UK coronavirus: Hancock hints at review of family lockdown fines as Tory revolt over Cummings grows — as it happened

That’s it for today from me on the UK side.

Thank you so much to everybody who got in touch throughout the day with tips and comments, and to everyone who thanked the Guardian for its coverage. It’s safe to say my inbox has never been so ram packed as it’s been today and, while it’s impossible to reply to everyone, it’s clear how much recent events have resonated with you and every message is hugely appreciated.

I hope you’ll join us again tomorrow as we continue to cover these important stories. In the meantime, you can follow the Guardian’s worldwide coverage of the pandemic on the global live blog.

• A government minister has resigned and nearly 40 Conservative MPs, including the former attorney general Jeremy Wright, as well as the Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw, have called for Dominic Cummings to go, as pressure continues to mount on the top adviser to resign. The junior Scottish minister, Douglas Ross resigned from the government over its continued support for Cummings. Ross said the way that Cummings had interpreted the lockdown rules was at odds with the vast majority of the public who followed them. The prime minister’s key aide was defended this morning by the Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and at the daily press briefing by the health secretary Matt Hancock, who maintained his explanation had shown that he acted within the guidelines. A growing number of Tory MPs, however, disagree and have revolted against the government, calling for Cummings to either resign or be sacked.
• Westminster Opposition parties, bar Labour, penned a joint letter to the prime minister calling for Cummings to go. The leaders said in the letter, which was also sent to Patrick Vallance who chairs Sage, that the issue transcended politics and Cumming’s behaviour is “a matter of public health”. The letter urged Boris Johnson to restore trust and clarity to public health messaging by sacking his key adviser.
• Matt Hancock said the government would review the fines imposed on families travelling during lockdown for childcare purposes. The pledge was made following a question from a member of the public at the daily press conference, which put Hancock on the spot. The government then said Hancock had not announced a review, but that he had said he would pass on the concerns to colleagues.
• Matt Hancock described a new trial of the Remdesivir drug as “the biggest step forward” in treatment since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. The anti-viral drug was used during the Ebola outbreak, and the health secretary said early data suggests it can shorten recovery time from Covid-19 by four days.
• The UK’s death toll passed 37,000, rising by 134 to 37,048. The ONS figure, however, which includes all deaths where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate – so, both confirmed or suspected cases – is 42,173 deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales were recorded to 15 May (registered up to 23 May). That is more than 30% higher than the DHSC total, which only includes deaths where a person has tested positive.

26 May 202013.16 EDT

Jamie Grierson

There are nearly 300 more confirmed cases of Covid-19 among prison staff than previously thought, the Ministry of Justice has revealed.

Due to a change in reporting of cases among prison staff, and an additional evaluation, there were 873 workers who had tested positive for the coronavirus as of 1pm on Tuesday, compared to 573 recorded as positive in the last update as of 5pm Thursday.

There are now confirmed Covid-19 cases among staff at 104 prisons, nearly 90% of the 117 jails in England and Wales. The previous update revealed cases in 77 jails.

The figures do not represent live cases and the MoJ said the higher figure should not be interpreted as a rise in the previous total provided, adding that the overall declining trend in new cases continues.

The number of confirmed cases of the virus among prisoners is 445 across 77 prisons, a nearly 2% rise in five days.

The number of cases and deaths in prisons have been much lower than expected in part due to the highly restrictive regime introduced in March, which means prisoners are spending less than an hour of their day out of their cells.

Q. Cumbria is among the hardest hit areas, what tools will you give local authorities to deal with any future regional or local flare-ups?

Q. How will you ensure healthcare staff don’t face future risk as a result of PPE that was not fit-tested?

Hancock says on second checking, some PPE items that were put in the stockpile had to be withdrawn as they didn’t meet requirements.

He says he’s told that clinicians said the risk was low in those settings.

Newton adds there are national resources, eg the contact tracing system and the app, as well as regional and local ones, eg councils.

The whole of civic society needs to be involved as we’re all affected by it, he says.

Q. Can you ask people/families with no symptoms to self-isolate when the people giving the orders aren’t following them?

Hancock says it’s important people play their part in the test and trace programme.

People are doing this for their loved ones, he says.

If you’re phoned up and asked to self-isolate because you’ve been in close contact with someone who’s tested positive, it’s your civic duty to then self-isolate for yourself, your community and your family, he says.

This will allow us to start lifting blanket measures, he adds.

Q. How important is it to the success of the test and trace project that people obey the instructions they’re given to the letter and to the spirit?

Q. Can people follow their instincts to interpret the guidance given to them by contact tracers?

Hancock says the programme will be incredibly important in trying to move to a system of more targeted lockdown, e.g. local lockdowns if there are flare-ups, isolating individuals.

Newton says it’s very important but it must work alongside physical distancing measures and basic hygiene.

Clear instructions will be given – they will phrased as instructions, rather than advice – and we do expect people to follow them, he adds.

Q. According to a poll conducted after that press conference, 71% of the public believe Dominic Cummings broke the lockdown. Are you saying they misunderstood those rules and if so, does that mean you failed drafting them?

Q. Would you now advise people to use that discretion or is that discretion just for people who work in Downing Street?

Hancock says it’s incredibly important that people follow the guidelines.

He says the guidelines say that if you have adults who are unable to look after a child that is an exceptional circumstance.

Therefore, Cummings’ explanation was within the guidelines, though reasonable people may disagree, he says.

He moves swiftly on with no follow-up.

Q. 71% of people disagree with you and think Dominic Cummings did break the rules and confidence in the government has plummeted 20 points in four days. How much does this loss of confidence worry you?

Q. What do you say to people who think you are risking people’s health to save one adviser?

Hancock says he understands and regrets the anger that people feel, and that Cummings has said he should have got the facts out earlier.

He says it’s entirely reasonable for people to disagree with what happened.

He’s here to focus on and drive forward all the other important things that need to be done, he says.

He moves swiftly on without allowing a follow-up.

Q. You and your wife both tested positive for Covid-19 and you have three young children. What’s the relevant difference between you and Dominic Cummings?

Hancock says he had childcare readily available at home; Cummings didn’t.

He moves swiftly on with no follow-up given.

They are taking questions from journalists now.

Q. Nearly 40 of your colleagues believe the PM’s top adviser let the country down. Do you feel that way, or at least see why they do?

Hancock says Cummings set out all the details on this yesterday.

What he did was within the guidelines, though he can understand why reasonable people would disagree, he says.

The guidelines allow for exceptional circumstances in the case of a small child, he says, so he acted within the guidelines.

Q. Do you accept that it’s damaging the government’s credibility and undermining the message?

Hancock says it’s incredibly important people keep their resolve and play their part by acting responsibly both for themselves and for their community.

Ellie from Kent asks if people can start to shop for non-essential items and kids can return to school, why can’t we visit another household who we know have been self-isolating.

Hancock says he understands people’s yearning to see loved ones, but it’s difficult to know where the virus has passed from and to. They are looking at how to do this in a safe way, he says.

Newton says if social distancing measures are being implemented properly, the risk of transmission is low.

Whereas, the risk within households is highest, he says, so the advice has to be different.

The gradual increase in contact will get us all back to normal, but everything has risk attached to it, he adds.

They are taking questions from members of the public now.

Martin from Brighton asks whether the government will review all penalty fines imposed on families travelling for childcare purposes during lockdown.

It’s a very good question, Hancock says.

They understand the impact and need for adequate childcare, one of the significant concerns they’ve had during this time, he says.

He says he will discuss with Treasury colleagues and write to Martin with a full answer and commits to making an announcement on this topic.

Prof Newton is going through the slides now.

There is a small trend upwards in car use, commensurate with the gradual easing of lockdown, he says.

The numbers of tests are fluctuating on a day-to-day basis as is expected, he says.

The seven-day rolling average in confirmed cases is trending downwards, which is promising, he says.

The number of admissions to hospital with Covid-19 is 471, down from 639, the lowest number since this data started being collected on 20 March, Newton says.

The number of patients on mechanical ventilators is also falling steadily, he says.

There is a steady, although slow, decline being seen all over the country, he says.

The numbers of registered deaths with confirmed or suspected coronavirus are falling, he says, and 23% of Covid-related deaths have occurred in care homes.

R&D into treatments taking place across the UK is leading the world, Hancock says.

Not every project will bear fruit but every possible avenue will be explored, he says.

Hancock announces a new trial for selected NHS patients of an anti-viral drug called remdesivir.

There have already been some promising early results on coronavirus patients, with early data indicating it can shorten recovery time by around four days, he says.

Use of this treatment will be prioritised where it can give the greatest benefit, he adds.

This is the biggest step forward in treatment since the crisis began, he says.

He will provide an update on PPE and treatments, Hancock says.

Contracts have now been signed to manufacture 2m items of PPE in the UK, he says.

Around the world, deals have been signed with more than 100 suppliers, he adds.

There’s a long way to go but this is significant progress, he says.

Today’s figures from the ONS show the lowest levels of deaths from coronavirus in six weeks, Hancock says.

We can’t let up on this, he says.

The number of deaths is falling. We must keep our resolve.

The health secretary is speaking now.

He is joined by Prof John Newton, the government’s test and trace coordinator.

Hancock goes over the daily figures:

For the first time since the 18 March, yesterday there were no deaths from coronavirus recorded in Northern Ireland, Hancock says.

He pays tribute to the efforts of the public and health authorities in achieving this.

As the government grapples with a ministerial resignation and a growing Tory revolt – with more than 30 of its own MPs now calling for Dominic Cummings to resign – the health and social care secretary, Matt Hancock, will front this afternoon’s press conference, which is due to begin shortly.

26 May 202011.51 EDT

All pupils in Scotland to return to school on 11 August

Libby Brooks

All pupils in Scotland will return to schools on 11 August, to begin a new model of “blended” learning in school and at home, Scotland’s education secretary, John Swinney, has told the Holyrood parliament this afternoon.

He added that councils will be asked to expand the school estate by using community facilities and vacant office accommodation, to allow children to spend as much time with their friends as possible. He also acknowledged the difficulty of enforcing physical distancing between younger children, which would likewise be helped by offering more indoor space.

Recognising the difficulties faced by parents, Swinney said employers were being encouraged to allow working from home wherever possible – but didn’t really address how parents are expected to carry on long-term semi-home schooling alongside their own working commitments.

He confirmed that the Scottish government has ordered 25,000 laptops for disadvantaged children to support them with home-learning.