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UK coronavirus live: long Covid can affect people even if they have no symptoms at first, Hancock tells MPs UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson gives briefing after chancellor unveils new business support measures
(32 minutes later)
Latest updates: Further areas added to tier 2 restrictions; Chancellor announces measures after pressure to help hard-hit companies Latest updates: further areas added to tier 2 restrictions; Chancellor announces measures after pressure to help hard-hit companies
These are the hospital figures. Vallance says there are some indications of a decrease in the rate of increase.
Vallance says there indications that amongst young people rates of infection are flattening off. (See 1.46pm and 3.49pm.)
Here are the hospital admission figures. Vallance says the more people there are in hospital with Covid, the less able they are to treat non-Covid patients.
Sir Patrick Vallance is now showing slides.
He starts with a reminder from last week - the latest estimate for new cases.
And here are estimates for the number of new cases per day.
Rishi Sunak is speaking now.
He is summarising the measures announced earlier. See 12.02pm.
He says his is one of the most generous version of an short-time work scheme in the world.
He says he is being more generous to places that have been in a higher alert level for longer.
Johnson says the government has produced a new package for businesses because it wants to keep them going.
He says the country can beat the virus.
Johnson says there are some people who say we should stop all restrictions.
(In fact, there are very few people who say this - although the Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne gave a speech along these lines in the Commons Covid debate just a few minutes ago.)
Johnson says he rejects that approach. It would be impossible to protect the elderly, he says.
Other says there should be a lockdown now, he says.
But he rejects that too - particularly because there might have to be repeat lockdowns.
Instead he is going for a balanced approach - between the Scylla of a lockdown and the Charybdis of uncontrolled virus spread.
Boris Johnson will be starting his press conference imminently.
He will be with Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser.
In Scotland there have been 1,712 new cases and 17 further deaths. The details are here.
Yesterday there were 1,739 cases and 28 deaths.
Public Health Wales has recorded 1,134 new cases and seven further deaths. The details are here.
Yesterday there were 962 cases and 14 deaths.
And in Northern Ireland there have been 1,042 new cases and five further deaths. The details are here.
Yesterday there were 1,039 cases and five deaths.
Public Health England has covered its weekly Covid surveillance report (pdf), which now also covers influenza. It is based on data in the week up to Sunday 18 October (week 42).
Here is an extract from its summary.
NHS England has announced 152 further coronavirus hospital deaths. There were 60 in the north-west, 35 in the north-east and Yorkshire, 29 in the Midlands, 10 in the east of England, nine in London, seven in the south-east and two in the south-west. The details are here.NHS England has announced 152 further coronavirus hospital deaths. There were 60 in the north-west, 35 in the north-east and Yorkshire, 29 in the Midlands, 10 in the east of England, nine in London, seven in the south-east and two in the south-west. The details are here.
That is 58 more than yesterday’s total (94) and 71 more than the total this time last week (81).That is 58 more than yesterday’s total (94) and 71 more than the total this time last week (81).
Here is a fuller version of what Matt Hancock, the health secretary, told MPs earlier about long Covid, the condition that involves people suffering long-term symptoms after a coronavirus infection.Here is a fuller version of what Matt Hancock, the health secretary, told MPs earlier about long Covid, the condition that involves people suffering long-term symptoms after a coronavirus infection.
Hancock said people could suffer from long Covid even if they had no symptoms when first infected. There seemed to be “no correlation” between the seriousness of the original illness and the long Covid after-effects, he said.Hancock said people could suffer from long Covid even if they had no symptoms when first infected. There seemed to be “no correlation” between the seriousness of the original illness and the long Covid after-effects, he said.
He said younger adults seemed to be particularly at risk. Evidence from King’s College London suggested about one in 20 people with coronavirus get long Covid, he said. But he said there was other evidence suggesting that, amongst adults under 50, it was more like one in 10. He went on:He said younger adults seemed to be particularly at risk. Evidence from King’s College London suggested about one in 20 people with coronavirus get long Covid, he said. But he said there was other evidence suggesting that, amongst adults under 50, it was more like one in 10. He went on:
He said it could have debilitating effects on young people.He said it could have debilitating effects on young people.
Hancock also told MPs that Warrington may have to move into the strictest tier 3 restrictions. He said formal discussions with the council were starting “due to a continuing rise in cases there”.Hancock also told MPs that Warrington may have to move into the strictest tier 3 restrictions. He said formal discussions with the council were starting “due to a continuing rise in cases there”.
And Hancock also told MPs that lateral flow tests - Covid tests that can deliver results within minutes - started to be rolled out yesterday to schools and universities. Explaining what they could do, he said:And Hancock also told MPs that lateral flow tests - Covid tests that can deliver results within minutes - started to be rolled out yesterday to schools and universities. Explaining what they could do, he said:
They are also being distributed to councils, with Stoke-on-Trent council getting them from today, he said.They are also being distributed to councils, with Stoke-on-Trent council getting them from today, he said.
Boris Johnson spoke about this in his press conference on Friday. This ConservativeHome article explains in some detail why the government thinks this development will be crucial.Boris Johnson spoke about this in his press conference on Friday. This ConservativeHome article explains in some detail why the government thinks this development will be crucial.
Hancock told MPs he was also giving local authorities new enforcement powers to close down premises ignoring Covid-safety rules. These will allow councils to shut places without delay on public health grounds.
He said he would be working with local authorities over the coming days on the details of the rules.
These are powers that councils have been requesting for some time.
Hancock says some areas will have to move from tier 1, the medium risk level where the nationwide rules apply, to tier 2, the high risk level where stricter restrictions apply. They are: Stoke-on-Trent, Coventry and Slough.
In all of these areas there are more than 100 cases per 100,000 people, he says.
He says cases are doubling every fortnight. And there is a “concerning increase” in cases among the over-60s.
He says the new restrictions will come into force at 00.01am on Saturday.
The main change is that people will not be allowed to mix with other households indoors.
In the Commons, Matt Hancock is speaking now about long Covid. He says a clinic has been set up in London to help people suffering from this condition (long-term after-effects following a coronavirus infection).
He says that around one in 20 people have this. But among younger adults it is one in 10, he says.
And he says people can have long Covid even if they are asymptomatic when infected.
Here is our full story on today’s NHS test and trace performance numbers, from my colleague Haroon Siddique.
And here is some reaction.
From Labour’s health spokesperson Justin Madders
From the Lib Dem health spokesperson Munira Wilson
Steve Baker, a Conservative, asks Hancock to confirm that the disease is not progressing in the way that it was in the first wave. There has been no increase in excess mortality, he says.
“And I want to keep it that way,” says Hancock.
Hancock says there are two advantages as the government tackles the second wave.
First, it is more regional, he says. That means not all parts of the NHS are under the same pressure.
And, second, we know a lot more about the virus, he says.
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, is opening a Commons debate on coronavirus.
He says every day his confidence in the ability of science grows.
But until then, we must show resolve, he says.
The government’s internal market bill undermines human rights protections, a committee of MPs and peers has said.
In a report (pdf), the joint committee on human rights said the legislation would allow ministers to ignore the Human Rights Act when making regulations. It said:
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has described today’s beefed-up economic support package from the Treasury as “a sticking plaster solution”. He said: