Later this evening, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce a four-week delay in the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions in the UK.

While the final decision is still pending, mounting infections and hospital admissions are expected to persuade the Prime Minister to abandon plans to ease restrictions.

He selected June 21 as the start date for Stage Four of the government’s “roadmap” for loosening regulations. However, the plan is likely to be derailed due to rising incidence rates fueled by the Indian variant.

According to the most recent numbers, there were 7,738 instances in the last 24 hours, up 52.5 percent in a week. A total of 187 people were admitted to the hospital, up 15.2 percent over the rolling seven-day average.

Step four, which was supposed to abolish the six-person limit for indoor gatherings, is expected to be delayed by up to four weeks, according to a number of government advisors, and will be implemented on July 19.

One expert, Dr. Raghib Ali of the Epidemiology Unit at Cambridge University, said a postponement to June 21 was “inevitable.”

“a four-week delay would be optimal,” Dr. Ali said, adding, “What I expect the PM to say is based on that data, unfortunately, a delay is needed to make sure we don’t get to the situation again where the NHS is unable to provide care to all its patents.”

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab confirmed that the June 21 easing would be postponed, emphasizing that the move was always intended to take place “no sooner than June 21.”

Top Tory ministers have admitted that they are “racing” to get more individuals double-jabbed before speaking out.

Mr. Raab also argued that the UK should “sever” rather than “weaken” the link between cases and hospital admissions.

This seemed to be a significant departure from the government’s “four tests,” which only said that cases should not “risk a surge in hospitalizations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.”

Downing Street, on the other hand, pushed back, telling reporters, “We have the four tests and those have not changed.”

“The race we’re in is to get everyone up as far as we possibly can to two doses,” Foreign Secretary Mr. Raab told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.

He explained, “Because that maximizes the effectiveness both of risk of serious harm to people, but also we know it’s more effective at cutting the transmission. So I think it is right to characterize that as the test.” He added, “The question is what the evidence says about whether we’ve broken the link – severed the link, not just weakened it – between transmission and hospitalization.” He continued, “We want to move out of lockdown irreversibly and that means we have to be very careful about that data.”

As the Delta variation spreads across the UK, government advisors have banded together to argue for a delay.

It is thought to be at least 60% more transmissible than the Kent strain, which caused a winter spike and ruined Christmas.

The New and Emerging Virus Threat Advisory Group’s adviser Peter Openshaw warned of a “quite concerning spike” in infections and hospitalizations.

“We do need to concentrate on getting as many people as possible vaccinated over the next few weeks to counter the rise of [the Indian variant],” Professor Openshaw told Times Radio.

Professor Stephen Reicher, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours told Times Radio: “I think we’ll hear a delay because all the data now points that way.

“In a situation where things are getting worse, we don’t know how much worse they’re going to get,” said Professor Openshaw. “We don’t know how many people are going to get seriously ill. There’s still a lot of damage that can be done, therefore it makes good sense to pause.” He explained, “I think pausing not moving forward is not enough when things are getting worse and we should be thinking about all sorts of measures, not further restrictions, not lockdown, but the basics that we’ve never got right.” He continued, “There are all sorts of things we should be doing better to lower the level of infections to make sure we’re not going backwards. The real issue now isn’t should we go forwards … it’s how do we stop ourselves going backwards?”

This summer, Labour frontbencher Emily Thornberry predicts that British tourists will have to forego their vacations abroad.

“I think it’s very unlikely people will be able to go abroad this summer, I’m afraid,” the Shadow Trade Secretary told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show. She said, “We need to hear what the ministers say, they need to give us clear instructions. People will do the right thing, so long as they know what it is they’re expected to do,” she explained. “The problem time and time again is it really hasn’t been clear.”

Professor Andrew Hayward, Director of College London’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, warned the government not to proceed with Step Four just yet, telling BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show: “We have got to be really cautious because there is still a substantial chance we could have a wave of hospitalisations which could put substantial pressure on the NHS.” He continued, “You don’t put your foot on the pedal if you’re driving down a road and going to a corner and you’re not sure what’s around that curve.”

