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Suds are Up: Jamaica, Dominica Soap War Hits the Courts

Jamaica Observer- The trade war between Jamaica and Dominica over soap has intensified with the battle now reaching in the Jamaican courts.

Two agencies of the Jamaican Government, the Trade Board and the Jamaica Customs Agency, and their bosses the Trade Administrator and the Commissioner of Customs and Excise as well as local soap manufacturer Blue Power Group have all been sued in Jamaica by Dominica soap manufacturer DCP- Successors Limited.

The suit is the latest in a series of maneuverings by DCP Successors and the Dominica Government to get a level playing field regarding competition in the soap marketing within Caricom, accusing Jamaica and Blue Power of uncompetitive practices.

DCP-Successor manufactures soap and exports all across the region and is regarded as the preeminent manufacturer of soaps in Dominica, providing its produce to cruise lines and leading hotel chains. The company has also produces global brands under contract, including Palmolive, Protex, Jergens, Dial, Tone, Imperial Leather, to name a few.

In firing the latest salvo in this raging trade war, DCP has gone to the Jamaican court seeking redress by way of restraining and directing orders, having earlier gone to Caricom’s Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), which late last year issued an adverse ruling on Jamaican-manufactured soaps.

COTED ruled that Jamaica, through its trade board, should not issue any certificates of origin for soaps manufactured under the current manufacturing process in the island.

Court orders being sought by DCP for trade redress

Lack of a certificate of origin from Jamaica may require an importer in a Caricom country to pay a tariff on imported Jamaican soap. still dissatisfied with the situation after this ruling, DCP- Successor petitioned the Jamaican Supreme Court on June 8, 2021 seeking, “an order to restrain Jamaica’s Trade Administrator and Trade Board from issuing certificates of origin to local soap manufacturers in respect of soap produced from pellets/noodles imported from outside of Caricom.”

Soap pellets/noodles are a key bulk ingredient used in the production of bath and laundry soaps.

The Dominica company is also seeking an order directing, “the Jamaican Commissioner of Customs and Excise and the Jamaican Customs Agency to apply a Common External Tariff of 40 per cent on all bulk noodles/pellets (from outside of Caricom) imported by Blue Power and other Jamaican soap manufacturers.”

In addition to these orders, DCP- Successor is also seeking to, “obtain from the Caribbean Court of Justice an advisory opinion on (a) the applicability of a Common External Tariff of 40 per cent to be imposed on imports from outside of Caricom of noodles/pellets used in the production of soap in Jamaica and (b) the validity of certificates of origin issued by the Jamaican Government in connection with bath and laundry soap produced in Jamaica with imported noodles/pellets.”

Blue Power responds

In its response to the lawsuit and ongoing trade war between Jamaica and Dominica on soap, Blue Power Group (BPG) says it has been engaged in the manufacture of bar soap in Jamaica for over 20 years and is satisfied that it has done so in full compliance with the legal and policy framework applicable in Jamaica.

“BPG has engaged the services of an attorney and is in discussions with the Government of Jamaica regarding the claim and their proposed policy response. During the legal process, BPG expects to continue to manufacture soap for the Jamaican and non-Caricom markets in the ordinary course,” the company reported in a statement released to the Jamaica Stock Exchange, where its shares are traded.

Dominica’s prime minister adds his voice to trade impasse

Dominica Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit recently added his voice to the trade dispute while speaking about the challenges faced by his country’s biggest soap manufacturer, DCP-Successor, largely because of what he was quoted as saying are “unfair trading practices, which have been promoted in Jamaica”. He was speaking in February during a tour across all DCP-Successor’s factory, including the manufacturing and storage units

Pointing out that Dominica and Jamaica share very good relations, Skerrit is adamant about the promotion of fair trading practices, noting that the company also makes “soap chips” that are exported to Jamaica. Soap is the major export item for Dominica and generates extensive investment for the country to keep the economy afloat, while the DCP- Successor is a massive entity that employs several locals of the country.

Dr. Skerrit highlighted that the factory at DCP-Successor was closed down due to the massive hurricanes but is now under a new administration and is owned by a local Dominican.

“They have made tremendous progress thus far, notwithstanding the challenges faced largely because of unfair trading practices which have been promoted in Jamaica,” Skerrit explained.

He said the soaps being manufactured in Dominica are genuine Caricom soaps, with all of the production elements being carried out within Dominica. The prime minister acknowledged the role of DCP-Successor in the employment sector of the country, stating that all the different units of the manufacturing of soaps have employed local Dominicans, keeping many families operating.

 

 

 

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New nasal vaccine for COVID-19 being tested in Brisbane

Researchers in Brisbane are hoping their in-progress nasal spray could soon protect people against COVID-19.

The process so far takes the form of two sprays in the nose, meaning those who dislike needles could avoid the jab altogether.

Researchers at Brisbane's Nucleus Network are looking for 60 volunteers to trial the revolutionary vaccine.

READ MORE: Large study finds Novavax COVID-19 shot about 90 per cent effective

"Some will receive it via a more traditional route in the arm, so in a muscle in the arm, and some will receive it intra-nasally," Dr Paul Griffin of the Network told 9News.

While the other vaccines in use mostly protect against developing severe symptoms of COVID-19, doctors have specifically designed this one to prevent infection in the first place.

Pfizer or AstraZeneca both reduce the chance of infection by up to 66 per cent.

READ MORE: Morrison and senior health officials urge over 70s to get COVID vaccine

And researchers hope this nasal spray will be even more effective.

"If we give a vaccine that generates a strong immune response, and reduces the chances of getting infected, that will help us control the pandemic," Dr Griffin said.

Those involved in the trial could earn up to $1280 for their time.

"If all goes according to plan and it proves as safe and successful as we think, it could be available in a year or two," Dr Griffin said.

Visit the Nucleus Network website for more information.

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Police to scour rubbish tip in search for missing Melbourne mother

Police are combing through a rubbish tip in Melbourne's north described as an "extremely dangerous" environment in their search for missing mother Kelly "Ju" Zhang.

Ms Zhang, 33, was last seen at her Winchester Avenue home in Epping about 5.30pm on February 1 before she disappeared.

Missing Persons Squad detectives will scour the Wollert Waste Management Centre, trudging through landfill at the Bridge Inn Road site over the next four days, as part of their ongoing investigation.

READ MORE: Reward increased to $500k for unsolved bikie clubhouse murder

Ju "Kelly" Zhang

Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said the search would be conducted through three essential phases involving mechanical and physical aspects, including the use of machinery and about 20 police members rummaging through waste.

"We are going to undertake a highly complex search out here," he said.

"Clearly it's a very complex environment in terms of a risk point of view."

Police have been able to narrow down the search of the tip to a "very specific" area through technology.

https://twitter.com/MimiRoseBecker/status/1404609193810616325

Detective Inspector Stamper said he remained "hopeful" the tip could provide police with answers.

"We're hopeful that the search this week will move us closer to ultimately being able to find Ju and give her family even a small amount of comfort that she's been located," he said.

"This is a massive undertaking on our part. All the planning involved getting us to this point where we are today.

"We will be here until we're satisfied we've searched the areas of interest."

READ MORE: Victoria records zero new local cases of coronavirus

Ms Zhang's parents arrived in Australia several weeks ago from China as the search for their missing daughter continues.

"We are in constant contact with the victim's family," Detective Inspector Stamper said.

"Ju's parents arrived several weeks ago from China. They refused to believe that Ju has passed away. They are in a strange country, they don't speak English.

"They are distraught. This has been an incredibly difficult few months for them, however, our investigators are as tenacious and committed as ever."

The expanded search area comes after a number of searches for the woman took place in bushland in the Heidelberg West and Alphington areas earlier this year.

At the time Ms Zhang went missing, she was believed to be wearing a pink nightgown and possibly pink slippers.

Ms Zhang's partner, Joon Seong Tan, 35, has since been charged with her murder.

Mr Tan was arrested on February 10 after police found him at Melbourne Airport.

"While we do have someone before the court, it is important that we continue to follow up all avenues in terms of Ju's current location," Detective Inspector Stamper said.

"If there is anyone out there with information about Ju's disappearance who is yet to speak to police, then I am again appealing for them to come forward and make contact with investigators."

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Killer's callous police interview after death of partner revealed

Even though her home is a crime scene, crawling with police and forensic specialists, Natasha Beth Darcy giggles as she sits opposite two detectives.

It's less than 12 hours after the mysterious death of her farmer boyfriend Mathew Dunbar and she's now being interviewed in the living room of her estranged husband, Colin Crossman.

"You've probably seen my coffee machine," Darcy blurts out, knowing the police are scouring every nook and cranny of her kitchen.

READ MORE: Widow found guilty of murdering farmer

Natasha Beth Darcy Mathew Dunbar

"Youse can give it a whirl if you like. Just press a button and a cappuccino comes out!" she says with a nervous laugh.

Detective Senior Constable Graham Goodwin struggles to maintain his composure.

It's a stranger than fiction scenario for Senior Constable Goodwin; he was one of the officers who charged Darcy back in 2009 for the attempted murder of her husband Mr Crossman, who owns the house they are now sitting in.

Darcy had set fire to their family home while Mr Crossman was sedated with a cocktail of drugs in his system. The last thing Mr Crossman remembered was devouring a meal of tacos Darcy had served him, before he woke up in the emergency department at Tamworth Hospital.

Darcy ended up pleading guilty to destroying property by fire but signed an agreed statement of facts that outlined how she had also belted Mr Crossman over the head with a hammer three days before the house fire – both violent attacks carried out shortly after she'd applied to take out life insurance on Mr Crossman. She was jailed for a minimum of nine months.

Detective Goodwin now sits with Darcy in August 2017 listening in disbelief as she claims Mr Dunbar – the partner she lived with and claimed to love – was supposedly gay.

"Mathew's gay – just to add another angle," Darcy scoffs.

"I think he had a lot of issues to do with that. Like, that was a lot of depression, was tough being a farmer, you know, being gay."

The detectives were taken aback; Darcy and her three children had been living with Mr Dunbar on his 1200-acre sheep farm "Pandora" for the past eight months and he had publicly professed his love and intention to marry Darcy.

Senior Constable Goodwin is keen to veer away from the subject, asking about Mr Dunbar's last movements, but Darcy is eager to bring up his homosexuality, planting the seeds to what will later be her only defence.

It was a defence that the trial judge, Justice Julia Lonergan, said she found "highly offensive", with Darcy's legal team trying to make out Mr Dunbar's confused sexuality had caused him to take his own life.

On Tuesday, after a two-month trial and three days of deliberations, a NSW Supreme Court jury found Darcy guilty of murdering Mr Dunbar.

Back on Mr Crossman's couch in 2017, Darcy tells police she and Mr Dunbar had been to Woolworths on August 1, 2017, the last afternoon of his life.

Farmer Mathew Dunbar and partner Natasha Darcy, on trial for his murder.

"Mat loves grocery shopping. That's one of the things I love about [him] … he's a great shopper," she says.

"Oh he's just so good and he can always find bargains and everything and yeah, it must be the gay in him."

Mr Dunbar had told friends Darcy had "chased him" down on a dating website in late 2014, a welcome change for a man who felt he'd always done the chasing.

Darcy told police they'd met after Mr Dunbar found her on the side of the road "walking in the rain".

But their romance was short-lived. Darcy was sent back to jail in May 2015 for stealing a former boyfriend's credit card and making up a false assault allegation against him in an attempt to get the charges dropped.

She had also breached her parole after serving time for burning down the family home while Mr Crossman was sedated.

But Darcy had already dug her claws into Mr Dunbar well before she was sent back to jail, hounding him to make her the sole beneficiary of his multi-million dollar Merino farm in the event of his death.

Natasha Beth Darcy Mathew Dunbar

"Don't forget you need to change your will," she texted him in March 2015.

She persisted the following month asking him: "Can you promise to do one thing for me this week? Call solicitor for appointment to sort your will."

And six minutes later – when Mr Dunbar was yet to respond – she followed up. "OK, your silence says it all."

In May, Mr Dunbar had done what she asked.

"Rang solicitor and organised will change. I love you so much beautiful xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox".

'How to commit murder'

Almost as soon as Darcy was released on parole, she set her mind to murdering Mr Dunbar, the man who had helped to care for her three children for almost two years.

The first of her many online searches looking up hundreds of possible murder methods began in February 2017.

They began with more natural causes of death relating to poisonous spiders, mushrooms and "11 toxic plants that look like food," before progressing to "how to commit murder", "murder by injection" and "99 undetectable poisons".

