Coronavirus: Recovered patients could be given 'immunity certificates' to leave lockdown early

People could be given “immunity certificates” to prove they have recovered from coronavirus and can leave the lockdown early, under new No 10 plans.

The move, already planned in Germany, will be “considered” if hoped-for antibody tests – showing a person was infected, but is now healthy – become available on a mass scale.

Asked if the German model would be adopted, Boris Johnson’s spokesman said: “We have always said we would look at strategies that have been followed elsewhere.

“If there are things that would be useful in the UK, we would of course consider them.”

Researchers in Germany are already exploring how the authorities will be able to eventually issue passes to exclude essential workers from the harsh crackdown currently in place.

In the UK, ministers see the antibody test as the “potential game-changer” – and have ordered millions, but they have yet to pass regulatory tests.

People who test positive for coronavirus antibodies should no longer be infectious themselves and would have at least some immunity, scientists believe, based on what is known about common colds.

The idea was unveiled as Mr Johnson prepared to stay in isolation longer than he hoped after appearing poorly in a video message from his Downing Street flat.

The prime minister was due to go back to his office on Friday – seven days after being diagnosed with coronavirus – but still “has symptoms”, No 10 acknowledged.

Asked if he would leave isolation on Friday, his spokesman repeatedly refused to give a guarantee, saying only: “We will follow the guidelines…..you can rest assured on that.”

Meanwhile, Downing Street made its clearest admission yet that it is falling badly short on testing if someone currently has the virus, promising a “significant increase” would be announced later today.

“We acknowledge that more needs to be done,” the spokesman told journalists. “We agree we need to be testing more people and to make progress very quickly.”

However, he argued the much-criticised figure that just 2,000 NHS staff had been tested – clearing them to return to the frontline, if negative – was an underestimation.

It said 2,800 had now been seen at drive-in testing facilities, plus an unspecified “significant number” at NHS and Public Health England laboratories.

The spokesman also rebuffed calls to reduce the five-week wait for universal credit, to help a deluge of applicants, saying: “People can take an advance if they need money urgently.”

And he refused to confirm or deny whether mobile phone location data is being used to decide on the success or otherwise of the lockdown.

“We’ve received data from a wide variety of sources in relation to protecting people’s health, but at all times we follow data protection rules,” he insisted.

Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk