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| UK coronavirus: Poland and Turkey added to England's quarantine list; Starmer urges rethink of 10pm closing – as it happened | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Travellers arriving from Poland and Turkey must self-isolate from 4am on Saturday; Labour leader urges PM to listen to Andy Burnham | Travellers arriving from Poland and Turkey must self-isolate from 4am on Saturday; Labour leader urges PM to listen to Andy Burnham |
| Sir Keir Starmer has called for a rethink of the compulsory 10pm closing time for pubs (see 4.09pm), as growing numbers of Tory MPs have also expressed their opposition to the policy. (See 5.39pm.) | Sir Keir Starmer has called for a rethink of the compulsory 10pm closing time for pubs (see 4.09pm), as growing numbers of Tory MPs have also expressed their opposition to the policy. (See 5.39pm.) |
| More than 2 million people in Merseyside, Warrington and Teesside will be banned by law from mixing with other households indoors in the latest extension of lockdown restrictions, as Middlesbrough’s mayor took the extraordinary step of saying he was prepared to defy the government. | More than 2 million people in Merseyside, Warrington and Teesside will be banned by law from mixing with other households indoors in the latest extension of lockdown restrictions, as Middlesbrough’s mayor took the extraordinary step of saying he was prepared to defy the government. |
| Turkey and Poland are being removed from England’s travel corridor list, as people who breach Covid-19 quarantine restrictions face tougher fines of up to £10,000. | Turkey and Poland are being removed from England’s travel corridor list, as people who breach Covid-19 quarantine restrictions face tougher fines of up to £10,000. |
| The SNP MP Margaret Ferrier says she has reported herself to the police for breaking self-isolation rules. On Monday she travelled by train to London to attend parliament while awaiting the results of a Covid test, which she ordered because she had mild symptoms. She subsequently learnt she was positive on Monday night. But then she returned home by train on Tuesday. | The SNP MP Margaret Ferrier says she has reported herself to the police for breaking self-isolation rules. On Monday she travelled by train to London to attend parliament while awaiting the results of a Covid test, which she ordered because she had mild symptoms. She subsequently learnt she was positive on Monday night. But then she returned home by train on Tuesday. |
| The NHS 111 service has permanently stopped nurses and other healthcare professionals in a clinical division handling calls with people suspected of having Covid-19 after an audit of recorded calls found more than 60% were not safe. | |
| The EU has launched legal action against the UK after Boris Johnson failed to respond to Brussels’ demand that he drop legislation that would overwrite the withdrawal agreement and break international law. | The EU has launched legal action against the UK after Boris Johnson failed to respond to Brussels’ demand that he drop legislation that would overwrite the withdrawal agreement and break international law. |
| That’s all from me. But our coverage continues on our global coronavirus live blog. It’s here. | |
| Here’s a question from below the line worth addressing. | Here’s a question from below the line worth addressing. |
| Hospital admissions are a really useful metric, I agree, and I do cover them here quite a lot. But the figures on the UK government’s daily dashboard don’t always get updated regularly. | Hospital admissions are a really useful metric, I agree, and I do cover them here quite a lot. But the figures on the UK government’s daily dashboard don’t always get updated regularly. |
| Here is the update from today. | Here is the update from today. |
| There were 310 coronavirus hospital admissions in England on Tuesday, the last day for which there are figures on the dashboard. That was an increase of two on the previous day. In Wales there were 90 admissions, up from 71 the previous day. (Wales counts suspected Covid cases as well as confirmed ones, so its hospital figure always look disproportionately high.) In Northern Ireland there were no admissions on Tuesday, compared to 10 the previous day. And figures for Scotland aren’t available on the dashboard. | There were 310 coronavirus hospital admissions in England on Tuesday, the last day for which there are figures on the dashboard. That was an increase of two on the previous day. In Wales there were 90 admissions, up from 71 the previous day. (Wales counts suspected Covid cases as well as confirmed ones, so its hospital figure always look disproportionately high.) In Northern Ireland there were no admissions on Tuesday, compared to 10 the previous day. And figures for Scotland aren’t available on the dashboard. |
| There are 285 Covid patients in England on mechanical ventilation. That is up from 281 yesterday. | There are 285 Covid patients in England on mechanical ventilation. That is up from 281 yesterday. |
| Speaking at the formal opening of the legal year, the lord chancellor and justice secretary, Robert Buckland, said he was committed to defending the “rule of law”.His speech was delivered on the day the EU announced it was taking the UK to a European court over the internal market bill because it breaches international law.Buckland told the congregation at Temple Church in London: | |
| Buckland and the attorney general, Suella Braverman, have faced calls from senior lawyers to step down because of the government’s determination to pass the legislation which provides for the UK to override the EU withdrawal agreement signed earlier this year. | Buckland and the attorney general, Suella Braverman, have faced calls from senior lawyers to step down because of the government’s determination to pass the legislation which provides for the UK to override the EU withdrawal agreement signed earlier this year. |
| Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to come out publicly in favour of a rethink of the compulsory 10pm closing time for pubs (see 4.09pm) must be of some concern to No 10. Given what Tory MPs feel about the rule, it is hard now to see how the government could win a vote on the issue. | Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to come out publicly in favour of a rethink of the compulsory 10pm closing time for pubs (see 4.09pm) must be of some concern to No 10. Given what Tory MPs feel about the rule, it is hard now to see how the government could win a vote on the issue. |
| Luckily, they don’t have to. New regional restrictions, like the ones announced today, are not subject to a prior vote in the Commons and the concession offered by ministers yesterday only promised prior votes on “significant national measures ... where possible”. | Luckily, they don’t have to. New regional restrictions, like the ones announced today, are not subject to a prior vote in the Commons and the concession offered by ministers yesterday only promised prior votes on “significant national measures ... where possible”. |
| But it would be surprising if someone did not find a way of engineering a vote on 10pm in the next few months. And, judging what Tory MPs were saying in the Commons this morning during Matt Hancock’s statement, government whips would find it a struggle to win a vote on the status quo. Opposition MPs were very critical too, but that was less surprising. | But it would be surprising if someone did not find a way of engineering a vote on 10pm in the next few months. And, judging what Tory MPs were saying in the Commons this morning during Matt Hancock’s statement, government whips would find it a struggle to win a vote on the status quo. Opposition MPs were very critical too, but that was less surprising. |
| Several Tories complained that there was no justification for the 10pm rule. Greg Clark, the former business secretary who chairs the Commons science committee, said: | Several Tories complained that there was no justification for the 10pm rule. Greg Clark, the former business secretary who chairs the Commons science committee, said: |
| Lee Anderson was a bit blunter, asking Hancock to explain “to the staff and regulars at the New Cross how science has guided the decision to close pubs at 10pm”. Mike Wood also demanded evidence for the policy, saying Public Health England figures suggest just 3% of infections are linked to hospitality. | |
| Philip Davies was strongly opposed to the rule on principle, describing it as part of “an arbitrary nanny-state socialist approach, which is serving no purpose at all, apart from to further collapse the economy and erode our freedoms”. | Philip Davies was strongly opposed to the rule on principle, describing it as part of “an arbitrary nanny-state socialist approach, which is serving no purpose at all, apart from to further collapse the economy and erode our freedoms”. |
| Several Tories expressed their opposition to the rule by suggesting revisions. Sir Desmond Swayne suggested curfews could be imposed locally, perhaps even on a pub by pub basis. Caroline Ansell also said measures should be localised. Jane Hunt suggested venues could be exempt if people were still eating a hot meal, to allow for second sittings. Jeremy Wright suggested hotel bars should be able to serve residents after 10pm. | Several Tories expressed their opposition to the rule by suggesting revisions. Sir Desmond Swayne suggested curfews could be imposed locally, perhaps even on a pub by pub basis. Caroline Ansell also said measures should be localised. Jane Hunt suggested venues could be exempt if people were still eating a hot meal, to allow for second sittings. Jeremy Wright suggested hotel bars should be able to serve residents after 10pm. |
| Other Tories, including Paul Bristow, Lee Anderson, Andrew Jones and Karl McCartney, expressed their concern by asking for an assurance that the rule was being kept under review. Felicity Buchan, who represents Kensington in London, said 10pm was particularly inconvenient for her constituents. She said: | Other Tories, including Paul Bristow, Lee Anderson, Andrew Jones and Karl McCartney, expressed their concern by asking for an assurance that the rule was being kept under review. Felicity Buchan, who represents Kensington in London, said 10pm was particularly inconvenient for her constituents. She said: |
| And Tom Hunt asked for a review citing a particularly aggrieved landlord. He said: | And Tom Hunt asked for a review citing a particularly aggrieved landlord. He said: |
| Hancock repeatedly said the rule was being kept under review. In Whitehall-speak saying that a policy is under review can mean either that it genuinely is under review - or that it only notionally is, which means it isn’t. At first Hancock sounded like someone using the phrase in the latter sense, as a ritual fob-off, but by the end he may have concluded a real rethink will be necessary. | Hancock repeatedly said the rule was being kept under review. In Whitehall-speak saying that a policy is under review can mean either that it genuinely is under review - or that it only notionally is, which means it isn’t. At first Hancock sounded like someone using the phrase in the latter sense, as a ritual fob-off, but by the end he may have concluded a real rethink will be necessary. |
| Turkey and Poland have been taken off the travel corridor list, Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, has announced. That means people arriving in the UK from those countries after 4am on Saturday will have to quarantine. | Turkey and Poland have been taken off the travel corridor list, Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, has announced. That means people arriving in the UK from those countries after 4am on Saturday will have to quarantine. |
| The same applies to Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba - three Dutch islands in the Caribbean. | The same applies to Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba - three Dutch islands in the Caribbean. |
| Shapps has also said the maximum fine for people who refuse to self-isolate will be increased to £10,000 from tomorrow. This will apply to repeat offenders. | |
| Scotland has recorded three new coronavirus deaths and 668 new cases. The details are here. | Scotland has recorded three new coronavirus deaths and 668 new cases. The details are here. |
| The 668 people who tested positive represented 10.8% of people being tested. | The 668 people who tested positive represented 10.8% of people being tested. |
| A week ago today the positivity rate was 7.9%, and there were 465 new cases. | A week ago today the positivity rate was 7.9%, and there were 465 new cases. |
| The UK government has updated its coronavirus dashboard. Here are the key figures. | The UK government has updated its coronavirus dashboard. Here are the key figures. |
| The UK has recorded 6,914 new cases. That is slightly down on the totals for yesterday and the day before (7,108 and 7,143 respectively), but in line with the trend over the last week, which has seen numbers rising sharply. | The UK has recorded 6,914 new cases. That is slightly down on the totals for yesterday and the day before (7,108 and 7,143 respectively), but in line with the trend over the last week, which has seen numbers rising sharply. |
| The UK has recorded 59 more deaths. That is down on the total for yesterday (71) but still up on the figure from a week ago (28). The new deaths take the headline total number of deaths to 42,202. But this figure is an underestimate because it only counts people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus. Overall more than 57,600 people have died from confirmed or suspected coronavirus in the UK. | The UK has recorded 59 more deaths. That is down on the total for yesterday (71) but still up on the figure from a week ago (28). The new deaths take the headline total number of deaths to 42,202. But this figure is an underestimate because it only counts people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus. Overall more than 57,600 people have died from confirmed or suspected coronavirus in the UK. |
| Sir Keir Starmer has urged the government to reconsider its 10pm compulsory closing time for pubs in England. He said: | Sir Keir Starmer has urged the government to reconsider its 10pm compulsory closing time for pubs in England. He said: |
| In an interview on Monday Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said he thought the 10pm closing time was doing “more harm than good” because it resulted in large crowds of people leaving pubs at the same time. | In an interview on Monday Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said he thought the 10pm closing time was doing “more harm than good” because it resulted in large crowds of people leaving pubs at the same time. |
| Northern Ireland has recorded two more coronavirus deaths, and 259 more cases, according to the dashboard update from the Department of Health in the region. | Northern Ireland has recorded two more coronavirus deaths, and 259 more cases, according to the dashboard update from the Department of Health in the region. |
| This chart from the dashboard shows how the seven-day rolling average for new case numbers in Northern Ireland has been rising sharply. | This chart from the dashboard shows how the seven-day rolling average for new case numbers in Northern Ireland has been rising sharply. |
| This chart helps to explain this tweet from Ewan Birney from the thread mentioned a moment ago. (See 3.53pm.) | This chart helps to explain this tweet from Ewan Birney from the thread mentioned a moment ago. (See 3.53pm.) |
| Ewan Birney, the director of the European Bioinformatics Institute, has a good Twitter thread about the Imperial College REACT report out today. (See 10.04am.) It starts here. | Ewan Birney, the director of the European Bioinformatics Institute, has a good Twitter thread about the Imperial College REACT report out today. (See 10.04am.) It starts here. |
| And here is one of his takeaways. | And here is one of his takeaways. |