Matt Hancock discusses possible coronavirus vaccine passports

Health Secretary Matt Hancock will be speaking from Downing Steet this afternoon, with another update on the latest Covid figures and restrictions. What time will he be speaking?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has recently revealed his plan to start easing some of the lockdown restrictions within a matter of weeks.

The UK still has the highest Covid death rate in the world, despite the fall in new cases.

Johnson said: “We’re looking at the data as it comes in, we’re looking at the rates of infection, as you know the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation predicts the most vulnerable will be vaccinated by February 15, but before then we’ll be looking at the potential of relaxing some measures.

“But don’t forget this country has made huge progress in reducing infection.

“I don’t think people want to see another big surge in infection.”

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What is Matt Hancock speaking today?

Hancock will be addressing the country from 5pm this afternoon, it’s been confirmed.

The Health Secretary is expected to update the public on the current vaccine rollout, as well as the plan to reduce some of the lockdown restrictions.

He’ll be joined by Public Health England’s Deputy Director of the National Infections Service, Dr Susan Hopkins, as well as Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, Dr Jenny Harries.

You can follow the press briefing by tuning into BBC News or Sky News from 4.55pm.

The Health Secretary has only returned to work earlier today, after self-isolating until Sunday January 24.

He was alerted by the UK’s Covid-19 app that he should remain at home, after coming into contact with someone that later tested positive.

Hancock said that self-isolating was “how we break the chains of transmission”.

He tweeted: “So you must follow these rules like I’m going to. I’ve got to work from home for the next six days, and together, by doing this, by following this, and all the other panoply of rules that we’ve had to put in place, we can get through this and beat this virus.”

Hancock’s update comes after more than 30,000 new coronavirus cases were identified on Sunday, although total infections have dropped by around 20 percent week-on-week.

More than 95,000 people have died from Covid since the start of the pandemic in the UK.

Last week, the Prime Minister revealed that the new coronavirus variant – which was first discovered in the southeast of England – appeared to be more deadly than the original strain.

It’s believed that the new Covid variant is also up to 70 percent more transmissible.

The earliest evidence from mathematicians suggested that the Covid variant has a higher mortality.

Experts compared the death rates of patients with either the old or new virus.

The Prime Minister told a Downing Street press briefing last week: “In addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant – the variant that was first identified in London and the south east – may be associated with a higher degree of mortality.

“It’s largely the impact of this new variant that means the NHS is under such intense pressure.”

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