Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said he "is preparing a Budget that provides support for people" as coronavirus lockdown rules are eased. Currently, restrictions in England are set to be fully lifted by 21 June.more
Controls of compliance with sanitary restrictions should be strengthened to avoid a national lockdown, said Prime Minister Jean Castex during yesterday's meeting with local prefects and directors of health agencies.more
Londoners ignored ‘stay at home’ warnings as they flocked to the capital’s parks on Saturday. Thousands gathered in London’s green spaces to enjoy the unbroken sunshine and highs of 13C. Police were on patrol breaking up picnics on Wimbledon Common, London Fields and Primrose Hill on Saturday.more
The Portuguese government of Antonio Costa announced the lifting of sanitary restrictions on March 16 at the earliest, although the third wave of Covid-19 has ended, according to Portuguese epidemiologists.more
Free Covid tests will be offered to the families of all pupils in England under plans to reopen schools from 8 March. Rapid test kits will be provided twice a week to pupils and anyone in their household or support bubble regardless of whether they have symptoms.more
The third wave of the coronavirus pandemic is coming, in Germany in the first half of April the number of new infections may be similar to that of the end of December, when the country was at the peak of the second wave of cases - predicts prof. Thorsten Lehr from the University of Saarland.more
The pandemic boost to pet ownership has led retail chain Pets at Home to raise its profit forecast yet again as demand for pet products continues to soar.more
Spanish and Portuguese economists and demographers believe teleworking will improve fertility rates in Europe. In their opinion, parents working from their homes will be more willing to decide about the next child.more
Tributes have been paid to Captain Sir Tom Moore by his family at his funeral. Hannah Ingram-Moore described her father as "a beacon of light and hope to the world".more
An inspection in a puppy dog shop in Barcelona has detected “significant breaches” in the ordinance for the protection, possession and sale of animals, municipal sources point out.more
A 33-year-old Italian national has been sentenced to three years in prison on extortion charges for threatening to bomb British hospitals unless he was paid more than €11 million.more
Formula One’s revenues took an $877 million (€727 million) hit last year, falling 43 per cent as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, owners Liberty Media reported on Friday.more
Poles will from Saturday no longer be able to use scarves, bandanas and plastic visors instead of masks to cover their face in public as the government sharpens COVID-19 rules amid a spike in infections.more
A single dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine developed in partnership with BioNTech could significantly reduce the risk of transmission after a single dose, results of a UK study found on Friday.more
Beer drinkers are likely to retain pandemic habits of ordering online to drink at home even as coronavirus restrictions ease, the chief executive of the world’s largest brewer said on Thursday.more
The study is the latest in a series of studies regarding Covid-19 and wearing glasses, showing that those who need spectacles may be less exposed to the virus, compared to those who don't wear glasses.more
Vaccinating people in order of age is the fastest way to cut Covid-19 deaths in the next phase of the roll-out, say experts advising the UK government.more
In the Netherlands, sex workers plan to protest the closure of brothels next week, while restaurants and cafes promise to resume work despite the ban.more
The Queen has urged the public to "think about other people" and get a Covid jab when they are offered one. The monarch, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, received their first doses of the vaccine in January.more
About 40% of all fines handed out by police for breaches of Covid-19 laws since the start of the pandemic in England and Wales were issued in the most recent four-week period as police adopted a more hardline approach and “fatigue” with the rules set in.more
