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UK coronavirus live: Tory MPs call for Dominic Cummings to resign as he goes to No 10 UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson to lead No 10 briefing at 5pm amid calls for Dominic Cummings to go
(32 minutes later)
Conservative MPs call for advisor to resign amid revelations of further breaches of lockdown rulesConservative MPs call for advisor to resign amid revelations of further breaches of lockdown rules
Downing Street has confirmed that Boris Johnson will be leading the government’s press conference today at 5pm, instead of housing minister Robert Jenrick, who had been previously announced.
I am now handing over to my colleage Aaron Walawalkar.
This from Joe Pike from Sky News:
Here a clip featuring the former chief constable of Durham police Mike Barton during a BBC interview this afternoon, in which he calls out Cummings’ behaviour as a clear breach of the rules.
My colleague Vikram Dodd spoke to Barton earlier.
This from my colleague Toby Helm:
British people will be able to access a coronavirus vaccine from September, the chief executive of drug maker AstraZeneca has said, despite concerns it will not be ready.British people will be able to access a coronavirus vaccine from September, the chief executive of drug maker AstraZeneca has said, despite concerns it will not be ready.
Pascal Soriot told The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday that British people will get first access to the vaccine from autumn. Pascal Soriot told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday that British people will get first access to the vaccine from autumn.
The pharmaceutical firm, which is working with Oxford University, had previously said it has secured the first agreements for at least 400 million doses of the vaccine, PA reports. The pharmaceutical firm, which is working with Oxford University, had previously said it has secured the first agreements for at least 400 million doses of the vaccine, PA Media reports.
But a leading member of the project told The Sunday Telegraph the lower transmission of Covid-19 in the community leaves the trial with only a 50% chance of success. But a leading member of the project told the Sunday Telegraph the lower transmission of Covid-19 in the community leaves the trial with only a 50% chance of success.
Asked if people in Britain will be among the first to get the vaccine, Soriot said: “Yes, we have actually received an order from the British Government to supply 100 million doses of vaccine, and those will go to the British people. Asked if people in Britain would be among the first to get the vaccine, Soriot said: “Yes, we have actually received an order from the British government to supply 100 million doses of vaccine, and those will go to the British people.
“And there’s no doubt, starting in September, we will start delivering these doses of vaccine to the British Government for vaccination.” “And there’s no doubt, starting in September, we will start delivering these doses of vaccine to the British government for vaccination.”
But Soriot went on to say the possibility of the vaccine being rolled out in autumn depended on if an Oxford University trial worked before the transmission rate lowers further.But Soriot went on to say the possibility of the vaccine being rolled out in autumn depended on if an Oxford University trial worked before the transmission rate lowers further.
He added: “The vaccine has to work and that’s one question, and the other question is, even if it works, we have to be able to demonstrate it.He added: “The vaccine has to work and that’s one question, and the other question is, even if it works, we have to be able to demonstrate it.
“We have to run as fast as possible before the disease disappears so we can demonstrate that the vaccine is effective.”“We have to run as fast as possible before the disease disappears so we can demonstrate that the vaccine is effective.”
Oxford University’s Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group began development on a vaccine in January, using a virus taken from chimpanzees.Oxford University’s Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group began development on a vaccine in January, using a virus taken from chimpanzees.
The government’s daily press conference has been delayed by an hour and will now start at 5pm.The government’s daily press conference has been delayed by an hour and will now start at 5pm.
This from the BBC’s Nick Eardley:This from the BBC’s Nick Eardley:
This from the Telegraph’s Tony Diver:This from the Telegraph’s Tony Diver:
This from the Sunday Times’s Tim Shipman:This from the Sunday Times’s Tim Shipman:
My colleague Katherine Butler just spoke to Ben, 31, a marketing manager in the music industry who’s cycled from Leytonstone to Islington to demonstrate outside Dominic Cummings’s house.My colleague Katherine Butler just spoke to Ben, 31, a marketing manager in the music industry who’s cycled from Leytonstone to Islington to demonstrate outside Dominic Cummings’s house.
He said:He said:
Freeman told the BBC: “If I had known everything I know now... we may have made different decisions”, as she reacts to claims it was “irresponsible” to send 921 untested hospital patients into care homes in March.Freeman told the BBC: “If I had known everything I know now... we may have made different decisions”, as she reacts to claims it was “irresponsible” to send 921 untested hospital patients into care homes in March.
Scotland’s health secretary Jeane Freeman issued a reminder to everyone in Scotland about the rules around self-isolation, saying the “message may have become confused in the last 24 hours because of events in other parts of the UK”.
Speaking at the Scottish government’s latest coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh, she said self-isolating is not the same as lockdown and means “you should not leave the house for any reason”, the PA reports.
“So let me be clear what we mean here in Scotland. Self-isolation means the following: if you think you have the virus, if you have a persistent cough, or a fever, or loss of taste and/or smell, you should self-isolate at home for a minimum of seven days, “ Freeman said.
“In that time you should get tested if you can, bearing in mind that testing is now open to anyone over the age of five who has symptoms.
“At the same time anyone in your household should self-isolate for 14 days to see if they develop virus, and if they do, they should self-isolate for seven days from that point.
“From the eighth day, if you do not have any more symptoms you can go back, back to the lockdown measures that apply across the country.”
Here is a video showing Dominic Cummings leaving his north London home earlier this morning and denying that he had travelled to Durham a second time when he was asked by reporters.
This from the Telegraph’s Tony Diver:
This just in from the BBC’s Nick Eardley:
The number of people who have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Northern Ireland has risen to 506 after one more death was reported by the Department of Health.
The number of patients in Scotland who have died after testing positive for Covid-19 has risen by nine to 2,270, according to the latest statistics.
Figures published by the Scottish government show the rise in the past 24 hours.
The statistics indicate 15,101 people have tested positive for Covid-19, up of 60 from 15,041 the previous day.
There are 845 patients in hospital who have tested positive for Covid-19, up four from 841 on Saturday.
A further 147 people, who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 25,691.
Patients were aged between 43 and 98 years old, according to NHS England.
Five of the 147 patients, aged between 46 and 84, had no known underlying health condition.
Former Labour MP for Bishop Auckland Helen Goodman, whose father died in a care home, said she found the behaviour of Dominic Cummings “incredible”.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend, she said: “What was the point of the sacrifice that we all made? What was the point of the miserable, lonely death that my father had? I just find it utterly repellent.”
Asked if she was tempted to break the lockdown to see her gravely ill father, she said: “Yes of course, of course, everybody was just wresting with these intolerable dilemmas.
“I think the cabinet ministers are utterly craven to excuse and exonerate him.
Asked if Cummings should stay, she said: “Of course he shouldn’t, there’s no question that he shouldn’t. He’s undermined the public health campaign that they’ve been running – trying to run – for the last two months.
“I think it’s incredibly destructive – not just the act in itself, but the defence of the act, I think it’s incredibly destructive.”
This from ITV’s Robert Peston:
A protest group has appeared outside Dominic Cummings’ north London home, PA Media reports.
Political campaign group Led by Donkeys drove to Cummings’s home in a van displaying a video of Boris Johnson’s speech to the country, warning the public to stay at home.
Boris Johnson offered his “full support” to his chief adviser after the news emerged.
Led by Donkeys also put up a separate installation on Westminster Bridge Road on Friday.
Posting a photo of the billboard, which reads “Stay alert, Government incompetence costs lives”, the group said: “When the PM’s top adviser is criss-crossing the country with coronavirus, it’s definitely time to stay alert.”