Health secretary says coronavirus peak remarks 'over interpreted'
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Version 0 of 1. Government officials contradict each other over Easter date for highest number of fatalities in the UK The health secretary urgently sought to play down his suggestion that the peak number of deaths caused by coronavirus could fall as early as Easter Sunday – claiming his remarks had been “over interpreted”. Matt Hancock began his media appearances on Friday by saying it was “perfectly possible” the peak of the disease could arrive in nine days’ time. His comment led to confusion hours later at the daily Downing Street press conference as the government’s deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van-Tam, asked when the epidemic was expected to peak, said: “We don’t know the answer to that yet.” Van-Tam said it was “too soon to say” when the peak would hit, appearing to contradict the health secretary. “It will partly depend upon how well those social distancing measures are adhered to by every one of us,” he said. “I hope it will be soon. We’re going to watch very carefully to see when we’ve hit the peak and when we’re starting to turn it, but we will not take any premature actions.” Easter Sunday falls on 12 April this year, and Hancock had earlier said he would not steer people away from anticipating that date as the peak in the number of fatalities in the UK, though there was still uncertainty around it. He clarified his remarks during the Downing Street press conference on Friday evening after being asked again by Sky News when he thought the peak would fall. “The truth is that we don’t know,” he said. He claimed his remarks had been over interpreted and he had been clear that the government could not give a definitive answer in his earlier interviews. He said: “Actually, there’s a reason we don’t know, and that’s because it depends on how people act, and this is why the absolute central message, the most important message that anybody can take away from this press conference or the entirety of the government’s messaging and how we feel, is that you’ve got to stay at home.” The first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, said Hancock’s 12 April suggestion did not feel accurate considering the evidence she had assessed. She said: “I want to be very clear that nothing I have seen gives me any basis whatsoever for predicting the virus will peak as early as a week’s time here in Scotland.” Her chief medical officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, stressed: “I have not been able to find that the peak will be as soon as we’re hearing in the media today. Now is not the time to think that perhaps it will all be over soon.” Several government ministers have come under fire for giving mixed messages to the public, including the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, who incorrectly said people should only go shopping for food once a week, which was later corrected by No 10. Michael Gove also stepped in to explain that daily exercise should be a walk or run close to home after people had interpreted the government’s rule as allowing them to travel further afield. The prime minister has also been criticised for talking about plans for up to 250,000 tests a day. The health secretary confirmed the immediate aim was 100,000 tests a day by the end of April. |