Former prime minister Tony Blair has reiterated his calls for mass-testing to be rolled out across the UK to stop the spread of coronavirus, adding that it would help to avoid a "catastrophic" second lockdown.
Mr Blair said testing was needed to stop asymptomatic carriers passing on the virus, as well as to "build confidence" so that people would begin to returning to work, university and international travel, which would boost the economy.
It came as the council leader in Oldham also warned that a local lockdown - which Mr Hancock has not ruled out - would be disastrous for the area. The town's “raw numbers” are similar to those in Leicester when local restrictions were enforced.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has defended his colleague Gavin Williamson amid calls for his resignation over the A-level exams grades debacle after headteachers have called for an urgent independent review of the grading "fiasco".
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