Prime Minister’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 9 November 2020
Across the country and around the world this evening, people are asking one question about our fight against Covid. Does the news of progress towards a vaccine that’s been announced today mean we are at the beginning of the end of our troubles?
So, let me set out our assessment.
The Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine has been tested on over 40,000 volunteers and interim results suggest it is proving 90 per cent effective at protecting people against the virus.
But we haven’t yet seen the full safety data, and these findings also need to be peer-reviewed.
So we have cleared one significant hurdle but there are several more to go before we know the vaccine can be used.
What I can say is that if and when this vaccine is approved, we, in this country, will be ready to start using it.
Earlier this year the UK Government ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine – enough for about a third of the population, since you need two doses each.
That puts us towards the front of the international pack on a per capita basis – and I should add we’ve ordered over 300 million doses from 5 other vaccine candidates as well.
If the Pfizer vaccine passes all the rigorous safety checks and is proved to be effective then we will begin a UK-wide NHS led programme of vaccine distribution.
We will decide the order in which people are offered the vaccination taking account of recommendations from a group of scientific experts, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
They’re looking at a range of factors, including the different characteristics of different types of vaccines, to work out the most effective way to protect as many people as possible and save as many lives as we can.
And we will be setting out more detail about that in due course.
But – and you know I am going to say this – I must stress, these are very, very early days.
We have talked for a long time, or I have, about the distant bugle of the scientific cavalry coming over the brow of the hill. And tonight that toot of the bugle is louder. But it is still some way off.
And we absolutely cannot rely on this as a solution.
The biggest mistake we could make now would be to slacken our resolve at such a critical moment.
On Friday, SAGE reported that the R is above 1 in England – though this does not take into account the current national restrictions.
Alas, the death figures are tragically rising, running at an average of over 300 a day – sadly double where they were 24 days ago
The number of Covid patients in hospital has risen from just over 10,000 two weeks ago to nearly 13,000 on 5 November, and we are heading towards the levels of the previous peak.
Irrespective of whether there is a vaccine on the way or not we must continue to do everything possible right now to bring the R down. And that is why we hope and believe that mass testing will help.
Our first pilot began in Liverpool on Friday, in partnership with Liverpool City Council.
We’ve tested thousands of people there but there are still a lot more to do, so please if you are in Liverpool, get yourself along to a testing centre – there are 19 at the moment with more still to come.
The more people get tested the better we can protect that great city, and drive the disease down in Liverpool so do it for your friends, for your relatives, for your community.
And I want to thank the fantastic support of the army, the people of Liverpool and Liverpool City Council.
And we are now going further by sending out hundreds of thousands of rapid lateral flow tests to local authorities right across England – and also of course to the Devolved Administrations.
We’re also working with universities to establish, as soon as possible, similar mass testing capacity for students up and down the country.
But while we are making progress this project is still in its infancy.
And neither mass testing nor progress on vaccines –both vital arrows in our epidemiological quiver, both key parts of our fight against Covid – are at the present time a substitute for the national restrictions, for social distancing, for hand hygiene and all the rest.
So it is all the more important to follow the rules.
I know it’s been a tough first weekend of these Autumn restrictions and I’m especially grateful to the Royal British Legion and all those who worked so hard to ensure that no virus would stop us yesterday from honouring the memory of those who gave their lives for our freedom.
But we must get through this to 2nd December, when these measures expire and we plan to move forward with a tiered approach.
Remember the basics, hands, face, space, and the follow the rules: that is how we can together protect our NHS, save lives and get this virus back in its box.
Chancellor statement to the house – Furlough extension
Statement, as delivered by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in Westminter on 5 November 2020:
Mr Speaker,
On Monday, the Prime Minister set out the action we need to take between now and the start of December to control the spread of coronavirus.
In response, we’re providing significant extra support to protect jobs and livelihoods in every region and nation of the United Kingdom:
An extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme;
More generous support to the self-employed and paying that support more quickly;
Cash grants of up to £3,000 per month for businesses which are closed, worth over £1 billion every month;
£1.6 billion for English councils to support their local economy and local healthcare response;
Longer to apply for our loan schemes and the Future Fund;
The chance to top-up Bounce Back Loans;
And an extension to the mortgage payment holidays.
All on top of more than £200 billion of fiscal support since March.
This statement follows the Bank of England’s monetary policy decisions earlier today, meaning all economic and monetary institutions are playing their part.
As you would expect, the Governor and I are in constant communication as the situation evolves.
Our responses are carefully designed to complement each other and provide certainty and support to people and businesses across the UK. The Bank’s forecasts this morning show economic activity is supported by our substantial fiscal and monetary policy action.
And the IMF just last week described the UK’s economic plan as “aggressive”, “unprecedented”, successful in “holding down” unemployment and business failures and “one of the best examples of coordinated action globally”.
Mr Speaker,
Our highest priority remains the same: to protect jobs and livelihoods.
That’s why we’ve already decided to extend the Job Retention Scheme to December.
But people and businesses will want to know what comes next; how long we plan to keep the scheme open, and on what terms.
They want certainty.
The government’s intention is for the new health restrictions to remain only until the start of December.
But, as we saw from the first lockdown, the economic effects are much longer lasting for businesses and areas than the duration of any restrictions.
And as the Bank of England have said this morning, “the economic recovery has slowed”, and the economic risks are “skewed to the downside”.
Given this significant uncertainty, a worsening economic backdrop, and the need to give people and businesses security through the winter, I believe it is right to go further.
So we can announce today that the furlough scheme will not be extended for one month – it will be extended until the end of March. The government will continue to help pay people’s wages, up to 80% of the normal amount.
All employers will have to pay for hours not worked is the cost of Employer NICs and pension contributions.
We’ll review the policy in January to decide whether economic circumstances are improving enough to ask employers to contribute more.
Of course, as the furlough itself is now being extended to the end of March, the original purpose of the Job Retention Bonus to incentivise employers to keep people in work until the end of January – obviously falls away.
Instead, we will redeploy a retention incentive at the appropriate time.
And for self-employed people, I can confirm the next income support grant which covers the period November to January, will now increase to 80% of average profits, up to £7,500.
Mr Speaker,
I also want to reassure the people of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The furlough scheme was designed and delivered by the Government of the United Kingdom on behalf of all the people of the United Kingdom – wherever they live.
That has been the case since March; it is the case now; and will remain the case until next March.
It is a demonstration of the strength of the Union – and an undeniable truth of this crisis – we have only been able to provide this level of economic support because we are a United Kingdom.
And I can announce today that the upfront guaranteed funding for the devolved administrations is increasing from £14 billion to £16 billion. This Treasury is, has been, and will always be, the Treasury for the whole of the United Kingdom.
Mr Speaker,
I know that people watching at home will have been frustrated by the changes the government has brought in during the past few weeks. I have had to make rapid adjustments to our economic plans as the spread of the virus has accelerated.
So I’d like to take this opportunity to explain how and why this has happened.
During the summer, as we began slowly unlocking it was our hope the country would continue to be economically open, albeit with local restrictions being put in place as and when needed.
We knew there would likely be a resurgence in the spread of the virus, but with increased NHS capacity and Test and Trace, our belief was we would be able to stay ahead of the virus.
On this basis we designed an economic approach which continued providing wage support to people, incentivised businesses to retain staff beyond the end of the furlough scheme and created new job creation and training schemes, such as Kickstart.
All built to support an economy that was broadly open but operating with restrictions and overall lower demand.
At the time this approach was not Government acting alone. Our proposals secured wide ranging support, from the TUC to the CBI.
It was their hope, as it was ours, that the public health situation would allow us to keep businesses and workplaces open.
The virus however, continued to spread. Localised restrictions were having an impact, and so we intensified this approach and added further areas.
As these restrictions intensified, the economic impact, particularly on industries such as the hospitality sector, was significant.
So in response, we altered our approach to wage support, making it much more generous to employers and in turn protecting jobs.
We also introduced a range of grants to businesses, whether open or closed, to help them meet their fixed costs.
And additional funding for local authorities to respond to specific local economic challenges.
But again, the virus continued to spread, but more quickly.
And so we arrive at last week, when the government’s scientific and medical advisers presented data which showed that R is greater than 1 in all parts of the UK, that the NHS was at risk of being overwhelmed in a matter of weeks and the likely resultant loss of life that would accompany such an event.
The only viable solution left to protect our NHS was the re-imposition of temporary significant enhanced restrictions in England, in addition to those in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
And so, given these changed public health restrictions and the economic trauma they would cause in job losses and business closures I felt it best to extend the furlough scheme, rather than transition at that precise moment to the new Job Support Scheme.
Now political opponents have chosen to attack the government for trying to keep the economy functioning and to make sure the support we provide encourages people to keep working.
And they will now, no doubt, criticise the government on the basis we have had to change our approach.
But to anyone in the real world, that’s just the thing that you have to do when circumstances change.
We all hope for the best, but make sure we plan for any eventuality.
We can reintroduce the furlough now only because we kept the system on which it is based operational, because there was always the possibility that we would be back in this situation.
I’ll leave it to the people of this country to decide whether they believe the Government is trying its best to support people through an unprecedented crisis.
To decide whether it is a good or bad thing to alter our economic plans as the health restrictions we face change.
What I know is that the support we are providing will protect millions of jobs.
What I know is that it is never wrong to convey confidence in this country and our economy through our words and action.
And what I know is today’s announcement will give people and businesses up and down our country immense comfort over what will be a difficult winter.
And I commend this Statement to the House.
PM Boris Johnson later gave a statement at the coronavirus press conference:
Good evening everyone,
Across the whole United Kingdom, people are engaged in a huge joint effort to put the coronavirus back in its box. Throughout the pandemic, this government has done whatever it takes to protect lives and livelihoods – in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
We have put in place an unprecedented package of economic support, protecting the wages and jobs of millions of people.
We have built the largest testing capacity in Europe, with 32 million tests conducted so far and over half a million tests now available every day across the UK.
We have ensured that, as we head into winter, the NHS has at its disposal over 30,000 ventilators and billions of items of Personal Protective Equipment, most of it now manufactured here in the UK.
Across the whole of the UK, we have a shared goal – to suppress the virus, ensure the NHS is not overwhelmed, and in doing so to save lives.
The UK Government and the devolved administrations are working together on a joint approach to the Christmas period, because all of us want to ensure families can come together wherever they live.
The challenges we face are significant across the U.K.
The average number of new cases each day is now 22,398, that’s up from 9,716 a month earlier.
There are now 12,320 patients in hospital, up from 2,602 a month earlier.
1,142 patients are now in mechanical ventilation beds, up from 369 a month earlier.
Sadly 492 deaths were reported yesterday. The weekly average number of deaths each day is now 295, up from 53 a month earlier.
That’s why new restrictions are in place in each part of the UK.
In England, from today, we are once again asking you to stay at home.
As I explained on Saturday you can only leave home for specific reasons: for work if you can’t work from home, for education, and for essential activities and emergencies.
The full rules, all of the details, are available at gov.uk/coronavirus and on the NHS Covid-19 app – please log on to see what you can and can’t do.
I know how tough this is:
For staff in the NHS and care homes, who are facing a tough winter on the frontline.
For families, who can’t meet in the way they would want to.
For businesses, forced to shut just as you are getting back on their feet.
I know many of you are anxious, weary and quite frankly fed up with the very mention of this virus
But I want to assure you this is not a repeat of the spring.
Schools, universities and nurseries are all staying open.
And these measures though they are tough are time-limited.
The advice I have received suggests that four weeks is enough for these measures to make a real impact.
So these rules will expire, and on 2 December we plan to move back to a tiered approach.
There is light at the end of the tunnel.
We have better treatments and techniques to take care of those in hospital, thanks largely to the ingenuity of British scientists.
Rapid testing is being rolled out on a massive scale – with city-wide testing starting tomorrow in Liverpool.
I am hugely grateful to the people of Liverpool for their participation in this pilot. I hope that by working together, we can get that great city on top of the virus.
More broadly, there is also the very real chance of safe and effective vaccines.
So taking those things together, these scientific advances can show us the way ahead.
And in the meantime, the government will continue to support people affected by these new restrictions.
As you know, we have protected almost 10 million jobs through furlough, and as the Chancellor announced earlier today, we are now extending the scheme through to March.
We are also extending our support for the self-employed, so that the next payment increases to 80 per cent of average profits.
We’re providing cash grants for businesses who are closed, worth more than £1 billion every month.
We are giving £1.1 billion to Local Authorities in England to support businesses.
And a further £2 billion of funding is guaranteed for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
As we face these challenges together, we must look after those in most need.
As of September we have helped over 29,000 rough sleepers off the streets, two thirds of whom are now in settled accommodation.
Today we’re announcing a further £15 million to help councils offer safe accommodation for people who are sleeping rough or at risk of becoming homeless. This programme will help areas that need additional support most during the restrictions and throughout the winter.
These are difficult times.
And while it pains me to have to ask once again for so many to give up so much, I know that, together, we can get through this.
So please, for the next four weeks, stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.
The Prime Minister yesterday set out how the UK government will further simplify and standardise local rules by introducing a three tiered system of local COVID Alert Levels in England.
Addressing MPs before hosting a Downing Street press conference, he confirmed the levels will be set at medium, high, and very high.
He set out how this new approach will be simpler and standardised, and thanked local leaders who have engaged with the government over the weekend.
The “medium” alert level – which will cover most of the country – will consist of the current national measures, which came into force on 25 September.
This includes the Rule of Six, and the closure of hospitality at 10pm.
The “high” alert level will reflect many current local interventions, but there will now be consistency across the country.
This primarily aims to reduce household to household transmission by preventing all mixing between households or support bubbles indoors. The Rule of Six will apply in outdoor spaces, including private gardens.
Most areas which are already subject to local restrictions will automatically move into the “high” alert level.
The “very high” alert level will apply where transmission rates are causing the greatest concern, based on an assessment of all the available data and the local situation.
This includes incidence and test positivity, including amongst older and more at-risk age groups, as well as the growth rate, hospital admissions and other factors.
In these areas, the government will set a baseline of prohibiting social mixing indoors and in private gardens, with the Rule of Six allowed in open public spaces like parks and beaches.
Pubs and bars must close, and can only remain open where they operate as if they were a restaurant – which means serving substantial meals, like a main lunchtime or evening meal. They may only serve alcohol as part of such a meal.
People will be advised not to travel in and out of these areas.
To create local consensus behind this more severe action, the government will work with local leaders on how individual areas should go beyond this baseline, which may include measures such as the closure of gyms, casinos, and leisure centres.
