Matt Hancock has announced coronavirus tests will soon be rolled out to police, firefighters and and other emergency workers, as well as NHS staff, as he faced questioning from the health and social care committee.
MPs were also told the UK may face five or six waves of lockdown until a coronavirus vaccine is found, hours after Dominic Raab said Boris Johnson‘s original three-month timeline to come through the peak of the virus was broadly “still the outline”.
The foreign secretary warned there would be no returning to ”business as usual” with China after the coronavirus pandemic, as he and France’s Emmanuel Macron joined the United States in questioning Beijing‘s handling of the crisis.
The death toll in Wuhan – where the outbreak was first discovered – has been revised upwards by 50 per cent, from 2,579 to 3,869, amid scepticism that the true numbers were being accurately reflected.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump‘s approval ratings plummeted, as he unveiled guidelines he wants governors to use to craft their own plans to reopen their states, claiming “the US wants to be open”, despite being the hardest-hit country in the world.
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Elimination policy, business funds, and total transparency: Jacinda Ardern is showing how to lead a country through crisis
Before recording a single coronavirus death, New Zealand set out a coronavirus response strategy much tougher than most of the world: a Level 4 lockdown was imposed, closing off the country’s borders, schools and businesses, confining millions of people to their homes, writes Amy Nelmes Bissett.
At the time, some questioned if it was too severe. But at a press conference on Thursday, prime minister Jacinda Ardern outlined details of potentially loosening restrictions in the country – a signal that some say shows her plan of complete eradication of Covid-19 is on track.
To date, New Zealand, a country of five million people, has had just 1,239 cases and only nine deaths.
Ms Ardern’s approach has been praised as swift and transparent, and it has once again propelled her to global prominence. But how exactly has she thrived when so many world leaders have faltered?
Find out here:
Before recording a single coronavirus death, New Zealand set out a coronavirus response strategy much tougher than most of the world: a Level 4 lockdown was imposed, closing off the country’s borders, schools and businesses, confining millions of people to their homes, writes Amy Nelmes Bissett.
At the time, some questioned if it was too severe. But at a press conference on Thursday, prime minister Jacinda Ardern outlined details of potentially loosening restrictions in the country – a signal that some say shows her plan of complete eradication of Covid-19 is on track.
To date, New Zealand, a country of five million people, has had just 1,239 cases and only nine deaths.
Ms Ardern’s approach has been praised as swift and transparent, and it has once again propelled her to global prominence. But how exactly has she thrived when so many world leaders have faltered?
Find out here:
Lockdown should be replaced with contact tracing when possible, former health secretary says
Mr Hunt said the next stage should be to put in place a system in the community "where anyone who thinks they've got Covid symptoms can call 111, they get a test immediately, and then once they've had a test we then talk to them about who they've been in contact with, test them and isolate them".
He added: "That's what the best international practice is."
Health and Social Care Committee chair Jeremy Hunt has called for "a massive ramp-up - not just in the testing, but also the tracing of everyone who has been in contact with someone who has the virus".
"I think that as with testing, they have got the right intentions, but we need to work very fast," Mr Hunt told the BBC's World At One programme.
He suggested that testing and community contact tracing could be trialled in places such as Yorkshire or Cornwall today "because those are parts of the country which have relatively few Covid cases".
"So we could start seeing if it's possible to lift the lockdown by replacing it with this testing and contact tracing," he said, adding: "That really has to be the next step."
"I think that as with testing, they have got the right intentions, but we need to work very fast," Mr Hunt told the BBC's World At One programme.
He suggested that testing and community contact tracing could be trialled in places such as Yorkshire or Cornwall today "because those are parts of the country which have relatively few Covid cases".
"So we could start seeing if it's possible to lift the lockdown by replacing it with this testing and contact tracing," he said, adding: "That really has to be the next step."
Mr Hunt said the next stage should be to put in place a system in the community "where anyone who thinks they've got Covid symptoms can call 111, they get a test immediately, and then once they've had a test we then talk to them about who they've been in contact with, test them and isolate them".
He added: "That's what the best international practice is."
Nearly 20,000 tests carried out in 24 hours, despite capacity to implement twice as many
Some 18,665 tests were carried out in the 24 hours up to 9am on Thursday, Number 10 said, while testing capacity has increased to more than 38,000.
"You can obviously see there is a significant gap between the number of tests conducted and the actual capacity which was available," the prime minister's spokesperson said.
He referenced Matt Hancock's announcement that tests would be rolled out for more emergency workers, and local authority staff.
These would include those who work with vulnerable children, those who work with the homeless or people sleeping rough, defence, prisons and judiciary staff, and also frontline benefits workers, the spokesperson said.
"You can obviously see there is a significant gap between the number of tests conducted and the actual capacity which was available," the prime minister's spokesperson said.
He referenced Matt Hancock's announcement that tests would be rolled out for more emergency workers, and local authority staff.
These would include those who work with vulnerable children, those who work with the homeless or people sleeping rough, defence, prisons and judiciary staff, and also frontline benefits workers, the spokesperson said.
Accusation Raab waiting for PM to take major decisions 'just wrong', Downing Street says
Downing Street has rebuffed a suggestion by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer that the government is not being more forthcoming about an exit strategy because Boris Johnson is absent.
"It's just wrong," the prime minister's spokesperson said.
Downing Street has rebuffed a suggestion by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer that the government is not being more forthcoming about an exit strategy because Boris Johnson is absent.
"It's just wrong," the prime minister's spokesperson said.
"I think what the first secretary of state [Dominic Raab] set out last night is that we need to take a responsible approach and we need to ensure that we continue to keep the public mind focused on staying at home, protecting the NHS and saving lives."
Johnson still recovering from coronavirus and not working yet, No 10 says
Boris Johnson is still recovering from coronavirus and is not doing government work after being discharged from St Thomas’ Hospital at the weekend, Downing Street has said.
A spokesperson added that the prime minister remains at his countryside residence of Chequers, but did speak to Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, on Thursday.
Mr Johnson left the central London hospital - where he had spent time in intensive care - on Sunday afternoon.
Our political correspondent, Ashley Cowburn, has the full story below:
Boris Johnson still recovering from coronavirus but has now spoken to Dominic Raab, No 10 says
Mr Johnson was discharged from St Thomas' Hospital on Sunday after contracting covid-19Spain daily death toll rises to 585 as country starts to loosen restrictions
Spain’s daily coronavirus death toll has risen to 585, up from 551 yesterday, as the country has begun to loosen lockdown restrictions this week.
The figure was well below the peak daily deaths recorded in early April, when more than 900 deaths were registered on some days.
Friday's numbers did not include suspected deaths from the virus, which the Spanish government has reiterated it is not counting as part of overall numbers, in line with many other countries.
“Epidemiologically, it is important to maintain a common ... criteria so that everyone counts the same,” Dr Antoni Trilla, an epidemiologist at Barcelona's Hospital Clinic and government adviser, wrote in La Vanguardia newspaper on Friday.
Fernando Simon, the Spanish health emergency chief, has said the country is following World Health Organisation guidelines by just including people proven to have contracted Covid-19 in its nationwide death toll.
Spain began easing its strict lockdown, which was imposed on 14 March, by opening up some sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, this week.
People are still confined to their houses except for essential activities, such as shopping for food.
Hancock unable to say whether NHS will run out of protective gowns this weekend
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, was unable to say whether there would be enough protective gowns for the NHS this weekend when questioned by MPs on the Health and Social Care Committee.
Mr Hancock warned the service was “tight on gowns” amid fears medics treating coronavirus patients could be left unprotected or having to start re-using old equipment.
More on this story can be found below:
Scottish government will set out measures to ease lockdown next week, Sturgeon says
Nicola Sturgeon has said the Scottish government will set out measures to ease the lockdown over the next week.
The Scottish first minister said lockdown restrictions had resulted in a slowing down in the rate of community transmission of Covid-19 and that had been reflected in a stabilisation of the numbers of people admitted to hospital and intensive care.
However, she said restrictions could not be lifted yet as it could lead to an exponential resurgence of the virus and the NHS becoming overwhelmed.
“We can’t take that risk,” Ms Sturgeon added.
58 new coronavirus deaths in Scotland
A further 58 people have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the region’s death toll to 837, the Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
Ms Sturgeon said 7,409 people had now tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 307 from 7,102 the day before.
She added that there were also 189 people in intensive care with coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms.
Overall, there are 1,799 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19.
Hancock: 'We need more companies to help make PPE'
Matt Hancock has told parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee the government has worked hard to “speed up” the certification programme for PPE as a large part of the equipment stockpile has been used up.
“Of course we started with a massive stockpile, we've run through that stockpile, not entirely but a large part of it and we need to be buying from abroad and making it at home,” the health secretary said.
“So we need lots more companies to come forward and help us make the PPE that we need.”
Mr Hancock added that he thought a letter from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, which criticised the government's response, was “a bit unfair on the people who work in my team who are doing everything in their power to get PPE to the front line”.
He said: “Changing a distribution model from distributing to just over 200, 230 hospitals to delivering to 58,000 different locations is a huge task."
Japan 'firmly backs' WHO despite wild criticism from ally Trump
Shinzo Abe says he told fellow G7 leaders on Thursday that "the international community, centring on the WHO, must cooperate to fight this infectious disease, which is having a global impact", and that Japan would "firmly" support it.
"There's only the WHO that can serve as an international institution" to address the pandemic, he said.
It came in stark contrast to his ally Donald Trump, who earlier in the week declared he would halt funding to the UN agency - a sum typically amounting to at least $400m per year.
He has sought to blame it for mismanaging the crisis and not doing more to press China for transparency when the virus first took hold, despite effusively praising it as recently as late February.
Mr Abe did not criticise Mr Trump, with whom he has a warm relationship, but said: "There are various views on the WHO, such as it may not be politically neutral. We must firmly back the WHO for now."
Shinzo Abe says he told fellow G7 leaders on Thursday that "the international community, centring on the WHO, must cooperate to fight this infectious disease, which is having a global impact", and that Japan would "firmly" support it.
"There's only the WHO that can serve as an international institution" to address the pandemic, he said.
It came in stark contrast to his ally Donald Trump, who earlier in the week declared he would halt funding to the UN agency - a sum typically amounting to at least $400m per year.
He has sought to blame it for mismanaging the crisis and not doing more to press China for transparency when the virus first took hold, despite effusively praising it as recently as late February.
Mr Abe did not criticise Mr Trump, with whom he has a warm relationship, but said: "There are various views on the WHO, such as it may not be politically neutral. We must firmly back the WHO for now."
Hancock admits lack of gowns for frontline NHS staff
"We are tight on gowns, that is the pressure point at the moment," Hancock told the British Parliament's Health and Social Care Committee. "We have another 55,000 gowns arriving today and we're working on the acquisition internationally of more gowns."
When asked if he would ensure gowns got to the right places over the course of the weekend, he said that was the aim of the government. Hancock said that ultimately there was a global shortage of PPE.
It came hours after the director of an NHS trust reportedly called the BBC to ask for the phone numbers for Burberry and Barbour, who are making protective equipment, because he did not have enough gowns for his staff working on coronavirus wards.
"We are tight on gowns, that is the pressure point at the moment," Hancock told the British Parliament's Health and Social Care Committee. "We have another 55,000 gowns arriving today and we're working on the acquisition internationally of more gowns."
When asked if he would ensure gowns got to the right places over the course of the weekend, he said that was the aim of the government. Hancock said that ultimately there was a global shortage of PPE.
It came hours after the director of an NHS trust reportedly called the BBC to ask for the phone numbers for Burberry and Barbour, who are making protective equipment, because he did not have enough gowns for his staff working on coronavirus wards.
Thieves stealing food parcels left on doorsteps of country’s most vulnerable people
Thieves are swiping the lifeline parcels after they are placed outside the homes of those told not to leave the house – even to shop – because they are so at risk from coronavirus, Colin Drury reports.
Cleveland Police are now investigating a number of such thefts, which they say could ultimately lead to loss of life if victims end up needing to go out to replace stolen essentials.
Packages – which include pasta, cereals, tinned foods and teabags – are being sent out to many of the 1.5 million people told they are most at risk from Covid-19 and should not leave the house under any circumstance.
Read more details:
Thieves are swiping the lifeline parcels after they are placed outside the homes of those told not to leave the house – even to shop – because they are so at risk from coronavirus, Colin Drury reports.
Cleveland Police are now investigating a number of such thefts, which they say could ultimately lead to loss of life if victims end up needing to go out to replace stolen essentials.
Packages – which include pasta, cereals, tinned foods and teabags – are being sent out to many of the 1.5 million people told they are most at risk from Covid-19 and should not leave the house under any circumstance.
Read more details:
Seven guests contract Covid-19 after Australian couple ignore government rules to have dream Bali wedding
Matt and Jess Muir went ahead with their Bali wedding on 20 March, just seven days after prime minister Scott Morrison warned Australians not to travel overseas amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by Daily Mail Australia.
Out of 120 guests the couple had invited, only 30 made the trip as all of them would have had to self-isolate for 14 days once they returned to Australia, Kate Ng reports. All the guests were tested for coronavirus after one of them tested positive.
One of the guests told the Mail all those who caught Covid-19 did not require hospital treatment and have subsequently recovered.
They said no one had symptoms when they returned, and added: “It wasn’t even that bad, I’ve woken up with worse hangovers.”
Matt and Jess Muir went ahead with their Bali wedding on 20 March, just seven days after prime minister Scott Morrison warned Australians not to travel overseas amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by Daily Mail Australia.
Out of 120 guests the couple had invited, only 30 made the trip as all of them would have had to self-isolate for 14 days once they returned to Australia, Kate Ng reports. All the guests were tested for coronavirus after one of them tested positive.
One of the guests told the Mail all those who caught Covid-19 did not require hospital treatment and have subsequently recovered.
They said no one had symptoms when they returned, and added: “It wasn’t even that bad, I’ve woken up with worse hangovers.”
Demand for testing 'lower than expected', Matt Hancock tells MPs
"Within the NHS, the number of staff coming forward for testing is lower than was anticipated," he told the health and social affairs committee.
"You'll understand why we had a priority order for the use of the test where it was patients first, then NHS staff.
"Frankly, the number of NHS staff coming forward wasn't as high as expected and therefore we extended it very quickly both to residents and staff in social care.
"But because capacity is going up sharply, I'm therefore able to expand it further and we'll expand it again as soon as the capacity is there to make sure that that capacity is used up."
"You'll understand why we had a priority order for the use of the test where it was patients first, then NHS staff.
"Frankly, the number of NHS staff coming forward wasn't as high as expected and therefore we extended it very quickly both to residents and staff in social care.
"But because capacity is going up sharply, I'm therefore able to expand it further and we'll expand it again as soon as the capacity is there to make sure that that capacity is used up."
UK may face five or six waves of lockdown, MPs told
In evidence to the House of Commons Health Committee, Prof Costello said that a “community protective shield” will be needed when the UK comes out of lockdown to prevent another large-scale outbreak.
He had earlier suggested the UK may face eight to 10 waves of the virus before herd immunity is possible, citing a study of Dutch blood donors suggesting only three per cent of the country has developed meaningful immunity.
A leading expert has told MPs that Britain may have to endure five or six waves of lockdown, with a total of as many as 40,000 deaths, before the development of a coronavirus vaccine permits a return to normal life, Andrew Woodcock reports.
Professor Anthony Costello of University College London called for a massive programme of contact tracing – including the use of smartphone apps to identify those who may have been at risk – to clamp down on the infection.
He challenged the government’s decision to cease contact tracing nationwide after Covid-19 became established, arguing that low-infection parts of the UK – such as Yorkshire - could have remained open while hotspots like London went into lockdown.
Professor Anthony Costello of University College London called for a massive programme of contact tracing – including the use of smartphone apps to identify those who may have been at risk – to clamp down on the infection.
He challenged the government’s decision to cease contact tracing nationwide after Covid-19 became established, arguing that low-infection parts of the UK – such as Yorkshire - could have remained open while hotspots like London went into lockdown.
In evidence to the House of Commons Health Committee, Prof Costello said that a “community protective shield” will be needed when the UK comes out of lockdown to prevent another large-scale outbreak.
He had earlier suggested the UK may face eight to 10 waves of the virus before herd immunity is possible, citing a study of Dutch blood donors suggesting only three per cent of the country has developed meaningful immunity.
Matt Hancock says testing to be rolled out for emergency services
The health secretary has said government is expanding eligibility for testing to police, fire, and prison officers, the judiciary and local authority officials.
He also says we could reach the point of testing everyone with symptoms.
