National News

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England’s national medical director, urged people to ‘mark the New Year with just nearest and dearest within the rules’.

The Government tabled a motion to allow the recess to run until January 11.

Watford, Rushmoor and Three Rivers are the areas recording the biggest week-on-week increases.

Saturday October 3 set a rainfall record.

The Prime Minister said a new strain of the virus is ‘surging across the country’ and immediate action is needed.

Those fighting the pandemic are expected to be recognised in the New Year Honours list and Birthday Honours list for many years to come.

Daniel Appleton, 38, was accused of killing the two women in a ‘fast-moving, alarming, disturbing, terrifying incident’ days before Christmas 2019.

A captain who set up first-class-style lounge spaces for frontline NHS staff during the first wave of the pandemic has been made an MBE.

Concern has been growing among teaching unions and scientists about the spread of the virus and the return of schools after the Christmas break.

NHS England reported a further 494 coronavirus-related deaths in hospitals in England.

In his new year’s message the Labour leader says coronavirus vaccines offer a cause for optimism in 2021.

The charity has compiled its ‘funniest rescues’ of the year, with animals getting stuck, wedged and lost.

Nicola Sturgeon made the announcement in the Scottish Parliament.

More than three-quarters of the population of England will now be in Tier 4.

The 37 rebels equate to 18.5% of Sir Keir’s MPs.

Vaughan Gething described news that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine had been approved as ‘excellent’.

The island’s 142,000 residents will now effectively return to November lockdown rules.

Ms Nicholls said 2020 had been a year of ‘continued despair and heartbreak for hard-pressed hospitality businesses’.

Nicola Sturgeon claimed it was a ‘rotten Brexit that Scotland has rejected all along’.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said more than three-quarters of the population of England will now be living under Tier 4 restrictions.