About this time Mr Dunbar was becoming increasingly depressed about the state of their relationship. Nothing had been the same since Darcy and her three children had moved onto his property.

Psychiatrist Dr Clive Stanton believes Darcy was emotionally manipulating Mr Dunbar, "gaslighting" him with "cruel comments" and goading him to take his own life.

She once asked him "if the rafters in the shed were high enough for him to hang himself".

Mathew Dunbar on his property with his dog.

Darcy had suggested they sleep in separate rooms and was spending an increasing amount of time with Mr Crossman.

On the afternoon of June 13 – six weeks before the murder – Darcy and Mr Dunbar had a heated argument over a loan he'd given to an ex-girlfriend.

He hastily took a gun from the sheds on his farm and sent Darcy a text, threatening never to return.

Darcy did nothing, later texting him to ask him to bring food home for dinner.

Mr Dunbar's closest friend Lance Partridge convinced him to hand his gun over to police.

Her "callous and nasty" response to his threat of suicide showed how little she cared for him, Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield told the NSW Supreme Court jury in his closing address in June.

"Do you want to search the property to see I haven't buried him somewhere?" Darcy joked to officers who had been called out to Pandora in response to Mr Dunbar's threats.

"Mathew can be an attention seeker and I just thought he was having one of his poofter hissy fits."

Mathew Dunbar and Natasha Darcy on Mr Dunbar's property "Pandora".

There are many who believe Mr Dunbar's threat of suicide laid the groundwork for Darcy's plan.

As he recovered in a mental health facility in Tamworth, Darcy turned her mind to researching the best methods of suicide and conducted numerous searches about acepromazine, a type of sedative for rams.

On June 19, 2017, Darcy tried to source ram sedatives from three different vets without success. Walcha vet Dr Rachel Greig thought Darcy's request was so odd she phoned Mr Dunbar to ask whether he needed the strong sedative.

When he told her he did not, Dr Grieg was so disturbed she rang local police and made a statement about Darcy's attempt to purchase a drug she had no use for.

"I was very concerned. I couldn't think of any reason that she would have asked for it that was a legal reason," she told the NSW Supreme Court during her evidence.

The town of Walcha – and all who knew and loved Mr Dunbar – were certain Darcy had taken advantage of his generous nature and his vulnerable yearning for a family of his own.

Mathew Dunbar with friend Lance Partridge, who previously gave evidence at the trial.

Local police had even set up a strike force looking into ways Darcy might be attempting to murder Mr Dunbar well before he was eventually murdered.

While Darcy showed no emotion and looked down as the foreman said she was "guilty" in court two of the Darlinghurst court complex on Tuesday, Mr Dunbar's family and friends felt a mix of emotions.

His mother Janet Dunbar said she was relieved.

"Like I have always said, nothing will ever bring my son back but I am glad the jury reached the right verdict," she said after the verdict.

"If I could only have him back for five minutes, I'd say 'Mathew, I never stopped loving you'," she said.

"Even though we were estranged I still loved him."

Darcy is expected to face a sentencing hearing in October.

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78.

National Domestic Violence Service: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).

If you are in immediate danger call Triple Zero (000).

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Nato Summit: Leaders Declare China Presents Security Risk

Communique is first time alliance has asserted it needs to respond to Beijing’s growing power

Joe Biden and the Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, meet during the summit in Brussels
Joe Biden and the Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, meet during the summit in Brussels on Monday. Photograph: Stéphanie Lecocq/AFP/Getty Images
Defence and security editor and in Washington

Nato leaders have declared China presents a security risk at their annual summit in Brussels, the first time the traditionally Russia-focused military alliance has asserted it needs to respond to Beijing’s growing power.

The final communique, signed off by leaders of the 30-member alliance at the urging of the new US administration, said China’s “stated ambitions and assertive behaviour present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order”.

After the summit, Joe Biden said that the US had a “sacred commitment” to come to the defence of its Nato allies in an effort to soothe residual nervousness in the wake of Donald Trump’s hostility. Biden said that his fellow leaders at the summit knew most Americans were committed to democracy and that the US was a “decent, honourable nation”.

On the question of potential Ukrainian membership of Nato, Biden said the Russian occupation of Crimea would not be an impediment, but that Ukraine still had work to do on corruption before it could join a membership action plan.

“It depends on whether they meet the criteria. The fact is, they still have to clean up corruption,” Biden said.

