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| UK coronavirus live: Matt Hancock announces contact tracing app as UK hospital death toll passes 10,000 | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Official total reaches 10,612, a daily rise of 737; Boris Johnson leaves hospital but will not yet return to work | Official total reaches 10,612, a daily rise of 737; Boris Johnson leaves hospital but will not yet return to work |
| The Scottish government is to publish data on the deaths of elderly care home residents from Covid-19 after disclosing more than a third of Scotland’s care homes have had coronavirus cases.Jeane Freeman, the Scottish health secretary, sought to douse a secrecy row over the data by confirming the Care Inspectorate had been told of Covid-19 cases in 406 adult care homes, 37% of the total.The inspectorate, the government agency responsible for inspecting the sector, came under fire from Labour and the Conservatives on Saturday after telling the BBC it had to file a freedom of information request if it wanted detailed figures on deaths and suspected infections at care homes.Under new emergency laws introduced by the Scottish government, backed by the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Information Commissioner, public agencies now have up to 60 working days to reply to FoI requests – three times the previous legal limit.There has been growing anxiety about a surge of Covd-19 deaths in care homes, with several homes experiencing significant outbreaks involving multiple deaths, amid continuing rows about their access to protective equipment and GPs refusing to visit.More than 50 care home residents, many of whom have serious underlying health conditions, are thought to have died from Covid-19.Speaking after disclosing that 566 people had now died in Scotland from the virus, with 24 further fatalities in the last 24 hours, Freeman said more detailed figures on care homes would now be published this week.“We’ve always said we are determined to make sure that the information we have is shared with you as transparently as we possibly can. But it’s really important that we’re confident about the robustness and accuracy of that information,” she said.The latest national figures for Scotland, which will be revised after further cases are confirmed following the Easter bank holiday, showed a total of 5,912 positive cases, up by 322 from Saturday, and 221 people in intensive care, up by nine. | |
| Predictions regarding deaths “are not possible”, Hancock and Doyle said, as it all depended on the behaviour of the British population. | |
| Asked whether the government would have to ask itself whether it had the right policies in place in terms of NHS staffing and funding but also immigration after the crisis, Hancock said his party had brought in the NHS visa, and wanted to “pay tribute” to immigrants who have “given their lives working in the NHS”. | |
| “I’m delighted we went into this crisis with record numbers of people and record numbers of funding in the NHS,” he added. | |
| Pressed on whether the UK’s response to the crisis and the ordering and distribution of PPE and other vital equipment have been too slow, Hancock said he doesn’t “quite agree with that”. | |
| “We had the stockpiles, we went into this with the stockpiles”, adding the challenge was distribution, and that now used up stockpiles had to be “replenished”. | |
| Hancock said it is “incumbent” on the government “to learn everything we can so we can better protect people in the future.” | |
| He said there is currently no advice on how long the PM will need to recover fully and that the government is working “incredibly efficiently” in the meantime. | |
| Pressed on testing in care homes and asked whether he can guarantee the care sector that they can get regular tests, Hancock said he can, “that is coming”. | |
| “This is an area of incredibly high importance,” he said. He added that one of the things the country has succeeded in in this crisis is that people have recognised that care staff are on the frontline as much as NHS staff. | |
| Answering a follow-up question on testing in care homes and the timescale of testing becoming available to them, Hancock said the testing was being rolled out “right now”. | |
| Asked whether he wants to apologise to healthcare staff in light of calls by the Royal College of Nursing to refuse treatment to patients if no appropriate PPE is available, Hancock said the government is “working night and day” to ensure they “get this right”, but does not apologise. | |
| Asked about the delivery of PPE, Hancock said “we won’t rest” until everyone gets the necessary PPE delivered, and praised procurement experts. | |
| Asked about reports that the UK could have the highest death toll in Europe, Hancock responded that “the future of this virus is unknowable”. | |
| Doyle added that every single one of the over 10,000 deaths is “an absolute tragedy”. | |
| Doyle starts out by sharing some data on the reduced use of transport and motor vehicles. | Doyle starts out by sharing some data on the reduced use of transport and motor vehicles. |
| In terms of new UK cases, 838 NHS staff had tested positive yesterday and today and, she said. | In terms of new UK cases, 838 NHS staff had tested positive yesterday and today and, she said. |
| The rate of people in hospital beds in London is stabilising, Doyle said, but in other regions such as the North West and the North East trends were worsening now, she said. | The rate of people in hospital beds in London is stabilising, Doyle said, but in other regions such as the North West and the North East trends were worsening now, she said. |
| Hancock was speaking at a desk bearing the message: “Stay home this Easter”. | Hancock was speaking at a desk bearing the message: “Stay home this Easter”. |
| He has now handed over to Yvonne Doyle, medical director and director of health protection for Public Health England. | He has now handed over to Yvonne Doyle, medical director and director of health protection for Public Health England. |
| 121,000 PPE gowns have been delivered over the past week, Hancok says. “Thank you to all involved in the herculean effort on PPE,” he says. | 121,000 PPE gowns have been delivered over the past week, Hancok says. “Thank you to all involved in the herculean effort on PPE,” he says. |
| He says he wants to outline the next steps for tracing infections via an app, that will allow people to log their symptoms anonymously, data only to be used by NHS staff. | He says he wants to outline the next steps for tracing infections via an app, that will allow people to log their symptoms anonymously, data only to be used by NHS staff. |
| The app is being tested, Hancock says. | The app is being tested, Hancock says. |
| A “record number” of 9,775 ventilators is now available, Hancock says. | A “record number” of 9,775 ventilators is now available, Hancock says. |
| “We are increasing the amount of PPE, and I’m glad to say that there are now record amounts in the system,” he says. | “We are increasing the amount of PPE, and I’m glad to say that there are now record amounts in the system,” he says. |
| “Today marks a sombre day”, Hancock says, as the death toll has topped 10,000 in the UK. | “Today marks a sombre day”, Hancock says, as the death toll has topped 10,000 in the UK. |
| A total of 19,945 people had now been admitted to hospital, he says, which means about half of all hospital admissions have died. | A total of 19,945 people had now been admitted to hospital, he says, which means about half of all hospital admissions have died. |
| Today is “extra tough”, he says, and thanks people for the part they are playing but warns against complacency. | Today is “extra tough”, he says, and thanks people for the part they are playing but warns against complacency. |
| An additional 150 critical care beds are now available, he says. | An additional 150 critical care beds are now available, he says. |
| The government’s daily coronavirus briefing has just started, today led by Matt Hancock. | The government’s daily coronavirus briefing has just started, today led by Matt Hancock. |
| Hancock says he hopes everyone has seen the PM’s “message of love”, and that this will have shown people that the NHS cares for all. | Hancock says he hopes everyone has seen the PM’s “message of love”, and that this will have shown people that the NHS cares for all. |
| The prime minister praises the NHS staff who have been taking care of him during his stay in St Thomas’ hospital. He left the south London hospital after a week of treatment and will go to Chequers to continue his recovery: | The prime minister praises the NHS staff who have been taking care of him during his stay in St Thomas’ hospital. He left the south London hospital after a week of treatment and will go to Chequers to continue his recovery: |
| Around half of the A&E staff at the Royal Gwent hospital in Newport, Wales, one of the worst-affected areas in the UK for coronavirus, have tested positive for Covid-19. | Around half of the A&E staff at the Royal Gwent hospital in Newport, Wales, one of the worst-affected areas in the UK for coronavirus, have tested positive for Covid-19. |
| According to consultant Tim Rogerson, 50% of the consultants and nurses at the Royal Gwent hospital’s accident and emergency department have tested positive. Rogerson said he had tested positive himself. | According to consultant Tim Rogerson, 50% of the consultants and nurses at the Royal Gwent hospital’s accident and emergency department have tested positive. Rogerson said he had tested positive himself. |
