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| UK Covid live: Matt Hancock says more than 4m people have now had first dose of vaccine | UK Covid live: Matt Hancock says more than 4m people have now had first dose of vaccine |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Health secretary says NHS under ‘significant pressure’ with record number of Covid patients in hospitals; UK records 599 further Covid deaths | Health secretary says NHS under ‘significant pressure’ with record number of Covid patients in hospitals; UK records 599 further Covid deaths |
| Nurseries and other early years providers who close or seek to limit numbers to protect staff and children and stem the spread of Covid are likely to lose vital funding, according to Green MP Caroline Lucas. | |
| She has criticised government plans to press ahead with a census this week, in the midst of national lockdown, to count the number of children in attendance in early years which will determine free-places funding. | |
| The Department for Education issued new guidance last week which said that children who are registered but temporarily absent for the census because of Covid reasons including illness and self-isolating can still be counted. | |
| Critics, however, highlighted a change in the guidance, which means that where early years providers and nurseries decide to limit numbers for safety reasons, for example just to children of key workers or vulnerable pupils in line with wider schools policy, they could lose funding. Others will lose out because of a drop in demand. | |
| Caroline Lucas, the MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: | |
| Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, called for the capital to get a “fair share” of the covid vaccines after regional figures released earlier today showed that London had the lowest number of people vaccinated of all English regions at 417,225. The mayor had a crisis meeting with Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine deployment minister, last Thursday given the high number of cases in the capital. City Hall sources said the mayor was promised that distribution issues would be fixed by the end of this week. | |
| Leading regions such as the Midlands, and the north-east and Yorkshire, had provided a first dose of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca jabs to 746,687 and 681,317 people respectively. | |
| The mayor also raised concern that this could disproportionately affect BAME communities, who may be more hesitant about receiving the vaccine.“I have been calling for a fair share of vaccine supply in London,” Khan said, arguing that following his meeting with the minister, the government was now listening. He went on: | |
| Q: Will you change the law to protect doctors from being prosecuted for unlawful killing because the pressure on resources means they cannot look after patients properly? | Q: Will you change the law to protect doctors from being prosecuted for unlawful killing because the pressure on resources means they cannot look after patients properly? |
| Hancock says we are not in the situation where doctors have to chose which patients will be treated and which will not because resources are so limited. He says the advice he has been given is that there is no need to change the law to give them indemnity if they have to take decisions that put lives at risk, he says. | Hancock says we are not in the situation where doctors have to chose which patients will be treated and which will not because resources are so limited. He says the advice he has been given is that there is no need to change the law to give them indemnity if they have to take decisions that put lives at risk, he says. |
| He ends the press conference by saying the fact that this question was asked, by a journalist from the BMJ, highlights how much pressure the NHS is facing. | He ends the press conference by saying the fact that this question was asked, by a journalist from the BMJ, highlights how much pressure the NHS is facing. |
| And that’s it. | And that’s it. |
| Q: Will you start lifting restrictions in early March, when immunity kicks in for people in the top four priority groups? Will schools reopen at the same time? | Q: Will you start lifting restrictions in early March, when immunity kicks in for people in the top four priority groups? Will schools reopen at the same time? |
| Hancock says there are four conditions for restrictions to be eased. The first two are deaths coming down and hospital numbers coming down. Those two things are not happening, he says. | Hancock says there are four conditions for restrictions to be eased. The first two are deaths coming down and hospital numbers coming down. Those two things are not happening, he says. |
| Third, the vaccine programme has to work, he says. He says so far it is going well. | Third, the vaccine programme has to work, he says. He says so far it is going well. |
| And, fourth, there has to be no new threat from a new variant. That is being monitored all the time, he says. | And, fourth, there has to be no new threat from a new variant. That is being monitored all the time, he says. |
| Hopkins says the government has always said the schools should be the last to close and the first to open. But it cannot be more specific than that, she says. | Hopkins says the government has always said the schools should be the last to close and the first to open. But it cannot be more specific than that, she says. |
| Q: Can families now feel confident in booking a break for the summer holidays? | Q: Can families now feel confident in booking a break for the summer holidays? |
| Hancock says he is going to Cornwall for his summer holidays. He thinks we will have a great British summer. The government hopes to vaccinate all adults by September. Anything earlier is a bonus, he says. | Hancock says he is going to Cornwall for his summer holidays. He thinks we will have a great British summer. The government hopes to vaccinate all adults by September. Anything earlier is a bonus, he says. |
| Q: You said recently we needed a national debate about who should be prioritised in the second stage. How do you decide between a teacher, a police officer and a shop worker? | Q: You said recently we needed a national debate about who should be prioritised in the second stage. How do you decide between a teacher, a police officer and a shop worker? |
| Hopkins says we are learning more about which groups spread transmission most. But it might be necessary to target those most at risk of hospitalisation, she says. | Hopkins says we are learning more about which groups spread transmission most. But it might be necessary to target those most at risk of hospitalisation, she says. |
| Q: How do you respond to the head of the World Health Organization saying the distribution of vaccines globally is putting the world on the brink of a “catastrophic moral failure”. | Q: How do you respond to the head of the World Health Organization saying the distribution of vaccines globally is putting the world on the brink of a “catastrophic moral failure”. |
| Hancock says the UK is the biggest financial supporter of the initiative to ensure that countries around the world get access to affordable vaccines. He says he agrees with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the importance of a global rollout. He looks forward to working with the WHO on this. He wants to see the whole world vaccinated. | Hancock says the UK is the biggest financial supporter of the initiative to ensure that countries around the world get access to affordable vaccines. He says he agrees with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the importance of a global rollout. He looks forward to working with the WHO on this. He wants to see the whole world vaccinated. |
| Q: What do you say to those who are over 80 who have not been vaccinated yet? | Q: What do you say to those who are over 80 who have not been vaccinated yet? |
| Hancock says everyone in the top four priority groups, including the over-80s, will have been offered a jab by 15 February. | Hancock says everyone in the top four priority groups, including the over-80s, will have been offered a jab by 15 February. |
| Q: Why are some areas doing worse than others? Are they not getting supplies? Or are they less well organised? | Q: Why are some areas doing worse than others? Are they not getting supplies? Or are they less well organised? |
| There are lots of reasons, Hancock says. | There are lots of reasons, Hancock says. |
| He says setting up sites can be difficult. | He says setting up sites can be difficult. |
| Q: [From the BBC’s Hugh Pym] There are regional variations in vaccine take-up. What do you say to local teams who cannot get enough doses? | Q: [From the BBC’s Hugh Pym] There are regional variations in vaccine take-up. What do you say to local teams who cannot get enough doses? |
| Hancock says some places have gone faster than average. They will be able to move on to the next group. But supply is being prioritised for areas that have not yet vaccinated all the over-80s. | Hancock says some places have gone faster than average. They will be able to move on to the next group. But supply is being prioritised for areas that have not yet vaccinated all the over-80s. |
| He says people who are over 80 will be invited to get a vaccine within the next four weeks, hopefully earlier rather than later. | He says people who are over 80 will be invited to get a vaccine within the next four weeks, hopefully earlier rather than later. |
| Supply is the rate-limiting factor, he says. | Supply is the rate-limiting factor, he says. |
| Q: What are the plans to protect people working on the front line? | Q: What are the plans to protect people working on the front line? |
| Hancock says the vaccination programme is targeting the most vulnerable. That will help, he says. But he accepts the questioner wants to know what will happen now. | Hancock says the vaccination programme is targeting the most vulnerable. That will help, he says. But he accepts the questioner wants to know what will happen now. |
| Hopkins says the MHRA has approved lateral flow tests for exceptional use. That will allow more community testing, she says. | Hopkins says the MHRA has approved lateral flow tests for exceptional use. That will allow more community testing, she says. |
| Hancock says 4,062,501 people in the UK have now been vaccinated. He says the UK is vaccinating people at more than double the rate of other countries in Europe. | Hancock says 4,062,501 people in the UK have now been vaccinated. He says the UK is vaccinating people at more than double the rate of other countries in Europe. |
| More than half of over-80s and more than half of care home residents have now had the first dose of the vaccine, he says. | More than half of over-80s and more than half of care home residents have now had the first dose of the vaccine, he says. |
| And he praises places like Slough, where he says all care home residents have now been vaccinated. | And he praises places like Slough, where he says all care home residents have now been vaccinated. |
| Hancock starts by reading out the latest data. (See 4.22pm.) | Hancock starts by reading out the latest data. (See 4.22pm.) |
| He says there are 37,475 people in hospitals in the UK with Covid. That is the highest figure during the pandemic, he says. He says hospitals are under “significant pressure” in all parts of the UK. | He says there are 37,475 people in hospitals in the UK with Covid. That is the highest figure during the pandemic, he says. He says hospitals are under “significant pressure” in all parts of the UK. |
| Matt Hancock, the health secretary, is about to hold a press conference at No 10. | Matt Hancock, the health secretary, is about to hold a press conference at No 10. |
| He will be with Prof Stephen Powis, the national medical director for NHS England, and Prof Susan Hopkins, a senior medical adviser at Public Health England. | He will be with Prof Stephen Powis, the national medical director for NHS England, and Prof Susan Hopkins, a senior medical adviser at Public Health England. |
| HuffPost’s Paul Waugh has more from the public accounts committee hearing. | HuffPost’s Paul Waugh has more from the public accounts committee hearing. |
| In the Commons Jonathan Reynolds, the shadow work and pensions secretary, has just opened the debate on Labour’s motion calling for the £20-per-week universal credit uplift to be maintained. | In the Commons Jonathan Reynolds, the shadow work and pensions secretary, has just opened the debate on Labour’s motion calling for the £20-per-week universal credit uplift to be maintained. |
| Here is the Labour motion. | Here is the Labour motion. |
| And here is the government amendment - effectively an alternative proposal. | And here is the government amendment - effectively an alternative proposal. |
| During opposition day debates MPs vote on the main motion before amendments and, with the Tories abstaining on the Labour motion, it is certain to be passed. That means the Tory amendment won’t be put to a vote. | During opposition day debates MPs vote on the main motion before amendments and, with the Tories abstaining on the Labour motion, it is certain to be passed. That means the Tory amendment won’t be put to a vote. |