Here is an overview of some of the main coronavirus news points from the last 24-hours.

  • There have been 305 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the North East and North Yorkshire as of yesterday. Figures published today by the Government show that nationally, there have been a further 3,497 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK. It is the second day in a row that more than 3,000 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the UK. It is also the first time since mid-May that recorded cases have been above 3,000 on consecutive days, and the figures come as the public is urged not to have a “party weekend” before the “rule of six” restrictions come into force on Monday. The Government said that as of 9am on Saturday, there had been a further 3,497 lab-confirmed cases in the UK, slightly lower than the 3,539 cases recorded on Friday. Overall, 365,174 cases have been confirmed. The Government dashboard also said a further nine people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Saturday. This brings the UK total to 41,623.
  • It is expected that Hartlepool will soon be added to the Government’s watchlist as an area of concern following a sharp rise in Coronavirus cases. This would mean that while further lockdown restrictions are not needed at this stage, they could be imminent if infection rates continue to rise. There have been 51 confirmed cases in Hartlepool in the last seven days – up from 22 cases the previous week.
  • Trials of a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University will resume after a pause due to a reported side effect in a patient in the UK. AstraZeneca issued a statement on Tuesday night saying the late-stage studies of the vaccine had been paused while the company investigated whether the patient’s reported side effect is connected with the vaccine. On Saturday, Oxford University confirmed that trials would resume across all UK clinical trial sites. Health Secretary Matt Hancock welcomed the restart, saying: “Good news for everyone the Oxford vaccine trials are back up and running. “This pause shows we will always put safety first. We will back our scientists to deliver an effective vaccine as soon as safely possible.”
  • Protests have been held across the country by campaigners demanding better wages for NHS staff who have been “let down” by their pay deal. Nurses were excluded from the wage increase for around 900,000 public sector workers announced in July because they are in the final year of a three-year agreement. And the pay increase does not apply to junior doctors after they agreed a four-year deal last year. GMB union national officer Rachel Harrison said ahead of the demonstrations: “Loyal and dedicated NHS workers have been let down in the three-year NHS pay deal – which GMB union opposed. Their pay, terms and conditions have been driven down for years.”