This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2020/sep/21/uk-coronavirus-news-latest-whitty-and-vallance-to-present-data-showing-how-trend-in-uk-heading-in-wrong-direction
The article has changed 18 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 15 | Version 16 |
|---|---|
| UK coronavirus live news: alert level to be raised from 3 to 4; Northern Ireland bans mixing indoors | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Matt Hancock announces childcare exemption to local lockdowns in England; UK cases rise by 4,368, second highest daily total since early May | Matt Hancock announces childcare exemption to local lockdowns in England; UK cases rise by 4,368, second highest daily total since early May |
| The news that all people in Northern Ireland are to be banned from visiting each other’s homes will bring to 15.4m the number of people under some level of restriction in the UK from tomorrow. | |
| The announcement, which follows on from that from Wales that four new areas are to be brought under local lockdown means that 23.1% of the UK population will be under curbs. | |
| More than a quarter of the population of Wales (27%) is now under local lockdown and a third of the population of Scotland reside in the seven local authority areas still covered by lockdown restrictions. | |
| In England from tomorrow those living in Merseyside, Warrington, Halton, Wolverhampton and Oadby and Wigston will all be under restrictions while the rules are being extended to cover all parts of Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale and those living in Lancashire county council area will face local lockdown (this excludes Blackpool). | |
| This is equivalent to 10.9m people in England or one-in-six. | |
| Here is the full statement from the chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on the decision to raise the alert level. | |
| The UK was placed at alert level 4 when the system was introduced in May. In June the alert level was lowered to 3. | |
| PA Media has snapped this. | PA Media has snapped this. |
| That is the first time the alert level has been raised, not lowered, since the system was set up in May. | That is the first time the alert level has been raised, not lowered, since the system was set up in May. |
| Eight more emergency, ‘Nightingale’ courts have been announced to tackle the backlog of cases, including one that will operate in a Salford theatre. | Eight more emergency, ‘Nightingale’ courts have been announced to tackle the backlog of cases, including one that will operate in a Salford theatre. |
| Two of the new courts will be housed in hotels in Middlesbrough and York, the justice secretary, Robert Buckland, has confirmed. The other five will be in Chester, Liverpool, Bristol, Winchester and Cirencester; their precise locations have yet to be revealed. | Two of the new courts will be housed in hotels in Middlesbrough and York, the justice secretary, Robert Buckland, has confirmed. The other five will be in Chester, Liverpool, Bristol, Winchester and Cirencester; their precise locations have yet to be revealed. |
| When fully operational, there will be 17 extra court buildings holding socially distanced hearings in an effort to ensure that the justice system can continue to operate during the pandemic. Buckland said: | When fully operational, there will be 17 extra court buildings holding socially distanced hearings in an effort to ensure that the justice system can continue to operate during the pandemic. Buckland said: |
| Earlier this summer the Ministry of Justice announced an £80m funding boost for HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) to deal with problems caused by the pandemic. | Earlier this summer the Ministry of Justice announced an £80m funding boost for HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) to deal with problems caused by the pandemic. |
| The MoJ says magistrates’ courts are now seeing the number of outstanding cases falling. Plexiglass screens are being fitted in 300 courtrooms and jury deliberation rooms to enable them to operate jury trials safely. | The MoJ says magistrates’ courts are now seeing the number of outstanding cases falling. Plexiglass screens are being fitted in 300 courtrooms and jury deliberation rooms to enable them to operate jury trials safely. |
| Labour’s shadow justice secretary, David Lammy, has called for faster delivery of emergency courtroom capacity. Some lawyers point out that an austerity programme, which closed hundreds of courts after 2010, deprived the justice system of the necessary flexibility to respond to the crisis. | Labour’s shadow justice secretary, David Lammy, has called for faster delivery of emergency courtroom capacity. Some lawyers point out that an austerity programme, which closed hundreds of courts after 2010, deprived the justice system of the necessary flexibility to respond to the crisis. |
| Here is more on the press conference in Belfast where new restrictions were announced. These are from the BBC’s Darran Marshall. | Here is more on the press conference in Belfast where new restrictions were announced. These are from the BBC’s Darran Marshall. |
