Tag: UK Government

We Must Defeat This Threat Together: PM statement in the House of Commons

Mr Speaker, with permission, I will make a statement about the next steps in our battle against coronavirus, and how we can, with the utmost caution, gradually begin to rebuild our economy and reopen our society.

For the last two months, the British people have faced a grave threat with common sense, compassion and unflinching resolve.

We have together observed the toughest restrictions on our freedoms in memory, changing our way of life on a scale unimaginable only months ago.

All our efforts have been directed towards protecting our NHS and saving lives.

Tragically, many families have lost loved ones before their time and we share their grief. Yet our shared effort has averted a still worse catastrophe, one that could have overwhelmed the NHS and claimed half a million lives.

Every day, dedicated doctors, nurses, and social care workers, army medics and more have risked their own lives in the service of others, they have helped to cut the Reproduction rate from between 2.6 and 2.8 in April to between 0.5 and 0.9 today.

The number of covid patients in hospital has fallen by over a third since Easter Sunday.

Our armed forces joined our NHS to build new hospitals on timetables that were telescoped from years to weeks, almost doubling the number of critical care beds, and ensuring that since the end of March, at least a third have always been available.

Our challenge now is to find a way forward that preserves our hard won gains, while easing the burden of the lockdown.

And I will be candid with the House: this is a supremely difficult balance to strike.

There could be no greater mistake than to jeopardise everything we have striven to achieve by proceeding too far and too fast.

We will be driven not by hope or economic revival as an end in itself, but by data, and science and public health.

And so the Government is submitting to the House today a plan which is conditional and dependent as always on the common sense and observance of the British people, and on continual re-assessment of the data.

That picture varies across the regions and Home Nations of the United Kingdom, requiring a flexible response. Different parts of the UK may need to stay in full lockdown longer but any divergence should only be short-term because as Prime Minister of the UK, I am in no doubt that we must defeat this threat and face the challenge of recovery together.

Our progress will depend on meeting five essential tests: protecting the NHS, reducing both the daily death toll and the infection rate in a sustained way,ensuring that testing and PPE can meet future demand – a global problem, but one that we must fix, and avoiding a second peak that would overwhelm the NHS.

A new UK-wide Joint Biosecurity Centre will measure our progress with a five-stage Covid Alert System, and the combined effect of our measures so far has been to prevent us from reaching Level Five, a situation that would have seen the NHS overwhelmed, and to hold us at Level Four.

Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of the British people by following the social distancing rules, we are now in a position where we can move in stages to where I hope the scientific advice will tell us that we are down to Level Three.

But this will only happen if everyone continues to play their part, to stay alert and to follow the rules.

We must also deal with the epidemic in care homes, where a tragic number of the elderly and vulnerable have been lost and while the situation is thankfully improving, there is a vast amount more to be done.

And of course we need a world-leading system for testing and tracking and tracing victims and their contacts so I’m delighted that Baroness Harding, the chair of NHS Improvement, has agreed to take charge of a programme that will ultimately enable us to test hundreds of thousands of people every day.

All this means we have begun our descent from the peak of the epidemic, but our journey has reached the most perilous moment where a wrong move could be disastrous.

So at this stage, we can go no further than to announce the first careful modifications of our measures, Step 1 in moving towards Covid Alert Level 3, a shift in emphasis that we can begin this week.

Anyone who cannot work from home should be actively encouraged to go to work.

And sectors that are allowed to be open should indeed be open, but subject to social distancing.

These include food production, construction, manufacturing, logistics, distribution, scientific research.

And to support this, to explain this again, we are publishing guidance for businesses on how to make these workplaces safe. Covid secure.

People who are able to work from home, as we’ve continually said, should continue to do so, and people who cannot work from home should talk to their employers about returning this week and the difficulties they may or may not have.

Anyone with covid symptoms obviously – or in a household where someone else has symptoms – should self-isolate.

We want everyone travelling to work to be safe, so people should continue to avoid public transport wherever possible because we must maintain social distancing which will inevitably limit capacity.

Instead people should drive or better still walk or cycle.

With more activity outside our homes, we would now advise people to wear a cloth face covering in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not always possible, and you are more likely to come in contact with people you do not normally meet.

The reason is face coverings can help to protect each other and reduce the spread of the disease, particularly if you have coronavirus like symptoms.

But this does not mean – and I must stress this – this does not mean wearing medical face masks, 2R or FFP3, which must be reserved for people who need them.

We have all lived so far with onerous restrictions Mr Speaker on outdoor spaces and exercise, and this is where my honourable friend interjects as I know he’s a keen swimmer and unfortunately we can’t do anything for swimming pools but we can do something for lakes and the sea. and this is where we can go significantly further because there is a lower risk from outdoors than indoors.

So from Wednesday there will be no limits on the frequency of outdoor exercise people can take.

You can now walk, sit and rest in parks, you can play sports and exercise, and you can do all these things with members of your own household, or with one other person from another household, provided you observe social distancing and remain 2 metres apart from them.

And I do hope that’s clear Mr Speaker. I’m conscious people want to come back and ask questions in more detail and I’d be very happy to answer.

We shall increase the fines for the small minority who break the rules, starting at £100 but doubling with each infringement up to £3,600.

You can drive as far as you like to reach an outdoor space, subject to the same rules and the laws and guidance of the Devolved Administrations.

I am sorry to say however, Mr Speaker, that we shall continue to ask those who are clinically vulnerable – including pregnant women and people over 70, or those with pre-existing chronic conditions – to take particular care to minimise contact with those outside their households.

And we must continue to shield people who are extremely vulnerable. They should, I am afraid, remain at home and avoid any direct contact with others.

I know that easing restrictions for the many will only increase the anguish of those who must remain shielded, so the Government will look at every possible way of supporting the most vulnerable.

Mr Speaker, all of our precautions will count for little if our country is re-infected from overseas, so I give notice that we shall introduce new restrictions at the UK border, requiring 14 days of self-isolation for international arrivals, while respecting our common travel area with Ireland.

Every day, we shall monitor our progress, and if we stay on the downward slope, and the R remains below 1, then – and only then – will it become safe to go further, and move to the second step.

This will not happen until 1st June at the earliest, but we may then be in a position to start the phased reopening of shops; to return children to early years’ settings, including nurseries and childminders; to return primary schools in stages, giving priority to the youngest children in reception and year 1, and those in year 6 preparing for secondary school; and to enable secondary school pupils facing exams next year to get at least some time with their teachers.

Our ambition – and I stress this is conditional Mr Speaker –is for all primary school pupils to return to the classroom for a month before the summer break.

To those ends, we are publishing guidance on how schools might reopen safely.

Step two could also include allowing cultural and sporting events behind closed doors for broadcast, which I think would provide a much needed boost to national morale.

But nothing can substitute for human contact and so the Government has asked SAGE when and how we could safely allow people to expand their household group to include one other household, on a strictly reciprocal basis.

Finally, and no earlier than July, we may be able to move to step three – if and only if supported by the data, and the best scientific advice.

We would then aim to reopen some remaining businesses, including potentially hospitality, cinemas and hairdressers as well as places of worship and leisure facilities.

And this will depend on maintaining social distancing and new ways of providing services, so we will phase and pilot any re-openings to ensure public safety.

And I must be clear again: if the data goes the wrong way, if the Alert Level begins to rise, we will have no hesitation in putting on the brakes, delaying or reintroducing measures – locally, regionally or nationally.

Mr Speaker, our struggle against this virus has placed our country under the kind of strain that will be remembered for generations.

But so too has the response of the British people, from dedicated shopworkers keeping our supermarkets open, and ingenious teachers finding new ways of inspiring their pupils, to the kindness of millions who have checked on their neighbours, delivered food for the elderly, or raised astonishing amounts for charity.

In these and in so many other ways, we are seeing the indomitable spirit of Britain

And Mr speaker let me summarise by saying that people should Stay Alert by working from home if you possibly can, by limiting contact with other people, by keeping your distance 2 metres apart where possible – by washing your hands regularly, 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 the virus, keep the rate of infection down and the keep number of infections down.

And this Mr Speaker is how we can continue to save lives, and livelihoods, as we begin to recover from coronavirus, and I commend this statement to the House.

NOTE: The Prime Minister’s statement applies to England only

Transport Secretary Grant Shapp’s statement on coronavirus: 9 May 2020

Announcing a £2 billion package to support active travel to help the country emerge from coronavirus crisis – but this felt like a warm up act before Boris takes centre stage tonight …

Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s Downing Street press conference.

I’m pleased to be joined today by Professor Jonathan Van-Tam.

Latest data

Let me start by updating you on the latest information from the COBR data file.

I can report that through the government’s monitoring and testing programme, as of today …

  • 1, 728,443 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in the UK, including 96, 878 tests yesterday
  • 215,260 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 3,896 cases since yesterday
  • 11,809 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus in the UK, down from 12,284 yesterday

And tragically, of those hospitalised with the virus, 31,587 have now died. That’s an increase of 346 fatalities since yesterday.

These deaths are devastating for the families and friends of victims, who are in our thoughts and prayers are with all of them every day.

But they also strengthen our resolve to fight this pandemic with all the resources we can muster in the weeks ahead …

Planning for restart/opportunity for lasting change

Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will set out a roadmap for the next phase in our strategy to tackle coronavirus.

In support of this, I am setting out today an ambitious programme to help prepare our transport network for the critical role it will play as we emerge from this crisis.

Importantly, it is true to say that moving beyond COVID will be a gradual process… not a single-leap to freedom.

When we do emerge, the world will seem quite different, at least for a while.

The need to maintain social distancing means that our public transport system cannot go back to where it left off.

Here is a very stark fact …

Even with public transport reverting to full service – once you take into account the 2 metre social distancing rule – there would only be effective capacity for one in ten passengers on many parts of the network.

Just a tenth of the old capacity.

So, getting Britain moving again, while not overcrowding our transport network, is going to require many of us to think carefully about how and when we travel.

Everyone involved

We have accomplished so much over the past 7 weeks of lockdown.

The whole country has been responsible for reducing the COVID reproduction or ‘R’ rate…

Millions of households across the UK have changed their behaviour for the greater good.

Getting Britain moving again, whilst not overcrowding our transport network, represents another enormous logistical challenge.

Yet this is a problem which presents a health opportunity too…. an opportunity to make lasting changes that could not only make us fitter, but also better-off – both mentally and physically – in the long run.

Active travel

During the crisis, millions of people have discovered the benefits of active travel.

By cycling or walking, we’ve been able to enjoy this remarkably warm spring whilst sticking to the guidelines.

In some places, there’s been a 70% rise in the number of people on bikes whether it’s for exercise, or necessary journeys, such as stocking up on food.

So, while it’s still crucial that we stay at home, when the country does get back to work, we need those people to carry on cycling and walking, and to be joined by many more.

Otherwise, with public transport capacity severely restricted, more cars could be drawn to the road and our towns and cities could become gridlocked.

We also know that in this new world, pedestrians will need more space.

So today (9 May 2020) I am announcing a £2 billion package to put cycling and walking at the heart of our transport policy.

To set out how we will deliver this, I will bring forward a national cycling plan for publication in early June, in line with the statutory Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy to help double cycling and increase walking by 2025.

The first stage, worth £250 million, is a series of swift, emergency interventions to make cycling and walking safer.

Pop-up bike lanes. Wider pavements. Cycle and bus-only streets. All examples of what people will start to see more of.

Accompanying the new money, we are today publishing fast-tracked statutory guidance, effective immediately, requiring councils in England to cater for significantly-increased numbers of cyclists and pedestrians, and making it easier for them to create safer streets.

For employees who want to start cycling to their place of work, but who don’t have a bike right now, the popular Cycle to Work Scheme already allows employees to save between 25% and 39% on the cost of a new bike or an electric bike.

There has been a huge increase in people using the scheme, and we will work with employers to increase uptake further.

And for those who may have an old bike in the shed, and want to get it back into a roadworthy condition, there will be a voucher scheme for bike repairs and maintenance.

Plans are also being developed to boost bike fixing facilities.

What’s more, over the next few months, we will set out further measures to make a ‘once in a generation’ change to the way people travel in Britain.

These will include tough new standards for cycling infrastructure;

  • a new national cycling champion to inspire us
  • much closer links with the NHS, with GPs prescribing cycling to help us get fitter
  • legal changes to protect vulnerable road users
  • at least one “zero-emission city,” with its centre restricted to bikes and electric vehicles
  • and the creation of a long-term cycling programme and budget, just like we have for our roads

There’s clear evidence, including from the Prime Minister’s time as mayor of London, that making streets safe for walking and cycling is good for retailers, business and the economy.

Green travel / E-scooters / E-vehicles

And in making these changes, our national recovery can also become a green recovery.

One of the few positive benefits about the crisis is drastically better air quality and the health benefits that that brings.

