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UK coronavirus live: Covid rate in England 'levelling off', with one person in 85 infected, says ONS
UK coronavirus live: Birmingham, Kent, Greater Manchester, Newcastle among regions understood to be in tier 3 measures
(32 minutes later)
Weekly infection survey suggests prevalence of coronavirus is declining in England
Government website crashes as news of new tier system emerges; weekly infection survey suggests prevalence of coronavirus is declining in England
Here is the full government list of showing which areas of England are going into which tiers.
In the Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, has strongly condemned the government’s decision to put information about which areas are going into which tiers online before the news was announced to MPs. He was glad the website crashed, he suggest.
He told MPs:
Large parts of England, including Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Kent, Newcastle, Hull and Wolverhampton have seemingly been placed in the top tier of new coronavirus restrictions, amid a bungled government announcement of the rules.
Before the formal statement announcing the tiers was published, the government launched a web page where people could check their tier status by postcode – which promptly crashed.
But some people were able to check the postcode finder before it crashed, and reported that Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Kent, Newcastle, Hull and Wolverhampton were in tier 3, with London and Liverpool in tier 2.
Prompting a likely battle with Conservative MPs over the rules, which come into force once the England-wide lockdown lapses on 2 December, large sections of the country will apparently see very limited households mixing, and pubs and restaurants limited to takeaways.
London and Liverpool are believed to be in tier 2, which has slightly looser restrictions. The tiers will be reviewed every fortnight, with the system scheduled to be in place until the spring.
Under the tiers, non-essential shops in all areas can reopen, as can gyms, hairdressers and other personal care businesses, with the formal instruction to stay at home coming to an end. The “rule of six” will again apply for outdoor gatherings.
In tier 1, the rule of six will be the same both indoors and outdoors, allowing people from across households to see each other indoors. In tiers 2 and 3, such meetings will only be allowed outdoors, and in the top tier, this can only happen in parks or public gardens. In the two higher levels, no household mixing will be permitted inside, beyond the expected relaxation of rules over Christmas.
There has been a decrease in the number of people testing positive for coronavirus for the first time since the end of August, according to the latest NHS test and trace report (pdf).
The figures, published by the Department for Health and Social Care show that 152,660 people tested positive for coronavirus in the week ending 18 November, a decrease of 9% compared to the previous week. Last week the figures showed an increase of 11%.
Test and trace continues to struggle with reaching contacts, with the numbers contacted being broadly the same as the previous week. Some 156,574 people were transferred to the contact tracing system, and of those transferred, 84.9% were reached. But taking into account all contacts identified, only 60.3% were reached.
There was a slight reduction in the proportion of coronavirus tests being positive, with 8.8% of people tested having a positive result, a reduction from the 9.6% reported the previous week.
From Tony Roe, a BBC correspondent covering the east Midlands
The ONS report says coronavirus rates in Scotland are increasing.
Around one person in 115 in Scotland had coronavirus in the week from 15 to 21 November, the ONS says. That equates to 45,700 people. The figures for the week before were one person in 155, or 33,800 people in total.
Here is the government’s postcode checker that journalists are using to find out which areas are in which tier. But it has crashed.
According to Sky News, Leeds, Hull, Wolverhampton and Thanet are also all in tier 3.
The ONS report says Covid rates in Northern Ireland appear to have peaked in the middle of October.
Around one person in 145 in Northern Ireland had coronavirus in the week from 15 to 21 November, the ONS says. That equates to 12,700 people. The figures for the week before were one person in 135, or 13,600 people in total.
According to Sky News, Manchester, Newcastle and Birmingham have been placed in tier 3 while Liverpool and London are in tier 2.
The ONS report says Covid rates in Wales have been decreasing in recent weeks.
Around one person in 185 in Wales had coronavirus in the week from 15 to 21 November, the ONS says. That equates to 16,400 people. The figures for the week before were one person in 165, or 18,400 people in total.
The full ONS infection survey is now on the ONS website.
The full ONS infection survey is now on the ONS website.
Here is some more detail about what it is saying about the prevalence of coronavirus in England.
Here is some more detail about what it is saying about the prevalence of coronavirus in England.
Around one person in 85 in England had coronavirus in the week from 15 to 21 November, the ONS estimates. That would equate to 633,000 people. The previous week the figure was one person in 80, or 664,700 people in total.
Around one person in 85 in England had coronavirus in the week from 15 to 21 November, the ONS estimates. That would equate to 633,000 people. The previous week the figure was one person in 80, or 664,700 people in total.
Positivity rates are rising most in the East Midlands, the ONS says. It says:
Positivity rates are rising most in the East Midlands, the ONS says. It says:
Rates are highest amongst secondary school-age children and young adults, the ONS says. It says:
Rates are highest amongst secondary school-age children and young adults, the ONS says. It says:
Here are some more tweets from the ONS about the findings in its latest coronavirus infection survey.
