Covid-19: New Job Support Scheme and Longer Waiting for Test Results

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday evening. We’ll have another update for you tomorrow morning.

1. The new emergency procedures established by the advisor

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has revealed a new job support plan that will allow workers to receive 77% of their regular salaries for a period of six months starting November 1. The new worker support framework applies only to “viable” jobs and the government’s contribution to workers’ wages will decrease from 80% of the monthly wage to 22%. In addition, the Chancellor has extended the reduction of value-added tax to the hospitality and tourism sectors. This comes at a time when the government announced 6,634 more cases of Covid-19, an increase from Wednesday’s figure of 6,178, in addition to 40 deaths, compared to 37.

2. Wait longer for test results

People wait longer to get test results from community Covid testing centers in England. Only 28% received results within 24 hours of the week through September 16. That’s less than one in three (33%) last week, and two out of three (67%) the previous week. Over 5% of the tests took more than three days to change. On a more positive note, over a million people downloaded the government contact tracing app for England and Wales on its first day. Here’s how you can get the Covid test.

3. Students need personal protective equipment to urinate

Students are forced to isolate themselves in their residence halls after the outbreak of Covid disease in several Scottish universities. The mother of an 18-year-old student in Glasgow explained how “she has to put on PPE to pee”. Meanwhile, opposition parties have claimed that the Scottish government should have been better prepared for the coronavirus outbreak in universities while students across Scotland are now being asked not to visit bars. In England, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has not ruled out a national student lockdown for Christmas.

4. The deputy was seen unmasked on the tube

A picture has spread on social media of Democratic Federal Reserve Member of Parliament Sami Wilson reading a magazine on public transport in London without covering any face. A witness claimed that he did not wear a mask for the duration of his underground trip from Westminster to Heathrow. Mr Wilson said he only removed it briefly to answer the phone call. You can check face cover rules across the UK here.

5. Reactions of Dutch celebrities

Dutch celebrities, including singer and model Vamk Louise (pictured), have come under fire in the Netherlands after publicly announcing that they are abandoning efforts to combat Covid-19. Their campaign came as the number of Dutch intensive care units reached 100 for the first time since June, and infection rates rose 60% from last week. Young stars have used the hashtag #ikdoenietmeermee – “I’m out”.

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and do not forget …

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