UK PM’S aide self-isolates with ‘symptoms’

LONDON: Dominic Cummings, the most senior aide to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is selfisolating after developing symptoms of Covid-19, even as a leading expert suggested that the number of cases in the UK may eventually be slowing down.

A Downing Street spokesman said Cummings has developed symptoms of Covid-19 over the weekend.

Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist from Imperial College on whose advice the government had decided to impose the ongoing three-week lockdown, said that the latest data showed signs that social distancing measures were beginning to work.

The “numbers of new hospital admissions today” seemed to be “slowing down”, Ferguson told BBC. The UK has reported 19,522 infections and 1,228 deaths.

Jenny Harries, England’s deputy chief medical officer , on Sunday suggested the UK may be subject to some form of lockdown measures for six months or longer, warning that the country could face a second wave of coronavirus infections if the restrictions are lifted too soon.

The government has said it will review in three weeks the lockdown steps it put in place last

Monday. Harries said it is too soon to know if they have had the desired effect of reducing the peak of the spread of the virus.

Britain has ordered 10,000 ventilators from a consortium of leading aerospace, engineering and Formula One racing companies which will start production this week in response to an urgent government call for industry to help save lives.

The 27-strong team, including Airbus, BAE Systems, Ford and Rolls-royce, have joined forces to ramp up production of a ventilator made by Smiths Group which supports those with complications from Covid-19.

The consortium, which also includes seven Formula One teams including Mclaren and Mercedes, said they had pulled staff off existing projects to meet the urgent need.

The government has deployed specialist units across departments to prevent the spread of misinformation about the virus. The effort is coordinated by the Rapid Response Unit, which is operating from 10, Downing Street and the cabinet office.

Further noting that some countries “use disinformation as a policy tool”, the UK government is stepping up efforts to share its assessment on coronavirus disinformation with international partners.