Brief. Me - December 19, 2025 11:53 am
In today’s briefing update, the Sunday papers lead with the news the PM is introducing fines of up to £10,000 for those who don’t self-isolate amid the ‘new covid clampdown.’
In today’s special feature, we take a look at Covid-19 news from around the world, as the second wave settles in.
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£10,000 fine for those who don’t self isolate
The Mail on Sunday leads with the news of the PM introducing a £10,000 fine for those who won’t self-isolate in England. The paper says Boris Johnson has unveiled the “huge penalty” for those breaking self-isolation rules. The new legal duty would require people to self-isolate if they tested positive for the virus or are told to do so by Test and Trace staff, it adds.
Read the full story on the Daily Mail
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£10,000 fine if you won’t self-isolate
The same story leads the Daily Express, which says the prime minister will give police new powers to punish anyone who ignores the rules.
Read the full story on the Daily Express
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£10,000 fines for failing to self-isolate as cases soar
The Observer calls it a “carrot and stick” plan to control the second wave of coronavirus in the country. As well as introducing the new fines, the paper says some people on low incomes who cannot work from home will be given “stay home” payments of £500 to compensate for lost earnings over their two-week isolation periods.
Read the full story on the Guardian
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Fines of up to £10,000 for failing to self-isolate
The Sunday Telegraph says the PM was warned by his most senior scientific advisers that the public’s failure to follow lockdown rules was allowing the pandemic to “spiral out of control.” It says Prof Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance told the PM that compliance with the rules was among the worst in Europe. It also says an announcement about new measures to tackle the second wave would come “as early as Tuesday.”
Read the full story on the Daily Telegraph
UK Weather Forecast
Sunday 20th September 2020
Today
Cloud to start for northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland and southwest areas, but lengthening sunny spells for the afternoon. Plenty of sunshine for the remainder of the U.K.
Sunny/clear early then patchy clouds move in for most areas of the UK through the overnight. However, it will continue dry.
Tweet of the Day
https://twitter.com/Sathnam/status/1307278730176483328
Renaissance
“They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!”
A bit of Nostalgia from our entertainment people
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Italy reports 1,638 new Covid-19 cases
Aljazeera says the Italian health ministry reported another 1,638 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the number of cases to more 297,000.
The government also added 24 deaths with the total toll rising to 35,692 – the second highest in Europe next to the UK.
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France reports new daily record with 13,500 fresh cases, confirms surge
France24 says France reported 13,498 new confirmed Covid-19 cases over the last 24 hours, setting another record in daily additional infections since the start of the epidemic.
The new cases pushed the cumulative total to 442,194 as the seven-day moving average of daily new infections rose to more than 9,700, compared with a low of 272 at the end of May, two weeks after the lockdown was lifted.
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Iran virus deaths surge past 24,000
Arab News says Iran’s official death toll surged past 24,000 on Saturday as health chiefs admitted 90 per cent of Covid-19 patients on ventilators in hospital were dying.
Iran’s total number of confirmed cases in the past 24 hours spiked by 2,845 to 419,043 and the death toll rose by 166 to 24,118, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said.
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California recalls more than 10 million N95 masks
CNN says more than 10 million N95 masks purchased using a $90 million contract are being recalled by the state of California, according to Brian Ferguson, spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).
The state was notified on Sept. 11 that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) had withdrawn its temporary certification of N95 masks made by the Santa Clara-based company Advoque Safeguard and immediately began recalling them, Ferguson told CNN.
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Indonesia halts exports from seafood producer after Covid-19 tests
CNA says Indonesia has suspended exports from an Indonesian seafood company PT Putri Indah into China after its frozen fish products tested positive for Covid-19, the country’s fisheries ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
The ministry said that an investigation was underway and that the suspension would only apply to PT Putri Indah “whereas the others can still do export activities as usual”.
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