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UK coronavirus live: migrant care workers to be exempt from NHS surcharge after U-turn UK coronavirus live: migrant care workers to be exempt from NHS surcharge after U-turn
(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 36,042Government 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
One of the new coronavirus antibody tests to be rolled out across the UK is being produced in South Wales.
It is understood that Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, which has a factory in Pencoed, Bridgend, is the only firm producing the blood tests in the UK.
On Thursday Wales’ health minister Vaughan Gething welcomed the availability of the test, which will be available from Ortho and other suppliers across the UK, saying it was an “important step forward” in stopping the spread of Covid-19.
He said: “This test will tell us if people have already had coronavirus. But it is important to say although the test can tell if someone has had the virus, it’s not certain as to how much immunity they’ll have to the virus.”
Gething said work was also ongoing in Wales to develop another type of antibody test involving taking a pinprick of blood and testing with a device to give a result in just minutes, which would help to make antibody testing more widely available.
American firm Ortho has had its site in Pencoed for 40 years and employs more than 500 people. It produces millions of tests each week for a range of disease and medical conditions which are distributed across the world.
Here are the main points from Matt Hancock’s press conference.
Hancock, the health secretary, confirmed that the government would roll out antibody testing next week, having signed contracts for 10m tests. Antibody tests show whether or not people have had coronavirus. He said:
Hancock said a certification system would be developed for people who tested positive for coronavirus antibodies. He said:
He said an antibody surveillance study suggests that 17% of people in London have had coronavirus. In the rest of the country the figure is 5% or higher, he said.
He announced that a coronavirus test that can provide a result in 20 minutes is being piloted.
He played down suggestions that Boris Johnson had changed his stance on the NHS surcharge. Asked why Johnson defended migrant care workers paying it yesterday, only to announce they will be exempted today, Hancock said that when Johnson was speaking in the Commons yesterday, he was defending the policy as a whole, not its application to care and NHS workers.
Prof John Newton from Public Health England, the government’s testing coordinator, claimed that it might be best to introduce the national contact tracing system without the app. He was responding to a question from Sky’s Beth Rigby who said the government’s recovery plan document said an app would be integral to a success contact tracing system. (See 5.41pm.) Newton said the app was “additional component” which could be “layered on top of the more personal contact tracing” by officials. He went on:
Prof Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, said that the rate of all-cause excess deaths was now down to the average for a winter. He explained:
Whitty said the peak of deaths in care homes came one or two weeks after the peak of deaths in hospitals.
There has been a surge in paid users on Facebook’s business platform amid the home working boom due to the pandemic.
The social networks business-focused platform has gained two million paid users in little over six months.
Workplace from Facebook, the tech giant’s communication offering for companies and employees, has more than five million paid users, up from three million in October last year.
The firm is introducing a number of new features, as businesses turn to home working during the coronavirus lockdown and look to continue remote working in the future.
Workplace Rooms is a collaborative video chat tool to take on the likes of Zoom, and its Workplace Live Video presenting feature is receiving a number of improvements to provide better production value, control and interactivity.
Meanwhile, Oculus for Business is available to all those who wish to use virtual reality for productivity and collaboration in the workplace.
Workplace from Facebook - which is largely run from London - launched in October 2016 and started charging customers a year later.
The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the prison estate continues to rise, daily figures from the Ministry of Justice show.
As of 5pm on Wednesday, 434 prisoners had tested positive for the coronavirus across 75 prisons, a 0.5% increase in 24 hours, while there were 563 infected prison staff across 74 prisons, an increase of 1% 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.
At least 21 prisoners are known to have contracted Covid-19 and died, as well as nine prison staff, including one Pecs worker.
A London choir has got together for a virtual performance after a planned show in Somerset was cancelled due to Covid-19.
Hi Lo Singers, a group based in north east London, performed a mash-up of Blackbird and I Will by the Beatles while they were unable to meet up for rehearsals.
Musical director Geoff Walker asked each of the singers involved in the project to film their part at home, with the videos then being edited together.
The last time the singers met in person was in early March, when the group rehearsed for their scheduled performance at Wells Cathedral in Somerset.
Emma Secher, one of the founders of Hi Lo Singers, said: “Our singers are a great bunch of people. One of them is an ICU doctor.
“A few of our singers have been ill with symptoms of the virus over the last weeks, so it was even more special to get everyone together.
“We plan to do a children’s virtual choir next.”
The Conservative MP Robert Halfon has also welcome the No 10 U-turn on NHS surcharge. He was one of the Tories who called for this move.The Conservative MP Robert Halfon has also welcome the No 10 U-turn on NHS surcharge. He was one of the Tories who called for this move.
Q: [From an Edinburgh journalist] From August will have to contribute to the cost of furlough. But the hospitality sector won’t be opening up then. So will they get extra help? Q: [From an Edinburgh journalist] From August employers will have to contribute to the cost of furlough. But the hospitality sector won’t be opening up then. So will they get extra help?
