England

LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The United Kingdom is ready to take unilateral action that would suspend customs checks on goods moving to Northern Ireland, foreign minister Liz Truss said ahead of talks with the European Union.

Truss is due to hold talks with EU Vice President Maros Sefcovic this week to resolve disagreements over post-Brexit trade arrangements for Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom which shares a land border with EU member Ireland.

LONDON (AP) — U.K. government advisers have recommended against giving a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to nursing home residents and people over 80 because data shows that a third shot offers lasting protection against admission to the hospital.

For people over 65, protection against hospitalization remains at about 90% three months after the third dose, according to data compiled by the U.K. Health Security Agency.

LONDON (AP) — Health authorities eased COVID-19 testing requirements across the United Kingdom on Wednesday, a move that could ease staffing shortages that are hitting public services from hospitals and ambulances to trains and garbage collection amid an omicron-fueled infection surge.

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.