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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Andrew Sparrow, Molly Blackall, Jedidajah Otte and Mattha Busby

UK coronavirus: 'This is not the time to end the lockdown,' says Boris Johnson in address to nation – as it happens

Evening summary

  • Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, said that Johnson’s new “stay alert” message was so poor she did not even know what it meant. (See 3.16pm.) In a significant fracturing of the four-nation approach to coronavirus which until now has mostly prevailed, the Scottish and Welsh governments and the Northern Ireland executive all rejected No 10’s new messaging and said they would stick with the current “stay at home” advice for citizens.

There is an analysis of Johnson’s speech here.

And the BBC’s Helena Wilkinson has been tweeting what some of tomorrow’s papers are saying about Johnson’s speech.

That’s all from me for tonight.

There is more coronavirus coverage on our global coronavirus live blog here.

Updated

These are from my colleague Martin Kettle.

Boris Johnson has posted this on Twitter, implying he will be taking the afternoon press conference himself.

Before the 5pm press conference he is also due to give a statement to MPs about his roadmap for easing the lockdown.

Manufacturers have made clear they are still not clear on the conditions which will allow staff to safely return to work. They are asking the government to make its guidance explicit, including standards of PPE where that is required. Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation said:

It is critical that there is clear advice on how to do that, and an understanding that firms will be helped to comply as we navigate uncharted waters, and not punished for inadvertent errors. In many parts of manufacturing people will need to work much more closely than 2 metres apart.

It is vital that the guidance is explicit about how this may be achieved safely. Where this requires PPE, employers across the country are seeking clear advice on what products are needed, what standard they should be produced to, and confidence that they can be sourced in ways which does not reduce supply to the NHS, care homes and front line workers.

Downing Street has released this graphic that seeks to explain the PM’s strategy.

It’s not very detailed.

Unlike the more informative version (pdf) published by the Scottish government (see below), it also fails to acknowledge the likelihood of an easing of the lockdown measures leading to some resurgence of the virus.

Scottish government’s approach to coronavirus
Scottish government’s approach to coronavirus Photograph: Scottish government

Richard Burge, chief executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is urging businesses not to return to work tomorrow saying it would be “foolish” until explicit guidance from the prime minister. Echoing the stance of Sadiq Khan, the London mayor (see 9.12pm), Burge said:

Having heard the prime minister this evening, my strong and unequivocal advice to London businesses is not to change your plans for tomorrow. You have not been given sufficient information on how to get your employees safely to work, nor how to keep them safe while they are there.

We hope that the statement in parliament and the promised guidance documents will enable business to prepare. At the moment, it would be foolish for any business leader to encourage staff not already undertaking essential work to do anything but to continue to work from home tomorrow if they can do so.

Johnson's speech: environmental analysis

Boris Johnson has promised to “shine the light of science” to help the UK emerge from the coronavirus gloom, but there were disappointingly few indications in Sunday’s speech that he plans to direct that same beam of knowledge towards a clean, green recovery of the nation’s economic health.

The address to the nation was cautious and tentative. Instead of a road map, Johnson gave the nation a “sketch of a roadmap”. Instead of a way ahead, he provided only a “sense of a way ahead”. Instead of strong government leadership, the onus was on individuals to do the right thing and experts to provide the necessary data and technology.

The UK will be changed by this experience, the prime minister told us, but he provided no vision of the future, merely a list of comparative adjectives – stronger, better, more resilient, more innovative, more economically dynamic, more generous, more sharing.

Many of these ambitions could imply action on the longer-term problems facing the country and the world, such as the climate crisis. Or they could mean nothing at all. There were no details of anything new and positive that could emerge from the colossal suffering of the pandemic as the NHS and United Nations emerged from the ruins of the second world war. There was no mention either of a green new deal, which other nations plan to use as a vehicle for economic recovery. Nor were there details of how air quality improvements could be maintained, though many city mayors in the UK are already working on this.

Johnson encouraged more cycling, walking and a continuation of working from home, but when that was not possible, he urged people to drive rather than to use public transport. This is sensible given the need for physical distancing on trains and buses, but it added to the overall impression of a prime minister reacting to necessity rather than getting ahead of problems, pre-empting risks and forging a path illuminated by the “light of science”.

There should be more details about the future direction of the economy in the coming days, when Johnson addresses parliament, or when the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, unveils stimulus plans. If the prime minister is serious about the nation returning to “robust health”, the science is clear that climate, nature and air quality must be part of the recovery.

Updated

PM's message telling workers to return to factories is 'recipe for chaos', says TUC

Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary, has described Boris Johnson’s speech as “a recipe for chaos” because safety measures for a return to work are not in place.

Updated

Sadiq Khan urges Londoners to 'stay at home as much as possible' despite PM's speech

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has issued his response to Boris Johnson’s speech. He is still using the “stay at home” message, and he is not encouraging Londoners to go to work in the way that Johnson tentatively was.

In a statement, Khan said:

I want to be as clear as possible with Londoners - social distancing measures are still in place. Lockdown hasn’t been lifted and we all still need to play our part in stopping the spread of Covid-19. You must still stay at home as much as possible and keep a safe two-metre distance from other people at all times when you are out. Everyone must continue to work from home if they possibly can. You must not use public transport for any unnecessary journeys. If you really have to travel, please avoid rush hour. Please walk or cycle whenever possible.

We still have a long way to go to defeat this virus and we have not returned to life as it was before ...

I urge the government to continue to work with employers, employees and trades unions to design a proper plan for how we can keep everyone safe as they return to work.

All Londoners must continue to abide by the rules, and stay home as much as possible, so that we can continue to save lives and protect the NHS.

Updated

Adam Price, the Plaid Cymru leader, has said that Boris Johnson’s new coronavirus messaging (see 1.37pm) is confusing and dangerous. In a statement on the PM’s speech, Price said:

Boris Johnson claims to be the prime minister of the whole United Kingdom but he has acted tonight as England’s prime minister – not a responsible one either.

His message is confusing and dangerous. You cannot stay alert to something you can’t see.

The UK government has cut itself adrift of the three-nation approach which now exists between Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. There is no clearer and simpler message than ‘stay at home’.


Updated

The Police Federation of England and Wales has said that police officers have been put under extreme pressure because of the mixed messages coming out about the lockdown. In a statement on the PM’s speech, John Apter, the federation’s national chair, said:

The government has, as expected, made a decision to relax its lockdown guidance in England. This comes following a week of mixed messages and the release of some information which, fuelled by media speculation, meant many people acted as though the lockdown had already ended. This is putting extreme pressure on my colleagues who are on the frontline trying to enforce legislation in these most challenging of times.

What we need from the prime minister and the government now is clear and unambiguous messaging and guidance, explaining what exactly is expected of the public, so that my colleagues can do their level best to police it.

Police officers will continue to do their best, but their work must be based on crystal clear guidance, not loose rules that are left open to interpretation - because that will be grossly unfair on officers whose job is already challenging. If the message of what is expected of the public is not clear then it will make the job of policing this legislation almost impossible.

Updated

Boris Johnson's speech - A five-point analysis

Boris Johnson seems to like the idea of making a Gaullist address to the nation on evening TV. This was the second time he’s done it during this crisis. But tonight’s event had an unhappy prequel, with No 10 having to damp down expectations created by newspaper headlines suggesting he would be promising lockdown “freedom”, and he was further constrained tonight by the fact that much of the detail of what he is planning won’t come until he presents his document to parliament tomorrow.

Still, it was a major speech. Here is a five-point analysis.

  • Johnson offered a highly-conditional timetable for moving out of the most stringent aspects of lockdown while also stressing that most current restrictions need to remain in place. In terms of announcements that were genuinely new (in the sense that they had not been widely pre-briefed), what was most significant was what he said about what might happen in June and July. He said:

In step two – at the earliest by June 1 – after half term – we believe we may be in a position to begin the phased reopening of shops and to get primary pupils back into schools, in stages, beginning with reception, Year 1 and Year 6.

Our ambition is that secondary pupils facing exams next year will get at least some time with their teachers before the holidays. And we will shortly be setting out detailed guidance on how to make it work in schools and shops and on transport.

And step three - at the earliest by July - and subject to all these conditions and further scientific advice; if and only if the numbers support it, we will hope to re-open at least some of the hospitality industry and other public places, provided they are safe and enforce social distancing.

But Johnson also stressed that these dates were “dependent on a series of big ifs” and, compared to other lockdown plans, this timetable was remarkably cursory. The Irish government, for example, has published a “roadmap for reopening society and business” that proposes a five-phase easing of restrictions, with specific measures planned of five specific dates going up to 10 August. According to a report in the Times last week (paywall), Johnson was under pressure from “datists” in cabinet to give dates for when certain measures would be relaxed. On the basis of this speech, the “datists” secured only to the bare minimum.

  • Johnson has actually toughened the lockdown much more than he has eased it. The most significant change to the status quo came when he confirmed reports that people arriving in the UK by air will be subject to quarantine. (See 7.14pm.) That is a remarkable shift, particularly for someone who gave a speech earlier this year saying he wanted to resist pressure for barriers to go up. (See 6.30pm.) Johnson also said that he would increase the fines for the small number of people who break social distancing rules. (See 7.11pm.) This will be an England-only measure, and it appears to go against the advice of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. As was revealed this afternoon (see 4.56pm), in response to a proposal in April for greater penalties on lockdown offenders, Sage said:

Any flat rate financial penalty will have a higher impact on poorer households.

  • The “careful” steps to ease the lockdown this week announced as new measures in practice amounted to little more than saying that sunbathing is allowed, in England. Johnson said two things would be happening this week. First, people would be encouraged to go to work if they cannot work from home. He said:

We said that you should work from home if you can, and only go to work if you must. We now need to stress that anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work.

But for most of the last seven weeks the government’s line has been that people should go to work if they can’t work from home. When the government first announced the lockdown it put out guidance saying “all non-essential premises must now close”, but this line was swiftly removed from the document because it was not the message the government wanted to give out. And ministers infuriated Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, by refusing to back his call for all construction work to halt.

Second, Johnson said that from Wednesday people would be able to take more exercise. Referring to England, he said:

And from this Wednesday, we want to encourage people to take more and even unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise.

You can sit in the sun in your local park, you can drive to other destinations, you can even play sports but only with members of your own household.

But, unlike in Scotland and Wales, in England the lockdown restrictions never said that people could only go out once a day for exercise (even though ministers sometimes said people should exercise just once a day). And official police guidance (pdf) said people could drive to another destination to exercise. All that really seems to be new is that people can sunbath (not something that previously seemed to count as a “reasonable excuse” to be out under the regulations).

  • Johnson announce a new five-step covid alert system that will be used to help decide when lockdown measures can be lifted. (See 7.07pm.) This seems very similar to an approach announced by Cyril Ramaphosa, the South African president, in a speech last month. Here is the South African system.
South Africa’s coronavirus alert system - similar to the one announced by Boris Johnson tonight
South Africa’s coronavirus alert system - similar to the one announced by Boris Johnson tonight Photograph: South African government

But Johnson did not explain which lockdown measures will apply for which alert level. (Perhaps there will be more detail in the document being published tomorrow.) He also said changes to the alert level will be triggered primarily by changes to R, the reproduction number (which shows the coronavirus infectivity rate). But all he could say about R was that it was between 0.5 and 0.9. In Germany the Robert Koch Institute publishes a daily bulletin (like this one - pdf) which gives R to the nearest two decimal points.

  • Johnson claimed that he was speaking as prime minister of the United Kingdom (see 7.04pm) - although the row about the new No 10 “stay alert” slogan showed that in important respects he is acting as just prime minister of England. There is no formal position of English PM in the UK constitution, but devolution has made it an implicit component of the prime minister’s job and, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland refusing to follow Johnson in his coronavirus messaging today, he was left sounding more England-only than normal.
Boris Johnson giving his televised address.
Boris Johnson giving his televised address. Photograph: Getty Images

Updated

Mark Drakeford, the first minister of Wales, has issued his response to Boris Johnson’s speech. In it he stresses that he has already published a roadmap for Wales, and that Wales will not be reopening schools on 1 June. He says:

The prime minister also set out his roadmap for the future. This is at an early stage because it depends on how the virus behaves over the coming weeks and months.

Two weeks ago, I published a framework to lead Wales out of the pandemic. This has helped us decide that schools will not return to normal on 1 June.

We will continue to make decisions which are right for Wales, using information and expert advice about how coronavirus is circulating here to keep us safe.

Updated

The view of Boris Johnson’s speech from senior police sources was that key parts of their role in enforcing the lockdown were in effect over.

“Impossible,” said one senior source, referring to the prospect of enforcing the lockdown other than policing larger groups of people out of their homes.

The dropping of the “stay at home” message, it is feared, will cause confusion, making the restrictions “unpoliceable”.

New guidance was hurriedly being drawn up for officers around the country about the new rules, and what they should and should not police.

One source with close knowledge of the police’s efforts enforcing coronavirus rules, when asked how easy the new rules would be to enforce, said: “Not a chance in hell.”

Updated

In an interview with Sky News Ian Blackford, the SNP’s leader at Westminster, went even further than Nicola Sturgeon in criticising the PM’s speech. He said that Johnson’s proposal for some hospitality outlets to open in July (see 7.13pm) filled him “with horror”.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, told BBC Scotland that Boris Johnson needed to be much clearer that his proposed easing of the lockdown only related to England.

“Pretty much everything he said in that statement applied to England,” she said. There were no current plans in Scotland to reopen primary schools or building sites, or to suggest people start playing sports, she said. She went on:

He is the prime minister of the UK. I’m not trying to gainsay that, but these restrictions are in place legally separately in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and therefore we have a duty to take decision in our own jurisdictions about the speed with which we lift those.

[It] is incumbent on him, maybe a bit more strongly than he did tonight, to stress that when he’s talking about lifting these restrictions, he’s talking for England. We really have such a duty just now to be as clear as possible.

Updated

France to be exempt from UK quarantine rules, Johnson and Macron agree

Downing Street has just released a joint statement from the British and French governments, after a call between Boris Johnson and the French president, Emmanuel Macron.

It says the French will be exempt from the UK’s proposed quarantine restrictions. (See 7.14pm.)

The joint statement says Johnson and Macron spoke today. It goes on:

They stressed the need for close bilateral, European and international cooperation in the fight against Covid-19.

The leaders spoke about the need to manage the risk of new transmissions arising from abroad, as the rate of coronavirus decreases domestically.

In this regard, the prime minister and the president agreed to work together in taking forward appropriate border measures. This cooperation is particularly necessary for the management of our common border.

No quarantine measures would apply to travellers coming from France at this stage; any measures on either side would be taken in a concerted and reciprocal manner. A working group between the two governments will be set up to ensure this consultation throughout the coming weeks.

Updated

Starmer says people should not have to go back to work without 'clear plan for safety'

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has issued this response to the prime minister’s speech.

This statement raises more questions than it answers, and we see the prospect of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland pulling in different directions.

The prime minister appears to be effectively telling millions of people to go back to work without a clear plan for safety or clear guidance as to how to get there without using public transport.

What the country wanted tonight was clarity and consensus, but we haven’t got either of those.

The full text of Boris Johnson’s speech is here, on the No 10 website.

Here is my colleague Rowena Mason’s news story about the speech.

Johnson winds up by explaining why he is being so cautious. The next phase could be more dangerous, he says.

We have been through the initial peak – but it is coming down the mountain that is often more dangerous.

We have a route, and we have a plan, and everyone in government has the all-consuming pressure and challenge to save lives, restore livelihoods and gradually restore the freedoms that we need.

But in the end this is a plan that everyone must make work.

And when I look at what you have done already.

The patience and common sense you have shown.

The fortitude of the elderly whose isolation we all want to end as fast as we can.

The incredible bravery and hard work of our NHS staff, our care workers.

The devotion and self-sacrifice of all those in every walk of life who are helping us to beat this disease.

Police, bus drivers, train drivers, pharmacists, supermarket workers, road hauliers, bin collectors, cleaners, security guards, postal workers, our teachers and a thousand more.

The scientists who are working round the clock to find a vaccine.

When I think of the millions of everyday acts of kindness and thoughtfulness that are being performed across this country. And that have helped to get us through this first phase.

I know that we can use this plan to get us through the next.

And if we can’t do it by those dates, and if the alert level won’t allow it, we will simply wait and go on until we have got it right.

We will come back from this devilish illness.

We will come back to health, and robust health.

And though the UK will be changed by this experience, I believe we can be stronger and better than ever before.

More resilient, more innovative, more economically dynamic, but also more generous and more sharing.

But for now we must stay alert, control the virus and save lives.

Thank you very much.

Updated

Johnson confirms quarantine will be introduced for new arrivals to UK

Johnson confirms quarantine will be introduced for new arrivals.

And to prevent reinfection from abroad, I am serving notice that it will soon be the time – with transmission significantly lower – to impose quarantine on people coming into this country by air.

And it is because of your efforts to get the R down and the number of infections down here, that this measure will now be effective.

And of course we will be monitoring our progress locally, regionally, and nationally and if there are outbreaks, if there are problems, we will not hesitate to put on the brakes.

Updated

Johnson says from June some pupils in England could return to school

Johnson goes on to explain what might happen in June and July.

In step two – at the earliest by June 1 – after half term – we believe we may be in a position to begin the phased reopening of shops and to get primary pupils back into schools, in stages, beginning with reception, Year 1 and Year 6.

Our ambition is that secondary pupils facing exams next year will get at least some time with their teachers before the holidays. And we will shortly be setting out detailed guidance on how to make it work in schools and shops and on transport.

And step three - at the earliest by July - and subject to all these conditions and further scientific advice; if and only if the numbers support it, we will hope to re-open at least some of the hospitality industry and other public places, provided they are safe and enforce social distancing.

Throughout this period of the next two months we will be driven not by mere hope or economic necessity.

We are going to be driven by the science, the data and public health.

And I must stress again that all of this is conditional, it all depends on a series of big Ifs.

It depends on all of us – the entire country – to follow the advice, to observe social distancing, and to keep that R down.

Updated

Johnson gives details of 'first, careful steps' to ease lockdown

Johnson announces the “first, careful steps” to ease the lockdown.

Instead we are taking the first careful steps to modify our measures.

And the first step is a change of emphasis that we hope that people will act on this week.

We said that you should work from home if you can, and only go to work if you must.

We now need to stress that anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work.

And we want it to be safe for you to get to work. So you should avoid public transport if at all possible – because we must and will maintain social distancing, and capacity will therefore be limited.

So work from home if you can, but you should go to work if you can’t work from home.

And to ensure you are safe at work we have been working to establish new guidance for employers to make workplaces COVID-secure.

And when you do go to work, if possible do so by car or even better by walking or bicycle.

But just as with workplaces, public transport operators will also be following COVID-secure standards.

And from this Wednesday, we want to encourage people to take more and even unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise.

You can sit in the sun in your local park, you can drive to other destinations, you can even play sports but only with members of your own household.

You must obey the rules on social distancing and to enforce those rules we will increase the fines for the small minority who break them.

And so every day, with ever increasing data, we will be monitoring the R and the number of new infections, and the progress we are making, and if we as a nation begin to fulfil the conditions I have set out, then in the next few weeks and months we may be able to go further.

Lockdown can’t end this week, says Johnson

Johnson says the lockdown can’t end this week.

And yet when I look at where we are tonight, we have the R below 1, between 0.5 and 0.9 – but potentially only just below 1.

And though we have made progress in satisfying at least some of the conditions I have given, we have by no means fulfilled all of them.

And so no, this is not the time simply to end the lockdown this week.

Updated

Johnson explains how local flare-ups will be tackled.

So that – all told – we are testing literally hundreds of thousands of people every day.

We have made fast progress on testing – but there is so much more to do now, and we can.

When this began, we hadn’t seen this disease before, and we didn’t fully understand its effects.

With every day we are getting more and more data. We are shining the light of science on this invisible killer, and we will pick it up where it strikes.

Because our new system will be able in time to detect local flare-ups – in your area – as well as giving us a national picture.

Updated

Johnson announces plan for coronavirus alert level system.

Johnson announces plans for a coronavirus alert level system.

And to chart our progress and to avoid going back to square one, we are establishing a new covid alert system run by a new joint biosecurity centre.

And that covid alert level will be determined primarily by R and the number of coronavirus cases.

And in turn that covid alert level will tell us how tough we have to be in our social distancing measures – the lower the level the fewer the measures.

The higher the level, the tougher and stricter we will have to be.There will be five alert levels.

Level 1 means the disease is no longer present in the UK and level 5 is the most critical – the kind of situation we could have had if the NHS had been overwhelmed.

Over the period of the lockdown we have been in level 4 and it is thanks to your sacrifice we are now in a position to begin to move in steps to level 3.

And as we go everyone will have a role to play in keeping the R down. By staying alert and following the rules.

And to keep pushing the number of infections down there are two more things we must do.

We must reverse rapidly the awful epidemics in care homes and in the NHS, and though the numbers are coming down sharply now, there is plainly much more to be done.

And if we are to control this virus, then we must have a world-beating system for testing potential victims, and for tracing their contacts.

Updated

Johnson stresses he will stick to his five tests for ending the lockdown.

And since our priority is to protect the public and save lives, we cannot move forward unless we satisfy the five tests.

We must protect our NHS.

We must see sustained falls in the death rate. We must see sustained and considerable falls in the rate of infection.

We must sort out our challenges in getting enough PPE to the people who need it, and yes, it is a global problem but we must fix it.

And last, we must make sure that any measures we take do not force the reproduction rate of the disease – the R – back up over 1, so that we have the kind of exponential growth we were facing a few weeks ago.

Updated

Johnson says he has ‘first sketch of roadmap’ for ending lockdown

Johnson says he is setting out “the first sketch of a roadmap” of lifting the lockdown.

So I want to provide tonight – for you – the shape of a plan to address both fears.

Both to beat the virus and provide the first sketch of a roadmap for reopening society.

A sense of the way ahead, and when and how and on what basis we will take the decisions to proceed.

I will be setting out more details in parliament tomorrow and taking questions from the public in the evening.

I have consulted across the political spectrum, across all four nations of the UK.

And though different parts of the country are experiencing the pandemic at different rates, and though it is right to be flexible in our response, I believe that as prime minister of the United Kingdom – Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland – there is a strong resolve to defeat this together.

And today a general consensus on what we could do. And I stress ‘could’.

Because although we have a plan, it is a conditional plan.

Updated

He says the death rate is coming down.

And it is thanks to your effort and sacrifice in stopping the spread of this disease that the death rate is coming down and hospital admissions are coming down.

And thanks to you we have protected our NHS and saved many thousands of lives.

And so I know – you know – that it would be madness now to throw away that achievement by allowing a second spike.We must stay alert.

We must continue to control the virus and save lives. And yet we must also recognise that this campaign against the virus has come at colossal cost to our way of life.

We can see it all around us in the shuttered shops and abandoned businesses and darkened pubs and restaurants.

And there are millions of people who are both fearful of this terrible disease, and at the same time also fearful of what this long period of enforced inactivity will do to their livelihoods and their mental and physical wellbeing.

To their futures and the futures of their children.

Updated

He continues to praise the public.

And you have shown the good sense to support those rules overwhelmingly.

You have put up with all the hardships of that programme of social distancing.

Because you understand that as things stand, and as the experience of every other country has shown, it’s the only way to defeat the coronavirus – the most vicious threat this country has faced in my lifetime.

And though the death toll has been tragic, and the suffering immense, and though we grieve for all those we have lost, it is a fact that by adopting those measures we prevented this country from being engulfed by what could have been a catastrophe in which the reasonable worst case scenario was half a million fatalities.

Updated

Boris Johnson's speech

Boris Johnson is starting his speech.

It is now almost two months since the people of this country began to put up with restrictions on their freedom – your freedom – of a kind that we have never seen before in peace or war.

Boris Johnson will be delivering his speech about easing the lockdown shortly.

No 10 has released an embargoed copy to journalists, and so I should be able to post his words in full as soon as he has delivered them.

Updated

From the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn

How Boris Johnson's stance on coronavirus has changed

Tonight’s speech from Boris Johnson will be one of the most important he has given on coronavirus. Over the last three months (like most politicians, and even many scientists), he has had to drastically revise his assessment of the threat it poses and what needs to be done.

Here are nine quotes that show how much his stance has changed.

1 Johnson says he won’t let coronavirus push him towards protectionism. One of his first public references to coronavirus came in a speech devoted to Britain’s post-Brexit future at Greenwich on 3 February, when he said he would not let coronavirus push him towards protectionism.

And in that context, we are starting to hear some bizarre autarkic rhetoric, when barriers are going up, and when there is a risk that new diseases such as coronavirus will trigger a panic and a desire for market segregation that go beyond what is medically rational to the point of doing real and unnecessary economic damage, then at that moment humanity needs some government somewhere that is willing at least to make the case powerfully for freedom of exchange, some country ready to take off its Clark Kent spectacles and leap into the phone booth and emerge with its cloak flowing as the supercharged champion, of the right of the populations of the earth to buy and sell freely among each other.

This is somewhat hard to square with the news that Johnson is now planning to impose quarantine on new arrivals to the UK, although this is a public health policy, not a trade policy.

2 Johnson avoids being alarmist as he publishes the government’s first coronavirus action plan. The document was published on 3 March, when Johnson attended a press conference with Sir Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser. Johnson stressed that most people had no need to fear the illness. He said:

Let me be absolutely clear that for the overwhelming majority of people who contract the virus this will be a mild disease from which they will speedily and fully recover as we have already seen.

3 Johnson calls for a balanced approach. Two days later, on 5 March, Johnson told ITV’s This Morning that at that point it should be “business as usual for the overwhelming majority of people in this country”. He also said the government was going for a “balanced” approach. He said:

One of the theories is perhaps you could take it in on the chin, take it all in one go and allow the disease to move through the population without really taking as many draconian measures. I think we need to strike a balance.

I think it would be better if we take all the measures that we can now just to stop the peak of the disease being as difficult for the NHS as it might. I think there are things we may be able to do.

In fact no one in the UK was saying the government should just “take it on the chin”, but at that point government advisers were telling ministers that if they tried to suppress coronavirus completely, they would just risk a worse second peak later in the herd. A more balanced approach would allow “herd immunity” to develop, they argued.

4 Johnson changes tone, and warns that “many more” people will die. At another Downing Street press conference, on 12 March, he said:

I must level with you, I must level with the British public: many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time.

This was also the moment when Johnson said the government was no longer trying to “contain” coronavirus and had instead moved to the stage where it was focusing on “delay”.

5 Johnson tells people to stay at home if possible. With the crisis intensifying, at the first of what No 10 said would be daily press conferences, Johnson announced on 16 March what amounted to a soft lockdown. He said:

We need people to start working from home where they possibly can. And you should avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social venues.

6 A week later Johnson announces the full lockdown. In an evening TV address on 23 March he said:

You should not be meeting friends. If your friends ask you to meet, you should say no. You should not be meeting family members who do not live in your home. You should not be going shopping except for essentials like food and medicine – and you should do this as little as you can.

7 Johnson himself then went down with coronavirus, and he ended up in hospital, where he spent three nights in intensive care. On leaving hospital he recorded an Easter Sunday message (the resurrection video) in which he movingly described how he had come close to death, thanked the nurses who had looked after him, and paid tribute to the contribution of the public. He said:

We are making progress in this national battle because the British public formed a human shield around this country’s greatest national asset - our National Health Service.

8 On 27 April, on his first day back at work in Downing Street after his recuperation, Johnson says that preparations to ease the lockdown have been under way for weeks, but that the government will proceed cautiously. He said:

This is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle [coronavirus] to the floor, and so it follows that this is the moment of opportunity. This is the moment when we can press home our advantage. It is also the moment of maximum risk.

9 Johnson stresses that there could be an even bigger coronavirus outbreak if the government mishandled the lockdown. At his most recent press conference, on 30 April, he said:

It is vital that we do not now lose control and run slap into a second and even bigger mountain.

Updated

This is from Nicki Credland, chair of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses, on the new “stay alert” slogan.

This is from Phillip Lee, a former Tory minister who defected to the Lib Dems over Brexit last year.

Louise Haigh, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, has said that Boris Johnson’s decision to “go it alone on messaging” – ie to introduce a new slogan for the public in England not being matched in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland – is dangerous.

Updated

Pro-mask graffiti on adverts
Pro-mask graffiti seen on adverts in east London today. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

Updated

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has posted this on Twitter to make the point that she is not, in any meaningful sense, lifting the lockdown in Scotland.

No 10 publishes Sage material originally redacted showing tougher lockdown proposals rejected by experts

On Friday my colleagues Paul Lewis and David Conn reported on how some members of Sage, the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, were angered by the way the government readacted large chunks of a Sage document before publishing it last week.

The scientists felt the redactions were unnecessary because it seemed the content was just being hidden to prevent people learning that some government proposals had been dismissed by the experts, and at last one adviser was said to be considering resigning.

Now the government has relented. This line has been added to the website page where all the Sage documents are published.

Material was redacted from this document in accordance with the standard principles governing Freedom of Information when it was first published. However Sir Patrick Vallance [the government’s chief scientific adviser) and No 10 agree that such Sage documents relating to Covid should be published in full, in the interests of maximum transparency, with exceptions only for matters relating to national security.

Here is the document (pdf). It is a meeting note, dated 1 April, prepared for a Sage meeting on 2 April.

The newly released material is everything from point 3, starting with the headline: “Specific comments about new suggestions for improving adherence within the Framework (27 March)”. It shows Sage rejected three proposals to toughen the lockdown.

Here is the key extract.

The framework proposes four new suggestions for increasing adherence, numbered as options 17 to 20 that SPI-B have not commented on before. These focus on: 17) increasing the financial penalties imposed; 18) introducing self-validation for movements; 19) reducing exercise and/or shopping; 20) reducing non-home working. We have reservations about options 17 to 19.

First, we are unclear what the evidence base is that the targeted behaviours are a substantial contribution to disease transmission, particularly given the high adherence rates currently observed in the community. Is there evidence, for example, that exercise conducted more than 1km away from the house leads to higher rates of transmission than exercise conducted within 1km of the house? Indeed, for this option, there is a risk that reducing the ability of people to apply some flexibility in choosing where to exercise will increase risk by preventing people from spreading out in nearby open space. Tightening restrictions without clear epidemiological need may lose support among people who have been attempting to adhere.

Second, the implicit assumption underlying options 17 to 19 is that people lack motivation to adhere to current guidance. This may apply to some specific subgroups (the example of young men has been given), but broadly the current levels of adherence we are witnessing suggest this is not the issue.

Third, there are equity issues within options 17 to 19. Any flat rate financial penalty will have a higher impact on poorer households, while the assumption that printing and completing paperwork is straightforward for all households can also be challenged. The assumption underlying restrictions on shopping frequency is that people can afford to buy in larger quantities. The risk of tension arising as the police are required to start penalising those who are not adhering should also be factored into considerations.

Updated

Earlier Arlene Foster, the first minister of Northern Ireland, said that, along with the Scottish and Welsh governments, the Northern Ireland executives would be keeping the “stay at home” message. (See 12.03pm.) Now Robin Swann, Northern Ireland’s health minister, has reinforced the message by tweeting out this slogan saying “keep staying at home”.

A news day that was meant to be dominated by the prime minister’s speech has (so far, at least) instead been hijacked by four nations slogan bickering.

Official UK death toll rises by 269 to 31,855

The official UK death toll has risen to 31,855 – an increase of 269 on yesterday.

The Department for Health and Social Care has tweeted that 92,837 tests were carried out on Saturday.

The government dashboard with more details is here.

And this press release has more detail of the testing figures.

Updated

Good afternoon. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Molly Blackall.

I’ll be here for the rest of the day, covering Boris Johnson’s speech at 7pm, and then bringing you reaction and analysis as the night goes on.

According to the BBC’s Chris Mason, part of the speech was pre-recorded yesterday, and part today.

According to the Mail on Sunday’s Harry Cole, the decision to start recording the speech before its contents had been supposedly agreed by the cabinet, which met earlier today, did not go down well.

The press conference is now finished – and so is my stint on the live blog. I’m handing over to my colleague Andrew Sparrow who’ll take the blog over for the next few hours.

Thank you all for following along, and a special thanks to those who sent in tips and pointers, it’s much appreciated. I hope you’re staying safe and well, wherever you’re reading from.

Updated

The Scottish government is working with advisers to balance need for infection control with mitigating distress measures are causing to people with dementia, or those who care for them, the health minister says.

Sturgeon says she doesn’t expect the new regulations, which will allow people to exercise multiple times a day, to significantly change the transmission rate.

She thinks the risk in terms of increased transmission is low but the benefits to health could be high.

Sturgeon also said that people being outdoors has a much lower impact on transmission than when they are indoors.

Updated

Sturgeon says she doesn’t rule out making localised guidance within Scotland, such as giving some lockdown measures for Glasgow and others for Inverness. But she suggests we don’t get ahead of ourselves, and not to exaggerate the differences in place.

Updated

The Scottish health secretary emphasises that the NHS is still open for emergencies and maternity, and for cancer treatment, despite the cancellation or postponement of many procedures.

Sturgeon says she will “leave it to the prime minister to explain how dropping the ‘stay at home’ message” still involves advice to stay at home.

It comes after Johnson tweeted guidance which said that “stay alert” included instructions to “stay at home as much as possible”.

This has caused understandable confusion about how the “stay alert” message differs from the previous “stay at home” message.

Updated

Roughly half of care homes in Scotland have not had any coronavirus infections at all, Sturgeon said.

Updated

Patients discharged from hospital after coronavirus who are returning to care homes need to give two negative tests before discharge, says the health secretary, Jeane Freeman.

If they are in hospital for another reason but need to go back to a care home, they should provide a negative test and then quarantine in the care home.

Updated

It’s “of interest” for Scotland to be involved with the alert system expected to be unveiled by Boris Johnson tonight, but they would need more evidence, Dr Smith says.

Updated

There is “insufficent confidence to say we’re sufficiently below the magical 1 number,” says the interim chief medical officer, Dr Gregor Smith.

The number he’s referring to is the transmission rate, the R number, which governments are trying to keep below 1.

He says the real danger is that relaxing measures too early would cause that number to grow.

Updated

Sturgeon refers to the recent increase in infection rate in Germany as evidence that the “margins of error are very narrow”.

Germany has recently moved towards relaxing restrictions, but has already had to reimpose measures in one state after a spike in cases.

“My overall watchword in this is ‘caution’,” Sturgeon said.

Updated

Sturgeon says communication teams in Scotland and the UK government are liaising over the message at the moment, and she is committed to a four-nation approach.

“I am absolutely committed to a four-nation approach”, she says, and the fact that evidence necessitates the nations following different timetables should not be seen as a break in this.

However, what will make the approach harder is if the UK government takes decisions for the four nations without consultation.

Updated

Sturgeon: Wear face coverings in shops

In Scotland, the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has asked people to wear face coverings while in shops.

It comes as she announces that people can exercise more than once a day in Scotland.

Updated

Sturgeon: I don’t know what ‘stay alert’ means

Sturgeon has confirmed the “stay alert” message won’t be operating in Scotland, and has hit out at the UK government for leaving Scotland out of the loop.

She says consultation and alignment is really important, and that decisions taken in Westminster shouldn’t be presented as UK-wide.

“We should not be reading for the first time of others’ plans in newspapers,” she says, adding that clarity of message is “paramount”.

Sturgeon says that different decisions may be more appropriate across the nations if the evidence suggests they are on different timelines. She says she respects the right of other nations to make their decisions, but it’s important to not confuse the guidance.

Sturgeon says the progress Scotland has made is “fragile” and it could be “catastrophic” to drop the measures at such a “critical time”.

“Except for the essential reasons outlined, the guidance remains to stay at home in Scotland,” she said. “I think there is a risk of people dying unnecessarily in Scotland if we drop the stay at home message.”

Sturgeon also says she is not willing to drop the message in favour of something which is “vague and imprecise”.

“I don’t know what ‘stay alert’ means,” she adds.

Updated

Scotland: People can exercise more than once a day and quarantine for travellers announced

From Monday the once-a-day exercise limit will be removed. However, this won’t apply to those who are shielding or have symptoms.

People must stay “relatively close to their own home”. This does not extend to barbecues or sunbathing.

Nicola Sturgeon stresses this is not licence to meet up in groups.

This will be the only change the Scottish government will announce, but over the next week it will consider further measures about going outside. Some of the things it will update the public on next weekend after consideration will include the opening of garden centres and recycling centres.

Sturgeon says she has not seen the plan unveiled by the PM tonight, so can’t comment on that. She expects confirmation of a period of quarantine for those travelling to the UK from Boris Johnson tonight, and welcomes it.

Updated

Sturgeon: rate of transmission still too high to lift lockdown

Sturgeon says the rate of transmission is still too high to lift lockdown, so Scotland must stay at home.

The country must be “cautious and careful”; the objective must be to “solidify” that progress and not “squander it” or give mixed messages. If Scotland does that, “people will die”.

She says this will be under review.

Updated

Nicola Sturgeon's press conference

The Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is giving a press conference. I’ll update you with the key points as it goes along.

In Scotland there are now 13,486 positive cases confirmed, and an increase of 181 since yesterday.

There are 1,484 patients in hospital with confirmed or suspected coronavirus, a decrease of 101 since yesterday. There are 82 people in ICU with confirmed or suspected coronavirus, a decrease of seven.

There have been 10 deaths in the past 24 hours from coronavirus. The total now is 1,857.

Sturgeon says the rate of transmission is still too high to lift lockdown, so Scotland must stay at home.

Must be “cautious and careful”, objective must be to “solidify” that progress and not “squander it” or give mixed messages. If Scotland did that, “people will die”.

She says this will be under review.

Updated

Police were spat and coughed on as they tried to disperse a birthday party of around 40 people in Bolton, Greater Manchester.

Police were called to an address in Wemsley Grove, Tonge Moor, shortly before 8pm yesterday, where they found a birthday party with around 40 people in attendance, including both adults and children.

“Officers encouraged the group to disperse and were met with hostility as guests refused to co-operate,” a Greater Manchester Police statement said.

“Officers continued to encourage the group to disperse, and as people started to leave, a group of people continued to refuse to co-operate with the officers and began to deliberately cough and spit.”

Seven people – aged between 23 and 48 – were arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly and for breach of Covid-19 regulations and received fixed penalties. A further individual was not arrested but was given a fixed penalty at the scene.

The assistant chief constable Robert Potts said: “When the vast majority of us are all making such sacrifices in order to reduce the transmission of the virus and save lives as a result it is really disappointing to see the rules being flagrantly ignored by those who are putting their own safety and the safety of so many others at risk.

“This remains an incredibly challenging time for everybody but we all need to follow the legislation and government guidance in order to save lives and protect the most vulnerable members of our communities.

“Following this incident yesterday, the Bolton neighbourhood team will be out providing reassurance to residents in the area, so please feel free to speak to them if you have any questions or concerns.”

Updated

Hi everyone, I’m back from my lunch break.

If you spot something we should be reporting on in this blog, you can drop me a message on Twitter. I won’t be able to reply to everything but will try to read it all, so thanks in advance!

Updated

Charities have called for safe legal routes to claim asylum in the UK, after a single-day record number of migrants were confirmed to have crossed the Channel in small boats on Friday.

The number of migrants who managed to reach the UK this weekend is now at least 244 after another boat made the dangerous journey on Sunday.

Eight inflatable boats - including one packed with 51 people - were intercepted in the English Channel by Border Force on Friday, with 145 migrants in total rescued.

On Saturday, a further 82 migrants were responded to by UK authorities.

Seventy of these were discovered on board inflatable boats, while 12 men were found at Dungeness on the Kent coast.
On Sunday, Border Force was alerted to another boat at 3.20am, and it was found to be carrying 17 people.

The migrants were taken to Dover, where they will be assessed for symptoms of coronavirus.

Since the Covid-19 lockdown was announced in Britain on March 23, at least 853 migrants have been intercepted by UK authorities and brought ashore, according to data gathered by the PA news agency.

A large number of those who arrived in the UK over the bank holiday weekend presented themselves as Iranian, Afghan, Yemini, Iraqi, Kuwaiti and Syrian nationals.

Here my colleague Mattha Busby’s story:

Updated

Scotland death toll rises by 10 to 1,857

A total of 1,857 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up by 10 on Saturday, the Scottish government has announced.

Recent statistics show 13,486 people have tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 181 from 13,305 the day before.

There are 82 people in intensive care with coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms, a decrease of 11 on Saturday.

1,484 people in Scotland are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, including those who are in intensive care, a drop of 101 from the Saturday total of 1,585.

Since March 5, 3,100 people who have tested positive for coronavirus have been able to leave hospital, which includes 84 people since Saturday.

Another five Covid-19 deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health said, bringing total deaths in the region to 435.

Updated

England hospital death toll rises by 178 to 23,149

A further 178 people, who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 23,149. The full details are here (pdf).

Patients were aged between 32 and 98 years old. 12 of the 178 patients, aged between 58 and 95 years old, had no known underlying health condition, NHS England said.

The number of deaths of patients with Covid-19 by region are as follows:

East of England 23

London 25

Midlands 28

North East & Yorkshire 32

North West 44

South East 18

South West 8

Updated

Briefings to newspapers have led to more people flouting the Government’s Covid-19 lockdown rules, the shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth has said.

The Leicester South Labour MP blamed headlines suggesting an easing of restrictions from Monday on several national titles’ front pages on Thursday, which were all based on briefings, for the apparent confusion in the population about the next phase of the lockdown.

Police forces voiced frustration as people flocked to parks and were socialising outdoors on Friday and Saturday.

Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Ashworth said: “The frustration is that we had different briefings to different newspapers throughout the week.

“I think some of those briefings to newspapers has led to the situation yesterday and on Friday of lots of people going to parks, enjoying the sunshine.

“We have seen an increase in road traffic and I think we have seen more Coastguard call-outs than at any other point during the lockdown.

“This lockdown, which we have been in now for seven weeks, has contributed to hospital admissions falling and the death rate falling, and you’d hope and expect that, and that is a tribute to the British public who have followed the stay home advice.”

At the daily Downing Street press conference on Saturday, transport secretary Grant Shapps warned that the government would proceed with “extreme caution” when lifting lockdown measures.

Hello, taking over briefly while Molly Blackall is on a break. You can flag updates you want to share with me either on Twitter or you can email me.

The prime minister risks jeopardising the successes of the coronavirus lockdown in dropping his “stay home” slogan, a scientist advising the government has said.

Behavioural expert Prof Susan Michie, who is a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said Johnson’s new messaging was “a long way” from being clear and consistent and could give people the green light to socialise.

It comes after all devolved nations rejected the new slogan, with Wales and Scotland saying they weren’t consulted on the change.

Updated

All devolved nations reject new coronavirus slogan

Leaders of all the devolved nations have now rejected Boris Johnson’s new “stay alert” slogan, and have vowed to continue with the existing “stay at home” message.

Instead of the original advice, the prime minister is now telling the public to “stay at home as much as possible”, to keep two metres apart when going out and “limit contact” with other people.

Despite the communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, saying the government’s “strong preference” was for a UK-wide response, all devolved nations have rejected the new slogan.

Health ministers in Wales and Scotland, as well as the Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, have said they were not consulted about the change of message and found out about it through media reports.

Updated

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has become the latest to criticise the government’s new coronavirus slogan, describing it as “too ambiguous” and “unenforceable”.

A passenger plane bringing 120,000 surgical gowns from China has landed in the UK.

The Airbus A340, which was decorated in livery thanking NHS staff, landed at Bournemouth airport from China this morning.

Paul Stoddart, chairman of the European Aviation Group, said: “Today we delivered yet another 120,000 surgical gowns, much needed to the NHS.

“The flight was from China back to Bournemouth and all went very well. Looking forward to the next few flights.”

Updated

Health professionals have issued a new legal challenge demanding an urgent inquiry into the government’s failure to provide PPE for frontline workers.

A pre-action letter sent by the Doctor’s Association UK (DA) and the Good Law Project (GLP), which are responsible for bringing the challenge, provides a list of “recurrent and systemic” failures in PPE supplies.

The groups are demanding legal action be taken immediately so that “lessons can be learnt” in case of a resurgence in the virus.

“It is a tragedy that nearly 200 healthcare workers in the UK have died due to Covid-19,” said a spokesperson for the DA. “There has been recurrent and systemic failure of the PPE supply chain, leaving staff in some instances with makeshift or no PPE.

“Every healthcare worker death from Covid-19 must be investigated, the issue of PPE has to be considered as part of that. Until we establish all the factors involved we feel that inquests must be opened,” they added.

“With the Good Law Project, we are seeking a legal remedy by compelling the secretary of state for health and social care to discharge his statutory duty to promptly and properly order an investigation of healthcare worker deaths.”

Updated

'Stay alert' means stay at home as much as possible, says No 10

Downing Street is also weighing in to try to explain the meaning of the new “stay alert” slogan.

A No 10 spokesman said the public can stay alert by “staying at home as much as possible”, “limiting contact with other people” and keeping two metres apart where possible.

“We can control the virus by keeping the rate of infection (R) and the number of infections down,” the spokesman said. “This is how we can continue to save lives and livelihoods as we start to recover from coronavirus.”

“Everyone has a role to play in keeping the rate of infection (R) down by staying alert and following the rules,” they added.

Updated

Tensions rising in the union over new coronavirus slogan

If you’re just joining us, here’s a quick overview of what’s happened with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland’s response to the government’s new coronavirus slogan.

This morning, the UK government introduced a new slogan, “stay alert, save lives”, to replace the “stay home, save lives” slogan used so far. It appears to be part of today’s change in lockdown conditions, with some relaxation of measures expected to be announced at the government’s briefing tonight.

The slogan gained attention in the media this morning, with Sunday newspapers reporting on the new slogan and the communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, discussing it on Sky News and the Andrew Marr show.

However, since the reveal, Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon, and Northern Ireland’s first minister Arlene Foster, have both said that they will not be adopting the new slogan. Sturgeon said it was too early for Scotland to drop the “stay home” message.

The health ministers in Scotland and Wales, along with Sturgeon, have said that they were not consulted on the change of message.

That brings you up to speed with this morning’s events - I’ll let you know as and when this develops further.

Updated

Prime minister Boris Johnson has just released some insight into what the new government coronavirus slogan means.

“Everyone has a role to play in helping to control the virus by staying alert and following the rules. This is how we can continue to save lives as we start to recover from coronavirus,” he said in a tweet.

The message was accompanied by a image which shows how to “stay alert”:

  • Stay at home as much as possible
  • Work from home if you can
  • Limit contact with other people
  • Keep your distance if you go out (2m apart where possible)
  • Wash your hands regularly.

It is still somewhat unclear how this differs from the previous guidance - as these measures were largely already in place - but that is likely to be clarified at tonight’s briefing, when a slight relaxation of coronavirus lockdown measures are expected to be announced.

I wanted to share this brilliant picture with you all, which shows Boris Johnson in a socially distanced discussion with a member of public.

The photograph was taken as the prime minister took his morning walk through St James’ Park in London yesterday.

A member of the public stops to talk to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he takes a morning walk through St James’ Park in London.
A member of the public stops to talk to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he takes a morning walk through St James’ Park in London. Photograph: Ben Cawthra/LNP

Northern Ireland sticking with 'stay at home' message, says Arlene Foster

Northern Ireland’s first minister Arlene Foster has said the region will not adopt the new government slogan, instead sticking with the “stay home, save lives” message.

Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland radio on Sunday, she said:

On the whole, the message is to stay at home. We will say we are not deviating from the message at this time.

Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said Scotland will not be adopting the new slogan either, with Welsh and Scottish health ministers saying they were not consulted on the change of message.

Updated

Thanks to all those getting in touch with tips, pointers and questions - I’ll try to address them here in the blog.

If you see something you think we should be reporting in this blog, you can drop me a message on Twitter, @mollyblackall. I won’t be able to respond to everything, but I’ll try to read it all.

A leading statistician has criticised the government’s use of daily figures, describing it as “number theatre”.

Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, chairman of the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication at the University of Cambridge, criticised the government’s daily briefings, saying that the public are being fed “number theatre”.

Speaking on the Andrew Marr show this morning, Spiegelhalter said he wished data was being shared by people who understood its “strengths and limitations” and could “treat the audience with respect”.

Asked about the Government’s communication to the public through the briefings, Spiegelhalter said he had watched Saturday’s briefing and “frankly, I found it completely embarrassing”.

He said it was “extraordinary” that it is not known how many people have had Covid-19.

“We get told lots of big numbers, precise numbers of tests being done - 96,878. Well, that’s not how many were done yesterday; it includes tests that were posted out,” he said.

“We’re told 31,587 people have died; no, they haven’t, it’s far more than that. I think this is actually not the trustworthy communication of statistics,” he continued.

“It’s such a missed opportunity. The public out there who are broadly very supportive of the measures, they’re hungry for details, for facts, for genuine information, and yet they get fed this what I call ‘number theatre’, which seems to be co-ordinated really much more by a Number 10 communications team rather than genuinely trying to inform people about what’s going on.”

Updated

Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has just tweeted the original “stay at home” message and pinned it - meaning it will come up as the first tweet on her profile.

This is likely to be read as her doubling down on her earlier statement that the Scottish government would not be adopting the UK government’s new “stay alert” slogan. She argues it is too soon to lift the “stay home” message in Scotland.

Sturgeon, alongside the Scottish and Welsh health ministers, have alleged that they were not consulted on the change of slogan.

Intensive care doctors are warning that non-compliance with the lockdown could lead to a second wave of Covid-19 infections.

Their concern follows pictures on television of people gathering in large groups on Friday, and in one case doing a mass conga, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day and also of large numbers of people sunbathing and picnicking on Saturday in London Fields in east London.

Dr Ami Jones, an intensive care consultant in Wales, tweeted today to say: “Showing our supremacy in the world stats as we irresponsibly flount lockdown to celebrate VE Day in the worst fashion. Glad I’ve had a couple of weeks away from ITU to recuperate as the next wave is going to make this horrific statistic even worse. Things are about to get busy.”

And Dr Mark Forrest, an intensive care doctor in the north-west of England, says he is “seriously worried” that ignoring the lockdown will increase the pressure on units like his.

He tweeted: “Our ICU already has more Covid cases than 2 weeks ago as more people go out. Ignoring lockdown has us seriously worried for the next few weeks.”

Welsh government says it's sticking with with 'stay at home' message

Vaughan Gething, health minister for Wales, has said that the UK government has not discussed the new “stay alert” slogan with the other nations.

“I’ve seen the media briefings and changed message for England. There has not been a 4 nations agreement or discussion on this,” Gething tweeted.

The WelshGovernment message has not changed. Stay at home and if you do go out observe the social distancing rules. #StayHomeSaveLives

It comes after the Scottish health minister and first minister both said Scotland had not been consulted.

Updated

Liberal Democrats acting leader Sir Ed Davey has called for the Government to publish the evidence it used to move to its new “stay alert” slogan.

He warned that the change could cause alarm amongst the public, and make police enforcement “near impossible”.

“Changing the slogan now, while in practice keeping the lockdown in place, makes the police’s job near impossible and may cause considerable alarm. Ministers risk sowing confusion and losing public trust with this muddled communications strategy and lack of transparency,” he said.

“It’s not clear why the Prime Minister has made this decision,” he added. “For it to make any sense, we need total transparency on the science and advice that has led to this change. Ministers must publish the evidence they are relying on to make these decisions to allow for real scrutiny.”

Confusion over government's new slogan

If you’re just joining us, there is much confusion this morning over the government’s new slogan, “stay alert, save lives”, which will replace “stay home, save lives”.

It is set to be unveiled at tonight’s 7pm briefing, but Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick has already been on Sky News and the Andrew Marr Show this morning discussing the slogan.

What does “stay alert” mean?

When asked by Marr what “stay alert” meant, Jenrick said: “Stay alert by staying home as much as possible, but stay alert when you do go out by maintaining social distancing, washing your hands, respecting others in the workplace and other settings you’ll go to.”

This has understandably caused confusion about how this slogan differs from the last.

Scotland won’t adopt slogan

Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted this morning that the Scottish government won’t be adopting the new slogan as the risk of infection is still too high to abandon the “stay home” message.

She also said the Scottish government had not been consulted on the change of message.

Since then, the Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman has said she has “no idea” what “stay alert” means.

Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has said she has “no idea” what the UK government’s new “stay alert” slogan means.

Speaking on the BBC’s Politics Scotland on Sunday, Ms Freeman said the Scottish Government was not consulted on the change.

She said: “That is not a change that we would agree with. I think the First Minister was really clear last week that the ‘stay at home’ message was the right message and if I’m perfectly frank, I have no idea what ‘stay alert’ actually means.”

Ms Freeman also said the public would be “at a disadvantage” in following guidance if the message was not clear.

She added: “We’re asking the public to do a very great deal here and the least we can do is be consistent and clear in the message that we’re sending and stay at home is the right message.”

Updated

A senior police officer who survived a spell in intensive care with Covid-19 has criticised the public’s “increasingly blasé” attitude towards observing the lockdown.

Chief supt Phil Dolby of West Midlands police tweeted: “A month ago today, on a ventilator & in a coma, I started to breath for myself! I am v disturbed by the increasingly blasé way ppl are treating the lockdown. With lack of answers around immunity, my family & I are going to remain shielding. I can’t go thru that again. #Covid19”.

Meanwhile, an expert in mental health has added to the growing concern that the government’s new “stay alert” message will confuse people. Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth voiced unease this morning on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.

“The one thing that helps the population is clear, concise and accurate messaging. This one is concise only. The previous message to stay home was at least clear. What does stay alert mean? It will just be confusing, be open to misinterpretation and likely to increase risky behaviour – that means taking risks that will affect everyone and increase infections”, said Prof Til Wykes, vice-dean of the institute of psychiatry, psychology and neuroscience at King’s College London.

“This is not just about preventing deaths but many people who have survived this virus are left with physical problems that will affect them for a very long time. If you are going to re-message then listen to behavioural scientists about how to do it best”, added Wykes, in a comment issued through the Science Media Centre.

Updated

Contact tracing app may not work with Apple or Google phones

The UK’s coronavirus contact tracing app, being developed as part of the government’s pandemic response, may not work with either Apple or Google phones.

Dr Michael Veale, lecturer in digital rights and regulation at University College London, said the UK is “really going against the grain” in its development of the app.

Comparing the government’s app with the app his team is working on, Veale said: “We’ve been working in a way where all of the matching between people happens on a user’s device, not in a central server, and that’s generally considered to be more privacy preserving. Whereas the UK has taken a different approach, which builds a social network of people in the cloud.”

“The problem is that Apple and Google, Apple in particular, have stated that they won’t allow this kind of central system to be created, it doesn’t work with their operating system,” he said. “And so the UK is really going against the grain and therefore it’s finding problems on both Google and Apple phones.”

He said he does not think the app will be up and running in the UK before June.

Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick denied the government was already working on a second coronavirus app, but said ministers would move to a different app if necessary.

“As far as I’m aware we’re not developing a second app but we are paying attention to the other apps that exist elsewhere in the world,” he told Marr. “And if we need to adapt our app or move to a different model, obviously we will do.”

Updated

A body representing police officers in London has criticised the government’s pandemic response as “wishy-washy” amid concerns that the public has begun ignoring lockdown restrictions.

The Metropolitan Police Federation (MPF) said that, despite its assertions to the contrary, the government is sending out mixed messages.

MPF’s Ken Marsh told BBC Radio 4 that authorities “needed to be firmer right from the beginning”.

You can read more here:

The government must be “incredibly cautious” about easing lockdown measures, the chairman of the government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) has said.

Speaking to Andrew Marr this morning, Professor Peter Horby said: “We have to be clear that this is not like a storm where we batten down the hatches and then it passes by and we walk out into the sunshine and it’s gone.

“It’s still out there. Most of us have not had this virus. So if we get this wrong it will very quickly increase across the population and we will be back in a situation of crisis.
“So we have to be incredibly cautious about relaxing the measures.”

Updated

UK sends 50,000 coronavirus test samples to US after lab problems

Around 50,000 coronavirus test samples have been sent to the US after “operational issues” in the lab network caused delays.

The Department of Health said sending swabs abroad is one of the contingencies to deal with problems in rapidly-expanded testing system. The test results will be validated back in the UK and communicated to patients “as quickly as possible”.

The department said that work was ongoing to resolve the issues, and that testing capacity is quickly being restored.

According to the Sunday Telegraph, the samples were airlifted to the US in chartered flights from London’s Stansted airport.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “The expansion of the UK’s coronavirus testing network has involved setting up an entirely new ‘Lighthouse’ lab network to process test swabs.

“When problems arise, we have contingencies in place which include creating extra temporary capacity for our labs or sending swabs abroad to partner labs for completion. Of course, our partner labs must match our high standards.”

At yesterday’s Downing Street briefing, it was revealed that the number of daily coronavirus tests fell below Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s 100,000 target for a seventh day in a row.

It was announced that 96,878 tests were conducted in the 24 hours to 9am on Saturday, down from 97,029 the day before.

Quick summary of this morning's updates

Ahead of tonights 7pm briefing, which is set to include the beginning of the lifting of lockdown restrictions, here are some of the measures expected to be unveiled:

  • A new message “Stay alert, save lives”, retiring the “stay home, save lives” seen so far. However Nicola Sturgeon has said this is the first she has heard of the message, and won’t be adopting the slogan.
  • A terror threat style alert system, which the UK will move through in stages to exit lockdown. Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick said the UK was currently at stage four out of five, and they hope to move out of three.
  • Lockdown could be different in each region, with measures tailored to the local state of the virus.
  • COBRA, the government’s emergency committee, is expected to meet this afternoon.
  • People who are unable to work from home could be allowed to return to work, Sky news are reporting. However, people will be advised to wear face masks in shops and public transport.
  • Garden centre are expected to be allowed to reopen from Wednesday, say Sky News.
  • There will be tougher fines for those who break the rules.
  • Tonight’s statement will be prerecorded with no questions from the media.

The WHO has warned that lockdown restrictions must be eased carefully, saying it would be “traumatising” for people to re-enter lockdown in the case of a second wave.

“This is the advice we give really to every country is to be very, very cautious when taking these decisions to ease down the restrictions, because really what we don’t want to see is that there is a second wave and that we have to go back to the lockdown. That would be traumatising I think for everyone,” Tarik Jasarevic from the WHO told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge.

“So it’s important that this is done in a staged, in a gradual way, so we can really see what is the effect of people getting back close to one another? So it is really important that this is being done very, very carefully, so we avoid the possibility that we have to go back into a situation we’ve been in.”

The lockdown could be eased differently in different regions as Northern Ireland’s rate of transmission is higher than other parts of the UK, Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster said.

Speaking on Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday, she said: “Sage and indeed our own medical officer do acknowledge that there are different rates of transmission across the United Kingdom.

“There are differences and regional differences across the United Kingdom and I think the PM has to recognises there are regional differences so you may see slight differences across the UK.”

When she was asked if it was a good idea that the lockdown could be re-applied to different regions if required, she said: “It is important that we do what is right in our region of the United Kingdom moving forward. That is why we are coming forward with our roadmap next week. It will set out how we can take graduated steps back to what will be a different normality.”

She also warned that any return to normality will still feature social distancing.

“It is important that we give hope to people but it is also important that we protect people,” she said.

Interesting analysis of the visual side of the government’s change of message from the BBC’s economics editor, here.

Scotland won't change coronavirus slogan

Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that will not be adopting the government’s change of slogan - from “Stay home, saves lives”, to “stay alert, save lives”.

Sturgeon said the Sunday newspapers were the first she had heard of the change.

Despite this, Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick said it was the government’s “strong preference” that the UK would have a coordinated response.

Wales also appears to have been left out of the loop about tonight’s government announcement, but Mark Drakeford, first minister of Wales, emphasised he’d like cooperation.

Shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, has warned that the government’s new “stay alert” slogan risks ambiguity.

“We need absolute clarity from Boris Johnson. There’s no room for nuance in this,” he said on Sky News this morning.

This virus exploits ambivalence, it thrives on ambiguity and I think the problem with the slogan that has been briefed to the newspapers is people will be looking slightly puzzled, questioning ‘What does it mean to stay alert? What are the Government saying with that?’

“So I hope that Boris Johnson will offer us that crystal-clear clarity tonight that is desperately needed,” he added.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said newspaper briefings have led to more people flouting the lockdown.

“The frustration is that we had different briefings to different newspapers throughout the week.
“I think some of those briefings to newspapers has led to the situation yesterday and on Friday of lots of people going to parks, enjoying the sunshine. We have seen an increase in road traffic and I think we have seen more coastguard call outs than at any other point during the lockdown,” he said to Sophy Ridge on Sky News this morning.

Ashworth also said the falling hospital admissions rate and death toll was a “tribute” to the Brits who have stayed at home.

“This lockdown which we have been in now for seven weeks has contributed to hospital admissions falling and the death rate falling and you’d hope and expect that and that is a tribute to the British public who have followed the stay home advice,” he said.

Updated

Around 40% of people on people on the Isle of Wight are using the NHS app in a pilot, Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has said.

Speaking to Sophie Ridge on Sky News this morning, he said that about 50,000 people have downloaded the app in one week.

However, he did not say how many people had been hired to do contact tracing. The government is attempting to meet a 18,000 target.

Updated

Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick seems to be hinting that tonight’s announcement will focus on getting people back to work.

“We’re not going to take risks with the public. I understand people are anxious about the future but we want now to have a message which encourages people to go to work,” speaking now to Sophy Ridge on Sky News.

“Staying home will still be an important part of the message but you will be able to go to work and you will in time be able to do some other activities that you’re not able to do today,” he said.

New alert system

Jenrick said more aspects of the economy and social lives will be opened up as the UK moves through the threat level on the new alert system. This is thought to be a colour coded system, which will allow the UK to phase out of lockdown in stages.

“Many people will be familiar with the threat level we’ve had in this country for some time which measures the ongoing threat of terrorist and other risks to our safety and this is a similar threat level,” he said.

“At the moment we believe the country is at four on a scale of five with five being the most concerning and our aspiration is to bring that down as swiftly as we can to three. And at each stage, at each of those milestones, we will be in a position to open up and restart more aspects of the economy and of our lives.”

Local measures

Jenrick also suggested that measures could be tailored to local conditions, with the government having the option to strengthen or relax restrictions locally to control the virus.

“The evidence behind it will also be able to inform what we do at a local level and if we see there are outbreaks in particular localities, neighbourhoods, schools, towns, then we may be able to take particular measures in those places as we build up a more sophisticated and longer-term response to controlling the virus,” he said.

UK-wide approach

Jenrick said the government’s “strong preference” is that leaders of devolved nations work together to create to UK wide approach to the virus.

“Our strong preference is the whole United Kingdom moves as one,” he told Ridge. “We hope that they will agree to a consistent approach across the country, that’s our strong preference.”

Updated

Government withdraws 16 million protective goggles

The Government is withdrawing a model of protective goggles from hospitals and care providers because they do not meet coronavirus standards.

The ‘Tiger Eye’ model, purchased in 2009, have recently been reexamined and deemed unfit for use. According to the Sunday Telegraph, an urgent warning was sent to hospitals about the goggles, of which their is a 25.6 million stockpile. The newspaper said that 15.9 million pairs were distributed in the health system while the remainder was being held in quarantine.

“The ‘Tiger Eye protectors’ were bought in 2009 and were in CE marked boxes. These were rechecked, and following these assessments, we have issued an alert to clinical settings advising against their use and we are removing them from the supply chain,” a Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said.

“Based on current stock assessments, Trusts should have sufficient Visors and Goggles to immediately stop using ‘Tiger Eye’ protection. If settings require replacement eye protection they should contact the National Supply Disruption Line, and we are arranging replacement stock for Trusts who need immediate supply,” she added.

Hi everyone, I’m Molly Blackall, taking over the live blog for the next couple of hours. I’ll bringing you all the breaking coronavirus updates from across the UK.

We’re all looking ahead to Boris Johnson’s announcement tonight, as rumours circulate of a potential start to the end of lockdown, so I’ll update you if I get any news of what that might look like.

If you spot something you think we should be reporting in this blog, you can drop me a message on Twitter @mollyblackall. I won’t be able to reply to everything but I will endeavour to read it all! Thanks in advance.

Updated

Big four unions: no return to work until we feel safe

Britain’s biggest trades unions have warned Boris Johnson that they will not recommend a return to work for their three million members until the government and employers agree a nationwide health and safety revolution as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a letter to the Observer, leaders of the “big four” – Unison, Unite, the GMB and Usdaw – together with the Trades Union Congress, say many of their members have already lost their lives “transporting people and goods, protecting the public and caring for the vulnerable”.

You can read more here:

Johnson to announce Covid-19 alert system

Good morning,

Welcome to our live blog with all the latest coronavirus developments in the UK.

Later today, in a speech which has been highly anticipated since the Sunday Telegraph last week suggested schools could reopen from 1 June, Boris Johnson is expected to unveil a coronavirus warning system for England when he outlines his plans to gradually ease the lockdown.

The prime minister will drop the “stay home” slogan and instead tell the country to “stay alert, control the virus and save lives” when he outlines his “roadmap” to a new normality during an address to the nation on Sunday. Johnson is planning to tell workers who cannot do their jobs from home to begin returning to their workplaces while following social distancing rules.

The new slogan drew some scorn, including from the author JK Rowling, who said: “Is coronavirus sneaking around in a fake moustache and glasses? If we drop our guard, will it slip us a Micky Finn? What the hell is ‘stay alert’ supposed to mean?”

Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, tweeted that it “feels to me like a mistake to me to drop the clear” stay at home message.

Updated

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