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| UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson to warn public to 'act responsibly' when pubs reopen in England on Saturday | UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson to warn public to 'act responsibly' when pubs reopen in England on Saturday |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Prime minister will give televised press conference as government struggles to balance protecting jobs and preventing second wave | Prime minister will give televised press conference as government struggles to balance protecting jobs and preventing second wave |
| The new father of, well, we’re not sure of how many, said the newest addition to his brood - his baby son Wilfred - is a “wonderful kid” and that he is a “pretty hands-on” dad. | |
| He said that becoming a father is “an absolutely wonderful time” but added: “But for me at any rate it is very, very busy so the concept of paternity leave is not one that I’ve really been able to deal with.”Asked by presenter Nick Ferrari: “What’s the best part... cuddling him, changing him, feeding him, reading to him?”, Mr Johnson replied: “All that... it is a very detailed operation and there’s a lot of it, but I’m pretty hands-on.” | |
| The Prime Minister was asked on LBC Radio this morning why restrictions on going to the pub will be lifted on a Saturday, which typically sees a higher rate of alcohol-related issues for police and the NHS.Johnson replied: “We thought about this carefully and I think we wanted to give pubs time to prepare, we wanted a date early in July and when I look at what is happening I hope very much that people will behave responsibly and enjoy summer safely.“I hope this will be a reasonable time for people to get ready to enjoy themselves in the weekend but to do it in a safe way.”When pressed by host Nick Ferrari on why Saturday was chosen rather than Monday and whether he only “hoped” it would be safe, Johnson added: “It’s not on hope, it’s based on a clear understanding of the statistical risks that we now face as a country.“We’ve progressed thanks to the efforts of the British people from an incidence of the disease at about one in 400 a few weeks ago to maybe one in 2,200 today. You’re appreciably less likely now to be in close proximity to someone who has it than you were even a couple of weeks ago. | |
| “We’re making progress, we aimed for July the 4th, we wanted to set ourselves a target, we think we’re in good shape but my message is let’s not blow it.” | |
| The prime minister also refused to condemn his father for flying to Greece in an apparent breach of Foreign Office guidance to avoid non-essential travel.Stanley Johnson was widely criticised after travelling via Bulgaria to visit his Greek villa.He said: “I think you really ought to raise that with him. I am not going to get into details of family conversations.“I think the overwhelming majority of the British people have understood what needs to be done and have been very prudent, and that is the right thing to do.” | |
| For the first time, this week’s ONS survey asked people their ability to pay household bills and to meet any unexpected expenses, compared to before the coronavirus outbreak. In addition, they asked how safe people feel about having tradespeople in their homes for essential and non-essential work. | |
| The weekly survey, relating to the period 25 to 28 June, continued to cover regular topics such as personal well-being, the extent to which in work adults are travelling to work and are leaving their homes for various reasons and use of face coverings. | |
| Findings include: | |
| Paying the usual household bills is ‘difficult or very difficult’ for 11% of adults, compared to 5% before the outbreak. Asked if their household could afford to pay an unexpected but necessary bill of £850 - 28% said they could not. | |
| More than 1 in 10 (11%) adults reported that they have had to borrow more money or use more credit than usual since the coronavirus outbreak, | |
| Among working adults, 78% said they had either worked at home or travelled to work this week - the proportion of working adults who had travelled to work in the past seven days increased to 49% (compared with 44% last week). | |
| In an emergency situation, such as needing repairs to a boiler or electrics, 51% of adults said they felt either very comfortable or comfortable having someone come into their home to carry out repairs. This fell to 37% for non-emergency work in their home, and 42% felt uncomfortable or very uncomfortable with this situation. | |
| The most common issue affecting adults’ well-being continues to be feeling worried about the future (62%). However, this week the proportion of people feeling stressed or anxious has fallen to 55% from 66% last week. “Feeling bored” has decreased to 45% of people, compared with 60% last week. | |
| The ONS also say that an estimated 73,600 weddings and same-sex civil partnership ceremonies may have been postponed in England during the three-month period of lockdown restrictions between 23 March and 3 July 2020. | |
