We’re closing this liveblog now. You can follow the Guardian’s global coverage here
I will be closing today’s blog shortly, so below is a summary of today’s main updates:
• Sir Patrick Vallance said that the R number was between 0.7 and 1. He said that the epidemic was “either flat or declining in the UK and in most areas it is declining”.
• Two-week quarantines will be imposed on new arrivals to the UK from 8 June, with fines for anyone who breaches the measure to prevent new waves of coronavirus from overseas. The home secretary, Priti Patel, announced that mandatory self-isolation would not apply to people coming from Ireland, medics tackling Covid-19 and seasonal agricultural workers.
• Wales has recorded 138 new cases and seven new deaths. The total number of cases in Wales is 72,984 and the total number of deaths 1,254.
• The UK death toll rises by 351 to 36,393. Figures from the DHSC show there were 140,497 tests on 21 May. As of 5pm on 21 May, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 36,393 have died.
• Downing Street did not rule out London emerging from the lockdown sooner than other parts of the country.
• A total of 2,245 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up by 24 from 2,221 on Thursday, Nicola Sturgeon said.
• Acting earlier to tackle the coronavirus pandemic would have “made quite a big difference” to the death rate, according to one of the government’s scientific advisers. Sir Ian Boyd, a member of the Sage scientific advisory group, told the BBC that the number 1 issue was whether ministers could have acted earlier.
Updated
Airline employees who have lost their jobs could become nurses and other healthcare professionals, a leading NHS expert has said.
The chief executive of NHS England and NHS Improvement, Sir Simon Stevens, said he could foresee employees from struggling industries such as aviation training to become much-needed frontline healthcare workers.
There are about 40,000 vacancies for NHS nurses, according to the latest report available.
Speaking to a virtual Public Accounts Committee, Stevens and NHS England’s medical director, Prof Stephen Powis, said volunteers, medical students and about 18,900 retired professionals had plugged the nursing deficit amid increased demand recently, but this was “not sustainable”.
Updated
Police had not been keen to be involved in the quarantine plans.
The government confirmed it would have a limited role and would not be carrying out spot checks.
While public health authorities will conduct random checks in England to verify self-isolation, police will only be involved if it is suspected a recent traveller is not complying and may face potential enforcement action.
Martin Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said public officials would carry out checks on 20% of recent arrivals who are not exempted. He said: “It will not be the role of police to conduct spot checks on those who should be isolating.
Only if public health authorities suspect someone is not following the restrictions will police become involved.”
Updated
Scientists are becoming “much more positive” that those who have had coronavirus develop antibodies afterwards, Sir Patrick Vallance said, although how effective they are remains unknown.
“We are much more positive that people who get infections do mount an antibody response – I think that’s really quite clear now,” said the chief scientific adviser.
“The vast majority of people do get an antibody response and we know that some of those antibody responses at least – and maybe all of them but we don’t know that for sure, but certainly some of them – are so-called neutralising antibodies – in other words, you would expect that to have an effect in terms of viral infection and transmission.
“What we don’t know is how long that lasts for and we don’t know how effective that is, in terms of either preventing transmission or preventing infection.
“So there is still work to be done – and that isn’t just in the UK, this is globally – to understand the significance of a positive antibody test.
“It is likely that it confers some degree of protection but we just don’t know, and we don’t know whether it confers your, if you like, your immunity against being able to harbour the virus and transmit it.”
Updated
A big UK trade organisation says quarantining travellers will hold back the UK’s economic recovery.
Paul Everitt, the chief executive of ADS – which represents the aerospace, defence, security and space sectors, with more than 1,100 member businesses – said:
Quarantining travellers will hold back the UK’s economic recovery. Key workers across our sectors must be provided with a route to secure exemptions and allow travel essential to our economic recovery.
The 14-day quarantine should be a time-limited measure that can be removed as soon as the evidence supports doing so, and an international approach should be taken to resuming flights as quickly as possible.
While the quarantine is operating, air bridges that allow controlled removal of the measure on selected routes have the potential to limit unnecessary disruption and I urge the government to implement the process as quickly as possible.
Updated
I am now moving into my last hour on the blog. I hope everyone found the briefing clear, if you have any questions please do feel free to get in touch. We, as ever, also welcome any news tips from our readers.
Twitter: @sloumarsh
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Email: sarah.marsh@theguardian.com
The press briefing has now ended, here is a summary of the main points:
- Two-week quarantines will be imposed on new arrivals to the UK from 8 June, with fines for anyone who breaches the measure to prevent new waves of coronavirus from overseas. The home secretary, Priti Patel, announces that mandatory self-isolation will not apply to people coming from Ireland, medics tackling Covid-19 and seasonal agricultural workers.
- Breaches would be punishable with a £1,000 fixed penalty notice in England, or prosecution with an unlimited fine, while devolved nations can set out their own enforcement approaches.
- Border Force will be able to refuse entry to foreign citizens who are not UK residents during border checks, while removal from the country could be used as a last resort.
- The chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said reopening schools was likely to push the R rate up. He said: “The broader risk in terms of opening schools is that as soon as you introduce any contact, you put pressure on the R and you put pressure on numbers, and that’s true of anything we are going to do in terms of changes to contact.”
- Patel said ministers would work to “find new ways to reopen international travel and tourism in a safe and responsible way”. She told the daily Downing Street press conference: “We also recognise how hard these changes will be for our travel sector, and leisure sectors, who are already struggling through these unprecedented times.”
- Asked if it was inevitable that people would travel to beauty spots across the UK following an easing of measures, Patel said people can enjoy the outdoors as long as they follow the advice. She said: “It is inevitable that obviously the public will be out and about a lot more, but of course our message is clear to the public - yes, enjoy being outdoors, we have encouraged people to go out, but we have put a very clear caveat around that.”
Updated
Priti Patel said the move to start quarantining visitors from next month did not equate to Britain shutting its borders.
She said: These measures will be kept under review and I really do want to emphasise that.
We are not shutting down completely. We are not closing our borders. People need to recognise that.
What we are seeking to do is control the spread of the virus because we do not want a second wave of this virus.
Updated
The chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said reopening schools was likely to push the R rate up.
He said: “The risk for children [from coronavirus] is much lower – we know that.
“They are at low risk but not zero risk and there have been some serious cases of children, of course, but very few compared to adults and older age groups.
“The broader risk in terms of opening schools is that as soon as you introduce any contact, you put pressure on the R and you put pressure on numbers, and that’s true of anything we are going to do in terms of changes to contact.”
Updated
As there have been automatic visa extensions for NHS and frontline health workers during coronavirus, will the same happen for care workers?
Patel said: “The work we are seeing across the NHS is incredible. I have made the point as well that this is difficult in terms of the complexities around immigration. Across the system we are supporting frontline health and social care workers, and finding ways to support other care workers as well across the NHS. The immigration system is complex and we are looking at schemes, we keep everything under review.”
Updated
Asked about the prospect of introducing a so-called “air bridges” scheme, Ms Patel said she would “look at all options”.
She said: “When it comes to air bridges, I think we should be absolutely open to all ideas. This is not for today but this doesn’t mean we should rule this out in the future.
“The fact of the matter is I spoke in my statement, in my remarks earlier about the travel industry, the leisure sector, aviation, we’re at the forefront of a really dynamic aviation sector in our country.
“Aviation is, in fact, the lifeblood when you think about it, keeping people moving but keeping goods moving as well. We will look at all options.”
Where do you go if you cannot quarantine for two weeks?
Patel said: “It’s important to reflect and recognise that the number travelling to the UK is at an all-time low – it’s 99% down compared to this time last year. The measures will come in 8 June and we are working to communicate around the world and through channels what processes are and what people need to do to get ready. If they want to come to the UK they have to have that accommodation.”
If measures are in place to save lives, why are they starting in June and not immediately?
Patel said: “As outlined in my statement, quite clearly, as the number of infections drop we have to manage the risk of external transmission. More people are now travelling and bringing in their own measures. This is about managing the risk of transmission being introduced elsewhere and that is vital so it’s why we are bringing in these measures now. We want to reduce the risk of imported cases to the UK.”
Updated
Vallance said that this is not a three-month epidemic and it is something long term to deal with, requiring some form of social distancing over a longer period until there is treatment or a vaccine.
He said: “I am not going to speculate on when decisions will be made by government on schools. That is a decision for government. But I will say a few words on considerations and the lower we get the numbers of new infections each week the more things we can do.”
He added: “The more we can modify environments to be useful to keep appropriate social distancing the better things are. There are a number of ways, and decisions must be based on good scientific principles.”
Vallance continued: “Obviously it is important schools must get back for education at some point... We must make that decision at the right time in an era where social distancing will be in place for some time.”
Updated
Direct questions from the media.
Now with this quarantine measure coming in - shall we assume most summer holidays abroad won’t happen this year?
Patel said: “The advice is that it is not about booking holidays right now, these measures have been brought in for the clear reasons outlined... The other point to note – the advice from government and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not to travel and please follow the advice on their website, that there should be nothing but essential travel. This is not about booking holidays, we want to avoid a second wave.”
While the risks are low to children, if schools reopen – what will be the risk to families and the wider community?
Patel: “Many schools are already open and doing fantastic work providing schooling for kids of key workers and vulnerable children. There are hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children who are safer in schools. On the question of infection control and families, that needs to be looked at ... and we are following advice from government and scientistic advice and that is crucial.”
Updated
Patel was asked about what guidance there is for those who have booked weddings. She said: “At the same time, now we know everything we do in terms of working to control the virus, taking individual responsibility is crucial.”
Vallance said – on the point of gatherings: “We have been trying to break transmission between households ... as any decisions are made about relaxing those sort of guidelines ... The science can provide guidance but cannot choose the number, that has to be a policy decision.”
Updated
The home secretary, Priti Patel, said ministers will work to “find new ways to reopen international travel and tourism in a safe and responsible way”.
She told the daily Downing Street press conference: “We also recognise how hard these changes will be for our travel sector, and leisure sectors, who are already struggling through these unprecedented times.
“So, across government, we will continue to work with them and support what is an incredibly dynamic sector to find new ways to reopen international travel and tourism in a safe and responsible way.” Patel also confirmed the plan will be reviewed every three weeks.
Updated
Epidemic is now flat or declining, says Sir Patrick Vallance
Sir Patrick Vallance said that the R number is between 0.7 and 1. He said that the epidemic is “either flat or declining in the UK and in most areas it is declining.”
He said as the R rate gets lower, the number of new infections will also be important to monitor. He added that at the moment there were about 61,000 new infections a week, which equates to one in 1,000 people every week getting an infection.
“The epidemic is shrinking and the numbers will come down but we need to keep an eye on them as the lower we can get these numbers the more likely we can release measures.”
Updated
Border Force will be able to refuse entry to foreign citizens who are not UK residents during border checks while removal from the country could be used as a last resort, the Home Office said.
Anyone arriving by air, sea or rail will be advised to use personal transport to head to their accommodation and once there not leave for 14 days.
They will not be allowed to accept visitors, unless they are providing essential support, and should not go out to buy food or other essentials “where they can rely on others”, the department said.
The Home Office said if accommodation does not meet necessary requirements - with hotels, or with friends and family listed as options - they will have to self-isolate in hotel accommodation arranged by the government.
Officials said that those the new entrant is staying with would not need to quarantine, but they should avoid contact with each other where possible.
Paul Lincoln, director general of the Border Force, said they are ramping up communications to make people aware of the self-isolation rules when arriving. People will need to provide travel plans and details about where they are self-isolating.
Certain groups will be exempt and a full list of those in this category will be published on the government’s website. It includes road haulage and freight workers, and medical professionals travelling to help fight Covid-19.
Updated
Paul Lincoln, director general of the Border Force, said last month 700kg of cocaine and heroin was seized, some concealed in shipments of face masks. They intercepted thousands of counterfeit Covid-19 tests. Between 21 March and 15 May officers referred 84 consignments of face masks to trading standards as being counterfeit or below standard.
Updated
Patel said she recognised how hard changes would be for travel and the leisure sector.
“We will support [the sector] to find new ways to open international travel and tourism,” she said. She added that the new measures will be reviewed and arrivals will be required to provide contact and address details to help them be traced should they need to be.
Updated
Priti Patel, speaking at the daily briefing, said:
As the world begins to emerge from what we hope is the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, we must look to the future and protect the British public by reducing the risk of cases crossing our border.
We are introducing these new measures now to keep the transmission rate down and prevent a devastating second wave.
I fully expect the majority of people will do the right thing and abide by these measures. But we will take enforcement action against the minority of people who endanger the safety of others.
Updated
Two-week quarantines for new arrivals and £1,000 fines for breaches
Two-week quarantines will be imposed on new arrivals to the UK from 8 June, with fines for anyone who breaches the measure to prevent new waves of coronavirus from overseas.
The home secretary, Priti Patel, announces that mandatory self-isolation would not apply to people coming from Ireland, medics tackling Covid-19 and seasonal agricultural workers.
Passengers will have to fill in a form providing their contact and travel information so they can be traced if infections arise, and they could be contacted regularly during the 14 days and face random checks from public health authorities to ensure their compliance.
Breaches would be punishable with a £1,000 fixed penalty notice in England, or prosecution with an unlimited fine, while devolved nations can set out their own enforcement approaches.
Border Force will be able to refuse entry to foreign citizens who are not UK residents during border checks while removal from the country could be used as a last resort, the Home Office said.
Anyone arriving by air, sea or rail will be advised to use personal transport to head to their accommodation and once there not leave for 14 days.
They will not be allowed to accept visitors, unless they are providing essential support, and should not go out to buy food or other essentials “where they can rely on others”, the department said.
The Home Office said if accommodation does not meet necessary requirements - with hotels, or with friends and family listed as options - they will have to self-isolate in hotel accommodation arranged by the government.
Officials said that those the new entrant is staying with would not need to quarantine, but they should avoid contact with each other where possible.
Updated
Firefighters are to train care home staff on measures aimed at stemming the spread of coronavirus.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said that following a request from health officials in England, its members will deliver infection prevention and control training in care homes.
Training will include hygiene measures, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and carrying out Covid-19 tests.
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “The crisis in care homes is a national scandal but our members will do what they can to help.
“Firefighters, highly trained in the safe use of PPE and infection prevention and control, can provide vital support at this difficult time.”
He added: “We’re coming into wildfire season and can expect an incredibly busy few months for firefighters but crews have taken on extraordinary new areas of work to support their communities through this pandemic.”
Updated
As temperatures rise over the bank holiday weekend, councils with responsibility for beauty spots are warning people to stay away.
Following the easing of some lockdown measures last week, there are no restrictions on how far people can go to get to the countryside, national parks and beaches in England.
But the National Trust is urging people across England to stay close to home and explore local green spaces and countryside this weekend, as part of the collective effort to make easing of the lockdown work.
With the Met Office forecasting that temperatures could reach highs of 26C on Monday, many people may be planning trips to the beach.
Visitors to Brighton in East Sussex will find stewards stationed around the beach to encourage physical distancing and direct people to less busy parts of the seafront if it becomes too busy.
Councillor Carmen Appich, from Brighton & Hove city council, said on Friday:
We are so proud of the city we share but to promote Brighton & Hove as a place to visit at this time would be utterly irresponsible and an insult to the NHS staff and frontline workers who have protected the whole county throughout this devastating crisis.
We urge anyone thinking of travelling to the city at this time to consider very carefully how their journey will impact on others and what sort of experience they will have when they arrive, without access to the usual high standards of hospitality.
Hastings borough council meanwhile has said the area is “closed to visitors from outside the town”.
After seeing the number of people who headed to its coastline this week, Sefton council in Merseyside has adopted a new campaign before the bank holiday weekend.
“Wish you weren’t here!” is the council’s take on the picture postcard message it is sending to people thinking of travelling to its beaches from across the north-west of England.
Updated
An art group is attacking the British government’s record on Covid-19 deaths, bringing the message direct to Westminster.
They have placed their poster “Worst in Europe” opposite the British parliament in a bus stop advertising space. The poster was in place for the Thursday 21 May NHS clapping.
Ben from Protest Stencil said: “The media and opposition politicians have failed to hold this government to account for its appalling record. In the war metaphors that the government seems so fond of, this has been a massacre, and the blood is on their hands.”
Unfortunately clapping won’t help save lives. pic.twitter.com/vArhcuej1c
— Protest Stencil (@protestencil) May 22, 2020
Updated
Students could sit A-level exams in October and GCSEs in November if they are unhappy with their summer results, under proposals published by the government.
Exact dates have not been released because of the continued uncertainty around the full reopening of schools and colleges, exams regulator Ofqual said.
Following the closure of schools in March, the Department for Education said pupils in England would be awarded calculated grades based on teacher assessment.
Ofqual has now confirmed that grades will be standardised taking account of the expected national outcomes for this year’s students, prior attainment of student cohorts and previous results of the school or college.
The autumn exams would be for students who want to try and improve the grade they receive this summer, and for those who are unable to receive a calculated grade.
Hi everyone. I am going to be running the Guardian’s live feed, bringing you all the latest on the coronavirus news from the UK until 7pm. Please do share with me any thoughts and comments you have or tips for areas we should be investigating.
Twitter: @sloumarsh
Instagram: sarah_marsh_journalist
Email: sarah.marsh@theguardian.com
The National Education Union suggested Boris Johnson was taking a “cavalier attitude” towards children in response to the publication of the Sage documents.
Joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said:
We are surprised that the wider opening of schools proposed by Boris Johnson has not been modelled by Sage. This points to a cavalier attitude towards the nation’s children.
The fact of the matter is that Sage has only weak evidence as to what extent children can transmit the virus to others.
The Office for National Statistics has recently indicated that age does not affect the likelihood of being infected. And last week, the Government’s scientific panel told us that there are cases where children do act as the index case.
If we cannot be certain about the transmission of the virus - and it appears Sage cannot, either - then it is only right to exercise caution.
Boris Johnson may meet Donald Trump at the G7 summit in the US next month as the US president considers holding a “comeback” meeting of global leaders at Camp David.
Updated
Ikea is set to reopen 19 stores across England and Northern Ireland, making it the latest big-name chain to announce plans to welcome back customers.
The stores are set to start reopening from June 1 and social distancing wardens will patrol stores to help shoppers and ensure they keep their distance.
But families will be banned, with Ikea saying it will allow one adult and one child per household inside the store at any one point.
The 19 stores reopening are Croydon, Greenwich, Lakeside, Wembley, Tottenham, Norwich collection point, Birmingham, Nottingham, Belfast, Manchester, Warrington, Gateshead, Leeds, Sheffield, Milton Keynes, Reading, Southampton, Bristol and Exeter.
Annemarie Plas, architect of the “clap for carers” gesture, has said next Thursday’s event, the 10th, should be the last.
The 36-year-old, from south London, told the PA Media news agency: “I think it’s good to have the last of the series next Thursday, because to have the most impact I think it is good to stop it at its peak.
“Without getting too political, I share some of the opinions that some people have about it becoming politicised.
“I think the narrative is starting to change and I don’t want the clap to be negative.
“A clap is something normal people can do, showing our appreciation. But the power is not with us. We can give them respect but we are not signing the cheque – that falls on another desk.”
Plas suggested resurrecting the clap in 2021 to mark a year since the coronavirus outbreak.
Updated
Tributes have been made to a “fiercely proud” nurse who died after contracting coronavirus and had been working to keep his colleagues safe. The Press Association reports:
Joselito Habab, known as Jo, died at Whiston hospital on Wednesday with his wife, Michelle, an A&E nurse, by his side, a spokesman for Warrington and Halton teaching hospitals NHS foundation trust said.
The father of one, originally from Manila in the Philippines, joined the trust almost 18 years ago.
He worked as a staff nurse in trauma and orthopaedics until 2011 when he became a clinical nurse educator and was awarded employee of the month, the hospital spokesman said.
A statement on the hospital’s website said:
Jo was recently promoted to orthopaedic trauma nurse co-ordinator but before becoming ill, Jo was back in a key clinical education and training role keeping others safe by doing PPE training and fit testing for face masks.
He was an exemplary nurse and role model and fiercely proud of being both a nurse and a member of the WHH family.
He will be very sadly missed by all who knew and worked with him.
A GoFundMe page set up in his memory described Habab as a “true NHS hero”. It said:
Joe was a fantastic colleague, always ready to help with a smile on his face. He worked hard and never left a task unfinished.
Updated
Ikea will reopen 19 sites from June 1, according to the company. The sites set to reopen will be: Croydon, Greenwich, Lakeside, Wembley, Tottenham, Norwich collection point, Birmingham, Nottingham, Belfast, Manchester, Warrington, Gateshead, Leeds, Sheffield, Milton Keynes, Reading, Southampton, Bristol and Exeter.
Restaurants and play areas will remain closed but the food market will reopen for customers to make food like Swedish meatballs at home, said the retailer.
New polling from Ipsos MORI shows that Boris Johnson’s favourability ratings have slipped – but are still positive on balance, and higher than his scores before his illness
The online survey, carried out between 15-18 May, found that Johnson’s ratings are still higher than they were before the lockdown started.
🆕While Boris Johnson's favourability ratings among the public have slipped since April, they still remain higher than before the coronavirus lockdown https://t.co/cEqQiCvZhn pic.twitter.com/Voe26XkQSo
— Ipsos MORI (@IpsosMORI) May 22, 2020
Leader favourability ratings
- Boris Johnson’s ratings have fallen this month, but are still positive on balance, and higher than his scores before his illness. Forty-five percent feel favourable towards him (down 6 points since April), and 38% unfavourable (up 7).
- Keir Starmer’s ratings also continue to be more positive than negative. 34% are favourable towards him (up 8 points this month) and 26% unfavourable (also up by 5). Those with a neutral or no opinion about him have fallen from 53% to 40%.
- People also continue to believe that Starmer is more likely to change the Labour party for the better (46%, up 3) than for the worse (9%, also up 3). Three in ten (29%) think he will make no difference.
- Among Conservative voters in the 2019 General Election, Boris Johnson’s favourability ratings have fallen from a very high 91% last month to 79% this month, in line with his average earlier in the year. However, this is still higher than the equivalent score for Keir Starmer among 2019 Labour voters, which stands at 58% (three in ten are still neutral or don’t know).
- Public perceptions of the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, are positive, with 47% favourable and just 18% unfavourable (35% are neutral or don’t know).
- The public are split about Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary. A third (33%) are favourable, and another 33% are unfavourable (34% neutral or don’t know).
Country direction
The proportion of Britons saying Britain is moving in the right direction has fallen seven points to 33%, and is once again outnumbered by those who think the country is on the wrong track (also up seven to 42%) - a similar picture to March, according to the pollsters. Those who voted Conservative in the 2019 General Election are most positive, with 53% agreeing the country is heading the in the right direction (against just 18% of Labour voters), although this has fallen from 71% last month.
This chart shows that by far the most popular politician in Britain right now is ....Chancellor Rishi Sunak
According to @IpsosMORI polling, Chancellor Rishi Sunak is by far the most popular politician in Britain right now pic.twitter.com/LILGoimGko
— Alexandra Topping (@LexyTopping) May 22, 2020
Wales has recorded 138 new cases and seven new deaths. The total number of cases in Wales is 72,984 and the total number of deaths 1,254.
The latest number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Wales has been updated.
— Public Health Wales (@PublicHealthW) May 22, 2020
Data dashboard:
Desktop: https://t.co/RwgHDufHE7
Mobile: https://t.co/P6UF1MTOwc
Find out how we are responding to the spread of the virus in our daily statement here: https://t.co/1Lza9meaTL pic.twitter.com/FwWi514kjc
Updated
And here are the hospital death figures from the NHS in England.
121 people who tested positive for the coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 25,387.
According to NHS England the patients were aged between 41 and 98 and three had no known underlying health condition.
