6:54 am, November 16, 2020
- Here are the headlines on Monday, November 16
Boris Johnson goes into self-isolation
Boris Johnson has gone into coronavirus self-isolation just as he tried to relaunch his premiership after several days of Downing Street infighting.
Johnson’s bid to reframe his tenure as Prime Minister was left in limbo after his meeting with Tory MP Lee Anderson who has since tested positive for Covid-19.
‘I have no symptoms, but am following the rules and will be working from No10 as I continue to lead the government’s pandemic response,’ he said.
Coronavirus testing ‘megalabs’ set to open early 2021
The UK’s daily coronavirus testing capacity is set to more than double with the opening of two new ‘megalabs’ in early 2021, the government has announced.
The two laboratories, one in Leamington Spa and another in Scotland, will together be able to process up to 600,000 samples a day when operating at full capacity, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Announcing the two new ‘megalabs’, the government said the daily testing capacity of 300,000 in each lab will mean faster turnaround times for results.
One in six drivers exceeds 100mph
One in six (18 per cent) drivers admits to speeding above 100mph, a new survey suggests.
The figure rises to 33 per cent for those aged 25-34 and to 28 per cent for male drivers, the poll of 2,000 UK motorists commissioned by road safety charity Brake indicated.
The charity also found the most extreme speeds recorded by police last year. The top speed was a vehicle doing 180mph on a motorway in Nottinghamshire, while the highest speed in excess of the limit was 152mph in a 30mph zone, clocked by the Metropolitan Police.
Clock continues to tick as talks on Brexit deal resume
Talks on a future trading relationship between the UK and European Union post-Brexit continue this week as the clock continues to tick until the end of the transition period.
Lord David Frost is in Brussels for another round of negotiations ahead of a European Council video summit on Thursday which has been touted as a deadline for a draft deal.
If no agreement is in place at the end of December, goods travelling between the two parties will be subject to tariffs set out by the World Trade Organisation.
House prices dip by £1,500 in November
The average price tag on a home is around £1,500 lower this month than a record high reached in October, according to a website.
Across Britain, the average asking price for a home coming to market in November is £322,025.
This is 0.5 per cent or £1,505 lower than in October, when house sellers were typically asking £323,530 – a record high amount for the index from Rightmove. Despite the dip, asking prices are still 6.3 per cent higher than a year ago.
Rural rents jump as tenants escape to the country
Rental prices in Britain’s countryside have increased by around 5 per cent over the past year, but have fallen by around the same amount in cities, according to an index.
Rural rents increased by 5.5 per cent annually in October to £919 per month on average, Hamptons International said.
But as strong demand for rural properties pushes rents higher, the potential savings to be made from escaping to the country are getting smaller, the report said.
The most germ-ridden parts of a car revealed
The dirtiest areas of a car have been revealed in a new study conducted by University College of London experts.
Eleven cars were examined in the same areas to find out where the level of bacteria was the worst.
Cup holders were found to be the dirtiest areas. This was followed by buttons, seat belt catches and the steering wheel.
Short respite before more rain
Showers will ease in the north this morning, but blustery rain will move in from the west later, says the BBC. It will be dry in the south with sunny spells today, but turning dull and wet this evening.
Rain will continue to sweep eastwards, mostly clearing into the North Sea in the early hours of the morning. However, the rain will persist in north-west Scotland, turning heavy.
Tomorrow, heavy rain will continue in north-west Scotland. However, it will be a drier day for the rest of the UK and unseasonably mild, with a few scattered showers in the west.
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