The new rules are being introduced in a bid to prevent a second wave of the virus, but a poll by the BMA has found that almost 86% of doctors in England say they expect a second peak of coronavirus in the next six months. New cases are running at their highest rate since May. Doctors have condemned the NHS test-and-trace system as an “utter shambles” amid continued stories about people facing trips of hundreds of miles to get a Covid-19 test. And GPs have been told by NHS bosses that they must revert to face-to-face consultation where necessary. Thousands of pubs, bars and nightclubs will be forced to close for good due to renewed lockdown curbs unless they receive fresh state support, according to a survey of licensees. Union leaders have also warned ministers must continue to support key workers to avoid mass post-Covid unemployment. A bleak survey by the Institute for Employment Studies says up to 700,000 more jobs could be lost across the country this autumn. … [Read more...] about Monday briefing: ‘Abide by rule of six,’ police plead
