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| Coronavirus UK live: No 10 unable to say when contact-tracing app ready for roll-out | Coronavirus UK live: No 10 unable to say when contact-tracing app ready for roll-out |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Labour leader accuses PM of failing to tackle child poverty; Hancock says government to write to 2.2m people shielding in England ‘shortly’; excess deaths in Scotland at lowest level since April | Labour leader accuses PM of failing to tackle child poverty; Hancock says government to write to 2.2m people shielding in England ‘shortly’; excess deaths in Scotland at lowest level since April |
| Close to 100 of the UK’s leading creative figures have signed a letter calling for an urgent government intervention to save Britain’s performing arts sector from imminent ruin. | |
| Our colleagues Mark Brown and Lanre Bakare report that Phoebe Waller-Bridge, James McAvoy, Sharon D Clarke, Tom Stoppard, Wendell Pierce, Emma Rice and Andrew Scott are among the names backing the letter warning of the threat facing theatre, opera and dance amid the coronavirus crisis. | |
| An extract reads: | |
| The industry is asking the government to continue the job retention scheme, establish an emergency relief fund and come up with a new package of support for the army of freelancers who help create so much of the sector’s work. | |
| Most UK theatres have been closed since mid-March as the country began to lock down to curb the spread of coronavirus, with at least four saying they will not reopen. Others are beginning to make redundancies. As they burn through cash reserves, about three-quarters of venues say they will have run out of money by Christmas. | |
| The full story is here. | |
| In the latest instalment of the Politics Weekly podcast, Jonathan Freedland and Frances Perraudin look at the latest in a series of government U-turns. Why did Boris Johnson decide to drag his feet on the issue of making sure children in England are fed? And does this signal the end of embarrassing U-turns? Listen to the episode here: | |
| In a statement about the collision outside parliament involving the prime minister’s car (see 3.11pm), the Metropolitan police say a man was “arrested at the scene for offences under section 5 of the Public Order Act and for obstructing the highway”. | |
| The DHSC said 42,153 people have now died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Tuesday. That is a rise of 184 from 41,969 the day before. | The DHSC said 42,153 people have now died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Tuesday. That is a rise of 184 from 41,969 the day before. |
| The government figures don’t include all deaths involving Covid-19 across the UK, which is thought to have passed 53,000. | The government figures don’t include all deaths involving Covid-19 across the UK, which is thought to have passed 53,000. |
| The DHSC also said in the 24-hour period up to 9am on Wednesday, 140,359 tests were carried out or dispatched, with 1,115 positive results. Overall, a total of 7,121,976 tests have been carried out and 299,251 cases have been confirmed positive. | The DHSC also said in the 24-hour period up to 9am on Wednesday, 140,359 tests were carried out or dispatched, with 1,115 positive results. Overall, a total of 7,121,976 tests have been carried out and 299,251 cases have been confirmed positive. |
| The figure for the number of people tested has been “temporarily paused to ensure consistent reporting” across all methods of testing. | The figure for the number of people tested has been “temporarily paused to ensure consistent reporting” across all methods of testing. |
| The opposition parties have condemned Boris Johnson’s decision to spend £900,000 repainting the RAF Voyager plane used by ministers in union jack colours. (See 2.57pm.) | The opposition parties have condemned Boris Johnson’s decision to spend £900,000 repainting the RAF Voyager plane used by ministers in union jack colours. (See 2.57pm.) |
| This is from Louise Haigh, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary. | This is from Louise Haigh, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary. |
| This is from the SNP MP Stewart McDonald. | This is from the SNP MP Stewart McDonald. |
| And this is from the Lib Dem leadership contender Layla Moran. | And this is from the Lib Dem leadership contender Layla Moran. |
| The BBC has invited staff to apply for voluntary redundancy as it attempts to make £125m in savings this year amid the coronavirus pandemic. | The BBC has invited staff to apply for voluntary redundancy as it attempts to make £125m in savings this year amid the coronavirus pandemic. |
| The broadcaster has asked its public service staff - not those in its commercial subsidiaries - to make a voluntary redundancy expression of interest. | The broadcaster has asked its public service staff - not those in its commercial subsidiaries - to make a voluntary redundancy expression of interest. |
| In an internal message to staff, the BBC director general, Lord Hall, said delaying means-testing of the free TV licence for over-75s would cost a “significant sum at a time when revenue from the licence fee is also down” because of the broadcaster’s ability to collect the fee during lockdown. He added that commercial operations had also been “severely affected”. | In an internal message to staff, the BBC director general, Lord Hall, said delaying means-testing of the free TV licence for over-75s would cost a “significant sum at a time when revenue from the licence fee is also down” because of the broadcaster’s ability to collect the fee during lockdown. He added that commercial operations had also been “severely affected”. |
| A BBC spokesman said: | A BBC spokesman said: |
| The BBC suspended plans to cut around 450 jobs in BBC News because of the demands of covering the pandemic but the cuts will still take place at a later date. | The BBC suspended plans to cut around 450 jobs in BBC News because of the demands of covering the pandemic but the cuts will still take place at a later date. |
| The £125m is in addition to the efficiency savings the broadcaster has committed to - £800m by 2021/22. | The £125m is in addition to the efficiency savings the broadcaster has committed to - £800m by 2021/22. |
| James Purnell, director of radio and education, recently told MPs that the corporation would have to air repeats and the pandemic’s effect on schedules would be starker next year. | James Purnell, director of radio and education, recently told MPs that the corporation would have to air repeats and the pandemic’s effect on schedules would be starker next year. |
| Opinion polls suggest people are not enthusiastic about the lockdown being eased. In an article for Prospect, Peter Kellner, the former YouGov president, argues that No 10 should avoid drawing the wrong conclusions from these findings. Here’s an extract. | Opinion polls suggest people are not enthusiastic about the lockdown being eased. In an article for Prospect, Peter Kellner, the former YouGov president, argues that No 10 should avoid drawing the wrong conclusions from these findings. Here’s an extract. |
| Kellner argues that, on this issue, ministers should ignore the polls and press ahead with easing the lockdown. “The public verdict that will matter will be that, sometime next year, when it becomes clear that the government has or has not steered Britain towards a healthier, more prosperous future,” he says. | Kellner argues that, on this issue, ministers should ignore the polls and press ahead with easing the lockdown. “The public verdict that will matter will be that, sometime next year, when it becomes clear that the government has or has not steered Britain towards a healthier, more prosperous future,” he says. |
| A few more pictures from the scene outside parliament after Boris Johnson’s car was involved in a collision: | A few more pictures from the scene outside parliament after Boris Johnson’s car was involved in a collision: |
| NHS England has said a further 77 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 28,138. The full figures are here. | NHS England has said a further 77 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 28,138. The full figures are here. |
| All but two of the 77 had underlying health conditions, NHS England said. | All but two of the 77 had underlying health conditions, NHS England said. |
| For comparison, here are the equivalent daily NHS England figures for hospital deaths for the last two weeks. | For comparison, here are the equivalent daily NHS England figures for hospital deaths for the last two weeks. |
| Wednesday 3 June - 179 | Wednesday 3 June - 179 |
| Thursday 4 June - 115 | Thursday 4 June - 115 |
| Friday 5 June - 123 | Friday 5 June - 123 |
| Saturday 6 June - 75 | Saturday 6 June - 75 |
| Sunday 7 June - 72 | Sunday 7 June - 72 |
| Monday 8 June - 59 | Monday 8 June - 59 |
| Tuesday 9 June - 129 | Tuesday 9 June - 129 |
| Wednesday 10 June - 88 | Wednesday 10 June - 88 |
| Thursday 11 June - 83 | Thursday 11 June - 83 |
| Friday 12 June - 70 | Friday 12 June - 70 |
| Saturday 13 June - 67 | Saturday 13 June - 67 |
| Sunday 14 June - 27 | Sunday 14 June - 27 |
| Monday 15 June - 28 | Monday 15 June - 28 |
| Tuesday 16 June - 79 | Tuesday 16 June - 79 |
| Boris Johnson’s convoy was targeted by a protester as the prime minister left the Palace of Westminster this afternoon. | Boris Johnson’s convoy was targeted by a protester as the prime minister left the Palace of Westminster this afternoon. |
| The demonstrator, who had been protesting about Turkish action against Kurdish rebels, ran into the road outside the gates to parliament. | The demonstrator, who had been protesting about Turkish action against Kurdish rebels, ran into the road outside the gates to parliament. |
| This forced the lead vehicles in the convoy - a police motorbike and the prime minister’s Jaguar - to stop, with a support vehicle running into the back of the luxury saloon carrying Johnson. | This forced the lead vehicles in the convoy - a police motorbike and the prime minister’s Jaguar - to stop, with a support vehicle running into the back of the luxury saloon carrying Johnson. |
| The vehicles drove off shortly afterwards in the direction of Downing Street, with a large dent visible on the rear of the Jaguar. | The vehicles drove off shortly afterwards in the direction of Downing Street, with a large dent visible on the rear of the Jaguar. |
| Downing Street said there were no reports of anyone being injured in the incident.The protester was detained by police and taken into the Palace of Westminster by officers. | Downing Street said there were no reports of anyone being injured in the incident.The protester was detained by police and taken into the Palace of Westminster by officers. |
| Here is footage of the incident, posted on Twitter by Steve Bray, aka ‘Mr Stop Brexit’. | Here is footage of the incident, posted on Twitter by Steve Bray, aka ‘Mr Stop Brexit’. |
| Here are the main points from this afternoon’s Downing Street lobby briefing, as reported by PA Media. | Here are the main points from this afternoon’s Downing Street lobby briefing, as reported by PA Media. |
| The prime minister, according to Downing Street, was “fully aware of the issue” that sparked Marcus Rashford’s campaign to extend the children’s food voucher scheme into the summer holidays. | The prime minister, according to Downing Street, was “fully aware of the issue” that sparked Marcus Rashford’s campaign to extend the children’s food voucher scheme into the summer holidays. |
| It came after Boris Johnson said at the daily press briefing on Tuesday he had heard of it “today”. | It came after Boris Johnson said at the daily press briefing on Tuesday he had heard of it “today”. |
| The PM’s official spokesman said: | The PM’s official spokesman said: |
| Asked whether he had read the initial open letter by Rashford on the issue, the spokesman added: | Asked whether he had read the initial open letter by Rashford on the issue, the spokesman added: |
| The spokesman confirmed the PM had seen repeats of the interview with the England footballer, which had first aired on Monday. | The spokesman confirmed the PM had seen repeats of the interview with the England footballer, which had first aired on Monday. |
| Downing Street said work to paint “national branding” on a military plane used by the prime minister will cost “around £900,000”. | Downing Street said work to paint “national branding” on a military plane used by the prime minister will cost “around £900,000”. |
| The red, white and blue Union flag-style paint job will allow the RAF Voyager to continue to participate in military work, according to No 10. | The red, white and blue Union flag-style paint job will allow the RAF Voyager to continue to participate in military work, according to No 10. |
| The spokesman said: | The spokesman said: |
| The spokesman defended the near £1m cost to taxpayers, telling reporters: | The spokesman defended the near £1m cost to taxpayers, telling reporters: |
| In the 24 hours up to 9am on Tuesday, 113,107 tests for Covid-19 were provided, Downing Street confirmed. Of those, 28,186 were antibody tests. The latest available details of testing capacity in the UK was 241,540 on Monday. | In the 24 hours up to 9am on Tuesday, 113,107 tests for Covid-19 were provided, Downing Street confirmed. Of those, 28,186 were antibody tests. The latest available details of testing capacity in the UK was 241,540 on Monday. |
| Asked about the gap between actual tests carried out and capacity, the PM’s spokesman said: | Asked about the gap between actual tests carried out and capacity, the PM’s spokesman said: |
| No 10 said it had no data on how many people had been fined for breaking travel quarantine rules after arriving in the UK. | No 10 said it had no data on how many people had been fined for breaking travel quarantine rules after arriving in the UK. |
| When asked about the numbers of quarantine fines handed out, the spokesman said: | When asked about the numbers of quarantine fines handed out, the spokesman said: |
| Downing Street said it had nothing new to add on Johnson’s conversations with Spain and France about creating “travel corridors” to allow travel between the UK and the two European nations. | Downing Street said it had nothing new to add on Johnson’s conversations with Spain and France about creating “travel corridors” to allow travel between the UK and the two European nations. |
| Downing Street has said there are no reports of any injuries after Boris Johnson’s car was involved in a collision outside the Palace of Westminster. | Downing Street has said there are no reports of any injuries after Boris Johnson’s car was involved in a collision outside the Palace of Westminster. |
| A protester was detained after running in front of the silver Jaguar as it left parliament. Video showed the car being hit by a Range Rover travelling behind. | A protester was detained after running in front of the silver Jaguar as it left parliament. Video showed the car being hit by a Range Rover travelling behind. |
| The spokesman confirmed Johnson was travelling in the car at the time, adding: | The spokesman confirmed Johnson was travelling in the car at the time, adding: |
| Downing Street said there was “no update” on when the NHS Covid-19 contact-tracing app would be ready for roll-out. | Downing Street said there was “no update” on when the NHS Covid-19 contact-tracing app would be ready for roll-out. |
| Matt Hancock had initially said it would be ready last month. The spokesman, asked when the app would be made available to the public, said he did not have a date. | Matt Hancock had initially said it would be ready last month. The spokesman, asked when the app would be made available to the public, said he did not have a date. |
| Asked to confirm what the problem was with the app, he said: | Asked to confirm what the problem was with the app, he said: |
| The UK government has ordered an urgent review of the potential ability of vitamin D to reduce the risk of Covid-19, our colleague Mattha Busby reports. | The UK government has ordered an urgent review of the potential ability of vitamin D to reduce the risk of Covid-19, our colleague Mattha Busby reports. |
| It comes amid growing concern over the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people, who make up 94% of all doctors killed by the virus. | It comes amid growing concern over the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people, who make up 94% of all doctors killed by the virus. |
| A delayed Public Health England review into the reasons behind the disproportionate impact on people from BAME backgrounds which pointed to historical racism was said not to have yet reviewed the role of diet and vitamin D. | A delayed Public Health England review into the reasons behind the disproportionate impact on people from BAME backgrounds which pointed to historical racism was said not to have yet reviewed the role of diet and vitamin D. |
| Here is the full story. | Here is the full story. |
| One further death with coronavirus has been has been recorded in Northern Ireland, bringing the total reported by the Department of Health to 543. There were eight new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the total there to 4,862. | One further death with coronavirus has been has been recorded in Northern Ireland, bringing the total reported by the Department of Health to 543. There were eight new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the total there to 4,862. |