Editor's note, 4 June 2021: Portugal's move to the 'amber list' was confirmed after publication.
These are the UK coronavirus stories you need to know about today.
Portugal 'Struck Off' Green Travel List
Hopes for sun-seeking holidaymakers looked to be dashed as media reports said Portugal would be removed from the Government's 'green' list and added to the 'amber' category.
Bookings for Portugal surged when it became one of the only mainstream European destination that UK visitors could reach without requiring to self-isolate for 10 days on their return.
However, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC: "We've got to protect the progress that we've made here at home whilst of course allowing for travel when it's safe to do so."
The new rule was expected to come into effect on June 7.
No new countries were added to the green list, reports suggested.
Most European destinations are classed as 'amber' meaning that travel is discouraged but permissible when necessary, subject to quarantine and testing.
It was understood that Iceland would remain on the green list, along with Gibraltar, Israel, and the Faroe Islands.
COVID Cases Increase
Cases of COVID-19 in England increased in the week ending June 3, new figures from Public Health England (PHE) showed.
Case rates increased or remained unchanged across all age groups, the analysis found. The biggest increase was seen in those aged between 10 and 29.
The lowest case rates continued to be in those aged 70 and older.
The hospital admission rate for COVID-19 was 0.89 per 100,000 in week 21, compared to 0.79 per 100,000 in the previous week.
Dr Mike Gent, incident director for the COVID-19 response at PHE, said: "We are seeing some increases in case rates once again, particularly in younger age groups who are not yet being vaccinated and are having regular testing. This is to be expected as the country opens up and people start to socialise more together.
"But it provides a stark reminder that we must all follow hands, face, space, fresh air and importantly get vaccinated when it's offered."
Harmful Drinking Seen in People Made Redundant
Almost half of UK adults experiencing redundancy were drinking more than they would have done before the pandemic, according to a survey.
The research by the charity Drinkaware shows 49% of people who have been made redundant – or were in the process of being made redundant – said they consumed more alcohol than they did before March 2020.
The proportion of this group now drinking more increased from 38% to 49% since December 2020, the charity said.
The poll also found that 66% of respondents experiencing redundancy were drinking at high-risk levels, while 31% said they were drinking "much more", compared to 5% among all UK adults.
Drinkaware called for alcohol harm to be recognised as a public health priority.
Annabelle Bonus, Drinkaware's evidence and impact director commented: "As well as the need for greater priority within public health strategies, employers have a crucial role to play in continuing to support those who struggled to balance work and family responsibilities in the pandemic."
The online survey of 4000 adults was carried out by Opinium in the last week of April.
Other COVID Developments
- England's Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it remained "too early" to say whether all COVID restrictions would end on June 21. Speaking in Oxford ahead of a G7 health ministers' meeting, he told reporters that case numbers mattered but that "what really matters is how that translates into the number of people going to hospital, the number of people sadly dying".
- Boris Johnson was due to chair a virtual 'COVID recovery summit' later today with the leaders of the devolved nations. The meeting had been due to take place last week but was postponed after the first ministers of Wales and Scotland called for "meaningful discussion with substantive outcomes".
- A global effort would be needed to tackle complacency as COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out to younger age groups, according to experts. Writing in the Royal Society of Medicine journal, they warned that a delay in acceptance, or refusal to have a vaccine in younger age groups, and those from poorer backgrounds, could be a barrier to achieving herd immunity.
- People who get their news from social media, including YouTube, were more likely to adopt conspiratorial beliefs about COVID vaccines, and were less willing to be vaccinated, than the rest of the population, research suggested. A fear of rapid vaccine development and side effects, and beliefs that the virus was man-made and used for population control were among views taken by those relying on social media for their information, the research led by the University of Southampton found.
- NHS Test and Trace initiated additional testing and genomic sequencing in Gamesley Ward, High Peak in Derbyshire. Enhanced testing followed identification of a small number of confirmed cases of the variant first identified in India, B1.617.2.
- The proportion of businesses' workforce on furlough leave fell to 8% in mid-May 2021, as a result of COVID restrictions continuing to be relaxed across the UK. The Office for National Statistics said the latest figure was comparable with the lowest recorded proportion in October 2020 since the furlough scheme began.
See more global coronavirus updates in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Centre.