The ONS’s weekly coronavirus infection survey is meant to be out. There seems to be a problem accessing it on the website at the moment, but the ONS has tweeted some of the key findings.
It says the latest estimate is that around one person in 85 in England had coronavirus last week. The figure published the previous week was one person in 80, so that suggests the prevalence of the virus is declining.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, says the capital should be in tier 2 when the government announces its tiering decisions later this morning.
The latest ONS survey of the impact of coronavirus on the economy and society has been published. It is based on responses to questions from about 10,000 UK firms in the first two weeks of November, weighted to make them representative. Here are some of its key findings.
15% of workers in the UK are on partial or full furlough, the report says. That is up from 9% in the second half of October (before the England-wide lockdown started).
51% of people are working at their normal workplace. That is down from 60% in the second half of October. Another 30% of people are working remotely, up from 28%.
More one business in 10 is reporting turnover at less than half what is normal for this time of year. And almost half of businesses are reporting turnover at least 20% below what is normal. Here are the full figures.
A 20ft Nordmann Fir tree is on its way to Downing Street to take its place outside No 10 – the first time a tree grown in the north of England has been chosen to give traditional festive cheer to the prime minister’s residence.
The York-based tree grower Oliver Combe – winner of the champion Christmas grower of the year and who runs York Christmas Trees in Wiggington with his wife, Kirstie – felled the tree on Tuesday.
The annual British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA) competition has been running since 1999 and – surprisingly – it is the first time a winner from the north of England has received the overall gong. Combe told the York-based Press newspaper:
Boris Johnson said: “We’re delighted that York Christmas Trees will be providing the Downing Street tree this year which I hope will be enjoyed by many.”
From the Sun’s Harry Cole
Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, has been doing a round of interviews this morning. Here are the main points he has been making.
Sunak defended his decision to freeze pay for many public sector workers. Public sector workers were paid on average at least 7% more than than their private sector counterparts, he said.
The Treasury claims that only around 1.3m out of 5.5m will have their pay frozen, although it is also claimed that many of the public sector workers getting a £250 pay rise will effectively see their pay cut because that will not compensate for inflation.
Sunak refused to rule out breaking the Conservative party manifesto promise not to increase the rates income tax, national insurance or VAT. Asked about this, he just said he would not comment on future tax policy.
He said that, although the government was cutting aid spending, it did intend to return to raise it again to 0.7% of national income when possible. He also rejected claims that the UK was turning its back on the poorest people in the world. He said:
He said he was “hopeful and confident” that the UK could reach a trade deal with the EU.
He rejected claims that he was doing nothing to help 3m people who were self-employed. He said that 3m figure included many people who were not majority self-employed, “which means that they make the majority of their earnings from being employed”. And when asked about people who pay themselves through a company dividend, who do not get help through the self-employed employment support scheme, he said:
Joe Anderson, the mayor of Liverpool, told the Today programme this morning that his city, which was in the first region to enter the original tier 3 status, was now ready to go to tier 2. He said:
Asked if he would encourage other areas that are put in tier 3 to put up with the restrictions, Anderson said:
Good morning. Today people in England will find out exactly what coronavirus restrictions they will be subject to when the national lockdown ends on Wednesday next week. As we report in our overnight story, most of the country will be in tiers 2 or 3 – the two toughest sets of rules.
But before we get the details, analysis of the spending review yesterday continues, and this morning the Resolution Foundation has produced a striking assessment. It says average pay will be £1,200 a year lower by the middle of this decade than was expected before the pandemic. Summarising one of the findings in its spending review analysis, it says:
Here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: The ONS publishes figures on migration during the coronavirus pandemic.
9.30am: Richard Hughes, head of the Office for Budget Responsibility, speaks at a Resolution Foundation event.
10.30am: The ONS publishes its weekly coronavirus infection survey (which is normally published on Fridays).
10.30am: The Institute for Fiscal Studies holds a briefing on the spending review.
11am: NHS test and trace releases its weekly performance figures.
After 11.30am: Matt Hancock, the health secretary, makes a statement to MPs about which areas in England will be subject to which tiers.
After 12.30pm: Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, makes a Commons statement about development.
12.20pm: Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, takes questions in the Scottish parliament.
1pm: Sir Keir Starmer holds a ‘Call Keir’ virtual meeting for people in the west of England.
Afternoon: Boris Johnson holds a press conference.
Politics Live is now doubling up as the UK coronavirus live blog and, given the way the Covid crisis eclipses everything, this will continue for the foreseeable future. But we will be covering non-Covid political stories too, and when they seem more important or more interesting, they will take precedence.
Here is our global coronavirus live blog.
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