Coronavirus: Boris Johnson to announce £3bn for NHS in second peak preparation
Boris Johnson will announce more than £3bn in extra winter NHS funding tomorrow to prepare hospitals for a potential second peak of coronavirus.
The Prime Minister will make the announcement at a press conference tomorrow, along with the news that the government will publish another chapter of its “roadmap” to exiting the Covid-19 lockdown.
He will also pledge to have coronavirus testing capacity reach 500,00 a day by October to ramp up the NHS track and trace programme.
The newly announced funding will mean extra beds are available in English hospitals for a potential second wave, while also being used to “to relieve winter pressures on A+E and emergency care”.
It comes after a new report from the Academy of Medical Sciences, which was commissioned by chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, warned of a potential second coronavirus peak if the government does not take action now.
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The report said that there could be a further 120,000 deaths from coronavirus from September to June next year if actions are not taken to reduce and keep down the Covid-19 rate of transmission, and bolster hospital resources.
“Thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of the British people, the virus is under control and we have eased restrictions in a cautious, phased way,” a Number 10 spokesperson said.
“But the Prime Minister is clear that now is not the time for complacency, and we must make sure our NHS is battle ready for winter.
“Tomorrow, he will set out a broad package of measures to protect against both a possible second wave, and to ease winter pressures and keep the public safe.”
The UK’s coronavirus official death toll is now at 45,119, making it one of the highest in the world.
Vallance told a parliamentary committee today that the UK’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has not achieved a good outcome.
Vallance told a parliamentary committee today that he thinks about why the UK has had so many deaths “a lot”, but added that the reason could be down to many factors.
Vallance also said that he was “sure” that mistakes had been made during the crisis, while adding that he recommended the UK’s lockdown be imposed up to a week earlier than it actually was.