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| UK Covid live: Dido Harding rejects claims test and trace only having marginal impact on transmission | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Latest news: Dido Harding facing questions from public accounts committee | |
| Q: How many care homes are getting two tests a week for staff, and one test a week for residents? | |
| Harding says she thinks 100% of care homes have been doing weekly PCR tests since September. She says lateral flow tests, which give rapid results, have now been rolled out too. And she says since early December care homes have been able to do twice weekly lateral flow testing, in addition to the PCR testing. | |
| She says care homes are also testing staff daily if there is an outbreak. | |
| NHS England has announced 532 further coronavirus hospital deaths. The details are here. | |
| A week ago today the figure was 489, and two weeks ago today the figure was 376. | |
| The Labour MP Nick Smith goes next. | |
| Harding says you can measure that in a number of ways. | |
| She says in October test and trace was reducing R, the reproduction number, by between 0.3 and 0.6. | |
| And she says by March that should be a reduction of between 0.5 and 0.8. | |
| She says the service is breaking chains of transmission. | |
| She says that every minute 965 people are being swabbed. | |
| She says every minute of the working day 198 people are a minute are being successfully traced. | |
| And she says the test and trace infrastructure is helping to provide the analysis as to how the disease is spreading. | |
| Q: How does that square with Sage saying a few months ago that your impact on transmission was “marginal”? | |
| Harding says that Sage said that a while back. She does not accept that. She thinks the service is having a “material” impact. | |
| Meg Hillier, the Labour chair of the committee, asks about mass testing in schools, and why the MHRA has not approved the approach being adopted by the government. | |
| Harding says it is not quite right to say the MHRA do not approve. | |
| She says schools have been doing this on a pilot basis. The evidence is being shared with the MHRA. | |
| The Commons public accounts committee has just started taking evidence in a hearing on NHS Test and Trace. The witnesses are Dido Harding, head of the organisation; Sir Chris Wormald permanent secretary, at the Department of Health; David Williams, the second permanent secretary at the department; and Jonathan Marron, director general for community and social care at the department. | |
| There is a live feed at the top of the blog. | |
| Harding says she was asked by the PM at the start of May to launch a test and trace service by the end of the month. She was already chair of NHS Improvement, she says. Asked why she accepted, she says: | |
| Asked about the main lesson she has learned, she says that you can only deliver a service like this as part of an integrated network of different organisations. Everyone has to play their part, she says. | |
| Sir Keir Starmer accused the government of trying to blame fishing communities for the issues caused by Brexit. Referring to today’s protests at Westminster, he said: | |
| In the Commons last week George Eustice, the environment secretary, suggested the problems being encountered by the fishing industry would ease once they got used to dealing with the new paperwork. | In the Commons last week George Eustice, the environment secretary, suggested the problems being encountered by the fishing industry would ease once they got used to dealing with the new paperwork. |
| At the lobby briefing this morning the Downing Street officials talking to journalists spent quite a lot of time trying to defend two particularly provocative statements from ministers yesterday. | At the lobby briefing this morning the Downing Street officials talking to journalists spent quite a lot of time trying to defend two particularly provocative statements from ministers yesterday. |
| The PM’s press secretary, Allegra Stratton, claimed that Boris Johnson was not comparing activists using Twitter to criticise Tory MPs over universal credit to the mob that stormed the US Capitol in a message yesterday. In a WhatsApp message to MPs explaining why the Conservatives would abstain in tonight’s vote (see 9.20am), Johnson wrote: | The PM’s press secretary, Allegra Stratton, claimed that Boris Johnson was not comparing activists using Twitter to criticise Tory MPs over universal credit to the mob that stormed the US Capitol in a message yesterday. In a WhatsApp message to MPs explaining why the Conservatives would abstain in tonight’s vote (see 9.20am), Johnson wrote: |
| This message implies that intimidation was a reason for the Conservative party abstaining, instead of voting against the Labour motion, but Stratton said the party was abstaining because now was not the day for the government to be announcing how it would replace the universal credit uplift when it ends in March. She claimed the Labour motion was a “stunt” because Labour knows the chancellor will be coming forward with an alternative plan. (That is true, but the crucial point is that it has not said yet what the alternative is. Labour says it should just continue with the £20-per-week uplift.) | |
| Stratton said the PM’s message yesterday referred to the abuse some MPs received after they voted against extending free school meals last year. Asked if the PM felt that the intimidation of MPs on social media was being encouraged by Labour, she said that was not something she had heard the PM say. Asked if the PM was saying that the criticism of MPs on Twitter was like the storming of the Capitol in the US, she said: | |
| Asked if the PM regretted some of his own inflammatory language during the last parliament, when he accused anti-Brexit MPs of wanting to “surrender” to Brussels, she just said the key thing was that he wanted people to be civil in future. | Asked if the PM regretted some of his own inflammatory language during the last parliament, when he accused anti-Brexit MPs of wanting to “surrender” to Brussels, she just said the key thing was that he wanted people to be civil in future. |