The Nato leaders declared their concern about China’s “coercive policies” – an apparent reference to the repression of the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang – the expansion of its nuclear arsenal and its “frequent lack of transparency and use of disinformation”.

The language, notably stronger than the China remarks contained in the G7 statement agreed on Sunday, follows lobbying and pressure by the Biden administration, seeking to create a counterweight of democratic nations in response to Beijing’s growing economic and military might.

However, Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, insisted China was “not an adversary”, saying instead the emerging strategy was to address “the challenges” posed by Beijing, which will “soon be the biggest economy in the world” and “already has the second-largest defence budget, the biggest navy”.

At the beginning of the summit, Biden said there was a growing recognition that Nato faced new challenges. “We have Russia, which is acting in a way that is not consistent with what we had hoped, and we have China.”

Nato, founded in 1949 at the start of the cold war, was created to respond to the Soviet Union and more recently Russia, while Beijing rarely posed a serious security concern for its members.

China had never previously been mentioned in a Nato summit declaration, apart from a brief reference in 2019 to the “opportunities and challenges” the country posed for members of the western alliance – a time when Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, was president.

On Sunday night, Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, promised Nato would increase its focus on Beijing, saying that China “will feature in the communique in a more robust way than we’ve ever seen before”.

Other countries have highlighted the importance of striking a balance. Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister, said as he arrived at the gathering: “I think when it comes to China, I don’t think anybody around the table today wants to descend into a new cold war.”

G7 leaders criticised Beijing over human rights in its Xinjiang region, called for Hong Kong to keep a high degree of autonomy and demanded a full investigation of the origins of the coronavirus in China.

China’s embassy in London said such mentions of Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan distorted the facts and exposed the “sinister intentions of a few countries such as the United States”. It added: “China’s reputation must not be slandered.”

Stoltenberg also said the alliance’s relationship with Russia was at “its lowest point since the end of the cold war”. He blamed Russia’s “aggressive actions” for the deterioration in relations at the start of a one-day summit attended by Biden for the first time since he took office.

Alliance members had hoped for a strong statement of support for Nato from Biden after several years in which Donald Trump dominated the summits, threatening to pull out of Nato in 2018 and storming home early in 2019.

“Nato is critically important for US interests in and of itself,” Biden said as he met Stoltenberg. The president described Nato’s article 5, under which an armed attack against one member is deemed an attack against them all, as “a sacred obligation”.

He added: “I want Nato to know America is there.”

The allies denounced Moscow’s “hybrid actions”, “widespread disinformation campaigns”, “malicious cyber activities”, and election interference directed against Nato members. “Until Russia demonstrates compliance with international law and its international obligations and responsibilities, there can be no return to ‘business as usual’,” the statement said. “We will continue to respond to the deteriorating security environment by enhancing our deterrence and defence posture.”

Alliance members agreed a new cybersecurity strategy in response, and will for the first time help each other out in the case of “cyber-attacks of significance”, mirroring Nato’s obligation of collective defence in the traditional military sphere, enshrined in article 5.

 

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Novavax Effective, Biden Pleads with People, UK Extends Shutdown

Novavax COVID-19 vaccine shown highly effective in trial

Novavax revealed the results of a phase three COVID-19 vaccine trial that determined that the company’s two-dose inoculation is highly effective.

The trial found the Novavax vaccine to be 90.4 percent effective overall, and 100 percent effective in protecting against moderate and severe disease.

The vaccine was also found to be 91 percent effective among high-risk populations, defined as individuals over the age of 65, or younger if they have certain comorbidities.

The results of the trial with almost 30,000 participants across 119 sites in the U.S. and Mexico aligned with the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which saw 95 percent and 94.1 percent efficacies, respectively, in phase three clinical trials.

What’s next: Novavax, in a news release Monday morning, said it plans to file for regulatory authorizations in the third quarter, once the final phases of testing and process qualifications are met.

Upon approval, the company said it is on track to manufacture 100 million doses per month by the end of the third quarter, and 150 million per month by the end of the fourth quarter of this year.

“Novavax continues to work with a sense of urgency to complete our regulatory submissions and deliver this vaccine, built on a well understood and proven platform, to a world that is still in great need of vaccines,” Novavax President and CEO Stanley C. Erck said.

