These are the UK coronavirus stories you need to know about today.
Public Inquiry to Start Work in Spring Next Year
An independent public inquiry into the Government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic will begin in the spring of 2022, the Prime Minister has announced.
In a statement to MPs, Boris Johnson said he was "fully committed to learning the lessons at every stage of this crisis".
Asked by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer why the inquiry could not begin this year, Mr Johnson said there was "a high likelihood of a surge this winter", and argued: "We must not inadvertently divert or distract the very people on whom we all depend in the heat of our struggle against this disease."
Instead, the investigation would "look at the events of the last year in the cold light of day and identify the key issues that will make a difference for the future".
He said that the Government would work closely with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to establish membership of the inquiry team and its terms of reference.
Some commentators said the start date, and the complexity of the inquiry, would make it unlikely that findings would be published before the next general election.
The Prime Minister also endorsed proposals for a COVID memorial in London's St Paul's cathedral and would establish a UK commission on COVID commemoration. The national endeavour, he told the Commons, "will remember the loved ones we have lost, honour the heroism of those who have saved lives, and the courage of frontline workers who have kept our country going.”
The "genius" of scientists who created vaccines would also be commemorated, he promised.
Pandemic Boosted Nursing Recruits
The "extraordinary" response of nurses and healthcare workers to the pandemic has seen thousands of new recruits for the NHS, officials have said.
To mark International Nurses Day, Sir Simon Stevens, NHS England chief executive, praised the "tireless" work of health staff in caring for around 400,000 seriously ill COVID-19 patients, millions of others, and delivering the vaccine programme.
A so-called 'Nightingale effect' saw 11,000 more nurses, midwives, and health visitors working in the NHS in England in January than 12 months previously. That brought the total to a record 330,631, an increase of 3.5% on a year earlier.
There were also 151,123 healthcare support workers, up 3.6% over the same period.
Meanwhile, applications to study nursing at university were up 34% across England this year to an all-time high of 48,830, NHS England said.
"On International Nurses Day I want to say thank you on behalf of the whole country, to them and to and all their colleagues who have played a part in the remarkable NHS response to COVID," Sir Simon said.
Meanwhile, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said COVID had changed the way the public view nurses, with more than half of respondents in a poll saying media coverage of their work during the pandemic had helped them better understand nurses' skills.
The poll also revealed that 71% of respondents believed nurses deserved more recognition for what they do.
Pat Cullen, RCN acting general secretary, said the findings would "give nurses a much-needed boost at a time when they are on their knees after a year of unprecedented challenges".
This evening, nurses will be recognised for their work through the pandemic during a service at Westminster Abbey attended by actress Helena Bonham Carter.
International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth.
More News in Brief
- A cabinet minister said the Government "can't rule anything out" when it comes to the possibility of local COVID restrictions in areas where cases have risen sharply. Environment Secretary George Eustice told Sky News there was uncertainty over whether rising case rates were being driven by new variants or people being lax about following restrictions, but that the Government was monitoring the situation "closely".
- Employment for frontline healthcare workers should be conditional on COVID-19 vaccination two Australian ethicists argued in the Journal of Medical Ethics. They contended that the seriousness of COVID-19 justified such a move for those without a valid medical reason for declining a jab.
- A doctors' campaign group, which is suing the Government over its decision to award PPE contracts worth £650 million to a handful of companies inexperienced in its manufacture, said it would beam giant slogans onto landmark buildings on Friday to publicise the High Court case. EveryDoctor said it wanted details of the Government's future procurement plans "to prevent another PPE catastrophe".
