Coronavirus: UK not past peak but there are positive signs says Dominic Raab

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said there are some “positive signs” from the latest data that show the UK is “starting to win this struggle” against coronavirus but warned: “We are still not past the peak.”

Speaking at Monday’s Downing Street press conference, Mr Raab praised people for staying at home during the Easter weekend and added: “Our plan is working. Please stick with it and we’ll get through this crisis together.”

Mr Raab said: “At the end of last week we were concerned that people might start ignoring the advice or cutting corners given the temptation to go out into the sunshine.

“In fact the overwhelming majority of people stayed at home and understood the importance of doing so.

“By staying home this weekend, you’ve saved lives.

“Thank you, your efforts are making all the difference. And please keep them up - we’ve come too far, we’ve lost too many loved ones and we’ve sacrificed too much to ease up now.”

Mr Raab’s comments came after the hospital death toll passed 11,000 and Downing Street said the government’s Covid-19 testing regime was “heading in the right direction”.

Prime minister Boris Johnson’s official spokesman maintained the UK was still on course to carry out the government’s pledge of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of the month as he said 18,000 had been conducted in the 24 hours to Sunday morning.

The spokesman said there had been “significant progress” in the attempt to improve testing of frontline NHS workers, with nearly 43,000 staff and their families tested so far.

Latest figures from the Department of Health showed 14,506 tests on 10,745 people were carried out on Sunday, excluding data from Northern Ireland.

The government has come under pressure to increase testing of frontline health workers and, on April 3, health secretary Matt Hancock said around 1,500 staff were being tested daily.

On Monday, the PM’s spokesman said: “In terms of tests of NHS staff and their families, in the 24 hours up to 9am yesterday, 2,630 tests were carried out by commercial partners, which means those drive-through sites.

“And now, in total 42,812 NHS staff and their families have been tested in total, which marks significant progress on where we were a little over a week ago.”

The comments came as the Department of Health said 11,329 people had died in hospitals as of 5pm on Sunday, with many more expected in care homes.

It means the UK has more recorded deaths than any county except the US, Italy, Spain and France.

Mr Johnson’s spokesman said the prime minister had tested negative for coronavirus on leaving hospital following his admission to an intensive care unit and would follow medical advice on when to return to work.

A review of lockdown measures will take place by Thursday, the deadline set out in law.

Ministers have said they want to be sure the UK is past the peak of the outbreak before easing the restrictions, but 10 members of the Cabinet are reportedly urging lockdown conditions to be eased amid concerns about the impact on the economy.

Scientific advisers will meet on Tuesday ahead of the formal review.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who warned during his Budget last month that the UK risks falling into recession as a result of disruption caused by coronavirus, has injected £14billion from the coronavirus emergency response fund into the NHS and local authorities.