Coronavirus news - live: 'Completely wrong' to say Boris Johnson's mass testing plan will save Christmas, Vallance warns
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Your support makes all the difference.England’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance poured cold water on Operation Moon Shot, warning it is “completely wrong” to say that ministers’ proposed mass coronavirus testing regime could allow for a return to semi-normality by Christmas - just minutes after Boris Johnson touted hopes that it could.
Speaking at Downing Street, the prime minister tightened England’s coronavirus restrictions, making it illegal from Monday for people to gather in groups larger than six, with some exemptions.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Donald Trump came under fire after it was revealed he had downplayed the potential severity of the virus to ‘avoid panic’.
And case numbers continue to rise around the world - with India reporting 90,802 new confirmed infections in a 24 hour period, the nation’s highest daily spike so far.
Gatherings ban could last until Christmas
Matt Hancock has said the ban on gatherings of more than six people will be in place for the "foreseeable future" - although he hopes it will turn things around by Christmas.
The health secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It's absolutely therefore the foreseeable future. I really hope we can turn this round before Christmas.
"I think that, in a pandemic, Christmas is a long way off.
"Three months is a long time in a pandemic and I very much hope this strong rule, together with the local action we've taken in places like Bolton... I very hope much therefore this can work to do that by Christmas."
Many observers were expecting Portugal to be placed on the UK government’s “no-go” list last weekend, but the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, gave the country a reprieve – saying that the rising numbers of cases was a result of sharply increased testing, writes travel correspondent Simon Calder.
But with increasing concern in central government about infection rates, it looks likely that Portugal will lose its short-lived exemption in the regular Department for Transport update on Thursday evening.
Will Portugal and Denmark be added to the quarantine list?
The islands of Madeira and the Azores are likely to remain on the exempt list, whatever happens
Jakarta to reimpose wide-scale restrictions
Indonesia's capital will reinstate wide-scale social restrictions as coronavirus cases and deaths increase and hospitals fill up.
Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan said the city will introduce the restrictions again "as soon as possible", adding that beds in intensive care units will be full as soon as 15 September even if 20 per cent more beds are added.
The social restrictions will be introduced in stages, and starting on 14 September non-essential work must be done from home.
Holding St Leger Festival behind close doors ‘right decision’
The decision to stop spectators attending the St Leger Festival race meeting after just one day has been welcomed by Doncaster's mayor.
Ros Jones, the elected Labour mayor of the town, had described the plan to allow limited numbers of race fans into the four-day festival as a pilot event as a "major risk".
The course welcomed an estimated 2,500 spectators to Wednesday's opening day, with a plan to increase the crowd to around 6,000 for the showcase Pertemps St Leger race on Saturday.
Boris Johnson was due to make a statement on the issue this afternoon, but Doncaster Council pre-empted that move by announcing it had instructed Arena Racing Company, which operates the track, to complete its meeting behind closed doors.
Ms Jones said: “Holding the St Leger Festival as a Government pilot caused confusion and gave mixed messages to the public around meeting people in various settings. I sympathise with the racecourse, those that have bought tickets and local businesses that benefit from the St Leger, but this is the right decision for Doncaster.”
PM to announce new lockdown restrictions
Boris Johnson is expected to announce a raft of new lockdown rules during a press conference later this afternoon.
Among the announcements will be a ban on gatherings of more than six people in England from Monday.
The UK government has launched a new campaign to combat the spread of coronavirus ahead of winter.
Boris Johnson first referred to the “Hands Face Space” slogan during a press conference more than one month ago.
What does the government's 'Hands, face, space' slogan mean?
Boris Johnson launched the campaign in the hope of reducing the spread of coronavirus ahead of winter
Coronavirus rates among young people increasing 'rapidly' in UK, Whitty warns
In the first Downing Street press conference for several weeks, Chris Whitty has said that the number of new cases has spiked rapidly since the start of September.
There has only been a slight rise in infections among older age groups, while there is a clearly starker upwards trajectory among 20 to 29-year-olds, which has risen to 41 infections per 100,000 people.
“Looking at the test positivity rates - so the proportion of tests done that turn out to be positive - these are following exactly the same pattern," he said. "And that’s important because that makes it clear this is not just because of increased testing, but this is actually a real phenomenon, where the numbers of cases are going up.”
‘We must act,' Boris Johnson says as he announces new legal restrictions on socialising
"It’s clear from these very powerful slides [showing rising infection rates] that we must act," said Boris Johnson. “And the most important thing for all of us is to remember the basics.”
Standing in front of a lectern reading “hands, face, space", he warned people not to “get back into the old habits” and remember to wash their hands, ensure they wear face coverings, and to keep two metres away from others. He also urged those with symptoms to get tests.
“I know that over time the rules have become quite complicated and confusing,” the prime minister conceded, adding: "We are simplifying and strengthening the rules, making them easier for everyone to understand and for the police to enforce.
“I should stress that if we are to beat the virus then everyone at all times should limit social contact as much as possible, and minimise interactions with other households.”
From Monday, “you will be breaking the law” if you meet with more than five other people from different households, Mr Johnson said.
“This will apply in any setting, indoors or outdoors, at home or in the pub,” he said, adding: “Anyone breaking the rules risks being dispersed, fined and possibly arrested.”
Covid-secure venues can still hold more than six people in total, Boris Johnson has said. Within those venues there must not be individual groups of more than six people. Education and work settings are unaffected.
Weddings and funerals can go ahead up to a limit of 30 people, and organised sport will still be able to proceed.
Two whole households will no longer be able to meet if they exceed six people, unless they are in a social bubble together.
He has tasked the cabinet with increasing enforcement of the rules. Premises and venues will now be legally required to request the contact details of a member of every party, and to retain these details for 21 days.
Fines and closures will be used to punish venues that do not comply, while “Covid-secure marshalls” will ensure social distancing is adhered to in the streets.
“I’m sorry about that and I wish that we did not have to take this step," Mr Johnson said. "But as your prime minister, I must do what is necessary to stop the spread of the virus and to save lives.
"Of course, we will keep the rule of six under constant review, and only keep it in place as long as is necessary.”
‘Mass testing could see life return to closer to normality,’ Boris Johnson says
In the event that a successful vaccine is not available as soon as hoped, the government has been working on a plan “which could allow life to return to closer to normality, and that plan is based on mass testing", Boris Johnson said.
While so far tests have been used primarily to identify positive cases, testing capacity will hopefully be expanded to 500,000 per day by the end of October, and “in the near future” testing could be used to identify people who are negative, the prime minister said.
This will allow them to behave in a more normal way, he said, saying that “new types of test which are simple, quick and scalable will become available”, which could turn around results in 90 or 20 minutes - but he conceded the technology was not ready yet.
“Crucially, it should be possible to deploy” millions of tests every single day, he claimed.
Theatres or sports venues could test an entire audience the day before an event, while workplaces could test employees every morning, he said of the “ambitious agenda”, which will be piloted in Salford at the end of next month.
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