https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/nhs-staff-care-workers-could-23596454?utm_source=mirror_newsletter&utm_campaign=politics_briefing_newsletter2&utm_medium=email

NHS staff and care workers could be forced to have Covid jab under new plans

Officials are said to be looking at whether staff who decline a jab could be compelled by law, but the debate has already thrown up both legal and moral issues - with it also unclear what would happen to continued refusers

By Jonathan Coles

07:11, 3 MAR 2021

Ministers are discussing plans to force NHS workers to have coronavirus vaccines, according to reports.  MPs are said to be looking at whether healthcare staff who decline a jab could be compelled by law, according to the Daily Mail.  But the debate has already thrown up both legal and moral issues, with it also unclear what would happen to continued refusers.  The review by officials is also thought to be considering enforcing a rule on care home workers, the newspaper said.  More than 20million people in Britain have had the first dose of a vaccine, the Government announced on Sunday.  Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was "absolutely delighted" and urged people to keep coming forward for jabs.  But, according to the Daily Mail, 200,000 NHS and care employees have refused the offer of a vaccine so far.  A source told the newspaper: "It is extraordinary that so many people in the health sector appear to have turned down the vaccine."

Care UK, one of Britain's largest care home operators, announced recently that it would be operating a no jab, no job policy for new starters.  The company said: "Everyone applying for a role which requires them to go into a home will be expected to have been vaccinated before they start work."

MP Michael Gove is leading a review into the potential for vaccine passports, which is expected to be published before the final stage of lockdown is lifted on June 21. Ministers are said to believe that forcing NHS workers and care home staff to have a vaccine could help restrictions to be lifted and cut the death toll.  The news comes after a top expert behind the Oxford vaccine has urged Brits not to "obsess" about every new variant of Covid.  Professor Andrew Pollard said the South African and Brazilian variants can still be fought with new jabs in the future, even if the current vaccine proves less effective.  The director of the Oxford Vaccine Group argued more variants will emerge in the future - but in every case, scientists will be working to ensure vaccines can work against them.  It comes after six cases of the P.1 variant from Manaus, Brazil, were found in Britain.  It has also been revealed that jabs given to Brits should be more effective in younger adults than the elderly and could almost completely stop transmission, a top scientist said.  Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at Public Health England (PHE), said she expects the vaccines to give stronger protection to younger age groups.  She said the effect, however, would not be as obvious in the data because younger people are less likely to die or fall ill with coronavirus compared with the oldest age groups.  The expert said there were positive signs the jab rollout would cut infection rates across the nation, and she was hopeful that two doses could prevent people passing it on almost completely.  A Public Health England study which shows that use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine dramatically reduces hospital admissions in over 80-year-olds could also see encouraging results for other age groups.  Dr Ramsay said of the study: "We were able to show that even if people did get a case of Covid after having been vaccinated their risk of hospitalisation and of death are markedly reduced."

And, it was claimed yesterday that vaccinated Brits will be able to jump the Covid queue when landing in Greece for their holidays.  Greek officials reportedly intend to let vaccinated tourists use a special 'green lane', which bypasses the longer queue for those who have received a negative Covid test.  Greece hopes to launch the new service by mid-May, making summer holidays even easier for any Brits planning a Mediterranean getaway.  Tourists will have to use an app to prove they have received the jab under the scheme.  A source told The Sun that talks between the UK and Greece are in the 'advance stages'.  They added: "Our objective is to get the system in place by mid-May."

This topic has been moved to General Discussion.

http://c-w-b.org.uk/index.php?topic=55.0

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9243979/Lord-Sumption-blasts-inhumane-10-year-jail-terms-travellers.html

Grant Shapps ends any hope of holidays foreign OR domestic this year amid backlash at Matt Hancock's 10-year prison sentence for travellers who lie about visiting Red List countries

    Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has poured cold water on holiday hopes warning no guarantees this year
    Government is facing a backlash over threat of 10-year sentence for lying about visiting countries on 'red list'
    Former Supreme Court justice Lord  Sumption said term is 'extraordinarily high' compared to other offences
    Arrivals from the 33 'red list' countries are being forced to pay £1,750 to quarantine in hotels for 10 days

