UK coronavirus live: R number increases to between 1.1 and 1.4; Welsh leader slams 'vacancy at heart of UK'

New infectionsgrowing by 2% to 7% daily;Mark Drakeford has had one talk with PM since May; Scotland given‘advance notice of hard decisions’Stricter restrictions imposed in Lancashire, Merseyside and Warrington‘Circuit break’ plans for England to prevent new lockdownTest and trace: how does UK compare with other countries?London New Year ’s Eve fireworks cancelled, says Sadiq KhanGlobal coronavirus updates – live3.28pmBSTTrain operators and the government are locked in talks to extend the£3.5bn rescue deal that kept the railways running through the pandemic, which is due to expire on Sunday night.The Department for Transport ’s operator of last resort is on standby to take over rail franchises should fresh agreement not be reached.Related:Rail companies race to thrash out interim Covid-19 rescue deals3.27pmBSTThe UK government is facing legal action over Boris Johnson ’s “moonshot” project, which could involve up to £100bn being spent on an attempt to increase Covid-19 testing capacity to 10m per day.The health secretary, Matt Hancock, and the minister for the Cabinet Office, Michael Gove, are named in a case that alleges the project, as described in leaked papers, is unlawful because it ignores scientific evidence, involves potentially huge private contracts that may not have been tendered and breaks the government ’s own value-for-money rules.Related:UK government faces legal action over 'moonshot' Covid testing projectContinue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Coronavirus outbreak Politics Infectious diseases Science UK news Medical research Boris Johnson Matt Hancock Source Type: news