BORIS JOHNSON PRAISES ENGLAND FOR LIFTING THE SPIRITS OF THE WHOLE NATION WITH ‘ENERGY & TENACITY’ WITH EURO 2020 FINAL

The PM said the Three Lions had “already made history” as they prepare to face Italy in the final after a string of historic victories at the tournament.

Mr Johnson was among a string of famous public figures, including the Queen, to offer their support as the nation waits nervously for tomorrow’s crunch match at Wembley – the team’s first final in 55 years. 

The Three Lions’ incredible run has captivated the entire country after a miserable 18 months of lockdown restrictions, with excitement reaching fever pitch after the team surged into the final with a 2-1 over Denmark on Wednesday. 

Over 60,000 fans will have Wembley rocking tomorrow night as Harry Kane leads the Three Lions into their first tournament final since 1966.

JULY 19 UNLOCKING WILL GO AHEAD DESPITE TOP DOCTOR WARNING – BUT DOWNING STREET ADMITS THERE WILL BE ‘DIFFICULT DAYS’

It is full steam ahead for the lifting of lockdown restrictions later this month, but Downing Street has admitted there will be “difficult days” ahead.

All legal Covid measures are due to end on July 19 – with face masks and social distancing mandates scrapped and mass events permitted.

Quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers returning to the UK from abroad will also be ditched, as will the school bubble system.

Boris Johnson is expected to confirm the move, with No 10 sources saying the PM trusts “the innate good sense of the British people” not to act “recklessly”, the Daily Mail reports.

But the great unlocking is likely to prompt a significant surge in already rising cases.

Experts have warned infections could reach a peak of 100,000 a day.

NEARLY 4M PEOPLE GIVEN FIRST VACCINE DOSE IN SCOTLAND, WITH 2.8M GIVEN A SECOND JAB

So far, 3,920,145 people in Scotland have received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, figures on Saturday showed.

The Scottish Government figures show 2,861,110 Scots have received their second jab.

SCOTLAND RECORDS SEVEN NEW COVID-19 DEATHS IN LAST 24 HOURS

Scotland has today seen a further 7 Covid-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours according to the latest figures,

There have also been a further 2,190 cases in the same time period.

The Scottish Government’s figures for Saturday also showed the daily test positivity rate was at 9%.

A total of 435 people were in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19, with 42 patients in intensive care.

ONE IN 17 OVER-80S IN ENGLAND MAY NOT HAVE ANY COVID-19 VACCINE, FIGURES SUGGEST

Some 6% of people aged 80 and over in England may not have received any doses of Covid-19 vaccine, new data suggests.

The figure is the equivalent of around one in 17 over-80s, or just over 171,000 people, with 47,000 of them in London.

Other age groups among the over-50s are likely to have a much lower percentage of unvaccinated individuals, with estimates of 0.5% for 70 to 79-year-olds, 2.3% for 60 to 69-year-olds and 4.9% for 50 to 59-year-olds.

The data has been published by NHS England and covers vaccinations delivered up to July 4.

The Government has said all adults in England will have been offered a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine by July 19.

TOKYO UNDER STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR OLYMPICS DUE TO RISING COVID INFECTION RATES

Tokyo will be in a state of emergency for the Olympic Games after the Japanese government took action against rising coronavirus infection rates.

The measures are set to remain in place until August 22, a fortnight after the Games finish, Japanese agency Kyodo News reported.

The decision throws into doubt the possibility of even limited numbers of Japanese spectators attending the Games, with overseas fans having been barred in April.

“We must take stronger steps to prevent another nationwide outbreak, also considering the impact of coronavirus variants,” Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said in quotes reported by Kyodo News.

Games organisers last month put in place plans to allow venues to be 50 per cent full, up to a maximum of 10,000 people.

EXTRA QUEUES FOR HOLIDAYS FOR COVID CHECKS, TRANSPORT SECRETARY WARNS

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has warned that holidaymakers should expect additional queues when they check in for their flights home due to the need for coronavirus checks.

Mr Shapps told BBC Breakfast: “Before you board a plane you would need to show you have completed your passenger locator form, that you have carried out a pre-departure test, that you have got your test booked for day two and all of that needs to be checked by the carrier – the airline usually – before you travel.

