UK coronavirus news: Britain unites again to applaud key workers on Covid frontline - as it happened

That’s it from me, Nadeem Badshah.

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Chancellor Rishi Sunak heralds a day of brighter developments.

From the man of the moment, Captain Tom Moore, marking his 100th birthday.

SNP leader Nicola sturgeon takes part in the nationwide applause.

Carrie Symonds, Boris Johnson’s fiancee who gave birth to a boy yesterday, has thanked the NHS and paid tribute to the fund-raising efforts of Captain Tom Moore.

England’s men’s and women’s football teams have given their thanks to health service and key workers.

Labour leader Keir Starmer has tweeted this tribute.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has posted a montage of tributes.

The Labour party has posted this message on Twitter.

Boris Johnson was outside 10 Downing Street to applaud NHS and key workers on his first week back to work after recovering from Covid-19.

Thousands of people across the UK are now applauding the NHS and key carers from their gardens, porches and drives with some holding placards and banging utensils.

The Shard is among the buildings which have turned blue to pay homage.

In ten minutes time, the UK will unite once again to applaud the NHS and key workers at 20:00 BST (19:00 GMT).

It is part of the Clap For Carers initiative which is now in its sixth week.

Police have issued a warning to Londoners ahead of the nationwide applause to remain in their homes.

Anyone gathering at the city’s landmarks will be told to go home, the Metropolitan Police said.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said: “Members of the public who are not away from their homes for one of the reasons outlined in the government’s emergency legislation should expect to be asked to return home.”

30 Apr 202014.10 EDT

Summary of the latest from today

Sarah Marsh

Hello all, we will be putting the blog on hold until 7.50pm (GMT). Below is a summary of the developments of the day. If you have any news tips or thoughts, please do share them with me.

• Boris Johnson said the UK did the “right thing at the right time”. Johnson says people should understand that the collating of data internationally is bedevilled with difficulties. The only real comparison will be possible at the end of this, when you look at total excess deaths. He said the UK avoided an “uncontrollable and catastrophic” epidemic that could have caused 500,000 deaths and that we were now “past the peak”.
• Following the lead of various world cities including Bogotá and Berlin, Manchester has announced plans to close part of one of its main streets to cars and widen the pavements along others in order to help people walk and cycle safely while maintaining physical distancing — and move towards a car-free future.
• There have now been 26,771 coronavirus deaths in the whole of the UK in all settings, an increase of 674 on yesterday. These figures are just for people who tested positive for coronavirus. They do not include people who may have died from coronavirus who were not tested.
• The UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has issued a stern warning that GCSE and A-level grade assessments this summer should not unfairly penalise children from minority ethnic minority backgrounds, as well as disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.
• More than 9,000 fines have been handed to people in England and Wales for allegedly flouting coronavirus lockdown laws, according to new figures. As PA Media reports, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said 8,877 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) had been recorded by forces in England between March 27 and April 27, while 299 were issued in Wales over the same period. Some 397 were for repeat offenders, with one person fined six times.

30 Apr 202014.01 EDT

Boris Johnson's press conference - Summary and analysis

Andrew Sparrow

Here are the main points from Boris Johnson’s press conference.

• Boris Johnson warned Britons that they could face an “even bigger” coronavirus outbreak if the government rushed or mishandled the relaxation of the lockdown. He made the point in an opening speech which, while not giving any firm details of the government’s plans, effectively paved the way for an announcement next week that seems likely to involve the lockdown being extended yet again in most significant respects. He made the point with a slightly confused Alpine metaphor. He said.

We have come through the peak.

Or rather we’ve come under what could have been a vast peak, as though we’ve been going through some huge alpine tunnel.

And we can now see the sunlight and pasture ahead of us.

And so it is vital that we do not now lose control and run slap into a second and even bigger mountain.

And so to avoid that disaster our fifth and final test is that nothing as I say we do should lift the R or the reproduction rate of that disease back above one.

Johnson then showed a video explaining the R number (the reproduction number - the rate at which a virus spreads) and why it was so important to keep this below 1. It was very hard to see the video as anything other than an attempt to explain the stringent social distancing measures will have to stay in place for a considerable time to come. You can watch it here.

• He said that the government would publish “a comprehensive plan” next week explaining how it would be possible to move away from the lockdown. The Scottish and Welsh governments have already published their own version, and Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has repeatedly called for a UK version. Johnson said:

I will be setting out a comprehensive plan next week to explain how we can get our economy moving, one, how we can get our children back to school, back into childcare, second, and third how we can travel to work and how we can make life in the workplace safer.

And in short how we can continue to suppress the disease and at the same time re-start the economy.

A huge amount of work has been going on on that that plan and as we produce it we are being guided by the science, and we will try to build the maximum political consensus as we produce it across all parties and across the UK.

But, in response to a question from a member of the public (Michelle from Cornwall), Johnson also said that that the plan would not commit the government to relaxing particular restrictions by particular dates. That would depend on the data, he said. Michelle wanted to know when holidaymakers would be able to return to Cornwall. Johnson was unable to give her any firm indication at all.

• Johnson said the government may find “ingenious ways” of suppressing coronavirus. He said:

We have to .. make sure we not only unlock the economy gradually, but also find ways of continuing to suppress the disease, and possibly find new, more ingenious ways of suppressing the disease. That’s what we are working on now and you’ll be seeing a lot more of that, I hope, next week.

Johnson did not elaborate on what he meant, but he may have given a clue in his answer to a question on face coverings.

• Johnson backed the wearing of face coverings by members of the public in some circumstances. He said.

What I think Sage [the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies] is saying, and what I certainly agree with, is that as part of coming out of the lockdown, I do think that face coverings will be useful both for epidemiological reasons but also for giving people confidence they can go back to work. But you’ll be hearing more about that thing next week.

The Scottish government has already backed the wearing of face coverings on public transport and in certain shops. Johnson’s words suggest the UK government is going to issue very similar advice.

• Johnson said the UK has passed the peak of the epidemic. He said:

I can confirm today for the first time that we are past the peak of this disease. We are past the peak and we are on the downward slope.

That was less significant than it sounded, because it has been clear for some time now that the UK has passed the peak. This week scientists said the peak for coronavirus deaths in English hospitals was passed on 8 April - 22 days ago.

• Johnson claimed that he did “the right thing at the right time” when it came to imposing the lockdown. He said:

I think it was completely right to make our period of lockdown coincide as far as we possibly could with the peak of the epidemic.

That peak, as I said just now, has passed. I do think that broadly speaking, and we’re learning lessons every day, but I do think that broadly speaking, we did the right thing at the right time.

This is is not a view shared my most members of the public; a poll today suggests two thirds of people think the lockdown was imposed too late. (See 1.01pm.)

• Johnson claimed that it would be best to wait until all-cause excess death figures are available for all countries before making a judgment as to which countries have been the best and the worst at fighting coronavirus. This is an argument also endorsed by government scientists, but Johnson sounded more defensive today than on Monday, when in his speech outside No 10 he was talking about the UK’s “apparent success”. As this chart illustrates, in terms of total coronavirus deaths, the UK now has the third most in the world, behind only the US and Italy.

• He claimed that he would not resort to austerity to manage the increased debt generated by this crisis. Asked if there would be a new era of austerity, he replied:

I think the economy will bounce back strongly, I think that this government will want to encourage that bounce back in all kinds of ways.

I’ve never particularly liked the term that you just used [austerity] to describe government economic policy and it’ll certainly not be part of our approach.

This might turn out to be more of an aspiration, or an insight into Johnson’s linguistic preferences, than a guide to his likely economic policy. As explained earlier, this crisis is set to leave a £200bn hole in the national finances this year. (See 4.20pm.)

• Johnson announced that a further 674 people have died from coronavirus, taking the UK total to 26,771. This counts coronavirus deaths in all settings. But it only includes people who have tested positive for the virus, and it is thought that the true death toll is much higher.

• He said 81,611 coronavirus tests were carried out yesterday. The government has set a target of getting testing up to 100,000 by today.

View image in fullscreen

The Department of Health has clarified the total number of UK coronavirus deaths is 26,771, and not 26,711 as prime minister Boris Johnson said in his press briefing earlier.