A senior government advisor has become the latest person to criticise Dominic Cummings' trip to Durham during lockdown.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries appeared alongside Tory minister Robert Jenrick today as they answered questions about easing of the lockdown for millions of vulnerable people.
Mr Jenrick was put on the spot as the government was grilled yet again about the senior aide's visit to the northeast.
Dr Harries said she “absolutely” agreed with her colleague deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam’s statement on Saturday that the rules are “for the benefit of all and apply to all”.
She told today's Downing Street briefing: “I thought his exposure of what he felt was exactly right.
“We usually say exactly the same things because we think in public health terms, and I think that’s right.
“And from my own perspective I can assure you that from a level of personal and professional integrity, I would always try and follow the rules as I know he does.
“The important thing is they are rules for all of us, and it’s really important as we go through into this next critical phase that we do follow them to the best of our abilities, and even minimise if you like, the freedoms that are there to ensure that we can very gently come out of the pandemic.
“And if we start to spot things on the data that is difficult, there is opportunity for scientific review and advice to the Government about what needs to be done to go forward.”
Mr Jenrick was also asked how can the public "move on" if people are using Dominic Cummings as an excuse to flout lockdown.
Mr Jenrick replied: "It's incumbent on the public, all of us, to behave responsibly."
Boris Johnson's most senior aide has refused to resign despite Durham Police finding he 'might' have broken lockdown measures with his day trip to Barnard Castle to 'test his eyesight'.
Asked about whether people should be concerned that the number of deaths appears to have plateaued in the past five or six days, Dr Harries said that if the numbers are "genuinely plateauing, yes we should be very concerned".
She said: "And that is the reason we need to be really really carefully, not only watching the numbers, but actually watching what we are doing.
"So we have to keep applying the social distancing measures, limit the number of interactions we have, very carefully and sensibly pick up those easements to make our lives better, but not overdo it, so limit the number of interactions.
"Having said that, of course, we know from the data that it does rely in part on when cases are reported so we can all see the blips at the weekend, so I think we need to be watching over a longer period than a few days to get a sense and that is of course why we have the rolling average because it gives a much more proportionate picture if you like of what is happening in reality.
"But, yes, it is a critical time. We need to be very careful."
