Day: 17 March 2021

A child has been sent home from school in Sweden for wearing a face mask. Yes, you read that correctly. Linus Jefford, a 13 year-old, was told to go home after he refused to remove his mask.

Britain's vaccine rollout has been successful to date. However, a leaked NHS letter suggests that a setback could be approaching in the form of a "significant reduction in the weekly supply" of Covid vaccines next month.

A new UN report finds lockdowns led to 239,000 maternal and child deaths in South Asia while the region suffered 186,000 Covid deaths. When will governments recognise that lockdowns do more harm than good?

Students at several UK universities have accused the police of invading their privacy when checking for lockdown breaches. Some suggest that universities have aided this harassment, granting officers access to halls.

"There’ll be a day when we’re together again, A day when we laugh, smile, and hug our friends. There’ll be a day when we can all be free, To think and speak, to believe and to be."

The transmission of Covid via books is only feasible if an infected person coughs directly onto a page which is then touched within two hours. Given that this is easily mitigated, why has the SNP banned library visits?

P&O Cruises will restart holidays around the British coast this year, but only for Brits who have been fully vaccinated against Covid. Those who can attend will be required to wear masks and to follow social distancing.

A summary of all the most interesting stories that have appeared about the virus in the past 24 hours – not just in Britain, but around the world.