Skip to content

Let life 'return to normal' and lockdown 'row'

BBC NewsStaff

Scientists are saying that life should be allowed to "return to normal" for all but the elderly and vulnerable, reports the Daily Mail.

The paper says more than 4,000 doctors and medical experts have signed a declaration stating their "grave concerns" about the response to coronavirus.

News imageThe Times front page
The intervention comes as "surging" coronavirus infection rates put Britain on the brink of tougher lockdown measures, says the Times. The government's scientific advisers have called for "urgent and drastic action" after cases doubled in 11 days to 14,542 and deaths doubled to 76 in the same period. The developments overshadowed Prime Minister Boris Johnson's attempts - in his speech to the Conservative Party conference - to focus on life after the pandemic.
News imageDaily Telegraph front page
An overhaul of local lockdown rules had been due to be announced on Thursday, reports the Daily Telegraph, but a row within the cabinet has put the plans into "disarray". An intervention by Chancellor Rishi Sunak may now delay the planned introduction of a "traffic light" system of different levels of restrictions, says the paper. It comes as leaders of the worst-affected cities warned the current measures were failing to stem the rise in infections.
News imageThe i front page
In other coronavirus news, the proportion of people dying in hospital from Covid-19 is much lower now than in spring, according to the i. The paper says the number of patients in wards and intensive care units is now as high as March, but improved treatment, better protection of the most vulnerable and a slower rise in infection rates are combining to drive the death rate down.
News imageFT front page
NHS labs across the country which process coronavirus tests have been hit by shortages of vital chemicals and kit used to test a range of diseases, following a problem at one of Europe’s biggest pharmaceutical companies, reports the Financial Times. Swiss drugs group Roche wrote to labs on Monday, alerting them to the problem.
News imageGuardian front page
Three of the largest universities in the UK have called a halt to face-to-face teaching, the Guardian reports. More than 80 universities in the UK have reported at least 5,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 among students and staff, including more than 1,000 at Manchester University, which was among the institutions to suspend in-person teaching.
News imageDaily Express front page
The Daily Express leads on Boris Johnson's Conservative Party conference speech on Tuesday, in which he pledged to conquer Covid-19 and pave the way for a "bright future".
News imageDaily Mirror front page
But the Daily Mirror says the prime minister was accused of "spouting hot air" in a speech that "ignored" the millions left jobless and sick by Covid-19. The paper quotes Labour's Angela Rayner as saying "we got the usual bluster and no plan for the months ahead".
News imageMetro front page
Donald Trump has been accused of spreading fake news after he said coronavirus was “far less lethal than flu”. Twitter and Facebook censored the posts – a day after the US president told Americans not to worry about the virus.
News imageDaily Star front page
And the fate of Arsenal's mascot, Gunnersaurus, makes the front page of the Daily Star. Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has offered to pay the wages of Jerry Quy - who dons the dinosaur suit - after he was set to face redundancy.
News imageBBC News Daily on Facebook Messenger

Sign up for a morning briefing direct to your inbox

News imageRed line
News imageAround the BBC - Sounds
News imageAround the BBC footer - Sounds