UK Coronavirus Live: Hancock Consideres Using Rapid Testing for People Told to Self-Isolate | Policy

Back to the Commons Hancock states that mink farming was supposed to end in Europe in 2023. He says there are animal welfare reasons to oppose this practice. He certainly has his own views on this, he says (implying that he strongly disapproves). But he says there are now public health reasons to stop mink farming as well.

NAHT Cymru, the Welsh School Leaders’ Union said that despite the Welsh government’s announcement of the cancellation of exams in 2021 (see 12.11), it fears pupils will end up taking “exams in all but name”. Ruth Davies, its president, said:

We welcome the recognition that things need to be different in 2021, but there is a real concern that we will end up with exams in secret.

It has been announced that pupils will continue to take externally established and assessed tests, in the classroom only. We can’t see how that isn’t an exam.

There is still a lot of details to be worked out and we await further clarification, but we are concerned that we will end up with the exams in all but the name.

The same problems still exist that pupils may not be able to attend school that day and that exams will focus on areas that could not be taught. We cannot have a situation where pupils are assessed on teaching they simply have not had.

These come from the UK’s Covid-19 statistics website, with the latest data released today for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In a statement, Public Health Wales states that the number of positive cases in Wales is lower today than in recent days “due to a delay in reporting by Public Health Wales receiving data from non-NHS Wales laboratories”.

At the cabinet this morning the ministers received a briefing from the head of MI5, Ken McCallum, on the terrorist threat facing the UK. The Prime Minister’s spokesperson told reporters during the daily lobby briefing:

The government received an update on the threat level of terrorism in the UK from MI5 Director General Ken McCallum. This follows last week’s announcement that the threat of international terrorism has been increased from substantial, meaning an attack is likely, to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely.

The Director General reiterated that this is a precautionary measure and is not based on any specific threats. However, there is a risk that the recent attacks in France and Austria could have a galvanizing effect in other parts of Europe, including the UK.

Suzy Davies, the spokesman for conservative education in the Senedd (Welsh parliament), said it was a “pity” that A-level students in Wales do not have the opportunity to take exams next year. (See 12.11 pm.) He said:

The critical issue for me is that ratings are set externally and marked externally. This will give them some comparability to previous years’ exams and protect teachers from any accusations of unintended bias.

It is a pity that A-level students do not have the opportunity to take at least one exam. This will be the second year that the sixth former trainers and college students will not have the experience of taking exams when competing for college positions with others who have done so.

In a press release, the Department of Health and Social Care has published a comprehensive list of all areas of local authority in England (66 or 67 – used both numbers) that will receive weekly rapid test supplies.

Here is the list.

Barking and Dagenham
Bexley
Birmingham
Blackburn and Darwen
Blackpool
Bolton
Brent
Bristol
To bury
Calderdale
Camden
City of London
Durham County
Coventry
Darlington
Doncaster
Dudley
East Riding of Yorkshire
Enfield
Essex
Gateshead
Greenwich
Hackney
Stop abruptly
Hammersmith and Fulham
Hartlepool
Hertfordshire
Kingston upon Hull
Islington
Kensington and Chelsea
Kingston upon Thames
Knowsley
Lambeth
Lewisham
Luton
Manchester
Middlesbrough
Newcastle on Tyne
Newham
North Tyneside
Northumberland
Nottingham City
Nottinghamshire
Oldham
Redbridge
Redcar and Cleveland
Richmond upon Thames
Rochdale
Salford
Sefton
South Tyneside
Southwark
St Helen’s
Staffordshire
Stockport
Stockton-on-Tees
Sunderland
Tameside
Tower Hamlets
Trafford
Wakefield
Waltham Forest
Wandsworth
Warrington
Wigan
Wirral
Wolverhampton

Furthermore, Stoke on Trent, Liverpool and Lancashire have already carried out these tests.

Back to the Commons Apsana Begum (Lab) asks why BAME people are not given priority for the vaccine, as they are more at risk for coronavirus.

Hancock says the Joint Vaccination and Immunization Committee, which has produced guidance on this for the government, has looked into the matter in detail. But he concluded that age is the main risk factor.

In the Commons Munira Wilson (Lib Dem) asks if delays at the border after the Brexit transition could delay supplies of the vaccine, which is produced in Belgium. He says this could have serious effects because the virus must be kept at a very low temperature until just before being administered.

Hancock obviously says the government has considered this.