The number of deaths of patients with Covid-19 by region:
East of England 25
London 16
Midlands 27
North East & Yorkshire 12
North West 23
South East 15
South West 3
TOTAL 121
Updated
UK death toll rises by 351 to 36,393
Figures from the DHSC show there were 140,497 tests on 21 May.
As of 5pm on 21 May, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 36,393 have died.
As of 9am 22 May, there have been 3,231,921 tests, with 140,497 tests on 21 May.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) May 22, 2020
2,144,626 people have been tested of which 254,195 tested positive.
As of 5pm on 21 May, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 36,393 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/tOO6oMwtK7
That is 3,287 new cases (up from 250,908 yesterday) and 351 new deaths (36,393, compared to 36,042 yesterday).
Updated
Publication of schools advice reveals low-risk options provided to government
The Sage group of scientific advisers modelled a range of scenarios for school reopenings, including low-risk options for pupils attending on alternate weeks, before the government settled on a June 1 reopening plan, according to papers published on Friday.
The papers of scientific advice prepared for Sage and its subcommittees also reveal high levels of uncertainty around different scenarios for school reopenings and over the likelihood of transmission of Covid-19 virus by children of different ages.
One of the most recent papers, discussing the effects of increasing school attendance on transmission, concludes: “There is substantial uncertainty, with the relative contribution of school openings being driven also by the relative susceptibility and infectivity of children of different ages compared to adults, as well as the extent to which social distancing is or is not sustained in the wider population.”
Collectively, the scientific advice does little to assuage fears among parents and teachers over the potential risks to reopening schools to reception, year 1 and year 6 groups as soon as 1 June, as pledged by Boris Johnson earlier this month. Yesterday the governments of both Scotland and Northern Ireland announced that schools in those countries would not return until after the summer holidays.
You can read the full Sage advice for reopening schools here
Updated
Lockdown changes being eased in London ahead of other parts of the country was hinted at by Downing Street today.
Focus on the capital comes as Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick announced that he and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will co-chair a London Transition Board on how the city might ease its way out of the lockdown process.
The capital reported no new Covid-19 cases in a 24 hours period this week. The prime minister’s official spokesman said that the government had already been clear that some parts of the country could see measures lifted ahead of others.
He said: “What is clear in the plans is that as we are able to gather more data and have better surveillance of the rate of infection in different parts of the country, then we will be able to potentially lift measures quicker in some parts of the country than in others. And equally we will be able to put the breaks on while not having to do so in other parts.”
London is the first region in the country to have an official recovery board however No 10 said they are in regular contact with regional mayors on how they will respond to the easing of lockdown.
Thanks for following our live feed, offering you all the latest coronavirus developments. Please do drop me a note while I work if you have any useful news tips or insight. It’s always really great to hear from readers.
Twitter: @sloumarsh
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Updated
Johnson could meet Trump at G7 next month
Boris Johnson could go to see Donald Trump for the G7 summit, which will take place at the White House next month.
At a briefing at Downing Street, reporters were told:
Downing Street Friday briefing
— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) May 22, 2020
- Boris Johnson cd go to see Donald Trump next month for G7**
- More on the quarantine, schools and the R rate
- No decision yet on whether schools shd open at earliest June 1
- 128,340 tests provided to 9am y’day
- Air-bridge idea still live
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has urged Johnson to give Trump “a bit of encouragement” to think about the importance of following scientific advice on the coronavirus pandemic if he does visit.
Asked by the Guardian about reports from Friday’s Downing Street media briefing that the prime minister could visit Trump, Sturgeon said it was not her role to tell Johnson what he should ask the president, but said Trump’s leadership on the pandemic had been worrying.
“I think all of us, and I say this not just as a leader of a government, I say this as a citizen, would like to see the president of the United States, in his demeanour and public utterances around the dealing with this virus, be just a little bit more responsible in the messages he is giving.
“We laugh sometimes about previous comments about disinfectant and some of the comments he has made recently about testing but it is so important that leaders – we all make mistakes, we all get things wrong, all of us – that we give clear advice and messages to people and we try to base that on the best knowledge, science and information we’ve got.
“And that’s a responsibility for leaders at the best of times but it’s such an important responsibility at times like this, so perhaps a bit of encouragement to think about the importance of that would not go amiss.”
Updated
London could emerge from lockdown earlier than rest of UK
Downing Street did not rule out London emerging from the lockdown sooner than other parts of the country.
Asked whether the capital could see measures eased quicker, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “As we are able to gather more data and have better surveillance of a rate of infection in different parts of the country then we will be able to lift measures quicker in some parts of the country than in others.
“And equally we will be able to put the brakes on in some parts of the country while not having to do so in other parts.”
Updated
Plans to manage London’s recovery from the economic and social impact of the coronavirus pandemic have been unveiled.
A strategy has been set out by the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Robert Jenrick, the housing, communities and local government secretary.
It includes the establishment of a London Transition Board, co-chaired by Khan and Jenrick, which will coordinate the capital’s response to issues and risks arising from lockdown being lifted.
The board will comprise of senior leaders from across the city who will help to provide strategic direction for the next phase of response and restart, remaining in place until the end of 2020.
Key issues for the group will include controlling the infection, phasing in and out the various levels of lockdown, and assessing the impact on public services, including transport. Khan pledged that “nobody is left behind” in the city’s recovery from the pandemic.
Updated
The number of people travelling by tube in London has increased by around a quarter in the last week.
The prime minister’s official spokesman told reporters tube travel is up 20-26% compared with last week, however the overall figure is still 91-93% down on the same period last year.
Network Rail said there has been slight increases in footfall at London stations they manage, but overall it remains “fairly low”.
Bus journeys outside of London are 80-86% lower than you would expect for the time of year.
Rail passenger journeys are down 95% this week compared with the same time last year.
Updated
Nicola Sturgeon has said people will be able to travel longer distances to see their parents or children as long as they do not go indoors, as she clarified the new Scottish lockdown rules coming into force later next week.
The first minister told Friday’s daily coronavirus media briefing the updated guidelines, which come into force on 28 May in Scotland, did not mean family members were barred from travelling more than five miles from home to meet close family. Even that five miles limit was “a guide” she said.
Many commentators and social media users were surprised and irritated on Thursday the new rules appeared to rule out any visits to see elderly parents, even while it allowed people to play golf or host barbeques from next week.
So, when am I likely to be able to drive from Edinburgh to Blairgowrie to visit my elderly mum? Is it in Phase 2 (18th June) or in Phase 3 (9th July).
— mandy rhodes (@holyroodmandy) May 21, 2020
The replies to this tweet from Mandy illustrate the confusion, with different people saying Phases 1, 2 and 3. https://t.co/iFG77hT67y
— Kenny Farquharson (@KennyFarq) May 21, 2020
Sturgeon urged Scots to “exercise good judgement” about where they travelled and who they met, but insisted that meeting people - including parents - outwith their immediate household could only happen outdoors.
She said people should avoid popping into their parents’ home to use the toilet after a long drive. “You risk leaving the virus on surfaces inside the house, and that’s a risk we don’t want you to take,” she said.
Sturgeon cautioned that the looser lockdown rules would not be in force this bank holiday weekend, and urged people not to flood to beaches, parks and beauty spots. “You have all been magnificent so far but please stick with it for the next few days, so we can begin the journey back to normality,” she said.
The government’s testing coordinator has urged the public to wait for an approved home antibody testing kit rather than buying one off the internet.
Prof John Newton told the Commons science and technology committee the public should wait for an approved home test which is currently being evaluated.
The government announced on Thursday that more than 10m antibody kits were being bought and would be rolled out first in hospitals and care homes.
High street chains, including Superdrug, had already begun to offer a home antibody test kit for £69.
When asked about the home tests, Newton said better tests would be available to the public soon.
Updated
Scotland coronavirus death toll rises by 24
A total of 2,245 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up by 24 from 2,221 on Thursday, Nicola Sturgeon said.
The first minister said 14,969 people have tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 113 from 14,856 the day before.
There are 1,257 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, a decrease of 61. Of these, 50 were in intensive care, a fall of one.
Updated
Karen Dee, chief executive of the Airport Operators Association, told the Commons home affairs committee, she was keen to see more information on the “usefulness” of certain people being exempt from quarantine.
She said:
Of course an airline is not going to fly a flight if there are only one or two people who are exempted who will be coming in.
That’s why we are concerned about the way that this will operate, in that it may simply lead to a prolonged shutdown of all aviation.
Updated
The coronavirus crisis has led to Royal Mail missing its annual regulatory target for delivering first class post.
The company announced that it delivered 92.6% of mail on the next working day in the year to March, against a target of 93%.
The performance was “significantly impacted” by the crisis, which led to high levels of coronavirus-related absences in recent weeks, it said in a statement.
Up until mid-March, Royal Mail was meeting its first class target with a performance of 93%.
Royal Mail is asking the regulator Ofcom to take these issues into consideration. The figures showed that 98.7% of second class mail was delivered within three working days, against a target of 98.5%.
The Guardian’s Jonathan Freedland writes today on the NHS surcharge debacle, saying during a pandemic the public expects compassion and effectiveness. They seem to be in recklessly short supply.
Updated
Sage scientist says tackling pandemic earlier would have 'made quite a big difference'
Acting earlier to tackle the coronavirus pandemic would have “made quite a big difference” to the death rate, according to one of the government’s scientific advisers.
Sir Ian Boyd, a member of the Sage scientific advisory group, told the BBC that the number one issue was whether ministers could have acted earlier.
He also said he believed that some politicians “would have loved” to have reacted earlier, but that they thought it would not be feasible.
Speaking on the BBC’s Coronavirus Newscast, Boyd said: “Acting very early was really important and I would have loved to have seen us acting a week or two weeks earlier and it would have made quite a big difference to the steepness of the curve of infection and therefore the death rate.
“And I think that’s really the number one issue: could we have acted earlier?
“Were the signs there earlier on?”
He continued: “One could point the finger at ministers and politicians for not being willing to listen to scientific advice.
“You could point the finger at scientists for not actually being explicit enough.
“But at the end of the day all these interact with public opinion as well.
“And I think some politicians would have loved to have reacted earlier but in their political opinion it probably wasn’t feasible because people wouldn’t have perhaps responded in the way they eventually did.”
Updated
Children and young people could be half as likely to catch coronavirus than adults, a scientific review of studies from around the world has suggested.
Researchers found those aged under 20 had 56% lower odds of catching SARS-CoV-2, the official name of the coronavirus which causes the disease Covid-19, from an infected person.
But the review of global test and tracing and population screening studies, led by University College London (UCL), said evidence “remains weak” on how likely children are to transmit the virus to others.
Researchers also concluded they did not have sufficient data to examine whether children under the age of 12 differed to teenagers in terms of susceptibility to the virus.
Lead author of the research, Prof Russell Viner of the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, said it was the “first comprehensive study” to review what is and is not known about “susceptibility and transmission” among children.
Updated
There is no evidence that mutations in the coronavirus are making it easier for the virus to spread, researchers have said.
Prof Francois Balloux, a co-author of the research at University College London, said the results are a surprise, but a rare piece of good news.
“I have to admit I expected the virus would evolve towards even higher transmission,” he told the Guardian. “It is really good news that is not happening and it is unlikely to happen in the near future.”
Balloux said he understood why there are concerns about mutations. But, he said: “Fundamentally mutations, especially here, are nothing to worry about ... it is just some kind of minor typo [in the genome] that are either neutral or actually often not favourable to the virus.”
The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, was carried out by a team of researchers in the UK and France, who scrutinised more than 15,000 coronavirus genomes collected from patients around the world since the outbreak began.
Across all the genomes they uncovered 6,822 mutations in total, relative to the ancestral genome, but none of the genomes showed more than 29 single position changes.
Further analysis revealed 273 of the mutations cropped up repeatedly – with the team focusing on the 31 mutations that appear to have arisen independently at least 10 times.
“There is no such thing as a European strain, an American strain, an Icelandic strain- there has been a lot of mixing from the beginning of the pandemic,” said Balloux.
“If there is a mutation that appears and makes it transmit better, then we should see it happening multiple times,” he added. “If you have a mutation that happened once over the pandemic, then that is most unlikely to be something beneficial [to the virus].”
They then looked at whether these mutations made the virus more transmissible. “We just work out whether the ones that carry a mutation, whether they have more descendants, whether they are actually spreading faster [than closely related genomes without the mutation] – and the answer is no,” said Balloux, adding the mutations could be introduced by enzymes involved in the body’s immune system. In fact, the team says, some of the mutations studied seem to be actually harmful to the virus.
Balloux added that while there is not enough data as yet to explore whether mutations may make the virus more deadly or cause more severe symptoms, he said it is unlikely.
“Viruses don’t benefit from killing their hosts. There is no evolutionary advantage to them hurting their hosts,” he said. “We really don’t expect the virus to become more virulent.”
Martin Hibberd, a professor of emerging infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who was not involved in the study, welcomed the findings.
But, he added, the relatively small sample size and the fact samples tend to be collected from more severe cases of Covid-19 means more research is needed to explore how genetic variations may affect transmission, or how virulent the virus is.
Among other considerations Hibberd said: “Further surveillance is also needed as circumstances change – such as lockdown conditions changing – which might alter the transmission environment.”
Updated
Northern Ireland schools closed to most pupils until late August
Schools in Northern Ireland will not begin to reopen to full year groups of pupils until late August at the earliest, Peter Weir, the education minister, has announced.
The decision means Northern Ireland joins Scotland in ruling out a return to the classroom for most pupils before the end of the summer break, which in Northern Ireland was scheduled to end on 1 September, leaving England alone in attempting to reopen schools from 1 June.
Weir told the assembly’s Covid-19 response committee:
Subject to medical guidance and safety it would be my aim to see a phased reopening of schools, beginning with a limited provision for key cohort years in late August, followed by phased provision for all pupils at the beginning of September.
This will not be a return to school as it was prior to Covid, but rather a new normal reflective of social distancing and a medically safe regime. For all pupils it will involve a schedule with a mixture of school attendance and remote learning at home. Finally, in line with the executive strategy, contingent upon medical guidance and scientific evidence around susceptibility and transmission, consideration may be given to a full return for cohorts of younger pupils.
As in the UK’s other nations, schools in Northern Ireland have remained open for vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers, and Weir said he wanted to encourage more children from those groups to attend and to continue provision over the summer.
The assembly’s direct payments to parents in lieu of free school meals will continue until 30 June, Weir said. Wales has also said it will continue providing free school meals over the half-term holiday next week, while the Department for Education in England has declined.
Weir also said that his department would establish a “restart programme” with schools and other stakeholders to “put in place the detailed arrangements which will enable a safe, phased reopening of schools”.
Updated
Hello everyone. I am running the Guardian’s live feed, updating you on all the latest coronavirus developments. Please do drop me a note while I work if you have any useful news tips or insight. It’s always really great to hear from readers.
Twitter: @sloumarsh
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Email: sarah.marsh@theguardian.com
Volunteers are being recruited for the next two phases of clinical trials to help develop a coronavirus vaccine this year.
Work began in January on the vaccine, which uses a virus taken from chimpanzees and has been developed by the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group.
If it proves successful in human trials, up to 30 million doses for the UK could be available by September, the government has said.
How will it work?
Researchers want to recruit up to 10,260 people across the country for phases two and three of the study to see if there is a variation in how the immune systems respond to the vaccine in older people and children.
The volunteers will be randomly allocated to receive either the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine or a licensed meningitis vaccine that will be used as a control for comparison.
The first phase of the trials involved 160 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 55.
Who can participate?
Researchers are seeking volunteers aged 56 and over, as well as children aged five to 12 for phase two, and people aged 18 and over for phase three.
They cannot have tested positive for Covid-19, must be in good health, not be pregnant or breastfeeding, and must not have previously taken part in a trial with an adenoviral vaccine or received any other coronavirus vaccines.