Non-essential retail, schools and universities will remain open in all levels.
Cases are rising rapidly across the country, particularly in the North East and North West, and this is resulting in increased hospitalisations and deaths.
The Prime Minster said that further action is required now to suppress the virus and make sure the NHS isn’t overwhelmed, and can continue providing essential services such as cancer care.
This follows significant local engagement throughout the weekend.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister spoke to Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, following detailed discussions over the last few days between all the region’s leaders, Chief Executives and senior government figures.
They discussed the huge challenge from rising numbers of COVID cases in the region and pledged to work together on combatting the virus.
Senior No 10 advisers and the Housing Communities and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick also held discussions with local authority leaders and mayors from the highest areas of concern.
As the Prime Minister said, in recent months, local outbreaks have been tackled with targeted restrictions – helping save lives and avoiding the need to apply those measures nationally.
However, over time this has led to different rules in different parts of the country, with some rules becoming increasingly complex and difficult to enforce.
A postcode checker on gov.uk will show which alert level applies in each area and the NHS COVID-19 app will also direct people to this information.
Regulations for all three local alert levels were laid yesterday (Monday) and they will be debated and voted on in the House of Commons today (Tuesday). Subject to that vote, they will come into force on Wednesday, subject to the approval of Parliament.
These measures will be kept under constant review, including a four-week sunset clause for interventions in “very high” areas.
The PM also confirmed that the government will also provide Local Authorities across England with around £1 billion of new financial support.
He also said that engagement with other leaders in the North West, the North East and Yorkshire & Humber is continuing.
The PM also called on local leaders in the areas rated very high to work with the government on these measures, in return for more support for local test and trace, more funding for local enforcement, the offer of help from the armed services, and the job support scheme as announced by the Chancellor.
PM Boris Johnson made a statement at the coronavirus press conference:
Good evening everyone.
We are entering a new and crucial phase of our fight against Coronavirus.
Because the number of cases has gone up four times in four weeks and it is once again spreading among the elderly and vulnerable.
There are already more Covid patients in UK hospitals today than there were on 23 March when the whole country went into lockdown and deaths, alas, are also rising once again.
These figures are flashing at us like dashboard warnings in a passenger jet. And we must act now.
So we are giving local authorities across England around a billion pounds so they can protect vital services as they fight the virus.
Nightingale Hospitals across the North of England are being prepared for service.
And so we can squash this virus wherever it appears we are today simplifying, standardising and in some places toughening local rules in England by introducing three levels of Covid Alert.
Medium, with existing national measures such as the Rule of Six and the closure of hospitality at 10pm.
High, with extra measures including a ban on indoor social mixing between households or support bubbles.
And Very High, for places where, without further action, the NHS will swiftly be under intolerable pressure.
Areas within the Very High Alert category will be reviewed every four weeks and nowhere will be shut down indefinitely. And the exact restrictions at this level, Very High, will be worked out with local leaders, along with tailored packages of support.
But at a minimum they will, sadly, include a ban on all social mixing between households in private places, including gardens
and pubs and bars must close unless they can operate solely as a restaurant, serving alcohol only as part of a main meal.
We will also ask people not to travel into and out of Very High alert level areas.
Nobody affected by this will be left to fend for themselves.
And we will expand our unprecedented economic support to assist those affected by these decisions, extending our Job Support Scheme to cover two-thirds of the wages of those in any business that is required to close, and providing those businesses with a cash grant of up to £3,000 a month, instead of £1500 every three weeks, and extra funding too for those in the Very High category for local test and trace and enforcement.
You will shortly be able to type in your postcode into Gov.UK and see exactly what restrictions apply where you live.
The majority of the country will, for now, be at medium.
Most areas currently under local intervention will be at High, and Nottinghamshire, including Nottingham itself, East and West Cheshire and a small area of High Peak will also move to this level.
Over the weekend we have been working with local leaders in areas where the data are most worrying.
And from Wednesday, local authorities in the Liverpool City Region will move to the Very High alert level.
In addition to pubs and bars we have agreed with Liverpool City mayor Steve Rotheram that gyms, leisure centres, betting shops, adult gaming centres and casinos will close.
We are still working with other local leaders to determine how best to tackle the resurgence of the virus in their areas. But tackle it we will.
No one, least of all me, wants to impose these kinds of erosions of our personal liberty, but I am as convinced as I have ever been that the British people have the resolve to beat this virus and that, together, we will do just that.
With that I’ll hand over to the Chancellor, who has some more details on how we’ll be supporting these businesses, employees and areas affected by today’s changes …
Full details on what the COVID Alert Levels contain are set out below:
Local COVID Alert Level – Medium
This is for areas where national restrictions continue to be in place. This means:
All businesses and venues can continue to operate, in a COVID-Secure manner, other than those that remain closed in law, such as nightclubs.
Certain businesses selling food or drink on their premises are required to close between 10pm and 5am.
Businesses and venues selling food for consumption off the premises can continue to do so after 10pm as long as this is through delivery service, click-and-collect or drive-thru.
Schools, universities and places of worship remain open
Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of attendees
Organised indoor sport and exercise classes can continue to take place, provided the Rule of Six is followed
People must not meet in groups larger than 6, indoors or outdoors
Local COVID Alert Level – High
This is for areas with a higher level of infections. This means the following additional measures are in place:
People must not meet with anybody outside their household or support bubble in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place
People must not meet in a group of more than 6 outside, including in a garden or other space.
People should aim to reduce the number of journeys they make where possible. If they need to travel, they should walk or cycle where possible, or to plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes on public transport.
Local COVID Alert Level – Very High
This is for areas with a very high level of infections. The Government will set a baseline of measures for any area in this local alert level. Consultation with local authorities will determine additional measures.
The baseline means the below additional measures are in place:
Pubs and bars must close, and can only remain open where they operate as if they were a restaurant – which means serving substantial meals, like a main lunchtime or evening meal. They may only serve alcohol as part of such a meal.
Wedding receptions are not allowed
People must not meet with anybody outside their household or support bubble in any indoor or outdoor setting, whether at home or in a public space. The Rule of Six applies in open public spaces like parks and beaches.
People should try to avoid travelling outside the ‘Very High’ area they are in, or entering a ‘Very High’ area, other than for things like work, education, accessing youth services, to meet caring responsibilities or if they are in transit.
People should avoid staying overnight in another part of the UK if they are resident in a ‘Very High’ area, or avoid staying overnight in a ‘Very High’ area if they are resident elsewhere.
Local COVID Alert Level – Very High:
Liverpool City Region
Liverpool
Knowsley
Wirral
St Helens
Sefton
Halton
Scotland is likely to adopt it’s own version of the ‘three tier’ strategy when the current ‘circuit breaker’ ends later this month, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.
She told yesterday’s press briefing: “We intend to develop our own tiering framework and take that to Parliament after the October recess and of course, that will coincide with the ending of the temporary reset restrictions announced last week.
“At a strategic level, we will be looking to align as closely as possible with the other UK nations. I think it is important and it makes sense to try to do that, though, I would stress, that operational decisions about which tiers might apply in which parts of our nations will be for each of us to take at a devolved level.
“The publication of a new framework will be a key step to guide us through the next phase of the pandemic. But it’s by no means the only step we will be taking over the next couple of weeks.