By James Tapsfield, Political Editor For Mailonline and Luke May For Mailonline

Published: 06:43, 10 February 2021 | Updated: 10:21, 10 February 2021

Grant Shapps today warned people not to book any holidays at home or abroad yet as ministers face a major backlash over threatening to jail travellers for 10 years if they lie about having been to 'red list' countries.  The Transport Secretary made clear there is no guarantee that breaks will be possible at all this year, saying he did not want to 'raise people's hopes'.  The grim comments came amid anger at the extreme border crackdown unveiled by Matt Hancock yesterday in an effort to stop mutant coronavirus strains.  Former Supreme Court justice Lord Sumption branded the mooted maximum 10-year prison term for travellers who try to hide their movements 'inhumane' pointing out it is longer than for some sex offences.  And ex-Attorney General Dominic Grieve said courts would never impose the 10-year sentence, which he branded 'draconian'.  However, questions were raised this morning over whether the law is going to be changed at all with some Cabinet ministers suggesting Mr Hancock was just pointing to the current provisions in the Forgery Act.  And Mr Shapps insisted the move was 'appropriate'.  It's up to 10 years, it's a tariff, it's not necessarily how long somebody would go to prison for,' he told BBC Breakfast.  'But I do think it is serious if people put others in danger by deliberately misleading and saying that you weren't in Brazil or South Africa, or one of the red list countries, which as you say does include Portugal.  I think the British public would expect pretty strong action because we're not talking now just about, 'oh there's a lot of coronavirus in that country and you might bring some more of it back when we already have plenty of it here'.  What we're talking about now are the mutations, the variants, and that is a different matter, because we don't want to be in a situation where we later on discover that there's a problem with vaccines.'

In other rollercoaster developments in the coronavirus crisis today:

~  There are claims Pfizer and Oxford University's Covid vaccines both cut the risk of falling ill with the disease by 65 per cent after just one dose;
~  Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall have been given their first coronavirus jab, Clarence House has revealed;
~  Plans to help school students catch-up from a year of Covid disruption were thrown into doubt last night after teaching unions issued a fresh pay demand;
~  Mr Shapps has revealed his 89-year-old father is fighting for his life in a Covid ward after catching the virus in hospital.

Asked during a round of interviews this morning what the prospects were for the restrictions easing in time for the summer, Mr Shapps said: 'It is a fact that right now it is illegal to leave your home to go on holiday.  At the moment that is off the cards.  I don't want to unnecessarily raise people's hopes. The truth is we just don't know how the virus will respond both to the vaccines and how people will respond...'

Mr Shapps told Sky News: 'I can't give you a definitive will there or won't there be the opportunity to take holidays this next year, either at home or abroad.'

He added: 'I don't know what the situation will be by the middle of the summer. Nobody can tell from the point where we sit right now.'

Mr Shapps also told the BBC: 'You shouldn't be booking holidays right now, either internationally or domestically.  Until we know the route out of lockdown, which we can't know until we have more data, more information on vaccines as well, please don't go ahead and book holidays for something which, at this stage, is illegal to actually go and do - whether it's here or abroad.  And, further down the line, I simply don't know the answer to the question of where we'll be up to this summer.  It's too early to be able to give you that information. You would want to wait until that's clear before booking anything. So the best advice to people is do nothing at this stage.'

Lord Sumption's article in The Telegraph suggested ministers who only considered the positives of the term, without considering the cons, are 'unfit to hold office'.  He then suggested Mr Hancock should lose his position as Health Secretary, which he has held since July 2018.  Lord Sumption said: 'A spell in another department which has to cope with the collateral damage, would do him, and us, a power of good. Try Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, or perhaps Culture, Media and Sport.'

In a comment piece published yesterday, Lord Sumption wrote: 'Does Mr Hancock really think that non-disclosure of a visit to Portugal is worse than the large number of violent firearms offences or sexual offences involving minors, for which the maximum is seven years?'

The measures come amid continuing concerns over home-grown coronavirus strains as scientists advising the Government added one detected in Bristol to its 'variant of concern' list.   Former attorney general Dominic Grieve also told the paper: 'The maximum sentence of 10 years for what is effectively a regulatory breach sounds, in the circumstances, unless it can be justified, extraordinarily high.'

Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme he added: 'The reality is that nobody would get such a sentence anyway, the courts are simply not going to impose it.  You certainly shouldn't do it, it's not however proportionate to suggest that someone should be sent to prison for 10 years.  You only have to look at the sort of offences that attract a maximum of 10 years, it's a mistake of the government to suggest something which is not going to happen.  My view is that good government is about proportionality and sounding off with suggestions of draconian and disproportionate sentences for an offence is a mistake.  The fact is I have no doubt that if this is properly tailored a person who does this might receive a custodial sentence and if somebody who is normally a law abiding individual, that will doubtless do them a lot of damage and act as an adequate deterrent.'