Prof Yvonne Doyle, medical director and director of health protection for Public Health England, said the UK had taken a “precautionary” approach to introducing a 2 metre social distancing rule when other countries were using small distances.
She told the Commons science and technology committee:
We are still obviously learning about this virus and how it transmits itself so on a precautionary basis 2 metres appears to be correct.
I know other countries use slightly less than that but until we know more, particularly about where the virus might transmit environmentally, 2 metres is important.
She said that the 2 metre rule will be the “subject of continued investigation” on whether it can be reduced. She added: “We are aware of the international differences and I am sure this will be the subject of continued investigation as to whether 2 metres is actually necessary or whether that can be reduced further.”
Updated
A Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman said that with mandatory 14-day self-isolation in place there simply won’t be sufficient demand to resume passenger services before August at the earliest.
The safety and security of our people and our customers is always our top priority and public health must come first.
However, by introducing a mandatory 14-day self isolation for every single traveller entering the UK, the government’s approach will prevent flights from resuming.
We are continually reviewing our flying programme and with these restrictions, there simply won’t be sufficient demand to resume passenger services before August at the earliest.
We know that as the Covid-19 crisis subsides, air travel will be a vital enabler of the UK’s economic recovery.
Therefore, we are calling for a multi-layered approach of carefully targeted public health and screening measures, which will allow for a successful and safe restart of international air travel for passengers and businesses.
Four in 10 adults felt unsafe when going outside after the government’s “stay at home” guidance was relaxed, official figures suggest.
Forty-one per cent felt unsafe or very unsafe due to coronavirus, rising to more than half (54%) of those with an underlying health condition, according to the latest polling by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Despite the fears, around one in four adults said they had visited a park or green space over the past seven days, a sixth of whom did so to meet friends or family outside their immediate household.
The Opinions and Lifestyle survey on the social impacts of Covid-19 was conducted on 995 adults in Great Britain between 14 and 17 May.
This week’s results are the first since the announcement of changes to the “stay at home” guidance on 10 May.
Updated
There may be twice as many new coronavirus cases in the north of England as in the south, according to figures recorded by an app.
The Covid Symptom Study app, developed by health technology company ZOE, has calculated there are currently 9,900 daily new cases of Covid-19 across England, not including in care homes.
A spokesman for the firm said the results, based on a group of 980,000 people, showed levels in the north were around twice those in the south.
However, the app’s makers said the regional variation should be treated with caution as the number of actual cases was relatively small. The figures do not include people who are asymptomatic or those in care homes.
Users of the app recorded their health online and were invited to be swab tested for the virus by the Department of Health and Social Care if they reported becoming unwell.
Updated
Summary
Here’s a roundup of the latest developments so far today:
Quarantine plan for travellers to the UK
International travellers, including returning UK citizens, could face spot checks and £1,000 fines if they fail to self-isolate for 14 days after arriving in the country, under measures to guard against a second wave of coronavirus. The home secretary, Priti Patel, is expected to unveil the plans at the daily Downing Street briefing later. The measures, which will be introduced next month, will be reviewed every three weeks, the Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, said. Tony Smith, a former head of Border Force, said he was surprised quarantine measures had not been brought in sooner.
Sir Paul Nurse: ‘We are desperate for clear leadership’
Sir Paul Nurse, the chief executive of the Francis Crick Institute and 2001 Nobel laureate for medicine, has delivered a scathing attack on the government’s handling of the crisis. “We are desperate for clear leadership at all levels,” he told the BBC. He said the UK had been “too much on the back foot, increasingly playing catchup”.
Care home boss calls for repeat testing
Weekly testing of all residents and staff could help ease the Covid-19 outbreak in care homes, the boss of one of the UK’s largest care providers said. Sam Monaghan, chief executive of MHA, which took part in a government pilot of whole-home testing, said asymptomatic cases meant the virus could spread without being noticed. He said: “What we’re saying is either once a week or once a fortnight. Some of the research that seems to have been done would suggest that weekly would be the most effective way. There was a real reluctance to test staff. They were going to test the residents but they were not going to test the staff. But that was the most highly likely way the infection could have come into the home.”
Government borrowing hits record £62bn in April
UK government borrowing hit its highest level on record last month amid the Covid-19 pandemic, as retail sales across the country plunged at a record pace. The Office for National Statistics reported that public borrowing in April is estimated to have surged to £62.1bn. That’s £51.1bn more than in April 2019, and the highest borrowing in any month since records began in January 1993.
Independent Sage warns against school reopening plan
The Independent Sage committee has warned that 1 June is too soon for schools to reopen safely and that more time is needed to set up an effective track and trace system to contain future outbreaks. The group, chaired by the former government chief scientist Sir David King, says that new modelling of the coronavirus shows the risk to children will be halved if they return to school two weeks later than ministers propose. Delaying until September reduced the risk still further. A straw poll of Unison members working in schools in England found that the vast majority remain concerned over the safety of their workplaces opening to more pupils on 1 June.
New spitting incident at a London station
Union leaders have condemned another “disgusting and frightening” spitting incident at a London station. The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said a man approached staff at Mile End London underground station on Thursday and demanded they open the gate as he did not have a ticket for the barriers. He became aggressive and swore at an older female customer who intervened, and spat at her, said the union. British Transport Police were called and spit samples were taken from the female customer’s face and arm. The incident follows the death of ticket office worker Belly Mujinga from coronavirus following an incident at London Victoria station.
Updated
Hello everyone. I am taking over the Guardian’s live feed, updating you on all the latest coronavirus developments. Please do drop me a note while I work if you have any useful news tips or insight.
Twitter: @sloumarsh
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Email: sarah.marsh@theguardian.com
Updated
Prof Newton confirmed that officials from Matt Hancock’s health department had advised Public Health England to count postal tests from when they were sent out not when they were returned.
He told the science committee:
The way tests were counted was discussed with officials in the Department of Health and we were advised by the officials in the Department of Health of an appropriate method of counting the tests and that’s what we did.
They advised us, absolutely yes.
The important thing is they are only counted once. The key thing is a very large number of tests are now being conducted.
Croydon police have reported another spitting incident which will fuel fears that such behaviour is being “weaponised” against front line workers.
Officers from #Croydon responded to a home invasion this morning. When officers have arrived on scene, the male was detained however refused to comply with police, which resulted in him spitting in an officers face. Arrested - Attempted Burglary, Criminal Damage & Assault pic.twitter.com/QVIULiccYg
— Croydon MPS (@MPSCroydon) May 22, 2020
New spitting incident at a London station
Union leaders have condemned another “disgusting and frightening” spitting incident at a London station.
The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said a man approached staff at the Mile End London underground station on Thursday and demanded they open the gate as he did not have a ticket for the barriers.
Staff asked him to step back so they could safely social distance, but he became aggressive and swore at an older female customer who intervened, and spat at her, said the union.
British Transport Police (BTP) were called and spit samples were taken from female customer’s face and arms, and it is not clear whether the assailant had coronavirus, said the TSSA.
The incident follows the death of ticket office worker Belly Mujinga from coronavirus following an incident at London Victoria station.
Lorraine Ward, TSSA official for London Underground, said:
We strongly condemn this disgusting and frightening incident. Spitting has always been considered an assault, but following the tragic story of Belly Mujinga and heightened fears over the highly contagious coronavirus, more must be done to prevent such horrendous acts of violence against transport workers and passengers.
Our union is pleased the BTP were on the scene straight away at Mile End and we hope that a prosecution can be secured.
We’re redoubling our call for protective visors to be made available to all frontline transport workers across the rail, Tube and bus networks as they provide a greater degree of protection from such acts.
Prof Doyle and Prof Newton also tried to explain the reasons why testing capacity was initially so limited.
Prof Yvonne Doyle told the committee that one reason many laboratories could not be involved was because the virus was regarded as a “dangerous pathogen, and it was therefore categorised as category level three”.
She added:
“That meant that very few laboratories initially could do that. We spotted this, and we made it an application to the Committee for Dangerous Pathogens to actually reduce the levels so that more laboratories could come on stream because we actually knew there was going to be a capacity problem. And on March 1, the Health and Safety Executive granted them permission, and then that allowed many more laboratories to engage in this.”
