Coronavirus: PM sets out post-pandemic plan, and Scotland mulls further restrictions
- Published
Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday evening. We'll have another update for you on Wednesday morning.
1. PM sets out his post-pandemic plan
Boris Johnson has been speaking at the virtual Conservative Party conference. Describing his vision for a post-Covid UK, he said he would forge a new Britain "in the teeth of this pandemic", promising reforms to the social care system, improvements in education and a revolution in green power. So can he really look forward? Our political editor Laura Kuenssberg considers his speech, here. Meanwhile, new figures show the number of people admitted to hospital in one day with coronavirus jumped by a quarter in England on Sunday.
The PM said the pandemic needed to be a "trigger" for change
2. Scottish government considers further restrictions
In Scotland, all eyes are on Nicola Sturgeon as people wonder what kind of additional restrictions she will announce tomorrow. For now, she has said only that the country will not see a return to the full lockdown that was in place in the early days of the pandemic, but her cabinet has been considering some sort of "circuit breaker". It is thought that is likely to include curbs on travel and hospitality. So what are the rules in Scotland at present? And, if you've lost track of what they are where you live, you can use our handy rule checker, here.
The last set of restrictions - limiting the number of households that can meet - were introduced at the end of September.
3. Son calls for rule change after funeral ordeal
We have heard many stories of those who have found saying goodbye to their loved ones challenging, given the restrictions imposed on funerals at the moment. But one man who has highlighted heart-breaking details of his father's funeral is now asking for a change to the rules. Craig Bicknell and his brother moved their chairs nearer to their mother, who they said was looking "lost". But a member of staff stopped the service and asked them to move back. Read the full story here.
Covid: Milton Keynes funeral official separates mother and sons
4. Facebook deletes Trump's post on Covid
Facebook has deleted a post in which President Donald Trump had claimed Covid-19 was "less lethal" than the flu while Twitter hid the same message behind a warning about "spreading misleading and potentially harmful information. It comes after Mr Trump returned to the White House and told people not to "fear" coronavirus. His Democratic rival Joe Biden has warned there is "a lot to be concerned about" and the president is not communicating the "right lesson" on masks and social distancing.
5. Only 15 guests at a wedding? Not for this couple
For one couple, having just 15 people at their wedding just wasn't going to wash, so Roma Popat and Vinal Patel organised a "drive-in wedding" instead. Some 250 guests watched the ceremony on big screens from their cars before the newlyweds took a golf buggy tour of the grounds to greet them. Their wedding planner said it could be the start of a new trend.
Roma Popat and Vinal Patel's wedding planner said the couple may have started a trend
And don't forget...
Find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page and get all the latest from our live page.
Plus... why are some people just not recovering from Covid as quickly as they'd expect? Our health and science correspondent James Gallagher has been looking at the problem of "long Covid".
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