“What we want to do is ensure that these temporary restrictions don’t simply slow or reverse the increase in cases for a while, although that is clearly important, before things return to normal or as they were before these restrictions afterwards.
“What we want to do is use the two weeks to secure a longer term benefit and greater resilience as we know we will be living with this virus for some time yet to come.
“So, for example, as I indicated last week, later this week we will introduce regulations to extend the mandatory use of face coverings in indoor communal settings, for example, staff canteens and corridors in workplaces.
“We are also going to be taking action to strengthen compliance with the different strands of the FACTS advice. That will focus particularly on self-isolation because that is so essential to reducing and preventing transmission, but it also an area where we know, for understandable reasons, that compliance is not yet as high as we need it to be.
“We are also talking to different sectors of the economy, including hospitality and retail, to help them ensure that they can operate even more safely in future. For example, we have already asked shops to return to two metre physical distancing, and to reintroduce other measures, such as one way systems, that they had place earlier on in the pandemic.
“And finally, as I said last week in parliament, we are reviewing, again, our testing strategy. As we continue to expand our testing capacity, we are looking at the basis on which we would test more people including groups of people who do not have symptoms but who may, if the virus is not detected help to generate, or risk, community transmission, or transmission where people are vulnerable.
“So we will be working hard over the next two weeks, to further improve how we control the pandemic, while living as freely as possible for individuals and businesses, and we will be seeking to ensure that as we exit the reset restrictions two weeks from now, we do that on a more resilient footing.”
Coronavirus crisis: Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s statement to the House of Commons
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will make a statement on our response to the rising number of Coronavirus cases and how we must act now to avoid still graver consequences later on.
At every stage in this pandemic we have struck a delicate balance between saving lives by protecting our NHS and minimising the wider impact of our restrictions.
And it is because of the common sense and fortitude of the British people that earlier this year we were able to avert an even worse catastrophe, forming a human shield around our NHS, and then by getting our country moving again by reopening key sectors of our economy and returning children to school.
But we always knew that while we might have driven the virus into retreat, the prospect of a second wave was real. And I am sorry to say that – as in Spain and France and many other countries – we have reached a perilous turning point.
A month ago, on average around a thousand people across the UK were testing positive for Coronavirus every day. The latest figure has almost quadrupled to 3,929.
Yesterday the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser warned that the doubling rate for new cases could be between seven and 20 days with the possibility of tens of thousands of new infections next month.
I wish I could reassure the House that the growing number of cases is merely a function of more testing, but a rising proportion of the tests themselves are yielding a positive result.
I also wish I could say that more of our people now have the antibodies to keep the virus off, but the latest data suggest that fewer than 8 per cent of us are in this position.
It is true that the number of new cases is growing fastest amongst those aged 20-29, but the evidence shows that the virus is spreading to other more vulnerable age groups, as we have seen in France and Spain where this has led to increased hospital admissions and, sadly, more deaths.
In the last fortnight, daily hospital admissions in England have more than doubled.
Tens of thousands of daily infections in October would, as night follows day, lead to hundreds of daily deaths in November and those numbers would continue to grow unless we act.
And as with all respiratory viruses, Covid is likely to spread faster as autumn becomes winter.
Yesterday, on the advice of the four Chief Medical Officers, the UK’s Covid alert level was raised from 3 to 4, the second most serious stage, meaning that transmission is high or rising exponentially.
So this is the moment when we must act.
If we can curb the number of daily infections, and reduce the Reproduction rate to 1, then we can save lives, protect the NHS, and the most vulnerable, and shelter the economy from the far sterner and more costly measures that would inevitably become necessary later.
So we are acting on the principle that a stitch in time saves nine.
The Government will introduce new restrictions in England, carefully judged to achieve the maximum reduction in the R number with the minimum damage to lives and livelihoods.
I want to stress that this is by no means a return to the full lockdown of March. We are not issuing a general instruction to stay at home.
We will ensure that schools, colleges and universities stay open – because nothing is more important than the education, health and well-being of our young people.
We will ensure that businesses can stay open in a Covid-compliant way.
However, we must take action to suppress the disease.
First, we are once again asking office workers who can work from home to do so.
In key public services – and in all professions where homeworking is not possible, such as construction or retail – people should continue to attend their workplaces.
And like Government, this House will be free to take forward its business in a Covid-secure way which you, Mr Speaker, have pioneered.
Second, from Thursday all pubs, bars and restaurants must operate table-service only, Mr Speaker, except for takeaways.
Together with all hospitality venues, they must close at 10pm.
To help the police to enforce this rule, I am afraid that means alas closing, and not just calling for last orders. Simplicity is paramount.
The same will apply to takeaways – though deliveries can continue thereafter.
I am sorry this will hurt many businesses just getting back on their feet, but we must act to stop the virus from being transmitted in bars and restaurants.
Third, we will extend the requirement to wear face coverings to include staff in retail, all users of taxis and private hire vehicles, and staff and customers in indoor hospitality, except when seated at a table to eat or drink.
Fourth, in retail, leisure, tourism and other sectors, our Covid-secure guidelines will become legal obligations.
Businesses will be fined and could be closed if they breach these rules.
Fifth, now is the time to tighten up the rule of six. I’m afraid that from Monday, a maximum of 15 people will be able to attend wedding ceremonies and receptions.
Though, up to 30 can still attend a funeral as now.
We will also have to extend the rule of six to all adult indoor team sports.
Finally, we have to acknowledge that the spread of the virus is now affecting our ability to reopen business conferences, exhibitions and large sporting events so we will not be able to do this from 1 October.
And I recognise the implications for our sports clubs, which are the life and soul of our communities, and my RH Friends the Chancellor and Culture Secretary are working urgently on what we can do now to support them.
Mr Speaker, these rules measures will only work if people comply.There is nothing more frustrating for the vast majority, the law-abiding majority that do comply than the sight of a few brazenly defying the rules.
So these rules will be enforced by tighter penalties.
We have already introduced a fine of up to £10,000 for those who fail to self-isolate and such fines will now be applied to businesses breaking Covid rules.
The penalty for failing to wear a mask or breaking the rule of six will now double to £200 for a first offence.
We will provide the police and local authorities with the extra funding they need, a greater police presence on our streets, and the option to draw on military support where required to free up the police.
The measures I have announced all apply in England and the Devolved Administrations are taking similar steps.
I spoke yesterday with each of the First Ministers and again today and I thank them for their collaboration:
the health of everyone in these islands depends on our common success.
Already about 13 million people across England are living under various local restrictions, over and above national measures.
We will continue to act against local flare-ups, working alongside councils and strengthening measures where necessary. And I want to speak directly to those who were shielding early in the pandemic and may be anxious about being at greater risk. Following advice from our senior clinicians, our guidance continues to be that you do not need to shield – except in local lockdown areas – and we will keep this under constant review.
I must emphasise that if all our actions fail to bring the R below 1, then we reserve the right to deploy greater firepower, with significantly greater restrictions.
I fervently want to avoid taking this step, as do the Devolved Administrations, but we will only be able to avoid it if our new measures work and our behaviour changes.
Mr Speaker, we will spare no effort in developing vaccines, treatments and new forms of mass-testing but unless we palpably make progress, we should assume that the restrictions I have announced will remain in place for perhaps six months.
For the time being, this virus is a fact of our lives and I must tell the House and the country that our fight against it will continue.
