Matt Hancock has said the UK is winning the fight against coronavirus as he told anyone with symptoms they must get a test.
There were just 1,570 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the UK yesterday, the health secretary announced.
But he warned the public not to get carried away following today’s limited easing of lockdown restrictions, adding: “The disease is not beaten yet.”
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Mr Hancock led the daily Downing Street briefing as some children began to return to school in England.
But early indications suggest that the number of pupils actually back in the classroom varies significantly depending on local area.
Last night senior public health experts made a last-minute call for ministers to delay the lifting of some lockdown rules, warning it was too soon and the country would struggle to deal with any resultant surge in cases.
Mr Hancock said: “The data show that we are winning the battle against coronavirus.
“Today we are therefore able to make some cautious changes to the lockdown rules, carefully and safely.”
But he warned that “the disease is not done yet”.
“We must all remember that in the war against this virus we are all on the same side. We have come so far together, we can take these steps together.
“But do not step too far, the disease is not done yet.
“We mustn’t throw away the progress that has been made.”
The easing of restrictions also coincided with the government’s new track and trace programme.
The scheme is designed to ensure new causes are identified quickly and those in danger of carrying the infection informed.
Mr Hancock began the briefing with an appeal for anyone with symptoms to get a test.
Despite reports that some of the 25,000 people recruited as contact tracers have been given little to do, the health secretary insisted the new system had been “successful” since going into operation in England last Thursday.
He said that “the vast majority” of the 9,000 people who have tested positive since the new system began have been contacted by tracers.
“Many of them are able to put their details in on a web-based portal rather than directly on the phone,” he told the Downing Street press conference.
And he said: “The system is up and running, it’s successful. I’m very glad to report that those who are asked to isolate by the contact tracers are expressing the willingness to do so and we track that very carefully.”
Mr Hancock said that the numbers of contacts reported by each coronavirus patient was lower than had been modelled when the system was being prepared, probably because of the reduction in social activity under lockdown.
Testing tsar John Newton said he was “very pleased with the level of completeness” of contacts being reported, though neither he nor Mr Hancock were able to provide any figures.
In the case of a renewed spike of coronavirus infections, Mr Hancock did not rule out the reimposition of lockdown restrictions nationwide, but made clear the government’s preferred solution would be localised measures, such as the shutdown of new admissions to A&E at individual hospitals.
“We are attempting to move the system from these national, blanket measures to a more targeted approach – this is why test and trace is such an important part of that,” he said.
“But we have always said that we are prepared to reintroduce measures – whether that is nationally or in response to a localised outbreak – if that is necessary.”
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1/50 1 June 2020Customers socially distance themselves as they queue to enter Ikea in Warrington. The store opening saw large queues of people and traffic on adjacent roads as it reopened after the lockdown. The furniture and housewares chain reopened its stores across England and Northern Ireland subject to several restrictions, keeping its restaurants closed and asking customers to shop alone
Getty
2/50 31 May 2020A man wearing a protective face mask kneels in front of police officers during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd near the U.S. Embassy, London, Britai
Reuters
3/50 30 May 2020Visitors at Grassholme Reservoir in Lunedale, Co Durham are able to cross an ancient packhorse bridge as work on the dam wall means water levels have dropped signifcantly to reveal this monument of the pas
UK
4/50 29 May 2020British Tennis player Maia Lumsden in action at Bridge of Allan Tennis Club. People can meet family and friends outdoors and play sports such as golf and tennis again as the country is moving into phase one of the Scottish Government’s plan for gradually lifting lockdown
PA
5/50 28 May 2020A police frogman, searches for a weapon in Abington Lake in in Northampton
Getty
6/50 27 May 2020Prime Minister Boris Johnson appears before the Liaison Committee via Zoom from the cabinet room at 10 Downing Street, amid the coronavirus
10 Downing Street/Reuters
7/50 26 May 2020Members of the public relax on the beach at Botany Bay in Margate
Getty
8/50 25 May 2020Dominic Cummings, senior aide to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, makes a statement inside 10 Downing Street, London, over allegations he breached coronavirus lockdown restrictions
AP
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Reuters
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11/50 22 May 2020Waves break onto a wall at Brighton beach
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12/50 21 May 2020Cafe owner Francini Osorio serves customers in a trial phase during the coronavirus lockdown. Osorio has installed an air purifier and 35 clear shower curtains, which will divide customers and tables, in the Francini Cafe De Colombia, Worcester, ready for the re-opening of his business as lockdown restrictions are eased
PA
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PA
16/50 17 May 2020People on Brighton beach after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown
PA
17/50 16 May 2020Police lead away Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, as protesters gather in breach of lockdown rules in Hyde Park in London after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown.
PA
18/50 15 May 2020Estonian freelance ballet dancer and choreographer, Eve Mutso performs her daily fitness routine near her home in Glasgow, Scotland
Getty
19/50 14 May 2020Senior charge nurse Jan Ferguson views artwork “Theatre of Dott’s” by Kate Ive, inspired by Professor Norman Dott and his neurosurgery theatres at the Western General from 1960-2019. It is one of a number of artworks which sit on the walls of NHS Lothians’ Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN) which has been transferred into a purpose-built new home on the Little France campus in Edinburgh
PA
20/50 13 May 2020Team GB’s karate athlete Jordan Thomas trains outside his apartment in Manchester
Reuters
21/50 12 May 2020Nurses from central London hospitals protest on international nurses day about the chronic underfunding of the NHS and other issues surrounding the health service outside the gates of Downing Street, London
PA
22/50 11 May 2020Waves crash at Tynemouth pier on the North East coast
PA
23/50 10 May 2020A woman passes street art and a poster in East London
Reuters
24/50 9 May 2020Police patrol the beach in Brighton
Getty
25/50 8 May 2020The British Royal Air Force Red Arrows conduct a fly past over the statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in London to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day) in Britain
MOD/Reuters
26/50 7 May 2020Team GB sailor Eilidh McIntyre during a training session at her home in Portsmouth
Reuters
27/50 6 May 2020Labour Party leader Keir Starmer listens to Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking during PMQs
UK Parliament/AFP/Getty
28/50 5 May 2020The sun appears to explode over the horizon in this montage of images captured by photographer Nick Lucas near his home in Ringwood, Hampshire. Nick took a number of pictures just a few seconds apart on a tripod mounted camera which were then combined to give the eye catching dawn image
Nick Lucas/SWNS
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PA
30/50 3 May 2020Staff at The Berkeley hotel give food to ambulance workers
Reuters
31/50 2 May 2020One of a small group of anti-lockdown protesters speaks to a police officer as they gather outside New Scotland Yard in Victoria, London
AFP via Getty
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PA
33/50 30 April 2020Colonel Tom Moore and his daughter Hannah celebrate his 100th birthday, with an RAF flypast provided by a Spitfire and a Hurricane over his home in Marston Moretaine. Colonel Moore, formerly a Captain, received a promotion in honour of his birthday and in recognition of the funds, in excess of £30m, he raised for the NHS by walking laps of his garden
Capture the Light Photography/Getty
34/50 29 April 2020Britain’s Labour leader Keir Starmer speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions, as members of Parliament observe social distancing due to the coronavirus, in the House of Commons, London, Wednesday, April 29, 2020
UK Parliament/AP
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PA
36/50 27 April 2020The sun rises behind redundant oil platforms moored in the Firth of Forth near Kirkcaldy, Fife. Global oil prices have crashed after the coronavirus pandemic reduced demand, with analysts warning that the oil majors may be looking at one of their biggest quarter-on-quarter profitability hits in history.
PA
37/50 26 April 2020Frankie Lynch celebrates on the Mall where the finish of the London Marathon was due to take place today after running 2.6 miles instead of 26 miles to raise money for The Running Charity
Reuters
38/50 25 April 2020A muslim woman walks past balloons outside the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London
Reuters
39/50 24 April 2020An empty Brighton Pier, closed during the Coronavirus pandemic as temperatures reach 20 degrees in the South East
Rex
40/50 23 April 2020Farmers work with vehicles to prepare a field next to a field of flowering rapeseed near Pontefract, West Yorkshire
AFP/Getty
41/50 22 April 2020The Northern Lights, the Milky Way and a Lyrid meteor at the Bathing House near Howick, Northumberland, as the Lyrid meteor shower reached its peak
PA
42/50 21 April 2020Badger the Border Collie surrounded by bluebells at Shrawley Wood in Worcestershire
PA
43/50 20 April 2020A dog walker on Blyth beach in Northumberland
PA
44/50 19 April 2020A piece of coronavirus themed street art grafitti in East London
AFP via Getty
45/50 18 April 2020Members of the City Specialist Cleaning team spray disinfectant around posts in the town centre of Eastleigh, Hampshire
PA
46/50 17 April 2020A taped-up bench in the hamlet of Diglea, Greater Manchester
AFP/Getty
47/50 16 April 2020A woman wearing a protective face mask and gloves walks past graffiti in Bow, London
Reuters
48/50 15 April 2020A burned down mobile phone mast in London. According to reports, at least 20 mobile phone masts across Britain are believed to have been vandalised and government and telecom sources are increasingly concerned about the impact of conspiracy theories linking coronavirus to 5G networks
EPA
49/50 14 April 2020The new Nightingale Hospital in Washington, Tyne and Wear, being fitted out