Mr Grieve added: 'It needs to be explained plainly and simply to people rather than exaggerated in this fashion.'

Mr Hancock had earlier told MPs: 'I make no apologies for the strength of these measures, because we're dealing with one of the strongest threats to our public health that we've faced as a nation.'

He also confirmed a new 'enhanced testing' regime for all international travellers, with two tests required during the quarantine process from Monday.  Those who fail to take a test face a £1,000 fine, followed by a £2,000 penalty and an extension to their quarantine period, to 14 days, if they miss the second test.  Mr Hancock indicated the quarantine measures might be in place until the autumn if vaccine booster jabs are needed in response to coronavirus variants.  He told the Commons that 16 hotels have been contracted to provide 4,600 rooms for the quarantine programme, which begins on Monday.  The Scottish Government said this approach is 'not sufficient' so it is requiring all international travellers arriving into Scotland to stay in a quarantine hotel.  No international flights are currently operating to Wales or Northern Ireland, but Stormont's chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride said it is 'crucially important' for the nations to work together to stall the arrival of new and concerning strains from abroad.  Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth claimed the public wants the Government to 'go further' on border measures.  'Our first line of defence is surely to do everything we can to stop (new variants) arising in the first place,' the Labour MP said.

'That means securing our borders to isolate new variants as they come in. He's announced a detailed package today but he hasn't announced comprehensive quarantine controls at the borders.'

Travel trade organisation Abta said requiring passengers to pay for multiple tests once leisure travel is restarted would have 'serious cost implications' and 'hurt demand'.  A spokeswoman urged ministers to 'develop a roadmap to reopen travel'.  Single adults will be charged £1,750 for a 10-day stay in a quarantine hotel, which covers the hotel, transfer and testing.  Meanwhile, the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) added the variant detected in Bristol to its 'variant of concern' list.  A strain identified in Liverpool was also classed as a 'variant under investigation'.  Public Health England's Dr Susan Hopkins said the relatively slow rise in cases of the South African and Bristol variant is 'reassuring'.  But she warned that controlling them will become much more challenging as lockdown is relaxed.  Health officials said they had so far found 76 cases of the Bristol and Liverpool variants in the UK.  Both those variants contain the E484K mutation, a genetic change also found in both the South African and Brazilian variants, which experts suggest may be better at evading the human immune response.  The Department of Health and Social Care also said extra coronavirus testing will be carried out in the borough of Lambeth, south London, after a case of the South African variant was discovered.  In a more positive development, The Sun reported official data from tests on the Pfizer vaccine showed a single dose could reduce the risk of infection by around 65% in both older people and young adults after as little as two weeks.
 
Locked up for 10 days at a cost of £1,750, three Covid tests, £10k fines for escapes and 10 YEARS in prison for trying to cheat the system: Our essential guide to hotel quarantine starting Monday

Matt Hancock finally unveiled England's draconian new quarantine programme for Britons arriving home from Covid hotspots abroad.  The long-awaited and much debated scheme will see travellers arriving back from 33 Red List nations forced to stay in hotels for 10 days at their own expense before being allowed to go home.  The action has been taken to prevent the influx of foreign strains of Covid-19, like those that have emerged in South Africa and Brazil.  While Mr Hancock finally revealed many details in the Commons today, mystery still surrounds the locations of 16 hotels that have been signed up to the scheme, with just six days to go until they welcome their first paying guests.  It is believed that hotels on Bath Road near Heathrow Airport are on the list, including Novotel Heathrow Crowne Plaza and the Thistle.  Here we outline all you need to know about the new quarantine system.

Who has to quarantine in a hotel and for how long?

Arrivals from Red List nations will have to quarantine at a Government-designated hotel for 10 days.  It affects British arrivals from 33 countries deemed high risk of new variants.  Nationals of those countries are already refused entry to the UK and most direct flights have already been banned.  The countries include all of South America, large parts of Africa - including South Africa - and the United Arab Emirates.   Portugal is the only European country currently on the list, which is reviewed on a weekly basis.  There is no way around the 10-day stay. While arrivals from non-Red List nations can be freed from home quarantine after five days if they pass a test, this option is not available to Red List arrivals.

How much will it cost?

