DIGITAL HEALTH PASSPORTS

The Telegraph reports that Tony Blair has called on the Government to establish a single global vaccine passport scheme through the G7, or risk others dictating the rules. In a detailed report published by the The Tony Blair Institute(TBI), he said current border restrictions were “disjointed” and urged the UK to “place the creation of a global Covid-19 travel pass as a key item on the G7 agenda”. The report added that the new travel restrictions  announced on Wednesday by Boris Johnson the Prime Minister, would be much more difficult to eventually unwind without a vaccine passport. Mr Blair said the passport should be digital and capable of tracking and verifying an individual’s coronavirus “status” wherever they travel in the world. Included would be details of any vaccination they had, together with the results of Covid-19 test results.

 

RECORD LOSS FOR BOEING

The TIMES reports that Boeing, once the world’s largest aeroplane manufacturer has announced a record loss of $12.7 billion for 2020, due to the 737 Max scandal, troubles in the defence industry and the delayed launch of its replacement Jumbo which will now not be launched until the end of 2023. Demand for the 425 seater has evaporated during the pandemic, with intercontinental flights expected to be the last to return when the aviation industry begins its recovery.

 

PERMISSION TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY

The Daily Mail reports that people can only travel internationally with a legally permitted reason to leave home. Work trips are allowed, so people will have to show some proof that the flight or sea crossing is vital for their employment. The list of travel exemptions will be urgently reviewed so that only the most important and exceptional reasons are included. Anyone who does not have a valid reason for travel will be directed to return home and may face a fine as their reason for travel will be checked. The Home Office said there will be an increased police presence at ports and airports fining those in breach of the stay at home regulations.

 

GOOD NEWS FOR STAYCATIONERS

The Independent reports that the Tripadvisor website has named the Yorkshire Dales as the best national park in Europe.The area topped the website’s new Best National Park category in its annual Travellers Choice Awards.  The Peak District came in fourth, while the New Forest completed a hattrick for the UK by coming in fifth.

 

RANDOM ROADSIDE  BREATHALYSER TEST

From the Telegraph: Motorists face random roadside drink-drive tests under proposed new laws being considered by the Department for Transport. Police are currently only allowed to breath test a motorist if they suspect the driver has been drinking, has been involved in an accident, or has committed a traffic offence. Mandatory testing would give police the powers to stop vehicles without suspicion and conduct breath tests on any driver at any time. “There is strong evidence of the effectiveness of mandatory random breath testing, particularly when well publicised and when targeted,” said the report by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (Pacts). A DfT spokesman said: “We thank Pacts for their report, which we will now look at and consider in detail.”

 

TAX RISES

From the Express: The Chancellor is set to announce tax rises in his March budget – a year on from when the pandemic first plunged the UK into lockdown.The country has edged towards a ‘double-dip’ recession after November’s slump ended six months of growth. The Office for National Statistics said GDP fell by 2.6 percent month on month in November, coinciding with the closing of non-essential retail and the hospitality sector. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also endured tougher restrictions resulting in another economic hit. The country will soon learn the full impact of the third lockdown, implemented at the end of 2020, but Mr Sunak is already planning ways to pay for the pandemic and tax rises could be being considered.

 

CONTACTLESS CARD LIMIT TO RISE

From The SUN: Tap and pay contactless card limit set to rise to £100 from £45. Now City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said it is considering raising the limit from £45 to £100. The regulator said: “Since the limit for contactless card payments was raised to £45 last April at the start of the pandemic, people are increasingly making use of contactless payments. The World Health Organisation last year suggested ditching cash for contactless payments to fight the spread of coronavirus. Shops have encouraged customers to pay with a contactless card throughout the pandemic. This reduces the risk of spreading the virus by minimising physical contact at the till.

 

SCHOOLS OUT UNTIL MARCH 8th

The Daily Mail reports: Boris Johnson declared that schools will not reopen until at least March 8 as he extended lockdown by another three weeks, but tried to quell rising Tory anger by pledging a ‘road map’ out of the crisis. The PM delivered the grim news for millions of children and struggling parents in a statement to the House of Commons  saying he knew how ‘frustrated’ they will be. Currently only the offspring of key workers are in schools, with everyone else in remote learning.

 

SELF EMPLOYED MISSING OUT

From the Daily Mail: More than one million self-employed workers are missing out on Covid financial support from the government because they have another source of income, resulting in many facing ‘serious hardship’, an influential think tank has warned. The Government introduced the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) to help workers stay afloat during the coronavirus crisis. But the Institute for Fiscal Studies said the way in which the scheme has been set up means 1.5million workers are currently excluded from claiming support. The IFS said those people ‘could easily be supported’ by the Government at a ‘modest cost’ of less than £1billion per quarter if ministers chose to extend the scheme.

 

CLIMATE CHANGE SURVEY

The Independent writes: The biggest ever survey on climate change has found that almost two-thirds of people think it is a global emergency. The most popular options for tackling the crisis were conserving forests, using renewables, adopting climate-friendly farming techniques and investing more money in green businesses. The least popular course of action was adopting a plant-based diet. The survey canvassed the views of 1.2 million people and was conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) from 7 October to 4 December 2020. The poll showed that overall 64 percent of respondents thought climate change was a global emergency, ranging from 69 per cent of under-18s to 58 percent of over-60s. The figure climbed to 81 per cent among those in the UK and in Italy, who topped the poll, while at least half of respondents in all countries said they thought there was a global climate emergency.

 

HEROIC BRITISH PUBLIC

The Evening Standard reports that the British public has been praised by scientists for adapting to life in lockdown and showing “heroic” levels of compliance with the strict government measures. The praise came after officials warned that the death toll of more than 100,000 could rise by up to 50,000 within months. Professor Stephen Reicher, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (SPI-B) which advises ministers, said that “covidiots” breaking rules and partying have very much been in the minority. He said he has been struck by the “ongoing resilience” of the public and described stories of people’s everyday adherence to the rules as “moving” and “inspiring”.

 

AND FINALLY

The Mirror carries a report from the Daily Record that The Loch Ness Monster has reportedly been spotted for the first time this year and logged in the official ‘sightings’ record. Viewers claimed the legendary creature was spotted on a live webcam stream of Urquhart Bay, claiming to have witnessed “unexplained” objects in the loch measuring around “a dozen feet long”. The mythical beast was spotted on January 11 by American Kalynn Wangle who noticed a “V-shaped wake” followed by “something black” surfacing on the water for a second, before disappearing back under. She reported it to the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register who later verified her account.  A second and third sighting was recorded by another observer. There were 13 “confirmed” sightings of Nessie last year, including one recorded through sonar.  According to a study in 2018, the elusive creature is estimated to bring in around £41 million to the Scottish economy through tourism. .