Everything we know as NHS warns UK is facing ‘second surge’ of norovirus – Manchester Evening News
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It comes following a recent outbreak of the bug earlier this month
Norovirus levels have reached a new high for this winter(Image: Getty Images)
UK Faces ‘second surge’ of norovirus amid winter pressures
The NHS has warned that the UK is facing a ‘second surge’ of norovirus as hospital cases hit their highest level this winter.
Over 1,000 patients a day are now being treated for the highly contagious ‘winter vomiting bug’, marking a jump of almost nine per cent from the previous week. The figures represent more than a 2.5-fold increase since the start of January.
Norovirus spreads quickly and causes vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, stomach cramps and aching limbs. Symptoms typically last one to two days.
After briefly stabilising in early February, cases have been rising again for two consecutive weeks, prompting fears of a second surge.
NHS national medical director Dr Claire Fuller said: ‘It’s vital that we do all we can to avoid a second surge in norovirus at a time when the NHS remains flat out coping with winter pressures.’
Doctors are urging people to stay home until they’ve been symptom-free for at least two days. Good hand hygiene and avoiding schools, workplaces and care homes when ill are crucial to preventing spread.
Hospitals are also struggling with over 1,250 beds closed daily due to norovirus symptoms, up more than 190 per cent since early January.
But with the minute – detailing that Murrell is charged with embezzling almost £460,000 from the SNP – sent to Mr Swinney on January 19, weeks before details of the charge became public, Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay was insistent that the Lord Advocate had handed the First Minister a political advantage.
In a statement, actor Norton said: “This film sits in a tradition of films we deeply love, from The Godfather to Gangs of New York, that both thrill us with visceral drama and iconic characters and eras while also forcing us to face up to the shadow story under the American narrative of idealism.
Four of The Hundred’s eight franchises – Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds – are now at least part-owned by companies that control IPL teams.
In messages seen by the BBC, a senior official from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) indicated to an agent that interest in his Pakistan players would be limited to sides not linked to the IPL.
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Another agent described the situation as “an unwritten rule” across T20 leagues with Indian investment.
None of the four teams or ownership groups in question responded to requests for comment.
An ECB spokesperson said: “The Hundred welcomes men’s and women’s players from all over the world and we would expect the eight teams to reflect that.
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“Almost 1,000 cricketers from 18 nations have registered for The Hundred auction, with representation on the longlist of over 50 players respectively from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and West Indies.”
In order to combat speeding on their roads, Siward and Godwin residents would like extra traffic calming measures put in place such as narrowing the road, installing planters, chicanes, road paint or having extra signs alerting motorists to the presence of elderly people and young children in the area.
The sweeper was carrying out a routine clean along a Cambridgeshire street
A street sweeper had to be “freed” after it got stuck in a cycle and footway. While trying to clean along Yarrow Road in Cherry Hinton earlier today (Thursday, February 19), the wheel on a street sweeper became stuck.
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The wheel got stuck in a cycle and footway along the street. South Cambridgeshire Council, which runs the sweeper, had to free it from the footway.
A council spokesperson said: “A wheel on one of our small street sweepers unfortunately got stuck in a cycle and footway. This happened during a routine sweep of the cycleway and pavement along Yarrow Road.
“The sweeper has been freed, and we let Cambridgeshire County Council know – and they’ve told us their crews are already on the way to carry out repairs.”
This quick and easy meal is not only cheap but has various health benefits
A popular British dish could help protect your heart and lower cholesterol. According to an expert, beans on toast is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
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Writing for the British Heart Foundation (BHF), dietitian Dell Stanford explained why this cheap and easy meal could help reduce the risk of heart and circulatory disease. While most tinned banked means would be considered “ultra-processed” due to added sugars, salt and ingredients like thickeners or preservatives, they can “still be part of a healthy diet”.
Ms Stanford said: “Baked beans are low in fat and high in fibre. They have soluble fibre, which helps lower cholesterol levels, and insoluble fibre, which helps to keep your digestive system healthy.
