No 10 says it cannot explain why the daily announcement of the number of people being tested for coronavirus has been mysteriously dropped.
Boris Johnson’s spokesman said it was “not something I have noticed” – despite the department of health and social care failing to provide the statistic for four days.
It comes after widespread criticism that the number of people tested is typically tens of thousands fewer than the “capacity” available and way below the 100,000 daily benchmark.
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However, the spokesman insisted the government was on track to hit the prime minister’s promise of a testing capacity of 200,000 by this weekend – despite the latest figure being only 154,120.
Asked if the target would be hit, he replied: “Yes, that’s right. It’s in tandem with commitment to have test-and-trace scheme in place on Monday.”
As the Dominic Cummings controversy continues to rage, Downing Street revealed that neither the chief medical officer nor the chief scientific adviser had endorsed his conduct, widely seen as multiple breaches of the lockdown rules.
“That is not a question I’ve asked, or would expect to ask, of any civil servant,” the spokesman told journalists.
Downing Street was also forced to deny that Mr Johnson prematurely outlined plans to reopen schools on Sunday, purely to distract from the crisis over his chief aide.
Earlier, the schools minister provoked surprise when he told MPs that no decision would be taken until Thursday — leaving teachers and parents only a few days to prepare.
“No, absolutely not,” the spokesman said, arguing No 10 had been repeatedly pressed to provide more details about school reopening plans, ahead of the planned return next Monday.
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1/23
Nancy holds hands with Nichollette and Ryan as she experiences contractions in a birthing tub
Reuters

2/23
Nancy Pedroza, 27, who is pregnant, sits next to Ryan Morgan, 30, her partner and father to their unborn child, as they relax at Pedroza’s parent’s house in Forth Worth, Texas, where they currently live, during the coronavirus outbreak
Reuters

3/23
Nancy Pedroza attends an appointment with her licensed midwives Susan Taylor, 40, who checks her stomach, and Amanda Prouty, 39, in Taylor’s home office at her house
Reuters

4/23
Nancy takes a brisk walk to try and speed up her contractions with Ryan and her midwives near Taylor’s home where Pedroza plans to give birth
Reuters

5/23
Nancy receives support from Nichollette Jones, her doula
Reuters

6/23
Nancy experiences contractions
Reuters

7/23
Nancy is supported by Ryan and Nichollette as she experiences contractions while labouring at the home of Pedroza’s licensed midwife, Susan Taylor
Reuters

8/23
Nancy lies on a bed in front of Ryan as he helps to pump her breastmilk to try and speed up her contractions
Reuters

9/23
Nancy experiences contractions as Susan lies on a bed
Reuters

10/23
Nancy embraces Ryan
Reuters

11/23
Nancy is supported by Ryan as she experiences contractions in a birthing tub
Reuters

12/23
Nancy experiences contractions
Reuters

13/23
Nancy in a birthing tub
Reuters

14/23
Nancy is placed onto an ambulance stretcher to be taken to hospital by paramedics, after her unborn child’s heartbeat dropped from 130 beats per minute to 30
Reuters

15/23
Nancy is carried on an ambulance stretcher to be taken to hospital by paramedics
Reuters

16/23
Nancy is carried into an ambulance on a stretcher
Reuters

17/23
Nancy holds her one-day old newborn son, Kai Rohan Morgan
Reuters

18/23
Nancy breastfeeds her newborn son at the house of her parents, where they are currently living
Reuters

19/23
Susan Taylor positions Kai for a photograph at his newborn screening
Reuters

20/23
Amanda Prouty and Susan Taylor conduct a newborn screening for Kai at Kai’s maternal grandparents’ house
Reuters

21/23
Susan takes two-day old Kai’s temperature while checking if he has tongue tie, an oral condition that can potentially cause issues with feeding
Reuters

22/23
Nancy and Ryan clip the fingernails of their two-day old son
Reuters

23/23
Kai, who is two days old and is experiencing jaundice, is positioned in the sunlight by his mother Nancy
Reuters

1/23
Nancy holds hands with Nichollette and Ryan as she experiences contractions in a birthing tub
Reuters

2/23
Nancy Pedroza, 27, who is pregnant, sits next to Ryan Morgan, 30, her partner and father to their unborn child, as they relax at Pedroza’s parent’s house in Forth Worth, Texas, where they currently live, during the coronavirus outbreak
Reuters

3/23
Nancy Pedroza attends an appointment with her licensed midwives Susan Taylor, 40, who checks her stomach, and Amanda Prouty, 39, in Taylor’s home office at her house
Reuters

4/23
Nancy takes a brisk walk to try and speed up her contractions with Ryan and her midwives near Taylor’s home where Pedroza plans to give birth
Reuters

5/23
Nancy receives support from Nichollette Jones, her doula
Reuters

6/23
Nancy experiences contractions
Reuters

7/23
Nancy is supported by Ryan and Nichollette as she experiences contractions while labouring at the home of Pedroza’s licensed midwife, Susan Taylor
Reuters

8/23
Nancy lies on a bed in front of Ryan as he helps to pump her breastmilk to try and speed up her contractions
Reuters

9/23
Nancy experiences contractions as Susan lies on a bed
Reuters

10/23
Nancy embraces Ryan
Reuters

11/23
Nancy is supported by Ryan as she experiences contractions in a birthing tub
Reuters

12/23
Nancy experiences contractions
Reuters

13/23
Nancy in a birthing tub
Reuters

14/23
Nancy is placed onto an ambulance stretcher to be taken to hospital by paramedics, after her unborn child’s heartbeat dropped from 130 beats per minute to 30
Reuters

15/23
Nancy is carried on an ambulance stretcher to be taken to hospital by paramedics
Reuters

16/23
Nancy is carried into an ambulance on a stretcher
Reuters

17/23
Nancy holds her one-day old newborn son, Kai Rohan Morgan
Reuters

18/23
Nancy breastfeeds her newborn son at the house of her parents, where they are currently living
Reuters

19/23
Susan Taylor positions Kai for a photograph at his newborn screening
Reuters

20/23
Amanda Prouty and Susan Taylor conduct a newborn screening for Kai at Kai’s maternal grandparents’ house
Reuters

21/23
Susan takes two-day old Kai’s temperature while checking if he has tongue tie, an oral condition that can potentially cause issues with feeding
Reuters

22/23
Nancy and Ryan clip the fingernails of their two-day old son
Reuters

23/23
Kai, who is two days old and is experiencing jaundice, is positioned in the sunlight by his mother Nancy
Reuters
“The prime minister said on Sunday night the final decision will be taken as part of the formal review into lockdown measures, which the law requires us to undertake by Thursday.
“That formal review will happen tomorrow and we are hopeful, without prejudging it, that we will be able to proceed with the reopening schools on 1 June.”
He rejected criticism that neither Chris Whitty, the medical officer, nor Patrick Vallance, the scientific adviser, had been put forward to answer questions about Mr Cummings’ lockdown-flouting.
Both were known to be in Downing Street on Monday, meeting the prime minister, but have not faced questions at the daily briefing.
The spokesman said he expected both to appear at the briefing “in the next few days”, but did not say when.
He also said he was unaware of anyone fined in similar circumstances to Mr Cummings — after arguing childcare needs made their journey necessary — after the government ruled out reviewing any such penalties.
However, the figures were not broken down, so he was “not able to give a categorical answer on that”.