Yahoo News Hancock: Coronavirus lockdown should be eased at the same time for all parts of UK
Matt Hancock has said he would prefer if coronavirus social distancing measures were eased across all parts of the UK at the same time.
The UK is in its fifth week of social distancing restrictions, with the government announcing on April 17 that measures will be kept in place for “at least” another three weeks.
During the daily Downing Street press conference on Thursday night, it was suggested that London would be first to reopen as the capital is thought to be 2-3 weeks ahead in tackling the virus.
Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon also suggested the UK could be facing multiple lockdowns during the coronavirus outbreak.
However, on Friday morning, Hancock told the BBC: “So far we have moved as one United Kingdom and I think that has been a very good thing.
“It is my preference that we work together as one country, I think that is where the public has been during this.
“But I also respect the responsibilities that my devolved colleagues have got.”
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UK chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said he thought London was ahead of the rest of the country in suppressing the outbreak, and that in two or three weeks "you might expect to see some differences across the country".
He added that social distancing measures had reduced the rate of infection "dramatically".
The health secretary has often cited the government would start to ease restrictions once there was a steady decline in COVID-19 cases and deaths.
But he suggested there is no prospect of easing the lockdown yet, and that coronavirus cases need to drop substantially before the next phase of isolating infected people and their contacts can be truly effective.
Speaking to Radio 4’s Today programme: “Now that we’re at the peak, and we very much hope that things will start to slow down and, if and when they do, then the speed with which the number of new cases reduces will frankly will determine how long we need to keep the measures on and that is as yet unknown.”
The number of new cases is being tracked through hospital admissions, a new testing study in the community announced on Wednesday, and data that will be gathered from people coming forward for tests under an expansion of the testing programme, the health secretary said.
Through a process of mass testing and by isolating infected people and their contacts, ministers hope that future localised outbreaks of coronavirus can be kept under control.
Hancock has also announced plans to introduce contract tracing on a “large scale” as a way of easing coronavirus restrictions.
An app is currently being developed that could identify people who have been in proximity to a smartphone user who subsequently developed coronavirus symptoms. The NHS app would then tell them to self-isolate by using bluetooth technology.
The number of people who have died with coronavirus in UK hospitals rose by 638 to 18,738 as at 5pm on Thursday.
However, the total toll is likely to be several thousand higher when those who have died in care homes and the community are included.
