BORIS Johnson has pinned his hopes for the UK's recovery from coronavirus on ten MILLION daily Covid tests.
The entire population of the UK could be tested in a week under Downing Street’s ambitious Operation Moonshot programme.
But critics have pointed out the £100bn programme costs almost as much as the NHS budget for England – and implementation could be impossible.
It comes as the PM bans groups larger than six people from meeting indoors.
The new rules mean family gatherings could have to be broken up as the two-households restriction has been scrapped, and any group of more than six people will be broken up – and could even be fined.
In his first press conference since July, the PM announced moves to ramp up enforcement of the tough rules to make sure everyone is following them – or they risk being slapped with fines of at least £100.
The PM also warned "Covid secure" marshalls would be marched out to check up on pubs and restaurants.
Follow our coronavirus blog for the latest news and updates…
-
TESTS COULD 'GIVE BRITS FREEDOM PASS'
More now on that last blog post.
Boris Johnson says a negative result would give Brits a “freedom pass” — allowing people to mingle like they did before Covid.
He said: “Through that Moonshot of daily testing – everybody gets a rapid turn-around test in the morning, 15 minutes later you know whether you are infectious or not.”
But he's admitted the plan will require a “giant, collaborative effort from government, business, public health professionals, scientists, logistics experts and many, many more”.
Image: PA
-
HOPES FOR RECOVERY PINNED ON 'MOONSHOT' PLAN
Boris Johnson has pinned his hopes for a 'new normal' in Britain on 'moonshot' daily Covid tests, it's understood.
Ten million daily tests will be dished out to get the UK back to the footie, theatre and friends' houses.
The entire population of the UK could be tested in a week under the ambitious plan.
Here's what you need to know.
Image: London News Pics
-
MORE PARLIAMENTARY SCRUTINY OF COVID POLICY NEEDED SAY MPS
Greater Parliamentary scrutiny is needed over powers brought in to deal with the coronavirus outbreak, MPs have said.
Ministers should also fast-track the setting-up of a public inquiry into how the Covid pandemic has been handled in order to ensure oversight of their actions, the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) said.
Issuing two reports regarding the pandemic, the committee insisted such moves would “improve outcomes and public confidence in Covid-19 restrictions”.
MPs said that “robust and timely” scrutiny of how the outbreak was dealt with over the past six months had been lacking, and clearer communications on lockdowns was needed.
As new restrictions were announced for England from next week, the committee said not enough oversight of policy had been given to MPs.
-
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS – BE IN THE KNOW
Get the latest coronavirus news, facts and figures from around the world – plus essential advice for you and your family.
To receive our Covid-19 newsletter in your inbox every tea time, sign up here.
To follow us on Facebook, simply 'Like' our Coronavirus page.
-
MASS TESTING PLANS COULD COST UP TO £100 BILLION – REPORTS
Ambitious mass testing plans that could keep hopes of Christmas parties alive would cost as much as £100 billion, according to reports.
Leaked documents seen by the BMJ suggest that the “Operation Moonshot” project – which would see millions of UK-wide tests carried out daily – could have a price tag close to that of the £114 billion budget given to NHS England in 2018/19.
Boris Johnson believes the scheme could help sport and entertainment venues reopen fully and allow people to socially mix in large groups again with on-the-day tests.
The Deputy chief medical officer, Dr Jenny Harries, said the success of Moonshot would depend on how it is handled.
She told ITV's Peston: “We do want to get back to as much normality as we can and any opportunity to do that through a new testing programme or using different testing technology is clearly a good thing to be following, but it's not quite as simple as just doing that.”
-
MAN FINED £1000 FOR NOT SELF-ISOLATING AND HOLDING HOUSE PARTY AFTER IBIZA TRIP
A Bolton man has been slapped with a £1,000 fine for not self-isolating upon returning from a holiday in Ibiza in which he time held a house party, according reports.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the man arrived in Bolton on 20 August from the Spanish island – which remains on the government's list of covid hotspots, requiring anyone returning from Spain to self-isolate for14 days.
After returning, the man left his home multiple times and even held a house party, according to Greater Manchester Police.
The incidents were reported to the police, and the man was stopped 'a few days later' by officers, when he was issued with the fine.
-
AUSTRALIA: VICTORIA CONFIRMS 51 NEW CASES, SEVEN FURTHER DEATHS
Australia's second most populous state of Victoria on Thursday reported 51 new cases and seven deaths from the novel coronavirus, compared with 76 cases and 11 deaths a day earlier.
The state, which is at the centre of Australia's coronavirus outbreak, has brought the daily rise in cases to double digits in recent days due to a strict lockdown after it touched highs of more than 700 in early August.
Victoria, home to one-quarter of Australia's 25 million population, now accounts for about 75% of the country's 26,516 COVID-19 cases and 90% of its 788 deaths.
