Boris Johnson news – live: Keir Starmer challenges PM over handling of coronavirus crisis as Priti Patel confirms 14-day quarantine for UK arrivals
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Your support makes all the difference.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has challenged Boris Johnson over his handling of the coronavirus crisis at PMQs, asking the prime minister: “Who’s been in direct control up until now?”
Mr Johnson was challenged on why he had promised a “world-beating” test and trace programme when it wasn’t yet fully operational. It follows leaked figures suggesting only four in 10 coronavirus patients identified by the scheme have provided information about their recent contacts.
The scheme’s chief executive Baroness Dido Harding was asked by MPs at the health and social care committee to send “reams of letters” with data on how the programme is working to account her lack of answers, citing concerns the testing and tracing figures were not yet “validated”.
Home secretary Priti Patel confirmed to MPs the government is going ahead with a 14-day quarantine plan for arrivals to the UK from 8 June. Elsewhere, transport minister Kelly Tolhurst confirmed the government is still considering establishing “air bridges” with other countries.
Speaking at the Downing Street, Mr Johnson urged the public not to meet indoors in light of the rain, as he warned “there could be a second wave, a kind of kinetic pulse of disease sweeping across the world”, in a view echoed by Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance.
It came as new Office for National Statistics figures showed there have been more than 50,000 fatalities in the UK with Covid-19 on the death certificate – at least 10,000 more than the government’s official toll, which only includes those who had been tested.
Test and trace stats not ready yet, says No 10
Figures on the test and trace scheme would only be released once they had been verified and processes had been discussed with the statistics watchdog, Downing Street has indicated.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “We are encouraged by the progress so far and are working with the UK Statistics Authority to consider what information it would be useful to publish on the performance of the service and taking the time to ensure this is verified.”
Boris Johnson quickly drops pledge to explore extra help for migrants left destitute by benefit rules
The prime minister last week agreed to look again at the ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) rule – barring many migrants from making claims, even during the coronavirus pandemic – even as he appeared not to know about it, Rob Merrick reports.
But, asked to provide more detail, Mr Johnson switched tack, arguing the condition did not mean the people affected were “excluded from all public funds”.
“They may be eligible for coronavirus job retention scheme funds or self-employed income support scheme funds,” he told MPs. “Indeed, if they have paid into the benefit system, they may be eligible also for certain benefits.”
Later, the prime minister’s spokesman, asked if the comments meant it was “case closed” – with no review to follow – indicated they did, adding: “That is his answer, as far as I know.”
The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said Mr Johnson’s latest comments suggested he still did not understand the implications of the harsh policy.
Nurses demonstrate outside Downing Street
Nurses from a new campaigning group demonstrated outside Downing Street demanding better pay and improved personal protective equipment, particularly for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) staff, who are at higher risk of dying from Covid-19.
Nurses United UK said the profession was too often ignored and it wanted more of the healthcare professionals to actively fight for better pay and demand more protection against coronavirus.
Several nurses, dressed in scrubs and face masks, protested outside the gates of No 10 on Wednesday, holding placards saying ‘Sack Cummings Save Lives’ and ‘Boris your clapping sucks. Raise our pay instead’.”
Organiser Anthony Johnson, 27, said: “There is an issue where people don't listen to nurses, they ignore our voices. We want nurses to get active.”
Johnson said he feared there would be a second coronavirus peak and there needed to be “real protection” against Covid-19 for nurses, particularly BAME staff.
Nurse Ameera Sheikh also held a placard in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
It said: “I’m not black but I see you. I’m not black but I hear you. I’m not black but I will mourn with you. I’m not black but I will fight for you.”
Ameera Sheikh (PA)
NHS Test and Trace statistics should be public by next week, chief executive says
Baroness Dido Harding has refused to reveal the proportion of new cases whose contacts had been traced since the programme was launched six days ago, saying she would only give a "flavour" of the scheme because the data was not yet validated.