It will cost the travellers up to £1,750 each for a 'quarantine package', although the Government is paying the upfront cost and will bill them afterwards.  This cost includes 'assigned government transportation, food and drinks, accommodation in a government approved facility, security, welfare and testing'.  The cost goes up by £650 for each additional person over the age of 12, and another £325 for every child aged between five to 12. Under-fives go free.  Scotland, which is introducing a similar system on Monday, is charging £1,750 for individual travellers, plus an additional supplement for each other passenger if they are not travelling alone.  This suggests that families who are in a household group may pay less per-person than groups of friends. 

Where are these hotels?

None of the hotels involved in Number 10's quarantine plan have been named for 'commercial reasons'.  Mr Hancock declared that 4,600 rooms have now been secured by the government from 16 establishments.  But Department of Health bosses said the chains were being kept secret and refused to explain why they needed to be tight-lipped about who was involved.  Rob Paterson, the UK chief executive of Best Western Hotels, last week said his company was being 'kept in the dark' by ministers about the scheme.  While the St Giles Hotels chain last week said rooms in its site near Heathrow Airport were ready to host travellers. Its sister site in the Philippines is already working in a similar role.

What happens when I arrive? 

Those who have been in red list countries are likely to be kept separate from other arrivals and escorted from their plane, train or ship through designated lanes to a coach, which will take them to their hotel.  Where children are travelling with adults, two interconnecting rooms should be allocated. If this is not possible, the largest rooms and suites should be made available to families.  Three meals a day per guest will be left outside the hotel rooms. There will also be tea and coffee facilities, fresh fruit and water.  Security staff will be on each floor to ensure people stay in their rooms. Guests are allowed out to smoke or for a breath of fresh air – but must be escorted by a guard.

What if I try to leave the hotel before finishing my quarantine?

Failure to stick to the hotel quarantine will be punishable with a fine of up to £10,000, Mr Hancock said.  Last year quarantine was attempted for a small number of people who had been in Wuhan, the Chinese epicentre of the contagion.  A group of more than 80 people were flown into the UK and taken to former nurses accommodation at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral.  Their accommodation was kitted out with bedding, games consoles and Barbies ahead of their 14 days in quarantine.  But the scheme attracted negative headlines when the isolated Brits held staff to 'ransom', with one security guard alleging that the evacuees know they can threaten to leave the secure unit and 'get whatever they want'.  One person tried to leave before completing the 14-day stay after his return from China, breaking the contract they signed before they were rescued.  The tough new rules are designed to prevent the same happening on a much larger scale this time around.

Can't I just lie about where I have been?

Mr Hancock said that arrivals who lie on their passenger locator forms about visiting 'hot spot' countries, in order to avoid hotel quarantine, face up to a decade in prison.  The maximum punishment puts the offence in a category with some of the most serious, alongside things such as carrying a firearm with intent. Sentences for rape can be shorter than 10 years, although the maximum for that level of crime is life.   The Health Secretary told the Commons: 'People who flout these rules are putting us all at risk.  Passenger carriers will have a duty in law to make sure that passengers have signed up for these new arrangements before they travel, and will be fined if they don't, and we will be putting in place tough fines for people who don't comply.  This includes a £1,000 penalty for any international arrival who fails to take a mandatory test, a £2,000 penalty for any international arrival who fails to take the second mandatory test, as well as automatically extending their quarantine period to 14 days, and a £5,000 fixed penalty notice rising to £10,000 - for arrivals who fail to quarantine in a designated hotel.'

He added: 'I make no apologies for the strength of these measures, because we're dealing with one of the strongest threats to our public health that we've faced as a nation.' 

What about taking Covid tests?

Red List arrivals will be required to test negative for coronavirus abroad, no more than 72 hours before departure, using a kit that meets UK government standards.  They will be tested again on day two and day eight of quarantine, with costs included in the wider charge of the hotel stay.  The tests required are the PCR variety rather than the quicker and cheaper lateral flow.  The same requirement for a negative test result 72 hours before departure applies to arrivals from non-Red List nations.  Once in the UK, they must isolate for 10 days at home or in private accommodation, with the authorities able to check that they are obeying the rules.  Tests will be required on day two and day eight of isolation at a combined cost of £210, and must be booked through a government portal in advance of travel. The portal will be launched on Thursday.  The test and release scheme which allows non-Red List travellers to leave isolation if they test negative after five days is staying in place. Many essential business travellers are likely to take this option.  However, Mr Hancock suggested even though they will not be subject to quarantine after the five-day test, they will still be required to have tests on day two and days eight. That means they could be screened four times in total.

