Headlines
• 90% of UK adults have antibodies, ONS
• Olympic torch relay cancelled in Tokyo
• Sydney extends lockdown by a week
• France ends free testing for tourists
• Greece reimposes restrictions on bars, restaurants and nightclubs
World news
• British Airways & Virgin Atlantic are to trial fast-track lanes at Heathrow airport for fully-vaccinated arrivals. Under the scheme, passengers on four routes will be able to upload their vaccination status before boarding.
• A lockdown in Sydney is being extended for another week. The two-week period was due to end at midnight on Friday.
• Around 90% of adults in the UK have antibodies to coronavirus, according to latest estimates from the ONS. The figure was highest in Wales at 92%, followed by England (90%), Northern Ireland (87%) and Scotland (85%).
• Vietnam is to impose restrictions in Ho Chi Minh City for 15 days from Friday. Residents will be instructed to remain indoors unless necessary and not meet with others. Public transport services will also be suspended.
• The Olympic torch relay has been cancelled in Tokyo.
• The UK Government has stated that a £20-a-week increase to universal credit will be phased out in the autumn.
• Officials in Singapore say people who received the Sinovac vaccine are excluded from the city-state’s count of total vaccinations.
• Greece is reimposing restrictions on entertainment venues from Thursday. Patrons must be seated at restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
• Research has shown that cases in Liverpool dropped by 21% compared with other areas during a mass testing pilot in November.
• In the Chinese city of Ruili, which borders Myanmar, all schools are closed and restaurants have to suspend dine-in services. All non-essential businesses “with the exception of some markets, hospitals and pharmacies” are now closed.
• A ban on travel between Scotland and the Blackburn with Darwen area is to be lifted.
• Infections were confirmed in 42 workers (out of 250 staff) at Kilkeel Seafoods, in County Down.
• In Latvia, employers will be allowed to sack employees who have not had vaccines by 15 September.
• Australia is to send 2.5m AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Indonesia and will fund 1,000 ventilators.
• From today, all foreign tourists visiting France will have to pay for their own tests after the government ended free testing for tourists.
• The UK announced it will offer genomic sequencing support to Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Pakistan to help detect, assess and track new variants.
• UK house prices dipped 0.5% in June as the stamp duty holiday started to be phased out, according to the Halifax. Prices rose 8.8% over the year.
