Boris Johnson’s official spokesman has said the prime minister has “full confidence” in Matt Hancock, and insisted Downing Street “absolutely” stands by the health secretary’s target of 100,000 daily tests for coronavirus by the end of April.
The latest official figures show that just 19,316 tests were conducted in the 24 hours up to 9am on Monday, with nine days left to Mr Hancock’s deadline.
A report in the Daily Telegraph today suggested that Whitehall figures were distancing themselves from the target, quoting Downing Street sources as describing it as “arbitrary and irrational”.
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But Mr Johnson’s spokesman dismissed the claim as “wrong”, claiming that the unnamed insider quoted “could be anyone”.
“We are absolutely standing by the target,” said the PM’s spokesman. “We have said throughout that that is a government target and we are working hard to hit it.”
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A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street
Photos Angela Christofilou
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Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread
Angela Christofilou
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An empty street in the heart of Chinatown
Angela Christofilou
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People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown
Angela Christofilou
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A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown
Angela Christofilou
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Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance
Angela Christofilou
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A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus
Angela Christofilou
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Making sure I stay two-meters apart – D’Arblay Street, Soho
Angela Christofilou
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A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice
Angela Christofilou
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A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden
Angela Christofilou
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As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street
Angela Christofilou
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A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area
Angela Christofilou
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Communities have been coming together in a time of need
Angela Christofilou
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A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day
Angela Christofilou
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A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced
Angela Christofilou
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During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown
Angela Christofilou
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Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time
Angela Christofilou
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‘Stay Safe’ – Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures
Angela Christofilou
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Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown
Angela Christofilou
20/29 Camden High Street
There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops
Angela Christofilou
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Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day
Angela Christofilou
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Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up
Angela Christofilou
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Empty streets around Soho
Angela Christofilou
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A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home
Angela Christofilou
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Camden High Street, one of London’s busiest tourist streets turns quiet
Angela Christofilou
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Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak
Angela Christofilou
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Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced
Angela Christofilou
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A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road
Angela Christofilou
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A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub
Angela Christofilou
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A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street
Photos Angela Christofilou
2/29
Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread
Angela Christofilou
3/29
An empty street in the heart of Chinatown
Angela Christofilou
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People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown
Angela Christofilou
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A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown
Angela Christofilou
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Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance
Angela Christofilou
7/29
A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus
Angela Christofilou
8/29
Making sure I stay two-meters apart – D’Arblay Street, Soho
Angela Christofilou
9/29
A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice
Angela Christofilou
10/29
A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden
Angela Christofilou
11/29
As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street
Angela Christofilou
12/29
A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area
Angela Christofilou
13/29
Communities have been coming together in a time of need
Angela Christofilou
14/29
A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day
Angela Christofilou
15/29
A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced
Angela Christofilou
16/29
During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown
Angela Christofilou
17/29
Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time
Angela Christofilou
18/29
‘Stay Safe’ – Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures
Angela Christofilou
19/29
Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown
Angela Christofilou
20/29 Camden High Street
There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops
Angela Christofilou
21/29
Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day
Angela Christofilou
22/29
Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up
Angela Christofilou
23/29
Empty streets around Soho
Angela Christofilou
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A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home
Angela Christofilou
25/29
Camden High Street, one of London’s busiest tourist streets turns quiet
Angela Christofilou
26/29
Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak
Angela Christofilou
27/29
Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced
Angela Christofilou
28/29
A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road
Angela Christofilou
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A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub
Angela Christofilou
The Telegraph quoted an “insider close to Downing Street” as saying that the 100,000 target had been devised by Hancock to buy time in response to media pressure and might “come back to bite him”.
The unnamed source said: “He’s not had a good crisis. The Prime Minister will say he has confidence in him but it doesn’t feel like that.”
Referring to the source, Mr Johnson’s spokesman said: “Whoever they are – and it could be anyone given that description – they are wrong.”
Asked whether Mr Hancock enjoyed Mr Johnson’s full confidence, the PM’s spokesman replied: “Yes.”
Some 13,460 of the most recent tests were conducted at Public Health England, NHS and devolved administration labs and 5,856 at the network of 27 new commercially operated drive-through centres. The drive-through network is due to be expanded to 50 by 30 April in the push to meet Mr Hancock’s target.
But the number of tests completed fell well short of the 39,250 daily capacity available, despite the government extending eligibility beyond NHS staff and care home workers and their relatives to also include firefighters and other essential workers.
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In all, 97,063 health and care workers and family members have now been tested to see if they can return to work after self-isolating.
NHS staff absence rates in England are down “significantly” since the start of the month to 4.3 per cent of doctors and 8.3 per cent of nurses, said Downing Street.
The PM’s spokesman declined to say whether eligibility for tests could be expanded to include people like supermarket workers or bus drivers in order to ensure capacity is used to the full.
“We have always said that as capacity increases we will be able to widen the number of eligible groups in the programme,” he said.
