Coronavirus: Boris Johnson again at Downing Avenue to guide response

Boris Johnson has returned to Downing Avenue to take cost of the UK’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The prime minister will chair the common morning cupboard assembly on Covid-19 earlier than holding talks with senior ministers and officers.

Overseas Secretary Dominic Raab, who has been standing in for the PM, mentioned Mr Johnson was “raring to go”.

He arrived again at No 10 on Sunday night amid mounting stress from Tory MPs to start lifting the lockdown.

The most recent official figures carry the overall variety of deaths in UK hospital to 20,732, after an extra 413 have been introduced on Sunday.

It’s a month since Mr Johnson was identified with the virus.

He spent every week in St Thomas’ Hospital in central London, together with three nights in intensive care, after being admitted on 5 April.

Mr Johnson has not been doing any official authorities work throughout his convalescence at his nation residence, Chequers, though final week he did converse to the Queen and US President Donald Trump, in addition to assembly senior ministers.

He’ll now resume full-time duties, though it’s unclear at this stage whether or not he’ll lead Monday’s press briefing.

‘Competing pressures’

BBC political correspondent Iain Watson mentioned the one factor the prime minister didn’t wish to do was take any motion which could danger a second wave of infections.

He mentioned Mr Johnson was dealing with “competing pressures” between the well being of the nation on one hand, and, on the opposite, considerations in regards to the impact of the lockdown on the financial system – together with from his personal MPs.

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative backbench 1922 committee, informed BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour that there was a restrict to how lengthy folks would tolerate restrictions, particularly in the event that they appeared illogical.

He mentioned: “If there’s a query over whether or not one thing is important or not, I feel we must always err on the facet of openness and attempting to ensure that extra folks can get on with their lives and extra folks can get on with getting again to their jobs.”

Strict limits on every day life – akin to requiring folks to remain at house, shutting many companies and stopping gatherings of greater than two folks – have been launched on 23 March, as the federal government tried to restrict the unfold of the virus.

Ministers are required by regulation to evaluate whether or not the principles are working, based mostly on skilled recommendation, each three weeks. The following assessment is due on 7 Might.

Mr Raab mentioned on Sunday that social distancing would stay for “a while” within the UK.

Slightly than a whole lifting of all measures, he mentioned the nation would find yourself “shifting to a brand new regular”.

He instructed social distancing measures already being seen in meals retailers and different companies which have remained working may be expanded to non-essential companies in the event that they have been to reopen.

Labour’s Rachel Reeves mentioned the UK ought to “doubtlessly” be following the instance of nations like Belgium, Germany and Denmark which have already signalled partial re-opening of some companies and colleges.

“We wish to work with the federal government in bringing ahead a plan and getting it proper,” she mentioned.

Scientists advising the federal government have warned any rest dangers a renewed flare-up simply because the numbers of sufferers in hospital with the illness is starting to fall.

NHS England medical director Professor Stephen Powis informed the every day No 10 briefing: “My worry is that these curves will not proceed to be on a downward pattern, however will begin to go on an upward pattern.

“We aren’t at a degree the place any of us could be completely assured that that is not going to be the case.”

An additional 413 coronavirus deaths in UK hospitals have been introduced on Sunday – the bottom quantity that has been reported in April.

Nonetheless, consultants have beforehand warned in opposition to over-interpreting every day statistics, as they usually replicate reporting delays, significantly over weekends – so don’t relate on to the variety of deaths that occurred on a sure day.

In the meantime, Mr Raab insisted the federal government remained “on observe” to hit its goal of finishing up 100,000 checks for coronavirus per day by Thursday.

There have been 29,058 checks carried out on Saturday, far in need of the federal government’s goal – which it aimed to realize by the top of April.

Surroundings Secretary George Eustice mentioned the capability for testing had risen to greater than 50,000 a day, including that “important numbers” of individuals in care properties have been acquiring checks.

Since Friday, thousands and thousands of key staff and other people they reside with have been capable of ebook appointments on-line to be examined.

Nonetheless, the British Medical Affiliation mentioned testing for healthcare employees shouldn’t be on a “first come, first served” foundation after slots ran out for the third day in a row.

Appointments to go to a take a look at website in England ran out about seven hours after the web site opened on Sunday, a lot later than within the earlier two days.

Areas remained accessible in Scotland all through the day. Key staff in Wales and Northern Eire can not presently ebook checks on-line.

These too in poor health to journey also needs to be capable to order house kits – though numbers are restricted. On Sunday morning house kits have been now not accessible inside 15 minutes of the positioning reopening at 08:00 BST.