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| UK coronavirus live: teachers and children will be safe at school, says Michael Gove | UK coronavirus live: teachers and children will be safe at school, says Michael Gove |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| ‘Test, trace and isolate’ strategy needed for schools to reopen, says shadow cabinet office minister; Boris Johnson acknowledges frustration over lockdown rules | ‘Test, trace and isolate’ strategy needed for schools to reopen, says shadow cabinet office minister; Boris Johnson acknowledges frustration over lockdown rules |
| The chief executive of Heathrow Airport John Holland-Kaye has warned the government that quarantine measures should not extend beyond “a relatively short amount of time” to save the economy. | |
| The government announced plans last Sunday for a two-week quarantine for travellers arriving in the UK from abroad, though the exact details haven’t yet been announced. | |
| Holland-Kaye told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme that Heathrow’s passenger numbers had dropped by 97% – from an average of 250,000 passengers a day to between 5,000 and 6,000. He said most of these passengers were either repatriating to the UK or going home to other countries. | |
| Speaking to the same programme, Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI, said she’d heard from businesses in aerospace and manufacturing who were very worried about the government’s quarantine plans. “We would like to see an international standard,” she said. “At the moment you’ve got different countries doing different things and that is very bad for global trade.” | |
| The Scottish government is seeking the power to take over the running of private care homes, after the tenth death was confirmed yesterday at Home Farm on Skye, which is being stripped of its licence to operate after serious shortcomings in its management was found by the Care Inspectorate. | The Scottish government is seeking the power to take over the running of private care homes, after the tenth death was confirmed yesterday at Home Farm on Skye, which is being stripped of its licence to operate after serious shortcomings in its management was found by the Care Inspectorate. |
| On Wednesday, Holyrood is expected to pass emergency powers that will allow care homes to be taken into public sector control in the event of similar failings. | On Wednesday, Holyrood is expected to pass emergency powers that will allow care homes to be taken into public sector control in the event of similar failings. |
| NHS Highland has stepped in to help run the facility in Portree, Skye, where 30 residents and 29 staff have tested positive for coronavirus. | NHS Highland has stepped in to help run the facility in Portree, Skye, where 30 residents and 29 staff have tested positive for coronavirus. |
| Last week, the Sunday Times revealed that some workers had been moved hundreds of miles to help plug staff shortages at the home, which has had long-running recruitment problems amid concerns about low pay. | Last week, the Sunday Times revealed that some workers had been moved hundreds of miles to help plug staff shortages at the home, which has had long-running recruitment problems amid concerns about low pay. |
| Gove also defended the government’s plans to begin reopening primary schools in England from next month. He told Sky News: | Gove also defended the government’s plans to begin reopening primary schools in England from next month. He told Sky News: |
| Gove told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show that the government were confident that teachers and students would be safe if they returned to school. | Gove told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show that the government were confident that teachers and students would be safe if they returned to school. |
| He said that pupils may have to sit at separate desks, that class sizes should be capped at 15 and arrival times should be staggered. | He said that pupils may have to sit at separate desks, that class sizes should be capped at 15 and arrival times should be staggered. |
| Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme that the government has now recruited 17,000 contact tracers for its coronavirus test, track and trace programme – bringing it close to its target. | Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme that the government has now recruited 17,000 contact tracers for its coronavirus test, track and trace programme – bringing it close to its target. |
| The health secretary, Matt Hancock, said on 23 April that the government wanted to recruit 18,000 contact tracers by mid-May. But speaking on Friday, northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis said only 1,500 had been recruited. The prime minister’s spokesperson said later that day that Lewis did not have the most up-to-date figures. | The health secretary, Matt Hancock, said on 23 April that the government wanted to recruit 18,000 contact tracers by mid-May. But speaking on Friday, northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis said only 1,500 had been recruited. The prime minister’s spokesperson said later that day that Lewis did not have the most up-to-date figures. |
| “It is now the case that more than 17,000 people have been recruited for contact tracing, so we are on course to meet that target,” said Gove on Sunday morning. | “It is now the case that more than 17,000 people have been recruited for contact tracing, so we are on course to meet that target,” said Gove on Sunday morning. |
