Businesses in England expressed relief after the government ruled out further coronavirus restrictions before the new year, even as new records for daily cases were reached yet again.
Data from hospitals has yet to convince ministers that more curbs are needed, offering the hospitality industry a “real lifeline” after restaurants and nightclubs were given the all-clear to open on New Year’s Eve.
While ministers urged people to be cautious, they took encouragement from signs that the Omicron variant is causing less severe disease in Britain than previous waves of the pandemic.
On Tuesday, a record 129,471 new cases were reported, a figure made worse by the fact that it was for England and Wales only.
The UK registered rising cases in the run-up to Christmas, but on Monday, there were 98,515 new cases, the first time in the past five days that the figure dropped below 100,000.
On Tuesday, with only England and Wales reporting because of different holiday periods in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the cases again bounced above 100,000.
Despite the new cases, people appear to be spending less time in hospital if they do become ill with the variant, said Environment Secretary George Eustice – a factor that could ease the burden on the National Health Service.
“At the moment we don't think that the evidence supports any more interventions beyond what we have done,” Mr Eustice told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“But obviously we have got to keep it under very close review, because if it is the case that we started to see a big increase in hospitalisations then we would need to act further.”
Professor John Bell, an Oxford University immunologist, told the same programme that he was reassured by the apparently milder form of the virus - which he described as not "the same disease we were seeing a year ago".
"The horrific scenes that we saw a year ago - intensive care units being full, lots of people dying prematurely - that is now history in my view, and I think we should be reassured that that’s likely to continue,” he said.
Although hospital numbers are rising, the figures do not yet compare to those in the previous peaks that pushed the UK into strict lockdowns. More than 32 million people have received booster doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Hospitals are reporting that they can cope with current caseloads, although doctors are stretched and staff absences are becoming as great a problem as rising admissions, said NHS Providers boss Chris Hopson.
On top of that, there is anecdotal evidence that more people than before are testing positive in hospital after being admitted for another reason, he said – meaning they should not necessarily be counted as a severe case of Covid-19.
Numbers are “definitely rising, but not precipitately so”, Mr Hopson said. “Frustrating though it may be, we need more data before we can reach any firm conclusions on what the full risk from Omicron is.”
Reprieve for England
The reprieve in England puts its health policies at odds with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where the devolved governments brought in restrictions after Christmas. Much of Europe has also imposed tougher measures.
Unlike in other parts of the UK, English football grounds can stay open with full crowds and New Year’s Eve events can go ahead without capacity limits. Some venues are required to check Covid certificates, and people are encouraged to work from home where possible.
Any move to toughen restrictions by Prime Minister Boris Johnson would risk further antagonising his own Conservative MPs after weeks of bruising political setbacks.
The British Chambers of Commerce said it was “extremely helpful” for businesses to have certainty about their New Year plans after ministers kept them in suspense over Christmas.
“This period is a critical time for many sectors, including hospitality, and firms will be pleased that they will be able to continue trading throughout,” it said.
Kate Nicholls, the head of industry body UK Hospitality, welcomed what she said was a pragmatic and proportionate approach by ministers.
“This will give a real lifeline for many who have struggled with the loss of trade in the run-up to Christmas, and the loss of New Year on top of that would have been devastating for many,” she said.
“It will be a welcome boost and keeping restrictions to a minimum and lifting the remaining restrictions as quickly as possible to help the beleaguered sector back on to the road to recovery."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bedu%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Khaled%20Al%20Huraimel%2C%20Matti%20Zinder%2C%20Amin%20Al%20Zarouni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%2C%20metaverse%2C%20Web3%20and%20blockchain%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Currently%20in%20pre-seed%20round%20to%20raise%20%245%20million%20to%20%247%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Privately%20funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
