The period of self-isolation for people who’ve had contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus is to be cut from 14 to 10 days.
The new rules – which already apply in Wales – take effect in the rest of the UK on 14th December. The change will also apply to travellers quarantining after returning from abroad.
It came as data showed the number of coronavirus cases falling across most of England and Northern Ireland, but increasing in Wales, London and the east of England.
As vaccines to protect against Covid start to be rolled out, there remains an urgent need to find treatments for patients who are already ill.
Scientists have been looking at genetics as a way forward. A new study published in the journal Nature looked at more than 2,000 patients in intensive care in the UK – and identified specific genes that may be targeted, possibly by using treatments developed for other diseases.
Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by health editor Hugh Pym and science correspondent Rebecca Morelle.
