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  • good afternoon and thank you for joining us for our daily briefing in the fight against her.

  • I'm joined today by God to Jenny Harris, the deputy chief medical officer.

  • Professor Stephen Paris, the medical director of any dressing.

  • I like First Dick Jewel on the facts about the spread of Corbett 19 on the steps that were then taking in the battle against this fights.

  • 143,186 people have not been tested for the virus.

  • Off those 25,150 have tested positive and sadly, yesterday we recorded the highest single increase in the number of deaths as a result, called Monte 381 people don't meaning that of those hospitalized in the UK, the number who have passed away now totals 1789.

  • Every death is the loss of a loved, and our thoughts and prayers are with those who are grieving.

  • Overall, 10,767 people in England have been admitted to hospital with carpet 19 symptoms.

  • The largest number of those isn't long, with 3915 people in hospital care while in the Midlands.

  • The number of those hospitalized is now 1918 and accelerating upwards.

  • These numbers reinforce the vital importance of following the government's social distancing.

  • The more we respect contact, the more we slow the spread off the infection.

  • The more we can help the any chest, all the capacity needed to care for those most in need and that capacity is increasing.

  • Maur Any chest staff are returning to the front line on more testing is taking place to help those self I sleeping come back and to protect those working so hard in our hospitals and in social care.

  • But what the rate of testing is increasing, we must go further faster.

  • A critical constrict on the ability to rapidly increased testing capacity is the availability off the chemical re agents which unnecessary in the testing.

  • The prime minister and the houses are working the companies worldwide to ensure that we get the material.

  • We need to increase tests off all kinds, and that's what was increasing the number of stuff on the front line and the tests which protect we must also increase the capacity to provide oxygen to those worst affected by the disease.

  • We have just over 8000 ventilators deployed in any chest hospitals.

  • This number has increased since the epidemic.

  • Thanks to the hard work off any chest professionals, we need more.

  • That's why we have buying or ventilators from abroad, including from E U nations.

  • It's also why we're developing new sources of supply before the epidemic struck.

  • We have very little domestic manufacturer of ventilation.

  • But now back to the dedication of existing medical supply companies on the ingenuity of our manufacturing base.

  • We have existing models being produced in significantly greater numbers on new models coming on ST Orders of being placed with consortium led by forward Airbus, the Formula One racing teams including McClaren, Jiggy and Aerospace and Rolls Royce on Dyson's and I cannot.

  • This weekend, the first thousands of new ventilator devices will roll off the production on be delivered to the N.

  • H s next week.

  • From there they will be rapidly distributed to the front line and as I was increasing the capacity for ventilation which helps support those patients worst affected were also increasing the capacity to provide oxygen to affected patients.

  • As an hour there stage in the process off the disease, helping to avert.

  • We hope the deterioration off that condition.

  • A team led by UCL working with Mercedes Benz, will produce 10,000 new CPAP devices to support affected patients.

  • And a team from Oxford University are also developing related to technology and in our determination to prevent as many patients as possible seeing their condition worse, we're conducting rapid clinical trials on those drugs, including anti malaria's, which may be able to reduce the impact of covered 19 on Lucifer.

  • But even as we seek to explore every avenue, to slow the spread of the disease, to reduce its impact and to save lives unconscious of the sacrifices that so many comic, that's for my chances, economic packages and thanks to support people through a difficult time.

  • It's also why we're working so closely with the police in the devolved administrations to coordinate our response across the United Kingdom.

  • Great as I am to the thousands of dedicated public sector workers, cleaners and social workers, president, police officers, those in the royal mail and in our schools, a little.

  • Also, the leaders of the trade unions who represent in this united national effort.

  • We're also delivering food and prescription drugs dropped 1.5 million off the most vulnerable yourself are selecting for three months and we will do more to help working with the 3/4 of a 1,000,000 people who volunteered to help it this time.

  • Many are already heavily involved in local community support schemes.

  • We want to work two to ensure that we support not just the 1.5 most vulnerable to disease, but a ll those who need our help through this crisis.

  • Those without exception support those in tough economic circumstances.

  • Those who need the visible hand off French but the challenge.

