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Wednesday 3 June 2020 17:45
Health minister Edward Argar has said he hopes Britons will be able to have a holiday later this year – but it depends on the coronavirus infection rate.
There are also fresh hopes for pubs reopening, after the Channel Island of Guernsey became the first place in the British Isles to begin serving pints again this week.
And Italy, once the European epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic, is to reopen its borders to travellers from most European countries from Wednesday, while also lifting restrictions on domestic travel.
Chief medical officer for England Professor Chris Whitty said the two-metre rule will continue for as long as the coronavirus pandemic exists.
He listed a series of measures including hand washing, “good cough etiquette”, the use of face cloths and the two-metre rule.
“Those are going to carry on really for as long as this epidemic continues,” he said.
He added it was the “unanimous view” of the UK’s four chief medical officers that the coronavirus alert level should remain at four.
He told the Downing Street press conference: “We’re trending downwards. The alert level is a clear four but with a direction of travel down – that was the unanimous view of the four chief medical officers on the advice, the independent advice, of the Joint Biosecurity Centre.”
Sir Patrick Vallance said there were examples internationally of new outbreaks of coronavirus since countries were moving towards easing their lockdowns.
His comment came after a member of the public asked why the UK Government was warning of a possible second wave of infections when countries like Spain had not seen such an occurrence after relaxing its rules.
Sir Patrick, speaking at the daily Downing Street press briefing, said: “It is the case that if you look in other countries, they are beginning to see outbreaks as measures are relaxed.
“That is true – we’ve seen outbreaks reported in South Korea, there have been outbreaks reported in parts of Germany as measures have relaxed.
“So what has happened is the first peak has been suppressed and as the measures are released there is a danger that that comes back.
“There is also a risk that there is a second peak that comes as a wave goes across the world, so we are not out of this yet.
“It is good news that, as measures are being relaxed, people are generally seeing numbers continuing to go down – that is obviously what we would hope for here as the steps that are being taken cautiously, and we will be measuring to see numbers continuing to go down.”
The Prime Minister said not being able to secure childcare was a reason to be let off returning to work.
Responding to a question from the public about what parents could do about going back to work if their children were not yet entitled to return to school and they could not acquire childcare, Boris Johnson said he “hoped to get more primary school children back”.
But he added: “We are doing a huge amount to support families in terms of their income and their basic inability to go back to work.
“As I said several times, obviously employers have to be reasonable and if someone can’t get childcare then that is clearly a reason for them not to be able to go back to work.
“We want to do everything we can to help you with childcare if we can.
“We will try and get more schools back in due course but it is, I’m afraid, all conditional on making progress in fighting that virus.”
Boris Johnson has urged the public not to use a turn in the weather as an excuse to breach lockdown rules and move gatherings in outdoor areas into homes.
As of Monday members of the public have been able to gather in groups of six in parks and private gardens – taking advantage of both the limited spread of the virus outdoors and the unusually sunny weather that has accompanied the lockdown.
However the PM has urged people not to see a turn in the weather – with rain reported across parts of the UK – as an excuse to move gatherings indoors.
More below:
Boris Johnson leads the Downing Street press conference
Boris Johnson is leading today’s Downing Street press conference.
He begins by noting a further 359 people have died across the last 24 hour period.
Here is more on the latest coronavirus figures:
Quarantine laws, known as The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) Regulations 2020, have been published.
They will come into force on Monday in England, requiring people to self-isolate for 14 days after arriving in the country.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to set their own laws.
The legislation states people arriving in England must fill out a ‘Passenger Locator Form’ providing an address where they will self-isolate.
This can be their home, the home of a friend or relative, a hotel, hostel, bed and breakfast, or “other suitable” accommodation.
More than one address can be provided if a “legal obligation” requires a person to change addresses, or it is necessary for them to stay overnight on their arrival in England before “travelling directly to another address at which they will be self-isolating”.
Bars and restaurants in Belgium will be allowed to reopen starting Monday after more than two months of closed doors.
Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes said cinemas and other cultural venues will have to wait until July 1 before opening their doors with the audiences limited to 200 people.
Ms Wilmes said a public health protocol will need to be observed at bars and restaurants. Tables will be spaced at least 1.5 meters apart and seat a maximum of 10 people, and waiters must wear face masks.
She said: “It’s not the finish line, but it’s a big step forward”, before adding “But make no mistake, the epidemic has not disappeared. The virus is not gone, and neither are the risks.”
Belgium has recorded more than 9,500 virus-related deaths and one of the highest fatality rates as a percentage of population worldwide – but the number of new confirmed cases in the country has nosedived in recent weeks.
But speaking the Commons’ health and social care committee she raised concerns about the number of people getting tests.
Baroness Harding added: “If you look at the latest ONS (Office for National Statistics) statistics that were published last week the ONS’ central estimates, is that there are roughly 8,000 people contracting Covid every day.
“And yesterday we had approximately 1,600 people having a positive test.
“Now, we have excess testing capacity, and we have excess tracing capacity, so the capacity in the system is not the issue. What we need to do together as a society is encourage everyone, if they feel ill and they have a cough and fever or lost their sense of taste or smell that they self-isolate and order a test.”
Polling has shown that only 44 per cent of adults knew that all adults were eligible for a test, she added.
“What we know is, not enough of us are ordering a test when we don’t feel well. So, we need to get more people into the tracing system.”
Nurses United UK said the profession was too often ignored and it wanted more of the healthcare professionals to actively fight for better pay and demand more protection against coronavirus.
Several nurses, dressed in scrubs and face masks, protested outside the gates of Number 10 today, holding placards saying ‘Sack Cummings Save Lives’ and ‘Boris your clapping sucks. Raise our pay instead’.
The business secretary has said companies struggling due to the economic impact of the Covid-19 outbreak will be given “breathing space” with a temporary easing of the rules around insolvency.
Speaking during the second reading of the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill, Alok Sharma said: “The Bill will allow business owners time and space to explore rescue options.
He added: “The whole point of these measures, both the permanent and the temporary ones, is… to give businesses breathing space to allow them the chance to see whether they can recover and ultimately bounce back, it’s what we all want to see.”
Here’s a more heartwarming story for you today: the moment an NHS worker surprised her two young daughters after having to stay away from them for nine weeks because of the pandemic.
Prime minister Boris Johnson, chief medical officer professor Chris Whitty, and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance will be giving today’s daily coronavirus briefing at 5pm.
A 12-year-old girl was among 179 more people to die after testing positive for coronavirus in England.
NHS England announced the latest figures today, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 27,044.
Of the 179 new deaths announced today:
– 20 occurred on June 2
– 47 occurred on June 1
– 18 occurred on May 31
The figures show April 8 continues to have the highest number of hospital deaths on a single day, with a current total of 897.
travel correspondent Simon Calder reports.
Starting on 8 June, most travellers travelling to the UK by air, sea or rail will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
Budget hotel group Travelodge has launched a radical restructuring plan it hopes will secure the future of its 10,000 staff and 584 hotels.
The company today confirmed it is filing a Company’s Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) deal to secure £144 million worth of rent cuts.
Travelodge closed all its hotels after the government-mandated lockdown was announced in March and said it will take a £350 million hit to sales as a result of the outbreak.
The firm, whose backers include Goldman Sachs, has refused to pay its landlords for the three months to March as a result.
But landlords have accused the company of using the pandemic as an opportunity to cut its debts at their expense.
Travelodge’s proposal would pay £230 million worth of rent to landlords for this year and next – roughly half its annual bill.
Its owners said they will use Travelodge’s £100 million of reserves, £100 million in new borrowings and secure £40 million from shareholders to support the business.
Travelodge will also save more than £35 million this financial year due to the government’s business rate holiday, according to real estate adviser Altus Group.
Unlike some other CVA proposals, the move does not require permanent rent cuts or the closure of any hotel sites.
PA
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