We are now closing our UK blog but please follow all the developments worldwide on our global blog.
That’s the end of the briefing, focussing on shielding and rough sleepers. People who are shielding will be able to go outside, from Monday, along with household members or one person outwith their household. Dr Jenny Harries and Robert Jenrick repeatedly stressed that the changes to shielding guidance are advisory. The importance of maintaining social distancing by all was also underlined.
Here are some of the figures Dr Harries presented, explaining the gradual downturn in deaths means we must remain careful and follow social distancing measures.
- 113 Covid-19 deaths have been confirmed over the last 24 hours. A total of 38,489 people have died.
- There were 1,936 cases confirmed as of 31 May, and 274,762 cases in total.
- Across the UK, 9% of ventilator beds are occupied, and trending downwards in every country. 545 patients were estimated to have been admitted on 29 May in England.
- There were 115,725 tests on 31 May, and 4,285,738 tests in total.
Dame Louise Casey described the rough sleeping outreach efforts as a “small but incredible silver lining in dark cloud of Covid-19”.
- A total of 15,000 rough sleepers are now being helped; Jenrick said 90% of rough sleepers had been offered accommodation.
- 6,000 new supported homes are to be made available to rough sleepers, with £160m to be spent on them this year.
Updated
Rev Stephen Brooks, Keep the Faith magazine, asks about religious assembling: while it is intrinsic to people’s faith, we have seen outbreaks such as one in a church in Frankfurt. Jenrick says people of faith may find it strange that place of worship aren’t open while shops are. Says they have a task force with faith leaders, who are providing guidance, including about cleaning churches, training volunteers. Says first step would be to open them for private prayer, as a springboard for small weddings and then services.
Crerar asks about Cummings - what will the government do if the public now doesn’t follow guidelines as closely? Jenrick says it’s incumbent on public as well as scientists to track it. If the R number rises above 1, we won’t be able to continue easing the lockdown.
Pippa Crerar, Mirror, asks how they can reassure parents and teachers that it is safe to have children return to school? Jenrick says 80% of schools have been open for children of key workers and vulnerable children. Says he believes it is safe, and that we can look to Europe to see this. Adds that it will be a staggered effort, with fewer children in each classroom, and government is working with teachers and trade unions. It’s important to get children back in school, as poorer children are losing out the most.
Harries says testing capacity is very significant, and contact traces are underway. Says testing for under-5s also in place. The advice for children is that they stick in small groups to reduce transmission.
Updated
John Stevens, Daily Mail, asks about people with relatives in care homes - can they visit? Harries says care homes vary hugely, residential care exists for younger as well as older people. Says people with dementia may find it difficult to follow measures. She stresses importance of keeping infection very low in care homes, and says the advice will probably be very precautionary until transmission is very reduced. She says it’s probably to early to make changes in care homes.
Asks about £1bn housing development agreed after event with the developer. Jenrick says it was judged on “merit” and there was no bias in the decision. Says they offered to redetermine decision with other parties.
When will playgrounds and parks open? Jenrick says parks are open, and playgrounds are more difficult as children won’t social distance. Harries says it won’t happen in the immediate future.
Do the rules apply to all? Harries says “absolutely” and on a matter of personal and professional integrity, she will always follow them. She says if we start to spot things in data, there is opportunity to change how we go forward.
Jane Deith, Channel 4, asks about easing of lockdown using Covid alert system. If alert level hasn’t changed, what has? Jenrick says we are still at 4, but moving to 3. Says steps that are being taken are modest and cautious and “entirely consistent” with the PM’s message about alerts.
Should we be concerned that the number of deaths has plateaued? Harries says we have to keep applying measures, and limit number of interactions. We know that data relies on when cases are reported, and that a period of a few days is unreliable - rolling averages give a clearer picture.
Paul Brand, ITV, asks about those who are shielding and still feel vulnerable. Ask why should people feel safer now than at beginning of outbreak, given the high number of cases. Harries says we understand risk better now, and shielding was a way to reduce exposure to the virus during its peak. She says at the start it was 1/40 to meeting someone with the disease, now it is about 1/400.
Jenrick says government now feels the rate of infection is sufficiently low to do small things that will make a “huge difference” to the people who are shielding. Stresses that it is an individual choice.
Mason asks about people who may have been asked to shield unnecessarily. Jenrick says shielded category is over 2 million people with varied conditions, and says they want to move towards a more specific approach. Says advice remains that shielded should stay home, with small changes to be made from tomorrow about going outside.
Harries once again stresses that it is advice, saying that there has been a wide range of responses to this. She says that some people who are at the ends of their lives may feel differently to others. Harries says we now have much more data on individual diseases, and they are trying to estimate risk better. For the time being it will be left as it is.
Chris Mason, BBC, asks if government is worried about pictures seen this weekend where social distancing hasn’t been observed. Jenrick says they are confident that steps they’re taking from Monday are manageable, but margin is limited.
