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| UK coronavirus live: government publishes new batch of coronavirus papers from Sage | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Trial begins for new contact-tracing app while government’s top scientists are questioned by MPs | Trial begins for new contact-tracing app while government’s top scientists are questioned by MPs |
| Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, is about to give evidence to the Commons health committee alongside Prof Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England. | |
| I’ll be covering the hearing in detail. | |
| As usual, there is a good scene-setter in Jack Blanchard’s London Playbook briefing. Here is an excerpt. | |
| The government has just released a large batch of papers from Sage, its Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. There are a mix of notes about meetings, from 4 February to 14 April, and background papers considered by the group. | |
| The full set is available here. | |
| Here are main items on the agenda for the day. | |
| 9.30am: Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, and Prof Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England, give evidence to the Commons health committee. | |
| 9.30am: The Office for National Statistics publishes its latest weekly death figures. | |
| 12pm: Matt Hancock, the health and social care secretary, takes questions in the Commons. At 12.30 he will also answer an urgent question on coronavirus. | |
| 12pm: Downing Street is expected to hold its daily lobby briefing. | |
| 12.30pm: The Scottish and Welsh governments are due to hold their daily coronavirus briefings. | |
| 2.30pm: Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, gives evidence to the Lords EU committee about the Brexit trade talks. | |
| 2.30pm: The NFU president, Minette Batters, gives evidence to the Commons environment committee. | |
| 5pm: The UK government is expected to hold its daily coronavirus briefing. | |
| The Scottish government’s clinical director Jason Leitch says that the Covid-19 tracing app currently being trialled on the Isle of Wight will only be used in Scotland if he is confident that the public’s data is secure. He told BBC Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland: | |
| Leitch reiterated what first minister Nicola Sturgeon set out at her media briefing on Monday, that the Scottish government is currently working on a Scottish version of digital test, trace, isolate – which may be in app or web form - to help with booking a test, getting the result and also allowing individuals to enter their contacts. But then a human being will be involved who will get in touch and ask people to describe their day in order to identify contacts. | |
| Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Matthew Weaver. | Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Matthew Weaver. |
| As reported already, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has been giving interviews this morning calling for a national consensus on relaxing the lockdown. (See 7.26am.) | As reported already, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has been giving interviews this morning calling for a national consensus on relaxing the lockdown. (See 7.26am.) |
| Starmer has also set out seven principles that he says should govern policy on relaxing the lockdown. Here they are, as set out by Labour (although I have added the numbers). | Starmer has also set out seven principles that he says should govern policy on relaxing the lockdown. Here they are, as set out by Labour (although I have added the numbers). |
| Government sources have said Starmer is asking for things that are happening already. | Government sources have said Starmer is asking for things that are happening already. |
| Doctors at the UK’s only treatment centre for homeless people have warned of a potentially massive coronavirus outbreak without more such facilities. | Doctors at the UK’s only treatment centre for homeless people have warned of a potentially massive coronavirus outbreak without more such facilities. |
| Sir Keir Starmer says Labour wants the contact tracing app to work. | Sir Keir Starmer says Labour wants the contact tracing app to work. |
| He told Today: | He told Today: |
| Asked about privacy he said: | Asked about privacy he said: |
| Starmer did not deny that he had requested the resignation of Labour’s general secretary Jenny Formby, a key ally of Jeremy Corbyn. “It was a mutual agreement,” he said. | Starmer did not deny that he had requested the resignation of Labour’s general secretary Jenny Formby, a key ally of Jeremy Corbyn. “It was a mutual agreement,” he said. |
| Hancock also suggested the public have a “duty” to install the contact-tracing app on their smartphones. | Hancock also suggested the public have a “duty” to install the contact-tracing app on their smartphones. |
| “If you download the app you are doing your duty and you’re helping save lives,” he told BBC Breakfast. | “If you download the app you are doing your duty and you’re helping save lives,” he told BBC Breakfast. |
| Matt Hancock has insisted there is “high privacy” in the coronavirus contact-tracing app. | Matt Hancock has insisted there is “high privacy” in the coronavirus contact-tracing app. |
| He said a user’s phone will store anonymously the information about all the phones it has been within two metres of for more than 15 minutes in the previous few days. | He said a user’s phone will store anonymously the information about all the phones it has been within two metres of for more than 15 minutes in the previous few days. |
| He said one of the aspects being tested in the trial on the Isle of Wight is whether the best thing is for someone who gets a message saying they have been in contact with someone with symptoms should self-isolate “in case you develop the symptoms”. | He said one of the aspects being tested in the trial on the Isle of Wight is whether the best thing is for someone who gets a message saying they have been in contact with someone with symptoms should self-isolate “in case you develop the symptoms”. |
| He told BBC Breakfast: | He told BBC Breakfast: |
| The Health Service Journal reported that the app had so far failed tests needed to be included in the NHS app library. | The Health Service Journal reported that the app had so far failed tests needed to be included in the NHS app library. |
| The government insisted the HSJ report was untrue. | The government insisted the HSJ report was untrue. |
| Labour’s leader, Keir Starmer, said that just as there was a consensus going into lockdown, there should be consensus coming out. | Labour’s leader, Keir Starmer, said that just as there was a consensus going into lockdown, there should be consensus coming out. |
| Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain he said: | Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain he said: |
| He said protective equipment for workers is not a “luxury item” that would be “nice to have”. | He said protective equipment for workers is not a “luxury item” that would be “nice to have”. |
| The health secretary, Matt Hancock, has defended the decision to build the contact-tracing app from scratch and decline offers of help from Google and Apple. | The health secretary, Matt Hancock, has defended the decision to build the contact-tracing app from scratch and decline offers of help from Google and Apple. |
| Speaking to Sky News he said: | Speaking to Sky News he said: |
| Hancock also conceded that more discussions would need to take place with trade unions and employers to ensure that workplaces are safe to return to when the lockdown is eased. | Hancock also conceded that more discussions would need to take place with trade unions and employers to ensure that workplaces are safe to return to when the lockdown is eased. |
| He said: | He said: |
| Hancock did not rule out imposing sanctions on employers who fail to offer safe work places, but he refused to go into details. | Hancock did not rule out imposing sanctions on employers who fail to offer safe work places, but he refused to go into details. |
| The Isle of Wight Tory MP, Bob Seely, urged people in his constituency to back the new coronavirus contact-tracing app being piloted on the island. | The Isle of Wight Tory MP, Bob Seely, urged people in his constituency to back the new coronavirus contact-tracing app being piloted on the island. |
| Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: | Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: |
| Welcome to our UK coronavirus live blog. Council and NHS workers on the Isle of Wight will be the first to try out the new contact-tracing app as the trial on the island gets under way on Tuesday | Welcome to our UK coronavirus live blog. Council and NHS workers on the Isle of Wight will be the first to try out the new contact-tracing app as the trial on the island gets under way on Tuesday |
| If successful the app will be rolled out across the UK as ministers hope will form a key part of their strategy for easing the lockdown. | If successful the app will be rolled out across the UK as ministers hope will form a key part of their strategy for easing the lockdown. |
| Meanwhile, the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, has called for a “national consensus” on easing the restrictions, amid concerns that lifting the measures could put some workers at risk. | Meanwhile, the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, has called for a “national consensus” on easing the restrictions, amid concerns that lifting the measures could put some workers at risk. |
| Starmer said “People rightly need confidence that it’s safe before they go back out to work, travel or use public services.” He called for a “national safety standard” for businesses, schools and public services, with clear guidelines on social distancing. | Starmer said “People rightly need confidence that it’s safe before they go back out to work, travel or use public services.” He called for a “national safety standard” for businesses, schools and public services, with clear guidelines on social distancing. |
| Later on Tuesday morning two of the government’s leading coronavirus experts will be questioned by MPs. The chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, and England’s deputy chief medical officer, Jenny Harries will appear before the Commons health and social care committee at 9.30am. | Later on Tuesday morning two of the government’s leading coronavirus experts will be questioned by MPs. The chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, and England’s deputy chief medical officer, Jenny Harries will appear before the Commons health and social care committee at 9.30am. |