More than 20,000 extra deaths a year in the UK are attributed to nitrogen dioxide emissions, which are highest in areas with most road traffic.

We want to try to preserve this as much as possible.

So today I’m also fast-tracking trials of e-scooters, bringing this programme, already underway, forward from next year, to next month….

And extending those trials from four local authorities to every region in the country that wants them….

… in a bid to get e-scooter rental schemes up-and-running in our cities as fast as possible….

Helping reduce car use on shorter journeys, and taking some pressure off buses, at this vital time.

These trials will help us assess their safety and benefits, together with their impact on public spaces.

The car industry has of course been very badly hit during this crisis, but April’s new sales figures showed – for the first time – that the two biggest selling models were both electric vehicles.

So, to help keep this quiet, clean car revolution going, I can also announce today, £10 million of additional support for car-charging points on our streets.

The car will remain the mainstay for many families and, as well as backing electric infrastructure, we’re going to accelerate the filling of pot-holes that plague so many road users.

Data

And just as new technology is changing the vehicles we use, so new digital technologies will help us make more informed transport choices in our battle against Covid.

At a time when transport demand could quickly overwhelm capacity if users have no access to real-time travel information…

… It is crucial that we take advantage of the UK’s digital tech expertise.

With the right mobile apps, people can find out which parts of the transport network are overcrowded. And avoid them!

They can choose alternative travel options, to help maintain safe social distancing…

… or they can get information to help stagger their journeys – and lift the burden on public transport at peak times.

This week I chaired a roundtable with key players like Google, Microsoft, and British firm, Citymapper, to develop both data and apps to help the public view crowding across the transport network, in real-time.

Overall package

This £2 billion announcement represents the most significant package of cycling, walking and green travel by any British government.

Clearly, it will never be possible to cycle, walk or e-scooter everywhere. Cars will remain an absolutely vital form of transport for many….

And so in the coming days…

as we look to the future…

… there will be further announcements about the huge investment we’re making in road and rail networks – taking advantage of their low usership during this COVID crisis.

Closing remarks

Finally, as we begin the process of preparing public transport to get Britain moving again, no-one should underestimate the sheer scale of the challenge ahead.

Even with every train, bus and tram fully restored to service – this will not be enough.

Social distancing measures mean that everyone who travels will need to contribute to meeting this capacity challenge.

Changing our behaviour is the single biggest thing that’s beaten back this virus.

The welcome fall we’ve seen in deaths is not only the achievement of our doctors and nurses and careworkers – but of everyone in the country for following the stay at home guidance.

To re-iterate, nothing I have said today changes these basic rules.

But as we contemplate the future, we will have to carry on making changes, particularly after we leave our homes.

Preventing overcrowding – which could lead to a second spike and more deaths – will be the responsibility of each and every one of us.

So please, only travel when you need to.

Be considerate to others, and help us prioritise essential workers.

And let’s all play our part in Britain moving safely again when that time comes.

We don’t have too long to wait until the Prime Minister’s much-anticipated ‘road map’ to coronavirus recovery is revealed.

He addresses the nation at 7pm this evening with a new – much-criticised – ‘Stay Alert’ message.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon may just give us an idea of what his announcement contains when she gives her own media briefing this afternoon – an opportunity to get her retaliation in first!

In the meantime, though, the message HAS NOT CHANGED – STAY HOME!

UK Government tries to quell lockdown lift expectations

Environment Secretary George Eustace spoke at the daily government press conference on 8 May 2020 to give the latest update on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s Downing Street Press Conference. I’m pleased to be joined today by Steve Powis the medical director of NHS England.

Before we give an update on the latest figures on the Coronavirus and also our work to help support the vulnerable get access to food.

Today is of course the 75th anniversary of VE day and although many of the lockdown measures and the social distancing measures that are in place mean that many of the planned events have been unable to take place as originally envisaged, today is an important day to pause and remember and 75 years ago people poured into the streets of our scarred cities to celebrate the end of that most difficult conflict.

Our soldiers fought around the world, there were countless acts of bravery, 450,000 British people sadly lost their lives and it was a moment when our whole country pulled together.

As Defra secretary I would like to take this opportunity to record the efforts of those who also contributed in a non-military way, in particular our farmers who stepped up to ensure the nation was fed and the many women who responded to the call to join the Women’s Land Army.

In a moment I am going to give an update on our work to support the vulnerable get access to food, but firstly let me give you an update on the latest data from the COBR coronavirus data file.

I can report through the governments ongoing monitoring and testing programme as of today:

  • 1,631,561 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in the UK, including 97,029 tests carried out yesterday;
  • 211,364 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 4,649 cases since yesterday;
  • 11,788 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus, down from 12,688 the previous day.

And sadly, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 31,241 have now died. That’s an increase of 626 fatalities since yesterday. This new figure includes deaths in all settings not just in hospitals.

We express our deepest condolences to the families and friends of these victims.

Turning now to our work to help the vulnerable get access to food, firstly for the so called shielded cohort. That’s those who are clinically vulnerable.

Over a million food parcels have now been delivered to these households and in addition, all those in the shielded cohort have been added to a list giving them priority access to supermarket delivery slots. So far around 400,000 people have been offered priority delivery slots by supermarkets and around 1 million orders have been placed ensuring that people can shop normally and purchase the goods that they want to buy.

There is of course a wider vulnerable group, those who perhaps have disabilities or who are elderly and perhaps don’t have neighbours or relatives close by to help them. Or indeed those with other conditions that don’t put them in the clinically shielded group but nevertheless make them vulnerable and we have been working with local authorities, and some of the leading charities such as Age UK to put together a package of support to help these people get access to food.

And many local authorities and charities have also been accessing the Good Samaritan app as part of the NHS responder volunteer programme and so far 79,000 shopping runs have been carried out by volunteers engaged in that programme.

In addition we are continuing to work with supermarkets to make available additional priority slots for those in this group. But we also recognise that the economic impacts of coronavirus means that vulnerability is not about physical access to food, for some there is also financial vulnerability, so today we are announcing a new £16 million fund to support frontline food charities.

The fund will be used by Fareshare and WRAP to continue and support and increase the food redistribution work that they already do and will significantly expand their sourcing capacity. They will be delivering food to around 5,000 frontline charities and these include refuges, homeless shelters and rehabilitation centres.

Finally I am conscious that there is a great deal of speculation about what the Prime Minster might say on Sunday when he outlines the roadmap for the future and how we will evolve the current restrictions.

The Prime Minister will outline any changes to the guidance on Sunday but in the meantime in spite of the sunny bank holiday it is vitally important that we continue to abide by the current restrictions, stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.