PA
50/50 13 April 2020Walkers enjoy the bluebells in Wanstead Park in London
PA
1/50 1 June 2020Customers socially distance themselves as they queue to enter Ikea in Warrington. The store opening saw large queues of people and traffic on adjacent roads as it reopened after the lockdown. The furniture and housewares chain reopened its stores across England and Northern Ireland subject to several restrictions, keeping its restaurants closed and asking customers to shop alone
Getty
2/50 31 May 2020A man wearing a protective face mask kneels in front of police officers during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd near the U.S. Embassy, London, Britai
Reuters
3/50 30 May 2020Visitors at Grassholme Reservoir in Lunedale, Co Durham are able to cross an ancient packhorse bridge as work on the dam wall means water levels have dropped signifcantly to reveal this monument of the pas
UK
4/50 29 May 2020British Tennis player Maia Lumsden in action at Bridge of Allan Tennis Club. People can meet family and friends outdoors and play sports such as golf and tennis again as the country is moving into phase one of the Scottish Government’s plan for gradually lifting lockdown
PA
5/50 28 May 2020A police frogman, searches for a weapon in Abington Lake in in Northampton
Getty
6/50 27 May 2020Prime Minister Boris Johnson appears before the Liaison Committee via Zoom from the cabinet room at 10 Downing Street, amid the coronavirus
10 Downing Street/Reuters
7/50 26 May 2020Members of the public relax on the beach at Botany Bay in Margate
Getty
8/50 25 May 2020Dominic Cummings, senior aide to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, makes a statement inside 10 Downing Street, London, over allegations he breached coronavirus lockdown restrictions
AP
9/50 24 May 2020A demonstrator holds a sign reading ‘Why are you above the law?’ outside the house of Dominic Cummings in London, following allegations Cummings broke coronavirus lockdown rules by travelling across the country
Reuters
10/50 23 May 2020People take a walk near Durdle Door as cows graze in Lulworth
Reuters
11/50 22 May 2020Waves break onto a wall at Brighton beach
Reuters
12/50 21 May 2020Cafe owner Francini Osorio serves customers in a trial phase during the coronavirus lockdown. Osorio has installed an air purifier and 35 clear shower curtains, which will divide customers and tables, in the Francini Cafe De Colombia, Worcester, ready for the re-opening of his business as lockdown restrictions are eased
PA
13/50 20 May 2020People at Bournemouth beach in Dorset, as people flock to parks and beaches with lockdown measures eased. The Met Office has predicted the hottest day of the year
PA
14/50 19 May 2020A dog jumps into the water as families relax at a Lido in London
AP
15/50 18 May 2020A fan celebrates outside Celtic Park after Celtic were crowned champions of the Scottish Premiership. Hearts were also relegated after a decision was made to conclude the season with immediate effect
PA
16/50 17 May 2020People on Brighton beach after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown
PA
17/50 16 May 2020Police lead away Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, as protesters gather in breach of lockdown rules in Hyde Park in London after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown.
PA
18/50 15 May 2020Estonian freelance ballet dancer and choreographer, Eve Mutso performs her daily fitness routine near her home in Glasgow, Scotland
Getty
19/50 14 May 2020Senior charge nurse Jan Ferguson views artwork “Theatre of Dott’s” by Kate Ive, inspired by Professor Norman Dott and his neurosurgery theatres at the Western General from 1960-2019. It is one of a number of artworks which sit on the walls of NHS Lothians’ Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN) which has been transferred into a purpose-built new home on the Little France campus in Edinburgh
PA
20/50 13 May 2020Team GB’s karate athlete Jordan Thomas trains outside his apartment in Manchester
Reuters
21/50 12 May 2020Nurses from central London hospitals protest on international nurses day about the chronic underfunding of the NHS and other issues surrounding the health service outside the gates of Downing Street, London
PA
22/50 11 May 2020Waves crash at Tynemouth pier on the North East coast
PA
23/50 10 May 2020A woman passes street art and a poster in East London
Reuters
24/50 9 May 2020Police patrol the beach in Brighton
Getty
25/50 8 May 2020The British Royal Air Force Red Arrows conduct a fly past over the statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in London to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day) in Britain
MOD/Reuters
26/50 7 May 2020Team GB sailor Eilidh McIntyre during a training session at her home in Portsmouth
Reuters
27/50 6 May 2020Labour Party leader Keir Starmer listens to Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking during PMQs
UK Parliament/AFP/Getty
28/50 5 May 2020The sun appears to explode over the horizon in this montage of images captured by photographer Nick Lucas near his home in Ringwood, Hampshire. Nick took a number of pictures just a few seconds apart on a tripod mounted camera which were then combined to give the eye catching dawn image
