Health ministers said they believe there is likely “about a million people” in self-isolation across the UK right now.
Following the televised Downing Street news conference held by Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday, Health Minister Gillian Keegan made an appearance on Sky News this morning to discuss the rising number of COVID cases across the UK.
Official figures released yesterday showed that the UK recorded 218,724 positive cases over COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour period.
Ms Keegan therefore made the self-isolation numbers prediction based off this.
“We don’t actually collect that data on a daily basis, but it’s obvious if you look at how many people tested positive yesterday, about 215,000, that they’ll all be self-isolating and obviously from the previous days,” Ms Keegan told Sky News this morning.
“So it’s about a million people probably are self-isolating right now.”
Health Minister Gillian Keegan says at least one million people are currently in self-isolation with #COVID19.
The predicted figures of those in self-isolation comes as it is understood, and has been reported in The Telegraph and several other national media outlets, that the government is expected to make changes to testing rules today, which means that those who test positive on Lateral Flow Tests will no longer need a follow-up PCR to confirm.
Awaiting PCR results is said to be a cause of delay to the official start of isolation for hundreds of thousands of people.
At present, people without symptoms who test positive on a Lateral Flow test are asked to order a PCR test, and are then told to only begin their isolation period when they get the PCR result, which effectively requires them to isolate for longer than seven days.
Growing delays in getting PCR test results have also been widely reported across the UK.
But, it has now been reported that health officials have drawn up plans to limit PCR tests to those showing symptoms, which will allow those who are asymptomatic – about 40% of cases – to return to work more quickly.
People who test positive on lateral flows will still need to isolate for at least seven days, and Ms Keegan told Sky News that people will need to register their positive Lateral Flow results.
Health Minister Gillian Keegan says a "surge in demand" is behind delays to waiting times for PCR results. https://t.co/Na1rK6EJP2
The news of the expected number of people currently in self-isolation also follows the confirmation that 17 hospitals in Greater Manchester have taken the “temporary measure” to pause some non-urgent surgeries and appointments, largely due to staff shortages after COVID cases have “risen sharply” in the region.
Manchester Royal Infirmary, Salford Royal, and North Manchester General are among the 17 hospitals pausing non-urgent surgeries.
Read more:17 hospitals in Greater Manchester pause non-urgent surgeries as COVID cases rise
The predicted current self-isolation numbers also come after multiple hospitals across the country declared critical incidents over the weekend amid warnings the NHS is “in a state of crisis”, as well as a growing number of industries – including education, public transport, retail, hospitality, and NHS and healthcare – reporting being affected with mass staff shortages.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) said that in some hospitals in our region, more than one in five patients have COVID, and around 15% of hospital staff are off ill or isolating.
Looking nationally, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation said there are “unprecedented” health worker shortages, while staff still able to come in are said to be “exhausted” after giving up their days off.
Prime Ministers Questions (PMQs) will commence in the House of Commons at 12pm today.
New ‘postboxes of the future’ are being rolled out across the UK
Danny Jones
The Royal Mail is starting to roll out its line of so-called “postboxes of the future” across the UK this year, including right here in Greater Manchester.
It has been dubbed the most important and noticeable transformation to the classic British postbox in its entire 175-year history.
The national postal service teased the modern-day upgrade earlier this year, but the revolutionary new upgrade was officially announced this week, with Royal Mail ushering in a new era of digitally-driven units that should make many lives a lot easier – at least in theory.
Although they might look pretty identical to the iconic red boxes since before the turn of the 19th century have used up and down the country, there are marked differences between the new and the old ones.
Credit: Royal Mail
The biggest change made to the Royal Mail’s soon-to-be standard design is a digitally activated drop-down drawer, which will be able to fit parcels as big as a shoebox, hopefully saving us Brits on a fair few trips to the post office.
You will be able to scan a barcode via the updated Royal Mail app to activate the drawer for larger items; meanwhile, there will be a separate slot for letters and smaller packages.
Additionally, the new range of high-tech postboxes will also be solar-powered, helping the public limited company chase its ‘green’ targets.