Harries says if you’re outdoors, risk of transmission is very low.However, it is worrying that people may be “cramming into cars”, sharing cutlery on the beach and being very close together. Stresses that the public needs to stick to the messages - not just about what it is possible to do, but what it is “sensible to do”. She also stresses the need to balance for mental health, and says interactions should be limited.
Updated
Another question from the public is about how the government will support rural communities to transcend the crisis. Jenrick says the government has brought forward an unprecedented range of measures, including job retention scheme, bounce back loans for businesses. Says they are working closely with agriculture industry, thanks the food and drinks industry and supermarkets. Raises the challenge of getting workers in agriculture this summer, and says there are schemes in place encouraging this.
A question about how to know if a track and trace call is genuine, one person asks. Harries says there is a lot of confidentiality and it will be unlikely you will be contacted by someone with other motives. She says it will be clear that they are genuine - they are professionally trained individuals.
113 Covid deaths have been confirmed over the last 24 hours. The numbers are coming down, she says, but quite slowly. 38,489 people have died.
Across the UK, people in hospital with coronavirus down by 15%. Says there have been changes in the way data is reported in Wales and Northern Ireland. All cases are falling, but warns the downward slope is “gentle”.
Updated
9% of ventilator beds are occupied across UK, and trending downwards in every country. Just 545 patients estimated to have been admitted on 29 May in England.
Harries says confirmed case total won’t reflect the totality, but case numbers are coming down despite increased testing.
The figures: 115,725 test as of 31 May. 4,285,738 test in total. 1,936 cases confirmed as of 31 May, and 274,762 cases in total.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries has the figures. Transport data compared with earlier in the year or last year. She says car use is picking up, and reminds people to only travel in car with household members. Commercial vehicle is also rising. National rail, transport and bus services have remained very low use - used by key workers only. Says it is important to be careful with transport, encourages walking and cycling.
Casey says rough sleeping outreach has been a “small but incredible silver lining in dark cloud of Covid-19”.
Updated
Casey says she stands ready to work with all partners across UK. “We can help the most vulnerable sleepers in the long term”. None of us should underestimate challenge ahead, she says, thanking the NHS, local government and charity groups. She also names the Anglican and Catholic churches as well as Comic Relief.
Updated
Dame Louise Casey says “pandemic is not over”. Says the task was to bring as many off the streets, give them the chance to self isolate. Calls it an “extraordinary response” and says 15,000 people have now been helped. She thanks everyone involved, including council staff and hotels, as well as community groups. Describes it as a “heartening example and best of Britain”
Jenrick says rough sleeping is a health issue, and says support will be offered. Homes to be a “springboard” and new national asset. “No ones path is predetermined”.
As we enter the next phase, it’s time to look ahead. “Words and promises are not enough” - we now know who rough sleepers are, and can tailor the support. Some will need help to enter private accommodation. 6,000 new supported home to be made available to rough sleepers. £160m to be spent this year.
Updated
Now for an update on rough sleeping. Jenrick says government felt they had special duty to rough sleepers, and 90% of rough sleepers were offered accommodation. He says councils in England were provided with funding to provide accommodation.
Follow the review, the NHS will write to all individuals on shielding list, with advice and support available, Jenrick says, depending on the prevalence of Covid-19 in the environment. He thanks all those shielding for “patience and fortitude”.
Each assessment will be based on “best data” available on covid-19. The next review will take place in week of 15 June.
“You should only do what you are comfortable with,” Jenrick says. He adds guidance may be extended after end of June if needed. Reviews are based on latest data.
New 'shielding' guidance for England says people can go outside from Monday
“Now that we’ve passed the peak, the risk to those shielding is lower,” Jenrick says. Stresses advice is advisory. Shielding guidance updated: from tomorrow, they can take initial steps to spend time outdoors. This is for England only, but working closely with devolved govts.
They can spend time with their households, or one person from outside the household. The full guidance will be updated to gov.uk. “You must still follow social distancing guidelines” but will enable shielding people to see family members beyond their household.
Updated
Jenrick says he’s “immensely grateful” to those in NHS, local and parish councils for supporting residents.
Over 350,000 have registered for government support. More than half have also said they want someone to talk to over phone, Jenrick says. “none of us should forget the mental burden” of social distancing, and urges people to reach out for support if they need it.
Jenrick says many of these people haven’t left home for over 10 weeks. 2.5 million free food boxes have been delivered, including medicine. This has been done by working closely with NHS.
Many of the people sheilding are working at home, Jenrick says. “They’ve all made a huge sacrifice.” He expresses admiration for their efforts, and acknowledges impact on their family members.
At the start of the pandemic, vulnerable people were asked to shield until 30 June, Jenrick says. He explains who is shielding - not just older people, over half over 70 , over 90,000 are children, who will not be able to return to school.
Robert Jenrick taking daily briefing
Jenrick is joined by Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries and Dame Louise Casey DBE C advisor on rough sleeping.
Updated
Hello, I’m Clea Skopeliti and I’ll be covering the daily coronavirus briefing, set to begin in a few minutes and led by Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick.
The UK’s daily coronavirus testing capacity reached 200,000 on Saturday, PA Media reports.
This includes capacity for 40,000 antibody tests a day, and is on track to meet the milestone health secretary Matt Hancock set for the end of May.
UK coronavirus death toll rises by 113 to 38,489
The number of people to die after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK has risen by 113 to 38,489, the Department of Health has said.
As of 9am 31 May, there have been 4,285,738 tests, with 115,725 tests on 30 May.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) May 31, 2020
274,762 people have tested positive.
As of 5pm on 30 May, of those tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, 38,489 have sadly died.
More info:
▶️ https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k pic.twitter.com/RrtvHAQ5Xx
In the 24-hour period up to 9am on Sunday, 115,725 tests were carried out or dispatched with 1,936 positive results.
Overall, a total of 4,285,738 tests have been carried out and 274,762 cases have been confirmed positive.
The clock is ticking down to the daily Downing Street briefing on the coronavirus crisis. It is set to take place at 4pm today and will be led by communities secretary Robert Jenrick.
Shielders in Wales can exercise outdoors from Monday
People in Wales who have been shielding due to coronavirus will be able to exercise outdoors from Monday, PA Media reports.
They are also able to meet people from another household but must not go into another house or share food.
The Welsh Government has not made any other changes to the advice for those who are shielding.
Those in the group should not go shopping or attend work outside their home, and must continue to have food and medicine delivered to them.
Dr Frank Atherton, the chief medical officer for Wales, said:
Risk can never be completely eliminated but we advise those shielding to exercise at times that are less busy, so the risk of contact with others is reduced.
We have advised everyone in Wales to maintain social distance of two meters and keep good hygiene when meeting outdoors. For those who are shielding, strictly following these rules is vital.
Atherton is continuing to develop his advice for shielding people and will send a letter to them in the next few weeks to set out the next steps, the Welsh Government said.
Parents call for virtual school for Scottish pupils
Some parents are calling for a Scotland-wide virtual school as anxieties grow at the prospect of indefinite home schooling into the autumn and beyond.
While pupils transitioning into primary and secondary schools should be in class briefly before the summer holidays begin at the end of June, the majority of Scotland’s schoolchildren with not return until 11 August, and then to a blended model of in-school and at-home learning.
Libby Brooks has the full report:
Crowds of protesters have also gathered in Manchester, Liverpool and Cardiff in solidarity with the wave of demonstrations taking place across the US following the killing of an unarmed black man restrained by police.
silence is violence. Protests in Manchester today #BlackLivesMatter #BlackLivesMatterUK pic.twitter.com/QpDd1YGnVE
— olive (@olivehall_) May 31, 2020
Scenes from Cardiff’s #BLM #BlackLivesMatterUK #BlackLivesMatter protest in Cardiff today. pic.twitter.com/SHN0jHSfFg
— Liz Clements (@lizcezclemo) May 31, 2020
Liverpool. #BlackLivesMatterUK pic.twitter.com/n7kZwBjumM
— Ela Heeley (@ElaHeeley) May 31, 2020
These Black Lives Matter demonstrations were organised across the UK – including in London’s Trafalgar Square – after George Floyd died when a white officer held him down by pressing a knee into his neck last Monday in Minneapolis.
Some London protesters, crowded together despite social distancing restrictions, held signs reading “Justice for George” and “Rest in power”.
Earlier on Sunday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said video footage of Floyd’s death was “very distressing”, but he would not comment on President Donald Trump’s response to the widespread protests sparked by the killing.
The president has been criticised after warning on Twitter that “looting leads to shooting”.
He later attempted to clarify his words by further tweeting on Friday:
Looting leads to shooting, and that’s why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday night - or look at what just happened in Louisville with 7 people shot. I don’t want this to happen, and that’s what the expression put out last night means.
Raab told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday:
I’m not going to start commenting on the commentary or indeed the press statements that other world leaders make, or indeed the US president.
What we do know is that the lead suspect has now been charged with murder, there is a federal review and we want to see de-escalation of all of those tensions and American come together.
Covid-19 death toll in England's hospitals rises by 85 to 26,614
NHS England has announced 85 new deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 26,614.
Of the 85 new deaths announced on Sunday:
- 15 occurred on May 30
- 31 occurred on May 29
- seven occurred on May 28
The figures also show 22 of the new deaths took place between May 8 and May 27, nine occurred in April, and the remaining one death took place on March 25.
NHS England releases updated figures each day showing the dates of every coronavirus-related death in hospitals in England, often including previously uncounted deaths that took place several days or even weeks ago.
This is because of the time it takes for deaths to be confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19, for post-mortem examinations to be processed and for data from the tests to be validated.
