What the papers say – July 16
Concerns about isolation’s impacts on the UK economy amid a “pingdemic” are splashed across the front pages.
The i reports the UK’s Covid-19 testing laboratories are buckling under the pressures of the third wave.
Friday’s i: Covid testing labs buckle under size of third wave #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/JQdaFgXSi5
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) July 15, 2021
Britain is “grinding to a halt” after more than half a million people in England were “pinged” by the NHS Test and Trace app last week and ordered to isolate, according to the Daily Mirror.
Tomorrow's front page: Britain is grinding to a halt #TomorrowsPapersToday https://t.co/8hvd5tSoKx pic.twitter.com/kaH3CdG19H
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) July 15, 2021
Metro says the record week of alerts has prompted thousands to “ditch” the app, with The Daily Telegraph reporting the service is sending alerts to people “who have never come into contact with a positive case”.
Friday's front page:
PINGING IT!#tomorrowspaperstoday #BBCPapers #skypapers pic.twitter.com/DVwH7Ks81M
— Metro Newspaper UK (@MetroUKNews) July 15, 2021
📰The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph:
'Neighbours "pinged" through walls by app'#TomorrowsPapersToday
Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/O0OG1aYaMt
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) July 15, 2021
The Daily Express says ministers are under pressure to accelerate plans for double-vaccinated Britons to be exempt from self-isolation.
Friday’s Daily Express: Covid chaos as 500,000 ‘pinged’ in one week #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/C0IG5uLY3r
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) July 15, 2021
“What kind of state are we in?” asks the Daily Mail, as it says the “pingdemic” has seen police arrive in a riot van at the Manchester home of a “petrified schoolgirl” to ensure she was self-isolating after a positive swab.
Friday's @DailyMailUK #MailFrontPages pic.twitter.com/0cDsfaHocA
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) July 15, 2021
In other news, The Times says Boris Johnson supports a new tax to “transform social care”.
Friday’s Times: Johnson backs new tax to transform social care #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/PPa7Pl2wli
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) July 15, 2021
Dozens have died in Germany due to flooding, according to The Guardian.
Friday’s Guardian: Dozens dead as heavy rain brings catastrophic flooding to Europe #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/JJRoNeCzIZ
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) July 15, 2021
The Sun covers the latest in the Matt Hancock saga, which it decries as an “attack on whistle-blowing”.
Friday’s Sun: Raid of shame #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/ygfXHdbvwh
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) July 15, 2021
Hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants have not been vaccinated against coronavirus as GPs are refusing to register them, The Independent says.
Friday’s Independent: Undocumented migrants unable to book vaccines #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/NKZ94EHJsQ
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) July 15, 2021
The Financial Times reports a London-based digital banking start-up has become the UK’s most valuable private technology firm.
Friday’s Financial Times: Revolut valued at $33bn to emerge as UK’s biggest private tech group #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/GbG0RBQck4
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) July 15, 2021
And the Daily Star says the moon is about to “wobble” in its orbit “which could lead to a decade of disasters”.
Friday’s Daily Star: The moon’s throwing a bit of a wobbly #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/PdzYssVNzw
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) July 15, 2021