Concluding the press conference the Environment Secretary said:

I would also as I have done before like to conclude by recording my thanks to all those working in the food industry; from supermarkets and food manufacturers right through to farmers, there has really been quite an extraordinary effort over the last couple of months to ensure that we keep food on our supermarket shelves.

Thank you all very much.

VE DAY 75: Time to Remember

As the nation falls silent, some time for reflection …

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack pays tribute to the country’s wartime generation:

Today, the nation will unite to mark 75 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe, and the thoughts of people across Scotland will be with our wartime generation.

Victory in Europe is one of the most significant moments in Britain’s long history, a crucial milestone on the road to peace.

By 8 May 1945, Britain had lived through six years of global conflict. We had seen terrible losses, and huge sacrifices made at home and abroad. So many lives lost, so much suffering, so many families torn apart.

But we also saw huge courage and unbelievable fortitude. People made enormous sacrifices – that to most of us today seem unimaginable – all to put King and country first.

Those years of courage, pain and loss secured the freedoms and way of life we enjoy today. We would be living very different lives if we had not liberated Europe from fascism.

It is only right that today we take time to honour those who served, including those who continued to fight in the Far East until the August of 1945. In due course we will mark VJ day, of course, and thank them again for their service.

We must also remember those – including so many from Scottish regiments – who continued to fight in the Far East until the August of 1945. In due course we will mark VJ day, and thank them again for their service.

Scottish regiments fought bravely throughout the conflict, including in the D-Day landings. We must also thank all those who fought on the home front.

Communities faced onslaughts by the Luftwaffe as they tried to destroy our shipbuilding and munitions capacity. Clydebank was almost destroyed, and thousands of its citizens killed. But the Scottish people refused to be bowed, instead strengthening their resolve to defeat the enemy and fight for our country’s freedom.

Hundreds of Scottish children were evacuated to live with families in the countryside. They were kept safe, and many made lifelong attachments to their foster families. But they dearly missed, and were dearly missed by, their own families.

We are, of course, in the middle of a current, unprecedented, battle to control coronavirus. NHS staff, care teams and a vast army of key workers and volunteers have gone above and beyond for the common good. , and I believe we now feel a greater empathy than ever with the generations who witnessed VE Day in May 1945.

Unfortunately, due to the current emergency, communities across the UK will no longer be able to mark this important anniversary in quite the same way as we initially planned.

I know the British people will mark this historic occasion in new ways, to show our deepest gratitude and respect for those that gave so much to bring peace, freedom and prosperity to Europe. So, throughout today, there will be a thoughtful programme of events in which people can safely become involved while staying at home.

The official commemorations will begin at 11am when his Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will lead the nation in a two minute silence.

We will remember the fallen, and give thanks for those who came home to friends and family. People can join this national moment of reflection in whatever way is right for them – that might be sitting quietly inside, standing at your window or stepping outside your front door.

At 3pm, extracts from Sir Winston Churchill’s victory speech will be broadcast across national television and radio, to recreate the moment the end of the war in Europe officially was announced on 8 May 1945.

The Prime Minister will read the recently discovered Edmund Blunden poem ‘VE Day’.

Later in the day, there will be a broadcast of The Prince of Wales reading extracts from King George VI’s diary, relating the experiences of his grandfather on VE Day in 1945, including the King’s relief that the war in Europe was over.

In an uplifting aerial display, the Royal Air Force will provide breath-taking flypasts across the UK’s capital cities – modern RAF Typhoon jets fly over Edinburgh. People are encouraged not to gather to watch the flypast but continue to follow public health guidelines and enjoy the coverage from home.

We are all encouraged to join in a nationwide rendition of Dame Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’. Open your windows or front doors and sing along with your neighbours.

Then, as a fitting finale, Her Majesty The Queen will send a special message to the nation at 9pm, the exact moment her father, King George VI, gave a radio address in 1945.

We are living through difficult times just now, of course we are. But we will get through them. We will get though them together. Now, more than ever, we can all learn from the bravery, the resilience and the optimism of our wartime generation.

Raab: “we are now in a position to start to think about the next phase in this pandemic”

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab gave the 7 May 2020 daily press briefing on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic:

Good afternoon and welcome to today’s Downing Street Press Conference. I’m very pleased to be joined by Sir Ian Diamond the UK’s National Statistician from the ONS, And also by Dr Jenny Harries, Deputy CMO.

The latest data from our COBR coronavirus data file shows that, as of today:

  • there have now been 1,534,533 tests for coronavirus across the UK
  • that includes 86,583 tests carried out yesterday
  • 206,715 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 5,614 cases since yesterday

And those who tested positive, very sadly, 30,615 people have now died, and my deepest condolences go out to anyone who has lost a loved one throughout this pandemic.

Three weeks ago, before the Easter bank holiday weekend, I set out five tests for the UK to move on to the next phase in this pandemic. Then, just as now, there were calls to ease up on the restrictions. But as the science made clear, we couldn’t responsibly do that. In fact, the advice from the group of scientific experts, SAGE, who advise the government made it very clear that there weren’t any changes at all that we could confidently take, Without risking a second peak of the virus.

That’s why we asked the public to keep going. We weren’t done yet.

We said ‘stick to the plan’, and the British public kept going. People stuck to the rules. That meant working from home, it meant worries about money it meant adjusting to home schooling, time apart from family and friends, and just not doing many of the things which we all enjoy in life.

At the same time, there’s been a lot of people who, despite their own personal sacrifices, have gone the extra mile. They volunteered to support the elderly and the vulnerable in their community, who have been shielded themselves away from the virus.

And each Thursday, of course, we now come together to applaud the NHS staff, and the carers, the people who just kept going to keep our country going.

And because of that monumental effort we have now passed the peak of the virus. The NHS hasn’t been overwhelmed. We haven’t seen hospital wards overwhelmed with patients, people left without hospital beds, people left without the ventilators that can mean the difference between life and death.

Now I know the tragic death toll in this country and around the world has been sobering for all of us, and there have been real challenges in this country – with PPE, and with care homes.

But, in this first stage of the fight against COVID-19, through this national team effort, we’ve prevented the number of deaths rising to even higher levels, and we’ve ensured critically that the NHS had the capacity to cope.

Today the Cabinet was updated on SAGE’s advice on the progress that we’ve made to date. And as a result of the social distancing measures that we’ve put in place the R level, which signifies the rate of infection, is now between 0.5 and 0.9. The overall number of new cases has been steadily falling and the rate of deaths is also steadily falling.

