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UK extends emergency Covid powers despite opposition from some members of parliament

BBC, 26 Mar 2021
MPs have voted to extend emergency coronavirus powers in England until September despite a large rebellion by backbench Conservative MPs against the plan.

The government has refused to rule out extending the wide-ranging powers in October. The health secretary Matt Hancock told the commons he expected people would continue to wear masks long after restrictions are lifted and warned cases could rise again.

Plans for so-called vaccine passports were raised by the prime minister, to allow people back into pubs and other hospitality and entertainment venues.

Boris Johnson said the idea might only be viable once everybody in the UK had been offered a vaccine.

Meanwhile European leaders have been meeting to discuss tightening export controls on vaccines as it faces a third wave of the pandemic.

Sophie Raworth presents BBC News at Ten reporting by political editor Laura Kuenssberg and Europe editor Katya Adler.

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