Plus, searching for the truth about Belly Mujinga
| | | | The three-tier coronavirus alert system is now in force across England, but it's emerged that ministers rejected a recommendation from scientific advisers to introduce much tougher lockdown rules three weeks ago. A newly released document from 21 September shows the Sage committee pushed for a short nationwide lockdown, but their advice was declined by the prime minister. They warned "not acting now to reduce cases will result in a very large epidemic with catastrophic consequences", and called for measures including banning all contact inside homes with members of other households, and requiring all university and college teaching to take place online. Boris Johnson told a news conference on Monday he had rejected the "extreme route" at this stage, and took other actions instead, like introducing the rule of six. But, standing alongside him, England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, said he believed the three-tier system would not be enough "to get on top of the virus". Labour is demanding the government explain why it ignored its own experts - here's what our health correspondent thinks about that key question. The Liverpool City Region is the only area so far to be placed under the highest level of restriction - see what that means and look up the level where you are. Introducing the new system, the PM said the UK's increasing infection rate was "flashing at us like dashboard warnings in a passenger jet", and the number of people currently hospitalised with Covid-19 was now higher than when the country entered full lockdown in March. Away from UK developments, scientists in the US have reported a case of a man catching Covid twice, with the second infection far more serious than the first. Reinfections remain rare, but it raises questions about how much immunity can be built up. | |
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| 'Powerful' Trump rallies supporters |
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| | | | | It was a chilly morning when Belly Mujinga caught the bus to Victoria station in central London. It was Saturday 21 March, and fears about Covid-19 were intensifying. Belly, who had severe health problems that affected her lungs and throat, was anxious about coronavirus. She'd previously had an operation after having difficulty breathing. The 47-year-old had stressed the importance of social distancing in a recent video she had made on the station concourse for her family in Congo. "There's no people. People are afraid. People are home," she says. | |
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| | Rianna Croxford | BBC Panorama | |
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| | | | A gloomy set of front pages greets Boris Johnson this morning. The Daily Mirror says "after eight months of families being torn apart" and huge economic damage, "It All Ends... In Tiers". The Daily Star feels "We're Back To Square One", depicting the PM as a game piece on a snakes and ladders board. The Sun also takes a dim view of the new rules, arguing they're not the sensible middle ground the PM claims. The Times says their introduction is being overshadowed by a row over how and where the system will operate. It reports that Mr Johnson is urging council leaders across northern England to follow Liverpool and agree to "draconian lockdown measures". The Guardian says "tempers are flaring" among northern MPs who feel left out of discussions. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, though, former Tory leader Lord Hague says that while "the government's had its fair share of Covid blunders" we mustn't allow ourselves to be persuaded they're "a bunch of dunderheads who have got everything wrong and don't give a damn for people outside London". | |
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| | | | | | | Textile firms Leicester companies laundering money, BBC investigation finds |
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| If you watch one thing today |
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| If you listen to one thing today |
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| If you read one thing today |
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| Need something different? |
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| A wide-ranging conspiracy theory about elite, Satan-worshipping paedophiles has migrated from the US, inspiring a series of regular street protests. So how did QAnon find a British audience? Elsewhere, Mennel is a French-Syrian singer who became famous for performing in her hijab, but she's faced criticism for removing it. Hear from her. And finally, read the story of Emmy, aged just 29, who found a lump in her breast when she was 28 weeks pregnant. | |
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| | | | 1988 The UK government loses its long-running legal battle to prevent the publication of MI5 memoir Spycatcher - watch our report |
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