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UK coronavirus live: 'We will not hesitate to take further measures' if pandemic worsens, Johnson warns UK coronavirus live: 'We will not hesitate to take further measures' if pandemic worsens, Johnson warns
(32 minutes later)
MPs voting on whether to renew Coronavirus Act; UK records 7,108 more Covid cases as sharp increase sustained PM promises more frequent press conferences on Covid situation; MPs vote by 330 to 24 to renew Coronavirus Act
While the press conference was taking place, MPs voted by 330 to 24 - a majority of 306 - to renew the powers in the Coronavirus Act.
That’s it. The briefing is now over.
I’ll post a summary soon.
Johnson says he is worried people might be getting the wrong message. He says he wants to stress that coronavirus is a problem everywhere.
Q: A recent survey showed that only 20% of people are self-isolating when asked to. Why is that? And are you saying the government’s plan is to come down hard on the north of England to spare London and the south?
Johnson says the government just wants to bring the R number down by stamping on where cases are highest. If people are in any doubt, they should check the rules on the website.
Vallance says it would be wrong to say this is just a problem in some areas. It is worse in some areas. But it is a problem everywhere.
Self-isolation is vital, he says. If people circulate, they will give the virus to others.
Vallance says more recent figures might suggest better compliance. The survey a few weeks ago referred to intent to self-isolate, he says.
(But there are also studies, like this one, showing a very low proportion of people actually self-isolating when asked to.)
Q: Do you accept many people are not wearing masks?
Johnson says people should wear masks. Fines will be imposed on people who don’t.
Vallance says case numbers are going up. Adherence to the rules is crucial, he says.
Q: There were 71 deaths just before the full lockdown. There are 71 deaths now. What is the difference?
Johnson says it is possible that there is a difference in the way the disease is expressing itself in the country. There are local peaks. It may be “more localised” this time.
Whitty says Italy and Spain had significant epidemics that were highly concentrated.
He says it is possible that this might be happening here. He says it may be “more localised” this time.
As for the comparison with March, he says the doubling time at the moment is slower than in March, when it was three to four days.
Initially they underestimated how quickly the virus was doubling then.
But the small number of deaths now does not mean that we could get to larger numbers of death quite quickly.
Vallance says things are heading in the right direction. There is no room for complacency.
We need to reduce contacts in certain environments, in particular indoor spaces that are poorly ventilated.
Q: What are the chances of more restrictions everywhere?Q: What are the chances of more restrictions everywhere?
Johnson says we know we can drive down the virus, because we did it before.Johnson says we know we can drive down the virus, because we did it before.
He says a package of measures is in place, a combination of national rules and local ones. And there is tougher enforcement.He says a package of measures is in place, a combination of national rules and local ones. And there is tougher enforcement.
He says he hopes that, if people follow the guidance as before, then we can get the spread down.He says he hopes that, if people follow the guidance as before, then we can get the spread down.
He wants to do that while keeping the economy open and young people in education, he says.He wants to do that while keeping the economy open and young people in education, he says.
Success will be judged in the days and weeks ahead, he says.Success will be judged in the days and weeks ahead, he says.
Q: Your presentation last week was controversial. Do you still think cases are doubling every week?Q: Your presentation last week was controversial. Do you still think cases are doubling every week?
Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, said he was trying to get across three messages in his presentation last week.Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, said he was trying to get across three messages in his presentation last week.
He says he wanted to make the point that more cases could lead to more deaths, that case numbers were growing already, and that cases could double very quickly.He says he wanted to make the point that more cases could lead to more deaths, that case numbers were growing already, and that cases could double very quickly.
He says cases are going up, and the number of deaths is rising.He says cases are going up, and the number of deaths is rising.
But he says it is much more likely that in April and March there were over 100,000 cases per day. So you cannot make a like for like comparison between the published figures then and the published figures now (which are higher).But he says it is much more likely that in April and March there were over 100,000 cases per day. So you cannot make a like for like comparison between the published figures then and the published figures now (which are higher).
