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Health Secretary Matt Hancock urged Boris Johnson to “give me a break” in a furious raid on the coronavirus crisis.
The dispute, which raises questions about the embattled future of the Minister’s Cabinet, may unfold as the Prime Minister prepares to use a televised address to the nation this afternoon to establish his road map to facilitate the national blockade.
His plans include the introduction of a five-stage alert system, similar to that used to highlight the risk of a terrorist attack, to signal the risk of infection in different parts of the country.
Matt Hancock (pictured) has asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ‘give him a break’ after a recent raid between the couple for the Secretary of Health’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
The prime minister will speak to the nation at 7pm on Sunday, describing his five-step exit plan outside the shutdown. This weekend, he is expected to announce that garden centers will be able to open as of Wednesday and will publish guidelines for working safer in offices.
While a Level One green alert would mean life will go on normally, a Level Five Red means the NHS is in critical condition and on the verge of being overwhelmed.
No. 10 is also gearing up to launch a new catchphrase: “stay alert, control the virus, save lives,” to replace the advice to stay home, indicating a gradual shift to a less draconian set of restrictions.
But the government will adopt a cautious approach after scientific advisers warned that Covid-19 is “destroying care homes.”
Hancock has repeatedly failed to meet the daily goals for protective gear, and 25 million glasses were found to be unsuitable for testing.
An increase in the R number, which measures how fast the virus is spreading, came in a “chilling report” from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) to the Cabinet.
A source said: “Sage says we are at the wrong step for R to return to where he was in March.”
Pressure on Hancock over his handling of the crisis intensified last night after it was discovered that more than 25 million protective goggles offered front-line NHS workers an inadequate defense against the deadly virus.
The latest in a series of shameful government flaws in personal protective equipment (PPE) came when leading sources suggested to The Mail on Sunday that Mr. Hancock was now living “on borrowed time” in the cabinet.
As a result of these struggles, the Health Secretary is believed to be ‘on borrowed time’ with ministers furious at these team mistakes
According to the British Standards Institute, 9.7 million of the 25 million Tiger Eye glasses that were purchased for the NHS will now have to be removed.
A source claimed that Boris Johnson had asked Mr. Hancock questions about his department’s control over the crisis, only for the Minister to plead: “That’s not fair, give me a break.”
The 25.6 million pairs of Tiger Eye glasses purchased for the NHS are not fit for purpose, according to the British Standards Institute: 15.9 million of them have already been distributed, and hospitals are now being told to remove the Remaining 9.7 million of use.
During another weekend of dramatic developments:
- Johnson is expected to confirm that garden centers will be able to open as of Wednesday and will issue guidelines for working safer in offices, but more severe fines of up to £ 3,000 for non-compliance with the rules.
- Airports and travel companies reacted furiously to plans to impose a two-week quarantine on anyone arriving in the country, including UK citizens returning from vacation
- The death toll in the UK increased by 346 to 31,587, including more than 200 health workers. Globally, there have been almost 4 million cases with more than 276,000 lives lost
- The ministers voiced suspicions that political opponents and union tycoons were colluding to block the reopening of schools until wage demands were met.
- Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced a £ 2 billion package to boost cycling and walking
- Actress Miriam Margolyes was furious at saying she expected Mr. Johnson to die of coronavirus.
Hancock’s spokesman said the ministers were “furious” about the bug with the glasses, which they said had been ordered by the Gordon Brown Labor Government in 2009.
A source from the Health Department called them “Gordon glasses” and added that they were purchased against the 2001 protection standards that were replaced at the time they were purchased. “Even a decade later, we still have to clear the mess from work,” added the source.
About 3 million eye protectors are used every day in hospitals, meaning more than eight days’ supply has been lost. But a Health Department spokesperson insisted that the NHS had enough stocks to be able to immediately stop using Tiger Eye glasses.
While more than eight days of eye shields were lost due to this mishap, a Health Department spokesperson maintains that the NHS has enough stock to stop wearing Tiger Eye glasses for now.
Tensions are believed to be high not only between the Health Secretary (left) and the Prime Minister (right), but also with the other powerful figures of the Conservative Government.
However, the latest fiasco of PPE will be detrimental to the Health Secretary, days after it became known that surgical gowns ordered from Turkey and shipped to the UK amid heavy fanfare did not meet British safety standards.
“The feeling is that Hancock is on borrowed time,” said a senior government source.
Fallen There have been fights with the most powerful government figures, from the Prime Minister down. Nothing will change immediately. But once we have beaten this thing, let’s hope it moves him. “
A source close to Mr. Hancock admitted that tensions had increased in the run-up to the deadline to reach a target of 100,000 tests per day, but said “the prime minister was highly praised for his performance.”
Despite Mr. Hancock’s cabinet status being clouded with doubts, a source close to the Health Secretary said the prime minister (above) is happy with the work being done by his right hand.
The UK has reported 31,587 coronavirus-related deaths during the pandemic, with more deaths recorded than any other country in Europe and second only to the United States in terms of global deaths
“We have been working incredibly well with the Prime Minister and the entire No. 10 team and have had nothing but full support from them,” added the source.
‘During the Cabinet, the Prime Minister praised Matt for doing an” incredible job in hellishly difficult circumstances. ” ’
Johnson will head to the country after leading a Cobra emergency committee meeting this afternoon.
A source No. 10 said: “This is a critical time, so after carefully evaluating the evidence, the Prime Minister will call for resolution from the public as we continue to do whatever it takes to defeat this devastating virus.”
Similar to how the Joint Terrorism Analysis Center and MI5 establish the level of terrorist threat, the Covid alert level will be established by medical and data experts working for a new “Joint Biosecurity Center”.
