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UK coronavirus live: Hancock says contact tracing system in place 'in weeks' as death toll rises by 759 UK coronavirus live: Hancock says contact tracing system in place 'in weeks' as death toll rises by 759
(32 minutes later)
Today’s rise takes UK hospital death toll to 18,100, as health secretary says 15 social care staff are among those to die with Covid-19Today’s rise takes UK hospital death toll to 18,100, as health secretary says 15 social care staff are among those to die with Covid-19
Downing Street has rejected suggestions that Sir Simon McDonald, the head of the Foreign Office, was pressurised into withdrawing his statement to a select committee yesterday saying the government took a political decision not to participate in the EU’s ventilator procurement scheme. Asked who put pressure on McDonald, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “Nobody.”
Asked to explain McDonald’s surprise decision to issue a statement saying that his original evidence had been based on a “misunderstanding” (see 9.37am), the spokesman said:
The government’s current position is that it failed to take part in the EU procurement scheme because of a communications error, which meant ministers were not aware of the opportunity available.
As my colleague Daniel Boffey reports, the European commission has challenged this account, saying the UK was well aware of what was on offer.
But, as the Guardian reported last month, before the government started arguing that the UK did not participate in the scheme because of a communications problem (one source claimed the problem was to do with emails being missed), Downing Street said it was not taking part in the scheme because the UK was “no longer a member [of the EU]” and was “making our own efforts”.
A senior police officer has given an emotional thank-you speech to NHS staff who cared for him when he contracted Covid-19.
Chief Superintendent Phil Dolby tweeted updates about his condition, including breathing difficulties, in the first week after falling ill, but was then admitted to intensive care and put on a ventilator.
The West Midlands police officer spent more than three weeks in Worcester Royal Hospital, and was brought to tears as he made his way out to the sound of applause from NHS staff.
As he made his way out of the hospital in a wheelchair, Dolby became tearful as he said:
Speaking of her relief, his wife Mary said:
The health of construction workers is being “threatened by watered down advice” on physical distancing on building sites, Unite has said.
The union said the latest guidance being given to building workers – issued to coincide with a return to work at a large number of sites this week, particularly in the London area – was unsafe and placed them at unnecessary risk.
The guidance now states that where workers are required to work within two metres of each other, they should “work side by side, or facing away from each other, rather than face to face”, the union said.
When this is not possible and workers have to work “face to face” within two metres of each other, workers should “keep this to 15 minutes or less where possible”.
Unite has written to the business secretary Alok Sharma warning that workers’ lives were being endangered and asking that the “defective procedures” be withdrawn immediately.
The union has also launched a hotline so that workers can report concerns and provide evidence of unsafe working practices.
Unite national officer Jerry Swain said:
Liz Truss, the women and equalities minister (and international trade secretary), has dismissed concerns over the number of female ministers leading the daily Downing Street coronavirus press conference as “tokenism”. At a committee hearing this morning, Truss said “excessive focus” on the gender of the politician leading the televised briefing “does a disservice to women”. Our colleague Frances Perraudin has the full story.
There have now been 309,000 applications for the government to pay the wages of furloughed staff through its coronavirus job retention scheme, Downing Street has said. That means 2.2m workers could benefit, it says. The scheme opened on Monday.There have now been 309,000 applications for the government to pay the wages of furloughed staff through its coronavirus job retention scheme, Downing Street has said. That means 2.2m workers could benefit, it says. The scheme opened on Monday.
Hundreds of asylum seekers in Glasgow have been given less than an hour’s notice to pack up their flats before being moved into city centre hotels, where they claim social distancing is “impossible”, our colleague Libby Brooks reports.Hundreds of asylum seekers in Glasgow have been given less than an hour’s notice to pack up their flats before being moved into city centre hotels, where they claim social distancing is “impossible”, our colleague Libby Brooks reports.
The day after announcing limited prisoner release to ease pressure in Scotland’s jails, justice secretary Humza Yousaf has been challenged on emergency amendments that extend 24 hours a day detention and lift requirements for clean clothes. The day after announcing limited prisoner release to ease pressure in Scotland’s jails, the justice secretary, Humza Yousaf, has been challenged on emergency amendments that extend 24-hour-a-day detention and lift requirements for clean clothes.
The head of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, Judith Robertson, and the Scottish prisons’ inspector, Wendy Sinclair, met Yousaf earlier today to raise significant human rights concerns about the amendments to prison rules. The head of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, Judith Robertson, and the Scottish prisons inspector, Wendy Sinclair, met Yousaf earlier today to raise significant human rights concerns about the amendments to prison rules.
Robertson told the Guardian:Robertson told the Guardian:
The pair also raised issues around oversight and scrutiny, as well inconsistent practise around different prisons. The pair also raised issues around oversight and scrutiny, as well as inconsistent practice around different prisons.
