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Category: Coronavirus

  • Penny Mordaunt – 2020 Statement on Covid-19

    Penny Mordaunt – 2020 Statement on Covid-19

    Below is the text of the statement made by Penny Mordaunt, the Paymaster General, in the House of Commons on 11 May 2020.

    I beg to move,

    That this House has considered Covid-19.

    We gather here today in the midst of a very great darkness that has descended upon our nation, and not just our nation—all nations. It has been by far the biggest challenge we have faced in a generation. We knew it was coming, but not when and not what its clinical characteristics would be. We trained to face it. How we have all responded to it has been a defining moment for us as individuals and as a nation. We have all been involved. We had no choice about dealing with it, but we had a choice about how we did so.

    In the past few weeks, the darkness that has engulfed us all has been emotional, economic and extensive, but it has been illuminated by a million points of light: the response from the British people has been immense. People in all our communities have performed selfless, heroic acts—stoic, disciplined, kind—from now Colonel Tom to our health and care workers, our scientific and tech community, businesses, those who came out of retirement, critical workers, volunteers and the public who through their resolve have reduced the rate of infection and sent this virus into decline.

    People have faced this crisis with personal courage and often good cheer, and I pay tribute to their resilience with pride. This virus called forth the question of who we are, and that question was answered—for families, for parents, for children, for communities, for the nation. It illuminated our values and our strengths: we chose to prioritise lives; we chose to support businesses and jobs; so many stepped up and volunteered; we pull together in times of crisis; we have seen the validation of a devolved but national health service that is free at the point of use and not linked to employment—our NHS. It has shown what we believe in and how much we value the actions of so many who are taking on a greater share of the risk to protect us all and defeat the virus, including, I am very proud to say, some Members of this House of Commons working in health or as first responders. When united in a national effort, the British people are a powerful force.

    The virus has also shown a fragility: the structural and funding complexity of social care; the invisibility of some of those in care settings and mental health, of those with learning or behavioural disabilities, as well as older people; the lack of resilience in supplies of equipment when faced with a crisis of global proportions; the obstacles to providing support to some of our most entrepreneurial people; and the challenges of getting the world working together when nations are also focused at home.

    This debate offers us parliamentarians the opportunity not just to scrutinise what has happened and the next steps in our response, but to discuss how we can continue to improve our resilience and adapt to what will be fundamental changes in the way we live

    our lives. This is, without doubt, an inflection point for our country and for the world, and we all need to rise to those challenges. We all have a role to play in finding solutions and answers.

    This debate affords us the opportunity to remember and mourn all those who have lost their lives to this disease, and to think of those who are grieving without comfort—in some cases, without having said goodbye. The reported death toll stands at 31,855 souls. Our thoughts, too, must be with those who have survived covid but whose health has been impaired as a consequence, and to acknowledge those who have had to put their treatment and therapy for other conditions on hold because the NHS would not have been able to cope unless they did so. The full cost of that sacrifice has yet to be counted.

    In particular, it is right that we acknowledge all those working in health and care who have succumbed to the disease. In full knowledge of the risks, they chose to work on the frontline to save lives, give comfort to others and provide care to those in their charge. The metaphor of this pandemic as a war against coronavirus has been used, and the courage and duty demonstrated by all those working with those who are infected is the same as going into battle. Many will have seen their friends fall ill. Some will have seen their colleagues die. And they will have headed back into the danger zone, day after day. I know that there will be disagreements during the course of this debate, but I also know that every Member of this House will want to express their gratitude and humility in the face of such service, and all will agree that, despite the difficulties, we must ensure that all frontline workers in this crisis have the equipment that they need to keep them safe. We are all aware of the challenges and of the efforts being made, but that is irrelevant. We must, and we will, do what is necessary.

    I also want to thank the volunteers who have stood up to help care and health services. This includes individuals who are facing the prospect of losing their job, financial hardship or worries about relatives. Instead of devoting themselves to their own needs or those of their families, they have gone into care homes, medical wards and Nightingale hospitals to serve their communities—often having to separate from their own loved ones to do so. Over 3 million additional volunteers stepped up.

    We should also thank the critical workers who have carried on so that we could all be fed, protected and provided for: those in the supermarket and the store; the police and fire services; post office workers; public transport workers; cleaners; prison officers; refuse collectors; pharmacists; teachers; nursery workers; public servants, especially those in the resilience forums; and, of course, our armed forces, who have delivered aid to those being shielded, brought testing to communities, and provided planning expertise at every level of this response and in every local resilience forum in the land—all while carrying out their other duties to protect the nation. They have taken risks for all our sakes.

    In the past few months we have seen so many people and organisations rally: from the businesses that adapted so swiftly to meet the needs of the nation, expanding services, altering their production lines and generously donating equipment and expertise; to the others who managed to keep their businesses going throughout this ordeal in order that they could provide for our families and support our public services. We must remember that without the wealth they generate, we cannot fund the services that we all rely on.

    We have been right to provide an unprecedented level of support to retain jobs and help cash flow, with 25,000 loans, half a million firms furloughing workers, and 600,000 grants. We as a Government and all of us as citizens must do all that we can to get Britain back to work and start the recovery, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has set out.

    We have seen charities, faced with their fundraising plans in tatters, lead the local response and, of course, the public have followed the requests of the chief medical officer by staying at home. It has been tough, especially for those in cramped housing with no gardens, but they have done it, and thanks to them R is now below 1. In the next phase of the response, we must all continue to demonstrate that resolve.

    In all the steps and all the issues that colleagues will raise in this debate, we will be more successful if we tackle them together, across party lines and across the Administrations of the United Kingdom, as we continue to do, with international co-operation, and across all sectors—public, private and the third sector—no longer deterred by dogma, just pulling together and focusing on what needs to be done.

    In that spirit, opening this debate affords me an opportunity to thank all Members of this House who joined the Cabinet Office daily calls at the start of the pandemic. They were cross-party and they were constructive. We helped each other to help our constituents, shared our ideas, cut down workloads and supported each other. The information gathered on personal protective equipment, care homes, businesses and operational matters was incredibly helpful to every Department.

    We should continue to work together not only to tackle the challenges but to seize the opportunities to tackle problems that were previously almost impossible. For example, since the start of this crisis, 90% of rough sleepers are now in accommodation. They are safe and secure. There will never be a better opportunity to wrap the services that those individuals need around them while we deal with the crisis, so we must.

    These are dark times, but they are also illuminating times. We have reminded ourselves, as a country, what we can do when we are united in a mission. Millions of us chose not to curse the dark but to light a candle. The British people have given us a beacon of hope in the days ahead.

  • Boris Johnson – 2020 Commons Statement on the Coronavirus (11/05/2020)

    Boris Johnson – 2020 Commons Statement on the Coronavirus (11/05/2020)

    Below is the text of the statement made by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, in the House of Commons on 11 May 2020.

    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.

  • Boris Johnson – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus (11/05/2020)

    Boris Johnson – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus (11/05/2020)

    Below is the text of the statement made by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, on 11 May 2020.

    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.

  • Keir Starmer – 2020 Response to the Prime Minister’s Statement

    Keir Starmer – 2020 Response to the Prime Minister’s Statement

    Below is the text of the statement made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 10 May 2020.

    This statement raises more questions than it answers, and we see the prospect of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland pulling in different directions.

    The Prime Minister appears to be effectively telling millions of people to go back to work without a clear plan for safety or clear guidance as to how to get there without using public transport.

    What the country wanted tonight was clarity and consensus, but we haven’t got either of those.

  • Boris Johnson – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus (10/05/2020)

    Boris Johnson – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus (10/05/2020)

    Below is the text of the statement made by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, on 10 May 2020.

    It is now almost two months since the people of this country began to put up with restrictions on their freedom – your freedom – of a kind that we have never seen before in peace or war.

    And you have shown the good sense to support those rules overwhelmingly.

    You have put up with all the hardships of that programme of social distancing.

    Because you understand that as things stand, and as the experience of every other country has shown, it’s the only way to defeat the coronavirus – the most vicious threat this country has faced in my lifetime.

    And though the death toll has been tragic, and the suffering immense.

    And though we grieve for all those we have lost.

    It is a fact that by adopting those measures we prevented this country from being engulfed by what could have been a catastrophe in which the reasonable worst case scenario was half a million fatalities.

    And it is thanks to your effort and sacrifice in stopping the spread of this disease that the death rate is coming down and hospital admissions are coming down.

    And thanks to you we have protected our NHS and saved many thousands of lives.

    And so I know – you know – that it would be madness now to throw away that achievement by allowing a second spike.

    We must stay alert.

    We must continue to control the virus and save lives.

    And yet we must also recognise that this campaign against the virus has come at colossal cost to our way of life.

    We can see it all around us in the shuttered shops and abandoned businesses and darkened pubs and restaurants.

    And there are millions of people who are both fearful of this terrible disease, and at the same time also fearful of what this long period of enforced inactivity will do to their livelihoods and their mental and physical wellbeing.

    To their futures and the futures of their children.

    So I want to provide tonight – for you – the shape of a plan to address both fears.

    Both to beat the virus and provide the first sketch of a road map for reopening society.

    A sense of the way ahead, and when and how and on what basis we will take the decisions to proceed.

    I will be setting out more details in Parliament tomorrow and taking questions from the public in the evening.

    I have consulted across the political spectrum, across all four nations of the UK.

    And though different parts of the country are experiencing the pandemic at different rates.

    And though it is right to be flexible in our response.

    I believe that as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom – Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, there is a strong resolve to defeat this together.

    And today a general consensus on what we could do.

    And I stress could.

    Because although we have a plan, it is a conditional plan.

    And since our priority is to protect the public and save lives, we cannot move forward unless we satisfy the five tests.

    We must protect our NHS.

    We must see sustained falls in the death rate.

    We must see sustained and considerable falls in the rate of infection.

    We must sort out our challenges in getting enough PPE to the people who need it, and yes, it is a global problem but we must fix it.

    And last, we must make sure that any measures we take do not force the reproduction rate of the disease – the R – back up over one, so that we have the kind of exponential growth we were facing a few weeks ago.

    And to chart our progress and to avoid going back to square one, we are establishing a new Covid Alert System run by a new Joint Biosecurity Centre.

    And that Covid Alert Level will be determined primarily by R and the number of coronavirus cases.

    And in turn that Covid Alert Level will tell us how tough we have to be in our social distancing measures – the lower the level the fewer the measures.

    The higher the level, the tougher and stricter we will have to be.

    There will be five alert levels.

    Level One means the disease is no longer present in the UK and Level Five is the most critical – the kind of situation we could have had if the NHS had been overwhelmed.

    Over the period of the lockdown we have been in Level Four, and it is thanks to your sacrifice we are now in a position to begin to move in steps to Level Three.

    And as we go everyone will have a role to play in keeping the R down.

    By staying alert and following the rules.

    And to keep pushing the number of infections down there are two more things we must do.

    We must reverse rapidly the awful epidemics in care homes and in the NHS, and though the numbers are coming down sharply now, there is plainly much more to be done.

    And if we are to control this virus, then we must have a world-beating system for testing potential victims, and for tracing their contacts.

    So that – all told – we are testing literally hundreds of thousands of people every day.

    We have made fast progress on testing – but there is so much more to do now, and we can.

    When this began, we hadn’t seen this disease before, and we didn’t fully understand its effects.

    With every day we are getting more and more data.

    We are shining the light of science on this invisible killer, and we will pick it up where it strikes.

    Because our new system will be able in time to detect local flare-ups – in your area – as well as giving us a national picture.

    And yet when I look at where we are tonight, we have the R below one, between 0.5 and 0.9 – but potentially only just below one.

    And though we have made progress in satisfying at least some of the conditions I have given.

    We have by no means fulfilled all of them.

    And so no, this is not the time simply to end the lockdown this week.

    Instead we are taking the first careful steps to modify our measures.

    And the first step is a change of emphasis that we hope that people will act on this week.

    We said that you should work from home if you can, and only go to work if you must.

    We now need to stress that anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work.

    And we want it to be safe for you to get to work. So you should avoid public transport if at all possible – because we must and will maintain social distancing, and capacity will therefore be limited.

    So work from home if you can, but you should go to work if you can’t work from home.

    And to ensure you are safe at work we have been working to establish new guidance for employers to make workplaces COVID-secure.

    And when you do go to work, if possible do so by car or even better by walking or bicycle. But just as with workplaces, public transport operators will also be following COVID-secure standards.

    And from this Wednesday, we want to encourage people to take more and even unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise.

    You can sit in the sun in your local park, you can drive to other destinations, you can even play sports but only with members of your own household.

    You must obey the rules on social distancing and to enforce those rules we will increase the fines for the small minority who break them.

    And so every day, with ever increasing data, we will be monitoring the R and the number of new infections, and the progress we are making, and if we as a nation begin to fulfil the conditions I have set out, then in the next few weeks and months we may be able to go further.

    In step two – at the earliest by June 1 – after half term – we believe we may be in a position to begin the phased reopening of shops and to get primary pupils back into schools, in stages, beginning with reception, Year 1 and Year 6.

    Our ambition is that secondary pupils facing exams next year will get at least some time with their teachers before the holidays. And we will shortly be setting out detailed guidance on how to make it work in schools and shops and on transport.

    And step three – at the earliest by July – and subject to all these conditions and further scientific advice; if and only if the numbers support it, we will hope to re-open at least some of the hospitality industry and other public places, provided they are safe and enforce social distancing.

    Throughout this period of the next two months we will be driven not by mere hope or economic necessity. We are going to be driven by the science, the data and public health.

    And I must stress again that all of this is conditional, it all depends on a series of big Ifs. It depends on all of us – the entire country – to follow the advice, to observe social distancing, and to keep that R down.

    And to prevent re-infection from abroad, I am serving notice that it will soon be the time – with transmission significantly lower – to impose quarantine on people coming into this country by air.

    And it is because of your efforts to get the R down and the number of infections down here, that this measure will now be effective.

    And of course we will be monitoring our progress locally, regionally, and nationally and if there are outbreaks, if there are problems, we will not hesitate to put on the brakes.

    We have been through the initial peak – but it is coming down the mountain that is often more dangerous.

    We have a route, and we have a plan, and everyone in government has the all-consuming pressure and challenge to save lives, restore livelihoods and gradually restore the freedoms that we need.

    But in the end this is a plan that everyone must make work.

    And when I look at what you have done already.

    The patience and common sense you have shown.

    The fortitude of the elderly whose isolation we all want to end as fast as we can.

    The incredible bravery and hard work of our NHS staff, our care workers.

    The devotion and self-sacrifice of all those in every walk of life who are helping us to beat this disease.

    Police, bus drivers, train drivers, pharmacists, supermarket workers, road hauliers, bin collectors, cleaners, security guards, postal workers, our teachers and a thousand more.

    The scientists who are working round the clock to find a vaccine.

    When I think of the millions of everyday acts of kindness and thoughtfulness that are being performed across this country.

    And that have helped to get us through this first phase.

    I know that we can use this plan to get us through the next.

    And if we can’t do it by those dates, and if the alert level won’t allow it, we will simply wait and go on until we have got it right.

    We will come back from this devilish illness.

    We will come back to health, and robust health.

    And though the UK will be changed by this experience, I believe we can be stronger and better than ever before. More resilient, more innovative, more economically dynamic, but also more generous and more sharing.

    But for now we must stay alert, control the virus and save lives.

    Thank you very much.

  • Grant Shapps – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus

    Grant Shapps – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus

    Below is the text of the statement made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 9 May 2020.

    Opening remarks

    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.

  • Vaughan Gething – 2020 Statement on the NHS and Covid-19 in Wales

    Vaughan Gething – 2020 Statement on the NHS and Covid-19 in Wales

    Below is the text of the statement made by Vaughan Gething, the Minister for Health and Social Services in Wales, on 6 May 2020.

    We are moving out of a period of COVID-19 critical planning and response and into a longer period where our health and care system must remain both prepared for any future peaks and effectively providing essential services and other high quality care and treatment for the people of Wales.

    In March I made a number of decisions to ensure early and decisive action to continue to provide care and support to the most vulnerable people in our communities, whilst also making sure organisations and professionals were supported to prepare local responses to the public health emergency. The NHS in Wales has already delivered a remarkable response to the COVID-19 health emergency since receiving the first coronavirus patients and now we must take the next steps.

    To maintain momentum and to ensure the system continues to focus its attention on the provision of a wider range of services, I have issued an NHS Wales COVID-19 operating framework for quarter 1 (2020/21).

    The document highlights four types of harm that could emanate from Covid-19 which we must remain focused on and guard against. These are;

    Harm from COVID-19 itself

    Harm from an overwhelmed NHS and social care system

    Harm from a reduction in non COVID-19 activity

    Harm from a wider societal actions / lockdown

    This framework will drive, even further, our systems focus on the two components of ensuring both a continued effective response to COVID-19 whilst providing other essential services in a careful and balanced manner.

    I have taken advice from professional colleagues, including NHS Chief Executives and Medical Directors. This advice demonstrates consensus across the health and care system that we must ensure delivery of essential services for our population and where possible recommence more routine care. The advice I have received also says that this must be done progressively, with caution and in a flexible and agile manner to ensure confidence for the public and staff.

    This framework is set under a number of themes;

    New ways of working and workforce wellbeing – Staff have created and quickly embraced new ways of working to respond to the COVID19 challenge- offering benefits in terms of safety and quality to both staff and patients whilst also contributing to reduced congestion in primary care and hospital settings. We must continue to build on this work and harness the opportunities it has provided.

    Examples of the scale of transformation include the rollout of video consultations safely to primary care. Locally and nationally these new ways of working must be sustainably embedded.

    This framework recognises the importance of the wellbeing of our workforce, and in particular those staff who have been under significant pressure in responding to COVID 19 and they must be at the forefront of our minds. Pressures may increase again in the next few months. I am clear that appropriate testing systems must be in place and be informed by the impending Testing Strategy being developed to support and help sustain staff.

    Managing COVID 19 – It will always be difficult to guarantee that health and social settings will be COVID free, however patients using the NHS must be confident that hospital environments are as safe as possible. The key criterion I will looking to organisations to be assured on include:

    Ongoing and consistent application of Infection Prevention and Control guidance.

    Identification of COVID “zones” and dedicated isolation facilities. I will be anticipating that regional solutions are explored along with the targeted use of independent sector hospitals and field hospitals to support the separation of covid and non-covid activity in the immediate term.

    New service or specialty based triage and streaming processes in both unscheduled and planned care to support the separation of patient services.

    Continued implementation of Acute Pathways for COVID 19 and the related rehabilitation
    Assurance on the availability of sufficient physical and workforce capacity that reflect the need to maintain social distancing and infection prevention and control measures.

    The framework reflects my determination that we retain our ability to quickly activate additional critical care capacity, if we enter into another peak.

    “Essential” services – I am clear that Essential Services should be maintained at all times throughout the pandemic. An Essential Services technical document has been developed in line with The World Health Organization (WHO) guidance. If, in any areas of essential services, the response to COVID 19 has led to backlogs they must be urgently addressed. Ultimately I recognise that some decisions on treatment will rest between patients and their clinicians, taking account of their specific risks during the COVID outbreak.

    “Routine” services – We know that capacity exists in some parts of our system to support the re-introduction of routine services. The reintroduction of these services is a local operational decision for Health Boards and Trusts in conjunction with relevant partners. These decisions must be taken with care, and organisations need to assure themselves that it is safe and appropriate to do so. I outline how they need to assure themselves in the framework.

    Primary care – For General Medical Services we have seen a shift to telephone first triage; this must remain in place during Quarter 1 and I encourage it longer term. Equally our community pharmacy services have been under significant pressure and have introduced new ways of working to manage patient care safely and efficiently, these too must continue where the benefits are clear.

    All routine primary care dental treatments and check-ups continue to be cancelled. Dental practices with NHS contracts remain ‘open’ for remote triage, the provision of advice and the issuing of prescription. Further guidance will be issued separately to this framework about the future status and restoration of dental services. In optometry services, a number of practices remain open for emergency and essential eye care services. Health boards must continue to ensure urgent patients are seen.

    Social Care Interface – Finally the framework makes clear that NHS organisations must continue to work with partners to ensure an effective interface with social care. This is in line with the approach set out in “A Healthier Wales” and the framework makes clear how this must happen.

    There has been clear and consistent messages for the public that the NHS is still available at times of need despite COVID-19. We must continue to ensure that key services are available and patients can access them, now and in the future.

    To help patients access these services over the last eight to ten weeks there has been a seismic level of transformation across our system. We must reflect on these changes but not dwell on them. They must be adopted, adapted and applied. This framework supports the health and care system in moving to the next phase of providing services.

  • Lee Waters – 2020 Statement on Sustainable Transport after Covid-19

    Lee Waters – 2020 Statement on Sustainable Transport after Covid-19

    Below is the text of the statement made by Lee Waters, the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport in Wales, on 7 May 2020.

    Today I am writing to all local authorities in Wales to invite them to put forward expressions of interest to introduce temporary measures to improve the safety and conditions for sustainable and active travel modes in their area.

    We will make grant funding available to respond quickly to the transport opportunities and challenges that the Covid 19 crisis brings.

    We are currently experiencing unprecedented changes that affect all aspects of our lives, and transport, across all modes, is particularly affected. With the restrictions imposed, we have seen large reductions in motorised traffic on all parts of the road network, much reduced patronage of buses and trains and higher rates of walking and cycling, both for essential journeys and for daily exercise. We have seen a vast increase in digital remote working which has shown that we do not all need to travel long distances for work, and we wish to see this maintained as we find a new normal. For the sake of the air we all breathe, the world’s climate and public health, we need to try and lock in this shift and avoid returning to pre-Covid travel patterns.

    With our support, we want local authorities in Wales to follow the example set by towns and cities across the globe, and to take action to achieve this. These measures should not be limited to large urban areas, as the same principles apply for smaller towns in rural areas. We are seeking expressions of interest from local authorities across Wales to introduce measures to ensure the safety and reliability of sustainable transport modes during and following the Covid 19 crisis. We are looking for low cost – high impact imaginative measures that can be quickly developed and rapidly introduced as well as other measures that reduce the impact and reliance on car journeys.

    There are two main reasons for this call to action:

    Firstly, we want to protect public health and safety. The expectation is that social distancing will need to be observed for many months to come. The space available on footways and shared use paths is often wholly insufficient to allow safe passing distances. There is also additional pressure on the available space from queues outside shops and at bus stops. As a result, pedestrians and cyclists are frequently forced to step or ride into the carriageway to avoid close passing. Whilst this is largely possible with current traffic volumes, it is already problematic for many, for example those with reduced mobility or young children, and it will become extremely unsafe when traffic volumes increase.

