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UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson says second national lockdown now 'would do a lot of immediate harm' UK coronavirus live: Chris Whitty warns tier 3 measures alone 'not enough to get on top' of Covid spread
(32 minutes later)
Prime minister holds press conference with Rishi Sunak and Chris Whitty to set out England’s new three-tier lockdown restrictions Boris Johnson says national lockdown now ‘would do immediate harm’ as he sets out England’s new three-tier lockdown restrictions
Q. Are people in Liverpool city region - many of whom earn less than the minimum wage and will be unable to pay their bills - valued less now, than when 80% of wages were being paid?
Sunak says those affected in the way described can benefit from Universal Credit.
Q. Leaders here first heard of your plans for the region in the papers and today Matt Hancock gave them less than ten minutes warning of the briefing. Is there a lack of respect or is it just the chaos of trying to organise lockdown?
Johnson says he spoke to Steve Rotheram yesterday and he was at the Cobra meeting today.
Driving the R down will take local and national government working together, he says.
And that’s the end of the press conference.
Q. Do you accept that the lockdown was too early for the north and was taken to suit the south?
Johnson says this bout of the pandemic is more localised and the decision to have the first lockdown was based on the scientific evidence.
Q. What evidence is there that hospitality is the key setting for infections?
Whitty says a group of things all contribute to people mixing and are the most likely to contribute to infections - they are indoors, with people who are not from your household in relatively crowded environments without masks.
Hospitality is one of these contributors, not the only one, he says.
Collectively, the restrictions can pull the numbers down, he says.
Q. Do you acknowledge there are huge inconsistencies over which areas are in which tiers?
Johnson says this will inevitably happen in a complex pandemic.
He says he has high hopes for getting further on mass testing, but for now these restrictions are the best way forward.
Whitty says the UK has been one of the leaders in the science and nobody can predict what treatments will be available to us.
Q. Why is the only part of the country put under stricter rules the Liverpool city region?
Johnson says local knowledge can be valuable in enforcement and test and trace, and they want to take local leaders with them.
If we can’t reach agreement, it’s the duty of national government to take the necessary action to protect public health, he says.
Q. Why have areas that have been living with restrictions throughout the summer and into autumn not been brought out of them?
Whitty says rates have to be kept down without doing harm to the economy.
He has seen no evidence that people in Bradford have been flouting the rules, he says.
The great majority of people are and have been following the rules, he says.
Here is Whitty’s full answer on why he doesn’t think tier 3 measures alone will be enough in the worst-affected areas.Here is Whitty’s full answer on why he doesn’t think tier 3 measures alone will be enough in the worst-affected areas.
From the FT’s Jim PickardFrom the FT’s Jim Pickard
Q. Were it not for some mayor and local leaders, other areas especially in the north would already be in the very high category?Q. Were it not for some mayor and local leaders, other areas especially in the north would already be in the very high category?
Johnson says he’s working with local authorities, particularly with the badly affected regions, to support local test and trace and local enforcement.Johnson says he’s working with local authorities, particularly with the badly affected regions, to support local test and trace and local enforcement.
The primary duty is to save lives and protect the NHS, he adds.The primary duty is to save lives and protect the NHS, he adds.
Whitty says people want straight news - to know the worst and know how to avoid it.Whitty says people want straight news - to know the worst and know how to avoid it.
The balancing act is doing things which pull down the R below 1 but with minimal impact on the economy, he says. We should not have any illusions that we can do this without causing harm.The balancing act is doing things which pull down the R below 1 but with minimal impact on the economy, he says. We should not have any illusions that we can do this without causing harm.
Q. Are you delaying the inevitable by not introducing a second national lockdown?Q. Are you delaying the inevitable by not introducing a second national lockdown?
Johnson says he hopes there won’t be anything like a second national lockdown and if these new measures are properly implemented they can get the R down.Johnson says he hopes there won’t be anything like a second national lockdown and if these new measures are properly implemented they can get the R down.
There’s a need for balance as a second national lockdown would do a lot of immediate harm right now, he adds.There’s a need for balance as a second national lockdown would do a lot of immediate harm right now, he adds.
Q. How do you expect pubs, bars and restaurants forced to close to live off two-thirds of their wages when they can’t pay two-thirds of their bills?Q. How do you expect pubs, bars and restaurants forced to close to live off two-thirds of their wages when they can’t pay two-thirds of their bills?
Sunak says at two-thirds this offer is broadly in line with support provided in other European countries.Sunak says at two-thirds this offer is broadly in line with support provided in other European countries.
The generosity of the welfare system has been increased, he says.The generosity of the welfare system has been increased, he says.
Q. Are you confident these measures are enough to slow the spread of the disease?Q. Are you confident these measures are enough to slow the spread of the disease?
Whitty says he’s confident these measures will help to slow the spread of the virus further.Whitty says he’s confident these measures will help to slow the spread of the virus further.
He says he’s not confident that tier 3 at the base case would be enough alone, which is why local authorities will have the flexibility to bring in additional things within that.He says he’s not confident that tier 3 at the base case would be enough alone, which is why local authorities will have the flexibility to bring in additional things within that.
These measures only work if everybody buys into them and does their bit, Whitty says.These measures only work if everybody buys into them and does their bit, Whitty says.
Q. What should vulnerable people who have been shielding do now?Q. What should vulnerable people who have been shielding do now?
Whitty says people who were previously shielding are at greater risk and they are advised to take greater precautions.Whitty says people who were previously shielding are at greater risk and they are advised to take greater precautions.
They are trying to approach this is in a different way due to mental distress, he says.They are trying to approach this is in a different way due to mental distress, he says.
Charlotte from Chesterfield asks what restrictions can be expected over the festive period.Charlotte from Chesterfield asks what restrictions can be expected over the festive period.
Johnson says they will do their best to get life back to as close to normal as possible for Christmas, but it will depend on people following the measures.Johnson says they will do their best to get life back to as close to normal as possible for Christmas, but it will depend on people following the measures.
Helen from Derby asks about support for industries like the events sector who have been shut down since March due to government restrictions.Helen from Derby asks about support for industries like the events sector who have been shut down since March due to government restrictions.
Sunak says there is the job support scheme to allow companies who are open but not trading to bring employees back in a scaled back way.Sunak says there is the job support scheme to allow companies who are open but not trading to bring employees back in a scaled back way.
We need to go further on the rates will continue inexorably to rise, Whitty says.We need to go further on the rates will continue inexorably to rise, Whitty says.
When you see a rise in people over 60 going into hospital, it’s mirrored by a rise in hospital admissions, he says.When you see a rise in people over 60 going into hospital, it’s mirrored by a rise in hospital admissions, he says.
This translates into an increase in hospitalisation, particularly in areas where there is a high transmission, he says.This translates into an increase in hospitalisation, particularly in areas where there is a high transmission, he says.
There has been a rise in the number of people in hospital in every age band, but in particular in those over the age of 85, he says.
There are very variable rates by different age groups, he says.
The first rapid rise is in younger people, but then you see rises in older age groups.
The same pattern is being such at a much lower rate elsewhere in the country, he says.
And at a much lower rate in these places, he adds.
But we should not be lulled into a false sense of security here, he says.
And in these places at a lower rate, he says.
Rates since the middle of August have been going up in these places, he says.
This is really important, Whitty says.
The rate in people over 60 is a very good predictor in a bad way of the rates at which people will go into hospital, he says.
On the left, the map shows the current prevalence of the disease, with the darker colours showing areas where the most transmission is occuring, he says.
On the right, the map shows the rate of change, with the dark colours showing the most rapid change, he says.
This shows this is now extending beyond the areas in the NW, NE and parts of the Midlands - clear evidence of spread around the country, he says, though still centred on areas of intervention.
Prof Chris Whitty is speaking now.
The first slide shows the prevalance of the virus in the population from 25 September to 1 October.
The number of people with it went down through June to the beginning of September, where it began to rise again, he says.
Since then it has risen to the level at the beginning of May, he says.
There will also be additional funding for local authorities, he says.
For those entering tier 3, there will be up to £500m provided to fund activities, enforcement, compliance and contact tracing, he says.
Businesses legally required to close can now claim a cash grant of up to £3,000 depending on the value of the business premises, Sunak says.
He says he also guarantees an extra £1.3bn of funding for the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland administrations if they choose to do something similar.