Hospitality executives requested “certainty” from the government as well as further funding.

Shepherd Neame’s chief executive, Jonathan Neame, stated: “The key thing right now is a certainty if there has to be a delay then it should be short and time-specific because we need to be absolutely certain that things will change from that date. What we absolutely can’t have is a return to a cycle of five-week reviews without knowing how things will end up.”

Tory backbenchers increased pressure on the Prime Minister to adhere to the original schedule.

“It’s increasingly clear that the modellers are our masters now,” former minister Steve Baker said.

Conservative Marcus Fysh told the Sunday Telegraph: “I cannot see any reason to observe restrictions domestically and I have no intention of doing so. That goes for Parliament, too. There is no way that I’ll be doing any more social distancing or masks. Whatever they say the rules are, I will ignore them from June 21.”

Sir Patrick Vallance, the Chief Scientific Adviser, has warned that a new coronavirus outbreak is expected later this year.

As the weather cooled and people spent more time indoors again, he admitted that Covid-19 cases might climb.

He told a video connection briefing for media at the G7 Summit, “We expect there to be increased pressure from coronavirus in the winter again.”

Sir Patrick remarked as Tory ministers expressed concern that Covid limitations in England could last until Spring 2022.

With experts predicting that Boris Johnson will push back the end of lockdown rules from June 21 to July 19, a senior minister cautioned that there would only be a “very short window to open up” before cases spiked again in September.

“I am very worried the people who want to keep us shut down now want to keep us shut down permanently and are aiming for ‘zero Covid’.” the minister told the Sunday Telegraph. “Once you start delaying to the spring, you’re making this type of control of people’s lives semi-permanent.”

According to Buckingham Palace, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband has died at the age of 99.

f the Greek royal family and ending as the longest-serving consort of the United Kingdom.

He was noted for his often venomous remarks and for eagerly accepting over 20,000 royal engagements to further British interests at home and abroad. He was the patron of hundreds of charities, created initiatives to help British schoolchildren engage in challenging outdoor adventures, and was a key figure in the upbringing of his four children, including the heir to the throne, Prince Charles.

The palace said, “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” adding that, “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.”

Philip saw his primary position as supporting his wife, who ascended to the throne as Britain withdrew from the empire and guided the monarchy through decades of decreasing social deference and U.K. dominance into a new world where people demand affection from their icons.

“He told me the first day he offered me my job, that his job — first, second and last — was never to let her down,” an old navy friend and former private secretary of the prince said of him in the 1970s.

Philip “helped to steer the royal family and the monarchy so that it remains an institution indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said of Philip’s support for the queen.

The queen, who is known for her modesty and dislikes public displays of affection, once referred to him as “her rock” in public.

Philip called his wife Lilibet in private but referred to her as “The Queen” when speaking with others.

Statesmen and royals from all over the world expressed their condolences on Friday. Philip’s “poise, charm, and wit,” as well as his contribution to the “liberation of Europe from Nazi terror,” were remembered by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister, also mentioned his military service and said he was at the “forefront of many community service initiatives.”

The Dutch royal house tweeted, “His lively personality never ceased to leave an unforgettable impression.” With figures from both sides expressing condolences, British politics was placed on hold. Campaigning for next month’s local and Scottish polls has been halted by the major parties.

Philip’s reputation evolved from that of a handsome, dashing athlete to that of an arrogant, cruel curmudgeon over the years. In his later years, he was known as a wry and philosophical observer of the times, an old, craggy-faced man who kept his military bearing despite ill health.

Philip was given a central role in the successful Netflix series “The Crown,” with a slightly racy, swashbuckling image. He never said anything about it in public, but many Britons, including younger viewers who had always seen him as an old man, were moved by the depiction.

Philip’s situation was difficult because the husband of a sovereign queen has no official role, and his life was marked by extraordinary inconsistencies between his public and private responsibilities. He marched three paces behind his wife in public to display respect for the king, but he was an important figure at home. Despite this, his son Charles, as heir to the throne, had a higher income and access to high-level government documents that Philip was not allowed to see.

Philip was known for his wry attitude about his rare seat at the royal table.

