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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2020/jun/17/coronavirus-uk-live-government-urged-to-explain-future-of-shielded-status
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| Coronavirus UK live: Oliver Dowden says return of Premier League is an 'important milestone' | Coronavirus UK live: Oliver Dowden says return of Premier League is an 'important milestone' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Culture secretary says he is also looking into how arts venues can reopen; UK’s official death toll rises by 184 to 42,153; excess deaths in Scotland at lowest level since April | Culture secretary says he is also looking into how arts venues can reopen; UK’s official death toll rises by 184 to 42,153; excess deaths in Scotland at lowest level since April |
| Matt Hancock has apologised for a “human mistake” after he broke 2-metre social distancing rules in the House of Commons. | |
| Footage from the chamber shows the healthsecretary placing his arm around a fellow MP as he arrived for PMQs this afternoon. | |
| He then stood well within 2 metres of his colleague while waiting to be seated, despite floor markings to guide MPs as they enter the chamber. | |
| A third MP then appears to the pair’s right, and the MP Hancock had placed his arm around steps back, appearing to do so to stay socially distant. | |
| After the incident, Hancock said in a statement: | |
| Parliament advice on proceedings during the Covid-19 pandemic states Commonsphysical proceedings should be socially distanced and “in line with public health guidance”. | |
| Guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care states people should stay 2 metres apart from anyone outside of their household – rules Hancock has consistently promoted. | |
| Covid-19 has been identified among inmates in a new prison, a daily update from the Ministry of Justice revealed. | |
| As of 5pm on Tuesday, 503 prisoners had tested positive for the coronavirus in 81 prisons, compared to 502 inmates in 80 prisons on Monday. The number of infected staff increased by 0.7% to 978 workers across 105 prisons in the same period. | |
| The numbers are not live cases and include those who have recovered. There are around 79,700 prisoners across 117 prisons in England and Wales, and around 33,000 staff working in public sector prisons. | |
| The current regime, which has seen a ban on family visits, reduced time spent out of cells to about 30 minutes a day, suspended prison transfers and forced new arrivals to be quarantined for 14 days, has been hailed a success by ministers as deaths and infection rates behind bars have been significantly lower than expected. | |
| At least 23 prisoners and nine staff are known to have died, as well as one prison escort driver and one NHS trust employee working in a secure training centre. | |
| A new survey of family doctors, conducted by the GP magazine Pulse, found that 71% of GPs believe the government has eased lockdown measures “too quickly”, including 25% saying “far too quickly”. | |
| Many GPs raised concerns about the government’s response to the crisis, including issues around the test-and-trace programme as well as shortfalls of PPE earlier in the crisis. | |
| Six in 10 (61%) view the government’s response negatively, including 27% “very negatively”, according to the survey of 680 GPs. | |
| More than half (55%) said the test-and-trace system would not stop the spread of the virus. And 81% of GPs said the Dominic Cummings affair has made people less likely to follow government advice – including 58% saying “much less likely”. | |
| Commenting on the survey, Prof Martin Marshall, the chairman of the Royal College of GPs, told PA Media: | |
| The Duke of Cambridge has thanked those involved in getting Premier League football going again as his beloved Aston Villa prepared to face Sheffield United in the first game of the restart. | |
| He signed off the tweet from the Kensington Royal Twitter account: | |
| An NHS nurse who spent 75 days in the hospital where he works with coronavirus has recovered. He walked out of the ward to applause from colleagues. | An NHS nurse who spent 75 days in the hospital where he works with coronavirus has recovered. He walked out of the ward to applause from colleagues. |
| Felix Khor, 68, spent 45 days in the intensive care ward at Southend hospital where he has worked for 15 years, and was on a ventilator. He then spent several weeks on a different ward. | |
| Khor was admitted to hospital in early April at the height of lockdown and was discharged on Monday. | |
| Up to 200 NHS staff lined the hospital’s main corridor to clap for him as he was wheeled out of intensive care last month. | Up to 200 NHS staff lined the hospital’s main corridor to clap for him as he was wheeled out of intensive care last month. |
| Khor, who lives in Shoebury, joined Southend hospital in 2005 as part of the resuscitation training team. He continued working at the hospital following his retirement as part of the staff bank in the emergency department. | |
| Recalling the moment he was clapped out of intensive care, Khor told the PA Media news agency: | |
| He plans to retire after recovering from Covid-19 and is looking forward to gardening. | He plans to retire after recovering from Covid-19 and is looking forward to gardening. |
| Q: What do you say to people who have lost their jobs? I have spoken to people in the hospitality industry going on benefits for the first time? | Q: What do you say to people who have lost their jobs? I have spoken to people in the hospitality industry going on benefits for the first time? |
| Dowden says the government has spent tens of billions trying to protect jobs. | Dowden says the government has spent tens of billions trying to protect jobs. |
| We need to reopen business, he says. People need to get their jobs back. | We need to reopen business, he says. People need to get their jobs back. |
| Q: What would you say to a person I spoke to who has joined a group that thinks the delayed lockdown cost 20,000 lives. What have been the goverment’s worst mistakes? | Q: What would you say to a person I spoke to who has joined a group that thinks the delayed lockdown cost 20,000 lives. What have been the goverment’s worst mistakes? |
| Dowden says ministers made the decision, informed by the scientific advice. | Dowden says ministers made the decision, informed by the scientific advice. |
| He says the UK acted at about the same time as other countries. | He says the UK acted at about the same time as other countries. |
| And he claims it is too early to make comparison about which countries did best. | And he claims it is too early to make comparison about which countries did best. |
| Q: Will there be an inquiry? | Q: Will there be an inquiry? |
| Of course there will be lessons to be learnt, he says. | Of course there will be lessons to be learnt, he says. |
| When meaningful comparisons can be made, lessons from them will be learnt, he says. | When meaningful comparisons can be made, lessons from them will be learnt, he says. |
| And that’s it. The press conference is over. | And that’s it. The press conference is over. |
| Q: Ministers did say we should not expect to have summer holidays abroad. Has that changed? Will people be able to go on holiday in August? | Q: Ministers did say we should not expect to have summer holidays abroad. Has that changed? Will people be able to go on holiday in August? |
| Dowden says the government is looking at air corridors. But it will be driven by the public health issues. | Dowden says the government is looking at air corridors. But it will be driven by the public health issues. |
| Q: When will Britain be open for tourism? | Q: When will Britain be open for tourism? |
| Dowden says the government has set out a roadmap. The next stage is 4 July. He says he very much hopes that we will be able to stick to that, and see tourism return to the UK. | Dowden says the government has set out a roadmap. The next stage is 4 July. He says he very much hopes that we will be able to stick to that, and see tourism return to the UK. |
| He wants to be out there making the case for British tourism. | He wants to be out there making the case for British tourism. |
| But it has to be safe, he says. | But it has to be safe, he says. |
| He says guidance will be published on this. | He says guidance will be published on this. |
| Q: Is £900,000 on repainting the RAF Voyager a good use of public money? | Q: Is £900,000 on repainting the RAF Voyager a good use of public money? |
| Dowden says he sees this as part of promoting Great Britain, which is a good use of money. | Dowden says he sees this as part of promoting Great Britain, which is a good use of money. |
| Dowden says his office has been in touch with the mayor of London’s office about the Churchill statue in Parliament Square. He says the mayor is in charge of that. But he hopes the mayor will allow it to be uncovered soon. He says he hopes that will happen before President Macron comes to London. | Dowden says his office has been in touch with the mayor of London’s office about the Churchill statue in Parliament Square. He says the mayor is in charge of that. But he hopes the mayor will allow it to be uncovered soon. He says he hopes that will happen before President Macron comes to London. |
| Dowden says a 1-metre rule would benefit cinemas. They can operate with smaller audiences. But theatres would still have problems. | Dowden says a 1-metre rule would benefit cinemas. They can operate with smaller audiences. But theatres would still have problems. |
| He says he has been in touch with Andrew Lloyd Webber about what happens in Seoul. | He says he has been in touch with Andrew Lloyd Webber about what happens in Seoul. |
| He says it may take some time before theatres can operate sensibly. So they may need financial support, he says. | He says it may take some time before theatres can operate sensibly. So they may need financial support, he says. |
| Q: What will the police do if people congregate outside football stadiums? | Q: What will the police do if people congregate outside football stadiums? |
| Dowden says the police have appropriate powers. He hopes they won’t be able to use them. | Dowden says the police have appropriate powers. He hopes they won’t be able to use them. |
| There is nothing to be gained from congregating outside a stadium, he says. | There is nothing to be gained from congregating outside a stadium, he says. |
| Q: Should Marcus Rashford get a knighthood? | Q: Should Marcus Rashford get a knighthood? |
| Dowden says he has been very impressed by Rashford’s lobbying skills. But he says it is not for him to give out knighthoods. | Dowden says he has been very impressed by Rashford’s lobbying skills. But he says it is not for him to give out knighthoods. |
| Q: Are there security implications from the collision outside parliament? | Q: Are there security implications from the collision outside parliament? |
| Dowden says he is not aware of any security implications. But he can tell people the PM is unscathed. | Dowden says he is not aware of any security implications. But he can tell people the PM is unscathed. |