  • That's why my Cabinet colleague George Eustice on the food and final minister Victoria Prentiss, will be leading work with food supplies, retailers, local authorities and voluntary groups to support our neighbors in need.

  • I also want to thank the men and women off the military.

  • You've stepped up their work.

  • It's part of the ongoing response to Corona virus.

  • Three aria Puma helicopters on ice station at Kinloss Barracks and modern.

  • These Pumas are working closely with Eunuch and a world that helicopter base that aria leaning in North Yorkshire drink requests for assistance from any chessboards trusts across Scotland.

  • That's no other name.

  • A second helicopter facility covers the Midlands and Southern, working out of the Aviation Task Force headquarters at Aria Benson and Oxygen Junik and well kept helicopters, normally based ari of sodium on R N A S Yokota respectively, supports the southern areas, and these helicopter facilities have been set up to support medical transport across Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

  • Tops Force is also available for generals such as moving equipment and personnel to where they're needed across the United Kingdom on the Kimmel Spaceport full of us.

  • The use of the R A F A 400 m transport aircraft working with a Scottish ambulance service to evacuate a critically ill patient from the Shetland Islands to Aberdeen to receive intensive care.

  • I'm deeply grateful for everyone in the all forces and in the public sector.

  • We're doing so much to help us in the fight against Kuroda virus and of course, ALS can continue to play our part in supporting them and the health service by staying at home, supporting the N hs and saving lives.

  • Now I want to ask Steven to run through the latest date from our Cabinet office Corona virus Fact fall Steve, Thank you.

  • So are incredible.

  • Staff in the N.

  • H s are working round the clock pulling out a ll the stops to prepare for the expected surge in patients with covert 19.

  • I saw that myself at the end a chest nightingale hospital in east London this morning on was completely bowled over by the work that's being done there from a standing start a week ago to a new hospital that will be ready to take patients later this week.

  • But as we have repeatedly said, and as you have just heard, N.

  • H s staff cannot do this on their own.

  • Yes, we can increase capacity, but we also need every body in the country every one of you to help by reducing the transmission of the virus.

  • Because it is by doing that that we will reduce the number of deaths on.

  • We will take the pressure off our hospital's on our health system.

  • On the charts that I'm about to show you will show you why that is so important.

  • So all the interventions a ll the instructions that the government had given based on the best possible scientific advice on dhe, similar to the approach being taken in.

  • Many countries around the world are designed to reduce social contact.

  • In other words, to reduce the chance that a virus, the virus, is passed from one person to another.

  • And by doing that, the spread of the virus reduces on dhe.

  • The number of infections reduces.

  • I'm pleased to say that the great British public are paying attention to that message on.

  • We see in many ways that that amount of social contact is now reducing.

  • So this first chart shows you an example of that transport.

  • And as you can see, the number of people using our transplant service is has reduced dramatically over the last few weeks.

  • So, for example, you can see in the light blue line that transport in London on the tube has decreased dramatically, which demonstrates that people are paying attention and understand the message we are giving.

  • And there are many other examples that show that that contact is being reduced as an ex chart shows that plays into an impact on the number of infections, so that's less social contact.

  • The less The chance is that the virus can move from one person to another, and that will, over time, reduce the number off infections that we are seeing.

  • The number of people testing positive and you can see here that we have had a rise in the number of U K cases.

  • But recently there is a little bit of a plateau now.

  • I think it's really important not to read too much into this, because it's early days.

  • We're not out of the woods were very much in the woods, and it's really important that we keep complying with those instructions.

  • But as you can see, the number of infections is not rising as rapidly as it waas.

  • So green shoots but only green shoots, and we must not be complacent, and we must not take off it off the pedal.

  • Now.

  • If inspections fall, as the next chart shows, that will also translate into fewer hospital admissions.

  • Horsemen admissions typically occur a week or two after an infection.

  • And remember, for the vast majority of people, Cove it 19 is a mild flu like illness, a heavy cold.

  • But for a small percentage of people, hospitalization is required now you can see here that the rate of hospitalization has been increasing on.

  • We would expect that at this stage in the epidemic.

  • But if those infections start to drop, then in the next few weeks, our hope is that the number of hospitalizations will also start to reduce.

  • Now, the good news here is that that line is not going up very steeply, but it is still rising.

