Covid-19: England tightens restrictions as NHS struggles to deliver care

Most of England moved into the highest tier of restrictions on 31 December because of an escalation in cases, hospital admissions, and deaths from covid-19, a measure that the health and social care secretary described as “absolutely necessary” as the new variant of the virus spread across the country. Planned reopening of schools was also delayed by at least two weeks for most secondary schools pupils, while some primary schools in the hardest hit areas would take in only vulnerable children and those of key workers, while providing online teaching to all others, said the government. [...]the group called for a rapid rollout of the vaccine to low and middle income countries, along with an effective covid control strategy at the UK’s borders.