Q: How are enforcement agencies going to stop people travelling from lockdown areas to non-lockdown areas?Q: How are enforcement agencies going to stop people travelling from lockdown areas to non-lockdown areas?
Johnson says people should look at the rules on the website.Johnson says people should look at the rules on the website.
But he does not want to go back to a national lockdown where people are told to stay at home, he says.But he does not want to go back to a national lockdown where people are told to stay at home, he says.
Johnson is taking questions from members of the public.Johnson is taking questions from members of the public.
Q: What support is in place for young people?Q: What support is in place for young people?
Johnson says there is a package of support. He thanks students for how they are behaving. He says the Kickstart programme will help young people into work.Johnson says there is a package of support. He thanks students for how they are behaving. He says the Kickstart programme will help young people into work.
And he wants to help young people retrain, as he set out yesterday, he says.And he wants to help young people retrain, as he set out yesterday, he says.
Whitty says his NHS colleagues wanted him to stress that the NHS is open for patients.Whitty says his NHS colleagues wanted him to stress that the NHS is open for patients.
Johnson underlines that point.Johnson underlines that point.
Whitty is now showing an animation illustrating how coronavirus spread in the spring, how it went down over the summer, and how it is coming back.Whitty is now showing an animation illustrating how coronavirus spread in the spring, how it went down over the summer, and how it is coming back.
And Whitty says this slide shows hospital admission rates by region.And Whitty says this slide shows hospital admission rates by region.
The final slide shows admissions to intensive care. In some areas they are rising sharply, he says.The final slide shows admissions to intensive care. In some areas they are rising sharply, he says.
But he says there is no danger of the NHS being overwhelmed.But he says there is no danger of the NHS being overwhelmed.
Whitty says this slide shows hospital admission rates.Whitty says this slide shows hospital admission rates.
Whitty says this slide shows positivity rates for under-21s.Whitty says this slide shows positivity rates for under-21s.
Amongst the very young, rates are not rising. But amongst older people in this group, they are.Amongst the very young, rates are not rising. But amongst older people in this group, they are.
Whitty says some people think there are just more cases because more people are testing positive.Whitty says some people think there are just more cases because more people are testing positive.
But this slide shows that is not the case, he says. It shows the positivity rate - the proportion of people testing positive. They are going up, he says.But this slide shows that is not the case, he says. It shows the positivity rate - the proportion of people testing positive. They are going up, he says.
Whitty says his slide shows where new cases are.
There is a particular increase amongst young people.
And in some areas the increase is accelerating, he says.
Whitty says the slide on the left shows the total rate of coronavirus. The dark the colour, the more there is. There is a particular concentration in the north and the Midlands.
And he says the slide on the right shows the increase in the last seven days. The more orange there is, the greater the increase. It is increasing particularly in the north-west and north-east.
Prof Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, is speaking now. He is presenting slides.
He starts with one showing what happened in the spring.
This shows excess deaths.
Johnson says 14m people have already downloaded the app.
Johnson says some people think we should just give up the fight against coronavirus.
But he does not think that is what the nation wants, he says.
He says he will not allow the UK to be overwhelmed.
Johnson says the only way to tackle the virus is for everyone to follow the rules.
He thanks people for what they have done.
And he promises to provide “regular updates” himself through these press conferences.
Johnson says he would like to be able to say the new measures were already working.
But yesterday we had the biggest daily rise in cases, and cases are over 7,000 today.
He says in many ways the UK is better placed than it was in the spring.
He says 32bn items of PPE have been ordered. A four-month stockpile will be in place. By December UK suppliers will provide 70% of it, compared to just 1% before the pandemic.
Johnson says plans are being put in place to allow students home safely for Christmas.
Boris Johnson is starting his press conference.
He says new restrictions were introduced last week because the rise in case numbers implied more people were going to die.
Sixty two students at Newcastle’s two universities have tested positive for Covid.Northumbria and Newcastle Universities said in a statement:
There were 705 new cases of Covid in Newcastle over the last seven days, up from 393 the week before. That gives the city an infection rate of 233 per 100,000 people, more than Bolton and far above the English average of 51.