United Kingdom

05 Jan 2022; MEMO: Over 100 organisations from across the UK have expressed their opposition to the Nationality and Borders Bill that is to be debated in the House of Lords today.

LONDON, Jan 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A record number of more than 28,000 migrants crossed the Channel from France to the UK in small boats last year, the PA news agency reported Tuesday, based on its analysis of government data.

  As people smugglers exploited demand, charging thousands of pounds for trips across the busy shipping lane in flimsy boats, at least 28,395 people reached the UK — more than triple the figure for 2020.

  The peak came in November, during the course of which least 6,869 people reached the UK, spurred by favourable weather conditions.

LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson sees no need for further restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus’ omicron variant his spokesman said on ahead of a press conference on Tuesday.

Amid indications that omicron may produce “milder” illness than earlier variants and the success of a nationwide vaccine booster program, the government believes the existing level of controls is still appropriate, Johnson spokesman Max Blain told reporters in London. The government continues to monitor the data and is prepared to respond if the situation changes, he said.

LONDON, Jan 3 (NNN-Xinhua) — Secondary school students in England are once again being asked to wear masks in classrooms as Omicron continues to spread in Britain ahead of children’s return to school next week.

The recommendation came as the government pledges to keep face-to-face education going despite surging COVID-19 infections in England.

LONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - New measures are not needed now in Britain to fight the Omicron variant, which is "plainly milder" than earlier forms of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday.

"The way forward for the country as a whole is to continue with the path that we are on," he told broadcasters. "Of course we will keep all measures under review, but the mixture of things that we are doing at the moment is I think the right one."

Dec 31 (Reuters) - Britain has approved Pfizer's (PFE.N) COVID-19 pill for adults who have mild to moderate infection and are at high risk of their illness worsening, its second easily administered antiviral against the coronavirus.

Britain is scrambling to build its defences amid a record surge in COVID-19 cases in the winter season as the Omicron variant of the virus spreads quickly.

LONDON, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Friday that Britain is in an "incomparably better" position than last year in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the country's daily infections repeatedly rising to new highs these days fueled by the Omicron variant.

LONDON, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- A number of new "surge hubs" are to be set up in Britain as the country's National Health Service (NHS) goes on a "war footing" in preparation for a wave of Omicron hospital admissions, health authorities said Thursday.

Temporary structures capable of housing around 100 patients will be erected in the grounds of eight hospitals across the country, with work starting as early as this week, NHS England has said.

LONDON (AP) — Officials have warned revellers in Scotland and Wales to think twice before travelling to England to ring in the new year, highlighting how the four parts of the U.K. were again taking starkly different approaches to coronavirus restrictions amid record-high infections and soaring hospitalizations.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resisted tightening restrictions in England despite the rapid spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant, instead focusing on frequent self-testing and an expanded vaccine booster program to control the spread of infections.

LONDON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - A British rail operator has been forced to suspend all direct services to the busy London Victoria train station until Jan. 10 after staff fell ill with COVID-19 and others had to isolate.

Southern Rail said on Twitter that due to coronavirus isolation and sickness, there would be no direct services to or from London Victoria, disrupting commuter routes from south London and lines that run to the south of the country.