Matt Hancock defends Dominic Cummings as lockdown row continues
Health secretary Matt Hancock this afternoon defended Dominic Cummings despite growing pressure on the government over Boris Johnson’s chief aide’s decision to drive to Durham despite the lockdown measures.
Speaking at the government’s daily press conference, Hancock said that Cummings’ actions had been “within the guidelines”, saying that they allowed for exceptional circumstances such as childcare.
Despite Cummings’ explanation of his trip yesterday afternoon, the furore over his conduct has continued to grow.
Hancock’s remarks came as more than 30 Conservative MPs joined calls for the Prime Minister’s adviser to resign.
Junior Scotland minister Douglas Ross has also resigned due to the situation, saying that he could not tell angry constituents “in good faith” that they were wrong to be angry at the situation.
Cummings is facing calls to resign after a joint investigation by the Mirror and the Guardian revealed he, his wife and young son had travelled to his parents’ house in Durham in late March, when his wife developed coronavirus symptoms.
Earlier in the day, a poll showed that Johnson’s approval rating has plunged 20 per cent due to the furore over Cummings’ conduct.
And a YouGov poll found that 71 per cent of respondents believed that the aide’s trips had broken lockdown rules.
Hancock rejected suggestions that the government’s handling of the situation had weakened its coronavirus messaging.
One member of the public asked the health secretary whether the government would review all penalty fines imposed on families travelling for childcare purposes during lockdown as a result of the crisis.
‘Biggest step forward’ in disease treatment
He also announced that the NHS will begin a new trial of the antiviral drug Remdesivir as a potential treatment for coronavirus.
According to initial research, the drug, which is used also to treat conditions like Ebola and Mers, can shorten recovery time by four days, Hancock said.
He described the drug as “the biggest step forward in the treatment of coronavirus since the crisis began”.
In partnership with manufacturer Gilead Sciences, the NHS will provide the drug to those most likely to benefit from the drug.
The health secretary also announced that the government had signed contracts to manufacture 2bn items of PPE in the UK.
Hancock also said that 100 new deals had been signed with contractors around the world to make more supplies, including 3.7bn gloves.
Although he admitted that the UK had “much further to go” in terms of ensuring sufficient protective equipment for all health workers, he said that “significant progress” had been made.