24 hours a week through September 16. That’s down from one in three (33%) last week and two out of three (67%) the week before. More than 5% of the tests took more than three days to recover. On a more positive note, over a million people have downloaded the government contact tracing app for England and Wales on its first day of launch. Here’s how you can get a Covid test.
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3. Students ‘need PPE to pee’
Students are forced to isolate themselves in their residences after the Covid outbreaks in several Scottish universities. The mother of an 18-year-old student in Glasgow explained that “he has to put on personal protective equipment to urinate.” Meanwhile, opposition parties have claimed that the Scottish government should have been better prepared for the coronavirus outbreaks in universities, while students across Scotland have now been asked not to visit pubs. In England, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has not ruled out a national Christmas lockdown for students.
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4. MP seen unmasked on Tube
A photo has appeared on social media of DUP MP Sammy Wilson reading a magazine on public transport in London without any cover. A witness claimed that he did not wear a mask during his underground journey from Westminster to Heathrow. Wilson said he only took it off briefly to answer a phone call. You can check the rules on face coverings across the UK here.
5. Reaction of Dutch celebrities
Dutch celebrities, including singer and model Famke Louise (pictured), have come under fire in the Netherlands after publicly announcing that they were abandoning efforts to combat Covid-19. Her campaign came as numbers in Dutch intensive care units hit 100 for the first time since June and infection rates jumped 60% last week. The young stars used the hashtag #ikdoenietmeermee – “I’m out.”
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And do not forget …
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