Context: The U.S. has plenty of other vaccine options, so the future of Novavax in this country is uncertain, despite the fact that the federal government paid $1.6 billion for 100 million doses under the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed.

The vaccine may be put to better use overseas, especially if the FDA decides the company needs to apply for full approval or licensure, which could slow the process down even more. But even though the company likely missed its opportunity to contribute to the first wave of vaccinations in the U.S., the nation will probably need booster shots at some point in the next year.

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Biden pleads for people to get vaccinated ‘as soon as possible’

President Biden on Monday urged Americans who have not yet gotten vaccinated against the coronavirus to do so as soon as possible, pointing to the nearly 600,000 lives lost domestically from the virus.

“If you have not been vaccinated, get vaccinated. Get vaccinated as soon as possible. We have plenty of vaccinations, plenty of sites. We have more work to do to beat this virus and now is not the time to let our guard down,” Biden said.

July 4th goal in doubt: Biden has set a goal of vaccinating 70 percent of U.S. adults with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by July 4. While 13 states have reached that threshold, others are lagging behind and Biden appears increasingly unlikely to meet that goal.

Nationally, 64.5 percent of Americans above age 18 have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The White House has embarked on a multipronged effort to address vaccine concerns, deliver doses to hard-to-reach Americans and incentivize individuals to get their shots ove the next month.

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PM announces four-week delay to Covid lockdown easing in England

Boris Johnson says more time needed to tackle Delta variant but signals he will not tolerate further suspension

Boris Johnson announces four-week delay to England lockdown easing – video

Boris Johnson has halted the final easing of lockdown restrictions in England and ordered a four-week delay to speed up the vaccination programme, but signalled afterwards he would not tolerate any further suspension.

The prime minister said 19 July was a “terminus date” and that all restrictions on social contact could be lifted, barring the emergence of a gamechanging new variant.

The chief medical officer for England, Prof Chris Whitty, suggested that within four weeks the additional jabs would offer sufficient protection to halt a surge in hospitalisations and said there would come a point where the country would be able to live with the virus in relative normality.

But Whitty and Johnson said a speeding up of second vaccine doses for the over-40s combined with a four-week delay could prevent thousands of unnecessary deaths. Although the data will be reviewed after two weeks, No 10 said it was unlikely restrictions would change.

Johnson said the data was now clear that two doses of the vaccine were needed to combat the Delta variant, first discovered in India, and said it was right to allow extra time to give millions more people second doses.

“Now is the time to ease off the accelerator, because by being cautious now we have the chance in the next four weeks to save many thousands of lives by vaccinating millions more people,” he said.

Whitty said nobody should think that from 19 July, the risk of Covid-19 would disappear – but signalled there was a point where the risks could be managed. “There will still be … substantial numbers in hospitals and sadly there will be some people who will go on to die of this – the question is a matter of balance,” he said.

“We will have to live with this virus – which will continue to cause severe infections and kill people – for the rest of our lives.”

Johnson is likely to face a significant backlash from Conservative MPs, some of whom warned that the public was reaching its limit, though polls suggest the majority back a short delay. A senior Tory MP accused the government of shifting the goalposts from making sure the NHS is not overwhelmed to avoiding all Covid-related deaths.

“I can just about tolerate this but it’s to the end of my tolerance levels,” they said, adding ministers should know: “This is it, no more – you’re out of lives.”

But a minister dismissed grumblings from colleagues, saying there was a “huge disconnect between a minority of parliamentarians making a loud noise and mainstream opinion”.

Announcing the delay, Johnson also slashed the interval between the first and second jabs from 12 weeks to eight for the over-40s, a step that has already been taken for older adults..

 

Hospitalisations could hit the peak of the first wave if step 4 of the roadmap proceeds, according to modelling by the government’s Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M) committee.

He warned that given a 50% rise in hospitalisations in the last week, if the current trajectory continued and restrictions were loosened “then we would run into trouble” fairly quickly.

Weddings will be given a limited reprieve with lifting of the cap at 30 guests, but venues must stick with social distancing requirements and table service. The advice will still prohibit singing and dancing.

The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has rejected business demands for an extension of the furlough scheme and business rates relief as sources close to him said he believed sufficient economic support measures were already in place to cope with a delay.