We will not listen to those who say let the virus rip; nor to those who urge a permanent lockdown; we are taking decisive and appropriate steps to balance saving lives with protecting jobs and livelihoods.
I know all of this will have profound consequences for our constituents, so the government will give the House every opportunity to scrutinise our decisions.
In addition to regular statements and debates, Hon Members will be able to question the government’s scientific advisers more regularly, gain access to data about their constituencies, your constituencies and join daily calls with my RH Friend the Paymaster General.
After six months of restrictions, it would be tempting to hope that the threat has faded, and seek comfort in the belief that if you have avoided the virus so far then you are somehow immune.
I have to say that it is that kind of complacency that could be our undoing.
If we fail to act together now we will not only place others at risk but jeopardise our own futures with the more drastic action that we would inevitably be forced to take.
Mr Speaker, no British government would wish to stifle our freedoms in the ways that we have found necessary this year. Yet even now we can draw some comfort from the fact that schools and universities and places of worship are staying open, shops can serve their customers, construction workers can go to building sites, and the vast majority of the UK economy can continue moving forwards.
We are also, Mr Speaker, better prepared for a second wave, with the ventilators, the PPE, the dexamethasone, the Nightingale Hospitals, and a hundred times as much testing.
So now it falls to each of us and every one of us to remember the basics – wash our hands, cover our faces, observe social distancing – and follow the rules.
Then we can fight back against this virus, shelter our economy from even greater damage, protect the most vulnerable in care homes and hospitals, safeguard our NHS and save many more lives.
And I commend this statement to the House.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will address the Holyrood Pariament at 2:15pm.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will address the nation on television tonight at 8:00pm
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will then address Scotland on television at 8:10pm.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a statement on coronavirus this morning:
Good morning,
In the two weeks since I last addressed you from this podium, I am pleased to report that we have continued to make steady progress in our collective effort to beat the coronavirus.
For 3 weeks now, the number of new cases identified through testing each day has been below 1,000.
The latest SAGE advice is that, across the UK, the R rate remains between 0.7 and 0.9.
SAGE also assess that the number of infections is shrinking by between 5 and 1 per cent every day.
The latest ONS data shows prevalence and new infections to be stable and low.
The number of patients newly admitted to hospital with coronavirus each day, and the number of coronavirus patients in mechanical ventilation beds, have both fallen by more than 90% from their peak in early April.
And while we mourn every death, the average daily death rate continues, steadily, to fall.
This progress is testament to the phenomenal efforts of our NHS and social care staff working tirelessly on the frontline.
And it has only been possible thanks to the character and fortitude with which you, the British people, have made fundamental changes to the way you all live and work.
When we set out our plan to rebuild on 11 May, we said our goal was to return life to as close to normal as possible, for as many people as possible, as fast and as fairly as possible, in a way that is safe and continues to protect our NHS.
That goal remains the same – but the tools we use to achieve it are changing.
At the start of the pandemic, when we knew far less about the nature and spread of the virus, we had to take blanket, national measures.
National lockdown was undoubtedly the right thing to do and has saved many thousands of lives.
Now however, we know more about the virus – we understand the epidemiology better and our intelligence on where it is spreading is vastly improved. That means we can control it through targeted, local action instead.
In England, this work is led by NHS Test and Trace and within it the Joint Biosecurity Centre. My sincere thanks go to Dido Harding who oversees this work and who joins me today.
This approach is already working.
In Weston-super-Mare and Kirklees, we took swift and successful action to contain outbreaks at specific premises.
In Bradford and Blackburn with Darwen, we identified troubling trends in the data and worked closely with the respective local authorities to increase testing and take targeted action. That work continues.
And in Leicester, we instituted a local lockdown in order to bear down on stubborn rates of infection. As the Health Secretary announced last night, we will begin to relax the restrictions there next week. We can do so because the data is improving – with the percentage of people testing positive falling from a weekly rate of 12.2% on 29 June to 4.8% yesterday.
The approach varies in different parts of the UK, but all parts of the UK benefit from the support of our armed forces, additional testing facilities, and billions of pounds of support provided by this Government.
Today we are publishing our framework for containing and controlling future outbreaks in England, which will enable national and local government to work closely together.
From tomorrow, local authorities will have new powers in their areas. They will be able to close specific premises, shut public outdoor spaces, and cancel events. These powers will enable local authorities to act more quickly in response to outbreaks, where speed is paramount.
Action by local councils will not always be sufficient. So next week we will publish draft regulations which clearly set out how central government can intervene more effectively at a local level.
Where justified by the evidence, ministers will be able to close whole sectors or types of premises in an area, introduce local “stay at home” orders, prevent people entering or leaving defined areas, reduce the maximum size of gatherings beyond national rules, or restrict transport systems serving local areas.
I know that it will be hard going for people affected by these local measures. It isn’t easy, and for some it may seem unjust that people just a short distance away can live their lives closer to normal.
But it has to be right that we take local action in response to local outbreaks – there is no point shutting down a city in one part of the country to contain an outbreak in another part of the country.
Now of course, this local approach relies on having an effective testing regime in place.
And here we have made substantial progress.
Antigen test capacity – that’s the test which tells you if you currently have the virus – has increased 100-fold since the start of March, from fewer than 2,000 tests a day to more than 200,000 tests a day now.
Publicly available data suggests we are now carrying out our tests more than anywhere else in Europe in total, and more tests than Germany, France, Italy and Spain per capita.
We have set up testing sites around the UK and now have 200 mobile units which can be rapidly deployed wherever they are needed.
It is now the case, and has been for some time, that anyone, anywhere in the UK with symptoms can get a test without delay. We are also testing increasing numbers of people who don’t have symptoms but who are at higher risk.
As we approach winter, we will need to go further – not least as many more people will show Covid-like symptoms as a result of seasonal illnesses, and therefore require a test.
So we will further increase testing capacity to at least half a million antigen tests a day – 3.5 million antigen tests a week – by the end of October.
Demand for testing is not the only challenge that winter will bring.
It is possible that the virus will be more virulent in the winter months – and it is certain that the NHS will face the usual, annual winter pressures.
We have taken a number of steps therefore to get the NHS ready for winter.
We have massively increased the number of ventilators available to patients across the UK – up from 9,000 before the pandemic to nearly 30,000 now.
We have substantially increased the pipeline of personal protective equipment for the NHS and social care -constituting over 30 billion items of PPE over the course of the pandemic.
We will be rolling out the biggest ever flu vaccination programme in the history of the U.K.
And we will also of course give the NHS the resources it needs.
And today, I can confirm that we are providing an additional £3 billion of funding to the NHS in England to get ready for winter. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also receive additional funds.
This will allow the NHS to continue to use the extra hospital capacity acquired from the independent sector and also to maintain the Nightingale hospitals until the end of March.
This new funding comes on top of the additional £30 billion of funding for health and social care that we have already announced this year.
So we are making sure we are ready for winter, and planning for the worst.
But even as we plan for the worst, I strongly believe we should also hope for the best.
That means looking ahead with optimism – now extending our plan to lift the remaining national measures which have restricted our lives since March so we can get back to something closer to normal life.
Now I must stress, the timetable I am about to set out is conditional. It is contingent on every one of us staying alert and acting responsibly. It relies on our continued success in controlling the virus. And we will not proceed if doing so risks a second peak that would overwhelm the NHS.
Nonetheless, it is important to give people hope and to give business confidence.
