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UK Covid live: Nadhim Zahawi holds Downing Street briefing after 16,135 new cases reported UK Covid live: 16,135 new cases reported – highest total for more than 4 months
(32 minutes later)
Latest updates: vaccines minister holds coronavirus briefing after UK reports highest number of new cases since 6 February Latest updates: UK reports highest number of new cases since 6 February
The Office for Students, the higher education regulator for England, has announced a review of “inclusive” assessment at universities that overlooks spelling and grammar in marking student work.The move follows controversy around a small number of universities that have adopted policies allowing markers to ignore errors in writing unless they are “central to the assessment criteria”.Susan Lapworth, the OfS’s director of regulation, said:
The regulator said its review would identify “future regulatory concerns as well as areas of good practice”.
The latest edition of the Guardian’s Politics Weekly podcast is out. Heather Stewart and Gaby Hinsliff look at the latest news out of Westminster. Plus: as we mark the fifth anniversary of the Brexit referendum, has it transformed British politics forever? Laura Parker, James Starkie and Anand Menon look back. If you listen carefully you’ll hear a Janet Jackson lyric quoted to discuss Brexit ...
Scotland’s health secretary Humza Yousaf has insisted that the county’s nurses “are the best paid in the UK” as the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland lodged a formal trade dispute for the first time in the union’s history.
Describing the RCN’s action as “unprecedented”, Scottish Labour’s Jackie Baillie said:
But Yousaf insisted that his government had an “exceptional record” on pay; in May it confirmed a NHS pay deal that will see most workers receive a 4% rise, with an additional £500 thank you payment. He said the government was committed to investing in its workforce, including supporting their mental health.
The RCN has been calling for a 12.5% pay increase in recognition of the urgent need to fill vacancies as well as the complexity and responsibility of the job.
Zahawi ends by saying the “Dunkirk Spirit” is playing a role in ensuring people are coming together and getting the vaccine.
And that’s it. The press conference is over.
Q: One in six people in Pakistani or Bangladeshi communities is still not getting the jab. Why are you failing to reach these people?
Zahawi says work is being done to reach these communities.
He says they are learning from what works. In Haringey in London officials have been helping people book appointments. In other places walk-in centres and advertising is being used.
Kanani says media voices can play an important role too.
Q: In the Pakistani community messages are being spread saying vaccines could kill you, or stop you having a child. What is being done to combat this misinformation?
Zahawi says claims like this are completely untrue. He says the system used to check the safety of vaccines is very thorough.
A unit in the Cabinet Office is looking at disinformation, and working with the social networks to get this removed as quickly as possible.
The important thing is to spread true information, he says.
And he says through the G7 the UK is working to get true information circulated.
Q: Could the Delta Plus variant derail the reopening next month?
Zahawi says viruses always continue to mutate.
The vaccines being deployed now are “incredibly effective” against the Delta variant after two doses.
And he says the UK has one of the largest genomic sequencing capacities in the world. That is why the UK picks up these variants early, he says.
Ramsay says we have only seen 41 cases of the Delta Plus variant. Enhanced testing is being done, she says. She says she thinks they are on top of this.
Q: Why not introduce vaccine passports? Wouldn’t that encourage people to get vaccinated?
Zahawi says people can either use the app, or get a letter, if they need to show they have been vaccinated for travel.
Q: Should the government websites be updated to reflect different symptoms for the Delta variant [said to be headaches, a runny nose and a sore throat, rather than a persistent cough, loss of smell or a temperature]?
Ramsay says she is not convinced the symptoms are that different. Symptoms like a headache or runny nose are very common anyway, she says.
She also says it is important to test people without symptoms.
Q: The latest data shows black people are less likely to have had a vaccine. There is still some reluctance there. Is it time for a new approach?
Zahawi says if you look at the uptake for phase one, black and Afro-Caribbean communities were behind. But it has improved since then.
He says since April vaccine uptake in the white community has gone up by 3%. But in the black and Afro-Caribbean community is up by 7%. And in the Pakistani and Bangladeshi community it is up by 10%.
Q: Why are vaccination centres closing?Q: Why are vaccination centres closing?
