This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2020/may/21/uk-coronavirus-live-news-update-covid-test-and-trace-second-wave
The article has changed 26 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 17 | Version 18 |
|---|---|
| UK coronavirus live: migrant care workers to be exempt from NHS surcharge after U-turn; Matt Hancock leads briefing | UK coronavirus live: migrant care workers to be exempt from NHS surcharge after U-turn; Matt Hancock leads briefing |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Government has signed deal for 10m antibody tests to be rolled out next week; health secretary says 17% of Londoners and 5% of rest of country have had Covid-19; official UK death toll rises to 36,042 | |
| Hancock is now addressing a question from Finlay, a member of the public. Will the vaccine be compulsory? | |
| Hancock says the government will only recommend a vaccine if it is safe. And so if the government recommends it, people should use it. | |
| He says he is not addressing the issue of compulsion now. But he would hope that everyone would want to use it. | |
| Whitty says you can use vaccines to protect a whole population. | |
| Or you can give it to those most at risk. You might do this because there are limited supplies, or because it only provides partial protection. | |
| Prof Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, is presenting the slides now. | |
| Here are the figures from the ONS for the number of people with coronavirus now. | |
| And this chart shows excess death. Whitty says he has repeatedly said excess deaths is the best measure of the seriousness of the epidemic. He says you can see the peak. Now it is coming down to the level of a normal winter flu oubreak - albeit winter levels in spring or early summer. | |
| Hancock says the antibody tests suggest that 17% of people in London may have had coronavirus. In the rest of the country the figure is 5%, he says. | |
| He says the government has signed a deal with Roche and Abbott that will lead to 10m antibody tests being available in the UK. He says these will be rolled out to NHS and care staff and patients first. | |
| Hancock is now reading out the latest testing and death figures. | |
| Matt Hancock, the health and social care secretary, is taking the UK government’s daily press conference. | |
| He starts by talking about mental health. It is OK to say you are stressed, he says. | |
| He urges people to come together for Mental Health Awareness Week. | |
| This is from William Wragg, the Conservative MP who chairs the Commons public administration and constitutional affairs committee. He was one of the first Conservatives to say he would support a Labour proposal to exempt all migrant health and care workers from the NHS surcharge. (See 8.33am.) | |
| No 10 has clarified that the new policy, removing all migrant NHS and care workers from the NHS surcharge, will cover “all NHS workers, ranging from medical health staff including vital porters and cleaners”. It also includes independent health workers and social care workers. | |
| For migrants working outside the health and social care industry, the NHS surcharge will remain in place, and the planned increase, from £400 to £624, will go ahead in October. “It is fair to expect people arriving in the UK to work in non-health roles who might use the NHS to make a contribution,” a government source said. | |
| In March, Priti Patel, the home secretary, announced a limited exemption from the NHS surcharge for NHS workers. She said that around 2,800 migrant doctors, nurses and paramedics would have their visas extended for free for a year, and that they would not have to pay the NHS surcharge. | |
| Under the new No 10 policy (see 4.37pm) NHS and care workers seem to be getting a permanent exemption. | Under the new No 10 policy (see 4.37pm) NHS and care workers seem to be getting a permanent exemption. |
| This is from Sir Keir Starmer. | This is from Sir Keir Starmer. |
| The No 10 U-turn marks a victory for Sir Keir Starmer. The Labour leader raised the issue at PMQs yesterday and challenged Boris Johnson to remove it for care workers. Johnson said he had “thought a great deal about this”, but he defended the arrangements. | The No 10 U-turn marks a victory for Sir Keir Starmer. The Labour leader raised the issue at PMQs yesterday and challenged Boris Johnson to remove it for care workers. Johnson said he had “thought a great deal about this”, but he defended the arrangements. |
| Starmer said: | Starmer said: |
| And Johnson replied: | And Johnson replied: |
| U-turns are always embarrassing for politicians, particularly when they are as blatant as this one. But, in the long-term, they can be beneficial. Opposition parties need grievances; U-turns sweep those grievances off the table. | U-turns are always embarrassing for politicians, particularly when they are as blatant as this one. But, in the long-term, they can be beneficial. Opposition parties need grievances; U-turns sweep those grievances off the table. |