Hancock says he understands the specific concern, particularly for a city like Edinburgh that is so dependent on the festival.Hancock says he understands the specific concern, particularly for a city like Edinburgh that is so dependent on the festival.
And that’s it. The press conference is over.And that’s it. The press conference is over.
Robbie Savage, former footballer and a columnist from the Daily Mirror, goes next.Robbie Savage, former footballer and a columnist from the Daily Mirror, goes next.
Q: Why are young people who play the working class game of football not able to train, when people can play sport like tennis?Q: Why are young people who play the working class game of football not able to train, when people can play sport like tennis?
Hancock says he understands why people want to play football. But the rules are in place so we can get a grip of the virus.Hancock says he understands why people want to play football. But the rules are in place so we can get a grip of the virus.
Q: Why are some governing bodies allowing one-on-one coaching with under-18s, but not football?Q: Why are some governing bodies allowing one-on-one coaching with under-18s, but not football?
Whitty says he understands the point.Whitty says he understands the point.
He says the scientists were very confident that doing things outdoors is safer than indoors.He says the scientists were very confident that doing things outdoors is safer than indoors.
He says you can play some sports and keep to the two-metre rule. But football is a contact sport, he says. So football is a bigger risk.He says you can play some sports and keep to the two-metre rule. But football is a contact sport, he says. So football is a bigger risk.
He says the experts have had to think about what the reproduction rate for the infection has to be for this to be safe.He says the experts have had to think about what the reproduction rate for the infection has to be for this to be safe.
Q: So what is the pathway to grassroots football being allowed to restart? Will we have to wait for a vaccine?Q: So what is the pathway to grassroots football being allowed to restart? Will we have to wait for a vaccine?
Hancock says he very much hopes not.Hancock says he very much hopes not.
Whitty says his expectation is that a vaccine before next year on a widespread basis is very unlikely. He says there may have to be some changes to the way football is played. But he hopes football can be played. Outdoors is safer than indoors.Whitty says his expectation is that a vaccine before next year on a widespread basis is very unlikely. He says there may have to be some changes to the way football is played. But he hopes football can be played. Outdoors is safer than indoors.
Q: Is there a point where contact tracing will not be able to work because there are too many cases?Q: Is there a point where contact tracing will not be able to work because there are too many cases?
Hancock says, because of the surveillance system, they now have a much better idea of what R is. So they should be able to prevent that, he says.Hancock says, because of the surveillance system, they now have a much better idea of what R is. So they should be able to prevent that, he says.
Q: If we never needed the app to launch a contact-tracing system, could we not have launched the contact-tracing system earlier?Q: If we never needed the app to launch a contact-tracing system, could we not have launched the contact-tracing system earlier?
Hancock says the app is working in the Isle of Wight. But rolling it out nationwide will be harder, he says.Hancock says the app is working in the Isle of Wight. But rolling it out nationwide will be harder, he says.
Q: The government’s coronavirus recovery plan says an app is integral to a contact-tracing system. Now you are not saying that. Why?Q: The government’s coronavirus recovery plan says an app is integral to a contact-tracing system. Now you are not saying that. Why?
(Here is a quote from the document. It says “For such a [contact tracing] system to work, several systems need to be built and successfully integrated. These include .... automated, app-based contact-tracing through the new NHS Covid-19 app.)(Here is a quote from the document. It says “For such a [contact tracing] system to work, several systems need to be built and successfully integrated. These include .... automated, app-based contact-tracing through the new NHS Covid-19 app.)
Hancock says the contact-tracing system must be in place by 1 June. There are 24,000 contact tracers, as of yesterday.Hancock says the contact-tracing system must be in place by 1 June. There are 24,000 contact tracers, as of yesterday.
The technology is an important part, but not the only part, he says.The technology is an important part, but not the only part, he says.
Q: Yesterday the PM said it was right to make migrant care workers pay the NHS surcharge. Now he says that’s wrong. What changed his mind?
Hancock says yesterday the PM was talking about the surcharge in general. (See 4.46pm.) Now he is talking about exemptions, he says.
Q: Did the PM change his mind on exempting care workers from the NHS surcharge, or was he just worried about losing votes?
Hancock says the PM has asked him and the home secretary to look at how NHS and care workers can be removed from this as soon as possible.
He says the purpose of the surcharge was a fair one; to ensure that everyone contributes to the NHS.
Q: Are you still planning to impose a cap on the amount of social care costs any individual has to pay? And has the crisis strengthened the case for reform?
Hancock says the government is working on creating a sustainable care system, as it promised in its manifesto.
Q: When will that emerge? And will it stop people having to sell their homes to pay for care?
Hancock says it will stop people having to sell their homes. He has seen the injustice of this. People cannot insure themselves against this risk, he says.
But he says he can’t say when the care plan will be published.
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 deaths. Whitty says he has repeatedly said excess deaths is the best measure of the seriousness of the pandemic. 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.
This is from Sir Keir Starmer.