What the papers say – September 15

Potential pandemic restrictions dominate the national papers, though there is still space for medical reaction to a star’s controversial take on Covid vaccines.

The Daily Express calls Boris Johnson “Mr Sensible” in its headline, with the paper saying the Prime Minister has flagged increasing measures to halt a coronavirus resurgence in England this winter.

The PM is considering the threat of mandatory facemasks in public and vaccine passports as a last resort, Metro and the Daily Mirror report.

That story is also covered by the Daily Mail, the i and The Daily Telegraph, with those papers saying Mr Johnson will take whatever action is necessary including bringing in a fourth lockdown.

Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance has warned the PM to “go hard and go early” with pandemic restrictions this winter if cases begin to surge, according to The Times.

The Guardian reports Sage experts have said failing to implement a “basket of measures” could lead to between 2,000 and 7,000 hospital admissions with Covid each day in England next month, in a story also covered by The Independent.

And “NHS heroes” of the pandemic have been praised by the Duke of Cambridge and David Beckham at The Sun‘s Who Cares Wins awards, the paper says.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports the Government has been “forced to delay” imposing checks on EU goods entering the UK until mid-2022 as it tries to stop Brexit from “exacerbating supply chain problems”.

And “Nicki’s talking a load of knackers”, according to the headline in the Daily Star, which says chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty has criticised US singer Nicki Minaj for sharing a story about a man who allegedly became impotent after receiving a Covid vaccine.