She told the Health and Social Care Committee: "This is a service that is only six days old, and building trust in NHS Test and Trace is going to be absolutely critical. So, we need to make sure that any data that we share is accurate and validated."
Former health secretary and committee chair Jeremy Hunt responded: "I'm quite disappointed with that because we did give you notice of the questions ... We were told we were going to have a 'world-beating' system and I don't think it's unreasonable to ask quite simple questions."
Baroness Harding said the programme would produce a weekly "dashboard" providing data on the programme both at a national and local level, hopefully by next week.
It comes after Channel 4 published leaked figures suggesting only four in 10 coronavirus patients identified by the scheme have provided information about their recent contacts, days after Matt Hancock insisted the "vast majority" of new cases had been contacted in the "successful" scheme.
'Lovely stories' emerging from test and trace scheme, chief executive says
"The vast majority of people that we are contacting and asking to self-isolate are very pleased to," Baroness Dido Harding has told the Health and Social Care Committee. "We've had some really lovely stories.
"Initially a number of our contact tracers were very nervous that they would have a series of difficult calls. Instead they've been having really positive calls.
"One example was an individual who said they had been about to go out to a family barbecue but now they've spoken to our contact tracer obviously they wouldn't want to put their friends and family at risk and have stayed at home."
A "significant proportion" are very keen to follow the guidance, Baroness Harding says, adding: "The actual conversion that we are most concerned about is from people having symptoms to them ordering a test. Because if they don't enter the test and trace system, we can't then deliver our part of the bargain."
She says not enough people are ordering a test if they feel unwell, adding that recent polling suggested only 44 per cent of adults contacted knew that everybody is now eligible for a test.
Test and trace chief asked to write 'ream' of letters to committee next week with missing statistics
Health and Social Care Committee chair Jeremy Hunt has asked Baroness Dido Harding to write to the committee before the end of next week with answers to questions he says she was given notice of in advance of Wednesday's hearing.
Here are his questions, none of which were given answers today.
How many people are contacted within 24 hours when they've tested positive, what proportion of people? What proportion of people are willing to share their close contacts? How many of those close contacts are then contacted by the call centres within the following 24 hours? And what do we think the compliance rate is with self-isolation?
Baroness Harding replied: "I'm delighted to say that I will do that with only one proviso which is that the data I send you I want to make sure that the UK Statistics Authority are happy with."
She referenced a stinging rebuke of the government's use of testing figures from the watchdog yesterday as a reason not to provide figures unless they were wholly validated.
It followed a visibly frustrated Jeremy Hunt saying: "You must know that, that just can't be right.
"You're telling me you don't actually know how many tests come back within 24 hours and you're in charge of NHS test and trace."
Boris Johnson is due to head up the Downing Street briefing shortly, flanked by Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance.
Official UK coronavirus death toll rises by 359 to 39,728 - as ONS data shows true figure above 50,000
The Department of Health and Social Care's count of fatalities has risen to nearly 40,000.
However, data collected by the ONS shows there have been more than 50,000 deaths with Covid-19 on the death certificate in the UK.
Boris Johnson is urging the public not to meet indoors now that the spate of good weather appears to have turned.
"The risks of passing on the virus is significantly higher indoors, which is why gatherings inside other people's homes are still prohibited," the prime minister said.
"Breaking these rules now could undermine and reverse all the progress that we've made together. I've no doubt that won't happen. I think the British public will continue to show the same resolve in fighting the virus as they have throughout this outbreak."
Follow our breaking story, including warnings from all three Downing Street podiums of a possible second wave.
Number of new cases is not coming down fast, Sir Patrick Vallance says
"Because the R stays relatively close to 1 that means that this is not coming down fast," the chief scientific officer says.
If the R rises above 1, new cases of the virus will again be rising exponentially.
"And so we have relatively large numbers not coming down fast ... and that gives relatively little room for manoeuvre, it means we have to tread very cautiously as we go forward," Sir Patrick says.
Hospital admissions are decreasing he says, with 431 admissions on 1 June in England, down from a daily peak of more than 3,000.
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