Nick Lucas/SWNS
29/50 4 May 2020Leeds Green Watch firefighters observe a minute’s silence outside the fire station in Kirkstall Rd, in memory their colleagues that lost their lives in the line of duty
PA
30/50 3 May 2020Staff at The Berkeley hotel give food to ambulance workers
Reuters
31/50 2 May 2020One of a small group of anti-lockdown protesters speaks to a police officer as they gather outside New Scotland Yard in Victoria, London
AFP via Getty
32/50 1 May 2020Bonnie the Llama grazes in a field in the Scottish Borders alongside a sign supporting the NHS as the UK continues in lockdown
PA
33/50 30 April 2020Colonel Tom Moore and his daughter Hannah celebrate his 100th birthday, with an RAF flypast provided by a Spitfire and a Hurricane over his home in Marston Moretaine. Colonel Moore, formerly a Captain, received a promotion in honour of his birthday and in recognition of the funds, in excess of £30m, he raised for the NHS by walking laps of his garden
Capture the Light Photography/Getty
34/50 29 April 2020Britain’s Labour leader Keir Starmer speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions, as members of Parliament observe social distancing due to the coronavirus, in the House of Commons, London, Wednesday, April 29, 2020
UK Parliament/AP
35/50 28 April 2020NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
36/50 27 April 2020The sun rises behind redundant oil platforms moored in the Firth of Forth near Kirkcaldy, Fife. Global oil prices have crashed after the coronavirus pandemic reduced demand, with analysts warning that the oil majors may be looking at one of their biggest quarter-on-quarter profitability hits in history.
PA
37/50 26 April 2020Frankie Lynch celebrates on the Mall where the finish of the London Marathon was due to take place today after running 2.6 miles instead of 26 miles to raise money for The Running Charity
Reuters
38/50 25 April 2020A muslim woman walks past balloons outside the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London
Reuters
39/50 24 April 2020An empty Brighton Pier, closed during the Coronavirus pandemic as temperatures reach 20 degrees in the South East
Rex
40/50 23 April 2020Farmers work with vehicles to prepare a field next to a field of flowering rapeseed near Pontefract, West Yorkshire
AFP/Getty
41/50 22 April 2020The Northern Lights, the Milky Way and a Lyrid meteor at the Bathing House near Howick, Northumberland, as the Lyrid meteor shower reached its peak
PA
42/50 21 April 2020Badger the Border Collie surrounded by bluebells at Shrawley Wood in Worcestershire
PA
43/50 20 April 2020A dog walker on Blyth beach in Northumberland
PA
44/50 19 April 2020A piece of coronavirus themed street art grafitti in East London
AFP via Getty
45/50 18 April 2020Members of the City Specialist Cleaning team spray disinfectant around posts in the town centre of Eastleigh, Hampshire
PA
46/50 17 April 2020A taped-up bench in the hamlet of Diglea, Greater Manchester
AFP/Getty
47/50 16 April 2020A woman wearing a protective face mask and gloves walks past graffiti in Bow, London
Reuters
48/50 15 April 2020A burned down mobile phone mast in London. According to reports, at least 20 mobile phone masts across Britain are believed to have been vandalised and government and telecom sources are increasingly concerned about the impact of conspiracy theories linking coronavirus to 5G networks
EPA
49/50 14 April 2020The new Nightingale Hospital in Washington, Tyne and Wear, being fitted out
PA
50/50 13 April 2020Walkers enjoy the bluebells in Wanstead Park in London
PA
Mr Hancock rejected suggestions that the 30 May decision to relax “shielding” protections for the most vulnerable people had been “rushed”, saying: “We announced it when it was safe and ready to do so, and as I think you can see from the charts that we put up, one of the reasons that we could make that change is that the rate of incidence of disease is now back down to the levels that it was before we introduced the shielding policy.”
He also revealed that the Joint Biosecurity Centre which is tasked with establishing the Covid alert level has not yet been set up.
The recovery strategy published by Boris Johnson on 11 May announced the creation of the independent JBC, bringing together world-leading epidemiological expertise to assess the state of the pandemic and advise the chief medical officers on the UK’s position on a five-level alert system, ranging from a Level 5 outbreak where the disease risks overwhelming the NHS to Level 1 where the virus has been eradicated from the country.
Downing Street today said that the partial relaxation of lockdown restrictions was made possible by the fact that, while the alert remains at Level 4 it is “moving towards” Level 3.
But asked about the JBC’s work, the health secretary revealed that the new body was still “being formulated at the moment”.
“We are getting it stood up, making sure that all the information flows come to it so it is able to analyse them and to make sure that it gets set up correctly,” he said.
Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk