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(Bloomberg) -- U.K. government officials have suggested paying people to stay home if they test positive for coronavirus, amid concerns too many are failing to get tested or comply with the lockdown rules. While the plan has not been given final approval, a draft government policy paper proposed payments of 500 pounds ($685). When asked by reporters about the proposal, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman, Jamie Davies, pointed to existing 500-pound payments to those on low incomes and said there are "no plans" to introduce an "extra" 500-pound payment. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. government officials have suggested paying people to stay home if they test positive for coronavirus, amid concerns too many are failing to get tested or comply with the lockdown rules. While the plan has not been given final approval, a draft government policy paper proposed payments of 500 pounds ($685). [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. government officials have suggested paying people to stay home if they test positive for coronavirus, amid concerns too many are failing to get tested or comply with the lockdown rules. The desire to avoid isolation is the biggest barrier to requesting a test and only 17% of people with symptoms are coming forward for testing, according to the Jan. 19 policy paper. [Extracted from the article]

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is expected to postpone tax rises until after the summer at the earliest because of concerns about the economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, The Times reported on Saturday. Sunak has also rejected calls to extend the stamp duty holiday on home purchases, which was introduced in July and exempted most buyers from paying the levy if they completed the purchase before March 31 this year, the paper said, without citing anyone. [Extracted from the article]

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is expected to postpone tax rises until after the summer at the earliest because of concerns about the economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, The Times reported on Saturday. The nation under severe lockdown restrictions and facing a recession makes it difficult to introduce the tax rises in the March budget, the newspaper said, citing a senior government official it did not identify. Sunak has also rejected calls to extend the stamp duty holiday on home purchases, which was introduced in July and exempted most buyers from paying the levy if they completed the purchase before March 31 this year, the paper said, without citing anyone. [Extracted from the article]

U.K.'s Sunak Plans £500 One-Time Benefit Payment: Times (Bloomberg) -- U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is planning to give a one-time benefit payment of 500 pounds ($680) to nearly six million people to help ease the economic fallout from a third coronavirus lockdown, the Times of London reported on Saturday. Separately, the paper reported on Sunday that Sunak plans to start raising taxes in March to plug the budget deficit. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a threat to his leadership from rebels in his Conservative Party who are demanding a clear path out of the U.K.'s economically damaging lockdown. Leadership Question He is one of 55 Tories who voted against Johnson's pandemic plan for a tougher system of tiered restrictions organized by regions in December. On paper, it would take only 40 Tory MPs to vote against the government to inflict a defeat on Johnson if all the opposition parties also decided to block the prime minister's plans. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a threat to his leadership from Conservative lawmakers demanding a clear path out of the U.K.'s economically damaging third pandemic lockdown. On paper, it would take only 40 Tory MPs to vote against the government to inflict a defeat on Johnson if all the opposition parties also decided to block the prime minister's plans. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Lockdowns in the U.K. could finish by the end of February once a group of up to 15 million vulnerable people have been vaccinated, the Mail on Sunday reported, citing government sources. The government is hoping that 2 million people will get their first dose of one of the vaccines within two weeks of the roll-out of the AstraZeneca shot, the paper said. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. scientists advising Prime Minister Boris Johnson want stronger public guidance on how to wear face coverings, but are unconvinced about following other countries in mandating the use of medical-grade masks to contain coronavirus. While U.K. scientists see the advantage of high-specification masks in some scenarios, they believe the government's focus should be on how people wear regular coverings. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is examining ways to move millions of workers off government support and back into their jobs as the U.K. leaves its lockdown. In March, as the U.K. went into lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus, Sunak announced a furlough program where workers received 80% of their wage to stay home. [Extracted from the article]

The latest controversy came when The Guardian newspaperpublished a picture on Monday of Johnson, his wife, andDowning Street staff drinking wine and eating cheese inthe garden of No. 10 during lockdown last year. (Bloomberg) -- The U.K. government kept open the prospectof a Christmas lockdown as daily Covid cases remainednear record levels, driven by the fast-spreading omicronvariant. [Extracted from the article]

