What is the coronavirus? A coronavirus is a type of virus which can cause illness in animals and people. Viruses break into cells inside their host and use them to reproduce itself and disrupt the body’s normal functions. Coronaviruses are named after the Latin word ‘corona’, which means crown, because they are encased by a … Read more
Matt Hancock’s five-point plan to increase coronavirus testing to 100,000 per day Increase the number of swab tests being carried out by Public Health England labs and the NHS to 25,000 per day by the end of the month. Vastly expand the swab testing network using private sector retailers like Boots and Amazon, universities and … Read more
Responding on January 23 to mounting fears about the remorseless advance across the globe of coronavirus, Health Secretary Matt Hancock delivered a statement to the Commons. Even though deaths were inexorably rising in China, where the incurable killer originated, no cases had – yet – been discovered in Britain. Nevertheless, Mr Hancock sought to reassure … Read more
Along with millions of people around the world, Boris Johnson likes to Zoom. On Tuesday our Covid-19 stricken, self-isolating Prime Minister posted a photograph on Twitter showing a cabinet meeting he had conducted remotely, using Zoom, the video conferencing application. There on his desktop computer screen were all the senior members of his government — … Read more
Lockdown, what lockdown? London’s social scene might have been put on the backburner, but its movers and shakers are refusing to let the fun come to an end. Everyone from the Duchess of Cornwall to Health Secretary Matt Hancock and, reportedly, David Cameron is now socialising via Houseparty, the social network which allows group video … Read more
Ministers were accused of ‘complacence’ and snubbing offers of help from labs today as Boris Johnson struggles to get a grip on the UK’s coronavirus testing shambles. The government is desperately trying to ramp up the number of checks carried out, with experts warning that is the only way to end the lockdown threatening to … Read more
Piers Morgan blasts ‘tone deaf’ Matt Hancock and Michael Gove for ‘back-slapping’ each other on Twitter over new ventilators that ‘haven’t arrived’ on day UK suffered worst coronavirus deaths of 381 Health Secretary applauded arrival of ventilators for the NHS on Twitter Colleague Michael Gove congratulated him for his ‘great leadership’ amid crisis Piers Morgan … Read more
The UK gave up on containing the coronavirus outbreak ‘too soon’ because scientists assumed most people would become infected anyway, a leading expert has claimed. Devi Sridhar, professor of global public health at the Edinburgh University, said the assumption led officials to abandon measures that could help slow the pandemic. Those measures include mass testing and stringent contact … Read more
The heartbroken family of the first NHS worker to die from coronavirus have said that it he was ‘properly protected’ he might still be alive today amid a wave of criticism directed at the Government’s handling of Covid-19 tests. Dr Adil El Tayar, a working surgeon, died on Wednesday at West Middlesex University Hospital in … Read more
Ministers are being told to get a grip on coronavirus testing as the health secretary closes a loophole that left thousands of its unused and a vast NHS swabbing station stood deserted. Matt Hancock tonight intervened to end the embarrassing situation in which the number of tests carried out is short of capacity. A source … Read more