“Constitutionally, I don’t exist,” said Philip, who surpassed Queen Charlotte, who married King George III in the 18th century, as the longest-serving consort in British history in 2009.

He struggled to find his place in society on a regular basis, a conflict that would later be echoed in his grandson Prince Harry’s decision to abdicate royal duties.

In a rare interview with the BBC to commemorate his 90th birthday, he said, “There was no precedent.”  He said, “If I asked somebody, ‘What do you expect me to do?’ they all looked blank.”

Philip was born on the dining room table of his parent’s home on the Greek island of Corfu on June 10, 1921. He was the fifth child and only son of Prince Andrew, the king of Greece’s younger brother. His grandfather came to Greece from Denmark in the 1860s to become the country’s king.

Princess Alice of Battenberg, a descendant of German princes, was Philip’s mother. Philip was a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria, much like his future wife, Elizabeth.

His parents fled to France when Philip was 18 months old. After a humiliating military defeat by the Turks, his father, an army general, was put on trial. The Greek junta decided not to sentence Andrew to death if he fled the country after British intervention.

The family wasn’t bad, but as Philip put it, “we weren’t well off” — and they scraped by with the help of relatives. He later married one of the world’s wealthiest women, bringing only his navy pay with him.

When Philip was a boy, his parents split up, and Andrew died in Monte Carlo in 1944. Alice founded a religious order that failed, and she spent the rest of her life at Buckingham Palace. She was a reclusive character who was always dressed in a nun’s habit and was seldom seen by the general public in the United Kingdom. She died in 1969, and Britain and Israel honored her posthumously for sheltering a Jewish family during the war in Nazi-occupied Athens.

Philip attended school in the United Kingdom and enrolled as a cadet at Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth in 1939. Since he was a foreign prince of a neutral country, he was not permitted near the main war zone when he was assigned his first assignment in 1940. He entered the war after the Italian invasion of Greece ended his neutrality, serving on battleships in the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, and Pacific.

He visited his royal cousins while on leave in Britain, and by the end of the war, it was clear that he was courting Princess Elizabeth, King George VI’s eldest child and heir. On July 10, 1947, they declared their engagement, and on November 20, 1947, they married.

After a whirlwind of outrage that Elizabeth was marrying a stranger, Philip’s physical abilities, good looks, and straight talk gave the royal family a distinct glitz.

Elizabeth glowed in his presence, and the couple had a son and a daughter when she was still free of the monarchy’s responsibilities.

However, at the age of 56, King George VI died of cancer.

Philip had to give up his naval career, and his status as a subject was officially cemented at the coronation when he knelt before his wife and vowed to become “her liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship.”

Philip’s life changed dramatically.

Philip told biographer Basil Boothroyd of the years before Elizabeth became queen, “Within the house, and whatever we did, it was together,” he said, “People used to come to me and ask me what to do. In 1952, the whole thing changed, very, very considerably.”

Boothroyd said: “He had a choice between just tagging along, the second handshake in the receiving line, or finding other outlets for his bursting energies.”

As a result, Philip assumed control of the royal estates and spread his journeys to all corners of the globe, establishing a name for himself.

Since 1956, he has served as Patron and Chairman of Trustees for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, the world’s largest youth activity initiative, which offers practical, cultural, and adventurous activities to young people in over 100 countries. Thousands of British children have been exposed to the award and its well-known camping expeditions.

He painted, collected modern art, was fascinated by industrial design, and dreamed of creating a garden at Windsor Castle. “The arts world thinks of me as an uncultured, polo-playing clot,” he once said.

The iconic blond hair thinned over time, and the long, fine-boned face developed a few wrinkles. He stopped playing polo but stayed in shape.

The prince is said to have responded to a friend’s suggestion, “Well, what would I do? Sit around and knit?”

Philip, however, told the BBC when he turned 90 in 2011 that he was “winding down” his workload and that he had “done my bit.”

Philip’s health deteriorated over the next several years, and he was admitted to the hospital on many occasions.

After nearly 22,000 royal engagements since his wife’s coronation, he revealed in May 2017 that he intended to step down from royal duties and stopped scheduling new commitments. After a major car accident in 2019, he gave up his driver’s license.

