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| UK coronavirus live: George Eustice takes daily briefing as death toll rises by 545 to 35,341 | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| UK facing ‘severe recession the likes of which we haven’t seen’, says chancellor Rishi Sunak | |
| In his opening remarks Eustice urged people interested in fruit picking work to use a pickforbritain website. | |
| As my colleague Fran Lawther points out, it does not seem to be working. | |
| Q: Can you understand why teachers don’t trust the government on the safety of re-opening schools? | |
| Eustice says he does not accept that the government has mishandled the crisis. | |
| On schools, he says the government is working closely with unions and school leaders. He says countries like Denmark have shown it is possible to re-open schools. | |
| Q: Track and trace won’t be in place by 1 June. Does that affect the decision? | |
| McLean says there will be an update on Thursday as to what will be in place (in terms of track and trace) and when. | |
| Q: Do you accept this is a political decision? | |
| Eustice says the government is following the science. | |
| But he says we will have to live alongside this virus for some time to come. | |
| Q: You say you are inspired by contact tracing in South Korea. Do you regret the decision to abandon it in March? | |
| Eustice says the government is ramping it up now. More than 20,000 people have been recruited to help, he says. | |
| McLean says in March it was right to focus the testing capacity that was available on the people who really needed it in hospital. | |
| Q: So you admit that capacity, not need, was the issue? | |
| Eustice says they have been building capacity. | |
| Another member of the public asks if the government will extend payment holidays on mortgages and loans for people who lose work. | |
| Eustice says the government has offered unprecedented help. Those schemes will evolve, he says. The Treasury will be thinking about how the job retention scheme can evolve. | |
| The first question comes from a member of the public who wants to know what the government is doing to learn lessons from other countries about how to ease the lockdown. | |
| Eustice says the government is looking at the experience in other countries. | |
| McLean says two countries stand out. South Korea has used contact tracing particularly well to drive numbers down. They now just have a handful. The UK would like to emulate that, she says. And she says she would like to learn from Germany’s record on testing. | |
| McLean is now introducing the daily slides. | |
| She starts with one about transport use. | |
| Here are the hospital figures. She says the hospital admissions figures are falling, but not as quickly as people might have expected. | |
| And here are the regional hospital figures. | |
| Here are the death figures. | |
| Eustice is now talking about the availability of foreign labour for the harvest. | |
| Normally workers from countries like Romania and Bulgaria come. | |
| But only around a third of them are here, he says. | |
| He says the government is encouraging Britons to take these jobs. | |
| He says staff who are furloughed may want to supplement their income with a second job. | |
| Eustice starts by reading out the latest figures. | |
| He says there have been a further 545 UK deaths, taking the total to 35,341 | |
| George Eustice, the environment secretary, is taking the UK government’s afternoon press conference. It is about to start. He will be with Prof Dame Angela McLean, the government’s deputy chief scientific adviser. | George Eustice, the environment secretary, is taking the UK government’s afternoon press conference. It is about to start. He will be with Prof Dame Angela McLean, the government’s deputy chief scientific adviser. |
| Half a dozen people from three Premier League football clubs have tested positive for Covid-19 in two days. | Half a dozen people from three Premier League football clubs have tested positive for Covid-19 in two days. |
| With hopes of top-flight football resuming next month, the Premier League announced six players or staff returned positive results in its first two days of testing. | With hopes of top-flight football resuming next month, the Premier League announced six players or staff returned positive results in its first two days of testing. |
| The league carried out 748 tests on Sunday and Monday as part of a process designed to allow matches to restart next month. It means that just under 1% of those tested returned positive results. A recent survey of 11,000 people suggests one in 400 people – 0.27% – in England is infected. | |
| Squads were allowed to return to training today, carried out according to physical distancing. It is understood the league is awaiting results from at least one more club. | |
| The league said in a statement: “The Premier League can today confirm that, on Sunday 17 May and Monday 18 May, 748 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19. Of these, six have tested positive from three clubs. Players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for a period of seven days. | The league said in a statement: “The Premier League can today confirm that, on Sunday 17 May and Monday 18 May, 748 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19. Of these, six have tested positive from three clubs. Players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for a period of seven days. |