| From 4 July weddings in England will be able to take place with a maximum of 30 people who must maintain social distancing measures, avoid singing unless behind a screen, avoid consuming food or drink and avoid playing instruments that must be blown into. | |
| It is estimated that 73,400 marriages have been postponed along with 300 same-sex civil partnerships (numbers have been rounded to nearest hundred). | |
| He added that gyms would be able to reopen in a “couple of weeks”, and vowed to try to get theatres going “as fast as we possibly can”.The Prime Minister told the radio station: “The best way forward for the country is to get the economy moving again ... We want to get every part of our industry, including theatres, that are so vital.”On gyms, he added: “We are going to reopen gyms as soon as we can do it in a Covid-secure way and I think that the date for reopening gyms at the moment, if we can do it, is in just a couple of weeks’ time.” | |
| Boris Johnson has said he wants to see better black representation at the top of the government.“Of course we can do more and we will do more. We need to make progress and we will. I think about this a lot. It is something I want to get right. We need to reflect the country we serve,” the Prime Minister told LBC radio.He indicated that he would not be prepared to “take the knee” in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.“I don’t believe in gestures, I believe in substance,” he said.“I don’t want people to be bullied into doing things they don’t necessarily want to do.“If you think of what happened with those officers standing at the Cenotaph... They were being insulted in quite aggressive terms by members of the crowd and told to take the knee.“Some of them did and it was very difficult for the others who didn’t. That’s my position.” | |
| New stats just out from the Office for National Statistics: | |
| Main points | |
| Across the care homes included in the study, we estimate that 56% (95% Confidence Interval: 55% - 56%) reported at least one confirmed case of COVID-19 (staff or residents). | |
| Across the care homes that reported at least one confirmed case of coronavirus, we estimate that 20% of residents tested positive for COVID-19 (95% Confidence Interval: 19% - 21%), as reported by care home managers, since the start of the pandemic. | |
| Across the care homes that reported at least one confirmed case of COVID-19, we estimate that 7% of staff tested positive for COVID-19 (95% Confidence Interval: 6% - 8%), as reported by care home managers, since the start of the pandemic. | |
| These emerging findings reveal some common factors in care homes with higher levels of infections amongst residents. These include prevalence of infection in staff, some care home practices such as more frequent use of bank or agency nurses or carers, and some regional differences (such as higher infection levels within care homes in London and the West Midlands). There is some evidence that in care homes where staff receive sick pay, there are lower levels of infection in residents. | |
| Findings also include some common factors in care homes with higher levels of infection amongst staff. These include prevalence of infection in residents (although this is weaker than the effect of staff infection on residents), some care home practices (such as more frequent use of bank or agency nurses or carers, and care homes employing staff who work across multiple sites) and some regional differences (such as higher infection levels within care homes in the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber). However regional differences may be affected by different patterns of testing in staff and residents over time. | |
| Iain Bell, deputy national statistician said: “These are the first results from the Vivaldi study, a large-scale survey which looked specifically at infections in care homes which provide care for people with dementia and older people across England. From this we’ve estimated that over half of these care homes have had at least one confirmed case of COVID-19 amongst their staff and residents. | |
| “Future work will include more detailed analysis and will incorporate COVID-19 test results from the whole care home testing programme.” | |
| Fascinating interview by our health editor, Sarah Boseley, with prof Robin Shattock from Imperial College and the revolutionary approach to vaccines he’s developing, that he is pretty sure will not only save lives in the Covid-19 pandemic but become the norm for vaccine development within five years. | |
| He is careful not to over-promise, but it is clear he backs his own horse over 120 other contenders in the effort to develop a coronavirus vaccine. “Of course, or I wouldn’t be doing it,” he said. | |
| “I’m cautiously optimistic that it will work as well as anything else that is being developed because it induces good immune responses in animal models, and we predict it will be the same in humans and it will be very safe because we are using such low doses. | |
| “What we don’t know is what level of immunity is required to prevent infection. If we only need a tiny bit, the majority of vaccines out there will probably work. That will be fantastic for the world. | |
| Talking to LBC, Boris Johnson has just urged Britons to “enjoy summer sensibly” before the easing of lockdown restrictions on Saturday. | Talking to LBC, Boris Johnson has just urged Britons to “enjoy summer sensibly” before the easing of lockdown restrictions on Saturday. |
| The prime minister told the radio station: “Tomorrow we come to step three of the plan that I set out on May 10, that everybody, I think, has understood, or huge numbers of people have understood and followed very carefully and very closely. | The prime minister told the radio station: “Tomorrow we come to step three of the plan that I set out on May 10, that everybody, I think, has understood, or huge numbers of people have understood and followed very carefully and very closely. |
| “And it’s because people stuck to that plan that we’re now able to carefully and cautiously open up hospitality tomorrow. | “And it’s because people stuck to that plan that we’re now able to carefully and cautiously open up hospitality tomorrow. |
| “And my message is really for people to enjoy summer sensibly and make sure that it all works.” | “And my message is really for people to enjoy summer sensibly and make sure that it all works.” |
| Talking now to Times Radio, Grant Shapps said he had hopes the UK’s devolved administrations would lift quarantine restrictions for returning air passengers “at the same time”. | Talking now to Times Radio, Grant Shapps said he had hopes the UK’s devolved administrations would lift quarantine restrictions for returning air passengers “at the same time”. |
| The Transport Secretary said that leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may change their stance, depending on how it works in England.He said: “I did want to have the devolved administrations come along at the same time, but they have their own processes to go through.“So it may well be they look at this and then do decide to agree to it, but, as I said, the system doesn’t come in until July 10.”Shapps said the list of countries that will be exempt from quarantine measures had been “worked up” with the Joint Biosecurity Centre.He said: “It’s joint because it includes the chief medical officers of all four nations. It’s then an administrable, a political decision whether those nations want to bring these in or not, and we have to respect (that) and wait for them to reach their decisions.” | The Transport Secretary said that leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may change their stance, depending on how it works in England.He said: “I did want to have the devolved administrations come along at the same time, but they have their own processes to go through.“So it may well be they look at this and then do decide to agree to it, but, as I said, the system doesn’t come in until July 10.”Shapps said the list of countries that will be exempt from quarantine measures had been “worked up” with the Joint Biosecurity Centre.He said: “It’s joint because it includes the chief medical officers of all four nations. It’s then an administrable, a political decision whether those nations want to bring these in or not, and we have to respect (that) and wait for them to reach their decisions.” |
| The countryside code should be taught in schools to help people enjoy the outdoors safely, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has urged. | |
| The organisation, which represents 30,000 rural businesses, warns a lack of education in relation to the countryside code has “left a generation without a basic understanding” of how to behave in the rural environment. | |
| Before the latest easing of lockdown, when tourism businesses begin to reopen, the CLA president, Mark Bridgeman, has written to the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, urging the teaching of the countryside code in classrooms, and offering to help develop a resources pack for teachers and youth leaders. | |
| In the letter, Bridgeman said that as a result of Covid-19 many people were exploring the countryside for the first time, which was “both pleasing and a concern, in view of the sharp increase in inappropriate behaviour by members of the public”. | |
| He pointed to livestock killed by dogs, residents’ driveways blocked by parked cars and people trampling through fields outside public access areas, using barbecues and leaving litter, as well as illegal raves. | |
| Bridgeman said: “The countryside is a wonderful place and we want to see everybody enjoy it. But we also want them to be safe, and respect the countryside as a place of work. | |
| “A lack of education on how to treat the countryside has left a generation without a basic understanding of what is an acceptable and indeed necessary standard of behaviour in a rural, working environment which produces food for the nation. | |
| “We all have a part to play in improving that understanding, but help in the classroom would be a great start.” | |
| Interesting piece from our education editor, Richard Adams, that England’s higher education regulator is to press ahead with its plans to temporarily ban universities using “conditional unconditional” offers amid concerns they have been used to pressure students into accepting places. | |
| The offers, which are not dependent on a student’s exam results, are conditional on an applicant accepting the university as their sole choice. They are seen as potentially predatory behaviour, forcing students to make a choice from among one of the five universities they have applied to for study as an undergraduate. | |
| The use of conditional unconditional offers has risen rapidly in recent years but appear to have reached a peak earlier this year as the coronavirus lockdown raised fears about university finances and student numbers before the academic year starting in September. | |
| Worrying report about the failure of the NHS test and trace system: new figures have revealed that it has failed to reach a quarter of contacts. | Worrying report about the failure of the NHS test and trace system: new figures have revealed that it has failed to reach a quarter of contacts. |
| A total of 27,125 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England had their case transferred to the NHS test and trace contact tracing system during the first four weeks of its operation, according to figures from the Department of Health & Social Care. | A total of 27,125 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England had their case transferred to the NHS test and trace contact tracing system during the first four weeks of its operation, according to figures from the Department of Health & Social Care. |
| However, only 20,039 people (74%) were reached and asked to provide details of recent contacts, while 6,245 people (23%) were not reached. A further 841 people (3%) could not be reached because their communication details had not been provided. | However, only 20,039 people (74%) were reached and asked to provide details of recent contacts, while 6,245 people (23%) were not reached. A further 841 people (3%) could not be reached because their communication details had not been provided. |
| Despite this, a total of 132,525 people who had been identified as recent close contacts of people who had tested positive for Covid-19 were reached through the tracing system and asked to self-isolate. This was 86% out of a total of 153,442 identified contacts. | Despite this, a total of 132,525 people who had been identified as recent close contacts of people who had tested positive for Covid-19 were reached through the tracing system and asked to self-isolate. This was 86% out of a total of 153,442 identified contacts. |
| The figures cover the period May 28 to June 24. | The figures cover the period May 28 to June 24. |
| Interesting article in the Telegraph featuring Norman Tebbit’s proclamation that Boris Johnson is not a good ‘executive’ and would probably not have run a department in one of Margaret Thatcher’s governments in the 1980s. | Interesting article in the Telegraph featuring Norman Tebbit’s proclamation that Boris Johnson is not a good ‘executive’ and would probably not have run a department in one of Margaret Thatcher’s governments in the 1980s. |
| Lord Tebbit - who knew Johnson when he was a non-executive director of the Spectator magazine and Johnson was its editor - said that if Johnson had risen to prominence in the 1980s he would probably not have been promoted further than party chairman. | Lord Tebbit - who knew Johnson when he was a non-executive director of the Spectator magazine and Johnson was its editor - said that if Johnson had risen to prominence in the 1980s he would probably not have been promoted further than party chairman. |
| The peer also told The Telegraph’s Chopper’s Politics podcast that the PM also risks becoming “a spokesman for Dominic Cummings” after the ousting of Cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill. | The peer also told The Telegraph’s Chopper’s Politics podcast that the PM also risks becoming “a spokesman for Dominic Cummings” after the ousting of Cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill. |
| Lord Tebbit held three Cabinet posts in Margaret Thatcher’s government - party chairman, Trade and Industry Secretary, and Employment secretary from 1981 to 1987. | Lord Tebbit held three Cabinet posts in Margaret Thatcher’s government - party chairman, Trade and Industry Secretary, and Employment secretary from 1981 to 1987. |
| Shapps added that air passengers who are already in quarantine following their return to England from countries that will be exempt from quarantine measures will no longer need to self-isolate from July 10. | Shapps added that air passengers who are already in quarantine following their return to England from countries that will be exempt from quarantine measures will no longer need to self-isolate from July 10. |
| The transport secretary told BBC Breakfast that passengers who are currently isolating for 14 days will be able to break the restrictions legally from next Friday. | The transport secretary told BBC Breakfast that passengers who are currently isolating for 14 days will be able to break the restrictions legally from next Friday. |
| He said while “nothing could happen” before July 10, “from that point onward you will be legal not to quarantine yourself”. | He said while “nothing could happen” before July 10, “from that point onward you will be legal not to quarantine yourself”. |
| “It’s very important to stress the quarantine does exist until July 10,” Shapps said. | “It’s very important to stress the quarantine does exist until July 10,” Shapps said. |
| The list of countries that will be exempt from quarantine measures includes overseas territories such as the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar, he added. | The list of countries that will be exempt from quarantine measures includes overseas territories such as the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar, he added. |
| While quarantine measures will be lifted, passengers arriving in the UK will still need to fill out a “locator form”, Shapps said. “That asks where you’ve been and where you’re coming back to,” he said. “It is a criminal offence not to complete that form accurately and there are quite substantial fines.” | While quarantine measures will be lifted, passengers arriving in the UK will still need to fill out a “locator form”, Shapps said. “That asks where you’ve been and where you’re coming back to,” he said. “It is a criminal offence not to complete that form accurately and there are quite substantial fines.” |
| Speaking now on the Today programme, Shapps says now is the right time to lift the quarantine because our levels of the virus are so low. | Speaking now on the Today programme, Shapps says now is the right time to lift the quarantine because our levels of the virus are so low. |
| Answering the question of why we ever quarantined countries now on the green list, like Germany and France, he said: “The headline figures you might read on the international websites aren’t the be all and end all, it’s how those numbers are reported. It’s been a complicated process to cme up with a list of countries we are comfortable with. | Answering the question of why we ever quarantined countries now on the green list, like Germany and France, he said: “The headline figures you might read on the international websites aren’t the be all and end all, it’s how those numbers are reported. It’s been a complicated process to cme up with a list of countries we are comfortable with. |
| “Where is the right balance between putting lives first and respecting livelihoods? It’s not an easy balance. We have done it using the best scientific evidence we can find and we’ve come up with that list today. I’m not going to pretend it’s been an easy process,” he added. | “Where is the right balance between putting lives first and respecting livelihoods? It’s not an easy balance. We have done it using the best scientific evidence we can find and we’ve come up with that list today. I’m not going to pretend it’s been an easy process,” he added. |
| The US will be on the red list, Shapps said. “A lot of people are saying we should have banned flights from the outset but the US did exactly that and they have very high numbers of infection, which is why they’re on the list today.” | The US will be on the red list, Shapps said. “A lot of people are saying we should have banned flights from the outset but the US did exactly that and they have very high numbers of infection, which is why they’re on the list today.” |
| He denies claims that he didn’t give the devolved regions a chance to consult on the list. | He denies claims that he didn’t give the devolved regions a chance to consult on the list. |
| Asked whether travelling to a rental property is essential travel - like Stanley Johnson, the prime minister’s father, has done - Shapps said: “People have to make their own decision. It’s advice, not a legal definition. It’s up to an individual to decide - but what’s not their decision, is quarantining when they return.” | Asked whether travelling to a rental property is essential travel - like Stanley Johnson, the prime minister’s father, has done - Shapps said: “People have to make their own decision. It’s advice, not a legal definition. It’s up to an individual to decide - but what’s not their decision, is quarantining when they return.” |
| Greece, he adds, isn’t on the green list because they won’t make their own decision on travel until 15th July - so Johnson will have to quarantine on his return. | Greece, he adds, isn’t on the green list because they won’t make their own decision on travel until 15th July - so Johnson will have to quarantine on his return. |
| Contact tracers: “We don’t live in a police state. The numbers are never going be 100% but we are gradually winning this battle because the British people have dedicated themselves to it.” | Contact tracers: “We don’t live in a police state. The numbers are never going be 100% but we are gradually winning this battle because the British people have dedicated themselves to it.” |
| Grant Shapps has confirmed the countries people will be able to travel to England from without facing quarantine restrictions will be split into two groups. | Grant Shapps has confirmed the countries people will be able to travel to England from without facing quarantine restrictions will be split into two groups. |
| The transport secretary told BBC Breakfast that the list of about “50-plus” countries will be divided into either a green or amber category. | The transport secretary told BBC Breakfast that the list of about “50-plus” countries will be divided into either a green or amber category. |
| He said: | He said: |