Coronavirus latest: White House defends plan to hold party for frontline workers
UK citizens arriving in Spain will have to present a negative Covid-19 test or proof of vaccination from Friday onwards, the Madrid government said. “British citizen[s] will require a certification of full vaccination or a negative PCR … [test] to enter Spain,” Arancha Gonzalez Laya, foreign minister, said on Twitter.
Modelling indicated that Covid-19 vaccines have prevented between 6.4m and 7.9m infections and between 26,100 and 28,400 deaths by June 19, according to an official estimate that highlights how immunisation has blunted the force of the pandemic, Public Health England said on Monday.
The Moderna and BioNTech/Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines may provide long-lasting immunity, according to a study by researchers at Washington University. While pharma companies race to create booster doses that will protect against new mutations, existing mRNA vaccines produced “persistent” immunity.
Greece will reward younger people for being inoculated against Covid-19 while hotel owners attempt to lure staff into accepting a vaccine by offering them paid days off. The government will give those between the ages of 18 and 25 a prepaid card of €150 when they receive their first coronavirus shot.
UK bakery group Greggs said its sales recovery had been stronger than expected, and that there would be a “materially positive” impact on its full-year earnings. The chain, popular for its sausage rolls, said that sales in its stores have grown in recent weeks by as much as 3 per cent from 2019 levels.
The head of Royal Caribbean has warned that a spat between the governor of Florida and US health authorities over the cruise industry’s restart has knocked consumers’ confidence to book holidays. Richard Fain, chief executive and chairman, said the battle over health standards created “confusion”.
Rival Carnival revealed plans to raise up to $500m in a stock sale and would use the proceeds to purchase UK-listed shares of the dual-listed cruise operator. The company, listed on exchanges in the US and UK, intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to buy shares “on at least an equivalent basis”.
Serco has struck a deal with the UK government to run Covid-19 testing centres for another year in a contract worth up to £322m. The London-listed outsourcing group said it would run about 20 per cent of testing sites in England and Northern Ireland, including drive-through, walk-in and mobile centres.