Introducing lockdown measures a week earlier could have halved the UK’s coronavirus death toll, preventing thousands of deaths, former government adviser Professor Neil Ferguson has claimed.
It comes as Boris Johnson announces people in single adult households - including both those who live alone and single parents - will be able to bring another household into their home as part of a 'support bubble'.
Meanwhile the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, a leading economics group, said the UK is expected to suffer a deeper recession than any other country in the developed world because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Health bosses have also warned the Covid-19 crisis could see the waiting list for NHS treatment double to about 10 million by the end of the year.
Boris Johnson, meanwhile, is set to announce children will soon be able to visit zoos in the latest easing of lockdown measures during today's Downing Street briefing - although their wait to go back to school could last months.
UK government too slow to expand coronavirus testing, says chief medical officer
Pace of emergence from lockdown 'reasonable' - Chris Whitty
Asked whether he was "comfortable" with the rate at which the lockdown was being eased, Prof Chris Whitty said the current approach was "reasonable" as long as people followed the rules.
He added: "We are obviously having, in government, to balance a large number of risks ... but what you are trying to do is manage those risks as best we can with the information we have to minimise the risk for the bad outcome and to maximise the possibility of a good outcome.
Asked whether he was "comfortable" with the rate at which the lockdown was being eased, Prof Chris Whitty said the current approach was "reasonable" as long as people followed the rules.
He added: "We are obviously having, in government, to balance a large number of risks ... but what you are trying to do is manage those risks as best we can with the information we have to minimise the risk for the bad outcome and to maximise the possibility of a good outcome.
"But the idea that there is some option that is completely safe and all fine is clearly not true.
"So what we think is that this is reasonable - provided people hear what the Prime Minister is saying and stick to what the Prime Minister is saying and don't try and extend it out, and the people who are opening businesses stick to the Covid-secure rules and people are reasonable in the way they do it, our view is this is a reasonable, balanced, sensible way to do it at this point in time."
He added that there was a need to accept that measures might have to be "taken back a couple of paces" if outbreaks worsened.
UK government too slow to expand coronavirus testing, says chief medical officer
Chief medical officer Chris Whitty has told the daily Downing Street briefing that he wishes the UK had expanded coronavirus testing more quickly at the start of the outbreak, but Boris Johnson refused to say whether he had any regrets over his handling of the pandemic.
More below:
UK government too slow to expand coronavirus testing, says chief medical officer
Chief medical officer Chris Whitty has told the daily Downing Street briefing that he wishes the UK had expanded coronavirus testing more quickly at the start of the outbreak.
Lockdown one week earlier could have halved UK's death toll, says Neil Ferguson
Johnson - 'we do intend to get pupils back to school in September'
The Prime Minister said it remained the Government's ambitions to have all pupils back in classrooms in time for the next academic year.
He said: "We do fully intend to bring back all children to school in September, provided the progress we are making continues and I hope it will.
The Prime Minister said it remained the Government's ambitions to have all pupils back in classrooms in time for the next academic year.
He said: "We do fully intend to bring back all children to school in September, provided the progress we are making continues and I hope it will.
"That is our focus and is consistent with the approach taken by many other countries in Europe."
He admitted the Government had been forced to move "slower than we would have liked in some areas", including in reopening schools.
Mr Johnson added: "It is because the rate of infection is not quite low enough and because we are not able to change our social distancing advice, including smaller class sizes in schools, that we are not proceeding with our ambition to bring back all primary pupils at least for some weeks before the summer holidays."
R rate remains below one as caution urged
Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK's chief scientific adviser, said the R rate across the country was below one but that the country would continue to have to demonstrate "caution" in how it eased the lockdown.
Referring to data from the Office for National Statistics, he said about 6-7 per cent of the population was thought to have had contracted coronavirus, while 53,000 were thought to be infected between 17 May and the 30.
Referring to data from the Office for National Statistics, he said about 6-7 per cent of the population was thought to have had contracted coronavirus, while 53,000 were thought to be infected between 17 May and the 30.
Speaking at the daily Downing Street press conference, he said: "The R is below one, but perhaps only just below one.
"The epidemic is shrinking, but not fast. Numbers are coming down but are not yet very low.
"The vast majority of the population remains susceptible to the infection.
"That urges caution, it urges going slowly with changes and it urges measuring very carefully to see the impact and being prepared to reverse things where measures have been taken that have an impact on this, and importantly means looking for outbreaks locally and dealing with those fast."
Couples living apart can now reunite as Boris Johnson eases lockdown
Lovers who have been kept apart by lockdown will be able to spend the night together again, after Boris Johnson announced the latest relaxation to social contact rules.
The rule change - which comes into effect in England only at one minute past midnight on Saturday morning - applies only where an adult is living alone or with children aged under 18.
In these cases, the single-adult household can form a “support bubble” with one other household of any size.
More below:
Lovers who have been kept apart by lockdown will be able to spend the night together again, after Boris Johnson announced the latest relaxation to social contact rules.
The rule change - which comes into effect in England only at one minute past midnight on Saturday morning - applies only where an adult is living alone or with children aged under 18.
In these cases, the single-adult household can form a “support bubble” with one other household of any size.
More below:
Couples living apart can now reunite as Boris Johnson eases lockdown
Single-adult households will be able to form 'support bubbles' to end loneliness of lockdown
Johnson announces 'support bubble' plan
Boris Johnson has announced people across England who live in single adult households will be able to form a "support bubble" with one other household - allowing them to visit a specifically identified other person and meet in their home.
Boris Johnson has announced people across England who live in single adult households will be able to form a "support bubble" with one other household - allowing them to visit a specifically identified other person and meet in their home.
He added that people would not be able to switch people in and out of their 'bubble', and that those shiedling must continue to do so.
He added shops will continue to move towards reopening from Monday as planned, while outdoor attractions like zoos would be allowed to reopen.
Mr Johnson opened the briefing by saying the UK continues to meet the five tests required to continue to ease lockdown.
Coronavirus deaths rise by 245
Coming up - the daily Downing Street briefing
Boris Johnson will lead today's Downing Street briefing. We know he's going to announce an easing of restrictions on zoos and outdoor cinemas - as has been a point of discussion throughout the day - however he is expected to also announce further easing of social distancing measures.
Focus remained on hospitals as virus spread through care homes, MPs told
Responding to a question about whether more attention could have been given to care homes given that research showed the impact of the virus would have been devastating, Professor Matt Keeling said that attention had been focused on hospitals.
He told MPs on the Science and Technology Committee: "It's one of these things where hindsight is a great thing, I know there were studies out there at the time.
Responding to a question about whether more attention could have been given to care homes given that research showed the impact of the virus would have been devastating, Professor Matt Keeling said that attention had been focused on hospitals.
He told MPs on the Science and Technology Committee: "It's one of these things where hindsight is a great thing, I know there were studies out there at the time.
"We were all focused on the fact that we've got an outbreak that was doubling every three to four days as we heard, we were very concerned about losing control within the NHS, we were concerned about ICU and ICU units becoming full.
"I think there was only so much of us and only so much time, and we were all focused on one area.
"It was mentioned, we thought about it and said 'care homes are important', and we thought they were being shielded and we probably thought that was enough.
"Maybe we should have been jumping up and down and saying 'has anyone checked care homes, has anyone checked care homes this week, can anyone tell us what's happening', but I think there was just a lot of focus at an incredibly busy time."
Google Maps is adding coronavirus new warnings in an attempt to keep public transport safe.
The feature will show commuters public transport alerts when they search for directions, in the hope that it will stop overcrowding on trains or buses.
Andrew Griffin has the full details here:
The feature will show commuters public transport alerts when they search for directions, in the hope that it will stop overcrowding on trains or buses.
Andrew Griffin has the full details here:
Introducing lockdown measures a week earlier could have halved the UK's coronavirus death toll, a former government adviser has said.
Professor Neil Ferguson, whose modelling helped shape the coronavirus response strategy, said thousands of deaths could have been prevented if the government had acted sooner.
Professor Neil Ferguson, whose modelling helped shape the coronavirus response strategy, said thousands of deaths could have been prevented if the government had acted sooner.
Keir Starmer has told Boris Johnson he must take responsibility for the "completely avoidable mess" of the failure to take schools out of lockdown, accusing the prime minister of "flailing around trying to blame others", political editor Andrew Woodcock reports.
Sir Keir said the delay has left the government’s plans for schools “in tatters” and repeated Labour demands for the establishment of a national task force including unions, parents' representatives and medical experts to work out a way to get children back into the classroom safely.
Sir Keir said the delay has left the government’s plans for schools “in tatters” and repeated Labour demands for the establishment of a national task force including unions, parents' representatives and medical experts to work out a way to get children back into the classroom safely.
The Department of Health and Social Care is calling for everyone to stop what they're doing and clap at midday on Sunday to mark the 72nd anniversary of the NHS.
South Korea is struggling to contain a spike in new coronavirus cases in Seoul, with the outbreak in the capital now spreading faster than at any point during the pandemic so far, Asia editor Adam Withnall reports.