There are already serious concerns about prisoners’ well-being after family visits were suspended and exercise and other activities severely restricted because of social distancing. The Scottish government announced plans to provide phones in cells last week, with some necessary security restrictions. There are already serious concerns about prisoners’ wellbeing after family visits were suspended and exercise and other activities severely restricted because of social distancing. The Scottish government announced plans to provide phones in cells last week, with some necessary security restrictions.
The Department for Health and Social Care has just published the latest daily UK coronavirus hospital death figures. There have been 759 new deaths, taking the total to 18,100.The Department for Health and Social Care has just published the latest daily UK coronavirus hospital death figures. There have been 759 new deaths, taking the total to 18,100.
The full details are here.The full details are here.
Yesterday the daily rise was 823.Yesterday the daily rise was 823.
The Guardian’s latest Politics Weekly podcast is out. Jonathan Freedland and guests discuss a historic week in Parliament, as Prime Minister’s Questions goes “virtual”, and Larry Elliott speaks to the Enlightened Economist, Diane Coyle, about the potential for economic reform post-pandemic. The Guardian’s latest Politics Weekly podcast is out. Jonathan Freedland and guests discuss a historic week in parliament, as prime minister’s questions goes “virtual”, and Larry Elliott speaks to the Enlightened Economist, Diane Coyle, about the potential for economic reform post-pandemic.
NHS England has announced 665 further deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 16,272. The full figures are here (pdf).
Of the 665 new deaths announced today:- 119 occurred on 21 April- 254 occurred on 20 April- 108 occurred on 19 April
The figures also show 175 of the new deaths recorded took place between 1-18 April, and the remaining nine deaths occurred in March, with the earliest new recorded death taking place on 22 March.
NHS England releases updated figures each day showing the dates of every coronavirus-related death in hospitals in England, often including previously uncounted deaths that took place several days or even weeks ago. This is because of the time it takes for deaths to be confirmed as having tested positive for Covid-19, for post-mortem examinations to be processed, and for data from the tests to be validated.
The figures published today by NHS England show 8 April currently has the highest total for the most hospital deaths occurring on a single day: 828.
Public Health Wales has announced another 15 people have died in Wales after testing positive for Covid-19, bringing the total there to 624.
A further 274 cases were confirmed, bringing the total number to 8,124. A total of 28,088 tests have now been carried out.
Further information here.
Thank you so much to everybody who has been in touch so far today with tips and suggestions for the live blog. If you have any ideas or stories, do feel free to message me via the usual channels (below) and apologies if I cannot reply to you all individually.
Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.comTwitter: @lucy_campbell_
During PMQs Sir Ed Davey, the acting Lib Dem leader, called for a judge-led inquiry into the government’s handling of coronavirus. Dominic Raab said he did not agree, saying people would expect the government to be focusing now on handling the crisis.
In a post-PMQs briefing, Keir Starmer’s spokesman also said the time was not right for an inquiry. The spokesman said:
Ken Clarke, the former Tory chancellor, said he expects it will take several years for the UK economy to recover from the pandemic – and even then it won’t “bounce back” to where it was. He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One today:
Labour’s Maria Eagle asks if there is a link between Liverpool having a higher than average incidence of coronavirus and the government’s decision to allow the Liverpool v Atlético Madrid match to go ahead on 11 March. The government’s deputy chief scientific adviser has said there might be a link. Does the government think there is a connection?
Hancock says that is a question for the scientists.
And that’s the end of the Hancock statement.
The UK has signed an agreement with Greece to clamp down on migrant crossings in the east Mediterranean, the Home Office has announced.
A significant proportion of undocumented migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa who seek to reach the UK first pass through Greece on their journey across Europe.
The Home Office said the joint action plan, signed by the UK and Greek governments, is designed to tighten asylum and returns processes, enhance work to dismantle migrant smuggling networks and renews the deployment of a Border Force cutter, a patrol vessel that picks up migrants in the Mediterranean.
Chris Philp, the minister for immigration compliance, said:
This is from the Labour MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan
She has repeatedly urged the UK government to bring its advice in line with that of the World Health Organization, which recommends self-isolation for 14 days as you can still spread the virus after the symptoms have resolved.
Labour’s Barry Sheerman, appearing via Zoom, tells Hancock that the “management and leadership of this present crisis has been shambolic”. He says the UK has lagged behind Germany and that a death toll of around 800 people (the daily figure at certain points) is equivalent to two jumbo jets crashing.
He also claims that NHS whistleblowers have been leant on not to tell the truth about conditions in the NHS. He goes on:
Hancock says Sheerman had misjudged his tone, and missed what the government was doing. The prime goals were to flatten the curve, and to ensure the NHS was not overwhelmed. Both of those challenges had so far been met, he says.
And he says Sheerman is wrong to say whistleblowers have been silenced.