Zahawi says it is decided locally whether national vaccination sites, or GPs, or pharmacies, should administer most of the vaccines.Zahawi says it is decided locally whether national vaccination sites, or GPs, or pharmacies, should administer most of the vaccines.
Sometimes vaccines are being moved around the system. That can mean vaccination centres being stood down in favour of other sites.Sometimes vaccines are being moved around the system. That can mean vaccination centres being stood down in favour of other sites.
Q: Most people going into hospital now are unvaccinated. Is that because they refused the vaccine, or had not been offered one yet?Q: Most people going into hospital now are unvaccinated. Is that because they refused the vaccine, or had not been offered one yet?
Zahawi says more than 60% of hospitalisations for the Delta variant are for people who have not been vaccinated.Zahawi says more than 60% of hospitalisations for the Delta variant are for people who have not been vaccinated.
He says if 85% of all adults are double vaccinated, and the vaccines are 85% effective, then the protection level is 72%. That means 28% of the population would still remain unprotected.He says if 85% of all adults are double vaccinated, and the vaccines are 85% effective, then the protection level is 72%. That means 28% of the population would still remain unprotected.
He says by 19 July he wants to have 66% of the adult population double-vaccinated.He says by 19 July he wants to have 66% of the adult population double-vaccinated.
Dr Nikki Kanani says the NHS has made good progress in tackling vaccine hesitancy.Dr Nikki Kanani says the NHS has made good progress in tackling vaccine hesitancy.
She urges people to book an appointment if they have not done so already.She urges people to book an appointment if they have not done so already.
Ramsay says today’s figure is very high. (See 4.25pm.) That is largely explained by surge testing in Scotland, she says.Ramsay says today’s figure is very high. (See 4.25pm.) That is largely explained by surge testing in Scotland, she says.
She presents the next slide, showing hospitalisations. That suggests the link between cases and hospitalisations is being broken, she says.She presents the next slide, showing hospitalisations. That suggests the link between cases and hospitalisations is being broken, she says.
And she says death figures are so low you can barely see the increase on the graph.And she says death figures are so low you can barely see the increase on the graph.
Dr Mary Ramsay is playing the Chris Whitty role today, and introducing the slides.Dr Mary Ramsay is playing the Chris Whitty role today, and introducing the slides.
She says vaccines protect against the Delta variant, particularly against hospitalisations.She says vaccines protect against the Delta variant, particularly against hospitalisations.
And she says if people have missed appointments for other vaccines, they should get those too.And she says if people have missed appointments for other vaccines, they should get those too.
She starts with the slide for cases.She starts with the slide for cases.
Zahawi says the latest ONS figures show that vaccine hesitancy has halved among black and Asian people since February.Zahawi says the latest ONS figures show that vaccine hesitancy has halved among black and Asian people since February.
In London first doses are behind the rest of the country. But the government will help address this with a London summit later this week which will explore what more can be done.In London first doses are behind the rest of the country. But the government will help address this with a London summit later this week which will explore what more can be done.
He says the country is getting “a little bit safer” every day.He says the country is getting “a little bit safer” every day.
Zahawi says the UK has one of the highest rates of vaccine take-ups in the world.Zahawi says the UK has one of the highest rates of vaccine take-ups in the world.
The government has gone out to address people’s concerns, and explain why vaccines are safe, he says.The government has gone out to address people’s concerns, and explain why vaccines are safe, he says.
Zahawi says the time until 19 July will be used to give the NHS more time to get people vaccinated.Zahawi says the time until 19 July will be used to give the NHS more time to get people vaccinated.
Two weeks ago there were two million people in England who had had one dose but not two.Two weeks ago there were two million people in England who had had one dose but not two.
Now that number is down to 900,000.Now that number is down to 900,000.
So the pause until the final easing of restrictions will save lives, he says.So the pause until the final easing of restrictions will save lives, he says.
Zahawi says almost half of all 25 to 29-year-olds in England have had a first dose.
The vaccination programme has already saved more than 14,000 lives.
And it has presented more than 44,000 hospitalisations, he says.