    Secondly, we want to address potential increases in car use. There is a high degree of uncertainty regarding the public’s willingness to use public transport modes once restrictions are eased. There is already evidence from China which showed much reduced public transport use and significant increases in car use. There is therefore a high risk that, if no action is taken, we will see even greater percentages of journeys being undertaken by car in Wales in the future. This would clearly go against the policy direction we want to achieve across Government and lead to negative impacts for people, society and the environment. We therefore need to use the current reduction in volumes proactively to create conditions that make non-car modes safer, healthy and convenient.

    We therefore invite initial expressions of interest for funding for ‘pop-up’ measures that enable social distancing. These can include schemes such as footway widening, temporary cycle lanes, speed restrictions, and bus infrastructure improvements enabling social distancing.

    Measures aimed at improving walking and cycling should prioritise routes that are part of existing or planned active travel route networks, in particular routes to schools. A package approach combining different measures is likely to be most effective. Most measures are expected to be introduced on a temporary or experimental basis. However, where they are effective, should be introduced on a permanent basis.

    We are asking for initial expressions of interest by 21 May to allow us to gauge the overall funding requirement. We will then seek additional information as required before considering the proposals further. We envisage measures to be introduced from early summer.

  • Mark Drakeford – 2020 Statement on Wales and Ending Lockdown

    Mark Drakeford – 2020 Statement on Wales and Ending Lockdown

    Below is the text of the statement made by Mark Drakeford, the Welsh First Minister, on 8 May 2020.

    The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (‘the Regulations’), impose restrictions on gatherings, the movement of people, and the operation of businesses, including closures, in Wales. They impose requirements on businesses that are open to take reasonable measures to ensure physical distancing between people. This has been done to help protect everyone from the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

    Under regulation 3(2) Welsh Ministers are required to review the need for the requirements and restrictions in the Regulations every 21 days. The second review was due by 7 May.

    We carried out this second review using the latest evidence from the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and the advice of the Chief Medical Officer for Wales. While we have passed the first peak of infection and rates continue to fall, it is still too early for significant lifting of requirements or restrictions.

    This means that schools will not be opening up over the next three weeks beyond what is already permissible under the Regulations.

    The reproduction rate of the virus continues to fall. It is below the rate of 1 above which we would see exponential growth. Our NHS has coped well and is continuing to build capacity. Plans are in place to build-up our test, track and trace capability, and to ensure the continued availability of PPE. These conditions, taken together, will allow us to continue to take incremental steps over the coming weeks and months to ease restrictions when it is safe to do so.

    The improving situation and latest evidence on transmission of the virus has meant we have been able to consider some minor adjustments to the Regulations to come into force on Monday. SAGE advises that the risk of infection is diminished outdoors, but physical distancing of 2m must be maintained and groups must not congregate. Given the significant health and wellbeing benefits of exercise, we are bringing forward amendments to the Regulations to allow for exercise more than once a day.

    We will work with our partners across Wales to plan for additional activity that can take place outdoors if conditions continue to improve. Garden centres can open provided they adhere to the physical distancing duty.

    People who can work from home should continue to do so. We will continue to work closely with our partners in the public sector, trade unions, businesses, the third sector and others, to support businesses and employees who cannot work from home to carry out their work safely.

    Amendments will be brought forward to the Regulations to allow people to leave their home to access some specified public services; starting with Household Waste and Recycling Centres and libraries. The timing of these changes will need to be agreed with local authorities and service operators, so that there is time to put in place guidance and protocols.

    To increase democratic oversight, we will amend the Regulations to remove the Welsh Ministers’ power to terminate requirements or restrictions by direction. This means that all changes to the principal Regulations must be brought before the Senedd.

    We keep the Regulations under continuous review so that we can respond to the latest evidence on transmission of the virus, effectiveness of the requirements and restrictions, and levels of compliance, as soon as needed.

    Our preference remains a four-nation response to coming out of lock-down, and we remain in consultation with all parts of the UK. Our duty is to the people of Wales, and our decisions will be based on the evidence and specific circumstances of Wales.

  • George Eustice – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus

    George Eustice – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus

    Below is the text of the statement made by George Eustice, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on 8 May 2020.

    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.