The queen and their four children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward, as well as eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren, survive Philip.

Prince William and Prince Harry, Charles’ sons; Anne’s children, Peter and Zara Phillips; Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie; and Edward’s children, Lady Louise and Viscount Severn, are among the grandchildren.

The original creators of Peppa Pig are stepping back from the show after Entertainment One authorized 104 new episodes that will broadcast around the world into 2027.

“Peppa Pig has been a huge part of our lives. It’s a source of great pride that it’s given joy to so many children for so many years,” Neville Astley, Mark Baker, and Phil Davies said. “Peppa will always be close to our hearts, and we couldn’t be more pleased to be passing the torch to the extraordinarily talented team of artists at Karrot.”

The animation group, ABD, which consists of Astley, Baker, and Davies, launched the series in 2004. According to Deadline, the three of them want to work on other projects. The group is handing the show over to Karrot, an animation group.

“We decided that now is the time for us to give ourselves the space to work on other projects without the day-to-day of producing Peppa,” the group said.

The style, music, and voice talent will remain the same. Rebecca Harvey, Executive vice president of global brand and marketing at eOne, believes that ABD’s success is rare.

“The show’s enduring popularity is a tribute to their skill as storytellers and their dedication to the characters and their craft. We wish them every success as they embark on their next adventure. We remain committed to producing fresh Peppa Pig content that will continue to resonate with each new generation, and that will underpin the long-term future of the property,” Harvey said.

On Friday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that the new U.K. variant of the coronavirus might be deadlier than the original in addition to being more contagious.

During a press conference, Johnson said that it “now appears there is some evidence that the new variant… may be associated with a higher degree of mortality.” Sir Patrick Vallance, Britain’s Chief Medical Officer, said that more research was needed but did confirm that there was an increased risk in those who have the new variant of the virus.

For example, with the old coronavirus variant, someone in their 60’s had a 10 out of 1,000 chance of dying. With the new variant, that number jumps to 13 or 14 people out of 1,000.

The newer strain of the virus began to circulate in the United Kingdom during the fall. It soon made its way to the United States. Luckily, the current COVID-19 vaccine is said to be effective against this more potent strain.

New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio called for a full travel ban from the United Kingdom to the United States, as the ‘mutant‘ strain of COVID-19, which is now causing cases to rise in Britain, has now been detected in New York.

On Tuesday, De Blasio made a plea during his daily press conference from City Hall following an announcement made by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Monday, who announced that the super-infectious UK variant of the coronavirus has already been found upstate.

Cuomo said that the man at a Saratoga Springs jewelry store had Covid-19 symptoms but is ‘on the mend.’ Three other people linked to the jewelry store have been tested positive for Covid-19, but he says it’s unknown if they have the variant.

De Blasio urges the White House to ‘shut down the danger now’ and ban all travel to and from the UK.

“We all should be worried about this,” de Blasio said of the new strain, clarifying that it isn’t more deadly but is more infections than the original strand. He said, “We need the federal government to step up here and ball all travel from the US to the UK.” He added, “It’s time to stop the half measures.” He explained, “Right now, you can still get on a plane in London and not even have proof you have a negative test, then come to New York City and merrily spread the disease. Why is that going on? Why?”

De Blasio called for the federal government to implement the policy “right now,” referring to the lack of ban as “madness.” The Mayor believes that a total ban could buy the state time to “get vaccinations done” and properly protect residents.

He said, “but if we don’t have a total ban, then we are literally inviting this horrible variant in the door even more – and that makes no sense.” He added, ‘The inconvenience [the ban] poses to travelers pales in comparison to the danger this variant poses to all of us.”

The Empire State has been the fourth in the nation to discover a ‘mutant’ version of the virus that started ravaging through the United Kingdom towards the end of last year, causing cases to explode and prompting Prime Minister Boris Johnson to declare a third national lockdown on Monday.

Like the first U.S. case of the variant found in Colorado, the Saratoga Springs man had no recent history of travel, indicating a population spread.