Prof Doyle said she is sure there are “many, many things” we will learn to do differently following the coronavirus outbreak.
But she insisted that in terms of laboratory capacity, there was not “much more” PHE could have done at the time. She added:
We actually don’t have a role in assuring laboratories or the quality assurance of laboratories.I know this may sound frustrating. Maybe in retrospect we need to look at the configuration of laboratory capacity nationally.
Prof John Newton told the committee that requests from laboratories to help with testing were passed to the Department of Health and Social Care , which set a series of three tests they had to pass before they could take part. He said:
All requests for laboratories were passed to the Department of Health.
At the time they set three tests for any laboratory that wanted to take part and on the basis of that some of the laboratories were invited to contribute but others were not.
But he said he could not comment on individual requests not receiving responses because they were passed to the department.
Prof Newton said many laboratories fell down on the DHSC’s third test that they must be able to provide an end-to-end clinical service associated with the NHS.
He added: “Most laboratories were not in a position to do that.”
Updated
Professor Yvonne Doyle told the Commons Science and Technology Committee that mass contact tracing was stopped in March “because of the sheer scale of cases in the UK.”
She said there had been “multiple introductions, particularly after half-term (in February) and from European countries we now know had large amounts of prevalence themselves”.
She added:
So we have multiple introductions, with many hundreds of thousands of people by March who had now been exposed to this virus in this country. Contact tracing could not possibly have had the capacity to address that.
And with the capacity of lab testing and our contact tracers, we felt the most important thing to do was to focus on where there was national concern, which was the capacity of the NHS, to accrue that testing.
We did commit from January onwards in a testing response to government to provide up to 25,000 tests per day.
This was unprecedented and the fastest amount in increase in testing in recent history, and that we did in Public Health England with partnership with the NHS and with Roche.
A former head of Border Force has said he was “surprised” quarantine measures had not been brought in at UK borders sooner.
Tony Smith, now chairman of the International Border Management and Technologies Association, told the Commons Home Affairs Committee:
Yes I was surprised that we hadn’t seen earlier measures introduced at the UK border.
I did live through a number of pandemics in my time in government, including Sars and bird flu, swine flu. The normal response is that there would be a significant introduction of public health into the ports and borders. That is what we would normally expect.
I think there was some of that in some of the ports where hotspots were identified.
The airports do have the capability working with the Border Force and with the airlines to isolate flights, to segment passengers into more remote areas of the airport and to conduct testing if such a thing is medically proven as being worthwhile.
A scientist leading the development of a coronavirus vaccine said it is “not possible to predict” when it will be ready for the wider population.
The government said that if the Covid-19 vaccine candidate being developed by Oxford University proved successful in human trials, then up to 30 million doses could be available for the UK by September.
But Professor Andrew Pollard, head of the Oxford Vaccine Group, has now said it was “very difficult” to know when scientists will have proof that it is effective.
Work began in January on the vaccine, which uses a virus taken from chimpanzees and has been developed by the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group.
The first phase of trialling involved 160 healthy volunteers between 18 and 55.
Now scientists want to recruit up to 10,260 people across the country for phases II and III, which involve vastly increasing the number of volunteers and expanding the age range to include older adults and children.
Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday, Prof Pollard was asked what the chances were of having a proven vaccine within a few months. He said:
It is a very difficult question to know exactly when we will have proof that the vaccine works because we need, within our population of 10,000 people, to have enough of those who have been exposed to the virus over that time, who are hopefully in the controlled group, who are getting the control vaccine, and to see whether the coronavirus vaccine protects them.
Now, there is uncertainty about how many cases there will be over the next three months.
If there are cases then it is certainly possible by the autumn to have a result, and that is what we are hoping for, but it is not possible to predict.
Updated
Public Health England’s medical director Professor Yvonne Doyle has told MPs that the agency did not reject the South Korean model of mass coronavirus testing.
She told the Science and Technology select committee on Friday that PHE was “very interested” in what was being done internationally. Prof Doyle added:
We did not reject the South Korean model, in fact we were very interested in what was happening internationally from the get-go.
The testing capacity and testing profile of PHE’s approach in the contain phase - which is between January and March - was very close to the one of South Korea for quite a long time, into early March.
Chairman Greg Clark asked PHE’s director of health improvement Professor John Newton why the committee was yet to see evidence about the South Korean testing model it had been promised weeks ago. He said: “A commitment was given to provide that assessment, that contemporary assessment, many weeks have gone by, it hasn’t been provided.”
But Prof Newton, who is also co-ordinator of the national testing effort, said that the evidence used to make the decision was epidemiology, which had already been published.He added:
Just to reassure the committee very extensive continuous process is made of comparing epidemiology and practice and policy in different countries.
The evidence that was used to make that decision was the epidemiology, which is published every week and we can certainly share that with you.
Labour has demanded an investigation into how the outsourcing firm Serco revealed the details of 300 contract tracers.
Rachel Reeves, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said:
It has never been clear what expertise or specialist knowledge Serco can bring to contact tracing. It now appears that they are struggling to implement even basic aspects of data privacy.
We need some clarity from the government about why and how Serco came to be awarded this contract; and we need reassurances that the contract tracing programme is in safe hands.
It's never been clear what expertise Serco brings to contact tracing. It now appears they are struggling with basic aspects of data privacy. We need clarity from Govt about why and how Serco came to be awarded this contract and reassurances that contact tracing is in safe hands. pic.twitter.com/0zWFR9WYYN
— Rachel Reeves (@RachelReevesMP) May 22, 2020
Updated
The Scottish government will not publish an advance timetable of set dates for when other parts of the lockdown will be eased, John Swinney, Scotland’s deputy first minister, has said.
Swinney told BBC Good Morning Scotland the easing process would follow the current three-weekly pattern governed by the lockdown regulations, but it would not copy the schedule being used by the UK government in England. Ministers in London have already said certain businesses can restart on 4 July.
Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, announced the first easing of Scotland’s lockdown rules on Thursday. From 28 May, picnics and sunbathing will be allowed, as will social contact with friends and family outdoors, and garden centres and some non-contact sports will be allowed to restart.
There has been a backlash, however, over her decision not to allow families to see relatives at home or to visit family outdoors if they live more than five miles away, while authorising people to play golf and have socially-distanced barbecues. Non-essential shops and businesses are still not allowed to reopen.
Swinney said the Scottish government would study the infection, deaths and hospitalisation figures, all of which are falling, before confirming the dates of other relaxations:
We have a plan here. If we see a reduction in the effect of Covid in our community, we will be able to make progress on a block of three -week intervals when we look to review each of the individual phases.
That is us being straight with the public, recognising we will relax the measure if the public sticks with the rules and guidance and work with us as a community to tackle this very serious threat that we face.
Here are the latest figures from public health authorities on the spread of Covid-19 in the United Kingdom.
Transport for London (TfL) has announced it will begin reintroducing the requirement for passengers to pay for bus travel on Saturday.
Customers on 85 routes served by more than 1,200 buses will initially need to touch in with their contactless, Oyster or concessionary card when they board.
Middle-door boarding, and the suspension of the need to touch in, had been temporarily suspended to protect bus drivers.
Thirty-three London bus workers have died after contracting Covid-19, including 29 drivers.
TfL has commissioned an independent review into deaths among bus workers.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
TfL is seeking independent advice from UCL Institute of Health Equity to make sure we better understand the impact of coronavirus on our bus workers and to ensure we are taking every possible measure to protect our heroic staff. As the son of a bus driver, this is deeply personal to me.
I urge all Londoners to do their bit to keep our transport workers safe by only using public transport if you have no other alternative. It is crucial that the demand on services is as low as possible to enable social distancing for the safety of both staff and passengers.
A straw poll of Unison members working in schools in England found that the vast majority remain concerned over the safety of their workplaces opening to more pupils on 1 June.
Unison said its members had been “shut out” of the debate over reopening, and that the government has not modelled the impact on support staff such as teaching assistants who tend to be older, and are more likely to come from black and minority ethnic communities or disadvantaged backgrounds.
More than 90% said the government has failed to put safety first when planning to reopen schools to nursery, reception, year one and year six pupils in nine days’ time, while 77% said their school would not have the resources to cope.
More than 45,000 Unison members responded to the union’s questions, including key staff such as childcare workers and cleaners. The majority said they had been working in schools throughout the lockdown, as many remained open to support vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers.
Jon Richards, Unison’s head of education, said:
There’s little confidence in ministers’ plans, that’s clear to see. Staff, parents and schools aren’t ready to go back without reassurances that safety is the number one priority.
Unions want to work with ministers to make schools as safe as possible, so that parents, their children and staff will want to return. But the rush to get some schools open to meet an arbitrary date isn’t at all helpful.
Sir Paul Nurse: 'We are desperate for clear leadership'
Sir Paul Nurse, the chief executive of the Francis Crick Institute and and 2001 Nobel laureate for medicine, has delivered a scathing attack on the the government’s handling of the crisis.
“We are desperate for clear leadership at all levels,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He said the UK had been “too much on the back foot increasingly playing catchup.”
Nurse said there was confusion about the government’s strategy and who was in charge.
Do we have a proper governance system here that can combine scientific knowledge with political action? The question I’m constantly asking myself is, who is actually in charge of the decisions? Who is developing the strategy and the operation and implementation of that strategy? Is it ministers? Is it Public Health England, the NHS, the Office of Life Sciences, Sage? I don’t know. But more importantly, do they know?
We have lions on the front line of clinical care. We need lions also in the leadership so that we can actually really drive this forward.
Nurse added:
Everybody involved not just the politicians, the scientists, and the doctors. We’re all making mistakes. And we have to try and learn from what mistakes have been made up until now.
To get a better, more sensible way forward we we have to tackle two main issues. One is to get a much clearer, publicly presented strategy as to what we’re actually trying to do and the evidence upon which it is based. We’re not getting that in communications. Maybe there’s strategy there, I don’t see it. And we need to know what the scientific evidence led to that.
Nurse was particularly scathing about the lack of early testing. He said:
We’ve been allowing care workers to be in the wards who are potentially infected, infecting patients, infecting themselves, and as a consequence, making hospitals potentially unsafe places to be. We have to see a changed strategy there that is reliant upon the real evidence
He claimed the government failed to use labs across the country to increase testing.
He said: “It was a little like a pass the parcel the responsibilities were diffuse, no clear lines of responsibility. We are desperate for clear leadership at all levels.”
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St Paul’s Cathedral has launched an online book of remembrance for all UK residents who have died from coronavirus. People of all faiths or none are invited to contribute to Remember Me.
It has been backed by Prince Charles. He said: “This virtual book of remembrance is here to help us remember; not just to recall our loss and sorrow, but also to be thankful for everything good that those we have loved brought into our lives, and all that they have given to others.”
Independent Sage warns against school reopening plan
A group of senior scientists has warned that 1 June is too soon for schools to reopen safely and that more time is needed to set up an effective track and trace system to contain future outbreaks.
The independent Sage committee, chaired by the former government chief scientist Sir David King, say that new modelling of the coronavirus shows the risk to children will be halved if they return to school two weeks later than ministers propose. Delaying until September reduced the risk still further.
The extra two weeks would allow more time for infections to fall in the community and for crucial track and trace capacity to be built up so that new cases are found and isolated fast.
“It is clear from the evidence we have collected that 1 June is simply too early to go back. By going ahead with this dangerous decision, the government is further risking the health of our communities and the likelihood of a second spike,” Professor King said.
In a draft consultation published on Friday, the experts say local authorities must demonstrate low levels of infection and an ability to contain new infections before schools are reopened, with public consultation a “vital” part of the decision-making process.
The report urges authorities to consider summer camps and outdoor schools for educating children with community playing fields and sports clubs requisitioned for teaching purposes.
King said the decision of when to re-open schools was a “careful balance” but added it was vital for young people to get back to the classroom as soon as it was safe to do so. “The current climate is likely to disproportionately affect the most disadvantaged in society, therefore it is vital that the government also considers innovative ways to help those who need it most.”
Professor King established the Independent Sage committee amid concerns over the lack of transparency around scientific advice reaching ministers from the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), co-chaired by the chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance and England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Support for a fixed date for school return is vanishing quickly. What is needed now is local flexibility to determine when it is right for schools to open up to more pupils, informed by evidence of what is happening in their local area.”
The Independent Sage committee will host an online discussion at midday on Friday for teachers, parents, children and union representatives in association with the British Medical Journal and Mumsnet. It will broadcast on the Independent Sage YouTube channel, the committee’s Facebook page, on Twitter via @independentSAGE and @Sir_David_King and BMJ’s home page.
Government borrowing hits record £62bn in April
UK government borrowing hit its highest level on record last month amid the Covid-19 pandemic, as retail sales across the country plunged at a record pace.
The Office for National Statistics reported that public borrowing in April is estimated to have surged to £62.1bn. That’s £51.1bn more than in April 2019, and the highest borrowing in any month since records began in January 1993.
Borrowing in April 2020 was £62.1 billion, £51.1 billion more than in April 2019 and the highest monthly borrowing on record https://t.co/wWD0xjcMyo pic.twitter.com/YUugAZTMjt
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) May 22, 2020
Quarantine measures to be reviewed every three weeks
The Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, has defended the timing of the new quarantine measures and revealed they will be reviewed every three weeks.
Asked by Sky News why the government hadn’t implemented the idea sooner, he said:
As the virus spread is falling here in the UK as our R number is falling, obviously, that marginal impact of people coming in has a real effect in a way that it just didn’t a few weeks ago. And some weeks ago, we were still returning many many Britons back to the United Kingdom.
People who come over to the United Kingdom will have to do quarantine and a few countries around the world are looking at this or have already introduced this. There’ll be more details later on today – the Home Secretary will be doing the press conference at 5pm. day. As our R number is down we want to ensure that we don’t get that second spike that could be one of the most damaging things for our economy in the long run.
Lewis revealed that the measures would be reviewed every three weeks.
He added:
We’re a country a that welcomes people from all over the world. But it is appropriate that we say ‘if you’re coming to the United Kingdom, we need to protect your own health and the health of the people of the United Kingdom’. And the best way is to make sure that people go through that quarantine period to ensure they have no symptoms and are not able to add to the spread of the virus.
For UK citizens coming back, they will be able to go home and quarantine at home but for visitors they will need to make arrangements for where they can do that quarantine for 14 days.
He also downplayed an idea touted by the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, for an “air bridge” to allow British holiday makers to avoid quarantine.
Lewis said: “There’s no plans for that at the moment.”
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Care home boss calls for repeat testing
Weekly testing of all residents and staff could help ease the Covid-19 outbreak in care homes, the boss of one of the UK’s largest care providers said.
Sam Monaghan, chief executive of MHA, which took part in a government pilot of whole-home testing, said asymptomatic cases meant the virus could spread without being noticed.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said:
What we’re saying is either once a week or once a fortnight. Some of the research that seems to have been done would suggest that weekly would be the most effective way.
Just two weeks ago we had a home where there had been no infections throughout the whole of the pandemic. We had a case develop in one of our residents, they started to show symptoms, they were tested and found to be positive.
None of the residents had been in or out of hospital, there was no other way that it could have come in and yet none of the staff were presenting any symptoms and at that point it was before the whole home-testing procedure was in.
There was a real reluctance to test staff, they were going to test the residents but they were not going to test the staff. But that was the most highly likely way the infection could have come into the home.
Travellers face £1,000 fines in quarantine plans
Welcome to our UK coronavirus live blog.
The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, is expected to unveil a quarantine plan for new arrivals to the UK, at today’s Downing Street briefing.
Under the plans, international travellers could face spot checks and £1,000 fines if they fail to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival.
Exemptions for road hauliers and medical officials will apply, while the common travel area with Ireland will be unaffected. Arrivals from France are not expected to exempt despite earlier suggestions that they would be.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has already described the plans as “idiotic” and “unimplementable,” and Airlines UK said they “would effectively kill” international travel to and from Britain.
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