Prime Minister Boris Johnson to make urgent statement on Covid in Commons today

Boris Johnson will be making the ministerial statement on Covid not Matt Hancock, the government has announced.
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The leader of the House of Commons has tweeted that the Prime Minister will make the statement today not Matt Hancock.

He is due to make the statement at around 1.15pm.

The UK could see another 50,000 deaths from coronavirus, a scientist advising the Government has warned, as the Prime Minister said he was “deeply sorry” for every life lost.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives a press conference (Photo by Matt Dunham - WPA Pool/Getty Images)British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives a press conference (Photo by Matt Dunham - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives a press conference (Photo by Matt Dunham - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
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Boris Johnson insisted he takes “full responsibility” for the response to the pandemic and said “we did everything we could” to minimise suffering as the Government’s figure for coronavirus deaths passed 100,000. Separate data published by statistics agencies places the toll at 115,000.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the milestone was a “national tragedy” and accused the Government of being “behind the curve at every stage” in its response to the pandemic, ahead of grilling Mr Johnson during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.

Sage’s Professor Calum Semple said the UK should be braced for another 50,000 deaths from coronavirus, with many more people being scarred from Covid-19’s effects.

He told BBC Two’s Newsnight programme: “It would really not surprise me if we’re looking at another 40-50,000 deaths before this burns out.

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“The deaths on the way up are likely to be mirrored by the number of deaths on the way down in this wave.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel will set out further steps to the Commons today to ensure there is “less flow of individuals” into England to control new strains of coronavirus.