What if I'm going to Scotland or Wales?

All travellers landing at Scotland's airports will be forced to quarantine for 10 days at their own cost, the country's Transport Secretary has said.

Michael Matheson told MSPs that six hotels have been block-booked in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, with up to 1,300 rooms available.

The Transport Secretary said the cost to an individual traveller would be £1,750, with an additional supplement for each other passenger if they are not travelling alone, and costs will cover the accommodation as well as two Covid-19 tests during the 10-day period.

The Scottish Government has previously said it would go further than UK Government proposals. 

A Welsh Government spokesman said Wales will be adopting the new border measures announced for England.

The spokesperson said: 'This will include all people returning to Wales from 15 February being required to book and pay for tests before they travel. This will be done through the UK portal, whether a person has been in a Red List country or not.

'People returning to Wales from Red List countries are doing so through other ports in the UK, primarily via England. From 15 February, all arrivals in England will be required to isolate in designated hotels.

'This includes anyone planning to travel on to Wales, and they will need to enter a designated hotel for quarantine in England. This will need to be booked before travel.'

When will the quarantine rules be relaxed?

This is a question that the travel industry and many Tory MPs would like an answer to.

Furious backbenchers savaged Mr Hancock over a 'forever lockdown' today after he warned border restrictions may need to stay until autumn — despite figures showing the UK's epidemic is firmly in retreat. 

Hotels were told it will last for an 'initial period' until March 31 – but this can be extended at a stroke, with rolling seven-day notice periods.

Asked when the new rules will be relaxed, Mr Hancock replied: 'We want to exit from this into a system of safe international travel as soon as practicable and as soon as is safe.'

He said work is ongoing to assess the current vaccines against variants of the virus, adding: 'If that isn't forthcoming then we will need to vaccinate with a further booster jab in the autumn, which we're working with the vaccine industry.

'These are the uncertainties within which we are operating and hence, for now, my judgment is the package we've announced today is the right one.'

Former chief whip Mark Harper, chairman of the lockdown-sceptic CRG bloc of around 70 MPs, urged the government to reconsider its approach with Covid likely to be a permanent issue. 'If the virus continues to mutate, surely the risk is going to be there forever,' he said.

Tory MP Craig Mackinlay told MailOnline that he was sceptical about the border crackdown and it might do 'more damage than it tries to solve'. He added: 'This whole trying to stop things from coming in, I think we are way beyond that frankly. The virus does its own thing no matter where it is.'

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy firm the PC Agency, said the government needs to signal restrictions will be diluted from the start of April so travel can recover.

He said 'The government needs to signal that these tougher restrictions will be diluted from the start of April, enabling travel to recover again.

'Otherwise, the huge drop in travellers and number of flights will push the sector over a cliff-edge, with the resulting hundreds of thousands of job losses and business failures.'

He added: 'The outlook may seem cloudy right now, as government tightens restrictions for those entering the UK.

'But, when infection and mortality rates are much lower and the NHS is not under pressure due to vaccines taking effect, then there is no reason for such measures to be in place.'

Will I get a refund? 

The plan represents a huge headache for holidaymakers who have already booked breaks.  If their country is on the red list and their airline or tour operator does not cancel the holiday, they will not be legally entitled to a refund.   There is no guarantee travel insurers will pay out on claims following the changes.  This could force people to choose between going ahead with their holiday and the costly quarantine that may follow or not turning up for the break they've paid for.  If plans are cancelled by the companies involved, you are entitled to a full refund within seven days for flights, or 14 for package breaks.

How will the new border rules work? 

Matt Hancock has announced details of the tougher border measures to MPs.

TEN YEARS IN PRISON 

Mr Hancock said that arrivals who lie on their passenger locator forms about visiting 'hot spot' countries, in order to avoid hotel quarantine, face up to a decade in prison.  It affects British arrivals from 33 countries deemed high risk of new variants. Nationals of those countries will be refused entry to the UK and most direct flights have already been banned.  The countries include all of South America, large parts of Africa including South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

HOTEL QUARANTINE

Arrivals from Red List nations will have to quarantine at a Government-designated hotel for 10 days.  It will cost the travellers £1,750 each, although the Government is paying the upfront cost and will bill them afterwards.  Attempts to break out of the quarantine before the 10 days are up could result in a fine of up to £10,000.  They are not eligible for the five-day 'test and release'  scheme.  None of the 16 hotels involved in Number 10's quarantine plan have been named for 'commercial reasons'.

