UK coronavirus LIVE: Large gatherings 'unacceptable' as public urged to act 'sensibly' during second peak 'knife edge'
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Boris Johnson has admitted that the coronavirus outbreak has been a “disaster” for the UK , but that the pandemic will give the country the chance to “do things better” and “bounce back”.
His comments came as global coronavirus deaths surpassed 500,000 , with the total number of cases topping 10 million. Some countries, including South Korea, which has has reported 42 new infections in the greater capital area, are considering reintroducing restrictions.
Meanwhile, MPs and senior ex-civil servants have accused Downing Street insiders of making Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill the “fall guy” for mistakes in the handling of the coronavirus crisis after he confirmed his resignation.
Elsewhere, Leicester’s MP has said she is behind the idea of a local lockdown being imposed . Almost 3,000 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in the city since the start of the coronavirus epidemic, with 866 cases reported in the last two weeks.
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PM concerned about coronavirus in Leicester
Boris Johnson said the Government was “concerned about Leicester” where there has been a flare-up of coronavirus.
On a visit to a construction site in west London, the Prime Minister said: “We are concerned about Leicester, we are concerned about any local outbreak.
“I want to stress to people that we are not out of the woods yet. We are making these cautious, calibrated steps, we are opening as much of hospitality as we can on July 4, opening as much of the economy as we can – some things, alas, still remain closed until they can become Covid-secure.
“But to make all that possible we have to remain vigilant.”
He said the local “whack-a-mole” strategy had worked in Weston-super-Mare and where there had been outbreaks around GP surgeries in London.
“That’s the same approach that we will bring to bear in Leicester as well.”
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Boris Johnson admits he has ditched his “libertarian” stance on obesity after his near death experience with coronavirus…
Rankin said he came close to tears as he photographed hospital workers on the frontline of the coronavirus crisis:
Boris Johnson admits the coronavirus outbreak has been an “absolute nightmare” for the UK:
How builders are adapting to Covid-19…
Restaurants chains are ‘hurting’, warns Deliveroo boss
The boss of Deliveroo has warned that restaurant chains are “hurting” due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Will Shu, chief executive of the food delivery business, also warned that a “long period” of socially-distanced dining faces customers.
In an interview with the BBC, he stressed that the pandemic has had a significant impact on Deliveroo and its restaurant partners.
“We’ve seen a lot of increased consumer engagement, but on the other hand, our restaurant partners are hurting,” he said.
“Even if restrictions are lifted soon, there’s going to be a long period of socially-distanced dining and an increased demand for delivery and collection.”
A worker for Leicester City Council disinfects public toilets in Leicester as the city may be the first UK location to be subjected to a local lockdown after a spike in coronavirus cases.
Parents could be fined if they do not send children back to school in September
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said parents could be fined if they do not send their children back to school after their scheduled restart in England in September.
He told LBC: “It is going to be compulsory for children to return back to school unless there’s a very good reason, or a local spike where there have had to be local lockdowns.
“We do have to get back into compulsory education as part of that, obviously fines sit alongside that.
“Unless there is a good reason for the absence then we will be looking at the fact that we would be imposing fines on families if they are not sending their children back.”
Nicola Sturgeon urges Scots not to “squander” progress made against the virus:
Tackling country’s obesity problem would help UK prepare for future health crises, PM says
Boris Johnson told Times Radio: “We certainly must have a care for the health of our population and we will be happier and fitter and more resistant to diseases like Covid if we can tackle obesity.”
He did not specify how he intended to address the problem, saying “the arguments need to be gone through carefully”.
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Rangers have pleaded with the public not to use the grounds of the Balmoral Estate as a “wild toilet”.
Advice on how schools will fully reopen in England to be set out ‘at end of this week’
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told BBC Breakfast: “What we will be doing at the end of this week is setting out further advice as to what the full return of all pupils looks like and giving clear steers to how schools should operate.”
In response to a question from a science teacher, he acknowledged efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus will be more challenging in secondary schools.
“It’s going to be more complex within secondary schools,” he said.
Plans to get children back to school set to be unveiled
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the Government was still consulting on how to get children back to school, but said the plans would be unveiled this week.
Asked if there will be a detailed plan this week, Mr Williamson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There will.”
Asked if all social distancing requirements could be removed to allow a total return, he said: “We’re going to take the opportunity to spell out exactly as to how we will see a full return for all children back into school before the end of this week.
“As I’m sure you’ll understand and appreciate at the moment, we’re consulting and talking with different people, whether it’s headteachers, whether it’s unions, whether it’s representative bodies.”
July budget is needed, Sir Keir Starmer says
Sir Keir Starmer said there needed to be a July budget to cope with the prospect of millions of people becoming unemployed.
Speaking on BBC Four’s Today programme, the Labour said: “It’s staggering that in light of the economic crisis that is about to descend upon us that we are not having a July budget that puts jobs at the centre of economic recovery.”
Government ‘asleep at wheel’ on issue of reopening schools, Sir Keir Starmer says
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has criticised the Government for being “asleep at the wheel” on the issue of reopening schools.
Speaking on Sky News, he said: “There has been a total lack of planning. From the day the schools were shut down, it was obvious what needed to happen to get them back open again.
“You needed a risk assessment, and you needed to look at the space. I’ve talked to loads of headteachers, and the points they have made to me were obvious and practical and could have been overcome.”
He added: “If you could put up Nightingale hospitals – a good thing to do – you can certainly put up temporary classrooms, you can certainly take over libraries, community centres.
“Had there been work on this from the day the schools closed down, I genuinely think we could have had all our children back in school by now, but the Government was asleep at the wheel, didn’t get to this until too late in the day, and now we’re in the situation where children will be able to do other things this weekend, but not be in school on Monday.”
Boris Johnson said that the fact that more pupils were not back at school was a source of “deep frustration” for him.
The Prime Minister told Times Radio that teaching unions and councils should saying “loud and clear” that schools are safe.
He added: “The fact that we haven’t got enough kids back in school is a source of deep frustration for me.
“We need everybody to understand school is safe, the years that can go back should go back.
“It would be very helpful if our friends in the teaching unions really delivered that message loud and clear, and some of the councils.”
Boris Johnson ‘very lucky’ to recover from coronavirus
The Prime Minister has acknowledged he was “very lucky” in his recovery from coronavirus.
Boris Johnson, who was admitted to intensive care with the virus, said the experience had given him an “even deeper love and admiration for the NHS and everything they can do”.
He told Times Radio: “I’m also conscious that many thousands of people tragically were not so lucky, and my job now is to get our whole country bouncing back to health, building back to health.”
‘Now is not the right time to hold an inquiry into handling of pandemic’ – Boris Johnson
The Prime Minister again insisted it was not the right time to hold an inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Boris Johnson told Times Radio: “We owe it to all those who have died, all those who have suffered to look at exactly what went wrong and when.
“I totally understand that and we will.
“I happen to think that the moment is not right now, in the middle of really getting things going, still dealing with the pandemic, when everybody is flat out.
“I don’t think the moment is right now for consecrating a huge amount of official time to all that, but we are learning lessons the whole time and we obviously will draw the right conclusions for the future.”
Boris Johnson ‘worries about coronavirus deaths and infection rates every day’
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the coronavirus crisis had been a “disaster” and an “absolute nightmare” for the country.
He told Times Radio he wanted to set out a plan to “bounce forward” following the pandemic.
“This has been a disaster, let’s not mince our words, this has been an absolute nightmare for the country,” he said.
“The country has gone through a profound shock. But in those moments you have the opportunity to change and to do things better.
“We really want to build back better, to do things differently, to invest in infrastructure, transport, broadband – you name it.”
Mr Johnson said he worries about coronavirus deaths and infection rates every day.
But he said it was crucial to be ready to crack down on local flare-ups using a “whack-a-mole” strategy.
When asked if he was still worried that total deaths and the infection rate remained too high, he added: “Every day I worry.
“Local hospital admissions are coming down, so are the death numbers.
“They are much, much lower than they were a few weeks ago and that is encouraging.
“But the crucial thing is to make sure we are ready to crack down on local flare-ups.
“We have a whack-a-mole strategy.”
Author Michael Rosen shares experience of battle with coronavirus
Children’s author Michael Rosen spent seven weeks on a ventilator with Covid-19 and was told he “might not wake up”.
The poet and author, 74, was treated in intensive care by doctors after he was admitted to hospital in March.
He told BBC Radio 4: “They handed me a piece of paper and said you’ve got a 50/50 chance.
“I said ‘Well are you telling me that’s better than the chance I’ve got now?’
“And I said ‘Are you telling me I might not wake up?’ and they said ‘Yes’, then I signed something.”
Rosen, a former Children’s Laureate, is known for books including We’re Going On A Bear Hunt, Little Rabbit Foo Foo and Chocolate Cake.
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