So in England, from today we are making clear that anybody may use public transport, while of course encouraging people to consider alternative means of transport where they are available.
From 25 July, we have already committed to reopening the indoor gyms, pools and other sports facilities.
From 1 August, we will update our advice on going to work. Instead of government telling people to work from home, we are going to give employers more discretion, and ask them to make decisions about how their staff can work safely.
That could mean of course continuing to work from home, which is one way of working safely and which has worked for many employers and employees.
Or it could mean making workplaces safe by following Covid Secure guidelines. Whatever employers decide, they should consult closely with their employees, and only ask people to return to their place of work if it is safe.
As we reopen our society and economy, it’s right that we give employers more discretion while continuing to ensure employees are kept safe.
Also from 1 August, we will reopen most remaining leisure settings, namely bowling, skating rinks and casinos, and we will enable all close contact services such as beauticians to resume.
Nightclubs and soft play areas will sadly need to remain closed for now – although this will be kept under review.
We will restart indoor performances to a live audience, subject to the success of pilots, and we will also pilot larger gatherings in venues like sports stadia, with a view to wider reopening in the Autumn.
We will also allow wedding receptions for up to 30 people.
All of these measures for 1 August should be done in a Covid Secure way.
In September, schools, nurseries and colleges will be open for all children and young people on a full-time basis, as planned.
And universities are also working to reopen as fully as possible.
From October, we intend to bring back audiences in stadia and to allow conferences and other business events to recommence – again, these changes must be done in a Covid Secure way, subject to the successful outcome of pilots.
Throughout this period, we will look to allow more close contact between friends and family when we can.
It is my strong and sincere hope that we will be able to review the outstanding restrictions and allow a more significant return to normality from November at the earliest – possibly in time for Christmas.
At all times, we will continue to work with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to support and care for those at risk, wherever they live in the UK.
We have said that the shielding programme for those most at risk in England, the clinically extremely vulnerable, will be paused at the end of this month. We will stay constantly vigilant and be sure to restart shielding at any point if required.
Now I know some will say this plan is too optimistic, that the risks are too great and that we won’t overcome the virus in time.
And of course, if they are right in saying that, and we cannot exclude that they are, let me reassure them, and reassure you: that we will not hesitate at any stage to put on the brakes.
From May 11 onwards, this plan has been conditional, and it remains conditional.
But if we continue to pull together as we have done so far, I know we can beat this virus.
Hoping for the best, but planning for the worst – and it’s in that spirit that we must carry on waging this long, hard fight against Coronavirus.
Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, speaking in response to the Prime Minister’s press conference today, said:“We all want society to reopen, we all want our economy to start growing again. So we’ll look at the details of this plan.
“But the key now is confidence. Do the public have confidence in the measures the Government have put in place? Do businesses have confidence in the advice that’s been given? And can we have confidence that the Government’s scientific advisers support these measures? This can’t be done on a wing and a prayer. It requires a credible plan, and national leadership.”
On local lockdowns:
“Labour has long been arguing that we need local control of lockdown. We need data to our local representatives, our local authorities. They need the powers to take the necessary measures. This is what will drive confidence, and this work with local authorities should have be done a long time ago.
“Mayors across the country, local authority leaders across the country, are saying what we need is the data so we know precisely what’s going on, on a day-to-day basis, on a street-by-street basis, or we need the power to take action, rapidly. That’s what they want most of all.”
On NHS winter funding:
“What I didn’t hear from the Prime Minister this morning was any extra money and funding for social care. And what we can’t do again is to leave social care out of the priorities as we go into the autumn and the winter. So where was the money for social care?”
Responding to Boris Johnson’s announcement today, allowing employers to start bringing home-working staff back to the workplace from next month, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “We all want to get the economy up and running as quickly as possible. Returns to workplaces must happen in a phased and safe way.
“The government is passing the buck on this big decision to employers. Getting back to work safely requires a functioning NHS Test and Trace system. Yet progress on test and trace is still patchy, and the government is still refusing to support workers who have to self-isolate by raising statutory sick pay from just £95pw to a rate people can live on.
“A safe return to workplaces also requires much greater investment in public transport if people are to be able to commute to workplaces.
“Before reopening any workplace, every employer must complete a risk assessment, and make plans to reduce the risk to workers through enabling social distancing. They must consult their staff trade unions, and larger employers should publish the risk assessment on their website.
“Not everyone will be able to return to workplaces full-time or immediately. People who have been advised to shield and those without enough childcare may need to work fully from home for the foreseeable future.
“Many businesses have seen the benefits of flexible approaches to working during this pandemic. This progress must not be lost. All staff should have the right to work flexibly from their first day in the job.”
The TUC is calling on employers to do the following before asking staff to return to the workplace:
Complete their Covid-Secure risk assessments as required by law, in consultation with unions and their workforces
Publish their Covid-Secure risk assessment on their website, as the government expects. The TUC is collating links to published risk assessments at covidsecurecheck.uk
Take the actions from the risk assessment to enable safer working, such as requiring social distancing and supplying PPE if it is required
Show flexibility and consideration for workers’ individual circumstances, including considering caring responsibilities, those who are shielding, and those who have other health conditions, including mental health
Allow workers who rely on public transport to have staggered start times to prevent a rush hour crush.
This government is committed not just to defeating coronavirus but to using this crisis to tackle this country’s great unresolved challenges of the last three decades.
To build the homes, to fix the NHS, to tackle the skills crisis, to mend the gap in opportunity and productivity and connectivity between the regions of the UK, to unite and level up.
The government will build back better, build back greener, build back faster.
We will invest in and accelerate infrastructure across the UK; promote a clean, green recovery; reform our planning system; and strengthen the Union and local government.
All of these changes will make life better for the people of this great country and unleash Britain’s potential.
The Chancellor will unveil more of this plan next week, and we will use the forthcoming Spending Review and Autumn Budget to set the direction for the rest of this parliament.
Investing in and accelerating infrastructure
The government is committed to building a Britain with world class infrastructure. Spring Budget 2020 set out that the public sector will invest £640bn over five years in our future prosperity.
We are redoubling our efforts to get on with this now, in support of economic recovery and jobs right across the country by bringing forward £5bn of capital investment projects, supporting jobs and the economic recovery, including:
£1.5bn this year for hospital maintenance, eradicating mental health dormitories, enabling hospital building, and improving A&E capacity. This will improve patient care, make sure NHS hospitals can deliver world-leading services and reduce the risk of coronavirus infections.
£100m this year for 29 projects to improve our road network to get Britain moving, from bridge repairs in Sandwell to boosting the quality of the A15 in the Humber region. Plus £10m for development work to unblock the Manchester rail bottleneck, which will begin this year.
Over £1bn to fund the first 50 projects of a new, ten-year school rebuilding programme, starting from 2020-21. These projects will be confirmed in the autumn, and construction on the first sites will begin from September 2021.
£560m and £200m for repairs and upgrades to schools and FE colleges respectively this year.
£142mn for digital upgrades and maintenance to around 100 courts this year, £83m for maintenance of prisons and youth offender facilities, and £60m for temporary prison places, creating thousands of new jobs.