The figures published on Sunday by NHS England show April 8 continues to have the highest number for the most hospital deaths on a single day, with a current total of 894.
Scotland's Covid-19 death toll increases by nine to 2,362
The number of people to die after testing positive for Covid-19 in Scotland has risen by nine to 2,362, according to the Scottish government.
The figures were revealed by health secretary Jeane Freeman during Sunday’s press briefing on the Covid-19 response.
The country has a total of 15,400 positive cases as of 9am on Sunday – an increase of 18 on the day prior.
Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Layla Moran has said the government’s decision to press ahead with reopening schools to more pupils on Monday is “deeply worrying” .
She said:
Ministers have repeatedly claimed to be guided by science through this crisis yet a number of scientists - including members of Sage - have expressed concern about the easing of lockdown.
It’s deeply worrying that plans to reopen schools tomorrow are going ahead despite the fact that the Covid-19 risk is still classified as ‘high’.
We all want to see children back in schools as an urgent priority. But not if this risks a new Covid-19 spike.
The government must guarantee that public health will not be put at risk as a result of a premature or rushed effort to get children back into classrooms.
Border dwellers grapple with English and Welsh lockdown rules
The discrepancies in lockdown rules between the UK’s four jurisdictions, from schools to exercise and social gatherings, has left those living in border areas of England and Wales grappling with conflicting guidelines.
In the UK, Wales has arguably the strictest lockdown still in place. While people in England don’t have a limit on the distance they can travel, those in Wales are still being told to “stay local”, and shops are likely to reopen later than England.
My colleague Molly Blackall has the full report:
Covid-19 death toll in Wales rises by 11 to 1,342
The number of people to die after being infected with Covid-19 in Wales has risen by 11 to 1,342, Public Health Wales has announced.
Another 82 people have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 13,995.
Updated
Experts decry easing of coronavirus lockdown for England’s shielders
The government’s surprise announcement that more than 2 million of the most vulnerable people will be allowed outside from Monday lacks any scientific rationale and amounts to a public relations exercise, a leading virus expert has said.
Groups including the Residents and Relatives Association, which represents people in care homes, had called for steps toward lifting the tightest restrictions on the most vulnerable because of fears for their mental health, but the move came faster than many expected.
Rob Burley, the director of campaigns at Muscular Dystrophy UK, said advice to shield people with muscle-wasting conditions was already confusing, but that the sudden change risked making things worse.
“We are now faced with further confusion about why the advice has changed so suddenly when only a few weeks ago the government’s recovery strategy said shielding would have to remain in place for a further period,” he said.
Robert Booth has the full report:
A reminder that this is Aaron Walawalkar in London here, steering you through the latest UK coronavirus news. Please do to get in touch with me to share news tips or suggestions about our future coverage. We hugely value your contributions. You can contact me via DM on Twitter @AaronWala.
The government must plug the gaps in statutory sick pay provision and not force people to choose between public health and paying their bills, Labour has said.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the government must extend the assistance so both people and businesses are supported when asked to comply with instructions to self-isolate under the new NHS Test and Trace system.
If they do not, he warned, “people will be expected to make an impossible choice between self-isolating or putting food on the table”.
He was speaking as Labour unveiled a three-point plan to get test and trace working locally as it described the government’s current scheme as “total chaos”.
The fact that businesses with more than 250 employees cannot claim back statutory sick pay (SSP) from the HMRC when employees have been told to self-isolate “risks placing further financial stress” on larger firms, Labour said.
As the self-employed and low-paid do not qualify for sick pay at all and those who do receive one of the lowest rates in Europe, the party is calling on the government to urgently ensure people have what they need to meet basic living standards.
Reynolds said:
The Covid-19 crisis has exposed that our social security system is a safety net with too many holes in. The eligibility criteria for SSP has the same gaps, and if they are not filled, a cohort of people will be expected to make an impossible choice between self-isolating or putting food on the table.
The government must consider how emergency support can be made available for people in this situation, or otherwise risk the success of the scheme and pushing those who do comply but cannot work as a result into further hardship.
Here is a clip of hundreds of protesters kneeling in central London earlier today while chanting: “No justice, no peace.”
Kneeling in Trafalgar Square now. #BLACK_LIVES_MATTER #GeorgeFloydProtests #NoJusticeNoPeace pic.twitter.com/sThU3VBwlI
— Nick McAvaney (@nick_mcavaney) May 31, 2020
This act is symbolic of footage taken moments before Floyd’s death, which showed a white police officer kneeling on his neck for more than eight minutes.
It also echoes a gesture made famous by NFL player Colin Kaepernick more than two years ago, after he refused to stand during the national anthem on multiple occasions to protest police brutality.
Hundreds of protesters have gathered in central London in solidarity with waves of demonstrations that have rocked the US following the killing of George Floyd.
Footage and pictures on social media show members of London’s Black Lives Matter movement chanting “I can’t breathe” and “stop killing us” in Trafalgar Square on Sunday.
peaceful down here in Trafalgar Square for the protest at the moment - don’t let the media tell you otherwise! It’s an anxious time though being amongst a protest especially with what’s happening in the world x #GeorgeFloyd ✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/iKDofGWfwI
— Shola Aleje (@beefheartzappa) May 31, 2020
Protesters can be seen holding signs and wearing masks and gloves:
here in trafalgar square at the #BlackLivesMatter demo. hundreds of people shouting “i can’t breathe” and “stop killing us” pic.twitter.com/5N3OSN9TkB
— Ben Smoke (@bencsmoke) May 31, 2020
Tense protests over the death of George Floyd and other police killings of black men spread across the US on Saturday night as mayors around the country imposed curfews and several governors called in the national guard amid scenes of violence, injuries and unrest.
Read more about the latest developments in the US here:
Updated
More than 2,500 Londoners have agreed not to pay rent so that they can afford food and other essentials amid the pandemic, campaigners have said.
The London Renters Union (LRU) has been urging renters to sign up to its Can’t Pay Won’t Pay campaign since it launched on May 15.
The people who have signed up have attended meetings to learn how tell their landlords they will be withholding rent, how to demand their landlord write off rent debt and also how to resist evictions, the LRU said.
“Because of lockdown, this month I’ve earned less than half of what I normally do, so it’s been impossible to pay the rent,” said Zara, a 40-year-old LRU organiser from east London.
“We’re not eligible for furloughing, self-employment support or Universal Credit. Our landlord already wanted to evict us, and now he’s trying to get us declared bankrupt.
“I don’t want my children to be worried that they might lose their home. I want to protect them from this.”
She urged the government to suspend rent, cancel rent debt and make the eviction ban permanent – accusing it of prioritising landlords’ profit over renters’ survival.
No10 special adviser Dominic Cummings has been photographed, with characteristic plastic bag, outside his home in north London on Sunday:
Nine-year-old Tobias Weller has completed his “ginormous challenge” – walking a marathon outside his house using his walker over 70 days.
Tobias – who has cerebral palsy and has been named Captain Tobias by his supporters in a nod to his inspiration, Captain Tom Moore – completed the distance on Sunday morning cheered on by his whole street in Sheffield.
Police closed off the road as neighbours put out bunting and balloons for the final leg of his marathon fundraising effort.
The young fundraiser has walked 750 metres of his 42,195-metre target each day and has raised more than £43,000 for Sheffield Children’s Hospital and Paces School, his special school in the city.
Weller was described as “incredible” and “an inspiration” by Olympic heptathlon champion Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, professional footballer Esme Morgan and BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker ahead of him beginning the final leg on his journey on Sunday morning.
Ennis-Hill said:
I have been following your story and I just want to say I think you are absolutely incredible. What a challenge you’ve taken on.
How a decade of privatisation and cuts exposed England to coronavirus
This latest Guardian investigation examines how a decade of privatisation, austerity and “reforms” to public services enfeebled the state before the coronavirus struck – and how private contractors have been used to plug the void:
Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, has said that herd immunity “was never an aim” of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and “never could be”.
In a piece first published in the Sunday Telegraph, Vallance sought to clarify “exactly what Sage is, and what it is not” after minutes from its meetings were made public for the first time this week following calls for greater transparency.
On the release of the papers, Vallance said:
Clearly it is right that ministers see the advice first and that they have a chance to consider it as part of their overall decision making, but I believe it is also right that the evidence base should become open for others to see too, so they can provide challenge and form new and important observations.
Science advice to Cobr and to ministers needs to be direct and given without fear or favour.
But it is advice. Ministers must decide and have to take many other factors into consideration.
In a democracy, that is the only way it should be. The science advice needs to be independent of politics.
The chief scientific adviser went on to say that Sage is “not an infallible body of experts” and that its advice will not always be right.
But he added that Sage “endeavours” to provide ministers with options to consider and to “explain the uncertainties and assumptions inherent in that science and evidence”.
He added that the publication of the papers would provide a chance to correct some “misconceptions that have taken hold”.
Specifically addressing accusations that Sage had proposed the government pursue a strategy of herd immunity early on in its response to the pandemic, Vallance said:
Allowing many people to catch Covid to create widespread immunity was never an aim and never could have been with a committee comprised of many doctors who have spent their lives dedicated to improving health.
Immunity on the other hand is something that prevents transmission and we all hope that a vaccine to induce immunity will become available.
Ministers are acutely aware of the coronavirus crisis facing care homes in Northern Ireland, Arlene Foster has said.
More than half of all Covid-19 deaths have occurred among frail and elderly care home residents.
Providers have previously voiced concern about the provision of personal protective equipment and staffing levels amid the pandemic.
Measures have been taken by the devolved administration in Belfast in response.
Stormont’s First Minister Foster told the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday:
If we have a low number of deaths in the first place, then understandably you are going to have a concentration where there are old and vulnerable people.
We are very, very conscious of the difficulties in care homes.
We will look back and there will be plenty of time to look back at how we dealt with this virus.
She said Northern Ireland’s overall infection rate has been below that in England and Scotland because of a lower population density.
She added lockdown restrictions were introduced earlier in the disease’s spread in Northern Ireland.
Care home residents account for 53% of all coronavirus-related deaths in Northern Ireland, official statistics show.
Of the 380 care home resident deaths in the year to May 22, 84% (318) occurred in their facility, with the remaining 62 taking place in hospital.
The Department of Health has said there are 69 active care home outbreaks and 52 clusters have been closed.
Local lockdowns could be used if coronavirus cases rise, says Raab
The government could impose geographically targeted measures to combat coronavirus such as locking down specific cities if an easing of restrictions in England brings a rise in new cases, Dominic Raab has said.
The foreign secretary defended the decision to allow bigger outdoor gatherings and other new freedoms, which has prompted alarm from some government scientific advisers, but said he accepted it was a “delicate and dangerous moment”.
Asked what would happen if the relaxing of rules, which allow groups of up to six people to meet outdoors from Monday, brought a rise in infections, Raab said the government did not want to reimpose national restrictions.
Peter Walker has the full report:
Updated
The term “Level 1” is currently trending on Twitter following the government’s announcement that restrictions will be eased for extremely vulnerable people who have been “shielding” in England.
It appears to be a reference to the government’s Covid-19 alert level – a scale from one to five which reflects the degree of threat to the country from coronavirus.
On Sunday, foreign secretary Dominic Raab told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge that the UK is currently transitioning from Level 4 to the less severe Level 3.
Many on Twitter are accusing the government of easing restrictions as if the nation was at the least severe Level 1, while sharing the following graphic which appears to be from the Mail Online:
At what point before 11pm last night did we hit alert level 1 pic.twitter.com/r7Dcw1Hrhy
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) May 31, 2020
The graphic indicates that “sports events return” and “vulnerable leave home” at Level 1.
An official government graphic representing the Covid-19 alert levels can be seen in this pdf slideshow.
Unlike the Mail Online’s version, it does not specify details around the return of sporting events or easing of restrictions for people who are shielding.
The only action specified at Level 1 is “routine international monitoring”.
However, the action at Level 4 appears to advise that “current social distancing measures and restrictions” are maintained.
An entrepreneur has teamed up with medical experts to design a new protective product for treating coronavirus patients.
The clear one-piece head box developed by Michael Knight shields clinical staff when they are performing procedures that result in patients expelling aerosol spray.
Knight is managing director of County Down company Donite Plastics, which uses specialist heat technology – thermoforming – to mass produce moulded plastics.
For the last six weeks he was been working with innovation experts from Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge to design the box for use when medics are intubating Covid-19 patients or connecting them to ventilators.
As those procedures result in patients expelling spray, they bring with them a high risk of virus transmission.
The inspiration for the project came during a conversation Knight had with a friend, Dr Madalina McCrea, who works as a consultant anaesthetist in Northern Ireland’s Western Trust.
Knight told the PA news agency:
Mada knew I made things from plastic and we were chatting about a device that would sit over a patient’s head, whether in a ward or an intensive care unit which would allow the medical practitioner to work on the patient, but also to protect them and the patient when carrying out procedures.
There were pictures on the internet of very simple square acrylic boxes being used for this purpose in Taiwan during the height of their Covid-19 epidemic.
Knight’s daughter Sarah then put him in touch with a former colleague, Maighread Ireland, who is part of the clinical engineering innovation team at Addenbrooke’s.
He said:
By coincidence, it turned out that Maighread had already been tasked by Addenbrooke’s to investigate these head box devices.
It made perfect sense then, that they would collaborate to develop a more sophisticated product suitable for use in the UK.
The relaxing of lockdown measures for the 2.2 million extremely vulnerable people shielding in England lacks “obvious rationale other than to add to an ongoing ‘good news’ narrative that appears to have little grounding in reality,” an expert has said.
Dr Stephen Griffin, associate professor at the University of Leeds’ School of Medicine, has said that there appears to be a lack of a “clear explanation” as to why the government is easing lockdown measures in England under the current circumstances.
He said:
As we have heard from Prof Van Tam, members of SAGE and its unofficial counterpart, and numerous other members of the scientific community, the daily case incidence, death rate and R0 in the UK does not represent a controlled, safe scenario.
Test, track and isolate protocols are still being established and are largely untested on the scale necessary to ensure a safe route out of lockdown.
Moreover, other relaxation measures recently announced mean that those venturing out will likely face difficulties in ensuring social distancing.
What appears lacking from this, as well as other relaxation measures announced recently, is a clear explanation of precisely why it is felt that the situation justifies such actions.
He added:
We must also consider the effects that this announcement might have upon those currently shielding.
How, without a clear rationale, are shielders supposed to judge whether it is indeed safe for them to alter their behaviour?
The perception for many will be that it is safe, but this can also apply considerable emotional pressure to those most vulnerable to either comply, or to repeatedly have to justify why they might not feel comfortable now seeing loved ones or leaving the relative safety of their homes.
Furthermore, should measures be further relaxed, shielders may experience difficulties relating to the workplace or childcare that were previously covered by simple criteria.
It is imperative that the sacrifices made during lockdown are not undone by relaxing measures in haste.
Clear guidelines in terms of why risks are now different are essential to provide the UK population with the tools to decide for themselves when it is safe.
Coronavirus test and trace system ‘creating false sense of security’
Ministers have been accused of creating a “false sense of security” by launching a test and trace system that is not yet capable of controlling local outbreaks.
A series of concerns have been raised over the gaps in the system launched last week, with local health chiefs warning that they have not been given the time, powers or data to prepare for outbreaks in their area. They said that they were given details of their roles just four working days before Matt Hancock, the health secretary, launched test and trace last week.
My colleagues Michael Savage, James Tapper and Sonia Sodha have the full report:
The easing of lockdown might have to be done more subtly in different parts of the country which have experienced the virus to different levels, according government adviser professor Peter Openshaw of Imperial College.
He said it will be around two or three weeks before the effects of the latest easing of restrictions is known.
He told the Andrew Marr show:
It’s going to be very patchy, it may be that actually easing lockdown is perfectly OK in areas like London which were hit early and hit hard, and where the epidemic seems to have been virtually passed in many parts of the community, with a few exceptions.
But up north it’s still a very large number of cases. I think we need to be more subtle about the geography and we need to look at the particular areas where it may be appropriate to ease lockdown.
He added:
Maybe there needs to be a bit more subtlety to the way in which lockdown is eased.
MPs furious about forced return of ‘physical voting’ to Commons
Older members of parliament and those with health conditions will be “disenfranchised” and put at risk of contracting Covid-19 if they are forced back to the House of Commons for debates and votes this week, senior MPs have warned.
A furious argument has broken out between backbench MPs of all parties and the government over plans which, if passed, will end all remote voting from this week and mean members have to attend in person. Parliament is resuming on Tuesday with the row still unresolved.
Toby Helm has the full report:
Labour’s shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds has said that it was “absolutely right” for her fellow cabinet member Rosie Duffield to resign for breaching lockdown rules.
Duffield, MP for Canterbury and former Labour whip, apologised after it was revealed that she met her partner for a long walk in April while the pair were living separately, in breach of lockdown restrictions.
“It’s absolutely correct she has taken responsibility for that and she has resigned,” Dodds told the Andrew Marr show.
Scientific adviser says some asked to shield may not be as vulnerable as previously thought
Government scientific adviser professor Peter Openshaw, of Imperial College, has told BBC’s Andrew Marr that some of the people asked to shield from Covid-19 may not be as vulnerable as previously thought.
Openshaw said that “huge studies” appear to have revealed that people who have recovered from cancer five years ago and are now well are “relatively” safe from the virus.
He added that the same goes for people with asthma, unless they are on oral steroids.
“I think we are going to be able to fine tune the guidance now. I think that is really good news,” he said.
His comments come as the government plans to set out full guidance on how the 2.2 million extremely vulnerable people shielding from coronavirus can safely venture out for the first time in months from Monday.
Updated
Raab has told Sophy Ridge he is not sure when he became aware of Dominic Cummings’ trip to Durham.
“When the story broke was when I first became aware of the detail of it,” he said.
Raab was acting prime minister at the time of Cummings’ trip after Boris Johnson became infected with coronavirus and was admitted to hospital.
“I just knew [Cummings] was out of action because he had come down with coronavirus,” Raab said.
He added that he did not enquire into Cummings’ personal circumstances at the time.
Updated
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has told Sophy Ridge that the government is moving to step two of its roadmap to ease the lockdown as the UK transitions from Level Four to Level Three of the Covid Alert System.
“We’re making progress. Obviously this is a sensitive moment but we can’t just stay in lockdown forever,” he said.
Ridge presses Raab on why the government is easing lockdown restrictions before it has reached Level Three. The official advice at Level Four is to maintain current lockdown measures, she said.
Raab said: “The reason we are taking the steps that we are taking tomorrow … is precisely not just because the R level is down below one but also because we’re making the progress on the data.”
Ridge asks Devi Sridhar, professor and chairwoman of global public health at Edinburgh University Medical School, whether it is inevitable that we will see an increase in Covid-19 cases as the lockdown eases.
“I am very sorry to say that I think it is inevitable looking at the numbers,” Sridhar said.
She said that the “only thing that might save England is the good weather and the warmth” if indeed the virus dies more quickly outside.
She added: “The numbers are not low enough to have a testing and tracing system take over.”
Updated
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, has told Sophy Ridge that she supports calls to delay the reopening of schools in England until June 15.
Primary schools in England are due to reopen to some pupils from Monday.
The “Independent Sage” group has advised that keeping lockdown measures in place for another two weeks will mean the rate of infection in children will have “passed”, Bousted said.
Labour’s shadow communities secretary Steve Reed tells Sophy Ridge that there needs to be a set of “clear national standards” to help schools decide at a local level whether it is safe for them to reopen.
Reid would not be drawn on what the cut off of point for closing or opening school should be.
“That’s a decision that should be taken locally, it’s not up to me,” he said.
Updated
Sky News’ Sophy Ridge asks Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon about the nation’s higher death rate within care homes compared to England between March 16 and May 24.
“Every single death from this virus is a matter of deep personal regret for me,” Sturgeon said.
Addressing the higher death rate in care homes Sturgeon said she does not “believe that that is the case”.
She said that more deaths in care homes in Scotland have been attributed to Covid and believes it is a question of “underreporting” in England.
Lockdown eased for 2.2m people 'shielding' in England from Monday
The government is to set out full guidance on how the 2.2 million extremely vulnerable people shielding from coronavirus can safely venture out for the first time in months from Monday, PA media reports.
Boris Johnson praised their resilience as he said those shielding from Covid-19 in England will be able to spend time with other people outdoors.
Communities secretary Robert Jenrick said the full guidance will be revealed on Sunday, as charities called for the scientific evidence behind the decision to be made clear and urged more help.
Those considered extremely vulnerable will be able to go outside with members of their household from Monday, while continuing to follow social distancing guidelines.
And those who live alone can meet outside with one other person from another household.
Reviews of the shielding guidance are expected to be made at regular points in the coming weeks.
Johnson said:
We have been looking at how we can make life easier for our most vulnerable, so today I am happy to confirm that those who are shielding will be able to spend time outside with someone else, observing social distance guidelines.
I will do what I can, in line with the scientific advice, to continue making life easier for you over the coming weeks and months.
Jenrick said:
Incidence rates of coronavirus are now significantly lower than before these measures were put in place.
That’s why we are focused on finding the right balance between continuing to protect those at the greatest clinical risk, whilst easing restrictions on their daily lives to make the difficult situation more bearable - particularly enabling the contact with loved ones they and we all seek.
We will now be providing regular updates to the shielded to guide them through the next phase and, we hope, to better and less restrictive times. In the meantime we will continue to provide the support that the shielded in our communities need.
Steven McIntosh, director of policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, said the decision was “a step forward” for a group who “have felt left behind and forgotten” as lockdown is eased for others in England.
He said:
For many, it’ll be welcome advice that they can now choose to go outside for exercise or to meet people whilst socially distancing.
But they still face heavy restrictions like being advised to avoid food shopping, going to pharmacies or their workplaces.
The Government also hasn’t yet delivered its commitment to provide greater help to this extremely vulnerable group, and Macmillan has heard from people living with cancer that existing ‘shielding’ support isn’t getting through.
So the Government must now set out how they will guarantee the needs of the most vulnerable and isolated are met.
And Phil Anderson, head of policy at the MS Society, said people would want to hear the scientific evidence behind the decision.
He said:
Over 130,000 people live with MS in the UK and thousands of them have been left feeling forgotten after months of shielding. While for some it may be a relief that this relaxation is happening in England others have been left feeling confused. We’re extremely concerned this news has come out of the blue - people who are extremely vulnerable will rightly want to hear a lot more about the scientific evidence showing this will be safe for them.
If the government is serious about supporting vulnerable people who are shielding they need more than just the ability to go outside. Crucially, we want to see better mental health support for everyone who needs it.
Good morning and welcome to the Guardians’ UK liveblog on the coronavirus pandemic. This is Aaron Walawalkar in London to steer you through the news.
Leading our site this morning is Robin McKie, Toby Helm and Michael Savage’s report on the fears of Britain’s top public health leaders and scientists that trust in government has been shattered by the Dominic Cummings affair, posing a real danger to life when lockdown measures are lifted on Monday.
In a letter sent to No 10 on Friday, 26 senior UK academics and health administrators warn that public faith in the government is essential if the Covid-19 crisis is to be tackled effectively.
The Sunday morning political shows are due to begin shortly.
Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday will be joined by foreign secretary Dominic Raab, foreign affairs committee chairman Tom Tugendhat and Devi Sridhar, professor & chairwoman of global public health at Edinburgh University Medical School.
The Andrew Marr Show will feature shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds, first minister of Northern Ireland Arlene Foster and government scientific adviser professor Peter Openshaw of Imperial College.
Please do to get in touch with me to share news tips or suggestions about our future coverage. We hugely value your contributions. You contact me via DM on Twitter @AaronWala.