  • We're not out of the woods.

  • We need to keep our foot on the pedal.

  • And as you can see, they're around 1/3 of the hospital Admissions are in London because, as we have said, and as we know, the infection is spreading more rapidly.

  • London on London is a bit ahead of the rest of the country.

  • In terms of this epidemic, now is the next chart shows, Um, hospitalization.

  • Unfortunately, some people hospitalized.

  • Dude, I every death is tragic, and we absolutely need to avoid many days.

  • It's possible by A ll playing our part s.

  • So what we want to see over time is a reduction in the number of deaths.

  • And you can see here a comparison of deaths in different countries and you can see maybe in the very light line in the middle that China over time was flattened at that particular line.

  • In other words, a number of deaths have reduced.

  • And so if we reduce the number of infections we will reduce the number of hospitalizations on, we will reduce the number of deaths, maybe some green shoots.

  • But the last thing I would want is a message to anybody that this is a time to take our foot off the pedal to not comply with the instructions, because this is not a short all.

  • As we said, this is going to take time, and it's important that we all stick with it.

  • Everybody.

  • Thank you.

  • Thank you very much.

  • Stephen will now go to our colleagues in the media to ask a series of questions.

  • On first we turn to you him off the BBC.

  • You Thank you.

  • Many N h s staff are saying that testing for them is not obviously available in their places of work.

  • No or somewhere accessible.

  • Even after pledges made by officials and ministers in recent weeks, it was a priority.

  • What do you say to them?

  • Well, we want to increase the number of tests.

  • We are increasing the number of tests I mentioned earlier that one of the constraints on our capacity to increased testing overall is supply of the specific re agents that specific chemicals that are needed in order to make sure that tests are reliable.

  • It's also the case, as I'm sure you're aware, but we've been working with the private sector on with academics on boots, for example, have increased the number off drive in centers for any chest in front line workers to be tested.

  • But I'll handle Steven first of all, so you're absolutely right here.

  • It's absolutely crucial that N.

  • H staffer testing.

  • As I've said before, That's for two reasons.

  • One, because those are who are self isolating because they have symptoms or are in household quarantine.

  • Because one of the household has symptoms, they may not have this virus.

  • It's still possible that they have another cold like illness.

  • And if we know that they taste negative or the relative test negative, then we can bring them back to work.

  • That's important, obviously, at a time when the duchess is under pressure and then secondly, if they have had the virus, then it is likely that once they get over wth e infection, they will be immune.

  • And that's really important to know is they come back to work.

  • So I'm really pleased to say that I was tasting ramps up.

  • It is producing the capacity to increase our tasting off staff.

  • We wrote to start a ll N HS trusts on Sunday to ask them to start to produce lists off the staff that are most key on that they would want to test first or the households that they would want to test and they are already doing that.

  • We are beginning to ramp up the testing off staff exactly as Simon Stevens promised on Friday when he was here.

  • Thank you.

  • Just to add to those comments, I think you will know that we've seen Stephen said ramping at the capacity within the N hs.

  • And we're heading towards 25,000 on that, I think we're up to about 12,700 so that's a steady increase over the last few days.

  • So that represents additional capacity.

  • There is we just mentioned, but there is off course and other elements of this, which is, if you are an old member of staff.

  • You do not want to be going into your hospital to be tested.

  • We want you to stay away on the really positive development there would be to ensure that our postal testing system is operational, because that will be much easier both to the staff that we would like to offer that Thio and in due course to other frontline workers on then potentially onto the public on that testing is ongoing.

  • A bit like the re agent thing, you have to make sure that the the time period of the postal sample doesn't allow for the virus to degrade.

  • As it goes through, we'll end up within an accurate test.

  • But there is a lot of testing going on for that at the moment.

  • And that will be, I think, a really helpful practical mechanism for him.

  • It's his staff to use, thank you very much.

  • I'll turn now to Robert Peston from ITV.

  • Roger, good afternoon, Good afternoon, three weeks off a week ago when the prime minister introduced those restrictions on our freedom of movement, he said it would take three weeks for us to know whether those restrictions would allow the N HS to cope.

  • Even hers talk today about green shoots.

