Allowing Christmas mixing as new Covid variant surged 'was a mistake and will have tragic consequences'

reports. A government minister said 80,000 people in the affected areas must "think carefully" before doing anything outside of their home - even if it is currently allowed under England's coronavirus lockdown rules.

direct to your inboxThere are some differences in symptoms of the new UK coronavirus variant, new data suggests.People infected with the new variant, that was first detected in the south east of England, are less likely to report a loss of taste and smell.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the symptoms were “significantly less common” in patients who tested positive for the new variant compared to those with other variants of Covid-19.Meanwhile common flu symptoms are more prevalent

Two days after the Los Angeles Public Health Department announced that the much-talked-about U.K. variant of Covid-19, known as B.1.1.7, had been identified in the region, the California Department of Public Health revealed that another lesser-known strain had been circulating in the county as well.

direct to your inboxDoctors in Greater Manchester fear the impact of Christmas mixing and a fast-spreading variant of coronavirus will soon lead to chaos in hospitals. Exhausted medics based in a coronavirus ward and in A&E told the Manchester Evening News they are facing a range of mounting challenges.

coronavirus variant believed to have originated in Brazil has been identified - here's everything you need to know about the strain. Prime Minister Boris Johnson today said he is "very concerned" about the new mutation, thought to affect healthy, young people.

A teenage girl from Arizona and her boyfriend have been charged with murder after the slaying of a 36-year-old woman last month.  Ottilia Piros, the girl's mother, was shot and killed at her home in Greece, N.Y., in December 2020.

Ashanti is starting the new year with some good news: she’s tested negative for COVID-19, three weeks after revealing she’d tested positive.

direct to your inboxLoved-up actress Jorgie Porter has been gushing about her new man as they spent Christmas and new year together. The Hollyoaks star has been sharing cosy snaps of herself and businessman Ollie Piotrowski together.

direct to your inboxSome schools could remain shut until mid-February as the new variant of the coronavirus continues to surge across the country.While primary schools in Greater Manchester are due to return on Monday, about a million pupils in primary schools in the south are not due to return until January 18.But fears are being raised that their scheduled return could actually be pushed back by another month, as cases continue to rise especially in London and the South East.Education

direct to your inboxDoctors and paramedics say they are bracing themselves for a new tide of Covid patients to hit Greater Manchester's hospitals within weeks. Speaking as plans for the region's move to Tier 4 were announced and the return to school for secondary pupils was delayed, Dr Carole Gavin, a consultant in Greater Manchester, said concerns were growing as hospitals in the south battle to find beds as infection rates - largely found to be caused by the new mutant strain - rise.

Howard Rubenstein, the public relations expert who guided the paths of high-profile clients like George Steinbrenner, Rupert Murdoch and Donald Trump, has died at his home in Manhattan.

Public health officials in Colorado confirmed the first case of a new coronavirus variant in the United States that was first discovered in Britain weeks ago, prompting a new set of lockdowns.  The state informed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the case.  "The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority and we will closely monitor this case, as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely," Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.