| The doctor revealed the statistics in a video shared by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board - as he said he had also tested positive for the virus and had been off work since experiencing “mild to moderate” coronavirus symptoms. | The doctor revealed the statistics in a video shared by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board - as he said he had also tested positive for the virus and had been off work since experiencing “mild to moderate” coronavirus symptoms. |
| 1,453 people have tested positive for Covid-19 at the health board, which includes Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen, making it the biggest cluster in Wales and one of the worst in the UK. | 1,453 people have tested positive for Covid-19 at the health board, which includes Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen, making it the biggest cluster in Wales and one of the worst in the UK. |
| “This has obviously happened despite all of the PPE that we’ve got and all the hand washing that we’re doing but it’s probably just a likely thing that’s going to happen when we’re faced with such numbers of patients coming in with coronavirus,” he said.“It’s probably inevitable and it is proving a challenge when it’s coming to staffing the department when we are facing these numbers coming through.” | “This has obviously happened despite all of the PPE that we’ve got and all the hand washing that we’re doing but it’s probably just a likely thing that’s going to happen when we’re faced with such numbers of patients coming in with coronavirus,” he said.“It’s probably inevitable and it is proving a challenge when it’s coming to staffing the department when we are facing these numbers coming through.” |
| Rogerson also urged members of the public to stay indoors over the Easter weekend as breaching social distancing guidelines would hit the hospital’s intensive care unit capacity in “two weeks’ time”.“Although it’s difficult, we really do want people to abide by the guidance, to stay at home and protect the NHS,” he said. | Rogerson also urged members of the public to stay indoors over the Easter weekend as breaching social distancing guidelines would hit the hospital’s intensive care unit capacity in “two weeks’ time”.“Although it’s difficult, we really do want people to abide by the guidance, to stay at home and protect the NHS,” he said. |
| The Department of Health and Social Care has updated the total number of deaths from Covid-19 of people in hospitals in the UK to 10,612, as of 5pm Saturday, a daily rise of 737. | The Department of Health and Social Care has updated the total number of deaths from Covid-19 of people in hospitals in the UK to 10,612, as of 5pm Saturday, a daily rise of 737. |
| On Saturday, there had been 9,875 hospital deaths recorded in the UK, with a day-on-day rise of 917. | On Saturday, there had been 9,875 hospital deaths recorded in the UK, with a day-on-day rise of 917. |
| As of 9am 12 April, 352,974 tests have concluded, with 18,000 tests on 11 April, the department said. 282,374 people have been tested of which 84,279 tested positive. | As of 9am 12 April, 352,974 tests have concluded, with 18,000 tests on 11 April, the department said. 282,374 people have been tested of which 84,279 tested positive. |
| While the daily increase of deaths has slowed, it is unclear how high the actual daily death toll is, as many deaths are being reported days or even weeks after they have occurred. | While the daily increase of deaths has slowed, it is unclear how high the actual daily death toll is, as many deaths are being reported days or even weeks after they have occurred. |
| London Mayor Sadiq Khan has shared a message of reassurance on Twitter, announcing a citywide mental health and wellbeing movement in the capital aimed at supporting Londoners who feel “worried, anxious or lonely”. | London Mayor Sadiq Khan has shared a message of reassurance on Twitter, announcing a citywide mental health and wellbeing movement in the capital aimed at supporting Londoners who feel “worried, anxious or lonely”. |
| The website of this new campaign, Thrive LDN, contains a message directly addressed to “young Londoners”, urging them “to stay apart and keep our physical distance to ensure we stop the spread of the virus.” | The website of this new campaign, Thrive LDN, contains a message directly addressed to “young Londoners”, urging them “to stay apart and keep our physical distance to ensure we stop the spread of the virus.” |
| Hi all, this is Jedidajah Otte, taking over from my colleague Jessica Murray. If you want to share updates or a story please get in touch via email or on Twitter. | Hi all, this is Jedidajah Otte, taking over from my colleague Jessica Murray. If you want to share updates or a story please get in touch via email or on Twitter. |