HERE'S the latest news from the Covid pandemic: 

  • The Government said a further 230 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Monday, bringing the UK total to 117,396. Among them were three deaths at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, three in North Tees and Hartlepool, six in South Tyneside and Sunderland and three at York Teaching Hospital. It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 4,047,843.
  • Government data up to February 24 shows that of the 18,911,978 jabs given in the UK so far, 18,691,835 were first doses – a rise of 448,962 on the previous day.
  • The UK’s four chief medical officers have agreed the Covid-19 alert level should move from five – its highest – down to four as the risk of the NHS being overwhelmed within 21 days “has receded”.
  • Downing Street has confirmed that pubs will be able to serve takeaway drinks from April 12, in a potential boost for bars without gardens. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Outdoor hospitality is permitted so I believe it would be the case that takeaway alcohol will be permitted.”
  • Covid-19 case rates fell in all regions of England except Yorkshire and the Humber, according to the latest weekly surveillance report from Public Health England. In Yorkshire and the Humber the rate of new cases stood at 150.1 per 100,000 people in the seven days to February 21, a slight increase from 149.5 the previous week.
  • Simon Lebus, interim chief regulator of Ofqual, said he was “perfectly happy” with teachers assessing GCSE and A-level grades this year. During an interview, Mr Lebus was asked about whether he had preferred and advised the Government that there should be a form of externally-set teacher-marked papers – one of the ideas considered as part of this year’s consultation into grading.
  • Schools in North Yorkshire have plans in place to ensure all pupils can enjoy a safe return to school next month - including Covid-19 testing for all secondary school-aged students. Students attending secondary school, college and special schools will be provided with quick swab tests in school before they fully return to the classroom. These are designed to identify asymptomatic cases of coronavirus and provide additional reassure for pupils, parents and staff. Primary schools will reopen to all children from March 8.
  • A Campgain to help eradicate digital poverty amongst the region’s children has received a £30k boost from technology company Sage. Sage provided the donation to Children North East’s Computers for Kids campaign to help hundreds of disadvantaged young people stay connected to education. The money will be funnelled to the North of Tyne region, where Sage’s new global head office will be based when it opens at Cobalt Business Park. This builds on the £20k donation the company made in 2020 to the combined authority’s Digital Inclusion programme.
  • About 750 workers are due to be put on furlough at Nissan due to a shortage of parts. A spokesperson for Nissan's Sunderland plant confirmed it would be adjusting its production due to a global shortage of semiconductors.  The motor maker has been impacted by the shortage of semiconductors affecting the whole world.