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UK coronavirus live: Rishi Sunak announces support package for tier 2 business and workers | UK coronavirus live: Rishi Sunak announces support package for tier 2 business and workers |
(32 minutes later) | |
Latest updates: Chancellor announces measures after pressure to help hard-hit companies in lockdown-affected regions | Latest updates: Chancellor announces measures after pressure to help hard-hit companies in lockdown-affected regions |
From Sky’s Sam Coates | |
“Job support scheme open” and “job support scheme closed” are two different versions of the same scheme (according to whether or not the premises is legally required to close) - not two phrases that contradict each other, as some readers might assume. | |
Caroline Ansell, a Conservative MP who defied her party to support Labour’s vote for free school meals during school holidays, has resigned from her government post as a parliamentary private secretary, my colleague Heather Stewart reports. | |
These are from Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, which represents businesses in the hospitality sector. | |
During the Manchester public health briefing (see 1.25pm) the city council’s director of public health, David Regan, warned that the infection rate among older people was high and rising. | |
There are currently 339 cases per 100,000 people among the over-60s, he said, adding: | |
Regan said there had been a marked drop in the infection rate among those aged 17 to 21 – falling from 3,350 cases per 100,000 people on 3 October to 568 cases per 100,000 currently. | |
This was due to the influx of 74,000 university students into Manchester in September, he said, although they had been able to bring the virus under control in part by quarantining at least 1,700 younger people in halls of residence – a measure which led to criticism at the time. | |
Regan urged Mancunians to abide by tier 3 restrictions that come into force overnight but said the evidence was “isn’t there fully yet” that local lockdowns had worked. He went on: | |
Nicola Sturgeon has suggested that children should avoid going guising, or trick-or-treating, during Hallowe’en this year, because it was unsafe for people to have unnecessary contact with others. | |
She said the Scottish government was issuing guidance for Hallowe’en over the weekend, and urged families to devise different ways of celebrating. She said: | |
Sturgeon also backed up Jason Leitch’s warnings about Christmas being abnormal this year (see 9.39am), but said the intensity of any controls in force in December rested largely on how well people observed the current restrictions, suppressing the spread of the virus. She said: | |
Earlier this month Downing Street was non-committal at a briefing when asked if trick-or-treating would have to be abandoned this year in England, although the Department of Health and Social Care later said it should not happen in places where household mixing is banned. | |
Manchester’s Nightingale hospital will reopen “towards the end of next week” to help relieve the strain on the NHS from a second wave of coronavirus, senior health figures have confirmed. | Manchester’s Nightingale hospital will reopen “towards the end of next week” to help relieve the strain on the NHS from a second wave of coronavirus, senior health figures have confirmed. |
Prof Jane Eddleston, Greater Manchester’s medical lead on the coronavirus, said the huge makeshift facility would take recovering Covid patients from hospitals across the badly-hit northwest of England. | Prof Jane Eddleston, Greater Manchester’s medical lead on the coronavirus, said the huge makeshift facility would take recovering Covid patients from hospitals across the badly-hit northwest of England. |
In a briefing designed to counter some of the “selective statistics” released by Downing Street earlier this week, Eddleston said 35% of critical care beds in the region were currently occupied by Covid patients. | In a briefing designed to counter some of the “selective statistics” released by Downing Street earlier this week, Eddleston said 35% of critical care beds in the region were currently occupied by Covid patients. |
During the April peak there were more than 300 patients filling critical care beds in Greater Manchester, of whom 260 had coronavirus. The latest figures, for Wednesday this week, showed 218 patients in critical care beds, of whom 95 are being treated for Covid. | During the April peak there were more than 300 patients filling critical care beds in Greater Manchester, of whom 260 had coronavirus. The latest figures, for Wednesday this week, showed 218 patients in critical care beds, of whom 95 are being treated for Covid. |
Eddleston, who appeared alongside Boris Johnson at a Downing Street press conference last week, said that although this number was “significant”, the region was “in a different position now” and would bring in additional capacity where needed. | Eddleston, who appeared alongside Boris Johnson at a Downing Street press conference last week, said that although this number was “significant”, the region was “in a different position now” and would bring in additional capacity where needed. |
She said that during the April peak there was capacity for more than 400 critical care patients and that the service could reach this figure again. She said: | She said that during the April peak there was capacity for more than 400 critical care patients and that the service could reach this figure again. She said: |
Eddleston said, however, that the number of non-critical Covid patients in Greater Manchester was approaching the level of the first peak. There are currently just over 600 coronavirus patients in acute hospital beds, she said, compared to just under 900 in April. | Eddleston said, however, that the number of non-critical Covid patients in Greater Manchester was approaching the level of the first peak. There are currently just over 600 coronavirus patients in acute hospital beds, she said, compared to just under 900 in April. |
These are from Daniel Tomlinson, an economist at the Resolution Foundation thinktank. They explain why the new measures should make it more worthwhile financially for employers to retain staff. | These are from Daniel Tomlinson, an economist at the Resolution Foundation thinktank. They explain why the new measures should make it more worthwhile financially for employers to retain staff. |
The Scottish Retail Consortium, which represents the country’s largest shopping chains, has urged people to “shop early, start wrapping” after Nicola Sturgeon’s public health adviser warned Christmas would be severely impacted by the Covid crisis. (See 9.39am.) | The Scottish Retail Consortium, which represents the country’s largest shopping chains, has urged people to “shop early, start wrapping” after Nicola Sturgeon’s public health adviser warned Christmas would be severely impacted by the Covid crisis. (See 9.39am.) |
The SRC, the Scottish wing of the British Retail Consortium, said Jason Leitch’s warning that large family gatherings would be highly unlikely to be approved this year added to its anxieties about the impact coronavirus controls were having on shops. | The SRC, the Scottish wing of the British Retail Consortium, said Jason Leitch’s warning that large family gatherings would be highly unlikely to be approved this year added to its anxieties about the impact coronavirus controls were having on shops. |
David Lonsdale, the director of the SRC, said: | David Lonsdale, the director of the SRC, said: |
From my colleague Richard Partington | From my colleague Richard Partington |
And this is from Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary, on Rishi Sunak’s beefed-up economic support package. She said: | And this is from Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary, on Rishi Sunak’s beefed-up economic support package. She said: |