“So the place to expect queues is the airport you are coming from. Once you get back to the UK all of that is starting to be automated.

“People should expect more disruption than usual but I know that everyone is working very hard to minimise those queues.”

COMPANIES ‘SHOULD BUY CARBON DIOXIDE MONITORS TO ASSESS COVID RISK AND AIR FLOW’

The devices will be installed as part of a raft of proposed Government guidelines aimed at tackling poorly ventilated rooms where the virus can hang around in the air. 

Employers will also be told to open windows or install ventilation systems in stuffy rooms.

The new guidance comes as Boris Johnson prepares to withdraw the “work from home” advice as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted on July 19, reports the Daily Telegraph. 

A No 10 spokesman said the Prime Minister would use a press conference on Monday to set out plans and “urge the public to continue to use their freedoms responsibly, so we do not put at risk the progress we have worked so hard for”.

Meanwhile, a separate pilot project is trialling carbon dioxide monitors in classrooms.

Last year, Sage’s Environmental and Modelling Group concluded measuring higher than normal levels of carbon dioxide.

NHS TEST AND TRACE ‘HAS BEEN A SUCCESS’, SAYS FORMER BOSS BARONESS HARDING

The much-criticised NHS Test and Trace programme has proved a “success” in fighting the Covid pandemic, the organisation’s former head has said.

Baroness Harding rejected accusations that it had failed in its objectives after the country was forced into a second national lockdown last winter.

Giving evidence to the Commons Public Accounts Committee, she said it was responsible for helping to break the chains of virus transmission, reducing infections by up to a third.

“I do appreciate that a lot of people listening to this will find this rather incredulous given some of the way it’s been reported, but I would actually argue that NHS Test and Trace has been a success, that it has delivered on the objective to help break the chains of transmission,” she said.

Her comments come amid widespread criticism of its performance, with the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) having said it had only a marginal impact on transmission, despite a budget of £37 billion over two years.

TOP DOC WARNS: UK SHOULD NOT RETURN TO NORMAL ON JULY 19 AFTER ‘DANGEROUS’ RISE IN COVID CASES

Throwing away all coronavirus precautions on Freedom Day is alarming and will “add fuel to the fire” as Britain is already battling a “dangerous wave,” Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard said.

Britain is also facing an NHS backlog that has built up over the last 15 months – which will increase pressure on the health service.

Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling Government advisory panel also agreed that “there is a risk” with the planned July 19 reopening.

All Covid restrictions, including mask-wearing, isolation, and social distancing, are set to come to an end in just over a week’s time.

TOP DOC WARNS: UK SHOULD NOT RETURN TO NORMAL ON JULY 19 AFTER ‘DANGEROUS’ RISE IN COVID CASES (Continued…)

But this comes at a time when cases are rising – and Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, said deaths were beginning to rise again too.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I have been profoundly concerned for a week or two since talk of July 19 is ramping up. 

“There seems to be a misapprehension that life will return to normal from then (July 19), and that we can throw away all the precautions, and frankly, that would be dangerous.

MATT HANCOCK WANTED TO GIVE MISTRESS AIDE A JOB THREE YEARS AGO

Gina Coladangelo was touted for suitable openings in Whitehall.

A job hunt e-mail was circulated among senior mandarins in an effort to find a potential appointment.

The search came while dad-of-three Mr Hancock served as Culture Secretary for the first seven months of 2018.

A source last night insisted Ms Coladangelo was never offered a job

The revelation comes after the pair’s affair — exposed by The Sun last month — prompted Mr Hancock’s ­resignation as Health Secretary and the end of his 15-year marriage.

Mr Hancock, 42, and Ms Coladangelo, 43, met at Oxford University in the late 1990s

She was involved in his Tory leadership bid in 2019 and given an unpaid adviser role at the Health Department in March last year.

FORMER HEAD OF AMAZON UK DOUGLAS GURR APPLIES TO HEAD UP NHS AS SERVICES FACE 5 MILLION PATIENT BACKLOG

The British businessman, who has net worth of more than £1million, would replace Lord Stevens of Birmingham who leaves the role next month.

