Plus, 'my kids' classroom is a car park'
| | | | The coronavirus testing system has been struggling under the strain of increased demand in recent weeks, and now hospital bosses are warning that a lack of tests for staff is putting services at risk. NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts in England, says staff are having to self-isolate rather than work because they cannot get tests for themselves or family members. Some patients are also not being tested in time for operations, they say, meaning treatment is delayed. Schools are being hit by similar problems. Head teachers are warning of serious staff shortages due to a lack of testing which could lead to partial closures. Parents are also being forced to keep children at home for days while waiting to get a test. What's going on? Well, some people attempting to book tests online are being directed to sites hundreds of miles from their homes, or told to wait several weeks. Others are being turned away from testing centres after booking because the system failed to send them the barcode they need. The government says it's processing 200,000 tests a day on average and is working to increase that further, with most capacity directed towards virus hotspots. But schools and hospitals say they want more honesty from ministers about what's going wrong, along with a plan to fix things. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said too many people applying for a test don't actually have the symptoms to warrant one. | |
| |
|
|
| The controversial bill which would give the government power to override part of the Brexit deal it signed with the EU has passed its first parliamentary hurdle. Ministers admit the bill will break international law, but say it's necessary to protect the UK's interests if trade talks with Brussels fail. Critics - Conservative and opposition politicians alike - think reneging on the deal significantly harms Britain's standing in the world. Boris Johnson's big Commons majority means the bill was always going to pass this test, but it will face much stiffer opposition in subsequent stages of the process. BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg says for some in government, this is an uncomfortable moment and it's far from clear the outcome will be worth the risk. | |
| |
|
|
|
| | | | | "There is something you can't replace with an LED," says Eileen Peters. She's referring to the 176-year-old St John's Point lighthouse on the County Down coast - which is earmarked to have its old filament light source replaced with a more modern LED. She and fellow filament enthusiasts argue that, however subtle, any change to the light is an unacceptable assault on heritage. In recent years, lighthouse authorities in the UK and Ireland have been gradually upgrading their technology. In most cases, hardly anyone has noticed the change. | |
|
|
| |
| | Chris Baraniuk | Technology of business reporter BBC News | |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| | | | Several papers feature the problems with coronavirus testing. The Daily Telegraph calls it a crisis and says the government must urgently "get a grip". The Metro says the system has been branded a "shambles", while the i's editorial feels the failings undermine the more successful parts of the government's response to the pandemic, such as the furlough scheme and eat out initiative. The Sun is unhappy at calls from ministers for the public to report others potentially breaking the new "rule of six". "It will be neighbourliness, not snitching and curtain-twitching, that will get us through", the paper feels. The Daily Mirror, meanwhile, is furious that grouse shooting is exempt from the rule. Elsewhere, sketch writers pick over Monday's Brexit debate. John Crace, in the Guardian, saw a moment of triumph for Ed Miliband, speaking for Labour, whose words "were delivered with a panache of a man who knew he had right on his side". | |
| |
|
|
| | | | | US fires Trump dismisses concerns over climate change |
| | | | | |
| |
|
|
| If you watch one thing today |
| | | |
| |
|
|
| If you listen to one thing today |
| | | |
| |
|
|
| If you read one thing today |
| | | |
| |
|
|
| Need something different? |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| For technical reasons, we won't be able to send News Daily on Wednesday. Apologies to regular readers - please head to the BBC News website for all the latest. | |
| |
|
|
|
| Let us know what you think of this newsletter by emailing bbcnewsdaily@bbc.co.uk. If you’d like to recommend it to a friend, forward this email. New subscribers can sign up here. | |
| |
|