| The league had been hoping that matches would resume on 12 June, but there is now an expectation this will be pushed back until at least the end of the month if not later. Germany’s Bundesliga saw action behind closed doors at the weekend for the first time since the lockdown, while South Korea’s top flight has also resumed. | |
| Alongside the draft text of a proposed trade treaty with the EU, No 10 has also published this afternoon an open letter (pdf) from David Frost, the PM’s chief Europe adviser, to Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator. In the four-page letter, which is written in a tone of polite indignation (feigned or genuine, it’s hard to tell), Frost sets out in detail why the UK government thinks the EU’s demands are unreasonable. He says: | Alongside the draft text of a proposed trade treaty with the EU, No 10 has also published this afternoon an open letter (pdf) from David Frost, the PM’s chief Europe adviser, to Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator. In the four-page letter, which is written in a tone of polite indignation (feigned or genuine, it’s hard to tell), Frost sets out in detail why the UK government thinks the EU’s demands are unreasonable. He says: |
| The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the prison estate continues to rise, daily figures from the Ministry of Justice show. | The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the prison estate continues to rise, daily figures from the Ministry of Justice show. |
| As at 5pm on Monday, 422 prisoners had tested positive for the coronavirus across 74 prisons, a 3% increase in 24 hours, while there were 542 infected prison staff across 72 prisons, an increase of just 0.4% in the same period. | As at 5pm on Monday, 422 prisoners had tested positive for the coronavirus across 74 prisons, a 3% increase in 24 hours, while there were 542 infected prison staff across 72 prisons, an increase of just 0.4% in the same period. |
| There are around 80,300 prisoners in England and Wales across 117 prisons, while around 33,000 staff work in the public sector prisons. | There are around 80,300 prisoners in England and Wales across 117 prisons, while around 33,000 staff work in the public sector prisons. |
| At least 21 prisoners are known to have contracted Covid-19 and died, as well as nine prison staff, including one Pecs (prison escort and custody services) worker. | At least 21 prisoners are known to have contracted Covid-19 and died, as well as nine prison staff, including one Pecs (prison escort and custody services) worker. |
| The Duke of Cambridge has highlighted the strain of the Covid-19 pandemic on the mental health of frontline workers looking after others, urging them: “Take care of yourself too.” | The Duke of Cambridge has highlighted the strain of the Covid-19 pandemic on the mental health of frontline workers looking after others, urging them: “Take care of yourself too.” |
| In a video message, Prince William thanked those working in the emergency services, hospitals or care homes, calling on them to seek support if their mental wellbeing is suffering. | In a video message, Prince William thanked those working in the emergency services, hospitals or care homes, calling on them to seek support if their mental wellbeing is suffering. |
| “When you spend all day taking care of others it is easy to forget that you need to take care of yourself too,” he said. “But it’s OK to say when you’re not feeling OK. There is support available to you, if and when you need it.” | “When you spend all day taking care of others it is easy to forget that you need to take care of yourself too,” he said. “But it’s OK to say when you’re not feeling OK. There is support available to you, if and when you need it.” |
| The message is part of the recently launched Our Frontline initiative, supported by his Royal Foundation, which provides one-to-one support and online resources for a range of workers whose psychological wellbeing may be under pressure. | The message is part of the recently launched Our Frontline initiative, supported by his Royal Foundation, which provides one-to-one support and online resources for a range of workers whose psychological wellbeing may be under pressure. |
| In the video, posted on Our Frontline Twitter account, William said: “I want to say a huge thank you from myself and Catherine for all that you are doing to keep everyone safe. You and your families are making huge sacrifices, and we want you to know that the whole country is enormously proud of you. | In the video, posted on Our Frontline Twitter account, William said: “I want to say a huge thank you from myself and Catherine for all that you are doing to keep everyone safe. You and your families are making huge sacrifices, and we want you to know that the whole country is enormously proud of you. |
| The duke, who was a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance and has spoken in the past about the mental pressures that came with the job, added: “From my time with the air ambulance, I know all too well how determined frontline workers are to put a brave face on and keep going.” | The duke, who was a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance and has spoken in the past about the mental pressures that came with the job, added: “From my time with the air ambulance, I know all too well how determined frontline workers are to put a brave face on and keep going.” |
| In a 2018 interview, William said the experience of attending traumatic emergencies involving children and having his own children “tipped me over the edge”, but speaking to his crew helped him cope with the “enormous sadness” he had witnessed. | In a 2018 interview, William said the experience of attending traumatic emergencies involving children and having his own children “tipped me over the edge”, but speaking to his crew helped him cope with the “enormous sadness” he had witnessed. |
| The duke and duchess have pledged to make the mental health of frontline workers their “top priority” in the months ahead. Mind, Samaritans, Shout - a text messaging helpline supporting people in crisis - Hospice UK and the Royal Foundation launched Our Frontline a few weeks ago, with William and Kate’s charitable body helping to raise awareness. | The duke and duchess have pledged to make the mental health of frontline workers their “top priority” in the months ahead. Mind, Samaritans, Shout - a text messaging helpline supporting people in crisis - Hospice UK and the Royal Foundation launched Our Frontline a few weeks ago, with William and Kate’s charitable body helping to raise awareness. |
| In the Lords economic affairs committee Sunak says debt will obviously be higher after the coronavirus crisis. But he says he has not made a decision yet as to what a sustainable debt level would be. | In the Lords economic affairs committee Sunak says debt will obviously be higher after the coronavirus crisis. But he says he has not made a decision yet as to what a sustainable debt level would be. |
| At the Lords economic affairs committee Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, has just been engaged in a minor spat with Lord Forsyth, the committee chair, about social care. Forsyth said there was a consensus about adult social care needing much higher funding. Sunak affected surprise, and said that if there was a consensus, he would like to hear about it (implying that he thought no such consensus existed). Forsyth said that his committee published a report last summer saying the sector needed another £15bn. The report said the money should come from general taxation, but it did not make specific recommendations as to which taxes should go up. Sunak said he thought the plans would require income tax rising by either 2p or 3p in the pound. He implied that he thought it would be hard to get consensus support for tax increases on that scale. | At the Lords economic affairs committee Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, has just been engaged in a minor spat with Lord Forsyth, the committee chair, about social care. Forsyth said there was a consensus about adult social care needing much higher funding. Sunak affected surprise, and said that if there was a consensus, he would like to hear about it (implying that he thought no such consensus existed). Forsyth said that his committee published a report last summer saying the sector needed another £15bn. The report said the money should come from general taxation, but it did not make specific recommendations as to which taxes should go up. Sunak said he thought the plans would require income tax rising by either 2p or 3p in the pound. He implied that he thought it would be hard to get consensus support for tax increases on that scale. |
| David Henig, a former civil servant and trade specialist who now heads the UK Trade Policy Project for the European Centre for International Political Economy, has been looking at the UK government’s draft text for a proposed trade deal with the EU. He has posted a detailed Twitter thread on it starting here. | David Henig, a former civil servant and trade specialist who now heads the UK Trade Policy Project for the European Centre for International Political Economy, has been looking at the UK government’s draft text for a proposed trade deal with the EU. He has posted a detailed Twitter thread on it starting here. |
| And here are his conclusions. | And here are his conclusions. |
| The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has published some new research today suggesting the people with chronic medical conditions, like obesity, hypertension and lung disease, have been disproportionately likely to reduce the amount of exercise they take during the lockdown. Dr Nina Rogers, the lead author of the study, said: | The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has published some new research today suggesting the people with chronic medical conditions, like obesity, hypertension and lung disease, have been disproportionately likely to reduce the amount of exercise they take during the lockdown. Dr Nina Rogers, the lead author of the study, said: |