According to the The Times, Gurr was interviewed by Treasury officials last week, which involved a number of evaluations and ten rounds of interviews.

The 57-year-old, who divides his time between London and Yorkshire, served as global vice-president of the online shopping giant between 2016 and 2020.  

Since leaving Amazon, he has been the director of the Natural History Museum and chairman of the British Heart Foundation.

He is also believed to have close ties with the UK government – something he utilised when he was allegedly given free access to NHS data as Amazon boss in 2019.

The Times sources listed him as one of many applicants vying to become the head of Europe’s largest employer which oversees a huge £150 billion budget.

HOSPITAL WAITING LISTS COULD HIT 13MILLION PATIENTS IF COVID LOCKDOWNS CONTINUE

Sajid Javid said the backlog will take “some considerable time to clear” as the current record number of 5.3 million people waiting for treatment looks set to more than double in the coming months.

In his first interview since being appointed, the 51-year-old told The Telegraph the pandemic has worsened “non-Covid” health problems.

He said many people had chosen not to go to hospital for fear of catching the virus, but also blamed a “very British” attitude of not wanting to too much pressure on the NHS.

England’s NHS waiting list last month reached the “grim milestone” of five million for the first time since records began.

Over a quarter of a million Brits have waited more than a year to start hospital treatment, with appointments pushed back by the pandemic.

ANTI-VAX BEAUTY THERAPIST REFUSES TO TREAT JABBED CUSTOMERS

Anti-vaxxer Sarah McCutheon announced that her business, Wellness and Wellbeing With Sarah, will not “conduct treatments on any vaccinated person.”

McCutcheon posted the message on her Facebook page for the business, based in Glasgow, Scotland, claiming that her “long term clients follow a very natural path.” 

But a national beauty trade body has said that her policy goes against UK government guidance, which has been put in place to keep customers safe. 

According to the Daily Record the health and beauty therapist shared the message from an Australian hair salon which read: “We are not your hairdresser if you have had the Covid vax.”

She added: “We agree and will not conduct massages or treatments on any vaccinated people.”

When one follower asked why she had decided to take the stance, the business responded: “Many of my loyal long term clients follow a very natural path and I want to ensure they feel safe in the environment that they come to relax in”.

NEARLY 4M PEOPLE GIVEN FIRST VACCINE DOSE IN SCOTLAND, WITH 2.8M GIVEN A SECOND JAB

So far, 3,920,145 people in Scotland have received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, figures on Saturday showed.

The Scottish Government figures show 2,861,110 Scots have received their second jab.

SCOTLAND RECORDS SEVEN NEW COVID-19 DEATHS IN LAST 24 HOURS

Scotland has today seen a further 7 Covid-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours according to the latest figures,

There have also been a further 2,190 cases in the same time period.

The Scottish Government’s figures for Saturday also showed the daily test positivity rate was at 9%.

A total of 435 people were in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19, with 42 patients in intensive care.

OVER 250 DEATHS OF PEOPLE WITH DELTA VARIANT

As of June 21, there had been 257 deaths in England of people who were confirmed as having the Delta variant and who died within 28 days of a positive test, Public Health England said.

Of this number, 26 were under the age of 50 and 231 were aged 50 or over.

Of the 231 aged 50 or over, 71 were unvaccinated, one was within 21 days of a first dose of vaccine, 41 at least 21 days after one dose of vaccine and 116 had received both doses.

Of the 26 under 50, three were at least 21 days after a first dose of vaccine, two had received both doses and 21 were unvaccinated.

MATT OUT AND ABOUT

Matt Hancock was spotted today for the first time since The Sun revealed his affair with his aide Gina Coladangelo.

The former Health Secretary was spotted at a jab centre at Newmarket Racecourse, Suffolk – and appeared to be alone in a parked car.

Student Guilherme Cavaleiro, 20, said: “He looked very thoughtful, just staring at his mobile.”

Meanwhile, the UK’s Covid death tally rose by 29 yesterday – but scientists are hopeful cases will plateau despite a spike in numbers.

