Babak Belurs

Senin, 30 November 2020

COVID-19: Matt Hancock says virus is 'back under control' - but we must stay vigilant - Sky News

The health secretary has said that England's lockdown means "we've got this virus back under control" - but warned continued vigilance is needed in the fight against COVID-19.

Speaking at a Downing Street news conference, Matt Hancock acknowledged that the second national shutdown has been tough.

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But he stressed that the stricter COVID-19 measures have been working, with cases dropping by 30% in England last week.

And although the lockdown is due to end on Wednesday, he warned: "We don't have much headroom. We can't risk letting cases rise again, especially into Christmas and with the flu season around the corner."

The health secretary stressed the need for a return to the tiered system seen before the second lockdown, saying that "while we can let up a little, we can't afford to let up a lot".

He said that around one in three people have no symptoms of the virus but can still infect others, adding: "That is why even as we ease these national restrictions we've got to keep some restrictions in place."

Mr Hancock added: "The success of our collective efforts means that from Wednesday everyone in England, even those in Tier 3, can have some greater freedoms but we don't have much headroom."

With positive news on vaccines raising hopes of a return to some form of normality in the months to come, the health secretary urged people to maintain their resolve in the fight against coronavirus.

"The light of dawn is on the horizon," Mr Hancock said.

"It's the moment to stand firm until the morning so we can look back and see clearly that everything we gave and everything we did, it was not for nothing but so we could save lives and build back better for everyone."

Speaking earlier, Boris Johnson again defended the toughened up tiers system which is due to come into effect when the lockdown ends, amid the prospect of dozen of Conservative MPs voting against the measures on Tuesday.

"We can't afford to take our foot off the throat of the beast, to take our foot off the gas, we can't afford to let it out of control again," the prime minister said.

"The tiering system is tough, but it's designed to be tough and to keep it under control.

"I know that lots of people think that they are in the wrong tier and I understand people's frustration."

Mr Hancock appealed to Tory MPs to back the tiered system, claiming it is the "best way" to avoid a third national lockdown.

"I would urge all MPs right across the House to vote for the tiered system," the health secretary said.

"The tiered system has a lower set of restrictions than the national lockdown in all three tiers.

"Unfortunately though, we do have to have the higher tier restrictions, and in particular Tier 3 restrictions, in place so that we can have confidence that we can keep getting this virus down, and then keep it under control right across the country.

"And that way, it is the best way to avoid a third lockdown. And it is the most proportionate way to take the action that we need to keep people safe, and to stop the NHS being overwhelmed."

The government has published its impact assessment of the tiered approach in a bid to win round potential rebel MPs.

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It states that while the system will have a "significant" impact on the economy, allowing COVID-19 to run unchecked would be "much worse" for public health.

Failing to maintain strong measures against the virus would lead to the NHS being overwhelmed and lead to an "intolerable" loss of life, the analysis said.

Mr Johnson has said that mass testing and the rollout of any approved coronavirus vaccines will offer areas a way out of the harshest measures.

The PM said rolling out widespread testing for the virus "in ever greater numbers" would - along with vaccines - allow the UK to "push the virus down and to open up the economy to allow areas to come down in the tiers that they are in, steadily making progress that way".

But speaking to Sky News earlier, Environment Secretary George Eustice said it was "too early to say" if another national lockdown will be needed after Christmas.

The government has promised that the rapid COVID-19 testing that was seen in Liverpool - which gave results in around 20 minutes without requiring a laboratory - will be replicated in all Tier 3 areas once lockdown ends.

Mr Hancock told the news conference that there would be extra funding for councils to carry out testing "up to a figure of £14 per test done".

"That's quite significant extra funding that's available across the UK for the councils that want to make this work on the model of Liverpool," Mr Hancock said.

The health secretary urged anyone offered a coronavirus test to take it, telling them "you might just save a life".

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2020-11-30 19:07:30Z
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Coronavirus: Government publishes data behind stricter tiers - BBC News

No 10 has published data behind its decisions over England's new tier system as it tries to win MPs' support.

Downing Street's report said it sought to "balance the many complex impacts" of restrictions and keep them in place "for as short a time as possible".

It said allowing the virus to spread exponentially "would lead to impacts... considered intolerable for society".

But senior Tory MP Mel Stride called it "a rehashed document [that] offers very little further in economic terms".

MPs will vote on the plans on Tuesday.

The government announced its tougher three tiers to tackle the virus last week, with Boris Johnson telling reporters on Monday: "We can't afford to take our foot off the throat of the beast... to let it out of control again."

But a number of Tory backbenchers - many of which are part of the Covid Recovery Group (CRG) of MPs - have threatened to vote against the motion when it comes to the Commons.

England's current lockdown will end in the early hours of Wednesday 2 December and will see the country placed into one of three tiers: medium (one), high (two) and very high (three).

However, the majority of the country, over 55 million, will be under the strictest two sets of measures.

The announcement led to criticism from some Tory MPs, who were concerned about the impact in their constituencies.

Mr Johnson wrote to his party twice over the weekend to appeal for their backing and to grant some of the CRG's demands.

They included the publication of the data on the health, social and economic impact of the tiers, and the promise MPs could vote again on the measures in January - with the possibility the tier system could end on 3 February.

But the government report - published on Monday - said it was "not possible to forecast the precise economic impact of a specific change to a specific restriction with confidence".

'Frustrating'

The document is largely made up of information already available.

It said the challenge of balancing health and societal impacts was not straightforward, but the government would continue to pursue the best overall outcomes.

The CRG's chairman, Mark Harper, said his group would respond to the publication on Tuesday after its own analysis, but criticised having "been given so little time to digest information".

But the chair of the Treasury select committee, Mr Stride, condemned the report, saying: "It's frustrating that there is little here that sets out how the different tiers might impact on the specific sectors and regions across the country.

"Those looking for additional economic analysis of the new tiered system will struggle to find it in this document."

Labour is expected to support the PM, but is yet to confirm its stance, while the Liberal Democrats have said they will not back the plan - although it is not clear whether they will vote against or abstain.

However, the SNP will abstain in the vote, as it only covers restrictions in England.

If Labour decides to get behind the new tier system, the government should easily win the vote - even if there is a sizeable revolt among Conservative MPs.

Analysis box by Jonathan Blake, political correspondent

At first glance there doesn't appear to be much, if any, new information in this document.

The government's analysis draws on studies and data already in the public domain to try to assess the impact of the tiered system of restrictions.

So will it convince Conservative MPs sceptical about the need for tighter restrictions that they are, in fact, necessary?

Yes and no.

Some Tory backbenchers may be satisfied the government has at least attempted to provide further evidence that tougher measures are needed. They've made their point.

Others will flick through the 48 pages and discard it, knowing all along that without some elusive magic formula the government could provide, they would never have been convinced.

The government is likely to win Tuesday's vote, but as the pandemic wears on, it is having to go to greater and greater lengths to keep its own MPs on side.

Speaking shortly before the data was published, Mr Johnson said he "understood people's frustration" with the stricter tiers.

He said: "The tiering system is tough, but it is designed to be tough to keep [the virus] under control."

"What we can't do is forsake and abandon all the gains we have made now just when we are starting to see real progress in the science."

In the report, the government pointed to data from the Office for National Statistics, showing a rapid increase in people testing positive for the virus between September and November - from 59,800 a week to 633,000 a week.

It said the new "strengthened" tier system was "designed to keep R [the infection rate] below one so that prevalence continues to fall, the significant impacts of the virus are reduced, and so that, ultimately, fewer restrictions are required."

It added that a "stable and fully functioning health system is one of the pillars that underpins our society and our economy", with the government's view being "the severe loss of life and other health impacts of allowing the NHS to be overwhelmed would be intolerable for our society".

The document also pointed to the economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility - which were published alongside Chancellor Rishi Sunak's spending review last week - predicting the value of the economy will fall by 11.3% by the end of the financial year.

But, while the report conceded there would be "major impacts" on the economy from the restrictions, it added: "Any attempt to estimate the specific economic impacts of precise changes to individual restrictions for a defined period of time would be subject to such wide uncertainty as to not be meaningful for precise policy making".

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said there was a "need for restrictions" and that his party "has to act in the national interest".

But, speaking at a virtual town hall with Lancashire residents, Sir Keir he was concerned the government "doesn't have the support package right".

Sir Keir and other members of the shadow cabinet are due to meet England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and the government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance later, as they decide whether to vote with the government.

However, one Labour MP, Richard Burgon, has already said he will vote against the tier system, arguing that it will fail to lower the infection rate and make another lockdown more likely.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey described the system as "chaotic" and said his party would not back the measures until the prime minister addressed their concerns - such as working with local authorities and supporting pubs.

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2020-11-30 17:51:00Z
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