| In Northern Ireland Arlene Foster, the first minister, and Michelle O’Neill, the deputy first minster, have just announced that people in the whole of the region will be banned from visiting other people’s homes. This is from the BBC’s Emma Vardy. | In Northern Ireland Arlene Foster, the first minister, and Michelle O’Neill, the deputy first minster, have just announced that people in the whole of the region will be banned from visiting other people’s homes. This is from the BBC’s Emma Vardy. |
| In his statement MPs, as well as announcing a childcare exemption from local lockdown restrictions (see 3.46pm), Matt Hancock also announced that he is publishing details of who will get priority for testing. He said he would start prioritising access to testing because demand recently has far exceeded supply. | In his statement MPs, as well as announcing a childcare exemption from local lockdown restrictions (see 3.46pm), Matt Hancock also announced that he is publishing details of who will get priority for testing. He said he would start prioritising access to testing because demand recently has far exceeded supply. |
| Hancock told MPs that tests would be allocated where they were needed most. He went on: | Hancock told MPs that tests would be allocated where they were needed most. He went on: |
| Hancock did not give further details of how the prioritisation system would operate, and the short document he has published about the new rules does not explain this either | Hancock did not give further details of how the prioritisation system would operate, and the short document he has published about the new rules does not explain this either |
| Back in the Commons Matt Hancock says he has been told that test and trace website should no longer be telling people that they must travel hundreds of miles for a test. He says he has been told that problem has been resolved. | Back in the Commons Matt Hancock says he has been told that test and trace website should no longer be telling people that they must travel hundreds of miles for a test. He says he has been told that problem has been resolved. |
| Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland’s first minister, has confirmed that she has spoken to Boris Johnson today. | Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland’s first minister, has confirmed that she has spoken to Boris Johnson today. |
| The government has just updated its daily coronavirus dashboard. Here are the main figures. | The government has just updated its daily coronavirus dashboard. Here are the main figures. |
| The UK has recorded a further 4,368 coronavirus cases. This is the second highest daily total since early May (the highest was on Saturday) and only the third time this autumn the figures have topped 4,000. | The UK has recorded a further 4,368 coronavirus cases. This is the second highest daily total since early May (the highest was on Saturday) and only the third time this autumn the figures have topped 4,000. |
| The UK has recorded 11 new coronavirus deaths. This takes the official headline total to 41,788. But this figure only covers people who died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus. The total number of deaths attributed to coronavirus in the UK is over 57,000. | The UK has recorded 11 new coronavirus deaths. This takes the official headline total to 41,788. But this figure only covers people who died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus. The total number of deaths attributed to coronavirus in the UK is over 57,000. |
| The total number of patients in hospital in England with coronavirus is 1,261. Yesterday it was 1,141. Before this weekend the total had not been above 1,000 since late July. | The total number of patients in hospital in England with coronavirus is 1,261. Yesterday it was 1,141. Before this weekend the total had not been above 1,000 since late July. |
| The number of hospital patients in England on mechanical ventilation (ie, the most seriously ill) is now 154. That is more than double what it was just over a week ago (74 on Sunday 13 September). | The number of hospital patients in England on mechanical ventilation (ie, the most seriously ill) is now 154. That is more than double what it was just over a week ago (74 on Sunday 13 September). |
| In the Commons Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the Conservative backbench 1922 Committee, says decisions about how to balance the need to protect lives against other considerations, like the economy, are political judgments. Does Hancock agree that political judgments will be improved if they are subject to scrutiny? | In the Commons Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the Conservative backbench 1922 Committee, says decisions about how to balance the need to protect lives against other considerations, like the economy, are political judgments. Does Hancock agree that political judgments will be improved if they are subject to scrutiny? |
| Brady is campaigning for MPs to get more say on coronavirus restrictions. | Brady is campaigning for MPs to get more say on coronavirus restrictions. |
| Hancock says he does agree with this. But he says sometimes restrictions have had to be announced when parliament was not sitting. | Hancock says he does agree with this. But he says sometimes restrictions have had to be announced when parliament was not sitting. |