JULY 19 UNLOCKING WILL GO AHEAD DESPITE TOP DOCTOR WARNING – BUT DOWNING STREET ADMITS THERE WILL BE ‘DIFFICULT DAYS’

It is full steam ahead for the lifting of lockdown restrictions later this month, but Downing Street has admitted there will be “difficult days” ahead.

All legal Covid measures are due to end on July 19 – with face masks and social distancing mandates scrapped and mass events permitted.

Quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers returning to the UK from abroad will also be ditched, as will the school bubble system.

Boris Johnson is expected to confirm the move, with No 10 sources saying the PM trusts “the innate good sense of the British people” not to act “recklessly”, the Daily Mail reports.

But the great unlocking is likely to prompt a significant surge in already rising cases.

Experts have warned infections could reach a peak of 100,000 a day.

BORIS JOHNSON PRAISES ENGLAND FOR LIFTING THE SPIRITS OF THE WHOLE NATION WITH ‘ENERGY & TENACITY’ WITH EURO 2020 FINAL

The PM said the Three Lions had “already made history” as they prepare to face Italy in the final after a string of historic victories at the tournament.

Mr Johnson was among a string of famous public figures, including the Queen, to offer their support as the nation waits nervously for tomorrow’s crunch match at Wembley – the team’s first final in 55 years. 

The Three Lions’ incredible run has captivated the entire country after a miserable 18 months of lockdown restrictions, with excitement reaching fever pitch after the team surged into the final with a 2-1 over Denmark on Wednesday. 

Over 60,000 fans will have Wembley rocking tomorrow night as Harry Kane leads the Three Lions into their first tournament final since 1966.

NHS TEST AND TRACE ‘HAS BEEN A SUCCESS’, SAYS FORMER BOSS BARONESS HARDING

The much-criticised NHS Test and Trace programme has proved a “success” in fighting the Covid pandemic, the organisation’s former head has said.

Baroness Harding rejected accusations that it had failed in its objectives after the country was forced into a second national lockdown last winter.

Giving evidence to the Commons Public Accounts Committee, she said it was responsible for helping to break the chains of virus transmission, reducing infections by up to a third.

“I do appreciate that a lot of people listening to this will find this rather incredulous given some of the way it’s been reported, but I would actually argue that NHS Test and Trace has been a success, that it has delivered on the objective to help break the chains of transmission,” she said.

Her comments come amid widespread criticism of its performance, with the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) having said it had only a marginal impact on transmission, despite a budget of £37 billion over two years.

ANTI-VAX BEAUTY THERAPIST REFUSES TO TREAT JABBED CUSTOMERS

Anti-vaxxer Sarah McCutheon announced that her business, Wellness and Wellbeing With Sarah, will not “conduct treatments on any vaccinated person.”

McCutcheon posted the message on her Facebook page for the business, based in Glasgow, Scotland, claiming that her “long term clients follow a very natural path.” 

But a national beauty trade body has said that her policy goes against UK government guidance, which has been put in place to keep customers safe. 

According to the Daily Record the health and beauty therapist shared the message from an Australian hair salon which read: “We are not your hairdresser if you have had the Covid vax.”

She added: “We agree and will not conduct massages or treatments on any vaccinated people.”

When one follower asked why she had decided to take the stance, the business responded: “Many of my loyal long term clients follow a very natural path and I want to ensure they feel safe in the environment that they come to relax in”.

HOSPITAL WAITING LISTS COULD HIT 13MILLION PATIENTS IF COVID LOCKDOWNS CONTINUE

Sajid Javid said the backlog will take “some considerable time to clear” as the current record number of 5.3 million people waiting for treatment looks set to more than double in the coming months.

In his first interview since being appointed, the 51-year-old told The Telegraph the pandemic has worsened “non-Covid” health problems.

He said many people had chosen not to go to hospital for fear of catching the virus, but also blamed a “very British” attitude of not wanting to too much pressure on the NHS.

England’s NHS waiting list last month reached the “grim milestone” of five million for the first time since records began.

Over a quarter of a million Brits have waited more than a year to start hospital treatment, with appointments pushed back by the pandemic.