  • Does that mean that you are more confident than you were at the N Hs?

  • Will Copan?

  • Could you just give us a sense of the data?

  • Gives you that confidence if you are a bit more confident and a couple of other quick things every day were deluged with statistics about how much protective equipment is in the system.

  • But equally everyday doctors come to me and they say they don't feel protected, are not getting the equipment.

  • Why is there that mismatch between the volume of equipment and it actually getting to people?

  • And then, finally, even if the Jess is better able to cope the backs we feared a few days ago, there are still record numbers of deaths in hospitals in a short space off time.

  • Are you expecting to give any new guidance to doctors about when it's appropriate to send somebody home to die because they are so frail?

  • That prospect off surviving in hospital is slim, and it is probably better for them and their families that they die with their loved ones.

  • Thank you, but let me try and in part at least the 1st 2 questions.

  • And then I'll ask Stephen and Jenny to come in.

  • Stephen is right that there are some signs, as a result, people observing social distancing, that we may be able to flatten the spread of infection.

  • But now is absolutely not the time for people to imagine that there could be any relax, ation or slackening.

  • This is a hopeful sign, but we must be a Steven pointed out, wary off over interpreting any individual days data, We must ensure that we maintain this united national effort in order to keep people safe.

  • That's the first thing.

  • So I just wanted to emphasize a Steven did that.

  • People's efforts, people sacrifices worth it.

  • They are making a difference.

  • But we must not let up on your point but personal protective equipment.

  • We know that hundreds of yesterday, just yesterday, hundreds of thousands of aprons, I protectors, respiratory masks, surgical masks and gloves reach the front line, and there is a 24 hour help line.

  • If any frontline, any chess work is concerned about not having that equipment that they need, they can call in order to make sure that people equipment can be delivered but are handed to Stephen to say a little bit more and then Jenny Steven.

  • So I honestly think it's too early to tell at the moment, and I very specifically used the term green shoots because they are just green shoots.

  • Andi Winter could come, and those green shoots could turn out to be No, the hopeful green shoots that we thought they might be, but I think the next week or two will be critical, a CZ we move through, Asai said.

  • In those charts, there are signs of Patrick Patrick.

  • Balance said yesterday that transmission in the community is reducing.

  • That's exactly what we would expect if the public comply with the measures to reduce social contact.

  • But there is a lag, as I described before, we see that in the number of hospital admissions and then in the number of deaths.

  • So I think the next week or two are going to be critical.

  • But this is a start of a battle.

  • We can stop this virus, but we're at the start on.

  • We mustn't let let let go of the measures and let go of everything that we're doing.

  • We have to keep the foot on the pedal.

  • As I said, No complacency.

  • I want to encourage the public that they are playing their part.

  • But I don't want to give the message that we need to do anything other than maintain our compliance with the instructions.

  • Everybody needs to do that because that is the only way.

  • That is the only way that we will get through this.

  • Thank you, Jenny.

  • I don't know if you want to address Robert's third question.

  • A sensitive question, obviously, about candy.

  • I'm happy to start on that one.

  • And also, I was going to contribute on on the peopie question which I might start with, if that's okay, s So I think if your question was quite interesting, actually, because the way that you posted around personal protective equipment it was very much about what people getting it and how did they feel about it?

  • And I think that is actually really critical.

  • So I think the first thing to say is the UK has always hard sufficient stocks today that it needs against its guidelines on those guidelines are amongst the best in the world.

  • The W H O actually produced a statement of the weekend very much supporting a guidance on that.

  • It's equivalent to Australia, Canada.

  • It's supported by European Society of Intensive Care, Onda Society, critical care medicine.

  • So there is a there is a strong evidence base around what we recommend.

  • I think there has been a lot of concern in the system about whether our guidance differed in any way.

  • And we are continuously reviewing that to the extent that we have asked the health and safety executive to have a look and they have produced a very positive guidance on that.

  • On equally there was a report, Patricia Green hell around face masks, which was also very supportive of the position we have.

  • So we are continuously checking.

  • Um, I think one of the issues have and I have to meet.

  • I stood here, I think about 10 days ago and said very probably optimistically.

  • Now, in the past, we've we've sold the peopie position.

  • So my apologies, because 48 hours later I think our distribution issue had popped back in again on DSO.

  • The distribution element has been a little bit tricky at times, and we have now taken ah whole strand of the logistics, including with the Army support actually out so that we are developing a UK position on that stock and distribution flow on the underlying critical point about this is that the PEOPIE should go to match where the critical clinical risk is.

  • So that doesn't matter whether you are a consultant in in any department or a Thomas Ilary care worker looking after a resident at home, you may not have the same peopie.

  • In fact, I would expect you not to have, but you're the peopIe that you have is proportionate to the risk exposure that you have.

  • That's really important.

  • So it doesn't matter where you are in the system.

  • So I think there have been some distribution issues we're developing an any system, so that will make it much easier for, for example, for care homes.

  • Thio have that.

  • But then I think I wanted also to address the second point, which is actually how people feel.

  • S o.

  • Steve and I almost certainly have colleagues, friends, family, working on the front line and are very attuned to how it feels.

  • Just a zit does the rest of the public this conf eel quite frightening at the moment.

  • And if you are continuously seeing patients coming through the door.

  • That is particularly the case.

  • So we're very attuned to this.

  • And what we have been doing over the last few days is reviewing our guidance to see if, although we're quite satisfied with the technical basis off it, if we could make some small tweaks.

  • If you like to ensure that people feel safer in what they're doing and we're addressing that over the current period, thank you.

  • Did you want to address Roberts about end of life care is obviously incredibly important.

  • I think one of the aims that we have tried to maintain throughout this by increasing the capacity of the N hs and also suppressing the virus and reducing the demand on the chest is to ensure that clinicians, doctors, nurses I could manage patients as they always do on manage end of life as they always do.

  • So I would expect end of life care to be just as good as it is in normal times.

  • Andi, I know that's something that are clinicians and hospitals and other health care facilities are thinking about very carefully.

  • Clearly with the additional impact of the virus, this particular virus.

  • We do need to think carefully about when people are discharged from hospital if they have had cove it.

  • And so we have issued specific guidance to assist in that discharge, for instance, is discharging into care homes.

  • So we've taken account of the fact that over and above all, no normal procedures.

  • We need to take account that we have.

  • Ah, new infectious disease.

  • Thank you very much.

  • Stephen and I want to turn to Charlotte Ivers off talk radio shot.

  • Thank you, Mr Go.

  • Germany on South Korea have been held up as examples of how to get this right.

  • How Woods You will describe the U.

  • K's response relative to that.

  • Better or worse on dhe.

  • If I may, Mr Go, can we expect to see tax rises in the next couple of years?

  • After all this is over?

  • Well, thank you, Charlotte.

  • Way long.

  • We learn from other countries.

  • We collaborate with other countries on dhe.

  • I think that it's certainly the case that different countries with different healthcare systems have approached dealing with the virus in overlapping, complimentary ways.

  • I think that one of the things I would say just observing it is that the any.

  • Chess has formidable resources and advantages.

  • The dedication of our staff, the fact that we can stand up a new hospital like any chest nightingale so quickly on the quality off the data on the scientific input that I see when I observe the work of dedicated any chess professionals and scientists.

  • Uh, well, I'm in a lot of it, so I think that we should be a lot of us grateful that we have the any chess and that we have the academic excellence that underpins it.

  • But of course we can on our learning from other nations in their approach to dealing with the with the virus.

  • On the question off the economic choices for the future, I think the most important thing to understand is that the chancellor has taken steps in order to ensure that we can put our arms around workers in order to ensure that they can feel confident about their future.

  • That's the best way of making sure that more people are kept on by employers that the economy can grow again in the future.

  • On that, the mixture of different instruments at the chancellor's disposal, including borrowing, are there in order to ensure that we can see future economic growth.

  • Tax decisions in the future will be a matter for the prime minister and for the chance to.

  • But on international comparisons, I didn't Steven presenting a few points about international comparison.

  • So firstly, there are differences between countries in how the virus has come to light.

  • So in some countries, for instance, Italy, where inordinately that was a very concentrated spread of the virus in a particular part of the country S O countries have responded in different ways, and the virus has emerged in different ways on we can learn things we can learn from that.

