Coronavirus: Weekly cases at highest level since end of May, figures show - Sky News

The weekly number of coronavirus cases in England in late August was the highest since the end of May, according to government figures.

A total of 6,732 new cases were confirmed between 20 August and 26 August - an increase of 6% on the previous week, NHS Test and Trace data showed.

But comparisons between recent and past cases should be made with caution.

The number of confirmed cases is heavily dependent on how many people are tested.

This has changed significantly since the start of the pandemic, with the number of tests processed each day increasing substantially.

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Community testing has also expanded, whereas previously access was limited to symptomatic patients and key workers.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that new infections in the community in England are continuing to level off.

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Between 14 and 20 August, an estimated 28,200 people in private households had COVID-19 - the equivalent of around 0.05% of the population.

Earlier on Thursday morning, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK is finding a "higher and higher proportion" of people who have coronavirus.

He told Sky's Kay Burley that there are "operational challenges from time to time, but the testing system works well".

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Some 69.4% of close contacts of people who tested positive for coronavirus were reached through Test and Trace in the week ending 26 August, down from 77.1% in the previous week and the lowest weekly percentage since the system's launch.

For cases handled by local health protection teams, 97.3% of contacts were reached and asked to self-isolate in the same period.

In comparison, 59.8% of contacts were reached in cases handled either online or by call centres.

A total of 73,081 people who tested positive for COVID-19 in England have had their cases transferred to the system since its launch in May.

Of this total, 57,368 (78.5%) were reached and asked to provide details of their recent contacts.

Some 13,958 were not reached, while a further 1,755 people could not be tracked down because their contact details had not been provided.

The government is hoping to improve the speed of its testing by pledging a £500m funding package to support trials of a 20-minute COVID-19 test.

Mr Hancock told Sky News he wants the UK to "go further" to expand mass testing using new technologies.

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2020-09-03 10:52:02Z
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Coronavirus: Weekly cases at highest level since end of May, figures show - Sky News

The weekly number of coronavirus cases in England in late August was the highest since the end of May, according to government figures.

A total of 6,732 new cases were confirmed between 20 August and 26 August - an increase of 6% on the previous week, NHS Test and Trace data showed.

But comparisons between recent and past cases should be made with caution.

The number of confirmed cases is heavily dependent on how many people and who is tested.

This has changed significantly since the start of the pandemic, with the number of tests processed each day increasing substantially.

Advertisement

Community testing has also expanded, whereas previously access was limited to symptomatic patients and key workers.

Earlier on Thursday morning, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK is finding a "higher and higher proportion" of people who have coronavirus.

More from Covid-19

He told Sky's Kay Burley that there are "operational challenges from time to time, but the testing system works well".

Some 69.4% of close contacts of people who tested positive for coronavirus were reached through Test and Trace in the week ending 26 August, down from 77.1% in the previous week and the lowest weekly percentage since the system's launch.

For cases handled by local health protection teams, 97.3% of contacts were reached and asked to self-isolate in the same period.

In comparison, 59.8% of contacts were reached in cases handled either online or by call centres.

A total of 73,081 people who tested positive for COVID-19 in England have had their cases transferred to the system since its launch in May.

Of this total, 57,368 (78.5%) were reached and asked to provide details of their recent contacts.

Some 13,958 were not reached, while a further 1,755 people could not be tracked down because their contact details had not been provided.

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2020-09-03 10:34:58Z
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Bolton COVID spike caused by holidaymaker returning from Spain and going on a pub crawl - Express

Speaking on TalkRADIO, the Tory MP claimed to have been told that one of the causes of a recent spike in coronavirus cases in Bolton that led to new lockdown restrictions being imposed by Matt Hancock, was the return of a holidaymaker from Spain. Mr Green claimed the holidaymaker failed to quarantine upon his return and went on a pub crawl. He suggested, however, this was not the only reason behind the spike.

He said: "The only suggestion I've heard so far to what's happened in Bolton is that someone who had been on holiday in Spain, came back, didn't go into quarantine.

"He had coronavirus and went on a pub crawl.

"That's so far the only explanation of a contributing factor in Bolton.

"But I'm not sure that's the whole story.

"I think there's far more than that and the source of these figures in Bolton needs to be found as soon as possible."

READ MORE: Matt Hancock snaps at BBC's Nick Robinson over COVID policies

Councils with high coronavirus infection rates should be given charge of their own test and trace efforts, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has argued.

Mr Burnham appealed for the powers on Wednesday following a U-turn by Health Secretary Matt Hancock on a decision to lift local lockdown restrictions in Bolton and Trafford on the same day the changes were due to be made.

Council leaders in both boroughs had pleaded for the ban on two households mixing to be maintained but regional chiefs woke up thinking the restrictions had been lifted overnight, as was the case with previous Government lockdown changes.

But the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) insisted the alterations were not due to take place until midday.

Mr Hancock said he took "swift and decisive" action in respect of Bolton and Trafford but Labour's Mr Burnham said the Government had been guilty of a "Whitehall knows best" attitude.

The Labour politician said power to run test and trace programmes should be handed to Greater Manchester councils so a "more sophisticated, targeted approach" could be taken.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's PM programme, Mr Burnham said: "Throughout this crisis, we've had a 'Whitehall knows best' mentality at play and it continues.

"It really isn't good enough when the front line is very much with us now - we need to be empowered to take the decisions to protect our communities rather than constantly waiting for Government to get its act together.

"I'm very clear about what we need: local control of test and trace with door-to-door teams - in Oldham, that is what got their numbers down and that is what we need across all of Greater Manchester.

"We need financial support for people to self-isolate, particularly people on low wages or who are self-employed - that is critical because we are just not seeing people comply with the national test and trace system."

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The former Health Secretary called on ministers to produce an "exit strategy" for local lockdowns and said the region needed to move away from "blanket regulations" when trying to tackle the virus.

Mr Hancock said a "sharp increase" in COVID-19 cases in Bolton and Trafford over the past few days led to the sudden decision not to lift the local restrictions in those areas.

Bolton and Trafford had been set to join other parts of northern England in resuming social gatherings in two households for the first time in weeks, along with Stockport, Burnley, Hyndburn and parts of Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees.

But a statement was released by DHSC shortly after midday on Wednesday, the point at which it said the restrictions had been due to be lifted in the two Greater Manchester boroughs, confirming lockdowns would persist in the areas.

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2020-09-03 09:49:00Z
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Extinction Rebellion sparks chaos at Westminster as activists BLOCK Parliament entrance - Express

Extinction Rebellion's latest protest has sparked chaos in Westminster, London after several activists from the radical climate change campaign group glued themselves to the ground outside Parliament. The activists blocked off "at least two entrances to Parliament" after gluing themselves to the ground, according to a reporter on the scene. Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists carried out the protest while MPs made their way into work at Westminster.

Extinction Rebellion said that they wanted to stop politicians from "causing more harm".

They said: “Over a year on from Parliament’s declaration of a climate and environment emergency the government’s own advisors have said they are neglecting their own inadequate targets, with only four of 21 indicators on track and only two of 31 milestones reached.

"We will not be bystanders.”

LBC correspondent Rachael Venables tweeted that the entrance by the Parliament's carriage gate had been blocked off.  

JUST IN: London's Extinction Rebellion protest given PERMISSION by Met Police

She tweeted: "Well since XR came on the scene the police have had a lot of practise at ungluing people.

"A specialist team of officers has just turned up to clear this Parliament entrance."

A number of arrests have been made at the scene. 

This comes after a renewed wave of protests from the Extinction Rebellion movement. 

Metropolitan Police officers had to clear away activists attempting to stop Prime Minister Boris Johnson from getting to Prime Minister's Questions.

A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion, Tamsin Omand, said the protesters wanted the Prime Minister to see and hear their action on Wednesday.

Ms Omand said: "Disruption is a core tenet of how XR works and how we have managed to achieve so much in a short period of time.

"We have been outside Downing Street blocking his route on both sides and of course he's encountering us here in the square - I think we are impossible to ignore."

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2020-09-03 09:20:00Z
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Really? SNP mocked for vowing next referendum will be 'final' - even if they lose again - Express

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is gearing up for a fresh independence push for Scotland. The SNP leader included a law laying out the timetable for a new independence referendum in her programme for Government this week. In her remarks this week, Ms Sturgeon said the "self-sabotage" of Brexit "strengthens the case for Scotland becoming an independent country".

However, the SNP soon came under fire after they were grilled on claims they would "accept the result" of the next referendum as "final".

SNP MSP James Dornan vowed to respect the result, "just like we respected the last result".

The SNP notoriously described the 2014 independence referendum defeat as a "once-in-a-generation" vote.

However, just six years later the SNP are pushing for a fresh vote to break up the UK.

JUST IN: Nicola Sturgeon's coronavirus strategy SAVAGED by health experts

Recent polling from Panelbase suggested 55 percent favoured Scotland leaving the UK, with 45 percent preferring to stay in the union, once undecided voters were excluded.

The RT UK anchor Kate Partridge pointed out: "This is just pure politics, isn't it? Vote-winning stuff for next May?

"There isn't much chance that Westminster would approve another 'once-in-a-generation' vote just seven years on from the last one?"

Mr Dornan responded: "Westminster have a habit on saying one thing and doing another.

This prompted Partridge to ask: "If you do get a second vote, and you lose that again, will you accept that vote?"

Mr Dornan fired back: "We respected the last one! It's been seven years on, you can't say we didn't respect it.

"The Scottish Parliament continued as it always did. It didn't continue as an independent nation, but as part of the devolved settlement.

"This is just mischief put out by our opponents. We respected the result."

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2020-09-03 07:14:00Z
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Coronavirus: Matt Hancock hails £500m funding package to support trial of 20-minute COVID-19 test - Sky News

A new £500m funding package to support trials of a 20-minute coronavirus test has been hailed by the health secretary as a "huge step forward" in the fight against COVID-19.

Matt Hancock told Sky News the government wants to "go further" when it comes to mass testing for the virus.

:: Follow live coverage of the latest coronavirus news and updates

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"Being able to expand mass testing with these new technologies is a huge positive step forward in our battle against the virus," he told the #KayBurley programme.

"If you think about it, a combination of everybody doing social distancing and then testing to find out where the virus is is our best way of avoiding having to do local lockdowns and our best way of keeping the virus under control."

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Mr Hancock said part of the money will also go towards efforts to explore the benefits of repeatedly testing people for the virus, with a new community-wide repeat population testing trial set to be launched in Salford, Greater Manchester.

Existing trials in Southampton and Hampshire, using a no-swab saliva test and a rapid 20-minute test, will be expanded through the new funding.

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The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said saliva-based testing will be used for the Salford pilot, which will involve the city council and other local partners.

A select number of residents will be invited for a weekly test, with the pilot performing up to 250 tests a day.

The initial focus will be on high footfall areas of Salford, such as retail areas, public services, transport and faith spaces.

Its aim is to identify positive coronavirus cases early, including for those with no or minor symptoms, so people can self-isolate.

Results will inform how regular repeat community testing could be scaled up across the country.

The second phase of a no-swab saliva test pilot is due to begin in Southampton this week.

It will see a weekly testing model trialled with more than 2,100 pupils and staff across four schools.

The work is led by a partnership of the University of Southampton, Southampton City Council and the NHS.

Meanwhile the pilot of a rapid 20-minute coronavirus test will be expanded "to further explore the applications of mobile testing in different settings" in Hampshire, the DHSC said.

The science behind face masks

Funding will also be used to extend capacity for existing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing currently being used in the UK.

Mr Hancock also told Sky News that the overall testing regime was working "well" - despite some people being directed to centres more than 100 miles away.

He said this issue was part of the reason why the government was investing in trials of 20-minute tests.

"At the moment the system works well. Of course there are operational challenges from time to time but it works well," he told Kay Burley.

"And we're finding a higher and higher proportion of people in the country who have coronavirus and getting them tests so they can be looked after.

"But absolutely we need to roll out more testing - we have done throughout this crisis and today's another step in solving some of those problems with the existing technology."

Baroness Dido Harding, interim executive chairwoman of the National Institute for Health Protection, the body replacing Public Health England, said: "New testing technologies and methods are vital to keep the system evolving and improving, especially as we assess how routine testing could help pick up cases of the virus earlier.

"We will continue to scale up our testing capacity by expanding our network of testing sites and investing in new technologies to reach even more people through NHS Test and Trace."

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It comes as a study published in the online journal BMJ Open suggested people who have COVID-19 should be swab-tested again four or more weeks after symptoms first appear to minimise the risk of onward infection.

This is because SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 infection, takes an average of 30 days to clear from the body after the first positive test result and an average of 36 days after symptoms first appear, the study findings show.

It is not yet known how infectious a person may be in the recovery phase, the researchers warned.

The findings also indicate that the rate of false negative test results - whereby people are falsely reassured they no longer have active (shedding) virus in their bodies - is relatively high (one in five) in early convalescence, so putting them at risk of unwittingly passing on the infection.

An accurate assessment of how long it takes the body to clear SARS-CoV-2 is key to curbing the risk of onward infection and minimising the enforced isolation period for patients who no longer have symptoms, say the researchers.

The large population-based study was carried out by tracking the progress of 4538 residents of the Reggio Emilia province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, all of whom tested positive for the virus between February 26 and April 22 this year.

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2020-09-03 06:40:12Z
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Gary Lineker to take in refugee to live with him at home - Sky News

Former England footballer Gary Lineker is set to welcome a refugee to live in his home with him.

The 59-year-old has been consistently critical of the government's response to migrants crossing the English Channel.

In August, the Match Of The Day host said the government had been "heartless and completely without empathy" in its response.

Lineker is now preparing to welcome a refugee into his home, according to The Daily Mirror.

It comes after a record 409 people reached the UK after crossing the Channel on Wednesday.

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Lineker told the newspaper he would have a home visit from the charity Refugees at Home to assess his house.

He said he did not know who his new guest would be or where they are from.

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"I have had so much connection with refugees over the last couple of years," he told The Daily Mirror.

"I have met scores of young refugees through football schemes and they are genuinely lovely kids and they appreciate any help they can get.

"I'm sure it will be fine. I have been thinking of doing something like that for a while.

"My kids are all grown up so I've got plenty of room, so if I can help on a temporary basis then I'm more than happy to do so. Why not?"

Conservative MP Lee Anderson last month accusing Lineker of "virtue signalling", saying he should take in "the next boat of illegal immigrants".

He responded by posting a screenshot of his email from Refugees at Home.

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2020-09-03 05:48:45Z
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