The country reported 50 new cases on Wednesday, of which 40 were locally transmitted in the Seoul metropolitan area, where significant clusters of infection have been linked to nightclubs, warehouses and religious gatherings.
The country reported 50 new cases on Wednesday, of which 40 were locally transmitted in the Seoul metropolitan area, where significant clusters of infection have been linked to nightclubs, warehouses and religious gatherings.
Trump administration sued over coronavirus-related border restrictions
The Trump administration is facing its first legal challenge over its coronavirus-related border restrictions.
A 16-year-old Honduran boy awaiting deportation from the United States under a Trump administration order issued in March that curtailed immigration due to the novel coronavirus pandemic sued the US government in federal court in Washington, DC, late on Tuesday.
The minor, referred to as J.B.B.P. in court documents, is in the custody of US Customs and Border Protection and was scheduled to be deported, according to the complaint.
A judge temporarily blocked the deportation on Tuesday night.
A 20 March order by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention allows agents to deport migrants apprehended at the border - including asylum seekers and unaccompanied children - without standard legal processes, arguing there is a risk they could spread the coronavirus in the US.
US immigration authorities have allowed only four migrants' claims for humanitarian protection to proceed since the order was issued, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data obtained by Reuters shows.
More than 20,000 people, including minors, have been expelled without proceedings from the United States under the order so far, according to CBP data.
Reuters
The Trump administration is facing its first legal challenge over its coronavirus-related border restrictions.
A 16-year-old Honduran boy awaiting deportation from the United States under a Trump administration order issued in March that curtailed immigration due to the novel coronavirus pandemic sued the US government in federal court in Washington, DC, late on Tuesday.
The minor, referred to as J.B.B.P. in court documents, is in the custody of US Customs and Border Protection and was scheduled to be deported, according to the complaint.
A judge temporarily blocked the deportation on Tuesday night.
A 20 March order by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention allows agents to deport migrants apprehended at the border - including asylum seekers and unaccompanied children - without standard legal processes, arguing there is a risk they could spread the coronavirus in the US.
US immigration authorities have allowed only four migrants' claims for humanitarian protection to proceed since the order was issued, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data obtained by Reuters shows.
More than 20,000 people, including minors, have been expelled without proceedings from the United States under the order so far, according to CBP data.
Reuters
75 million euro package to help reopen Ireland's childcare sector
A package worth 75 million euros to help reopen Ireland's childcare sector at the end of June has been announced by children's minister Katherine Zappone.
Creches and other facilities are set to reopen their doors on 29 June, having closed in March.
The scheme will see a one-off reopening grant of 18 million euros for centre-based providers with operational costs and additional staffing costs.
It will also help to fund training for staff on guidelines for reopening, additional learning resources, and to buy hygiene and cleaning products.
The amount of the grant for each individual provider will be based on the number of children on Department of Children and Youth Affairs schemes in the service before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Services which open on 29 June, or within a week of that date, and who are open for six of the eight weeks until 23 August, will also be eligible to receive a higher grant than services which reopen in late August or September.
PA
Creches and other facilities are set to reopen their doors on 29 June, having closed in March.
The scheme will see a one-off reopening grant of 18 million euros for centre-based providers with operational costs and additional staffing costs.
It will also help to fund training for staff on guidelines for reopening, additional learning resources, and to buy hygiene and cleaning products.
The amount of the grant for each individual provider will be based on the number of children on Department of Children and Youth Affairs schemes in the service before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Services which open on 29 June, or within a week of that date, and who are open for six of the eight weeks until 23 August, will also be eligible to receive a higher grant than services which reopen in late August or September.
PA
Two-metre rule 'could be relaxed in England before rest of UK'
The two-metre rule to limit the spread of coronavirus could potentially be reduced in England before other parts of the UK, Downing Street has acknowledged.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "Matters of public health are devolved, so it is a theoretical possibility that the position could be different in different parts of the UK."
The two-metre rule to limit the spread of coronavirus could potentially be reduced in England before other parts of the UK, Downing Street has acknowledged.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "Matters of public health are devolved, so it is a theoretical possibility that the position could be different in different parts of the UK."
At Prime Minister's Questions, Boris Johnson said the rule was under constant review and as the incidence of coronavirus declined "the statistical likelihood of being infected - no matter how close or far you are from somebody who may or may not have coronavirus - goes down".
Mr Johnson is under pressure to reduce the distance in order to help businesses reopen amid concerns about the economic impact of the restriction.
PA
PA
A backlog could mean conditions such as cancer are found only when it’s too late to treat them, health correspondent Shaun Lintern reports.