The Bank of England isn't predicting an increase in unemployment when furlough ends, said George Buckley, chief U.K. and euro-area economist at Nomura. "It will have a meaningful impact on household spending", said Sanjay Raja, a U.K. economist at Deustche Bank in London. [Extracted from the article]

Japan, which previously committed to giving Vietnam 3 million vaccine doses, said it will provide the nation an unspecified additional number of doses, according to a post on the Vietnam government's website. Japan to Issue Online Vaccine Certs (08:16 a.m. HK) The Japanese government will issue online Covid-19 vaccine certificates from December, Nikkei reported. The U.K. is looking at requiring vaccine passports for entry to big venues by this month, though has yet to make a decision on jabs for healthy schoolchildren. [Extracted from the article]

Covid-19 deaths exceeded 3 million, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt expressed condolences to family of the woman, who was inoculated before the government's April 8 announcement that the Pfizer vaccine was preferred for people under the age of 50, given concerns about blood clotting linked to the AstraZeneca dose. Dubai Expands Eligibility Criteria Vaccinations (7:59 a.m. NY) Dubai is expanding its Covid-19 vaccination eligibility criteria. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed restaurants, pubs and shops will open again as England's lockdown is eased next week, but the ban on foreign travel may remain for longer. The traffic light risk ratings -- coding countries red, amber or green -- will take account of a nation's vaccination program, infection rate, virus strains, and sequencing capacity. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed restaurants and shops will open again for the first time in four months as England's lockdown is eased next week, but the ban on foreign travel may remain for longer. Social Distancing A review of social distancing will consider when families will be allowed to hug each other again, and whether Covid passports could see distancing rules lifted. [Extracted from the article]

The U.K. will offer vaccines to all adults by the end of July and everyone over 50 by mid-April as the government beefs up efforts to contain one of the world's worst outbreaks. Canada's Vaccine Drive Accelerates (3:31 p.m. NY) Canada's vaccine efforts are ramping up after a slow start caused by shipment delays and that no vaccine is manufactured in Canada. Second-Shot Crunch Leaves Many Without Full Immunizations (2:18 p.m. NY) Almost a month after U.S. vaccination campaigns ramped up to give Covid-19 shots to more than a million people a day, their second doses are coming due, straining state rollouts and and leaving some without complete immunizations. [Extracted from the article]

The U.K. will offer vaccines to all adults by the end of July and everyone over 50 by mid-April as the government beefs up efforts to contain one of the world's worst outbreaks. Canada's Vaccine Drive Accelerates (3:31 p.m. NY) Canada's vaccine efforts are ramping up after a slow start caused by shipment delays and that no vaccine is manufactured in Canada. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- Just as Britain's pubs, restaurants and food retailers prepare to emerge from lockdown in the coming months -- generating an expected surge in business -- Brexit threatens to deal the beleaguered sector a fresh setback. The scope for disruption has been highlighted by the effect Brexit has already had on exports from Britain. [Extracted from the article]

South Africa has secured 20 million doses of Pfizer Inc.'s Covid-19 vaccine, the Johannesburg-based Sunday Times newspaper reported. Hong Kong Imported Cases Climb (5:19 p.m. HK) Hong Kong on Sunday confirmed 53 new virus cases, including nine imported ones. [Extracted from the article]

