Antibody tests to be rolled out across the country, says Hancock
Tests that determine whether someone has had Covid-19 will be rolled out “across the country”, the Health Secretary has said.
Matt Hancock
Hancock says ‘black lives matter’ as report shows Covid-19 risk to BAME people
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has insisted “black lives matter” as he published a new review which found black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people are at significantly higher risk of dying from Covid-19.
Frustration as staff on coronavirus test and trace project ‘have nothing to do’
A number of newly employed contact tracers have raised questions about the Government’s new programme for tracking coronavirus cases after reporting having nothing to do for days.
Joint Biosecurity Centre being pulled together as lockdown eases – Hancock
The Joint Biosecurity Centre – the body tasked with assessing the Covid-19 alert level – is not yet up and running, Matt Hancock has said.
Hancock defends test and trace system as thousands of pupils return to school
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has defended the Government’s test and trace system, as thousands of young children in England returned to primary school.
Human tracing important before app, says Matt Hancock
The NHS contact tracing app is not part of the new Test and Trace system at launch because human contact tracing measures need to be introduced first, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.
NHS Test and Trace system launches amid growing Tory anger at Cummings’ actions
People contacted as part of the new NHS Test and Trace system must stay at home, Matt Hancock has said, while continuing to defend Dominic Cummings for “acting within the guidelines”.
NHS Providers warns ‘key bits still to be built’ as test and trace begins
NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson has warned “very key bits” of the Government’s test and trace strategy are not yet in place as the scheme is set to begin.
Vicar tells of disappointment as Government confirms no lockdown fine review
A vicar has told of his disappointment as the Government confirmed there will be no review of lockdown fines handed to families travelling for childcare purposes.
Tory MPs ramp up pressure on Johnson over Cummings ‘lockdown breaches’
Conservative MPs have ramped up pressure on Boris Johnson to dispense with his top aide amid fresh allegations that Dominic Cummings broke lockdown rules more than once.
Dominic Cummings lockdown saga enters third day as ministers face further scrutiny
A fierce row over the actions of the Prime Minister’s top aide continues on Sunday as Dominic Cummings faces more allegations that he broke lockdown rules.
Cummings defends lockdown trip as ‘right’ following calls for PM’s aide to quit
Dominic Cummings has said he “behaved reasonably and legally” when he travelled from his London home to County Durham during the lockdown.
Key dates as Boris Johnson commits to testing and tracing strategy by June 1
A testing and tracing system considered essential for easing the current coronavirus lockdown will be up and running by June 1, Boris Johnson has announced.
Ministers defend handling of coronavirus in care homes amid stinging criticism
Ministers have sought to defend the Government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis in care homes amid accusations their pandemic planning was inadequate and focused on the NHS.
Covid-19: Government under fire over its handling of care home crisis
The head of care home providers has launched a stinging attack on the Government over its handling of the Covid-19 crisis as new figures suggest around 15,000 elderly residents have died with the virus.
Care home deaths under scrutiny as report suggests agency workers spread virus
Coronavirus in care homes will be thrust into the spotlight again amid reports ministers knew a month ago that temporary workers were helping spread the killer disease.
Everyone aged five and over with Covid-19 symptoms can get tested, Hancock says
Everyone aged five and over is now eligible to be tested for coronavirus if they are showing symptoms, which have been expanded to included a loss of taste or smell.
Clear testing strategy required rather than focus on targets, GPs warn
The Government needs to move away from an “arbitrary focus on numbers” to a clear testing strategy to prevent a second wave of coronavirus infections, the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) has warned.
Matt Hancock refuses to promise a pay rise for nurses
Matt Hancock has refused to commit to a pay rise for nurses after the coronavirus crisis, saying only he would fight for them to have “fair reward”.
Coronavirus tests for all care home staff and residents in England by early June
The Health Secretary has revealed that all care home residents and staff in England will be tested for coronavirus by early June as he outlined plans to a provide £600 million funding boost for the social care sector.
Niall Horan accuses Health Secretary of ‘major howler’ over coronavirus response
Niall Horan has accused Health Secretary Matt Hancock of being “smug and slippery” despite having committed a “major howler” in his response to coronavirus.
European Commission and Ryanair weigh in on UK plan to quarantine visitors
The European Commission and the boss of Ryanair have taken aim at the Government’s plans to quarantine visitors for at least two weeks upon their arrival in the UK.
Hancock says summer holidays abroad ‘unlikely’ despite Ryanair’s flights plan
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned that people are unlikely to be able to go on foreign holidays this summer, despite Ryanair planning to restore 40% of its flights from July.
Covid-19: Furlough scheme extension expected as UK death toll passes 40,000
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to announce an extension to the furlough scheme for workers as the UK death toll linked to Covid-19 passed 40,000.
UK was not prepared for worst-case pandemic scenario, leaked report reveals
A secret Whitehall document produced years before the coronavirus outbreak forecast the UK was ill-prepared to deal with a health pandemic, it has emerged.
Explanation demanded as Government misses test target for fourth consecutive day
Opposition leaders have demanded an explanation for the decline in coronavirus testing, after the Government missed its 100,000-a-day target for the fourth day in a row.
A timeline of UK coronavirus testing as Prime Minister sets new target
A new target to carry out 200,000 Covid-19 tests a day has been set by Boris Johnson.
Hancock: Misunderstandings on privacy of tracing app make virus fight harder
Misunderstandings about privacy issues with the UK’s contact tracing app make it harder to fight coronavirus, the Health Secretary has said.
No evidence that coronavirus was man-made in China – Health Secretary
The UK Government has not seen any evidence to suggest that Covid-19 is a man-made strain of coronavirus, the Health Secretary has confirmed.
Matt Hancock: UK has had to build testing capacity from scratch
The Health Secretary has claimed the UK is now a world leader in testing for Covid-19, as he conceded that capacity for checks has needed to be built up “almost from scratch” since the start of the outbreak.