An additional 1.7 million people have been asked to shield in England after scientists developed a new model to identify people at risk of serious illness from Covid-19.
It means almost four million people in the country have been asked to shield, with 2.3 million already on the list before Tuesday’s announcement.
Shielding – whereby a person should take extra precautions to protect themselves, such as avoiding crowds and staying at home as much as possible – will run until March 31 at the earliest.
Those newly identified as being at serious risk from Covid-19 will be pushed up the priority list for vaccines if they have not been offered one.
In an attempt to determine who is at higher risk of dying from Covid-19, the new model developed by Oxford University takes into account factors other than health, such as weight, age, ethnicity and postcode.
The Department of Health and Social Care said that the new group includes 800,000 adults aged between 19 and 69 who will now be prioritised for vaccines. The 900,000 others were already prioritised for inoculation.
Dr Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer for England, said the approach was "risk-averse" to "protect as many people as possible".
The UK recorded 10,625 new coronavirus cases and 799 deaths on Tuesday.
In the Netherlands, Prime Minister Mark Rutte called on his country to respect a night-time curfew after a court ruled the policy lacked legal basis.
The Hague District Court called the curfew a “far-reaching breach of the right to freedom of movement and privacy”.
The court said the government, which said it would appeal against the ruling, had failed to make clear why it was necessary to use emergency powers at this stage of the pandemic.
Mr Rutte insisted that the curfew was needed to prevent a surge in infections caused by more transmissible variants.
"It would be very unwise to lift the curfew at this moment," he said. "We installed it in order to control the coronavirus as much as possible and to make it possible to regain our freedom in a safe way."
The measure, which allows only people with a pressing need to be outdoors between 9pm and 4.30am, was extended last week until March 3 at the earliest.
In Germany, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said that he would lay out a path for easing lockdown measures to address the concerns of struggling businesses.
Frustration boiled over after authorities last week failed to reveal a strategy to reopen hotels, restaurants and shops.
Hard-hit firms also accused the government of botching aid payments and causing unnecessary delays in distributing the cash.
“The despair is growing and it’s increasingly leading to anger,” German hotel and restaurant association head Guido Zoellick said.
Meanwhile, the EU’s executive arm wants to adapt existing vaccine contracts and strike new agreements with pharmaceutical companies to protect against Covid-19 variants.
The contracts would include safeguards to avoid earlier missteps that tarnished the current vaccine distribution plan.
"Existing agreements may have to be updated to cover protection against variants," the document reads. "Based on the lessons learned, a detailed and credible plan showing capability to produce vaccines in the EU if needed."
The proposal, which is subject to change, is to be published on Wednesday.
In pictures - coronavirus across Europe
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
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
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
The Lowdown
Kesari
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
ROUTE%20TO%20TITLE
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