| Downing Street was unable to provide any evidence to back up Robert Jenrick’s claim in an article yesterday that “town hall militants and woke worthies” are pulling down statues without public support. (See 10.56am.) Asked to provide an example of this, the prime minister’s spokesman just made a broad point about the government being in favour of educating people about Britain’s heritage, not taking down statues. Asked why Jenrick criticised Birmingham council for giving new streets names like “Diversity Grove” and “Humanity Close”, and whether that was wrong, the spokesman said Jenrick’s article was mainly about statues. The naming of streets was a matter for councils, the spokesman said. When it was pointed out to him that Birmingham council chose these names after a consultation with the public, and when he was asked if the council was wrong to do this, the spokesman just urged reporters to read Jenrick’s article. At this point the briefing got faintly comic. | Downing Street was unable to provide any evidence to back up Robert Jenrick’s claim in an article yesterday that “town hall militants and woke worthies” are pulling down statues without public support. (See 10.56am.) Asked to provide an example of this, the prime minister’s spokesman just made a broad point about the government being in favour of educating people about Britain’s heritage, not taking down statues. Asked why Jenrick criticised Birmingham council for giving new streets names like “Diversity Grove” and “Humanity Close”, and whether that was wrong, the spokesman said Jenrick’s article was mainly about statues. The naming of streets was a matter for councils, the spokesman said. When it was pointed out to him that Birmingham council chose these names after a consultation with the public, and when he was asked if the council was wrong to do this, the spokesman just urged reporters to read Jenrick’s article. At this point the briefing got faintly comic. |
| Speaking to reporters on a visit to Streatham in south-west London, Sir Keir Starmer said Conservatives like Boris Johnson were making a “completely false point” when they accused him of wanting to abolish universal credit, as they have been doing repeatedly in recent days. (We heard that line again from Allegra Stratton, the prime minister’s press secretary, at the No 10 lobby briefing today – more on that coming up soon.) Starmer said: | |
| Labour is committed to replacing universal credit with a supposedly better system – not just abandoning the payment of benefits, as some of the Tory comments imply. | |
| As my colleague Steven Morris reports, Mark Drakeford, the Welsh first minister, has defended his government’s decision to string out the use of tens of thousands of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine until new supplies become available - instead of using them as quickly as possible. | As my colleague Steven Morris reports, Mark Drakeford, the Welsh first minister, has defended his government’s decision to string out the use of tens of thousands of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine until new supplies become available - instead of using them as quickly as possible. |
| But the BMA Cymru Wales, which represents doctors, has said it is “extremely concerned” about the policy. | But the BMA Cymru Wales, which represents doctors, has said it is “extremely concerned” about the policy. |
| In a post on Facebook Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, has said that “something is not quite working right” with the distribution of vaccine in her Suffolk Coastal constituency. She explained: | In a post on Facebook Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, has said that “something is not quite working right” with the distribution of vaccine in her Suffolk Coastal constituency. She explained: |
| Justin Welby, the archbishop of Cantebury, has had the coronavirus vaccine. He volunteers with the chaplaincy team at St Thomas’ hospital in London, and so he qualifies as a health and social care worker. He has described the development of the vaccine as “an answer to prayer”. | Justin Welby, the archbishop of Cantebury, has had the coronavirus vaccine. He volunteers with the chaplaincy team at St Thomas’ hospital in London, and so he qualifies as a health and social care worker. He has described the development of the vaccine as “an answer to prayer”. |
| Priti Patel, the home secretary, has said that tougher action will be taken against anti-lockdown protesters. Speaking outside St Thomas’s hospital in central London, the scene of an anti-lockdown protest on New Year’s Eve, she called for people to take responsibility for their actions. Asked whether there would be tougher enforcement to target protesters she told PA Media: | Priti Patel, the home secretary, has said that tougher action will be taken against anti-lockdown protesters. Speaking outside St Thomas’s hospital in central London, the scene of an anti-lockdown protest on New Year’s Eve, she called for people to take responsibility for their actions. Asked whether there would be tougher enforcement to target protesters she told PA Media: |
| Asked about the loss of records from the police national computer, she said officials were “working flat out on this” and that Kit Malthouse, the policing minister, would give an update to MPs later. | Asked about the loss of records from the police national computer, she said officials were “working flat out on this” and that Kit Malthouse, the policing minister, would give an update to MPs later. |
| At her news conference in Edinburgh Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has announced the latest coronavirus figures. | At her news conference in Edinburgh Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has announced the latest coronavirus figures. |
| There are 1,959 Covid patients in hospital in Scotland, Sturgeon said. That is an increase of 41 from yesterday. During the first wave of the pandemic hospital numbers in Scotland peaked at around 1,500. | There are 1,959 Covid patients in hospital in Scotland, Sturgeon said. That is an increase of 41 from yesterday. During the first wave of the pandemic hospital numbers in Scotland peaked at around 1,500. |
| There have been 1,429 further positive cases, Sturgeon said. And she said 12.3% of tests were positive. A week ago today the equivalent figures were 1,782 and 11.5%. | There have been 1,429 further positive cases, Sturgeon said. And she said 12.3% of tests were positive. A week ago today the equivalent figures were 1,782 and 11.5%. |