  • But it's no virus has no made manifest itself in exactly the same way in every country.

  • Second point is, Michael said, is that different countries have different health systems, and in fact, one of the great strengths of the N.

  • H s means that we are in a position to coordinate care very well.

  • So, for instance, in London at the moment, which is the part of the country under most pressure, hospitals can support each other.

  • It is possible to move equipment.

  • It's possible to move patients very easily on that because we have an integrated whole country health service, it is very used to doing that work together together very quickly.

  • But the final point I'd like to make is you do see different season approaches between country.

  • But the fundamental science underneath this and the fundamental objective of all the approaches, is to reduce the transmission rate.

  • So everything that you see in every country, including all the measures here, are designed to reduce the transmission rate.

  • It's very simple maths.

  • If one person infects to people on those two people, another two, then the virus increases at a very fast exponential rate.

  • If we avoid contact with each other on for instance, for every two people one person is infected, then it will very rapidly decline.

  • That is the fundamental approach every country is taking in the measures that they take.

  • So you may see subtlety in the difference off the exact majors.

  • But the objective is exactly the same to reduce the spread of the virus.

  • Thank you, Jay.

  • So you're just adding a little bit of detail for that.

  • Perhaps on the epidemiology.

  • I think you were mentioning South career in Germany, so South Korea was a very particular example in a way in the sense that it had a very significant outbreak in two locations on, in fact, the way that it deals with that has been the same that we would deal, for example, with an outbreak in a care home.

  • We are still very much contact tracing in detail those outbreaks to contain them.

  • It was a very unusual event.

  • I think they have had 162 deaths for 9786 cases, and that's probably not too dissimilar a balance to the UK figures, actually at the moment, but I'll come back to that.

  • Germany is very interesting.

  • They've had 62,285 confirmed cases 590 overnight but significantly fewer deaths at the moment.

  • But I think what I wanted to use this example for is just to show how difficult it is to compare countries, because in the German testing system, the proportion of the population that have been tested is considered the skewed towards the younger end.

  • Now, in due course, it's very likely that older people will come through their system as well.

  • On Dhe, we really need Thio.

  • We will not be able to answer this question, to be honest until right at the end of the outbreak.

  • If we look back in the years time, we will be able to compare who we tested, what the demographic of the population was, how many people of what age.

  • The different geography is on the difference testing principles.

  • But it is not possible to do that at the moment.

  • But I think just to reassure viewers, we have looked particularly.

  • We always want to learn from other countries on.

  • A colleague of mine has spoken directly with the epidemiologist at the Robert Cock Institute in Germany to ensure that we are of statement said, using comparable techniques on that we're not missing anything that we could be applying here.

  • Thank you.

  • Charlotte will turn out to Jason Groves of the Daily Mail.

  • Jason, thank you device in the death toll today.

  • Shocking.

  • Can you give us any idea off when the heat might come and how much worse that there still might get?

  • In the meantime, on testing, you all seem to agree that we need more testing.

  • You said there's a global problem, but Germany's testing 70,000 were struggling.

  • Test 10,000 day.

  • Why are we doing so badly?

  • And do we ultimately want to move to a system of community testing to get out of this look bad situation?

  • I think you're absolutely right.

  • The increase in the number off deaths is deeply fucking disturbing.

  • Moving on.

  • That's one of the reasons why a Stephen wanted out earlier.

  • It's so important.

  • People maintain the social distancing measures in order to improve and increase the resilience off the any chest and to slow the spread of the disease.

  • We've been asked before When the peak will come.

  • Well, there's not a fixed moment in time.

  • It's not a fixed date like Easter when you know people come.

  • It depends on the actions of alls.

  • We can delay that, Pete.

  • We can flatten the curve through our own particular actions on on testing.

  • It is important you're absolutely right that we increase the number of tests.

  • And that's why tthe e international work Prime Minister of health secretary A leading is so important.

  • But I'll just ask Stephen and Jenny to see a little bit about some of the testing comparisons which may or may not be valid, and some of them are perhaps more eliminating Steven.

  • So maybe on the deaths, eso debts numbers will vary from day today, and I think what's important is to look over a number of days rather than from one day to the next.

  • For instance, over the last few days we've seen a decrease s.

  • So I think it's important to look at a series of days rather than an individual day.

  • But as I said earlier on the sequence off progress that we will make here is that we will likely see a reduction in the number of infections first, followed by a reduction in the number of hospitalizations, probably a week or two later on.

  • Then finally, a reduction in the number of debt because that clearly isa sequenced infection, hospitalization and then, unfortunately for some death.

  • So So I expect that we will still see, unfortunately, a rise in deaths because that is, that is the indicate the major that unfortunately, we will turn around last eso, as I said earlier on the infections that on the rate of transmission green shoots.

  • But those green shoots will take a while if they persist to translate into reduction in hospital admissions and deaths on I Think maybe Jen, you can take the testing question.

  • So I think the important thing is we want to be testing where it is useful and otherwise.

  • It's a wasted effort on dhe.

  • We definitely want to be doing more testing.

  • But you mentioned community testing.

  • We have excellent community testing in this country.

  • That's how we manage normal outbreaks and were very successful and internationally renowned for that.

  • Onda.

  • We have applied community testing very robustly on containment during the containment phase on.

  • I know this can be quite difficult for people Thio understand when you say you're switching to a different mechanism, it's not that we are not testing.

  • What we're doing is focusing on using testing for clinical care is a priority, which I think people understand completely on.

  • Then secondly, around getting out front, I'm workers and actually then everybody back into safe work at the moment.

  • If you remember the public and you tested positive, you would not be taking any different action to the action that we are asking you to do currently.

  • If we send a clinical team at to test you at your home, we will be using capacity we could be using in the health service.

  • But the test that I refer to in an earlier question around a postal test which we are trying thio ensure is a robust test to use would be extremely useful both for our health service workers getting families back, running again from their isolation on bond to understand the epidemiology of the disease.

  • But I think we're also need to be back on this.

  • It's the Have you got it?

  • And have you had it test?

  • Because the have you had it test is actually the secret to your answer about the lock down element.

  • If we know how many people have already had it, we will understand the proportion of the population that could still get it on.

  • That gives us the clue to a number of things.

  • For example, if we are able to develop vaccines going forward, we would know how many people we needed to immunize.

  • If we are going to take locked down measures off, we can model to say.

  • Actually, we know this proportion of the population is still likely to get the disease.

  • So what happens to our second spike potentially if we take them off.

  • So those tests are just as important.

  • And at the moment we have started a number of tests at the Public Health England facility is one on then other scientists working in testing cohorts of people, groups of people which are age specified, if you like, so that we can get to start to get a good idea of how many people in the population have had it and then extrapolate that number out.

  • So So we get a picture for the whole whole country.

  • So that actually is more of a clue in many ways to managing the end of the outbreak.

  • And when we can take the locks off, thank you very much.

  • And he will not turn to Hugo guy from the I.

  • You could thank.

  • You prefer Professor Powers?

  • Can you give us any more information about the N.

  • H.

  • S Is critical care capacity.

  • There any figures available about on to what extent that capacity has been killed so far?

  • Toe what extent that capacity will be filled?

  • Do we still expect that demand will stay within the testes capacity on dhe?

  • Are there any issues on specifically the question off how quickly people can come out of intensive care once they go in way.

  • Still satisfied that all these figures, all those models are working in the right way so that the N H s can stay within capacity throughout the whole out.

  • Thank you good.

  • Yes, so Asai said earlier, Our plan is to increase capacity, and in particular, to increase capacity or beds that could be used for patients for individual to be to be ventilated so that he's put on a ventilator machine to support the they're breathing on DDE.

  • That is what we'd be doing over the last a month or so.

  • That is what we will continue to do so if I give you London as an example, because London is wth e part of the country that is most under pressure at the moment.

  • Typically, we have around 700 critical care beds in London on our first search is being to double lows up to 1400.

  • So we are increasing every day.

  • We are well above 1000 now.

  • We haven't reached that surge capacity within the hospitals of 1400 on the number off people on critical care in London.

  • He's still below that number now.

  • Of course, we have patients on intensive care critical care unit to have conditions other than covert 19 and it's important that we maintain and we are maintaining wth e beds for those patients.

  • Although as we have stepped down elective surgery, that also gives us more capacity because in complex elective surgery, people can require intensive care.

  • Bates.

  • So, as I said a few days ago and it is still the case, the pressure is building on London.

  • We are seeing increases every day, but we still have headroom, and we still have surge capacity to move into.

  • And of course, the Nightingale Hospital, East London is an additional facility where we have built a additional beds that could be used for ventilated patients that will be ready to come on stream later in the week.

  • Should we need to search out of our hospitals into the exhale into the in a chest nightingale.

  • And as you know, we have plans in Birmingham and Manchester for a similar model.

  • But the rest of the country eyes a little bit further behind, so we are within capacity.

  • Pressure is building if wth e measures that way have implemented work.

  • As I said earlier, then that will start to relieve the pressure, which is why it's so important.

  • We all keep to them.

  • Thank you very much, Stephen, and we'll turn now to talk or cry.

  • Item from the Daily Record Talk A long columns ago, Mr Gold, you talked about reducing contact, as the ministers do every day.

  • But at the dealing record, we get reports every day from employees in us to turn up for work at what most people would consider non essential industries.

  • This isn't just a London problem.

  • In Scotland, Canadians report construction and maintenance with maidens continues in shootings.

  • Cold centers tell her staff their workers essential.

  • We even of defense contractors continued to build precision guided weaponry, hardly life sitting in distance.

  • As the first minister said today, we can rebuild the economy, but we can't bring that lives.

  • So why are we continue to risk lives on the health of frontline?

  • Stop by allowing people to go to non essential jobs isn't a time for new guidelines on you should understand me at work on dhe 14 for Jenny Harvest crops last week.

  • We aren't healthy.

  • 21 you know, succumb to could provide us on today.

  • Sadly, we heard of the debt off our 19 year old, apparently with no underlying health problems.

  • Our young people wrong to think that could've I?

  • This is just something that affects people.

  • Thank you to Uncle.

  • I appreciate that when people are considering decisions about going to work, the one thing that they want to do is to know, Am I doing the right thing?

  • Well, we've stressed that wherever possible, people should work at home.

  • Now that's easier in some jobs, careers and professions than others.

  • But there are people who are going to work in construction and in manufacturing on in food production and supply, who contributing to making sure that the broader health and well being of the nation is maintained.

  • There's clear guidance on the importance of social distancing.

  • If it is the case that any employee feels that, for example, their work in a call center which can often be Michael's making sure that service is provided is not consistent with public health, England or other social distancing guidelines, I hope they get in touch with me, and indeed with your excellent newspaper, so weaken contacts to their employees, the vital importance of making sure that people are kept safe at work.

  • There are some rules which require people to work in the workplace, in manufacturing and elsewhere.

  • But social distancing rules should be followed wherever possible.

  • Bond.

  • No one should feel that they're unsafe work.

  • I'd also say that trade unions have an important role to play here in making sure that employers are aware of their responsibilities and obligations as well.

  • But J thank you and yes, I mean, how sad is it that them two very young people at the start of their lives have lost their life?

  • And I'm sure that has come a cz a huge shock to their families.

  • I think we have been clear that although the what we know about this disease is that in general, younger people are not having significant severe illness.

  • It is the case very sadly, and it is actually the case with flu, for example, though we perhaps don't communicate that frequently that young people can still be affected, I think in some of the and I don't wish to put in ages picture on this a ttle.

  • But I think because when you're younger you tend not to think of death, dying and that it's not something which is part of your usual consideration.

  • It is quite easy.

  • Perhaps Thio not think of yourself as a part of the risk or part of the affected group.

  • And so they are really sad reminders that it doesn't matter what age you are.

  • You should be staying at home and observing a ll the social distancing measures that we have highlighted on obviously for anybody, regardless of age.

  • If you are ill or if your self isolating and you don't start getting better after a few days, then you do need thio.

  • Consult Thio.

  • The medical service is 111 or 999 is an emergency.

  • Thank you very much.

  • Jenny, I'd like to thank Jenny and Steven very much indeed for joining me.

  • Thank you.

  • Thank you.

good afternoon and thank you for joining us for our daily briefing in the fight against her.

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