Report finds that UK Test and Trace never met 24 hour COVID deadlines
A new report by the Public Accounts Committee found that the UK Test and Trace strategy, costing roughly £37 billion over two years, failed to ever meet 24 hour test result deadlines.
China to use a “vaccine passport” to track COVID health of citizens
China have created a digital vaccine passport that can tell authorities if a person has taken the COVID vaccine or been sick with the virus recently - a clean record will be needed for citizens to enter grocery shops.
Humanitarian sector & COVID:19: Emergency relief
Fatima Katergi, Senior Programmes Officer and Abid Shah UK Programmes Manager at Human Appeal, describes the role of the humanitarian sector concerning emergency relief in a pandemic which is more difficult, but certainly more necessary.
When the Venezuelan refugee crisis collides with a viral pandemic
Nishat spoke to Laura Fatio, co-founder of Refúgio 343, who discusses her work to support the Venezuelan refugee crisis in Brazil and how COVID changed things.
Social housing: Why risk focus is key to delivery
Following publication of the Social Housing and Planning White Papers, Mark Alcock, principal risk manager at, Equib, offers Registered Providers his expert advise as they plan for a post-pandemic future.
7 ways the new post-COVID budget could impact your life
Today (3 March) Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled the highly-anticipated 2021 budget, which proposes a variety of policy changes, including extension of the furlough scheme and funding domestic abuse "respite rooms" .
Tackling vaccination misinformation with local government communications
Karen Steel at Granicus discusses how local government communications could significantly help to stop the spread of COVID misinformation, especially when it comes to vaccinations.
Why the government’s £50m cash injection doesn’t go far enough
"By failing students, the wider economy suffers", says Lydia Jones, CEO and Founder of Housemates. Here she provides insight into how badly students have been affected by the pandemic and how the lack of government funding has negatively impacted student accommodation operators.
What are the priority groups for phase two of UK vaccinations?
The Government unveiled the confirmed priority groups for phase two of UK vaccinations - the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is choosing age as the deciding factor.
Why is the UK’s Green Homes Grant Scheme failing to deliver?
Homes account for just under 30% of energy use and around 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK - what does this mean for the UK's Green Homes Grant Scheme?
The Habsburg Empire: Is the nation-state national and the empire imperial?
Gábor Egry, Director-General at the Institute of Political History and principal investigator of Horizon 2020 funded project NEPOSTRANS, dissects the ideologies that shaped and outlived the Habsburg Empire.
70% of available COVID vaccines in 2021 have been pre-ordered
Currently, 16% of the global population have pre-ordered 70% of available COVID vaccines in 2021 - a group of virus experts now warn that COVID will keep evolving unless low income countries can access vaccines.
How will everyone benefit if WTO members sign the TRIPS COVID-19 waiver?
Rachel Thrasher, Research Fellow at the Global Development Policy Center in Boston, explains how the TRIPS COVID-19 waiver rejected by the WTO could ramp up global vaccine production.
Empowering governments and their people through digitisation
Tracey Lethbridge, head of UK public sector at OpenText, discusses how digital technologies could empower governments and their people during the current pandemic and beyond.
Mandatory hotel quarantine will begin on 15th February
The government has confirmed that from the 15th of February travellers entering the UK from a country on the travel ban list will be required to quarantine in a government-approved hotel.
Israel will give Palestinian doctors their first 5,000 vaccines
Israel has agreed to give the first 5,000 vaccine doses to Palestinian medical workers - but only if they live in annexed east Jerusalem, while the West Bank and Gaza remain without vaccines.
European Commission pays out €14 billion under the SURE programme
The European Commission has allocated €14 billion to nine Member States under the Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) programme.
All UK adults could be offered COVID vaccine by May
According to recent reports, all UK adults could have their first dose of the COVID vaccine by May, 2021 - opening up the potential of a real summer.
Domestic abuse services receive £40m to support victims
Specialist support services for victims of rape and domestic abuse will receive an extra £40 million funding boost from the Government.
President Biden signs bundle of executive orders on climate change
Yesterday, President Biden signed a slew of executive orders on climate change, describing the new proposals as a way to fight an "existential threat".