He is facing questioning from the health and social care committee.
Our political correspondent Lizzy Buchan has the breaking story below:
The health secretary has said government is expanding eligibility for testing to police, fire, and prison officers, the judiciary and local authority officials.
He also says we could reach the point of testing everyone with symptoms.
He is facing questioning from the health and social care committee.
Our political correspondent Lizzy Buchan has the breaking story below:
Trump using anger towards China over coronavirus to attack Joe Biden as election battle takes shape
A super PAC supporting Donald Trump has announced a weeks-long (£8m ad campaign attempting to brand presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden as soft on China. The effort, promoted by Donald Trump Jr, among others, includes a hashtag and a new website tagging the former vice president as #BeijingBiden. The ad follows a Trump campaign ad on the same theme.
The effort to weaponise anger at the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout echoes Mr Trump’s past demonisation of Muslims and of Mexico and those with Mexican ancestry. It also attempts to portray Mr Biden and his son as financially beholden to China for decades, accusing them of the same sort of personal profiteering of which Democrats have accused Mr Trump and his family.
Read more details here:
A super PAC supporting Donald Trump has announced a weeks-long (£8m ad campaign attempting to brand presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden as soft on China. The effort, promoted by Donald Trump Jr, among others, includes a hashtag and a new website tagging the former vice president as #BeijingBiden. The ad follows a Trump campaign ad on the same theme.
The effort to weaponise anger at the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout echoes Mr Trump’s past demonisation of Muslims and of Mexico and those with Mexican ancestry. It also attempts to portray Mr Biden and his son as financially beholden to China for decades, accusing them of the same sort of personal profiteering of which Democrats have accused Mr Trump and his family.
Read more details here:
Health experts and officials are giving evidence to MPs on the health and social care committee.
Royal College of Nursing general secretary, Dame Donna Kinnair, has said unwell NHS staff are being told to drive two hours away to be tested.
One doctor in the north west of England told to drive a 90 miles round trip to Haydock racecourse to get tested when they were seriously ill told The Independent's health correspondent Shaun Lintern: “I was unable to do it.
“Requested it on Friday, tested Tuesday which put me out of the recommended testing period. I now cannot access my results.
“The system is not ready for widespread testing. The timely access to tests and distance required to travel is widespread. The advice is to test between day 1-3 (up to day 5). You have to be referred before 11 and they don’t take referrals over the weekend. So that makes being tested between day 1-3 quite hard.
“Samples can take up to five days to be processed.”
Read the full report here:
Royal College of Nursing general secretary, Dame Donna Kinnair, has said unwell NHS staff are being told to drive two hours away to be tested.
One doctor in the north west of England told to drive a 90 miles round trip to Haydock racecourse to get tested when they were seriously ill told The Independent's health correspondent Shaun Lintern: “I was unable to do it.
“Requested it on Friday, tested Tuesday which put me out of the recommended testing period. I now cannot access my results.
“The system is not ready for widespread testing. The timely access to tests and distance required to travel is widespread. The advice is to test between day 1-3 (up to day 5). You have to be referred before 11 and they don’t take referrals over the weekend. So that makes being tested between day 1-3 quite hard.
“Samples can take up to five days to be processed.”
Read the full report here:
English NHS trust chief contacts BBC to plead with Burberry to make gowns for staff due to run out this weekend
The director in south England contacted the BBC to ask for the factory phone number of Burberry, which has turned over its production to make PPE for healthcare workers, Adam Forrest reports.
The man who made the desperate phone call to the broadcaster – who wished to remain anonymous – said he was worried that his trust had “less than 24 hours supply and [with the] weekend coming up”.
He also condemned health secretary Matt Hancock’s denial of a PPE shortage. “The official line that we don’t have a shortage of PPE is fantasy,” he said.
Read more details here:
The director in south England contacted the BBC to ask for the factory phone number of Burberry, which has turned over its production to make PPE for healthcare workers, Adam Forrest reports.
The man who made the desperate phone call to the broadcaster – who wished to remain anonymous – said he was worried that his trust had “less than 24 hours supply and [with the] weekend coming up”.
He also condemned health secretary Matt Hancock’s denial of a PPE shortage. “The official line that we don’t have a shortage of PPE is fantasy,” he said.
Read more details here:
