When Boris Johnson makes an announcement it is always advisable to check the small print.
The Prime Minister yesterday pledged to have a “world-beating” track-and-trace system for Covid-19 in place by the end of the month.
We have repeatedly seen ministers make ambitious promises then fail to deliver on them - we hope this will not be the case with contact tracing.
There is a substantial and essential difference between having a system in place by June 1 and it being fully operational.
Ministers need to come clean on whether the programme will be up and running in all parts of the country by this deadline and whether the army of 25,000 tracers is sufficient.
Track-and-tracing is key to containing the virus and allowing the further lifting of the lockdown.
Which is why it is all the more scandalous that it has only been resuscitated now after being abandoned on March 12.
Once again we see the Government playing catch-up as a result of its earlier misjudgments. It was too slow to provide protective kit, too slow to test for Covid and too slow to protect care home residents from the virus.
It is not a pattern to be proud of.
Value them
The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the charity sector.
The economic downturn and the cancellation of fundraising events have left voluntary organisations desperately short of funds.
One is Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, which has had to close two of its bases.
The country’s 200 hospices provide essential care for people who are terminally ill or have life-limiting conditions. Yet they rely on voluntary donations for two-thirds of their income.
We should value their good work.
Job’s a good’n
Camelot's Andy Carter travels around the country checking tickets and handing out the winning cheques.
You could say he’s won the lottery when it comes to the best job in the world.
