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Your morning briefing: What you should know for Tuesday, July 27

 (ES Composite)
(ES Composite)

Self-isolation exemption list expanded amid NHS app ping chaos

The number of sectors that can skip quarantine as part of a pilot scheme is to be increased, as more testing sites are set up across England.

The expanded scheme will include staff working in prisons, defence, communications, space, fish and HMRC, the Government confirmed.

Meanwhile the number of testing sites is being ramped up to support the daily testing pilot scheme, Sky News reported.

Some 1,200 new sites are being added to the 800 that already exist.

It comes as the government moves to limit the damage being caused to business by the so-called ‘pingdemic’ as workers are being forced to self-isolate for 10 days.

Tom Dean takes Olympic gold and Duncan Scott silver for GB in 200m freestyle

British swimmer Tom Dean revealed he had to overcome Covid twice just to reach the Olympics and hailed the “single greatest achievement” of his life as he took a stunning 200m freestyle gold medal.

Dean led home a British one-two ahead of Tokyo roommate Duncan Scott on an historic morning for Team GB, who took gold and silver in the same swimming event for the first time since 1908.

While Dean was ranked among the fastest swimmers in the world this year, it was team-mate Scott who was considered the leading British hope going into the final, having beaten his team-mate at Trials earlier this year.

However, it was Dean who prevailed, winning by just 0.04 seconds as the pair stormed home over the last 50m.

The 21-year-old revealed that after the Games had been delayed by the pandemic, his preparations had been disrupted by not one but two bouts of coronavirus.

Downing Street stops short of declaring turning point despite huge fall in Covid cases

Downing Street remains cautious about declaring a turning point despite a huge drop in Covid case numbers for the sixth day in a row.

The number of cases newly reported in the UK has dropped for the sixth day in a row amid a rise in hospital admissions in England, according to official figures.

The UK recorded a further 24,950 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases as of 9am on Monday, the Government said, down from the 46,558 reported on July 20.

A Number 10 spokesman said the fall in cases was “encouraging" but that numbers were still expected to rise, adding that "the Prime Minister thinks we're not out of the woods yet”.

Police stop and search powers to be boosted under crackdown

Stop and search powers for police are set to be permanently enhanced under Boris Johnson’s new strategy to tackle crime.

The Prime Minister will use his first day after leaving self-isolation following a positive coronavirus contact to detail his new Beating Crime Plan, much of which was trailed in the media over the weekend.

It will include a permanent relaxing of conditions on the use of Section 60 stop and search powers, under which officers can search someone without reasonable grounds in an area where serious violence is expected.

Mr Johnson’s announcement comes as the chairman of the Police Federation prepares to deliver a letter to Downing Street setting out officers’ anger over a pay freeze and objections to how the plan was announced.

More storms on the way after almost a month’s worth of rain falls in a day

There are more thunderstorms on the way after the UK was battered with almost a month’s worth of rain in a day.

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for thunderstorms and rain in England and Scotland for the next four days possibly causing more flooding and transport disruption.

The new warnings come as homes, roads and Tube stations were flooded in the south of England, with a flooded hospital cancelling all surgery and outpatient appointments on Monday due to the heavy rain.

The basement at Whipps Cross Hospital in east London was flooded, causing damage to the electrical system and a loss of power.

A major incident was called across Barts Health NHS Trust, with staff moving around 100 inpatients from affected wards, including to other hospitals within the Barts Health group.

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Your morning briefing: What you should know for Friday, July 23

Your morning briefing: What you should know for Thursday, July 22

Your morning briefing: What you should know for Wednesday, July 21