Millions of people in England are set to be relieved of coronavirus restrictions under Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “live with Covid” plan.
Mr Johnson had been scheduled to chair a cabinet meeting on Monday morning to discuss his plan with ministers, but it was cancelled at short notice. Some government ministers were photographed arriving in Downing Street for the meeting, but the prime minister's official spokesman said it would instead be held via a call rather than in person “because of expedience”.
The spokesman said the meeting was cancelled “so that the prime minister could have both a security briefing and have further meetings to finalise the plan on living with Covid”. It is uncommon for Cabinet meetings to be cancelled at such short notice.
No 10 said Mr Johnson would still give a statement to MPs in the House of Commons on his plan. However, he is expected to make the announcement at around 4.30pm — slightly later than had originally been expected.
The delay to the meeting is understood to have centred on a request from Health Secretary Sajid Javid regarding how elements of the plan would be funded.
Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said the delayed cabinet meeting was a sign of “chaos and incompetence”.
What rules are set to be scrapped?
Downing Street said the prime minister’s plan would be “vaccine led”, with the programme remaining open to those who have not yet had an inoculation.
The Conservative leader’s blueprint to further release society from rules comes two years after the first measures were introduced at the beginning of the pandemic.
The plan will include the overturning of the legal requirement to self-isolate after a positive coronavirus test. This would mean people in England who know they have the virus would be free to go out in public and mix with others.
Under the rules as they stand, people who test positive have to isolate for up to 10 days, but can leave early if they test negative for Covid-19 on lateral flow tests on days five and six.
The requirement is due to expire at the end of March, but earlier this month the prime minister said “encouraging trends” in Covid-19 data meant that ministers hoped to scrap the rule a month early.
Government-funded PCR tests for people displaying Covid-19 symptoms are also expected to be scrapped. It is unclear whether the availability of free lateral flow tests will be reduced.
Mr Johnson said testing would continue at a “much lower level” under his plan.
Business Minister Paul Scully suggested the government could stop providing free coronavirus tests, as the £2 billion ($2.72bn) a month could be better used elsewhere.
He told Sky News: “We can’t continue for evermore spending £2bn a month on tests.”
What advice will replace the rules?
Mr Scully suggested Covid-19 should be treated like “any illness” in terms of staying at home.
“I would say that it’s like any illness, frankly, any transmissible illness that you would say stay at home,” he told Sky News, but he admitted “It’ll be down to themselves or down to their employer”.
He said workers should contact Acas, the public body which aims to improve working conditions for people in the UK, if they “really think that there is a detriment to them”.
Will this be the end to all restrictions in England?
While the prime minister has said he hopes his “live with Covid” plan will take England “towards a return to normality”, some are likely to continue to face restrictions.
All travellers to England are required to complete a passenger locator form before arrival.
Unvaccinated travellers have to take a Covid-19 test (PCR or lateral flow) before travelling to England and must have a pre-booked PCR test to take upon arrival. Only those who return a positive result are required to self-isolate.
The Department for Transport is expected to review the rules before Easter.
What has Boris Johnson said about his plan?
Mr Johnson said the proposal would be about “finally giving people back their freedom” after “one of the most difficult periods in our country’s history”.
“Today will mark a moment of pride after one of the most difficult periods in our country’s history as we begin to learn to live with Covid,” Mr Johnson said announcement on Monday.
“It would not be possible without the efforts of so many — the NHS who delivered the life-saving vaccine roll-out at phenomenal speed, our world-leading scientists and experts, and the general public for their commitment to protecting themselves and their loved ones.
“The pandemic is not over, but thanks to the incredible vaccine roll-out we are now one step closer towards a return to normality and finally giving people back their freedoms, while continuing to protect ourselves and others.”
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
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Available: Now
SCORES IN BRIEF
New Zealand 153 and 56 for 1 in 22.4 overs at close
Pakistan 227
(Babar 62, Asad 43, Boult 4-54, De Grandhomme 2-30, Patel 2-64)
The Bloomberg Billionaire Index in full
1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
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6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
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9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion
MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
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Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
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How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
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Mountain Classification Tour de France after Stage 8 on Saturday:
- 1. Lilian Calmejane (France / Direct Energie) 11
- 2. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana) 10
- 3. Daniel Martin (Ireland / Quick-Step) 8
- 4. Robert Gesink (Netherlands / LottoNL) 8
- 5. Warren Barguil (France / Sunweb) 7
- 6. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 6
- 7. Guillaume Martin (France / Wanty) 6
- 8. Jan Bakelants (Belgium / AG2R) 5
- 9. Serge Pauwels (Belgium / Dimension Data) 5
- 10. Richie Porte (Australia / BMC Racing) 4
Brief scores:
Manchester City 3
Aguero 1', 44', 61'
Arsenal 1
Koscielny 11'
Man of the match: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
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