He shows a slide showing the impact the vaccine programme has had on the profile of people going to hospital.
Nadhim Zahawi starts by saying the government has come a long way. But it wants to get even more people vaccinated.
He says 82% of adults have had a first dose, and 60% have had a second dose.
Any adult in the UK can now book a first dose.
At one point six appointments were being booked every second.
Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine deployment minister, is about to hold a press conference.
He will be at Downing Street with Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation for Public Health England, and Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director for primary care for NHS England.
The UK has recorded 16,135 new coronavirus cases, according to the latest update to the government’s dashboard. That is the highest daily total for recorded cases since 6 February (18,262), four and a half months ago. The total number of cases over the past week is up 43.9% on the total for the previous week.
And there have been 19 further deaths. The total number of deaths over the past week is up 53% on the total for the previous week.
Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, has told MPs that he will consider a proposal to ensure the £200m ship being built as a replacement for the royal yacht could double up as a naval frigate.
He has been giving evidence to the Commons defence committee, and Tobias Ellwood, the committee chair, expressed scepticism about the government’s plan for the MoD to fund the yacht so it can be used to help the UK drum up trade. Echoing a comment he has already made on Twitter, Ellwood suggested the government should use a repurposed Type 23 frigate for this task.
In response, Wallace said he would be happy to look at the idea. He went on:
Ellwood also argued that another problem was that the new ship would require a second naval vessel to protect it. Wallace said the royal yacht only had a naval vessel guarding in when a member of the royal family was on board.
Wallace confirmed that his department would pay for the new ship.
And he insisted that it was not a new royal yacht. He said it was being called the national flagship for now, but that this did not make it the flagship of the British fleet, which is a different ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth. When the national flagship has a name, it will be called that, he said.
Describing the role it would play, Wallace said it would be a bridge between hard power and soft power. Responding to a question from Martin Docherty-Hughes (SNP), Wallace said:
Wallace said the MoD was in charge of the project because, unlike other government departments, it was experienced at building ships.
Asked to defend the cost, he said it would cost less than 0.1% of the defence budget. He also said it would be a good training vessel for the Royal Navy.
More than 60% of UK adults have now had two doses of a vaccine, the Department of Health and Social Care has said. In a press notice it said:
Here is a full summary of the Downing Street lobby briefing.
Downing Street condemned an anti-vaccine campaigner who filmed himself abusing Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer for England, in the street. Asked about the incident, the prime minister’s spokesman said:
The spokesman said the government is monitoring the spread of the Delta Plus variant. He said 41 cases of the variant have been identified in the UK.
The spokesman dismissed reports that a Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Defender, was subject to warning shots fired by Russia in the Black Sea. The claim was made by the Russian defence ministry. But the PM’s spokesman said:
But the spokesman said the UK and other countries had been warned that Russia was undertaking a “gunnery exercise” near to where HMS Defender was sailing.
The spokesman said the UK and the EU are still discussing the UK’s request to extend the grace period for chilled meats in place under the Northern Ireland protocol. It is due to lapse at the end of this month, which would stop the export of sausages and other chilled meats from Britain to Northern Ireland. The UK has asked to extend the grace period until September.
The spokesman said it was wrong to claim that the Department for Education (DfE) had asked anyone to sing songs for One Britain One Nation day (OBON). Asked whether it was sensible for the department to encourage schoolchildren to sing the OBON patriotic song on Friday, the spokesman said:
The question was prompted by the DfE’s decision to post this on Twitter on Monday.
The tweet was widely mocked.
No 10 defended Boris Johnson uses of the word “jabber” to dismiss the questions Sir Keir Starmer asked him at PMQs today. (See 2.37pm.)
Downing Street has defended Boris Johnson uses of the word “jabber” to dismiss the questions Sir Keir Starmer asked him at PMQs today. (See 12.49pm.) At the lobby briefing, asked about the remark, the prime minister’s press secretary said:
The press secretary rejected the suggestion that the word showed Johnson did not take sexual violence seriously. “As you can see from what he set out, that is certainly not his view and he spent the whole exchange talking about the action we are taking,” she said.
She also said Johnson would not be withdrawing the comment.