UK coronavirus live: England lockdown easing is premature, experts warn

An education union has called for the government to draw back from reopening primary schools in England from Monday.

National Education Union (NEU) joint general secretaries Kevin Courtney and Dr Mary Bousted spoke out after four members of the government’s Sage scientific advisory committee expressed concerns about the pace of easing of lockdown.

In a statement, they said:

This public break by four prominent members of the government’s Sage committee changes everything.

No one can now confidently assert that it is safe to open schools more widely from Monday.

All four of these independent members of Sage agree that there must be a lower number of cases and an efficient system of contact tracing working before there is a relaxation of lockdown measures. Both these measures are included in the NEU’s five tests.

Opening schools more widely runs the risk of increasing the R rate and therefore the level of risk to staff and to parents. That risk can only be mitigated if contact tracing is running successfully.

We have made that case strongly to government – and we have been supported by the BMA and by the Independent Sage group in our concerns.

Government replies that it is following the science. But this public break by senior members of Sage, including by the chair of the Nervtag committee, undermines that claim.

School leaders, their staff, and pupils’ families deserve better than this. Even at this late stage, we call on the government to draw back from wider opening of primary schools from Monday.

Instead we urge government to engage in talks with the profession and the unions, including the NEU, about how to open schools more widely once the contact tracing system is shown to be working.

Testing at a hospital that closed to new admissions because of a high number of coronavirus cases has found approximately 6% of staff are infected without showing symptoms.

Weston general hospital in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, stopped accepting new patients from 8am last Monday to maintain patient and staff safety.

All inpatients have been tested for Covid-19 and no new cases have been identified, the hospital said.

The majority of the 1,700 staff working at the hospital have been tested, with results indicating that approximately 6% are asymptomatic and infected.

Any members of staff who tested positive have self-isolated and it is hoped that those who have not yet been tested will be by the end of Saturday.

Dr William Oldfield, medical director at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS foundation trust, said:

The signs are encouraging. The results from our inpatient testing have identified no new cases of Covid-19, which suggests the actions we have taken to control the situation are working.

We will retest all our inpatients again next week, and if the results continue to show no new cases, this would indicate no in-hospital transmission of the infection.

We will also repeat testing of all staff at the hospital again next week. The results from this will indicate whether the staff working in the hospital are remaining free of infection.

We are continuing to safely discharge patients as appropriate when they no longer need our care, and as patients are discharged areas are being deep-cleaned to get the hospital ready to reopen.

In an interview with BBC Points West on Friday, Dr Oldfield said it was too early to say what the root cause of the outbreak was.

John Penrose, the MP for Weston-super-Mare, tweeted:

North Somerset council contacted all schools in the area, advising them to delay reopening until 8 June as a precautionary measure.

It said a comprehensive data set on the hospital outbreak and completed analysis on it was required before schools in North Somerset could reopen to wider groups of pupils.

NHS England has announced 146 more deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 26,529.

Of the 146 new deaths announced on Saturday:

• 20 occurred on 29 May
• 51 occurred on 28 May
• 14 occurred on 27 May

The figures also show 48 of these took place between 1 and 26 May, and the remaining 13 deaths occurred in April, with the earliest on 3 April.

NHS England releases updated figures each day showing the dates of every coronavirus-related death in hospitals in England, often including previously uncounted deaths that took place several days or even weeks ago. This is because of the time it takes for deaths to be confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19, for postmortem examinations to be processed and for data from the tests to be validated.

The figures published on Saturday by NHS England show 8 April continues to have the highest number for the most hospital deaths on a single day, with a current total of 893.

Northern Ireland has recorded one more Covid-related death since Friday, taking the total there to 522. And in the last 24 hours, another 13 individuals tested positive for Covid-19, bringing that tally to 4,709.

Public Health Wales has said a further 14 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of deaths in Wales to 1,331.

Another 86 people have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases there to 13,913.

Prof Robert West, a participant in the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B) which advises Sage, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, has echoed growing concerns among government advisers about the easing of lockdown and criticised the official response to Dominic Cummings’ travels.

Speaking in a personal capacity, he told PA:

The way that we’re moving to easing of this dreadful lockdown – but it has been working – at a time when we have still something like 8,000 infections a day, and we’re still looking at something in the region of probably 400 deaths a day, and before we have the track, trace and isolate system properly running.

Put all this together and you have a huge risk, and it’s not just me saying that, that there will be an increase in infection rates. Because we don’t have track and trace in place, we won’t know whether this easing of the lockdown has caused [an] increase in infections for some time, by which time it will be well under way, the second peak will be well under way.

He said the government was not taking its responsibilities for political leadership seriously and that the pandemic should be treated as a health crisis.

This should not be treated as a political crisis but as a health crisis. If you treat it as a political crisis it’s all about managing your reputation, if you treat it as a health crisis it’s about saving lives.

Asked whether he thought the behaviour of Dominic Cummings would have an impact on people sticking to the lockdown rules, the UCL scientist said: “when people see something like the Cummings affair… that’s not a recipe for trust.”

Trust in authority telling you to do things is very important when it comes to people adhering to those rules. This is going to become even more important as we move to a situation where it’s not everybody having to do it, it’s people who have drawn the short straw.

So they will be seeing other people out there being able to engage in activities which they can’t do for up to 14 days. People will feel really cheesed off about it and they must, absolutely must, feel that what they are doing they are doing it because it’s the right thing to do, so anyone who was in their position would do that.

Labour’s shadow health minister Justin Madders said:

It is crucial for all of us that the Government gets this right. Easing lockdown must be done as safely as possible. It will only work if there are effective, flexible and local systems in place that have the confidence of the public to ensure that we avoid a second peak of infections

The Conservative MP Anthony Mangnall has apologised for leaving the instruction “insert if there has been a bereavement” in an email to one of his constituents.

The words were left by mistake in a response to one of hundreds of emails Mangnall received about No 10 aide Dominic Cummings’ controversial lockdown trip to Durham in recent days.

An extract shared on social media of an email sent by the Totnes MP shows the third paragraph of his response read:

[Insert if there has been a bereavement: May I add my condolences to the recent loss of your family member.

The current situation has made the ability to mourn the passing of loved ones all the more difficult. I send my best wishes to you and your family.]

Mangnall, who was elected last year, has said he “shares many of the concerns” of his constituents regarding Cummings’ stay in Durham and would not have taken the same course of action himself, but did not call for his resignation.

He wrote in a statement on Facebook:

The anger and dissatisfaction at Mr Cummings’ behaviour is no surprise at all. Spending time defending an adviser is not a good use of time, especially given the many fears and concerns about people’s future and their livelihoods.

A “small number” of Extinction Rebellion protesters in central London have been arrested for breaching coronavirus regulations, with others issued fines.

The group said 150 people demonstrated on Parliament Square – keeping three metres apart from one another – against government incompetence and to demand a citizens’ assembly on the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

A spokesperson called into question the public health rationale behind the protesters being arrested for breaking Covid-19 regulations and not dispersing after being told to leave by police who were not wearing masks.

The political institutions we have in place are not fit to deal with the huge challenges in front of us, both Covid-19 and the climate crisis are interconnected and need to be dealt with in tandem if we’re going to secure our future. We need a citizens assembly now to redesign the way we live and let people decide how we move forward.

For police to arrest peaceful protestors distanced at 3m apart and wearing masks is ridiculous, especially as they were not socially distancing themselves or wearing masks, therefore putting people at risk.

Protests have also taken place in Bournemouth, Sheffield, Wellingborough, Birmingham, Worcester, Bristol and elsewhere.

The Labour deputy leader, Angela Rayner, has renewed calls for NHS staff to receive a pay rise after reported falls in nurses’ salaries of 8% based on the consumer prices index since the Tories came to power in 2010.

As lockdown is relaxed, many in the NHS are left reeling. In this powerful, unmissable read, palliative care doctor Rachel Clarke shares her experience working with patients with Covid-19 and her fears of a second wave.

An extract:

Sometimes I fret that most people don’t know how very close the NHS came to being overwhelmed this Easter – how we avoided the hellishness of Lombardy or New York City only by superhuman efforts.

I fear, too, that most people are unaware of how exhausted, stunned – shellshocked, even – some NHS staff and care workers are. How daunted we feel as we watch lockdown being relaxed before proper testing, tracing and isolation infrastructure are in place.

The deputy mayor of Liverpool has stepped down while an inquiry takes place into footage of a gathering in her garden during lockdown.

The city’s Labour group is investigating after video emerged on social media of at least 12 people at the home of Lynnie Hinnigan, where a number of chairs were laid out.

Councillor Hinnigan said that no party took place because of the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, and guests had just dropped off gifts in a surprise event for her 50th birthday, organised by her daughter.

She told the Liverpool Echo:

I really wasn’t aware that it was happening, it was genuinely a surprise.

Everyone is finding lockdown hard, not seeing family and friends, but everyone should still follow the rules, stay alert, stay safe and socially distance, which is exactly what I told my daughter and the reason I never left the house.

I am sorry if this has hurt anyone as it was never mine or my daughter’s intention.

Many other families in our city have struggled throughout this period. We still need to follow the guidance until we can meet face-to-face again.

The Labour group said Hinnigan had “voluntarily and temporarily” stepped down from her duties.

Some more upbeat news! Thousands of people have pledged to take up daily “random acts of wildness” throughout June, through a campaign by the Wildlife Trust.

With activities ranging from walking barefoot on the grass in a local park to making bird feeders, people are being encouraged to enjoy and appreciate a different aspect of nature on their doorsteps during the 30 days of June.

With so many simple joys to be had, here are some wonderful examples of what people will be doing to get closer to nature:

The Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, Munira Wilson, has said the decision by key members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) to go public with their concerns about easing lockdown measures shows “ministers are no longer following the science”.

Echoing the words of the mayor for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, (see 9.44am), the Twickenham MP said lifting lockdown seemed “premature”.

The test, trace, isolate system that we need to keep people safe is not yet fully functional.

The NHSX app is delayed for an unknown period. For seven days straight, the government has been unable to provide even basic data about the number of people tested.

On top of these failings, public health messaging has been badly undermined as people see it’s one rule for the Tory elite and another for everyone else.

Given this chaos, measures to lift lockdown appear premature.

The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced on Friday that the furlough scheme will come to an end at the end of October. From August, businesses will have to pay national insurance and pension contributions, then 10% of salaries in September, rising to 20% in October.

But the lack of protections for shielded workers is a “major missing piece” of the furlough scheme, according to Citizens Advice.

Analysis of around 2,000 of all employment cases Citizens Advice has seen since 14 April showed that more than 70% of those who are shielding or are at higher risk from coronavirus – such as those who are pregnant or have diabetes – were not furloughed.

Further research from the charity found that four in 10 (41%) of those in the shielded group have lost at least 20% of their income since the coronavirus outbreak began, more than a quarter (27%) have lost 60% of their income, and as many as one in 10 (12%) are working outside the home despite this potentially putting their health at risk.

Responding to the chancellor’s changes to the job retention scheme, Dame Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said:

The furlough scheme has protected millions of jobs and incomes, but the failure to give additional protection for the shielded group means there is still a major missing piece of the puzzle. Many in this group fear their jobs will be the first to go as the scheme starts to wind down.

One in 10 people who are clinically extremely vulnerable are continuing to work outside the home despite the risk to their health, and thousands more are struggling to make ends meet because they have been denied furlough. No one should face this impossible choice.

As long as the shielded group are asked to remain at home, they and those they live with should have a right to be furloughed and employers should be exempt from contributing to the cost of the scheme for these employees.

The UK government released more than 50 documents on Friday – including the minutes of 34 meetings of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage). The documents set out how scientists tracked – and reacted to – the pandemic. By mid-March, a sense of panic was setting in.

Good morning. Government advisers have voiced concerns that the easing of lockdown measures from Monday will come too soon and could cause a surge in the spread of coronavirus. The R level is currently between 0.7 and 0.9 and, with 8,000 new daily infections in England alone, they warn this is “a very high level of incidence”.

Prof John Edmunds, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has said the lifting of lockdown measures, at a time when the test, track and trace system has only been in place for a few days, is “risky”.

He told Sky News:

I think it’s risky for a couple of reasons. One, I think the reproduction number is only just below one and so there’s not a lot of room for manoeuvre and so small changes can put that reproduction number up above one.

I think the other more important thing is that we still have a lot of cases here in this country. The numbers of infections that we have is about 8,000 new infections every day in England alone.

Asked if he agreed with some fellow members of Sage that it was too soon to ease lockdown restrictions, Prof Peter Horby of the University of Oxford, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:

Actually, I do.

You know, we have still got 8,000 cases a day. We have been very successful in bringing it down, decreasing the numbers because of the social distancing.

But, you will have heard that the R level is between 0.7 and 0.9, so it’s only a bit below one, so we have got very little headroom, actually.

And, it’s really important that we use that headroom very wisely and we don’t lose control again.

The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said this morning he feels restrictions are being eased too soon.

He told the Today programme that, with the R number still quite high, easing the lockdown was “premature”. He said:

I think we have arrived at quite a dangerous moment. This is premature, this easing of the lockdown.

Test and trace is not fully operational and it should be, in my view, before these steps are taken.

The R number … is still quite high.

I’ll be taking you through all the latest coronavirus-related developments in the UK. Please do feel free to get in touch with me throughout the day as I work.

Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.com
Twitter: @lucy_campbell_