REPEATED COVID TESTS

Red List arrivals will be required to test negative for coronavirus 72 hours before departure, using a kit that meets UK government standards.  They will be tested again on day two and day eight of quarantine, with costs included in the wider charge of the hotel stay.

NON-RED LIST ARRIVALS

The same requirement for a negative test result 72 hours before departure applies.  Once in the UK, they must isolate for 10 days at home or in private accommodation, with the authorities able to check that they are obeying the rules.  Tests will be required on day two and day eight of isolation, and must be booked through a government portal in advance of travel. The portal will be launched on Thursday.  The costs are not yet known but PCR tests typically cost around £120 a time.

TEST AND RELEASE

The test and release scheme - which allows non-'red list travellers' to leave isolation if they test negative after five days is staying in place. Many essential business travellers are likely to take this option.  However, Mr Hancock suggested even though they will not be subject to quarantine after the five-day test, they will still be required to have tests on day two and days eight. That means they could be screened four times in total.

Six in ten Britons say they 'could cope well' with ten days in hotel quarantine

From Monday, UK residents returning from 33 countries will have to isolate for 10 days in hotels.  Now, a YouGov poll has revealed that most Britons think they'd cope well with the quarantine.  Forty four percent think they would cope fairly well in this situation, while a further 16% think they would cope very well.  A third (34%) say they would either not cope very well (19%) or not well at all (15%).  Women (37%) are slightly more likely than men (31%) to say they wouldn't cope well in hotel quarantine.

Very sad story.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9183707/Mother-40-admits-killing-10-year-old-autistic-son-denies-murder.html

Mother, 40, admits suffocating autistic son, 10, she had with celebrity snapper by putting sponge in his mouth as she put him to bed after suffering mental breakdown when care was withdrawn in first lockdown but denies murder

    Olga Freeman, 40, was charged with the murder of 10-year-old Dylan Freeman
    The child was found dead at their home in Acton, west London, on August 15 
    Post-mortem exam gave the cause of Dylan's death as restriction of the airways
    Russian national Freeman denied her son's murder but admitted manslaughter
    Prosecutor Gareth Patterson QC said the plea was acceptable to the Crown

By Henry Martin For Mailonline

Published: 09:32, 25 January 2021 | Updated: 11:09, 25 January 2021

A mother has admitted killing her disabled child after suffering a mental breakdown while struggling to care for him weeks after care was removed during the first lockdown.  Olga Freeman, 40, put a sponge into 10-year-old Dylan's mouth and laid him down to die next to his toys in the master bedroom of her flat in Acton, west London.  Dylan suffered from Cohen Syndrome, a genetic disorder characterised by developmental delay, including disability, small head size, weak muscles, and visibility impairment.  The court heard Freeman, who is the ex-wife of celebrity photographer Dean Freeman, had struggled to care for Dylan, who was also autistic, in the six months before his death.  Dylan had been attending a special school five days a week, but during the first lockdown last year he was not able to attend school, with the burden of care falling on his mother, the court was told.  A former carer for Dylan said he had to give up the job, which involved taking the child out to the park 'for a couple of hours so that Olga could have some time to herself', because he found it too demanding, with Dylan 'kicking his arms and legs and throwing things around'.  Rakesh Shukla, who lives in Acton, West London, told MailOnline in August: 'I found it very stressful so I can't imagine what it must have been like for her.  I only saw her last week and she looked really drained and tired.'

Freeman appeared at the Old Bailey via video-link today from a psychiatric unit and spoke to admit manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.  Her defence lawyer Jane Bickerstaff QC said she had been 'suffering from a depressive illness with psychotic symptoms'.  Prosecutor Gareth Patterson QC said the plea was acceptable to the Crown after careful consideration.  The prosecutor said: 'The defendant was recently transferred to hospital under the Mental Health Act. The prosecution received from the defence a psychological report from Dr David Bird.  'The partial defence of diminished responsibility is available to the defendant on the basis there was a severe depressive episode with psychotic symptoms at the time.  That is acceptable to the prosecution after careful consideration and extensive further inquiries by the officers conducting this investigation.'

