PARTS of the North-East may have made it through the first day of a local lockdown yesterday, but many residents don't understand the rules. This, plus the fact we're heading for a second wave, hit headlines in the last 24-hours. Here's what you may have missed:
- Boris Johnson has warned a second wave of coronavirus has arrived in the UK, with scientists reporting a “widespread growth” of the virus nationwide. The Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said the R number – representing the number of people an infected person will pass the virus to – has risen to between 1.1 and 1.4, meaning cases could rise very quickly.
- A further 420 people have tested positive for Covid in the North-East and North Yorkshire. As of Friday, September 18, 4,322 people tested positive for the virus across the whole of the UK. This brings the total number of infected people since the outbreak began to 385,936.
- Care homes on Teesside have been warned to brace themselves for the arrival of Covid positive patients in a matter of days. Middlesbrough Council officials have confirmed a message was sent to borough care homes telling them it was “likely in the coming days and weeks” that residents would be leaving hospital after testing positive.
- Leaders across the North-East are urging Health Secretary Matt Hancock to amend new local Covid-19 restrictions and allow families to continue their usual childcare arrangements – including casual arrangements.
- A County Durham football club has confirmed one of its players has tested positive for Covid-19 and his family are now self-isolating. Tow Law Town AFC confirmed a player had tested positive on Friday after having symptoms including a high temperature and nausea.
- The Irish Government has announced plans to tighten its coronavirus restrictions in Dublin, meanwhile in London it is “increasingly likely” that lockdown restrictions will soon be needed to slow the spread of coronavirus, the capital’s mayor has warned.
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