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| Coronavirus: UK sent 50,000 Covid-19 samples to US for testing | Coronavirus: UK sent 50,000 Covid-19 samples to US for testing |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The government has admitted sending about 50,000 coronavirus tests to the US last week for processing after "operational issues" in UK labs. | The government has admitted sending about 50,000 coronavirus tests to the US last week for processing after "operational issues" in UK labs. |
| The Department of Health said sending swabs abroad is among the contingencies to deal with "teething problems". | |
| The samples were airlifted to the US in chartered flights from Stansted Airport, the Sunday Telegraph said. | The samples were airlifted to the US in chartered flights from Stansted Airport, the Sunday Telegraph said. |
| Results will be validated in the UK and sent to patients as soon as possible. | Results will be validated in the UK and sent to patients as soon as possible. |
| A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said expanding Britain's virus testing network had involved setting up an "entirely new" lab network to process tests, adding "contingencies" - such as sending swabs abroad - were in place for when "problems arise". | A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said expanding Britain's virus testing network had involved setting up an "entirely new" lab network to process tests, adding "contingencies" - such as sending swabs abroad - were in place for when "problems arise". |
| Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick defended the kits being sent to the US, telling the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that the move "shows our determination to get the job done". | Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick defended the kits being sent to the US, telling the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that the move "shows our determination to get the job done". |
| Meanwhile, the government has sent an urgent alert to hospitals recalling 15.8m protective goggles due to safety concerns. | Meanwhile, the government has sent an urgent alert to hospitals recalling 15.8m protective goggles due to safety concerns. |
| Although the "Tiger Eye" protectors, purchased in 2009 during the swine flu pandemic, were in CE marked boxes - meaning they should have met European Union safety requirements - the goggles have since been retested and do not provide proper splash protection. | |
| Commenting on the recall, which was first reported in the Sunday Telegraph, a DHSC spokeswoman said the safety of frontline staff was "our top priority". | Commenting on the recall, which was first reported in the Sunday Telegraph, a DHSC spokeswoman said the safety of frontline staff was "our top priority". |
| She added that hospital trusts should have enough goggles to "immediately stop" using the "Tiger Eye" protectors. A further 9.2m of the goggles are in quarantine, she added. | She added that hospital trusts should have enough goggles to "immediately stop" using the "Tiger Eye" protectors. A further 9.2m of the goggles are in quarantine, she added. |
| The revelations come as the government failed to hit the 100,000 daily tests target set by Health Secretary Matt Hancock for the seventh day in a row. | The revelations come as the government failed to hit the 100,000 daily tests target set by Health Secretary Matt Hancock for the seventh day in a row. |
| There were 96,878 tests delivered in the 24 hours up to 09:00 BST on Friday, down from 97,029 the day before. | There were 96,878 tests delivered in the 24 hours up to 09:00 BST on Friday, down from 97,029 the day before. |
| Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said his "ambition" was to hit 200,000 tests "by the end of this month - and then go even higher". | Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said his "ambition" was to hit 200,000 tests "by the end of this month - and then go even higher". |
| But health leaders said they expected "fluctuations" in the figures, and that testing was still much higher than it was at the start of the outbreak. | But health leaders said they expected "fluctuations" in the figures, and that testing was still much higher than it was at the start of the outbreak. |
| Speaking at the Downing Street coronavirus briefing, deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam said he expected "fluctuation" in the day-to-day figures. | Speaking at the Downing Street coronavirus briefing, deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam said he expected "fluctuation" in the day-to-day figures. |
| He said: "We are now really at a high plateau, in the region of 100,000 tests per day. | He said: "We are now really at a high plateau, in the region of 100,000 tests per day. |
| "I don't think we can read too much into day-to-day variations, but the macro picture is this is now at a much, much higher level than it ever was at the beginning of this crisis." | "I don't think we can read too much into day-to-day variations, but the macro picture is this is now at a much, much higher level than it ever was at the beginning of this crisis." |
| BBC health reporter Rachel Schraer said the UK did not start with the resources to do mass testing, unlike some other countries. | BBC health reporter Rachel Schraer said the UK did not start with the resources to do mass testing, unlike some other countries. |
| But it also took several weeks to expand from an initial eight public health laboratories to a wider network of private and university labs. | But it also took several weeks to expand from an initial eight public health laboratories to a wider network of private and university labs. |
| Unlike the UK, countries like Germany and South Korea rapidly stockpiled kits and made the test available to a larger number of labs. | Unlike the UK, countries like Germany and South Korea rapidly stockpiled kits and made the test available to a larger number of labs. |
| Prof Van-Tam also told the briefing that the test-and-trace strategy of finding people with the virus and tracking people they have been in contact with was "part of the solution" needed to ease the lockdown. | Prof Van-Tam also told the briefing that the test-and-trace strategy of finding people with the virus and tracking people they have been in contact with was "part of the solution" needed to ease the lockdown. |
| When asked if the rate of new infections had to be down to hundreds a day for the strategy to be effective - when it is currently in the thousands - Prof Van-Tam said it was entirely appropriate for it to be part of the "overall measures" to tackle the virus. | When asked if the rate of new infections had to be down to hundreds a day for the strategy to be effective - when it is currently in the thousands - Prof Van-Tam said it was entirely appropriate for it to be part of the "overall measures" to tackle the virus. |
| Stressing it was not the total solution, he said it would give more room for steps to ease social distancing. | Stressing it was not the total solution, he said it would give more room for steps to ease social distancing. |