Hospitalisations have risen by 50% across England, while the north-west has recorded a rise of 61%. The vast majority of patients – over 70% – admitted to hospital are under 65, while the over-65s make up fewer than 30%.

This is a “complete reversal” of the picture during the first wave, Whitty said, pointing to the success of older people having had two vaccine doses in preventing hospitalisations.

The delay of four weeks should mean all over-40s who received a first dose by mid-May will have been offered their second dose by the week commencing 19 July when the final restrictions lift, and all over-18s will have been offered a first dose. From Tuesday, all those aged 23 and over will be offered their first dose.

Minutes from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) also reveal that a four-week delay would be advantageous because it would push the easing of restrictions closer to the school holidays, when transmission of Covid is likely to be reduced.

The prime minister, who met Sunak, Matt Hancock and Michael Gove on Sunday to agree the delay, judged two of the four tests for easing restrictions had not been met – the tests that highlight the effects of new variants as well as increases in infection rates leading to possible hospitalisations and deaths.

Ahead of the decision, Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, also held a meeting of the first ministers in the devolved administrations and a cabinet call was convened. But the decision to announce the delay at a press conference provoked ire from the House of Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who said he had had to intervene to force the government to make a statement in parliament on Monday.

'Totally unacceptable': Speaker condemns sidelining of Commons over England lockdown delay – video
‘Totally unacceptable’: Speaker condemns sidelining of Commons over England lockdown delay – video

He said the prime minister making such a significant announcement at a press conference instead of in the chamber was “totally unacceptable” and that he had been “misled” into thinking no final decisions had yet been taken.

MPs are expected to vote on the change to the roadmap on Wednesday and Labour will back the change, although there is likely to be a sizeable Conservative rebellion.

Jon Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, said the delay was “predicted and predictable” and that the blame lay squarely with the prime minister. “We are here because Boris Johnson left our borders as secure as a sieve with a weak, puny border policy that allowed the Delta variant to reach our shores.”

He confirmed Labour would support the extending of restrictions to 19 July “with a heavy heart” when a vote is held in the Commons on Wednesday.

On Monday, Public Health England also released encouraging data suggesting Covid jabs appeared to offer substantial protection against hospitalisation from the Delta variant. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is 94% effective against hospital admission after one dose, rising to 96% after two doses. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is 71% effective against hospital admission after one dose, rising to 92% after two.

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Biloela mother's 'small freedom' following government decision

The mother of the Biloela family deported to Christmas Island in 2018 has spoken from her daughter's bedside following today's Federal Government decision to reunite the family in Perth.

Priya Murugappan today told 9News she was so thankful for all the "hard work and fighting" supporters had done over the past few years, and said the family considered the regional Queensland town "home".

It's the first time the family has spoken to media since daughter Tharunicaa was medically evacuated from the island due to a blood infection. The incident prompted a renewed push from supporters to get the family off the island.

READ MORE: Australian girl suffering malnutrition 'collapses in refugee camp'

Priya Murugappan today told 9News she was so thankful for all the "hard work and fighting" supporters had done over the past few years.The townships of Biloela continue to rally behind the family, with accommodation already being offered.

"This is a small freedom, but my life is my community back in Biloela," Priya told 9News.

"My girls, for both girls, it's their freedom."

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke announced that the family of four will be permitted to live in Perth in a community detention placement while Tharunicaa continues to be treated in the city's children's hospital.

Priya's husband Nades and daughter Kopika have now left Christmas Island and are en route to Perth.

Priya's husband Nades and daughter Kopinka have now left Christmas Island and are en route to Perth. Close family friend Angela Fredricks has told 9News that while today's decision is a good step forward it's a long way from fair.

"Our family is a little bit relaxed, but it's a small step," Priya added.

Close family friend Angela Fredricks has told 9News that while today's decision is a good step forward it's still a long way from fair.

"I was devastated this morning when I received the news. I hadn't gotten my hopes up, however, I was quietly optimistic of a more longer-term solution," Ms Fredricks said.

"It just feels like they're still not listening and they're not doing what's in the public's interest, which is just to bring them home."

The townships of Biloela continue to rally behind the family, with accommodation already being offered, as well as Nades previous place of work, Tey's Meatworks, telling 9News his old position is ready and waiting if he is allowed home.

"I'll come to Biloela, I'll hug and meet, kiss and chat," Priya said.

"All our friends, everybody, thank you so much."