Now, just to be clear about what all of this means in practice. The virus is not beaten yet.

It remains deadly and infectious, and we are working very hard right across government and with local government to bring it down in areas of concern, like in care homes, and I’m confident we can do it and we will do it.

But, because we held firm three weeks ago, we are now in a position to start to think about the next phase in this pandemic.

So, this weekend, the Prime Minister will set out the next steps which we can responsibly take over the following weeks, guided by the scientific advice and mindful, as we’ve said right from the word go, of taking the right decisions at the right time.

Now, we can start setting out how we will live and work, whilst maintaining the necessary social distancing rules, we can also be clearer about those measures which are still necessary to prevent a second peak.

The Prime Minister has been directing Ministers and our teams of officials right across government to carefully develop a road-map for the next phase.

It contains appropriate measures to be taken at appropriate milestones, subject to very clear conditions.

And there be detailed guidance to help inform, advise and reassure the public, businesses and other organisations.

To get this right, we have set milestones. Some changes can confidently be introduced more quickly than others, and some of those other ones will take longer to introduce.

And, it’s important to say this, at each point along the way when we take these decisions, they will be based on the five tests and the scientific advice that we receive.

And as I set out in the fifth of our five tests when I spoke here at this lectern, on 16 April, the point at which we make even the smallest of changes to the current guidance will be a point of maximum risk.

If people abandon the social distancing, if we forget the sacrifices that were made to get us through the peak, to get us to this point, the virus will grow again at an exponential rate.

That would lead to a second peak which would threaten the NHS. It would trigger another lockdown, which prolong the economic pain, and we we’re determined to keep it temporary, to keep it as short as possible.

So, we’ve kept the current measures in place for this long, precisely so that we can bounce back with vigour and energy as soon as possible, as soon as it is responsible to start looking at the second phase.

And because of that, our next steps will be surefooted and sustainable. Any changes we make will be carefully monitored. If people don’t follow the new rules, or if we see that the R-level goes back up, we will tighten the restrictions again, we will always retain the option to do so. That way we can safeguard public health and we can also safeguard the economy in a sustainable way.

So having prepared carefully, and based on the updated advice from SAGE, this weekend, the Prime Minister will set out the roadmap for the next phase, along with the conditions for reaching each milestone.

That way we can provide the country with a better understanding of what lies ahead, we can offer reassurance that we will adjust the restrictions to the minimum necessary to prevent a second spike in the virus, and we can give people the confidence that we’re doing it in a way that will protect life and preserve our way of life.

Read the government’s guidance about to coronavirus.

Give the cash to our councils, says Briggs

Scottish Conservative Lothian MSP Miles Briggs has hit out against Finance Secretary Kate Forbes’ refusal to pass on £150 million in funding from the UK government for Covid-19 relief.

City of Edinburgh Council, like the other 32 local authorities in Scotland, have been told to use their reserves for dealing with Coronavirus.  On 31 March 2019 Edinburgh had reserves of £243.1 million.

The UK Government announced another £1.6 billion in funding for local councils in England, but SNP Ministers are declining to hand the equivalent money on to cash strapped councils in Scotland.

The Scottish Conservatives have previously criticised cuts to council  budgets before the outbreak of Covid-19 and the withholding of funds to council to fight Covid-19 is a continuation of this trend.

Councils across Scotland have increasingly had to use their reserves to make up the reduction in council funding in the SNP/ Green budget each year, which has depleted their reserves and led to warning from Audit Scotland that Councils are running on empty.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “Edinburgh City Council has an important role to play in tackling Covid-19, but are being hindered by the refusal of SNP Ministers to pass on funding for Council that has been made available to Councils in England.

“Health and Social care services have been amongst the hardest hit by Coronavirus and they will continue to struggle if SNP Ministers to not provide them with proper funding.

“Councils are going to become increasingly important in the management of Covid-19 once lockdown is lifted and measures need to be put in place to limit social distancing and have adequate levels of PPE.

“To be effective they will need the funding to be able put these measures in place, funding which is currently being withheld by SNP Ministers.”

Coronavirus: UK death toll tops 30,000

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick yesterday gave the government’s latest response to COVID-19 and the work being done locally:

Good afternoon, Welcome to the coronavirus press conference from Downing Street.

I’m joined this afternoon by Professor Yvonne Doyle Medical Director for Public Health England and Dr Nikki Kanani Deputy Medical Director of Primary Care for NHS England.

Today’s data shows that:

  • 1,448,010 tests for coronavirus have now been carried across Great Britain, including 69,463 tests carried out yesterday
  • 201,101 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 6,111 cases since yesterday
  • 13,615 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus in Great Britain, down from 13,922 the yesterday
  • And sadly, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 30,076 have now died. That’s an increase of 649 fatalities since yesterday.

Behind that number is a heart-breaking loss for the loved ones of all those who have died, and once again our thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends.

Professor Yvonne Doyle will provide an update on the latest data on coronavirus.

But first, as Communities Secretary I would like to take this opportunity to give an update the work being done locally during the pandemic to keep people safe, to provide support people’s jobs and businesses and to prepare for the re-opening and recovery of our local economies.

That’s why it is appropriate that today we are joined by regional journalists who are doing so much to keeping people informed about how the national effort is being co-ordinated in their communities.

A free country needs a free press and the national, the regional and the local newspapers are under significant financial pressure.

I’d like to echo the words of the Culture Secretary recently in encouraging those who can, to buy a newspaper.

I have said before that the battle against coronavirus would be won in every city, town and village across the country.

This is a national effort taking place at a local level.

My department, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, has played a vital role in bringing people together to tackle the virus.

We’ve provided local authorities with over £3.2 billion during this pandemic so that they can continue to support the communities that need it through this most challenging time and respond to the immediate pressures they are facing due to coronavirus, while also protecting and preserving vital public services.

And at the start of March I established a taskforce to support Local Resilience Forums – known as LRFs – standing them up at a local level across the country, to prepare each and every community for a range of scenarios.

There are 38 LRFs in England which are made up of emergency services, a range of government agencies, health bodies and local authorities.

They are headed by the most senior and experienced local leaders of the emergency services, councils, the NHS and others who together are leading their communities through this crisis with the full support of central government.

Recognising the unprecedented challenge that we faced, I took the decision to embed within them some of the finest military planners in the world from our armed forces and I am very grateful for their work.

This combined expertise and leadership is ensuring a comprehensive, co-ordinated and consistent response across the country.

Responding to the urgent need for personal protective equipment to reach the frontline of the care sector, we’ve mobilised LRFs to help distribute PPE and thus far they have delivered over 67 million items in England alone, since early April.

Together with local councils, they are also assisting us in supporting some of the most vulnerable individuals in their communities and to date they have helped to ensure that a million boxes of food and essentials have now been delivered to those people identified by the NHS as extremely clinically vulnerable to coronavirus, the “shielded”.

With more than 290,000 boxes being distributed every week, this has been a huge team effort, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved for the role that they have played and will play in the weeks ahead.

We are also working very closely with Mayors to make sure that we have a coordinated approach to tackling coronavirus at a local level.

The government has also been determined to ensure that the vital work keeping people safe in their homes also continues.

So, with the support of the Mayors for London, the Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester, Sheffield and the West Midlands, and others, we were able to announce the Building Safety Pledge.

These Mayors have come together because they have a number of high rise buildings with highly flammable cladding in their respective regions, and the pledge that we agreed, sends a very clear message that vital building safety work must continue, despite the coronavirus pandemic.

And we have been joined by 25 local authorities, including 18 in London, have also given their fulsome support.

As work on many of these critical sites was paused early on, it is now slowly starting to reassume as a result of this initiative.

And I would urge any building owner or contractor to do so, as soon as practicable, where it is safe to begin work once again.

Now coronavirus will not stop our mission to level-up, to unite and to unleash the potential of this country.

The Prime Minister will set out on Sunday our approach the second phase of this pandemic.

As we look ahead to supporting businesses as they are able to re-open, my department will lead our work on how our local economies can adapt, evolve, recover and grow.

I will continue to support mayors and local government leaders, who will play critical roles in this work.

Every local economy now needs a plan to re-start and recover.

We will be informing those plans with our own detailed work in areas such as:

  1. How workplaces, from factories to construction sites to offices can be adapted.
  2. How outdoor spaces, leisure and businesses, from parks, to high streets, to markets can be managed.
  3. And how public transport networks, from the tube, to trams, to buses, can operate.

In each case, guided by scientific and medical advice, we want to ensure appropriate and safe social distancing, providing the public with the confidence to return to work, and to return to public spaces, to public transport and to school, knowing that it’s always safe to do so.

We are considering how we can create more room in the town centre for pedestrians.

How we can make it easier to cycle or walk to work.

And we will work with towns and places whose economies have been hardest hit intensively as the recovery begins.

And our commitment to infrastructure investment remains undimmed.

For example, over two thirds of HS2 sites are open.

We want infrastructure and construction work to begin again wherever it is safe to do so.

It is clear to everyone that the pandemic is putting huge pressure on economies the world over.

And there is no denying the challenges lie ahead in our own country.

But we cannot, and will not, let this pandemic halt our work to improve connectivity, to provide vital social and cultural infrastructure and to boost economic growth across the regions.

That’s is how we will begin to rebuild and recover from this national emergency.

We are working to ensure the right support is available to local businesses.

And last week high street businesses began to receive the £22 million package designed to mitigate some of the effects of coronavirus.

With grants of us to £25,000 being paid into bank accounts of those business.

And of course the 100 towns benefiting from our £3.6 billion Towns Fund will continue to receive our support.

And we will be working at pace with them in the months ahead.

Local authorities have now paid out over £8.6 billion in grants to around 700,000 businesses.

As Local Government Secretary I’d like to congratulate those councils that have worked extremely hard sometimes around the clock to get those grants out to the businesses that desperately need them.

I’d like to congratulate Chichester, Ealing and Hyndburn councils who are the three highest performing councils so far in England.

Businesses are also receiving discounts of almost £10 billion on their rates bills in response to COVID-19, with the hardest hit by the pandemic, such as shops, cafes and pubs, paying no business rates whatsoever this financial year.

Together with existing reliefs, this means that 1.1 million ratepayers are no longer paying business rates this year.

This week the Chancellor and I announced an additional 5% uplift – up to £617 million – available to local councils to fund small businesses that rent space in shared offices, industrial units or innovation centres, as well as regular market traders, B&Bs that pay council tax rather than business rates and also to support small charities.

And local councils will now how have flexibility to make pragmatic decisions to keep those business going so they can bounce back once they are able to do so.

Moving forward, our mission is to do everything we can to help people get back to work safely, to reunite friends and family and reintroduce the things that make life worth living in a safe way, as soon as it is safe to do so.

Finally, on Friday, we will celebrating as a country the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

My department had been helping to plan some of the public celebrations, but we know that sadly we will now all need to mark this important occasion from home instead.

Cabinet colleagues have been speaking with veteran organised by The Royal British Legion and I had the pleasure earlier this week of speaking to Leslie, a 98-year-old World War Two veteran, on the phone.

Leslie was full of warmth and wisdom, telling me how he spent VE Day in Siena having fought his way through North Africa and Italy, and how he would be spending Friday, more sedately, celebrating, at home.

As he said to me, that as we rebuilt and recovered then, he is certain we’ll do so again this year.

While one terrible milestone was passed yesterday, another, more positive, landmark was reached – the Westminster Government announced that over one  million boxes of essential food have now been delivered to those at highest risk across England.

  • Nationwide milestone reached as part of unprecedented government effort to protect the most clinically vulnerable from coronavirus
  • In the last week, the government-led programme has delivered 330,000 food boxes to those most at risk across England
  • Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick hails the ‘astonishing’ achievement, thanking everyone involved in the national effort

Over 1 million boxes of essential food have now been delivered to those at highest risk across England, with more than 290,000 boxes being distributed every week and 330,000 delivered in the last week, Communities Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP announced yesterday.

The Communities Secretary hailed the efforts of everyone involved in surpassing this milestone for the government-led programme, including national food distributors, Brakes and Bidfood, who have been delivering packages directly to clinically vulnerable people’s doorsteps.

The shielding programme, an unprecedented package of support for those most at risk from coronavirus, has seen government partner with the food industry and local councils to deliver a programme on a scale not seen since the Second World War.

Communities Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said: The coronavirus emergency has brought uncertain and difficult times but the willingness of people to pull together and support those most in need is an inspiration to us all.

This week, another significant milestone has been achieved with one million food packages delivered to those most at risk from the virus. This is an incredible achievement from this government programme’s standing start of at the end of March.

“I could not be prouder and I want to thank everyone involved, from the food box delivery drivers, to volunteers and council officials ensuring local support networks meet the needs of their communities – together, our continued and astonishing effort will provide the support that those most at risk need, for as long as they need it.”

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “I would like to say a big thank you to Brakes and Bidfood for getting more than one million food parcels onto the doorsteps of those in need. It is an excellent achievement in such a short space of time.

“The food and drink industry is working incredibly hard to support the most vulnerable at this time, but we know there is more to do. We are continuing to work closely with local authorities, charities and industry partners to support those who still need help getting essential food supplies.”

There are around 2.1 million people with underlying severe health conditions which make them most at risk from coronavirus who must be protected and have been asked to stay at home and shield.

Many have local family and friends who can get the vital provisions needed – but for those without, the government has committed to providing the support they need, for as long as they need it.

There is further guidance available on how people can access food and other supplies, including those who are not clinically extremely vulnerable.

Raab: ‘Be under no illusions: the next stage won’t be easy’

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab gave the 5 May 2020 daily press briefing on the UK government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic:

Welcome to today’s Downing Street press conference. I’m joined by Professor Angela McLean, Chief Scientific Advisor at the MOD.

First, let me give an update on the latest data that we have on coronavirus. I can report through the government’s ongoing monitoring and testing programme that as of today:

  • there have now been 1,383,842 tests for coronavirus across the UK, including 84,806 tests yesterday
  • we know that 194,990 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 4,406 cases since yesterday
  • and of those who have tested positive, 29,427 have very sadly died, and our hearts go out to everyone who has lost a loved one throughout the coronavirus challenge

We continue to see evidence of a flattening of the peak of this virus. But, as the figures that I have just read out show, it’s is not over yet. So, in the coming days, SAGE will be updating ministers with the latest scientific advice.

As ever, we will make sure that we continue to be guided by their advice as we take the decisions on next steps in fighting the virus. Alongside the advice from SAGE, our 5 tests remain absolutely key.

  • first, we must continue to boost NHS capacity, so that the NHS cannot be overwhelmed
  • second, we need to see a sustained and consistent fall in the number of deaths
  • thirdly, we must see further reductions in the rate of infection to manageable levels, across all different areas and settings
  • fourth, we must be confident that the NHS will be able to cope with future demands, including as a result of any changes that we make to existing measures or indeed any new measures we might wish to take
  • fifth, and above all, we need to be confident that any adjustments to the current measures will not risk a second peak of infections that could then overwhelm the NHS

Later on this week, the Prime Minister will update the country on the measures and decisions we will need to take to protect the NHS, to safeguard the economy and avoid the risk of a second peak that would be damaging both for public health, but also for jobs and the wider economy.

As we consider the decisions we will take next, to protect life, but also to protect our way of life, it’s now clear that the second phase will be different. We will need to adjust to a new normal where we as a society adapt to safe new ways to work, to travel, to interact and to go about our daily lives,

We’ve never experienced anything like this first stage of COVID-19, in terms of the scale of the lives lost but also the lockdown that it has required. As we go forward, we want to make sure that the next phase is more comfortable, is more sustainable and prevents lasting damage to jobs and livelihoods.

But we need to be under no illusions, the next stage won’t be easy. And if we’re going to protect life and preserve our way of life we must continue to be guided by the scientific advice we receive, and make sure the next steps we take are sure-footed and sustainable.

Before I hand over to Angela to run through the data slides, I want to provide an update on one further feature that coronavirus as a challenge has thrown up for this country, and indeed, for the whole world.

Whilst the vast majority of people, and countries have come together and rallied to this international mission to defeat coronavirus, there will always be some who seek to exploit a crisis for their own criminal and hostile ends.

We know that cyber criminals, and other malicious groups are targeting individuals, businesses, and other organisations by deploying COVID-19 related scams and phishing emails.

That includes groups that in the cyber security world are known as ‘advanced persistent threat’ groups – sophisticated networks of hackers who try to breach computer systems. We have clear evidence now that these criminal gangs are actively targeting national and international organisations, which are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, which I have to say makes them particularly venal and dangerous at this time.

We are working with the targets of those attacks, with the potential targets, and with others, to make sure that they are aware of the cyber threat, and that they can take the steps necessary to protect themselves or, at the very least, mitigate the harm that could be brought against them.

With that in mind, today, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have published a joint warning about these groups.

And we’ve offered some advice on the cyber criminals and other actors who are seeking to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic through malicious cyber activity. Our teams have identified campaigns targeting healthcare bodies, pharmaceutical companies, research organisations, and also various different arms of local government.

There are various objectives and motivations that lie behind these attacks, from fraud on the one hand to espionage. But they tend to be designed to steal bulk personal data, intellectual property and wider information that supports those aims, and they are often linked with other state actors.

We expect this kind of predatory criminal behaviour to continue and evolve over the coming weeks and months ahead, and we are taking a range of measures to tackle the threat. So, as we have done today, we will share advice on the nature of those threats to enable business, citizens and our international partners to better defend themselves against the full range of cyber-attack – from hostile states to criminal gangs.

Preventive action is often the very best way to deny attackers the opportunities they are looking for. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) offers a range of practical advice to safeguard against cyber-attacks. From things like the use of online passwords, to guidance on trusted sources of online information relating to COVID-19 like the GOV.UK sites or Public Health England.

As well as providing practical advice, the UK will continue to counter those who conduct cyber-attacks. And we’re working very closely with our international partners both to respond to the threats, but also to deter the gangs and the arms of state who lie behind them.

We’re absolutely determined to defeat coronavirus, and also to defeat those trying to exploit the situation for their own nefarious ends.

Coronavirus tracing app to be launched on Isle of Wight today

Isle of Wight residents will be the first to get access to a new contact tracing app as part of government action to minimise the spread of COVID-19.

  • Isle of Wight announced as first phase of new ‘test, track and trace’ programme
  • Rollout of NHS COVID-19 App to begin with the island’s NHS and council staff tomorrow, with all island residents to get access from Thursday
  • Data privacy and security paramount, with National Cyber Security Centre involved in app development
  • The app will be complemented by enhanced contact tracing using existing methods online and over the phone

Isle of Wight residents will be the first to be offered access to a new contact tracing app, as part of government action to test, track and trace to minimise the spread of COVID-19 and move towards safely reducing lockdown measures.

Everyone on the island will receive access to the official NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app from this Thursday, with NHS and council staff able to download from 4pm tomorrow, Tuesday 5 May.

Part of a new test, track and trace programme, the app will work together with enhanced contact tracing services and swab testing for those with potential COVID-19 symptoms to help minimise the spread of COVID-19.

Developed by NHSX, the technology arm of the health service, and a team of world-leading scientists and doctors, the app is designed to significantly speed up contact tracing, helping reduce the chance of the virus spreading by enabling us to rapidly identify people most at risk of infection so they can take action to protect themselves, the people they care about and the NHS.

When someone reports symptoms through the app, it will detect any other app users that the person has been in significant contact with over the past few days, including unknown contacts such as someone they may have sat next to on public transport.

The app will be able to anonymously alert these contacts and provide advice, including how to get a test to confirm whether or not they do have COVID-19. Users will be able order tests through the app shortly.

For those who may not have access to the app, or the ability to use a smartphone, there will be an option to report symptoms and order tests in other ways. As the integrated service develops, everyone who reports symptoms, including app users, will also be asked to record recent contacts using an online service (or through a telephone interview if they prefer), so that contact tracers can reach all contacts who may be at risk, whether or not those contacts are app users. Contacts will then be alerted either by the app or by email or telephone, advising them to self-isolate or offering public health advice.

As the test, track and trace programme rolls out nationally, expected in mid-May, Public Health England will oversee the deployment of 18,000 additional contact tracers to support the programme.

This first phase is a major step forward in the UK government’s next phase of the coronavirus strategy and will improve understanding of how this new integrated approach to test, track and trace will work for the rest of the population.

NHS and council staff will be emailed a download link on Tuesday afternoon. From Thursday the app will then open for all residents on the Isle of Wight. All households will receive a leaflet with clear instructions on how to download and use the app on Thursday, and a targeted marketing campaign will begin on Friday.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “The Isle of Wight is playing a vital role with this pioneering work to help keep Britain safe. This will pave the way for a nationwide roll-out when the time is right.

“Coronavirus is one of the greatest challenges our country has ever faced and this app will play a vital role in getting Britain back on her feet.

“The app will help control the spread of coronavirus by alerting people they may have come into contact with it and recommending appropriate action.

“This ground-breaking technology, combined with our heroic frontline health and social care staff, and both a nationwide contact tracing testing programme will ensure that we remain in the best position to move toward easing the lockdown.”

Matthew Gould, Chief Executive of NHSX, said: “Technology can help us get the country back on its feet.

“By launching the NHS COVID-19 app we can reduce transmission of the virus by alerting people who may have been exposed, so they can take action to protect themselves, the people they care about and the NHS.

“When combined with testing and enhanced web and phone contact tracing, this will help the country return to normality and beat coronavirus.”

Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Jonathan Van Tam, said: “By widespread testing those suspected to be infected with coronavirus, tracing their contacts and where appropriate advising them to self-isolate, we can slow the onward spread of the virus.

“This new app-based system, developed by technology experts in partnership with clinicians and scientists, will run alongside traditional contact tracing by PHE. If uptake and use is widespread it will give us the greatest room for manoeuvre to ease other social distancing measures.

Dr Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director and Director of Health Protection at Public Health England, said: “Alongside the NHS COVID-19 app, PHE’s phone and web-based contact tracing will be a critical part of the government’s strategy to get the country back on its feet.

“Taking these first steps on the Isle of Wight will help us prepare for a scale up of our contact tracing capacity, with an 18,000 strong team ensuring the contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases are followed up and given the information they need.”

The government has collaborated internationally and learned from examples of best practice across the world, which has informed the development of a bespoke approach that is right for the unique needs of the UK. The app uses similar Bluetooth low energy technology to that employed by Australia, Norway, and Singapore among others.

The privacy and security of users’ data is a priority and NHSX has involved experts from the National Cyber Security Centre to advise on best practice through the app’s development. Data will only ever be used for NHS care, management, evaluation and research and the NHS will comply fully with the law around its use, including the Data Protection Act.

The Isle of Wight was chosen to trial the project because it has a single NHS trust that covers all NHS services on the island.

Its geography as an island with a sizeable population makes it an ideal place to introduce the NHS COVID-19 app and wider testing service in its initial roll-out period.

Isle of Wight Council leader Dave Stewart said: “On behalf of the island I am very pleased we can be the first place to use this new digital technology in the country.

“I have always been keen to ensure we keep our special community safe from the virus but at the same time explore ways to enable us to get back up on our feet and move forward from it. This scheme offers the tightly controlled approach we need to help us do just that.

“Widespread tracing and testing holds the key to this ambition and if we are able to help the country move forward then the island will also have done its part in helping government in tackling this virus and re building our lives through safe social distancing when the time is right.

“I am sure islanders will rise to the challenge and help avoid post lockdown spread of the virus and keep people as safe as possible.”

The ambition of test and trace is to enable the UK to start to come out of some elements of lockdown. This will be a gradual process and public health experts are considering how best to do this in a way that keeps citizens safe and protects the NHS.

Small business Bounce Back Loans launch today

  • small businesses will be able to apply for quick and easy-to-access loans from today
  • businesses will be able to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000 with the cash arriving within days
  • loans will be 100% government backed for lenders, and businesses can apply online through a short and simple form

Thousands of small firms and sole traders – including high street staples like hairdressers, coffee shops and florists – will be eligible for 100% government-backed Bounce Back Loans to help them make it through the coronavirus outbreak.

From 9am this morning, small business owners can apply to accredited lenders by filling out a simple online form, with only seven questions.

The government has also agreed with lenders that an affordable flat rate of 2.5% interest will be charged on these loans. And any business that has already taken out a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan of £50,000 or less can apply to have these switched over to this generous new scheme.

The Bounce Back Loan scheme is the latest step in a package of world-leading support measures launched by Chancellor Rishi Sunak – with £7.5 billion already awarded in business grants, 4 million jobs supported through the job retention scheme and generous tax deferrals supporting hundreds of thousands of firms.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said: “Small businesses will play a key role creating jobs and securing economic growth as we recover from the Coronavirus pandemic.

“The Bounce Back loan scheme will make sure they get the finance they need – helping them bounce back and protect jobs.”

Business Secretary Alok Sharma (above) said: “We are backing small businesses, which are the backbone of our communities, with the support they need to stay afloat.

“This new scheme of 100% government-guaranteed loans gives owners of even the smallest businesses the confidence and flexibility to borrow a sum which works for them. This will help ensure they can continue to trade, and be a key part of our efforts to reboot the British economy.”

As part of the scheme, small businesses can borrow between £2,000 and £50,000. The government will provide lenders with a 100% guarantee and cover the cost of any fees and interest for the borrower for the first 12 months. No repayments will be due during this period to enable firms to get back on their feet.

The loans are available through a network of lenders, including the five largest banks.