| She said there had been 78 further deaths since Friday. | She said there had been 78 further deaths since Friday. |
| She said 264,991 people in Scotland, including almost all care home residents, have now been vaccinated. She said the Scottish government was on course to vaccinate everyone in the top two priority groups – care home residents, health and social care staff and the over-80s – by the start of February. | She said 264,991 people in Scotland, including almost all care home residents, have now been vaccinated. She said the Scottish government was on course to vaccinate everyone in the top two priority groups – care home residents, health and social care staff and the over-80s – by the start of February. |
| Matt Hancock, the health secretary, is going to take the No 10 press conference at 5pm this afternoon, Downing Street has announced. | Matt Hancock, the health secretary, is going to take the No 10 press conference at 5pm this afternoon, Downing Street has announced. |
| In an interview with BBC News, Devi Sridhar, a professor of global public health at Edinburgh University and an adviser to the Scottish government on Covid, said she was “quite optimistic” about the prospects for the UK. In the past she has been quite critical of the UK government’s coronavirus policy, but she said the new travel restrictions, which came into force at 4am this morning, were particularly welcome. She said: | In an interview with BBC News, Devi Sridhar, a professor of global public health at Edinburgh University and an adviser to the Scottish government on Covid, said she was “quite optimistic” about the prospects for the UK. In the past she has been quite critical of the UK government’s coronavirus policy, but she said the new travel restrictions, which came into force at 4am this morning, were particularly welcome. She said: |
| Sridhar said the next few months would be rough, but that there was a real opportunity to lift restrictions going into the spring, and that in the summer the case numbers could get “really low”. | Sridhar said the next few months would be rough, but that there was a real opportunity to lift restrictions going into the spring, and that in the summer the case numbers could get “really low”. |
| These are from my colleague Jessica Elgot on the suggestion from Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine deployment minister, that teachers might get priority in the next phase of the vaccine rollout. (See 10.40am.) | These are from my colleague Jessica Elgot on the suggestion from Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine deployment minister, that teachers might get priority in the next phase of the vaccine rollout. (See 10.40am.) |
| In his interview this morning Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine deployment minister, said he was worried about the vaccine take-up among people who are black, Asian or minority ethnic, and that he was spending a lot of time working with people in local government to address this. He said: | In his interview this morning Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine deployment minister, said he was worried about the vaccine take-up among people who are black, Asian or minority ethnic, and that he was spending a lot of time working with people in local government to address this. He said: |
| At the end of last week Sage, the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, released a paper (pdf) showing the extent of “vaccine hesitancy” among different ethnic groups. There are striking differences, with black people much, much more sceptical about vaccines than people in other groups. The figures are from a survey in November involving more than 11,000 people. | At the end of last week Sage, the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, released a paper (pdf) showing the extent of “vaccine hesitancy” among different ethnic groups. There are striking differences, with black people much, much more sceptical about vaccines than people in other groups. The figures are from a survey in November involving more than 11,000 people. |
| The Sage paper cites various explanations for higher vaccine hesitancy among minority ethnic groups, including the under-representation of minority ethnic groups in health research, historical problems with unethical healthcare research, and misinformation. This article, by HuffPost’s Nadine White, explains the phenomenon in more detail. | The Sage paper cites various explanations for higher vaccine hesitancy among minority ethnic groups, including the under-representation of minority ethnic groups in health research, historical problems with unethical healthcare research, and misinformation. This article, by HuffPost’s Nadine White, explains the phenomenon in more detail. |
| Optimism is generally quite attractive in politics (it helps to explain Boris Johnson’s electoral success, even though often his exuberance sounds preposterous) and in his public statements Sir Keir Starmer also makes a point of trying to sound positive, not negative, about the future. He was doing it again in his interview on ITV’s Lorraine. Talking about the end of the pandemic, he said: | Optimism is generally quite attractive in politics (it helps to explain Boris Johnson’s electoral success, even though often his exuberance sounds preposterous) and in his public statements Sir Keir Starmer also makes a point of trying to sound positive, not negative, about the future. He was doing it again in his interview on ITV’s Lorraine. Talking about the end of the pandemic, he said: |
| This is a rare example of Starmer emulating Jeremy Corbyn. In his excellent book on Corbyn’s leadership of Labour, my colleague Owen Jones says Corbyn vetoed an anti-Tory attack ad in the 2017 campaign, about a disastrous interview given by Michael Fallon, because it was not hopeful. “I want everything we write and put out to be hopeful,” Corbyn said at the time. “If we’re attacking them, it should be on their record, not on their mistakes.” | This is a rare example of Starmer emulating Jeremy Corbyn. In his excellent book on Corbyn’s leadership of Labour, my colleague Owen Jones says Corbyn vetoed an anti-Tory attack ad in the 2017 campaign, about a disastrous interview given by Michael Fallon, because it was not hopeful. “I want everything we write and put out to be hopeful,” Corbyn said at the time. “If we’re attacking them, it should be on their record, not on their mistakes.” |