The U.K.'s health minister warned that coronavirus vaccines may be less effective against new variants of the disease, as more countries consider tightening restrictions. Oman to Get AstraZeneca Vaccine (3:56 p.m. HK) Oman reserved 100,000 doses of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- The coronavirus pandemic may no longer be spreading exponentially in the U.K., according to government data suggesting the country's third lockdown is working. At the time, there were almost 32,000 coronavirus patients in U.K. hospitals, according to government data, a figure that was already about a third higher than the peak in the first wave last April. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. President Joe Biden will mark his third day in office signing executive actions to boost food assistance and other measures to provide immediate help for millions in a Covid-ravaged economy. U.K. Says Covid-19 May No Longer Be Spreading Exponentially (9:07 a.m. NY) The coronavirus pandemic may no longer be spreading exponentially in the U.K., according to official data suggesting the country's third lockdown is working. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K.'s third coronavirus lockdown looks set to endure as the government warned it's too early to contemplate easing restrictions. Summer Earlier, Johnson was asked if the lockdown may need to last into the summer, and did not rule it out, warning only that the new coronavirus strain is "much more contagious" and that the U.K. faces "what is unquestionably going to be a tough few weeks ahead.". [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K.'s third coronavirus lockdown looks set to endure as the government warned it's too early to contemplate easing restrictions. Summer Earlier, Johnson was asked if the lockdown may need to last into the summer, and did not rule it out, warning only that the new coronavirus strain is "much more contagious" and that the U.K. faces "what is unquestionably going to be a tough few weeks ahead.". [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K.'s third coronavirus lockdown looks set to endure as the government warned it's too early to contemplate easing restrictions. Summer Earlier, Johnson was asked if the lockdown may need to last into the summer, and did not rule it out, warning only that the new coronavirus strain is "much more contagious" and that the U.K. faces "what is unquestionably going to be a tough few weeks ahead.". [Extracted from the article]

Austria is extending its lockdown as the U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he's considering all possible measures after the nation recorded 1,200 deaths for the fifth day in a row on Saturday. Raab Says U.K. Considering All Measures at Border to Curb Virus (7:04 a.m. NY) The U.K. government is considering "all possibilities" to enforce Covid-19 rules for travelers, and won't rule out setting up quarantine hotels and using GPS trackers to fight the spread of the coronavirus, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said. [Extracted from the article]

The U.K. is on course to meet its target for vaccines, but faces pressure on the health service due to surging cases, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said. Pfizer and BioNTech SE, which applied for regulatory approval of their coronavirus vaccine in Japan last month, have agreed to provide 120 million doses to the country in the first half of 2021. [Extracted from the article]

The U.K. is on the road to meeting its target for vaccines, but faces pressure on the health service due to surging cases, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said. Japan's government is reportedly considering approving Pfizer Inc.'s vaccine for use by individuals aged 16 years and above, while India will kickstart one of the world's largest coronavirus inoculation campaigns on Jan. 16. Pfizer and BioNTech SE, which applied for regulatory approval of their coronavirus vaccine in Japan last month, have agreed to provide 120 million doses to the country in the first half of 2021. [Extracted from the article]

The U.K. is on course to meet its target for vaccines, but faces pressure on the health system due to surging cases, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said. Japan's government is reportedly considering approving Pfizer Inc.'s vaccine for use by individuals aged 16 years and above, while India will kickstart one of the world's largest coronavirus inoculation campaigns on Jan. 16. Pfizer and BioNTech SE, which applied for regulatory approval of their coronavirus vaccine in Japan last month, have agreed to provide 120 million doses to the country in the first half of 2021. [Extracted from the article]

U.K. Says Vaccine Plan "On Course" as Covid Surge Hits Hospitals Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the U.K. is "on course" to meet its coronavirus vaccine target, but warned the surge in cases has left the state-run National Health Service in a "very, very serious situation." Hancock said it's likely that a dual influenza-coronavirus vaccine program will be needed in the future. [Extracted from the article]

U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the country is on course to meet its coronavirus vaccine target, but warned of the pressure on the health system due to a surge in cases. Japan's government is reportedly considering approving Pfizer Inc.'s vaccine for use by individuals aged 16 years and above, while India will kickstart one of the world's largest coronavirus inoculation campaigns on Jan. 16. Pfizer and BioNTech SE, which applied for regulatory approval of their coronavirus vaccine in Japan last month, have agreed to provide 120 million doses to the country in the first half of 2021. [Extracted from the article]

U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the country is on course to meet its coronavirus vaccine target, but warned of the pressure on the health system due to a surge in cases. Japan's government is reportedly considering approving Pfizer Inc.'s vaccine for use by individuals aged 16 years and above, while India will kickstart one of the world's largest coronavirus inoculation campaigns on Jan. 16. Pfizer and BioNTech SE, which applied for regulatory approval of their coronavirus vaccine in Japan last month, have agreed to provide 120 million doses to the country in the first half of 2021. [Extracted from the article]