| “I have to praise the work of the health secretary Matt Hancock. In the past people have seen Matt and the government set ambitious targets and said on testing ‘that won’t be met’ - Matt met that target,” Gove said of the 100,000-a-day testing target. | “I have to praise the work of the health secretary Matt Hancock. In the past people have seen Matt and the government set ambitious targets and said on testing ‘that won’t be met’ - Matt met that target,” Gove said of the 100,000-a-day testing target. |
| He said the test, track and trace programme – seen as key to further lifting of lockdown restrictions – would be up and running by the end of May. | He said the test, track and trace programme – seen as key to further lifting of lockdown restrictions – would be up and running by the end of May. |
| A story in today’s Mail on Sunday reports that the Labour leader Keir Starmer owns land “worth up to £10m”. The piece of land in question is a field behind his parents house in Surrey, which he bought in 1996. It currently doesn’t have planning permission, but – if it did – it could be worth a lot of money, the paper reports. Starmer has no plans to sell the land. | A story in today’s Mail on Sunday reports that the Labour leader Keir Starmer owns land “worth up to £10m”. The piece of land in question is a field behind his parents house in Surrey, which he bought in 1996. It currently doesn’t have planning permission, but – if it did – it could be worth a lot of money, the paper reports. Starmer has no plans to sell the land. |
| Starmer’s response to the story has been getting as much attention as the story itself. A spokesperson for the Labour leader told the paper: | Starmer’s response to the story has been getting as much attention as the story itself. A spokesperson for the Labour leader told the paper: |
| Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr show, Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has said that if the test, track and trace strategy were in place before reopening schools, that would reassure parents and teachers – a point also made by Rachel Reeves earlier this morning. She repeated calls for the government to publish the scientific advice that informed their decision to send some pupils back to school as early as 1 June. Labour wants as many pupils as possible to go back to school as quickly as possible, she said. | Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr show, Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has said that if the test, track and trace strategy were in place before reopening schools, that would reassure parents and teachers – a point also made by Rachel Reeves earlier this morning. She repeated calls for the government to publish the scientific advice that informed their decision to send some pupils back to school as early as 1 June. Labour wants as many pupils as possible to go back to school as quickly as possible, she said. |
| The Sun on Sunday reports today that Boris Johnson told a virtual meeting of backbench Tory MPs that he wanted the country back to “close to normality again before the end of July”. | The Sun on Sunday reports today that Boris Johnson told a virtual meeting of backbench Tory MPs that he wanted the country back to “close to normality again before the end of July”. |
| The paper’s political editor, David Wooding, writes that the prime minister told a video call with 100 of his MPs that full Commons sittings would resume on 2 June. | The paper’s political editor, David Wooding, writes that the prime minister told a video call with 100 of his MPs that full Commons sittings would resume on 2 June. |
| He quotes an MP as saying: | He quotes an MP as saying: |
| Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves has been speaking to Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme. She said the reopening of schools was a “difficult balancing act” as social distancing, particularly for young children, is “really, really tough” along with the wearing of face masks. | Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves has been speaking to Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme. She said the reopening of schools was a “difficult balancing act” as social distancing, particularly for young children, is “really, really tough” along with the wearing of face masks. |
| She said teachers and parents would be less anxious about the return to school if there was a test, trace and isolate strategy in place. | She said teachers and parents would be less anxious about the return to school if there was a test, trace and isolate strategy in place. |
| Her comments come following an announcement by education secretary Gavin Williamson at yesterday’s Downing Street press conference that schoolchildren and their families would be tested for coronavirus if they develop symptoms. | Her comments come following an announcement by education secretary Gavin Williamson at yesterday’s Downing Street press conference that schoolchildren and their families would be tested for coronavirus if they develop symptoms. |
| Teaching unions have pushed back against government proposals for some pupils to return to school as soon as 1 June. The British Medical Association, the UK’s largest doctors’ union – also said in a letter to the National Education Union on Friday that the number of coronavirus infections remained too high to allow them to run safely. | Teaching unions have pushed back against government proposals for some pupils to return to school as soon as 1 June. The British Medical Association, the UK’s largest doctors’ union – also said in a letter to the National Education Union on Friday that the number of coronavirus infections remained too high to allow them to run safely. |
