Welcome to your early-morning news briefing from The Telegraph – a round-up of the top stories we are covering on Friday. To receive twice-daily briefings by email, sign up to our Front Page newsletter for free.
1. Forcing children to self-isolate is ‘needless’
Sending hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren home because they had contact with someone with Covid was unnecessary because it is just as effective to keep them in class and conduct daily tests, an official study suggests.
The results of the study, by the University of Oxford , emerged on the last day of term, when over one million pupils are off school owing to the virus after months of disruption to education.
Read the full story.
2. Revealed: The ‘critical’ industries that could be exempt from pingdemic self-isolation
Companies in “critical” industries will have to apply to the Government if they want key workers to avoid self-isolation when pinged by the NHS app, it was confirmed on Thursday.
The Government has named 16 sectors that can benefit from an exemption to the normal rules for people to quarantine for 10 days if they come into contact with someone who tests positive for Covid. Read the full story.
3. Holidaymakers in airport dash as race to beat next travel list begins
Holidaymakers flying abroad this weekend will be more than double last week’s numbers as travellers race to escape before any further tightening of rules.
Tour operators and airlines reported 100 per cent-plus increases with many last-minute bookings as holidaymakers targeted the Spanish and Greek islands for the start of the school holidays. Read the full story.
4. MPs’ pay rises could outstrip public sector under watchdog’s plans
MPs could get pay rises above those of public sector workers from next year, according to plans set out by the independent expenses watchdog.
The news comes in that week that tens of thousands of public sector workers across the country have seen their pay frozen, despite nurses receiving a three per cent rise. Read the full story.
5. Dina Asher-Smith warns Tokyo Olympics chiefs against punishing athletes for taking the knee
Dina Asher-Smith, the golden girl of British sprinting, has warned Olympics chiefs against punishing her or any other athlete if they take the knee on the podium in Tokyo.
With the troubled Games opening on Friday, the International Olympic Committee also faces mounting pressure from decorated former medalists to abandon a divisive ban on political displays. Read the full story.
Stay up-to-date with breaking news and the latest politics from The Telegraph throughout the day.