(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration urged that vaccines be given according to how the agency has authorized them, in a rebuke to officials attempting to alter the timing and dosage of shots. New York has case of virus variant (5:15 a.m. HK) New York State has found its first case of the U.K. variant of coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo said. [Extracted from the article]

U.K. Virus "Out of Control"; U.S. Maintains Travel: Virus Update More than 16 million Britons are now required to stay at home as a full lockdown came into force Sunday in London and southeast England, part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's effort to contain an "out of control" new strain of the coronavirus. A White House coronavirus task-force member questioned the danger of the coronavirus mutation that helped trigger the London lockdown and said vaccines should be effective against it. [Extracted from the article]

U.K. Virus "Out of Control"; U.S. Maintains Travel: Virus Update More than 16 million Britons are now required to stay at home as a full lockdown came into force Sunday in London and southeast England, part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's effort to contain an "out of control" new strain of the coronavirus. A White House coronavirus task-force member questioned the danger of the coronavirus mutations that helped trigger the London lockdown and said vaccines should be effective against it. [Extracted from the article]

U.K. Strain "Out of Control"; U.S. Nears Aid Deal: Virus Update More than 16 million Britons are now required to stay at home as a full lockdown came into force Sunday in London and southeast England, part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's effort to contain an "out of control" new strain of the coronavirus. Dutch Government Bars Passenger Flights From U.K. (3:36 p.m. HK) In light of the new strain of the coronavirus spreading in the U.K., a ban on flights carrying passengers from the U.K. into the Netherlands started at 6 a.m. local time, according to a Dutch government statement. [Extracted from the article]

All Americans who want a Covid-19 vaccination should be able to get one by the second quarter of next year, Health and Human Services Alex Azar said. U.K. Readies for Possible No-Deal Brexit (6:23 p.m. HK) Supplies of the Covid-19 vaccine won't be disrupted by a no-deal Brexit, U.K. Environment Secretary George Eustice told Sky TV's "Sophy Ridge on Sunday" show. [Extracted from the article]

All Americans who want a Covid-19 vaccination should be able to get one by the second quarter of next year, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said. U.K. Readies for Possible No-Deal Brexit (6:23 p.m. HK) Supplies of the Covid-19 vaccine won't be disrupted by a no-deal Brexit, U.K. Environment Secretary George Eustice told Sky TV's "Sophy Ridge on Sunday" show. Switzerland Readies Vaccination Plans (4:30 p.m. HK) Covid-19 vaccinations will begin in Switzerland next month and should be completed by the summer, Virginie Masserey, the head of infection control at the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, told Neue Zürcher Zeitung. [Extracted from the article]

All Americans who want a Covid-19 vaccination should be able to get one by the second quarter of next year, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said. U.K. Readies for Possible No-Deal Brexit (6:23 p.m. HK) Supplies of the Covid-19 vaccine won't be disrupted by a no-deal Brexit, U.K. Environment Secretary George Eustice told Sky TV's "Sophy Ridge on Sunday" show. [Extracted from the article]

U.K. Readies for Possible No-Deal Brexit (6:23 p.m. HK) Supplies of the Covid-19 vaccine won't be disrupted by a no-deal Brexit, U.K. Environment Secretary George Eustice told Sky TV's "Sophy Ridge on Sunday" show. Queen Elizabeth II to Receive Vaccine (4:42 p.m. HK) Queen Elizabeth II, 94, and her husband, Prince Philip, 99, will likely receive the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine within weeks, the MailOnline reported Sunday. [Extracted from the article]

U.K. Readies for Possible No-Deal Brexit (6:23 p.m. HK) Supplies of the Covid-19 vaccine won't be disrupted by a no-deal Brexit, U.K. Environment Secretary George Eustice told Sky TV's "Sophy Ridge on Sunday" show. Queen Elizabeth II to Receive Vaccine (4:42 p.m. HK) Queen Elizabeth II, 94, and her husband, Prince Philip, 99, will likely receive the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine within weeks, the MailOnline reported Sunday. [Extracted from the article]