The 100th Coronavirus press conference wasn’t much of a party

By Tim Le Couilliard

In what was a less feisty, less dramatic, less political, but more informative TV spectacle than last night’s Presidential debate, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his two most senior medical advisers delivered a press conference this afternoon. Accompanied by graphs and animations, as well as allowing questions from the public and the media, the conference was a general overview of the current status on the virus, and a plea for the population to “fight and defeat this virus; and this we are going to do.”

One observer has noted that this is the 100^th Coronavirus press conference – although it was not much of a celebration. Johnson began by solemnly reminding viewers that last week the estimation from the scientists is that the virus is doubling each week, and that due to these figures, the UK could expect many more deaths (50,000+…). When those figures were calculated, observant viewers will remember that they did not yet factor in the rules implemented in the previous few weeks (such as the Rule of Six, for example). Providing an update on this, Johnson stated that the measures, as well as the introduction of local lockdowns, were beginning to have their desired impacts, “but will take time to feed through.”

He cited figures that yesterday saw the highest number of new daily cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with more than 7,000 new cases in the UK announced for the second consecutive day. 71 people died yesterday and the same number today.

The graphs and animations unveiled by the scientists did show a rise in the cases of Covid-19; a disproportionately affected North compared to the rest of the country; and, rather concerningly, a particular rise amongst older people now becoming hospitalized. It was not quite as scaremongering as Whitty and Vallance’s duo appearance last week, but it was a concerning outlook none the less. “Things are definitely headed in the wrong direction,” Vallance said.

But, this time, we are better prepared, Johnson said, citing positive signs on testing, tracing, Nightingale Hospitals, PPE stockpiles and availability of mechanical ventilators. But progress requires us to follow rules and continue the “national effort, no matter how fed up we become.”

He also stated that he “would not hesitate” to reintroduce measures, but that he does not want to implement a second national lockdown. At one point in today’s conference, Johnson said that the months of March and April showed that the UK was capable of reducing the virus and the number of deaths and can “do it again” – but do bear in mind that that was peak lockdown, and back when it was, on the whole, adhered to.

The Prime Minister does not accept that the country could, or should, give up its efforts countering the virus, as “I don't think it's what the British people want. I don't think they want to throw in the sponge, they want to fight, and defeat this virus and this what we're going to do.”  He also signaled the return to more regular press conferences.

From now on, the government has promised it will consult Parliament if and when it intends to bring in “significant” regulations. Early today, the House of Commons voted to overwhelmingly support extending the government’s emergency coronavirus powers for another six months with the Coronavirus Act being renewed with a majority of 306.