The CDC claims that the strain first appeared in September in Britain and said last week that it believed it had been circulating in the United States for some time.

The strain is thought to be up to 50% more transmissible but not more lethal.

The United Kingdom is also reportedly dealing with a second mutated form of the virus, said to have originated in South Africa, which experts say could be immune to vaccines and potentially more lethal.

The strain has not yet been identified in the US, and de Blasio did not reference it during his Monday conference.

Officials state that they expect more changes in the virus to occur over time.

According to reports, the two companies (Pfizer and Moderna) that recently rolled out Covid-19 vaccines in the US are testing to see if the vaccine will be effective against the new strain spread across the UK and other countries.

Moderna said in a statement, “Based on the data to date, we expect that the Moderna vaccine-induced immunity would be protective against the variants recently described in the UK.” It added, “We will be performing additional tests in the coming weeks to confirm this expectation.”

According to CNN, Pfizer said it’s “generating data” on how well blood samples from people immunized with its shot “may be able to neutralize the new strain from the UK.”

Both companies claim that their vaccines have worked against other variations of the coronavirus.

Some researchers studying the genome of the UK strain told CNN they have concerns that this variant’s mutations could reduce the effectiveness of the vaccines.

Trevor Bedford, an associate professor in the vaccine and infectious disease division of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, told the outlet, “You could imagine some modest hit in vaccine efficacy, which wouldn’t be good, but I don’t think it would break the vaccine.”

According to Florida’s Local 10 News, the incident occurred at the DJ’s home in December. At the time, Morillo, 49, and his accuser were both working at a private party on Star Island. After the event, the two, along with another woman, went to Morillo’s home on La Gorce Drive for drinks.

The victim told detectives that Marillo “made several advances towards her, some sexual in nature, but she refused all his attempts.” After becoming intoxicated, she said she went to a room to sleep, and “reported waking up nude on the bed, with Mr. Morillo standing on the other side of the bed also nude,” the arrest report states.

Morillo denied the accusations but has since turned himself in after a rape kit tested positive for his DNA, The Guardian reports.

Morillo has had a successful 30-year career after starting out in New York and New Jersey clubs. He later became a music producer under the alias Reel 2 Real, and has had three UK Top hits in the mid-1990s, including the hit song “I Like to Move it.” After his rise fame, he began using his real name to become a staple DJ at clubs in Ibiza, Europe, and the US.

A University of Kentucky student is missing in Israel, after a seven-week exchange program in Amman, Jordan took a turn for the worse.

19-year-old TeNiya Jones of Fort Myers was on a two-month trip to Jordan when a few friends decided to take a weekend trip to Israel before their scheduled return to the States next Friday. However, after a late-night swim in Tel Aviv, Jones disappeared in the rip current.

According to Naples News, Jones’ mother, Tosha Thomas-Mora said she spoke to her daughter via text around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, and her daughter had told her she was “in for the night,” as it was about 10:30 p.m. in Israel. But, less than eight hours later, she said she received a message from the school’s exchange program, telling her Jones was missing.

“I wish to talk to you about what’s happening in Tel Aviv and give you some updates,” the vice president of Health and Safety at the Council on International Educational Exchange said in the message. “Right now there’s concern that she went out swimming and she has not yet returned and it’s been about 2 and a half hours. Search and rescue is looking for her and the U.S. Embassy is involved.”

When Jones’ mother returned the call, the vice president elaborated, letting her know that her daughter had gone for a “midnight swim” with two other students. When they were out in the water, the rip current began to pull them out to sea, so the three swam back to shore. However, upon arrival, Jones could not be found, so the two students, who have been identified as a 20-year-old woman from D.C. and a 21-year-old man from Illinois, reported the incident to police

Upon hearing the news, Jones’ mother said her daughter was never really known to swim in the Gulf when she went to the beach. Although she said she’s “a decent swimmer,” she said “the furthest I’ve known her to go is to stand and wade at the show of the water and take pictures.”

Although officials conducted a “major search and rescue effort,” Jones was not located. However, just two days later, the body of the missing student was found near the Mediterranean Sea, Courier Journal reports, as family members revealed that Jones had drowned.