‘Stricter rules’ and vaccination ‘fightback’

Several papers warn that ministers are considering tougher coronavirus restrictions in England amid concerns the current lockdown is not being observed as strictly as the first.

According to the Daily Telegraph, new measures could include banning people from different households exercising together, the introduction of face coverings in offices, and increased fines for rule-breakers.

The Times thinks shops will be told to “get tough”, with supermarkets facing a legal requirement to enforce mask wearing and social distancing.

It says television cameras are to be taken into more hospitals in coming days in an effort to “hammer home” the human cost in the surge in infections.

That figure is said to rise to almost 50% in some areas, meaning the true number of infections could be five times higher than officially thought.

The paper also highlights the effect of the pandemic on the criminal justice system warning that defendants, witnesses and victims face a wait of up to four years for cases to reach court.

It says lawyers are calling for more socially distanced, emergency courts to tackle the problem.

It has spoken to 28 care providers who together run hundreds of homes and says 17 reported that not a single resident had received the jab.

Eight managers said they had had no details of when to expect the vaccines, and 13 providers revealed they had outbreaks of the virus in their homes.

The Mail says Health Secretary Matt Hancock promised in December that care home residents would be vaccinated by Christmas and says that a month on, Boris Johnson has admitted just one in 10 has so far been protected.

With the headline, “the big jabs fightback starts today”, the Daily Mirror is among a number of papers to feature the opening of seven mass vaccination centres across England this morning.

The Daily Express says each site is capable of treating four patients a minute meaning “thousands” will be inoculated every day.

There is “finally some good news”, says the Daily Star, which highlights Matt Hancock’s pledge that every adult in the UK will be offered a vaccine by the autumn.

The front page of the Financial Times is the only one to not focus on the virus, instead reporting on attempts to hold Donald Trump to account after his supporters stormed the Capitol building last week.

Although a growing number of Republicans have criticised the president, none has said they will vote to convict him of wrongdoing.

The FT says moves to impeach Mr Trump will continue this week, but Democrats are likely to postpone a Senate trial until after he leaves the White House.