| Damian Hinds, former Conservative education secretary, told BBC Breakfast this morning that it was “totally understandable” that people had concerns about their children returning to school and that he would expect teaching unions to be thinking about their members, adding this is “absolutely right”. | Damian Hinds, former Conservative education secretary, told BBC Breakfast this morning that it was “totally understandable” that people had concerns about their children returning to school and that he would expect teaching unions to be thinking about their members, adding this is “absolutely right”. |
| He added that he thinks “the time is right now” for pupils to begin to return, saying “there is a lot scientific advice and analysis gone into this”. | He added that he thinks “the time is right now” for pupils to begin to return, saying “there is a lot scientific advice and analysis gone into this”. |
| Here are today’s front pages, tweeted by the BBC’s Neil Henderson. | Here are today’s front pages, tweeted by the BBC’s Neil Henderson. |
| More from the Observer – The latest Opinium poll for the paper shows that approval for the government over its handling of the pandemic has plummeted by nine points in the last week. | More from the Observer – The latest Opinium poll for the paper shows that approval for the government over its handling of the pandemic has plummeted by nine points in the last week. |
| Andy Burnham has written in the Observer that no one thought to tell the leaders of the biggest towns and cities outside London in advance of the prime minister’s decision to encourage people to go back to work last Monday. | Andy Burnham has written in the Observer that no one thought to tell the leaders of the biggest towns and cities outside London in advance of the prime minister’s decision to encourage people to go back to work last Monday. |
| You can read the full piece here and the Observer’s news story here. | You can read the full piece here and the Observer’s news story here. |
| I’ll be bringing you the highlights from this morning’s political shows, | I’ll be bringing you the highlights from this morning’s political shows, |
| Sophy Ridge on Sunday (today hosted by Niall Paterson) is on Sky News at 8.30am. Guests will include the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, and Rachel Reeves, his Labour opposite number. | Sophy Ridge on Sunday (today hosted by Niall Paterson) is on Sky News at 8.30am. Guests will include the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, and Rachel Reeves, his Labour opposite number. |
| Liam Fox, former international trade secretary will make an appearance, as will Heathrow Airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye and CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn. | Liam Fox, former international trade secretary will make an appearance, as will Heathrow Airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye and CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn. |
| Gove will also be on the Andrew Marr show on BBC 1, which starts at 9am. Other guests include Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, WHO Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan and Office for Budget Responsibility chair Robert Chote. | Gove will also be on the Andrew Marr show on BBC 1, which starts at 9am. Other guests include Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, WHO Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan and Office for Budget Responsibility chair Robert Chote. |
| Good morning and welcome to the Guardian’s UK coronavirus live blog. | Good morning and welcome to the Guardian’s UK coronavirus live blog. |
| Boris Johnson has acknowledged “frustration” over the new lockdown rules, which have been criticised for being complicated and unclear, and acknowledged that there may never be a vaccine for coronavirus. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, the prime minister said: | Boris Johnson has acknowledged “frustration” over the new lockdown rules, which have been criticised for being complicated and unclear, and acknowledged that there may never be a vaccine for coronavirus. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, the prime minister said: |
| He thanked the public for being patient, saying: “I want to reassure you that there is a route out of this.” | He thanked the public for being patient, saying: “I want to reassure you that there is a route out of this.” |
| Johnson added the government would throw everything they could at finding a vaccine, and announced a £93m investment to open the new Vaccine Manufacturing And Innovation Centre, 12 months ahead of schedule. (You can read more about that here.) | Johnson added the government would throw everything they could at finding a vaccine, and announced a £93m investment to open the new Vaccine Manufacturing And Innovation Centre, 12 months ahead of schedule. (You can read more about that here.) |
| I’m Frances Perraudin and I’ll be bringing you the latest developments in the pandemic in the UK today. You contact me with tips and comments on twitter @fperraudin and on frances.perraudin@theguardian.com. | I’m Frances Perraudin and I’ll be bringing you the latest developments in the pandemic in the UK today. You contact me with tips and comments on twitter @fperraudin and on frances.perraudin@theguardian.com. |