- England's regional Covid tier system may need to be "strengthened" in order to "get us through the winter months", says Dr Susan Hopkins, a senior health official
- A government minister, Robert Jenrick, adds that the system is being "reviewed" - to see what worked and what didn't
- Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon set to announce later whether the strictest Covid restrictions will be imposed in the west of the country
- The number of weekly deaths in England and Wales mentioning Covid-19 on the death certificate reaches highest level since May
- US President-elect Joe Biden has warned Donald Trump's refusal to hand over power to him in the usual way could cost lives amid the pandemic
- A number of US states have imposed new restrictions as cases in the US top 11 million
- EasyJet has reported its first annual loss in its 25-year history as the pandemic continues to bite deeply into the airline industry
Tuesday's coronavirus news across the UK
Good morning and welcome to today's coronavirus live page.Here's a round-up of the main UK headlines this Tuesday:
- A senior health official has suggested the regional tiered system of measures in England may have to be "strengthened" to get the country "through the winter"
- First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is set to announce whether the toughest Covid restrictions will be imposed in the west of Scotland
- The second national lockdown is going to push sex workers "even deeper into crisis", according to a campaign group
- Figures show 53 people were discharged from hospital into Welsh care homes within 15 days of a positive Covid test at the start of the pandemic
- A mass Covid-19 testing trial taking place in Liverpool has found 700 people had the virus despite having no symptoms
- EasyJet has reported a loss of £1.27bn – its first annual loss in its 25-year history – as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact on the airline industry
‘England lockdown tiers may need strengthening’
England's regional Covid tier system may need to be "strengthened" to get the country "through the winter", a senior government adviser has said.Public Health England's Dr Susan Hopkins said they needed to look at what "tiers there may be in the future" when the lockdown ends on 2 December.
A three-tier system was used in England to tackle the spread of coronavirus before the national lockdown began on 5 November.
Speaking at the government’s evening coronavirus briefing yesterday, Dr Hopkins said the tier system had had a "different effect in each area".
"Tier three plus" had led to a reduction in cases in the North West, she said, while tier two "holds in some areas and not in others", depending on "how well individuals are taking that advice in".
However, she added: "We see very little effect from tier one and when we look at what tiers may be there in the future, we will have to think about strengthening them to get us through the winter months until the vaccine is available for everyone."
Read more on this story here.
Latest news from around the world
Here's a look at what's happening:- In the US, President-elect Joe Biden has warned "people may die" as a result of the pandemic if his incoming administration continues to be impeded by President Donald Trump, and that co-ordination was needed to tackle the coronavirus outbreak
- A number of US states, from California to New Jersey, have imposed new restrictions as the number of cases continue to surge in the country ahead of the holiday season which kicks off with Thanksgiving later this month. State governors and mayors are restricting gatherings and encouraging or requiring people to wear face coverings
- Hungary and Poland have blocked approval of the EU's budget over a clause that ties funding with adherence to the rule of law in the bloc. The package includes €750bn (£673bn; $888bn) for a Covid recovery fund
- Sweden has announced new restrictions on public gatherings, banning public events of more than eight people from next Tuesday. Currently, up to 300 can attend some events. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven warned the situation “is going to get worse”
- Denmark's government says it's reached agreement with enough other parties to pass legislation to permit a total cull of farm-raised mink, because of coronavirus. The legislation will also temporarily ban the practice of farming mink for fur till the start of 2022.
Tier system in England 'being reviewed'
Further to Dr Susan Hopkins' comments last night, the housing secretary says the government is reviewing the pre-lockdown three-tiered system of coronavirus restrictions in England.Robert Jenrick said the measures under the old system varied “quite a bit” in different parts of the country and ministers will be looking at which rules were most effective.
The government hopes to return to a tiered system of coronavirus rules once England's national lockdown ends on 2 December.
“I think in the new tiers we’d like greater consistency and we will have to look at the evidence to see which of those measures were actually the most impactful on the virus,” Mr Jenrick told BBC Breakfast.
He said the government has not yet come to a decision on whether they will bring in a tier four - which would impose even tougher restrictions than seen previously.
Is this Covid wave in the US the worst yet?
Mike Hills - Visual JournalistAmericans may have tuned out of coronavirus news as they focused on the outcome of the presidential election, but the pandemic has quietly been getting worse in the country.
The number of infections in the US has reached new heights in recent days, surpassing 150,000 cases in one day for the first time since the outbreak began.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious diseases expert, has warned that the country faces "a very challenging and ominous situation" as it approaches winter.
So how bad is the situation and how much does it vary across the country?
Read the full article here.
EasyJet slumps to first annual loss in 25-year history
EasyJet has reported its first annual loss in the airline's 25-year history - as the coronavirus crisis continues to affect the travel industry deeply.
The airline posted a loss of £1.27bn for the year to 30 September as revenues more than halved.
EasyJet added that it expected to fly at just 20% of normal capacity into next year.
However, the company has welcomed the possibility of a Covid-19 vaccine, and said underlying demand was strong for air travel.
Read more of this story here.