Parts of sponge were found within the throat of the deceased, the court was told.  Joel Smith, prosecuting, earlier told the court: 'A friend and ex-partner of the defendant, Edita Surpickaja had noticed that the defendant had been struggling to met Dylan's care needs for the last year as he became older and bigger and more difficult to care for.  Around six months ago Dylan's behaviour had become especially challenging.  Dylan had attended a special school for five days per week but during the lock-down had not been able to attend school. The burden of care had fallen on the defendant with assistance from Ms Surpickaja.  Ms Surpickaja had only been able to offer that assistance for around 12 hours per week and had noticed a decline in the defendant's mental health.  The defendant had sought assistance from the local council, but Ms Surpickaja would tell the police, had received none.  Around 14 August 2020 it appears that the defendant argued with her ex-husband, Dylan's father, about his role in caring for Dylan.  At the police station the defendant told the police that she had killed the deceased before midnight and that she had tried to ''kill him softly'' by giving the deceased ''a lot'' of melatonin.  She told the police that as this had not worked she had used her bra and then her hands to kill her son and had put a sponge in his mouth to help him go softly.  She had then placed his body where he liked to sleep with his toys to allow him to die with 'dignity and kindness'.  She was then arrested and made no comment.'

Mr Smith said Freeman began to suffer from delusions of grandeur thinking she was 'Jesus'. She told Ms Surpickaja she needed to go to Jerusalem.  'She told her she was the second Jesus,' the prosecutor said.

At Acton police station, she told officers twice: 'I killed my child.'

At the scene a bra, sellotape, and melatonin were recovered by officers, and a sponge.  Ms Surpickaja noticed Freeman had travel websites open and became alarmed by the tone of the conversation.  The recording revealed Freeman saying repeatedly that 'needed to kill her son'.  Freeman told Ms Surpickaja: 'I did what I did, sometimes when things are good, it can be really evil.'

Police found Dylan dead at the £544,000 flat in Cumberland Park on 16 August after Russian national Freeman walked into a police station.    A neighbour, who lives opposite the crime scene, said she would often see a little boy leaving the property in a specially adapted van.  Gillian Fisher, 34, said: 'I don't know who the family were but if the little boy is who I think he is, I used to see him being taken to school in his wheelchair in a specially adapted van.'

Dylan's father Dean is the son of Robert Freeman, who took pictures for some of The Beatles' most iconic album covers.  Dean is also a photographer and is best known for his pictures of members of the Spice Girls and David Beckham.  Dean Freeman has also snapped stars such as Bradley Cooper and Emily Ratajkowski.  He earlier said in a statement: 'Dylan was a beautiful, bright, inquisitive and artistic child who loved to travel, visit art galleries and swim.  We travelled extensively over the years together spending such memorable time in places including Brazil, France and Spain. I can't begin to comprehend his loss.'

Freeman, of Cumberland Park, Acton, denied murder but admitted manslaughter by way of diminished responsibility.  She remains at the medium secure Orchard Unit in Ealing, where she has been treated since her arrest.  The judge, Mrs Justice Cheema Grubb, QC, adjourned sentence until February 11.  Kristen Katsouris, from the CPS said: 'This was a tragic death of a child at the hands of his mother who was struggling to cope.  Olga Freeman had loved and cared for Dylan for many years, but the strain and pressures of her son's severe and complex special needs had built up and that combined with her impaired mental health led to heart-breaking consequences.  Our thoughts are with all those affected by this case.'

FATHER'S TRIBUTE TO 'BEAUTIFUL, BRIGHT, INQUISITIVE AND ARTISTIC SON'

Dylan's father paid tribute to his 'beautiful, bright, inquisitive and artistic' son after the 10-year-old's death.  Dean Freeman was in Spain when his ex-wife killed their son Dylan Freeman in Acton, west London, a representative said.  Mr Freeman said in a statement in August last year: 'Dylan was a beautiful, bright, inquisitive and artistic child who loved to travel, visit art galleries and swim.  We travelled extensively over the years together spending such memorable time in places including Brazil, France and Spain.  I can't begin to comprehend his loss.'

His representative described Mr Freeman as 'a loving and caring father and even though divorced for a number of years he cherished all the quality time spent with his son', and said he has been left 'beyond devastated'.

I'm glad Morrison are taking this stance although when we weent to Tesco a customer was asked by a greeter if she had a mask.  The customer said she didn't but was going to buy one instore to which the greeter said she could take one for free on her way in.  She did and I wondered if she had been so surprised by the request that she just did what she was told.

