As of 10th February 2021, 3,972,148 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK (pillar 1 and 2) and there have been 113,850 deaths. Further information on the data is available here: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/
Announcements
- Strengthening our health protection at the border Statement by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the new system of health measures at the border that will come into force on Monday 15 February. Updated 9 February 2021.
- Free PPE for unpaid carers Unpaid carers across the country who do not live with the people they care for can now benefit from free PPE through a new national scheme, the government has confirmed. Updated 9 February 2021.
- BHC Nicosia DynamicUK series: the scientific response of the UK and the FCDO to COVID-19 An insightful talk with Professor Carole Mundell, Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) as part of the DynamicUK series. Updated 9 February 2021.
- British manufacturer SureScreen Diagnostics to supply 20 million rapid lateral flow tests New contract secured with Derby-based manufacturer for validated lateral flow antigen tests, ensuring supply for UK over coming months. Updated 8 February 2021.
- Vaccine rollout and variant mitigation Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi explains why the current vaccine rollout is vitally important for protecting the healthcare system. Updated 8 February 2021.
- Government boost to rapid workplace testing New government drive to increase workplace testing in sectors open during lockdown, to detect coronavirus (COVID-19) in people who are not showing symptoms. Updated 7 February 2021.
- Surge testing to be deployed in further areas in connection to new variants More areas will have additional testing made available to control and suppress the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) variants. Updated 6 February 2021.
- New vaccines partnership to rapidly respond to new virus variants UK Government and CureVac enter new partnership to tackle new future variants of Covid-19. Updated: 5 February 2021.
- Latest monitoring data confirms safety of COVID-19 vaccines Data published from UK’s independent medicines regulator confirms approved vaccines meet strict regulatory standards for safety. Updated: 5 February 2021
- Government confirms mandatory hotel quarantine to be introduced from 15 February From 15 February anyone travelling to the UK from a country on the UK’s travel ban list will be required to quarantine in a government-approved facility for 10 days. Updated: 5 February 2021
- Weekly national flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published National influenza and COVID-19 report, monitoring coronavirus (COVID-19) activity, seasonal flu and other seasonal respiratory illnesses. Updated: 4 February 2021.
Data updates to Surveillance, Reports and Dashboard
- Laptops and tablets progress data as of 9 February 2021 Information about how many laptops and tablets that have been delivered or dispatched to local authorities and academy trusts. Updated 9 February 2021.
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey: characteristics of people testing positive for COVID-19 in England, 9 February 2021 This release provides data about the characteristics of people testing positive for COVID-19 from the COVID-19 Infection Survey. This survey is being delivered in partnership with the University of Oxford, the University of Manchester, and Public Health England. Updated 9 February 2021.
- PPE deliveries (England): 1 February to 7 February 2021 Experimental statistics showing the latest number of personal protective equipment (PPE) items distributed for use by health and social care services in England. Updated 7 February.
- Imperial College London: Potential profile of the COVID-19 epidemic in the UK under different vaccination roll out strategies, 13 January 2021 Paper prepared by Imperial College London on different potential vaccine roll out strategies at SAGE 76. Updated 5 February 2021.
- ONS and DHSC: Estimating additional deaths to expand the reasonable worst-case scenarios, 6 August 2020 Paper prepared by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). Updated 5 February.
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, UK: 5 February 2021 Estimates for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. This survey is being delivered in partnership with University of Oxford, University of Manchester, Public Health England, and Wellcome Trust. Updated 5 February 2021.
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) weekly insights: latest health indicators in England, 5 February 2021 This article brings together data about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in England. Exploring how these measures interact with each other can improve understanding of the severity and spread of the pandemic. This weekly summary gives a general overview of the current situation and explores variations for different age groups and regions. Updated 5 February 2021.
- Report of the Commission on Human Medicines Expert Working Group on COVID-19 vaccine safety surveillance The MHRA has developed, and now has in place, a four-stranded approach to vigilance, which is summarised in this report. Updated 5 February.
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine adverse reactions A report covering adverse reactions to approved COVID-19 vaccines. Updated 5 February 2021.
- Coronavirus and the social impact on Great Britain: Exploring behaviours during the different lockdown periods Indicators from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey to understand the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on people, households and communities in Great Britain over time. This article allows for comparison of how the social impacts on people have changed when compared with earlier in the pandemic, with reference to other data sources. Updated 5 February 2021.
- Coronavirus and the social impacts on Great Britain: 5 February 2021 Indicators from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey to understand the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on people, households and communities in Great Britain. Updated 5 February 2021.
- COVID-19 variants: genomically confirmed case numbers Genomically confirmed case numbers for SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation. Updated 4 February 2021.
Information, advice and guidance
- COVID-19 vaccination: British Sign Language resources British Sign Language (BSL) videos on COVID-19 vaccination. Updated 9 February 2021.
- Higher education providers: coronavirus (COVID-19) Information on the return of students and NHS Test and Trace channels. Updated 9 February 2021.
- Lateral flow validation prioritisation criteria for rapid diagnostic assays for specific SARS-CoV-2 antigens An overview of the future requirements for rapid COVID-19 diagnostic assays for antigen lateral flow devices. Updated 8 February 2021.
- Private providers of coronavirus testing Lists of and information about approved suppliers of private testing kits for coronavirus (COVID-19). Updated 8 February 2021.
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing: privacy information Privacy notice for NHS Test and Trace virus testing for all users of the service. Updated 5 February 2021.
- COVID Support Force: MOD’s continued contribution to the coronavirus response Military personnel are supporting public services across the UK to assist with the response to COVID-19. This page has the latest information on the MOD’s activities. Updated 5 February.
- Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak What all schools will need to do during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak from the start of the autumn term. Updated 5 February.
- Travel advice: coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for British people travelling overseas during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, if they are legally permitted to travel internationally. Updated 5 February 2021.
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for UK visa applicants and temporary UK residents This is advice for visa customers and applicants in the UK, visa customers outside of the UK and British nationals overseas who need to apply for a passport affected by travel restrictions associated with coronavirus. Updated 5 February 2021.
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care Information for people who are caring, unpaid, for friends or family during the coronavirus outbreak. Updated 5 February 2021.
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): courts and tribunals planning and preparation This page provides advice and guidance for all court and tribunal users during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and will be updated when new advice is available. Updated 5 February 2021.
- The R value and growth rate in the UK The latest reproduction number (R) and growth rate of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the UK. Updated 5 February 2021.
- NHS and social care staff: check if a COVID-19 patient has an attorney or deputy Find out about the information we have on our registers and how NHS staff and local authorities in England and Wales can ask us for it. Updated 5 February 2021.
- Being a deputy or attorney during the coronavirus outbreak Find out how you can continue to act in the best interests of the client or donor, during the outbreak. Updated 5 February 2021.
- Covid-19 and the private security industry – FAQs Information about how we are responding to the Coronavirus pandemic. Updated 5 February 2021.
- Ofsted: coronavirus (COVID-19) rolling update Ofsted guidance and information relating to coronavirus (COVID-19) for schools, early years, children’s social care and further education and skills providers. Updated 5 February 2021.
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): getting tested Guidance on coronavirus testing, including who is eligible for a test and how to get tested. Updated 5 February.
- COVID-19: guidance for care of the deceased Advice to assist people required to manage bodies of deceased persons infected with coronavirus (COVID-19). Updated 4 February 2021.
- Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak What childcare services early years settings, childminders and local authorities need to provide during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Updated 4 February 2021.
- Enabling safe and effective volunteering during coronavirus (COVID-19) This guidance aims to help organisations and groups understand how to safely and effectively involve volunteers during the pandemic. Updated 4 February 2021.
Marketing and communications materials
Campaign Resource Centre
To view all COVID-19 related assets, and other campaign materials, please visit the Campaign Resource Centre. A ‘sort’ function has now been incorporated within every campaign section, allowing you to easily see the most recently uploaded resources.
(followed by new/updated assets description and link)
New additions to the Campaign Resource Centre:
- Community Testing
- Reporting an Outbreak – all action cards updated.
- New BBC video content in 5 South Asian languages now available. Please share this content where appropriate through your channels. Content includes:
- Lockdown rules explained
- Test and trace
- Vaccine explainer
- Vaccine Q&A
- Vaccine myths busting