“In fact, a half-can portion of baked beans (207g), which many of us might typically eat, provides nearly a third of the 30g of fibre you need a day.” They are also a healthy source of protein.
She continued: “Baked beans are also high in plant proteins and packed with nutrients such as iron, zinc and B vitamins. And the tomato sauce is rich in lycopene, a protective antioxidant linked with a reduced risk of heart and circulatory diseases.
“Replacing some of the meat you eat with beans is a great way to eat less unhealthy saturated fat, manage your weight and reduce your risk of heart and circulatory diseases.”
But there’s a catch
It is important to be aware of the salt and sugar content in baked beans, though. “However, look out for the salt and sugar content of baked beans,” Ms Stanford said.
“A typical half can portion (207g) of baked beans contains about 1.3g salt. That’s 21 per cent of the maximum recommended amount of salt you should have a day (6g). A half can also contain about 9g sugar – that’s 10 per cent of the maximum recommended amount of ‘total’ sugar you should have a day.
“Traffic light labels on food packaging show only total sugars. They do not tell you how much is naturally occurring (as in fruit or milk) and how much is ‘free’ or ‘added’ sugar (as in table sugar or syrup).
“In baked beans, most of the sugar is added, because beans themselves do not naturally contain much sugar. It’s mainly from the tomato sauce.”
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It is therefore worth opting for baked beans that have reduced sugar and salt where possible. To further boost the health properties of your beans on toast you should also use wholegrain bread rather than white bread, to increase the amount of fibre in the meal.
To make your meal even healthier, Ms Stanford advised you:
Choose baked beans with reduced sugar (or no added sugar) and reduced salt
Swap white bread for wholegrain
Skip the butter: the beans add enough moisture, or you can use small amounts of a lower-fat spread made from unsaturated vegetable oils
For an extra boost of goodness, add vegetables to your beans (e.g. roasted red peppers, onions, or mushrooms)
The move follows O&H Vehicle Conversions Ltd of Goole entering administration earlier this month.
The company, which was founded in 1988, produced vehicles including rapid response vehicles for the police, NHS ambulance services and private ambulance operators.
A statement by administrators BDO LLP said O&H Vehicle Conversions had faced financial pressures affecting the wider vehicle conversion industry and had recently suffered from delivery delays which further impacted income and cashflow.
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As a result, the directors were left with no alternative but to place the company into Administration, they explained.
Following a marketing process prior to the appointment of Administrators, a solvent going concern sale was not possible.
As a result, all operations have now ceased and 157 employees have been made redundant with immediate effect.
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Mark Thornton, one of the Joint Administrators said: “It is always a sad day when a longstanding business is forced to close. Given the financial position and outlook for the Company, securing a sale of the business as a going concern was not possible.
“The priority of the Joint Administrators will now be to support employees impacted by the closure and realise assets in line with our duties in order to maximise the return for creditors.”
As the Press reported recently, company bosses said they did all they could to find a rescue deal for O&H Vehicle Conversions.
O&H managing director Mark Brickhill said: “In 2025, we delivered a record 227 NHS Emergency Double Crewed Ambulances (DCAs), up from 186 in 2024, whilst also growing and diversifying the business with a £19 million turnover.
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Mr Brickhill explained OHVC had suffered delays in the delivery of chassis, delaying £2.2million of planned and achievable sales in recent months.
The company switched towards Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) production for both the Ambulance and Police Services, but delayed production caused by retraining staff and the lower margins such vehicles deliver, did not bridge the financial gap caused by the chassis delay.
Unmarked police vehicles were seen arriving at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on Thursday, where Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been living.
He was arrested by Thames Valley Police – but while we know they are carrying out searches in Norfolk and Berkshire, it’s not clear where Andrew was arrested.
An Ealing Council spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service [LDRS]: “Several national and local construction contractors collapsed into administration following the pandemic, including Henry Construction, which was building new homes on our behalf. The sudden collapse of Henry Construction, in 2023, which was a private sector failure, meant that work on 60 sites stopped overnight, and this has had significant implications for Ealing Council and other councils too.