I get aanoyed with the people who wear face masks but don't cover their noses.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/breaking-boeing-737-passenger-plane-23289266?utm_source=mirror_newsletter&utm_campaign=morning_newsletter2&utm_medium=email

Indonesia plane crash: 'Body parts found' in huge search for missing Boeing 737

Sriwijaya Air flight SJ182 a Boeing 737-500 was flying from Indonesian capital Jakarta on Saturday to Pontianak. It had more than 60 people on board


By Tom Davidson Assistant news editor, Sam Truelove, Thomas McArthur and Matthew Dresch

10:34, 9 JAN 2021Updated21:19, 9 JAN 2021

A Boeing 737 passenger plane has crashed into the sea after disappearing from radar and plunging 10,000ft.  The Sriwijaya Air passenger jet lost contact after taking off from Indonesian capital Jakarta earlier today en route to Pontianak in West Kalimantan province.  A local life boat captain claims to have found body parts and plane debris while searching for survivors.  Indonesian Disaster Victim Identification officers have also reportedly been seen carrying body bags ashore.  The missing aircraft had more than 60 people on board including 10 children.  The Indonesian navy claims says it has worked out the last known coordinates of the missing jet, and ships are being sent to the area.  Navy official Abdul Rasyid told reporters: "The coordinates have been found and have been given to all Navy vessels in the area."

Photos show rescue workers pulling debris from the water in a desperate search for survivors.  Captain EKo Surya Hadi, commander of a local life boat, told local TV journalists that human remains had been found, Mail Online reports.  He said: "We found body parts, life jackets, avtur (aviation turbine fuel) and debris of the plane."

An Indonesian rescue agency confirmed suspected debris of the flight had been found.  No radio beacon signal had been detected, the agency said.  Residents of Thousand Island said they heard two explosions before finding items in the sea.  It's been reported the plane fell 10,000ft in less than one minute, about four minutes after taking off.  Surachman, a local government official, told Kompas TV that fishermen found what appeared to be the wreckage of an aircraft in waters north of Jakarta and a search was underway.  Other channels showed pictures of suspected wreckage.  "We found some cables, a piece of jeans, and pieces of metal on the water," Zulkifli, a security official, told CNNIndonesia.com.

The Indonesian Navy has deployed 11 ships to search for the wreckage underwater.  The plane is not a 737 Max, the Boeing model involved in two major crashes in recent years.  According to AirLive.net there were 62 people on board - 56 passengers, four crew members and two pilots.  All on board the plane were Indonesian, Indonesia's transport safety committee said.  Of the 56 passengers, 46 were adults, seven were children and three were infants. Their nationality's have not been disclosed.  Aviation monitoring service Flightradar24 tweeted: "Sriwijaya Air flight #SJ182 lost more than 10,000 feet of altitude in less than one minute, about 4 minutes after departure from Jakarta."

Sriwijaya Air chief executive Jefferson Irwin Jauwena told reporters that the aircraft was in good condition and had been delayed for 30 minutes ahead of takeoff because of heavy rain.  A Boeing spokeswoman said: "We are aware of media reports from Jakarta, and are closely monitoring the situation. We are working to gather more information".

According to CNBC Indonesia, the flight vanished at 2.40pm local time, moments after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta airport.  The last location of the plane was in the waters of the Java Sea above Banten Province.  The Sriwijaya Air plane lost contact around Lancang Island, Thousand Islands, the manager of branch communication and legal at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Haerul Anwar, said.  It was raining at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at the time of take-off for Pontianak, around 740 km (460 miles) away.  Video images from the airport showed pictures of relatives of the passengers in tears as they awaited news of the fate of the aircraft.  The plane was almost 27-years-old and was originally flown by carriers in the United States.  The Indonesian Transport Ministry spokesperson, Adita Irawati, confirmed that there had been a loss of contact with the Sriwijaya Air aircraft, reports CNBC Indonesia.  "We are currently under investigation and coordinated with Basarnas and the National Transportation Accident Committee (KNKT)," said Adita.

A Boeing 737 MAX operated by Indonesian airline Lion Air crashed off Jakarta in late 2018, killing all 189 passengers and crew. The plane that lost contact today is a much older model.  Bagus Puruhito, head of the country's search and rescue agency Basarnas, said teams had been dispatched to search the waters north of Jakarta.  The Indonesian Red Cross Society say they have 50 volunteers on standby to help with recovery efforts.  Sriwijaya Air is one of the Indonesian domestic leading airlines. It carries over 1,000,000 passengers per month, from its hub at Soekarno Hatta International Airport to more than 55 destinations in 2 regional countries, including extraordinary and popular tourism spots in Indonesia.

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