£900m for a range of ‘shovel ready’ local growth projects in England over the course of this year and next. This will enable local areas to invest in priority infrastructure projects to drive local growth and jobs. This could include the development and regeneration of key local sites, investment to improve transport and digital connectivity, and innovation and technology centres to build on local comparative advantage
£96m to accelerate investment in town centres and high streets through the Towns Fund this year. This will provide all 101 towns selected for town deals with £500k-£1m to spend on projects such as improvements to parks, high streets, and transport.
We will establish a new Infrastructure Delivery Taskforce, named ‘Project Speed’.
Led by the Chancellor, Project Speed will bring forward proposals to deliver government’s public investment projects more strategically and efficiently. This will ensure we are building the right things better and faster than before.
The taskforce will aim to cut down the time it takes to develop, design and deliver vital infrastructure projects. For example, it will look at how it can address outdated practices and identify blocks to progress.
Projects will include the 40 new hospitals the government has committed to build and the school rebuilding programme announced yesterday.
In the Autumn, the government will also publish a National Infrastructure Strategy which will set a clear direction on core economic infrastructure, including energy networks, road and rail, flood defences and waste.
The Government also intends to bring forward funding to accelerate infrastructure projects in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – working with the devolved administrations to identify where we can get spades in the ground, build our communities, and create jobs faster for citizens across the United Kingdom.
We will also carry out a review to look at how best to improve road, rail, air and sea links between our four nations to create a more connected kingdom.
Through the Barnett formula, the UK Government has already given the Scottish Government £5.4bn, the Welsh Government £2.4bn, and the Northern Ireland Executive £1.7bn in capital funding for devolved areas this financial year. We would encourage them to accelerate infrastructure projects in the same way that the UK Government is doing.
Promoting a clean, green recovery
The UK was the first major economy to commit to net zero emissions by 2050 in law. We already have a proven track record of cutting emissions while growing the economy, with over 460,000 UK jobs in low-carbon businesses and their supply chains.
We will continue to build on this even further and deliver a stronger, cleaner, more sustainable economy after this pandemic.
The Government will continue to set out further measures as part of its green agenda in the run up to COP26 in November 2021.
Transport:
We are making additional funding available this year to attract investment in ‘gigafactories’, which mass produce batteries and other electric vehicle components, enabling the UK to lead on the next generation of automotive technologies.
£10m of funding will be made available immediately for the first wave of innovative R&D projects to scale-up manufacturing of the latest technology in batteries, motors, electronics and fuel cells.
Additional funding will also allow us to progress initial site planning and preparation for manufacturing plants and industry clusters, with sites under consideration across the UK.
This funding forms part of our commitment to spend up to £1bn to attract investment in electric vehicle supply chains and R&D to the UK.
And this comes on top of the over £1bn we provided at Budget to support the rollout of ultra-low emission vehicles in the UK via support for a super-fast charging network for electric vehicles, and extension of the Plug-In Grant schemes.
The UK will also aim to produce the world’s first zero emission long haul passenger aircraft.
Rebuilding our natural infrastructure:
Re-foresting Britain by planting 75,000 acres of trees every year by 2025.
£40m Green Recovery Challenge Fund to help halt biodiversity loss and tackle climate change through local conservation projects, connecting more people to the outdoors by delivering up to 5,000 jobs.
Innovation:
Up to £100m of new funding for research and develop a brand new clean technology, Direct Air Capture (DAC), which captures CO2 emissions directly from the air around us. If successful, DAC technology could be deployed across the country to remove carbon from the air, helping sectors where it’s tough to decarbonise such as aviation.
To help bring forward this technology, the government is exploring options around carbon pricing and incentives, where the government may pay a price per tonne of CO2 captured.
Reforming our planning system
We will make it easier to build better homes where people want to live.
New regulations will give greater freedom for buildings and land in our town centres to change use without planning permission and create new homes from the regeneration of vacant and redundant buildings.
Under the new rules, existing commercial properties, including newly vacant shops, can be converted into residential housing more easily, in a move to kick start the construction industry and speed up rebuilding.
The changes include:
More types of commercial premises having total flexibility to be repurposed through reform of the Use Classes Order. A building used for retail, for instance, would be able to be permanently used as a café or office without requiring a planning application and local authority approval. Pubs, libraries, village shops and other types of uses essential to the lifeblood of communities will not be covered by these flexibilities
A wider range of commercial buildings will be allowed to change to residential use without the need for a planning application
Builders will no longer need a normal planning application to demolish and rebuild vacant and redundant residential and commercial buildings if they are rebuilt as homes
Property owners will be able to build additional space above their properties via a fast track approval process, subject to neighbour consultation.
These changes, which are planned to come into effect by September, will both support the high street revival by allowing empty commercial properties to be quickly repurposed and reduce the pressure to build on green fields land by making brownfield development easier.
The Prime Minister also announced that work will begin to look at how land owned by the government can be managed more effectively.
Ahead of the Spending Review, a new, ambitious cross-government strategy look at how public sector land can be managed and released so it can be put to better use.
This would include home building, improving the environment, contributing to net zero goals and injecting growth opportunities into communities across the country.
These announcements come alongside a package of measures to support home building across England, including:
A £12bn affordable homes programme that will support up to 180,000 new affordable homes for ownership and rent over the next 8 years, confirmed today.
Included in the affordable homes programme will be a 1,500 unit pilot of ‘First Homes’: houses that will be sold to first time buyers at a 30% discount which will remain in perpetuity, keeping them affordable for generations of families to own.
Funds from the £400m Brownfield Land Fund have today been allocated to the West Midland, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region, Sheffield City Region, North of Tyne and Tees Valley to support around 24,000 homes.
The Home Building Fund to help smaller developers access finance for new housing developments will receive additional £450m boost. This is expected to support delivery of around 7,200 new homes.
The government will launch a Policy Paper in July setting out our plan for comprehensive reform of England’s seven-decade old planning system, to introduce a new approach that works better for our modern economy and society.
Strengthening the Union
We will take steps to guarantee and enhance our internal market and find new ways to invest in Scotland, Wales, England and NI and focus on “levelling up” our whole country.
As above, the Government also intends to bring forward funding to accelerate infrastructure projects in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – working with the devolved administrations to identify where we can get spades in the ground, build our communities, and create jobs faster for citizens across the United Kingdom.
The Spending review will create a multi-year, UK-wide Shared Prosperity Fund which will support which will support local economic recovery by driving economic growth and tackling deprivation.
We will carry out a review to look at how best to improve road, rail, air and sea links between all parts of the UK to create a more connected kingdom.
Backed by a cross-party group of MPs, the publication details ten key lessons the UK Government should learn from its experience of handling the first months of the pandemic.
Drawing on the evidence of scientists and other relevant experts from the UK and around the world who have thus far provided the Committee with a wide range of insights, the recommendations include:
The call for publication of the evidence basis and rationale informing Public Health England’s decision to concentrate testing in a limited number of its own laboratories and expand testing capacity gradually, rather than surging capacity through a large number of available public sector, research institute, university and private sector laboratories. The letter states that the decision, which led to the discontinuation of community testing, is ‘one of the most consequential made during [the] crisis’ and urges the Government to learn from its experience in anticipation of possible vaccine manufacture.
That the Government ‘urgently’ build up capacity for contact tracing, underlining the importance of contact tracing in managing the easing of lockdown measures in the UK and minimising the risk of a second peak of infections.
