Hospitals and councils have been told to find extra beds for coronavirus patients within two weeks, the Daily Telegraph reports – including isolation units for people to recover. The paper also says Health Secretary Matt Hancock is considering launching a national traffic-light system for putting regions into lockdown. And it says it understands that family visits to care homes will be paused in virus hotspots.
The problems with testing continue to dominate several papers. The Daily Telegraph says it has learnt more details about the government’s plan to prioritise tests, after shortages. The paper says even people with symptoms will be refused tests unless they’re on the priority list – which could be limited to hospitals, care homes, certain key workers and schools.
The leader of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, has written an article in the Daily Telegraph calling on the government to let local public health teams make lockdown decisions, rather than making rules centrally. The paper quotes a source close to the archbishop who says he is “deeply concerned” about the impact of the “rule of six” banning gatherings of more than six – especially on the vulnerable, poor and elderly.
Concern over the government’s coronavirus testing system makes the front of several newspapers. The Daily Telegraph says the “crisis” over testing across the UK is deepening, with NHS hospitals cancelling operations because there are not enough tests for doctors and nurses. Labs are struggling to clear a backlog of 185,000 tests amid a recruitment drive for lab workers, the paper adds.
GPs have been told they must see patients face-to-face or surgeries could face investigation, The Daily Telegraph says. Letters are being sent to every GP in the country following concerns that too many patients are being “shut out” from surgeries and being offered only video or telephone consultations, the paper adds. Pressure could be placed on A&E departments if patients are not given appointments in person, health chiefs warned. And the “rule of six”, which comes into effect on Monday, has been criticised amid claims it is not supported by scientific evidence.
Boris Johnson has accused the European Union of threatening to impose a food “blockade” in the Irish Sea, The Daily Telegraph reports.
The UK has been given until the end of the month to reverse its Brexit bill that would allow ministers to override some parts of the Northern Ireland constitution, otherwise the EU will launch a law suit against the government, says The Daily Telegraph.
The Daily Telegraph leads on the possibility that Christmas celebrations could be limited to groups of six people this year, after the prime minister’s announcement on tougher coronavirus measures on Wednesday night. Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty suggested they could be in place until next spring, the paper adds.
Boris Johnson is to tell EU leaders that the Brexit divorce deal is “contradictory” and must be rewritten to protect the Union, The Daily Telegraph says.
Boris Johnson is to warn the EU that if a Brexit deal is not done by 15 October, Britain will accept a no-deal outcome and “move on”, The Daily Telegraph reports.