-
DEPUTY CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER SAYS THERE ARE 'CLEAR PLANS' TO DEAL WITH POTENTIAL UNIVERSITY OUTBREAKS
The deputy chief medical officer for England, Dr Jenny Harries, said there were “clear plans” to deal with potential outbreaks in universities, as figures show spikes in cases within age groups between 17 and 29.
Speaking on the Peston show on ITV, she said: “There's been a lot of work with the Department for Education and higher education representatives with the universities and there are very clear plans in place including outbreak plans should there be any cases, but particularly on specific advice to students as they move potentially around the country or switch into different households.”
When asked whether a university could be placed in lockdown if there were outbreaks, she said: “In the same way we would look at any environment, whether it be a focus on a workplace or a domestic residence we've seen them in family units as well or in a street, if the university was an area where we had a number of different cases, we could see a chain of transmission, then health protection teams would be looking to try and contain that.”
-
HEATHROW BOSS URGES GOVERNMENT TO FAST TRACK SPEEDY COVID-19 TEST
Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye is urging the Government to fast track a Covid-19 test which gives results in 20 seconds.
It comes after the Prime Minister announced plans for mass testing under so-called Operation Moonshot, in which millions of people could be tested every day so they could “behave in a way that was exactly as in the world before Covid”.
The new Virolens test, which provides results in 20 seconds, launched on Wednesday following a three-week trial at Heathrow Airport.
The test has been developed by British start-up company iAbra and is about to embark on clinical trials in order for it to be certified for medical use.
-
EXPERTS RAISE CONCERNS OVER NEGATIVE TEST RESULTS IN OPERATION MOONSHOT
The Government's ambitious plans for mass testing under the so-called Operation Moonshot has been met with mixed reaction from the health and scientific community, with concerns raised over the implications of a negative test result.
Boris Johnson set out plans for millions of coronavirus tests to be carried out every day as a route back to a more normal life.
“In the near future we hope to start using testing to identify people who are negative, who don't have coronavirus, who are not infectious. So we can allow them to behave in a more normal way in the knowledge they can't infect anyone else with the virus,” the Prime Minister said at a Downing Street press briefing on Wednesday.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, council chair of the British Medical Association (BMA), said it is unclear how Operation Moonshot would work given the “huge problems” currently seen with lab capacity.
“And the notion of opening up society based on negative tests of those without symptoms needs to be approached with caution – both because of the high rate of 'false negatives' and the potential to miss those who are incubating the virus,” Dr Nagpaul added.
-
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS – BE IN THE KNOW
Get the latest coronavirus news, facts and figures from around the world – plus essential advice for you and your family.
To receive our Covid-19 newsletter in your inbox every tea time, sign up here.
To follow us on Facebook, simply 'Like' our Coronavirus page.
-
COVID CASES IN DUBLIN 'COULD DOUBLE EVERY 14 DAYS', WARNS PUBLIC HEALTH CHIEF
The number of coronavirus cases in Dublin could double every 14 days, public health chiefs have said.
And household and extended family transmission of the virus has been pinpointed.
Three further people have died from Covid-19 in Ireland, the Department of Health said.
Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said: “People are letting their guard down in social settings.”
The rate at which the infection is spreading in Dublin is estimated at about 1.4, epidemiologist Professor Philip Nolan said.
-
PM: COVID MARSHALS TO BE RECRUITED TO CRACK DOWN ON SOCIAL DISTANCING
“Covid-secure” marshals will be recruited to help in the enforcement of new stricter rules on social gatherings, the Prime Minister has said.
The new roles are part of a series of measures designed to slow the spread of coronavirus, with people in England banned from meeting in groups of more than six from Monday.
It is unclear specifically what role the new marshals will perform and what powers they will have.
But the Prime Minister said they will be based in town and city centres, where there are large numbers of bars and restaurants which will be restricted on group sizes from next week.
-
QUARANTINE CHECKS FOR TRAVELLERS ENTERING COUNTRY TO BE STEPPED UP, SAYS PM
Enforcement of quarantine rules for travellers entering the country will be stepped up, Boris Johnson has said.
The Border Force will take a more proactive role, the Prime Minister indicated.
Mr Johnson also said the passenger locator form for travelling to the UK would be simplified to make the situation clearer.
The Prime Minister told a Downing Street briefing on the coronavirus outbreak: “Border Force will step up enforcement efforts at the border to ensure arrivals are complying with the quarantine rules.”
He added: “We will simplify the passenger locator form needed for travelling to the UK and take measures to ensure these are completed and checked before departure.”
-
IRELAND: THREE MORE DIE FROM COVID-19
Three people with Covid-19 have died in Ireland.
Another 84 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed, the National Public Health Emergency Team said.
Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said he was concerned at the continued spread of the disease in Dublin.
Epidemiologist Professor Philip Nolan said in the past 14 days there have been 89 cases recorded in people aged over 75.
He added: “That is close to a trebling compared with the preceding fortnight.”
-
FRANCE RECORDS SECOND HIGHEST NUMBER OF NEW COVID CASES ON RECORD
French health authorities reported 8,577 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the second-highest number of daily additional infections on record since the disease started to spread in the country at the end of the winter.
The number of people in France who have died from COVID-19 infections increased by 30, to 30,794, after rise of 38 on Tuesday. The cumulative number of cases now totals 344,101.
-
ALCOHOL HARMS EXACERBATED BY CORONAVIRUS CRISIS, STUDY SUGGESTS
The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated problems associated with alcohol harms, according to a new report.
The Men and Alcohol study by Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) and the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS), launched on Wednesday, found the coronavirus crisis has made issues such as social isolation, mental health challenges and deprivation worse.
It said it seems “probable” the country is heading towards a period of economic downturn and further austerity.
The report warned this may lead to higher unemployment, precarious work, higher levels of deprivation and cuts to services, “all of which may contribute to greater alcohol harms”.
-
UNIVERSITIES MUST NOT SEND STUDENTS HOME IN EVENT OF COVID-19 OUTBREAK, SAYS PM
Boris Johnson has told universities not to send students home in the event of a coronavirus outbreak.
The Prime Minister pleaded with students not to socialise in groups of more than six when term starts.
Addressing a Downing Street press conference, Mr Johnson said the Department for Education (DfE) will issue updated guidance on how universities can remain open to students in a Covid-secure way.
This will include a “request not to send students home in the event of an outbreak so as to avoid spreading the virus across the country”, he said.
The Prime Minister's plea comes after scientific advisers warned significant outbreaks of coronavirus linked to universities are “highly likely” and they risk amplifying the transmission of the disease across the country.
-
DOWDEN: GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO 'PLAN FOR THE BEST'
Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, posted a statement on Twitter following the Prime Minister's press conference, maintaining the government were continuing to “plan for the best.”
“Further to the PM's announcement we are reviewing the list of proposed sports pilots ahead of 1 Oct, in light of the increased number of cases. Details of changes will be announced shortly,” Dowden said on Twitter.
“We are keeping under review further easements proposed from 1 Oct but no changes have been announced today – and we continue to plan for the best.
“As I said on Sunday and the PM confirmed today, work continues round the clock on the moonshot project with the ambition of having audiences back much closer to normal by Christmas.”
-
VALLANCE: OTHER COVID VACCINE TRIALS LIKELY TO BE PAUSED
Other COVID-19 vaccine trials are likely to be paused at some point, the British government's Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance has said.
He also described pause in the trial of an AstraZeneca vaccine as “not good” but a sensible step.
“I think you should expect in some of the other trials that you will see situations where things are paused and then restarted,” Vallance today's Downing Street conference.
“We need to make sure with these vaccines that they work, they work well enough, and they are safe,” he added.
-
“TO SUMMARISE”
ITV'S Paul Brand has offered a succinct summary of the press conference.
Writing on Twitter, he said: “Don't meet in groups of more than 6. If you do, you could be arrested & fined.
“No promise this will be over by Christmas.
“Way out of it is mass testing with 20-90 min tests So much of this now hangs on testing, with CSA suggesting no vaccine til next year”
-
PIERS MORGAN COMPLAINS OF LACK OF CLARITY OF MESSAGE
-
EVERYBODY NEEDS TO WORK TOGETHER, SAYS BORIS
Responding to Beth Rigby from Sky, Boris says that it is too early to say whether Christmas will be normal.
He said the Government are hopeful about “the rule of six” and he is also hoping the “moonshot” approach will work.
In order for sufficient progress to be made, Boris insists that everybody “must work together”.
-
PM 'HEARTBROKEN'
The Prime Minister says: “Of course I don't feel comfortable – it breaks my heart to insist on these restriction of families and grandparents.
“But I'm afraid people who are willing to take their health into their own hands are misunderstanding the situation. It's not just the risk to yourself – at any age you can be a vector for this disease.
“Young people are overwhelmingly getting it – but they are more than capable of giving it to the older generation.
“I'd love to show you evidence tat the disease has become less dangerous… but we've got to save lives.”
-
CHRISTMAS COULD BE SAVED BY PREGNANCY-STYLE TESTING, SAYS BORIS
Asked by Robert Peston whether Christmas is cancelled, Johnson says he is “still hopeful” that Brits can get “some aspects” of life back to normal by Christmas through a “moonshot of daily testing – everybody gets a pregnancy style test in the morning”.
Source: Read Full Article