That the Government set out a clear approach for managing the risks around asymptomatic transmission of the disease,
That further transparency is needed regarding the provision of scientific advice, providing clear distinction between scientific advice and policy decisions. This includes:
o- a call for the now public list of members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) to be updated regularly, including with the number of meetings the named participants attended;
o- a request for the disciplines of SAGE participants who are not publicly named to be disclosed; and
o- recommendations that papers on which SAGE draws for its advice to be published promptly after each relevant meeting, as well as for a summary of the scientific advice which has informed Government decisions to be published.
The Committee also makes a recommendation relating to the systematic recording of the ethnicity of those dying of COVID-19, stating that such data may help progress understanding of the disproportionate number of deaths of those from BAME backgrounds.
The letter has reached these conclusions as a result of the inquiry’s first six public evidence sessions. The inquiry, which captures contemporary evidence on decisions and assessments made by Government during the pandemic, continues.
Chair of the Committee, Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, said: “The Government has drawn extensively on scientific advice during the pandemic and should continue to do so.
“The Government should follow the best traditions of science in being transparent about the evidence and advice on which it makes decisions, and by being willing to continually learn from evidence and experience and not being afraid to adjust its approach in response.
“Greater transparency around scientific advice; putting capacity in place in advance of need, such as in testing and vaccines; collecting more data earlier and learning from other countries’ approaches are some of the early lessons of this pandemic that are relevant to further decisions that will need to be taken during the weeks and months ahead.
“We hope the Government will act on these recommendations which are offered in a constructive spirit based on the evidence we have taken so far.”
PM Boris Johnson’s opening statement from yesterday’s press conference on coronavirus:
Good evening and thank you for joining us for this Downing Street press conference.
First of all, I want to update you on the latest data in our fight against coronavirus. I can report through the Government’s ongoing testing and monitoring programme that, as of today:
1,921,770 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in the UK, including 100,490 tests carried out yesterday;
223,060 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 3,877 cases since yesterday;
11,401 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus, down from 11,768 the previous day.
And sadly, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 32,065 have now died. That’s an increase of 210 fatalities since yesterday. This figure includes deaths in all settings not just in hospitals.
Before we begin questions from the public and from the media I just want to remind people of a number of important things I said in my address to the nation last night.
First, in order to monitor our progress, we are establishing a new COVID Alert Level System. The COVID Alert Level has five levels, each relating to the level of threat posed by the virus. The level will be primarily determined by the R value and the number of coronavirus cases. In turn, that COVID Alert Level will determine the level of social distancing measures in place. The lower the level the fewer the measures; the higher the level the stricter the measures.
Throughout the period of lockdown which started on March 23rd we have been at Level 4 – meaning a Covid19 epidemic is in general circulation, and transmission is high or rising exponentially. Thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of the British people in this lockdown, we have helped to bring the R level down and we are now in a position to begin moving to Level 3, in steps.
And we have set out the first of three steps we will take to carefully modify the measures, gradually ease the lockdown, and begin to allow people to return to their way of life – but crucially while avoiding what would be a disastrous second peak that overwhelms the NHS.
After each step we will closely monitor the impact of that step on the R and the number of infections, and all the available data, and we will only take the next step when we are satisfied that it is safe to do so.
Step 1 – from this week:
Those who cannot work from home should now speak to their employer about going back to work.
You can now spend time outdoors and exercise as often as you like.
You can meet one person outside of your household outside (outdoors), provided you stay 2 metres apart. The social distancing measures remain absolutely crucial to us keeping the infection rate and the number of cases down as low as we possibly can.
Step 2 – from June 1, at the earliest, as long as the data allows, we aim to allow:
Primary schools to reopen for some pupils, in smaller class sizes;
Non-essential retail to start to reopen, when and where it is safe to do so;
Cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed doors, without crowds.
And then Step 3 – no earlier than July 4, and again, only if the data says it safe, we aim to allow:
More businesses and premises to open, including potentially those offering personal care such as leisure facilities, public places, and places of worship. Many of these businesses will need to operate in new ways to ensure they are safe, and we will work with these sectors on how to do this.
So, given we have taken the first step in carefully adjusting some of the measures today, and therefore our advice to people on what to do, we have also updated our messaging. We are now asking people to Stay Alert, Control the Virus and Save Lives.
Yes – staying alert, for the vast majority of people, still means staying at home as much as possible. But there are a range of other actions we’re advising people to take as we modify measures.
People should Stay Alert, by: *
working from home if you can;
limiting contact with other people;
keeping distance if you go out – 2 metres apart where possible;
washing your hands regularly;
wearing a face covering when you are in enclosed spaces where it’s difficult to be socially distant – for example in some shops and on public transport;
and if you or anyone in your household has symptoms, you all need to self-isolate.
Because if everyone stays alert and follows the rules, we can control coronavirus by keeping the R down and reducing the number of infections. This is how we can continue to save lives, and livelihoods, as we begin as a nation to recover from coronavirus.
*NOTE: The Prime Minister’s guidance applies to ENGLAND ONLY
At a time of unrelenting doom and gloom I thought it was important to share this uplifting (!) story with NEN readers:
Baby Wilfred received a very special delivery from baby gifting retailers My1stYears.com yesterday.
The box of personalised goodies was packed with gifts for the Prime Minister’s new-born son including a cuddly blue bunny, a cashmere baby blanket and muslin swaddle blankets.
It also included four fun bodysuits with these slogans:
I heart the NHS
Listen to Daddy – stay home save lives
Little Prime Minister
Thank you NHS you saved my Daddy
I could think of one or two appropriate slogans too! – Ed.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will today co-host a major international conference to drive forward the global race for coronavirus vaccines, treatments and tests – and call on other countries to step up their efforts and work together on the “most urgent shared endeavour of our lifetimes”.
The Prime Minister’s call to action will come during the virtual Coronavirus Global Response International Pledging Conference, which is co-hosted by the UK and eight other countries and organisations.
He will confirm the UK’s pledge of £388 million in UK aid funding for research into vaccines, tests and treatments – part of a larger £744 million existing UK aid commitment to help end the pandemic and support the global economy.
This includes £250 million for the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to develop vaccines against coronavirus – the biggest such donation to the fund by any country.
Speaking to the conference, the Prime Minister will say: “To win this battle, we must work together to build an impregnable shield around all our people, and that can only be achieved by developing and mass producing a vaccine.
“The more we pull together and share our expertise, the faster our scientists will succeed. The race to discover the vaccine to defeat this virus is not a competition between countries, but the most urgent shared endeavour of our lifetimes.
“It’s humanity against the virus – we are in this together, and together we will prevail.”
International Development Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said: “It is only by working together that we will prevent future waves of infection and end this pandemic as quickly as possible.
“By strengthening developing countries’ health systems and working to find a vaccine, the UK is playing its part in stopping the global spread of coronavirus to save lives everywhere and protect our NHS.”
Tackling coronavirus globally is crucial to preventing a second wave of the virus re-emerging in the UK, which would put even further pressure on the NHS. It will also ensure that life-saving vaccines, treatments and diagnostic tests are available as soon as possible.
In the UK, work is progressing at pace on vaccine development – on Thursday the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca announced a partnership to support large-scale manufacture and potential distribution of a vaccine currently being trialled by the university.
On the 4th June, the UK will host the Global Vaccine Summit, bringing together countries and organisations to follow the UK’s lead in investing in the work of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Last week International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan announced a funding pledge equivalent to £330 million a year over the next five years to Gavi. This will help immunise 75 million children in the world’s poorest countries.
