Selasa, 30 Juni 2020

Boris Johnson: This is the moment to be ambitious - BBC News

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Boris Johnson has said now is the time to be "ambitious" about the UK's future, as he set out a post-coronavirus recovery plan.

The PM vowed to "use this moment" to fix longstanding economic problems and promised a £5bn "new deal" to build homes and infrastructure.

Plans set out in the Tory election manifesto would be speeded up and "intensified," he said in a speech.

Labour and the CBI said he was not focusing enough on saving jobs.

It came as new figures showed the UK economy shrank faster than at any time since 1979 between January and March.

Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer said: The prime minister promised a new deal, but there's not much that's new, and it's not much of a deal.

"We're facing an economic crisis, the biggest we've seen in a generation and the recovery needs to match that. What's been announced amounts to less than £100 per person.

"And it's the re-announcement of many manifesto pledges and commitments, so it's not enough."

He added: "We're not going to argue against a recovery plan, but the focus has to be on jobs."

In his speech, in Dudley, Mr Johnson vowed to "build build build" to soften the economic impact of coronavirus.

'Economic aftershock'

In a wide-ranging speech, he said the UK "cannot continue to be prisoners of this crisis" and the government is "preparing now, slowly, cautiously to come out of hibernation".

"This country needs to be ready for what may be coming," he said, saying there will be an "economic aftershock".

"We must use this moment now… to plan our response and to fix the problems that were most brutally illuminated in that covid lightning flash."

He said the government wanted to continue with its plans to "level up" as "too many parts" of the country had been "left behind, neglected, unloved".

Infrastructure projects in England will be "accelerated" and there would be investment in new academy schools, green buses and new broadband, said the PM.

The prime minister loves a big, historical comparison.

He is a keen student of Winston Churchill - and has even written a book about him.

Over the last few days, the comparisons the government has sought to draw have been with former American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his "New Deal."

As my colleagues at Reality Check point out, the plan set out today is a tiddler compared to what FDR did, and a fair chunk of it is re-announcing what we already knew the government was planning.

But Boris Johnson is attempting to set out in a broader context the government's vision - and his pride in saying he wants to spend a lot to revitalise the economy and haul it out of the doldrums.

Under what he dubbed "project speed," planning laws would be streamlined to encourage building.

From September, vacant shops will be allowed to be converted into homes without a planning application, as part of the proposals.

And homeowners will be able to build extensions "via a fast track approval process" subject to consultation with their neighbours.

He said the government will not be returning to austerity and Chancellor Rishi Sunak will set out economic response plan next week.

The CBI said the prime minister had set out the "first steps on the path to recovery" but called for a greater focus on saving jobs.

Director General Carolyn Fairbairn said: "The reality is that longer-term plans will falter without continued help for firms still in desperate difficulty.

"Government intervention so far has saved countless jobs, yet anxious months for many still lie ahead. The focus on rescuing viable firms cannot slip while the UK looks to recovery, or earlier efforts could be wasted."

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2020-06-30 12:11:15Z
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Boris Johnson: This is the moment to be ambitious - BBC News

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the country must "use this moment" to fix problems that had been highlighted by the coronavirus crisis.

In a speech in Dudley, the prime minister set out plans for the UK to "bounce back better" and accelerate £5bn on infrastructure projects.

He said the virus had sped up manifesto plans, including on planning reform.

"Project speed" has been set up with the chancellor, who will outline more detail of the recovery plan next week.

Labour says the government has to have a "laser-like focus" on retaining jobs as the UK emerges from lockdown.

Mr Johnson said the government plans to "build build build" to soften the economic impact of coronavirus.

"This is the moment to be ambitious and believe in Britain," he said, announcing an "infrastructure revolution".

The government needed to "work fast" to support jobs whilst also seeking to "level up" the economy so that all parts of the country can benefit, Mr Johnson said.

He said planning laws would be streamlined to encourage building. From September, vacant shops will be allowed to be converted into homes without a planning application, as part of the proposals.

And homeowners will be able to build extensions "via a fast track approval process" subject to consultation with their neighbours.

'Economic aftershock'

During his speech, Mr Johnson said the country "cannot continue to be prisoners of this crisis" and that they are "preparing now, slowly, cautiously to come out of hibernation".

"This country needs to be ready for what may be coming," he said, saying there will be an "economic aftershock".

"We must use this moment now… to plan our response and to fix the problems that were most brutally illuminated in that covid lightning flash," he said, pointing to the "problems in our social care system".

He said the government wanted to continue with its plans to "level up" as "too many parts" of the country had been "left behind, neglected, unloved".

He said the government will not be returning to austerity and the chancellor will set out economic response plan next week.

The prime minister loves a big, historical comparison.

He is a keen student of Winston Churchill - and has even written a book about him.

Over the last few days, the comparisons the government has sought to draw have been with former American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his "New Deal."

As my colleagues at Reality Check point out, the plan set out today is a tiddler compared to what FDR did, and a fair chunk of it is re-announcing what we already knew the government was planning.

But Boris Johnson is attempting to set out in a broader context the government's vision - and his pride in saying he wants to spend a lot to revitalise the economy and haul it out of the doldrums.

He said in the towns "that feel left behind" there are plans to invest in their centres including in new academy schools, green buses and new broadband.

He said infrastructure projects in England will be "accelerated" as the UK "must also be a connected kingdom".

There is a "massive new plan for cycle ways across the country", he said.

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2020-06-30 11:10:07Z
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Number of people dying in England and Wales drops BELOW average for the first time since March - Daily Mail

Number of people dying in England and Wales drops BELOW average for the first time since coronavirus spiralled out of control in March, official statistics show

  • Office for National Statistics data shows fewer people died of any cause than expected in the week to June 19
  • Covid-19 is still killing people but fewer deaths from other diseases mean the total is below average
  • June 13 to 19 also had the lowest coronavirus death toll for 13 weeks, with 623 victims confirmed by the ONS 
  • Weekly deaths caused by the virus halved in just three weeks in June, from 1,279 on the 5th to 623 on 19th 
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The number of people dying each week in England and Wales is below average for the first time since the first person died of coronavirus in March.

A total of 9,339 people died of any cause in the week ending June 19, down from an average of 9,404 for the same week over the past five years.

This was the first time the 2020 weekly total was lower than average since March 13, when the first Covid-19 fatalities were officially recorded, and the lowest one-week total for the entire year so far.

Although people are still dying of coronavirus, fewer deaths from other causes has cancelled them out and the total is now lower than would be expected. 

Fatalities are now lower than average in both hospitals and care homes, but remain high in people's private homes, with 827 more people than usual dying at home in the third week of June. Experts say many of these people are likely those with terminal illnesses who would normally die in hospital, such as cancer patients.

The week up to June 19 had the lowest coronavirus death count in 13 weeks and the rate of death halved in the space of just three weeks, with 623 more victims confirmed - down from 915 a week earlier and 1,279 by June 5. 

In total, the ONS says 49,610 people had died and had Covid-19 mentioned on their death certificate by June 19. This includes people who were tested and also those not officially diagnosed by a doctor.

Matching data from Scotland shows 4,119 people had been killed there by coronavirus up to June 21, while Northern Ireland recorded 812 up to June 19. 

The total death toll in the UK, therefore, was at least 54,541 by mid-June, considerably higher than the 42,632 recorded by the Department of Health by June 21 (a 28 per cent increase).

In the week ending June 19 deaths were lower than average in the East, South East, North West and South West of England, about average in the Midlands, and above average in other regions and Wales, the ONS data shows (Pictured: Average is shown by dotted lines, real deaths by the blue line and coronavirus deaths the red line)

In the week ending June 19 deaths were lower than average in the East, South East, North West and South West of England, about average in the Midlands, and above average in other regions and Wales, the ONS data shows (Pictured: Average is shown by dotted lines, real deaths by the blue line and coronavirus deaths the red line)

Four regions of England saw fewer deaths than average in the week from June 13 to 19, which is the most recent data from the ONS.

East of England was furthest below average, with 6.8 per cent fewer fatalities than usual, followed by the South East (3.8 per cent), North West (3.7 per cent) and South West (3.5 per cent).

West Midlands had just one death more than it would expect to see in an average year (0.1 per cent).

Wales was continuing to see the most excess fatalities, with 7.7 per cent more people than usual dying in that week - a total of 44 more than the average 573. 

Today's data shows the health impact of Covid-19 is continuing to shrink but there are still hundreds of people dying every week as lockdown begins to lift.

The latest figures do take into account any changes that might have happened as a result of people being allowed to spend unlimited amounts of time outside - which doesn't appear to have affected the death rate.

It may be too soon, however, to show any changes triggered by rules allowing people to meet in groups of six, or of high street shops reopening.

Both those measures began in June and statisticians say it takes three weeks or more for trends to emerge in data because it can take that long for people to die after catching Covid-19.

But today's promising data on deaths adds to growing evidence that the virus is, on the whole, retreating in Britain.

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE REALLY DIED OF THE CORONAVIRUS?

Department of Health: 43,575 (June 29)

Department of Health's latest death count for all settings stands at 43,575, as of June 29.

This only counts people who have been officially tested for Covid-19 and diagnosed by the Department of Health. 

National statistical bodies: 54,541 (June 21)

Data from the Office for National Statistics shows 49,610 people had died and had Covid-19 mentioned on their death certificate in England and Wales by June 19. This includes people who were tested and also those not officially diagnosed.

Matching data from Scotland (National Records of Scotland) shows 4,119 people had been killed there by coronavirus up to June 21, while Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) recorded 812 up to June 19. 

These are more accurate than the Department of Health's count but are 10 days out of date because it takes so long to process death certificates.

Excess deaths: 65,079

The total number of excess deaths has passed 65,000. 

Excess deaths are considered to be an accurate measure of the number of people killed by the pandemic because they include a broader spectrum of victims.

As well as including people who may have died with Covid-19 without ever being tested, the data also shows how many more people died because their medical treatment was postponed, for example, or who didn't or couldn't get to hospital when they were seriously ill.

Data from England and Wales shows there has been an extra 59,187 deaths between March 20 and June 19, as well as 4,917 in Scotland and 975 in Northern Ireland.

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Separate data by the ONS last week estimated that around 3,800 people are catching the virus each day in England - some 26,900 per week. This is a significant fall from an estimated 61,000 per week - 8,700 per day - at the end of May.

The ONS said only around one in 1,700 people now have the illness and that 'the number of people in England testing positive has decreased since the study began on 26 April'. It added, however, that the decline appears to have slowed recently as lockdown measures have loosened.

Today's release showed that the North West - the region around Liverpool, Manchester and Cumbria - has experienced the most coronavirus deaths in England and Wales for four weeks running. 

Between May 23 and June 19 801 people have died of Covid-19 in that region, compared to 644 in the South East and  605 in Yorkshire and the Humber.

At the other end of the scale, 228 people died in that month in the South West, along with 254 in London and 267 in Wales.

The North West, where there were 127 coronavirus fatalities between June 13 and 19, was the only region to still record more than 100 deaths in a week. Closest behind it was the South East with 88. 

On average, Covid-19 victims now account for one in every 12 people (8.4 per cent) who die across England and Wales.  

The data comes as England prepares to go through the biggest easing of lockdown rules so far this weekend, with pubs and cafes allowed to reopen and people permitted to mix with other households and stay overnight outside of their own homes.

Cases diagnosed through the Government's testing programme are continuing to fall - from a weekly average of 1,205 last Monday to 894 in the seven days to yesterday.

But the threat of another surge remains real - Leicester will not be allowed to lift its lockdown on Saturday and must close schools and non-essential high street shops again, the Government announced last night. 

The streets of the city centre were deserted this morning as Mr Hancock confirmed that police will be enforcing the curbs, vowing to push through laws to bolster their powers.

But he hinted that there will be no extra compensation for businesses, and faced a backlash after admitting there will be no ban on cars or trains into the city. The boundaries of the restrictions were only revealed this morning, adding to the sense of chaos. Villages outside of the city centre also face an extended lockdown.

There is also anger that action was not taken sooner, with complaints that ministers kept local authorities in the dark for more than a week after identifying a worrying spike in cases.

In a round of interviews intended to reassure an anxious public this morning, Mr Hancock said the government was mobilising its strategy for crushing localised outbreaks - dubbed 'whack a mole' by Boris Johnson.

'It's so important that we get a grip on this spike that has happened in Leicester. We will be closing the shops by law and will be changing the law in the next day or two to do that,' he told BBC Breakfast. 

WHERE HAS HAD THE MOST CORONAVIRUS DEATHS?

  1. Birmingham (1,198)
  2. Leeds (685)
  3. County Durham (684)
  4. Liverpool (564)
  5. Sheffield (557)
  6. Cheshire East (514)
  7. Croydon (486)
  8. Brent (484)
  9. Bradford (480)
  10. Barnet (452)
  11. Wirral (422)
  12. Ealing (403)
  13. Harrow (396)
  14. Manchester (386)
  15. Enfield (384)

WHERE HAS HAD THE FEWEST CORONAVIRUS DEATHS?

  1. Isles of Scilly (0)
  2. City of London (4)
  3. Ceredigion (7)
  4. Hastings (9)
  5. South Hams (12)
  6. West Devon (15)
  7. Mid Devon (17) 
  8. Torridge (20)
  9. Rutland (22)
  10. Ribble Valley (23)
  11. West Lindsey (23)
  12. Norwich (24)
  13. North Devon (26)
  14. Lincoln (27)
  15. Melton (28)

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2020-06-30 10:53:03Z
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Coronavirus: Deaths in England and Wales over one week fall below five-year average for first time since March - Sky News

The number of registered deaths in England and Wales has fallen below the five-year average for the first time since the lockdown began, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

There were a total of 9,339 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending 19 June - 65 fewer than the five-year average of 9,404.

Of those newly registered deaths, 783 mentioned "novel coronavirus", which is the lowest number of deaths involving the illness for 12 weeks.

Registered deaths in England and Wales have fallen below the five-year average
Image: Registered deaths in England and Wales have fallen below the five-year average

In care homes and hospitals, the number of deaths also fell below the average, with 49 and 782 fewer deaths respectively.

However, there were 827 excess deaths in private homes.

Tuesday's new ONS figures, along with those from Scotland and Northern Ireland, bring the total number of excess deaths since the coronavirus outbreak began to just over 65,000 - largely unchanged from last week.

The number of people dying with COVID-19 fell everywhere in England and Wales, the figures show.

More from Covid-19

Sky's economics editor Ed Conway said: "For the first time since COVID-19 started killing people here, the number of people dying across the UK is below the seasonal average.

"It may have taken longer than anyone hoped for, but this wave of excess deaths seems to be over."

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In the South East, South West, North West and East of England, no excess deaths were registered.

Wales did however record 44 more deaths than the five-year average.

Five English regions also recorded deaths above the five-year average, the ONS data shows, including the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, London, northeast England and the West Midlands.

The announcement comes as Leicester becomes the first city to be placed in to a local lockdown, after cases of COVID-19 spiked in the city.

Matt Hancock says laws may be brought in to enforce Leicester lockdown
'We'll put laws in place... if necessary'

Analysis: This will be an enormous relief

By Ed Conway, economics editor

At last, some good news.

For the first time since the onset of COVID-19, the number of people dying across the UK is below the seasonal average.

Given "excess deaths" as they are called have been perhaps the most important, and most depressing, of all the statistics over the course of this pandemic, the fact that at last Britain is not recording any excess deaths is a major watershed moment. This wave of mortality - almost certainly the worst since the Spanish influenza a century ago - is now over.

This will be an enormous relief to both policymakers and the public, given the UK faced one of the worst periods for general mortality of any major nation.

The drop into below-average mortality is largely down to a sudden fall in the number of deaths registered in England and Wales. In the week ending 12 June, 559 more deaths happened in England and Wales than happened in that week in previous years - but in the following week, the week ending 19 June, total deaths were 65 below the historical average - a bigger drop than many anticipated.

And while there are still excess deaths being recorded in Scotland and Northern Ireland, they are low enough (39 and four respectively) that it does look as if most parts of the UK are now back to what might be considered "normal" mortality levels.

That being said, this is hardly the end of the story. For one thing scientists are still concerned about a second wave of the disease. For another, there are concerns that the long-term effects of the lockdown, with some patients with chronic diseases not going into hospital, could increase mortality.

It will take some time before we know what the final toll is from COVID-19 and indeed the lockdown.

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Indeed a glance beneath the headline numbers and you find that many more people - just under 1,000 - died at home in that latest week, ending June 19.

Excess deaths at hospital were about 900 below the usual level for this time of year. While the excess mortality in domestic settings is dropping it's falling at nothing like the speed of overall levels, underlining that a lot of people may simply not going in to their doctors or hospital in the face of the lockdown.

At this watershed moment, it is worth pausing for a second to consider the scale of the wave of mortality we have just undergone. Over the past four months, there were just over 65,000 excess deaths across the UK.

Of those deaths, about 54,000 were put down to COVID-19, which underlines that the diseases officially counted as COVID-19 are only one part of the mortality story.

It has been one of the worst episodes of its kind in British history. But the good news is that we might now be able to start talking about it in the past tense rather than the present tense.

It has been an ordeal. But it might, just might, now be at an end.

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2020-06-30 10:30:00Z
CBMikQFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1kZWF0aHMtaW4tZW5nbGFuZC1hbmQtd2FsZXMtb3Zlci1vbmUtd2Vlay1mYWxsLWJlbG93LWZpdmUteWVhci1hdmVyYWdlLWZvci1maXJzdC10aW1lLXNpbmNlLW1hcmNoLTEyMDE3ODkw0gGVAWh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2FtcC9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1kZWF0aHMtaW4tZW5nbGFuZC1hbmQtd2FsZXMtb3Zlci1vbmUtd2Vlay1mYWxsLWJlbG93LWZpdmUteWVhci1hdmVyYWdlLWZvci1maXJzdC10aW1lLXNpbmNlLW1hcmNoLTEyMDE3ODkw

Boris Johnson unveils £5bn spending plans in Midlands speech – watch live - Guardian News

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  1. Boris Johnson unveils £5bn spending plans in Midlands speech – watch live  Guardian News
  2. Coronavirus: Boris Johnson pledges 'new deal' to build post-virus  BBC News
  3. Whack-a-mole strategy: What is whack-a-mole, what does whack-a-mole mean for Leicester?  Express.co.uk
  4. The Tories once said only they could keep us safe. Now they're the party of risk  The Guardian
  5. Britain doesn't need buildings tomorrow, it needs jobs today  The Guardian
  6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-06-30 09:41:49Z
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Leicester locals despair at extended lockdown as officials threaten to use police to enforce rules - The Sun

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  1. Leicester locals despair at extended lockdown as officials threaten to use police to enforce rules  The Sun
  2. Coronavirus: Leicester lockdown tightened as cases rise  BBC News
  3. Boris Johnson 'concerned' by Leicester coronavirus outbreak  Guardian News
  4. The Guardian view on trusting local government: if not now, when?  The Guardian
  5. I’m in lockdown in Leicester – and, for me, this coronavirus summer is about to get a lot worse  The Independent
  6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-06-30 10:06:49Z
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Live: Boris Johnson promises to 'get Britain moving again' in the wake of coronavirus - The Sun

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  1. Live: Boris Johnson promises to 'get Britain moving again' in the wake of coronavirus  The Sun
  2. Coronavirus: Boris Johnson pledges 'new deal' to build post-virus  BBC News
  3. 'Absolutely fanciful': Boris Johnson's new deal not Rooseveltian, say critics  The Guardian
  4. The Tories once said only they could keep us safe. Now they're the party of risk  The Guardian
  5. Britain doesn't need buildings tomorrow, it needs jobs today  The Guardian
  6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-06-30 09:40:58Z
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