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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2020/nov/24/uk-coronavirus-live-christmas-rules-tiers-covid-boris-johnson-latest-updates
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UK coronavirus live: Hancock keen to end 'work when ill' culture and urges people to get tested | UK coronavirus live: Hancock keen to end 'work when ill' culture and urges people to get tested |
(32 minutes later) | |
Health secretary wants to use testing for seasonal flu; Covid now accounts for more than 20% of deaths in England and Wales | |
Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, is due to hold a meeting with representatives of the devolved administrations this afternoon to try to reach agreement on a joint approach to Christmas. | |
On Sunday the UK government briefed that an agreement was already more or less in the bag. But that seems to have been premature, and at the Downing Street lobby briefing the prime minister’s spokesman conceded that a four-nation consensus had not yet been reached. The spokesman said: | |
Cobra, the government’s emergency committee, is considering the matter because this is the mechanism used by the UK government for Covid decisions involving Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. | |
No 10 conceded that no agreement has yet been reached, and was not able to say whether or not a decision would be reached by the end of the day. | |
Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the Conservative backbench 1922 Committee, has just told Radio 4’s the World at One that, although he does not yet know exactly what form the Commons vote on the new three-tier system of restrictions for England will take, “my inclination would be to oppose it”. | |
He explained: | |
More than 30,000 extra deaths not linked to Covid-19 have now taken place in private homes in England and Wales since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, PA Media is reporting. | More than 30,000 extra deaths not linked to Covid-19 have now taken place in private homes in England and Wales since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, PA Media is reporting. |
Extra deaths - known as “excess deaths” - are the number of deaths that are above the average for the corresponding period in the previous five years. | Extra deaths - known as “excess deaths” - are the number of deaths that are above the average for the corresponding period in the previous five years. |
A total of 30,785 excess deaths in homes in England and Wales that did not involve Covid-19 were registered between March 7 and November 13, according to a PA analysis of data published by the Office for National Statistics. | A total of 30,785 excess deaths in homes in England and Wales that did not involve Covid-19 were registered between March 7 and November 13, according to a PA analysis of data published by the Office for National Statistics. |
Previous analysis by the ONS found that deaths in private homes in England for males from heart disease, from the start of the coronavirus pandemic through to early September, were 26% higher than the five-year average, while prostate cancer deaths had increased 53%. | Previous analysis by the ONS found that deaths in private homes in England for males from heart disease, from the start of the coronavirus pandemic through to early September, were 26% higher than the five-year average, while prostate cancer deaths had increased 53%. |
For women, deaths in private homes from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease had increased 75%, while deaths from breast cancer were up 47%. | For women, deaths in private homes from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease had increased 75%, while deaths from breast cancer were up 47%. |
Here is the chart from today’s ONS report showing excess deaths in England and Wales this year, by place of death. | Here is the chart from today’s ONS report showing excess deaths in England and Wales this year, by place of death. |
Jeremy Hunt, the health committee chair, wraps up the hearing with Matt Hancock by thanking him for his time. | Jeremy Hunt, the health committee chair, wraps up the hearing with Matt Hancock by thanking him for his time. |
Dawn Butler (Lab) goes next. | Dawn Butler (Lab) goes next. |
She asks why at an earlier hearing he did not answer a question about a meeting his department had with a PR company, Topham Guerin. Did they get a contract because they worked on the 2019 Conservative election campaign? | She asks why at an earlier hearing he did not answer a question about a meeting his department had with a PR company, Topham Guerin. Did they get a contract because they worked on the 2019 Conservative election campaign? |
Hancock says Topham Guerin is an excellent organisation. He says all contracts are properly signed off. | Hancock says Topham Guerin is an excellent organisation. He says all contracts are properly signed off. |
Q: That is not what the NAO said. | Q: That is not what the NAO said. |
Hancock disagrees. He says the NAO said, even though contracts were awarded quickly, they were signed off properly. And he says the fact that the NAO could then audit these contracts showed there was transparency. | Hancock disagrees. He says the NAO said, even though contracts were awarded quickly, they were signed off properly. And he says the fact that the NAO could then audit these contracts showed there was transparency. |
Q: How will we know you are not just taking arbitrary decisions? | Q: How will we know you are not just taking arbitrary decisions? |
Hancock says the information behind those decisions about tiers will be published. | Hancock says the information behind those decisions about tiers will be published. |
Q: Will you publish a cost-benefit analysis for every region? | Q: Will you publish a cost-benefit analysis for every region? |
Hancock says he plans to publish all the data informing the decisions about particular regions going into particular tiers. | Hancock says he plans to publish all the data informing the decisions about particular regions going into particular tiers. |
Labour’s Graham Stringer goes next. | Labour’s Graham Stringer goes next. |
Q: When imposing tiers on areas, why are you not negotiating with locally elected representatives? | Q: When imposing tiers on areas, why are you not negotiating with locally elected representatives? |
Hancock says, before the lockdown, in most cases the government had good discussions with local leaders. He mentions as an example Joe Anderson, the Liverpool city mayor. Anderson has texted him during the hearing, he says. | Hancock says, before the lockdown, in most cases the government had good discussions with local leaders. He mentions as an example Joe Anderson, the Liverpool city mayor. Anderson has texted him during the hearing, he says. |
But he says that was not the case with all areas. | But he says that was not the case with all areas. |
Q: Are you talking about Greater Manchester? | Q: Are you talking about Greater Manchester? |
Not just them, says Hancock. | Not just them, says Hancock. |
He says the councils that delayed decisions to go into a higher tier led to case numbers going up. | He says the councils that delayed decisions to go into a higher tier led to case numbers going up. |
Hancock tells the committee that more than 20m people have now downloaded the NHS Covid-19 app. | Hancock tells the committee that more than 20m people have now downloaded the NHS Covid-19 app. |
Back in the committee Matt Hancock told MPs that he was asking the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation to consider whether people with learning disabilities should be prioritised for the coronavirus vaccine. | Back in the committee Matt Hancock told MPs that he was asking the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation to consider whether people with learning disabilities should be prioritised for the coronavirus vaccine. |
A recent report from Public Health England found that people with learning disabilities are dying of coronavirus at more than six times the rate of the general population. | A recent report from Public Health England found that people with learning disabilities are dying of coronavirus at more than six times the rate of the general population. |