Now owned by parent firm International Distribution Services (IDS) – who also oversee Parcelforce Worldwide – following the UK government’s approval of its historic sale to Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský at the end of 2024, the group as a whole is undergoing a significant overhaul.
Britain’s new solar postboxes were first trialled back in April in four towns located throughout the Hertfordshire region: Letchworth Garden City, Ware and Hertford. A fifth was later installed in Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire, too.
Despite being quickly considered a success on the whole, the initial design featured an entirely black top, with polls of civilians and Royal Mail themselves agreeing that keeping them red all over was more in keeping with the brand.
It’s like the old school phone box, isn’t it? We can’t picture it any other way.
📮Attention Postbox Lovers 📮
Royal Mail is upgrading postboxes to accept parcels. They'll gaining a new slot and a solar panel on top
Speaking in a statement, the Royal Mail‘s managing director of ‘out-of-home and commercial excellence’, Jack Clarkson, said: “We are all sending and returning more parcels than ever before.
“This trend will only continue as online shopping shows no signs of slowing, particularly with the boom of second-hand marketplaces. There are 115,000 postboxes in the UK located within half a mile of 98% of addresses, making them by far the most convenient network of parcel drop-off points in the UK.
“Our message is clear – if you have a Royal Mail label on your parcel, and it fits, put it in a postbox and we’ll do the rest.”
The new generation postboxes are now being made permanent in the same locations, with Edinburgh, Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester next.
Keep your eyes peeled on the streets as they’ll soon be making a debut in your area.
Manchester Christmas Markets 2025 opening date announced – including Albert Square return
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Christmas Markets are merely months away, and the opening date and important details for 2025’s return have been announced.
It’s official… holidays are coming, and the countdown is on.
Just as we do every year, the Greater Manchester public has been eagerly awaiting news of when the city’s iconic Christmas Markets would be making a comeback for the 2025 festive season.
But now, Manchester City Council has announced that the famous wooden huts will be lining Manchester‘s streets once again from the first week in November, and for the first time in six years, Markets will also be returning to Albert Square.
The Manchester Christmas Markets 2025 return date has officially been confirmed / Credit: The Manc Group | Flickr
Now in their 27th year, Manchester Christmas Markets are known and loved for bring thousands of people into the city centre each year to fill up on the fantastic festive treats and to soak up all the Christmas atmosphere.
While restoration work has been carried out on the city’s Grade I-listed Town Hall building, markets have been spread all across the city centre in recent years, instead of the central hub being in Albert Square – but this year, some of the festivities will return to where they belong.
More than 200 stalls will also be spread across nine other sites throughout the city centre.
Markets will take over 10 major locations across the city centre / Credit: Manchester City Council
Promising to be plenty on offer for seasonal shoppers of all ages, 2025 will see the iconic wooden ski chalet market stalls take over King Street, St Ann’s Square, Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street, Exchange Square, Corn Exchange, and Cathedral Gardens, as well as Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens as usual.
Dominating a twinkling seasonal skyline on Albert Square will be an enormous 50-metre-high ferris wheel, as well as an enchanting vintage carousel for children, and other Christmas fairground-style attractions.
The new ‘A Taste of Christmas’ event will be open on Albert Square until Sunday 4 January 2026, bringing the space back into the heart of the city’s countdown to Christmas festivities and staying open throughout the festive season for families to enjoy into the new year.
Councillors are going all out to make Manchester the world’s number one Christmas city / Credit: Manchester City Council
“We’re going all out this year to make sure that Manchester is the number one city for Christmas – not just in the UK, but in the world,” commented Councillor Pat Karney, who is the Christmas spokesperson for Manchester City Council.
Cllr Karney also teased that there are a few other ‘Santa surprises’ to come that we can expect to be announced in the coming weeks.
He concluded: “In the meantime, dust off your baubles, un-twirl your tinsel, and get ready – Albert’s back.”
Manchester Christmas Markets 2025 will officially open across the city on Friday 7 November and close on Monday 22 December.
That is except for A Taste of Christmas on Albert Square, and the stalls at Cathedral Gardens – which will remain open throughout the Christmas period until 4 January 2026.
Emily Sergeant -
5th January 2022 
