Pressure is building on NHS hospitals, with a steep rise in the number of people needing urgent treatment for coronavirus, senior government advisers have said.
England’s deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, said that while cases are rising fastest in the North of England, it is of “concern” that they are “heating up” in more parts of the country compared with a week ago.
Speaking at a press briefing ahead of an announcement on further restrictions from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Prof Van-Tam said other regions are now following the North West of England pattern where the virus moved through the age bands, having started spiking among young people at first.
“There is the spread from those younger age groups into the 60-plus age group in the North West and the North East, and there are rates of change in the same places but also extending a little further south.”
This very concerning rise of infections and new restrictions come as Matt Hancock has come under fire for allegedly breaking the drinking curfew.
Piers Morgan demanded answers from Matt Hanock on Good Morning Britian this morning.
His comments come after the Mail on Sunday reported that the Health Secretary was seen drinking wine after the 10pm curfew.
Hancock denied claims he broke the government’s coronavirus drinking curfew by continuing to consume alcohol in the Commons bar after 10pm.
A senior Tory MP told the Mail on Sunday that Mr Hancock remained in the Smoking Room bar until at least 10.25pm on Monday.
It was also also reported Hancock arrived at the bar just before a 9.40pm vote, ordered a glass of white wine and joked: “The drinks are on me – but Public Health England are in charge of the payment methodology so I will not be paying anything.”
It was day 167 of the Government boycott of the Good Morning Britain. He said: :He also made this joke when he arrived at the bar: ‘the drinks are on me. Public Health England are in charge of the payment methodology so I will not be paying anything’.
“Is that your idea of funny, Health Secretary? You think the incompetence of your testing system, which will cost lives, is something to crack jokes about?
“In terms of your denial about this, I know who saw you, you were seen by a senior Tory MP who spoke to the Mail on Sunday.
“They said, ‘I know what wine is and I know what the time is’.”
Morgan continued: “He saw you back in there, he says. So is that Tory MP lying?
“Did you go back into that bar after you voted? Yes or no?
“There were other people in that bar, there were staff in that bar. Anybody else see him?
“We need some answers to this because if Matt Hancock is breaking the curfew rules, he’s got to resign. So these are important questions.”
