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Day 28: Key points from today's conference

Posted on April 2020 By Aaron Liffen

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Health Secretary Matt Hancock is joined by Public Health England medical director Yvonne Doyle for today's UK Coronavirus update.

737 new COVID-19 deaths have been recorded in the UK - taking the total above 10,000 since the crises began.

Key points to take away from today's speech are:

  • Mr Hancock hails the prime minister's discharge from hosptial as "great news" adding "I know that they have cared for him as they would care for anyone in this country", says a "proud".

  • Hancock reveals more than 42,000 NHS staff have been tested for coronavirus.

  • Yvonne Doyle, the medical director of NHS England, says the UK is "tracking" France and "close" to Italy in the global comparison of coronavirus deaths.



  • Health Secretary Matt Hancock says there are 2,295 spare critical care beds across Great Britain today, up by 150 from yesterday.

  • Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the government is working "very hard" to resolve the logistical challenges around getting personal protective equipment (PPE) out to those on the front line of the health service.

  • Mr Hancock on the subject of PPE states: "Until everybody gets the PPE they need, then we won't rest."

  • The health secretary announces a new NHS app to help trace those who potentially have contracted coronavirus. "If you become unwell with the symptoms of coronavirus, you can securely tell this new NHS app," "The app will then send an alert, anonymously, to other app users that you've been in significant contact with over the past few days, even before you had symptoms. So that they know and can act accordingly."

The overall amount of cases in the UK has now risen to 84,279, with that being 5,288 new cases since yesterday. Total number of deaths is now at 10,612.

To read a brief summary of last night's points and important measures click here.