| Downing Street has now performed a U-turn on the NHS surcharge, and announced that all migrant NHS and care workers will join the health workers already benefitting from an exemption. A No 10 spokesman put out this statement. | |
| You can read the full story here: | |
| According to a snap YouGov poll, by a margin of almost two to one, people think migrant health and care workers should be exempt from the NHS surcharge. Even among Conservative supporters there is a small majority in favour of the exemption (although not among those who are pro-Brexit). | |
| But if you were wondering why Downing Street seems reluctant to give in to the pressure for a U-turn on this, another finding from the poll provides an answer – overall, the NHS surcharge is massively popular. Even Labour supporters are in favour, the poll suggests. | |
| UPDATE: It is worth pointing out that this YouGov question is misleading because it ignores the fact that migrant workers do pay for the NHS through their taxes. But the idea that they don’t is implicit in the policy; in fact, it is the whole rationale for the policy (which is why many people find it so objectionable). | |
| The number of frontline prison officers fell in the first three months of the year, figures from the Ministry of Justice show, prompting warnings against “flashpoints” developing in jails. | The number of frontline prison officers fell in the first three months of the year, figures from the Ministry of Justice show, prompting warnings against “flashpoints” developing in jails. |
| As at the end of March, there were 21,928 prison officers working in bands 3 to 5 – frontline officers – 226 fewer than at the end of December, 702 fewer than in March 2019, and 2,902 fewer than at the end of March 2010. | As at the end of March, there were 21,928 prison officers working in bands 3 to 5 – frontline officers – 226 fewer than at the end of December, 702 fewer than in March 2019, and 2,902 fewer than at the end of March 2010. |
| Experts have warned prisons could be potential hotspots for the coronavirus and the government has introduced a highly restrictive regime in an attempt to contain the spread of disease behind bars. At least 21 prisoners and nine staff have contracted the virus and died. | Experts have warned prisons could be potential hotspots for the coronavirus and the government has introduced a highly restrictive regime in an attempt to contain the spread of disease behind bars. At least 21 prisoners and nine staff have contracted the virus and died. |
| The shadow justice secretary, David Lammy, said: | The shadow justice secretary, David Lammy, said: |
| The Conservatives have criticised Labour politicians in the London assembly for pressing ahead with an investigation into Boris Johnson and his dealings with Jennifer Arcuri when he was mayor. (See 12.16pm.) In a statement issued by CCHQ, the Tory MP Gareth Bacon said: | The Conservatives have criticised Labour politicians in the London assembly for pressing ahead with an investigation into Boris Johnson and his dealings with Jennifer Arcuri when he was mayor. (See 12.16pm.) In a statement issued by CCHQ, the Tory MP Gareth Bacon said: |
| The hymn Abide With Me, sung just before every FA Cup final since the early 20th century, will belted out once more this Saturday in aid of NHS charities. | The hymn Abide With Me, sung just before every FA Cup final since the early 20th century, will belted out once more this Saturday in aid of NHS charities. |
| Before what would have been kick-off at Wembley for the 2020 cup final, an online recording of the song will be broadcast across the internet. | Before what would have been kick-off at Wembley for the 2020 cup final, an online recording of the song will be broadcast across the internet. |
| The annual climax to the English football season in May was one of the sporting casualties of the Covid-19 lockdown. | The annual climax to the English football season in May was one of the sporting casualties of the Covid-19 lockdown. |
| Members of the Fans Choir, who sang Abide With Me’ at the Arsenal v Aston Villa final in 2015, have teamed up again to release Abide With Us’ in solidarity with NHS staff fighting the pandemic. | Members of the Fans Choir, who sang Abide With Me’ at the Arsenal v Aston Villa final in 2015, have teamed up again to release Abide With Us’ in solidarity with NHS staff fighting the pandemic. |
| “We’re all footy mad and missing our singing!” said Dave Gilhooley, who has compiled the video from Fans Choir members’ contributions from all over the country. | “We’re all footy mad and missing our singing!” said Dave Gilhooley, who has compiled the video from Fans Choir members’ contributions from all over the country. |
| “It’s a chance for fans all over the country to sing your footy socks off on your doorstep for the game that you love, the NHS and key workers that have sacrificed so much on our behalf. | “It’s a chance for fans all over the country to sing your footy socks off on your doorstep for the game that you love, the NHS and key workers that have sacrificed so much on our behalf. |
| “A Just Giving page has been set up, the aim being to raise money for NHS families decimated by losing a loved one to the dreadful C-19 disease,” he added. | “A Just Giving page has been set up, the aim being to raise money for NHS families decimated by losing a loved one to the dreadful C-19 disease,” he added. |
| A cafe owner who installed dozens of shower curtains between tables in a bid to combat coronavirus has said he hopes his idea can inspire other businesses. | A cafe owner who installed dozens of shower curtains between tables in a bid to combat coronavirus has said he hopes his idea can inspire other businesses. |
| Francini Osorio has used more than 30 curtains as dividers between tables in a trial phase during the Covid-19 lockdown and has more on order. | Francini Osorio has used more than 30 curtains as dividers between tables in a trial phase during the Covid-19 lockdown and has more on order. |
| Osorio also plans to use an air purifier in an effort to protect customers at the Francini Cafe De Colombia in Worcester. | Osorio also plans to use an air purifier in an effort to protect customers at the Francini Cafe De Colombia in Worcester. |
| The businessman, originally from Colombia, who is readying his cafe to reopen, said: “Where I come from we don’t sink, we stand up and we keep going.” | The businessman, originally from Colombia, who is readying his cafe to reopen, said: “Where I come from we don’t sink, we stand up and we keep going.” |
| Osorio, who plans to provide gloves and encourage people to bring their own masks, said of the curtains, which will be sprayed with disinfectant: “The idea is to keep people together but separated by the curtain. | Osorio, who plans to provide gloves and encourage people to bring their own masks, said of the curtains, which will be sprayed with disinfectant: “The idea is to keep people together but separated by the curtain. |
| “If this has inspired people, that’s brilliant.” | “If this has inspired people, that’s brilliant.” |
| A ban on a mosque opening for Friday prayers due to the Covid-19 pandemic is a breach of worshippers’ human rights, the high court has heard. | A ban on a mosque opening for Friday prayers due to the Covid-19 pandemic is a breach of worshippers’ human rights, the high court has heard. |
| Tabassum Hussain, the chairman of the executive committee of the Jamiyat Tabligh-ul-Islam Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Bradford, is seeking an urgent injunction against the Department of Health and Social Care. | Tabassum Hussain, the chairman of the executive committee of the Jamiyat Tabligh-ul-Islam Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Bradford, is seeking an urgent injunction against the Department of Health and Social Care. |
| The injunction would allow his place of worship to open for communal prayers on Friday, before the end of Ramadan this weekend. | The injunction would allow his place of worship to open for communal prayers on Friday, before the end of Ramadan this weekend. |
| Under the latest emergency rules to deal with the pandemic, places of worship must remain closed, although a faith leader can attend the venue to broadcast prayers and acts of worship via the internet. | Under the latest emergency rules to deal with the pandemic, places of worship must remain closed, although a faith leader can attend the venue to broadcast prayers and acts of worship via the internet. |
| Hussain argues that the closures are unlawful and breach his rights to religious freedom and worship. | Hussain argues that the closures are unlawful and breach his rights to religious freedom and worship. |
| In another easing of the lockdown in England, the Department for Education has said that students who had to abandon their belongings in university accommodation can now go and get them. In new guidance issued today, the DfE told universities to contact the students affected: | In another easing of the lockdown in England, the Department for Education has said that students who had to abandon their belongings in university accommodation can now go and get them. In new guidance issued today, the DfE told universities to contact the students affected: |
| There’s a slight sting in the tail: students who can’t go – because they are isolating or perhaps living overseas – may find their belongings put into storage for a price. | There’s a slight sting in the tail: students who can’t go – because they are isolating or perhaps living overseas – may find their belongings put into storage for a price. |
| “If there are costs to you in carrying out this service, we understand students may be required to cover these costs but we would not expect you to make a profit from such a service,” the DfE told universities. | “If there are costs to you in carrying out this service, we understand students may be required to cover these costs but we would not expect you to make a profit from such a service,” the DfE told universities. |