NEARLY THERE
Matt Hancock suggests 4 out of 5 tests for lifting lockdown now met after huge PPE deal
BRITAIN has met four out of five tests for lifting the lockdown after sealing a huge PPE deal, Matt Hancock suggested tonight.
The Health Secretary said this evening that "significant progress" has been made on securing enough vital equipment to help keep Brits protected on the front line in hospitals and care homes.
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Boris Johnson has said five tests must be met in order to move into the next stage - including making sure there is enough PPE.
Stockpiles of protective equipment are back-up to safe levels – with a week’s worth of kit now in warehouses.
The Government has signed deals with more than 100 new manufacturers to “significantly boost” UK supplies, he revealed this evening.
The Health Secretary claims three months of stock has now been ordered to help protect frontline NHS and social care staff.
Mr Hancock says UK production has also been ramped up, with 2 billion pieces of kit set to be made in Britain.
Nearly 1.5 billion items of PPE have so far been delivered to the frontline during the Covid crisis.
"We are not simply keeping up with demand, we are now able to replenish our stockpiles," he said tonight.
"We have made significant progress."
He admitted that there were some issues with stockpiled goods of PPE "did not fit requirements" and the Government has "done the very best we can to tackle that".
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At the very start of the pandemic ministers struggled to get enough PPE to people on the frontline in NHS settings.
A global scramble for PPE meant Britain was fighting with countries around the world for access to enough protective equipment.
Some pieces of PPE can only be used once.
And gloves, masks and other equipment had to be flown in from overseas to get enough to keep running.
Some even failed UK safety tests and were unable to be used.
What are the five tests the UK needs to pass?
BORIS Johnson has said he expects the UK to be in a position to lift the lockdown from June 1.
He has already confirmed that three out of five tests have now been met.
1. NHS capacity to provide critical care and specialist treatment
This is an area that has already largely been met around the country, as hospitals begin to feel an ease of strain.
Field hospitals were set up to help them deal with this pressure, like the Nightingale Hospital at the London ExCel Arena, but these have mostly now all been stood down.
2. Sustained and consistent fall in daily deaths
The UK's daily death toll hit its peak on April 21 when nearly 1,200 people died in and out of hospital due to coronavirus.
But today just 134 people were reported to have died, a steady decline over the past few weeks.
3. Rate of infection decreasing to manageable levels
Ministers and health experts have used the national briefing to say that the numbers of deaths and cases is continuing to fall.
As long as that continues to be the case, tweaks can be made to lifting the lockdown from June 1.
4. Operational challenges such as testing and PPE and be able to meet future demand
This is one of the most pressing concerns at the moment with hospitals still looking to get their hands on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
NHS staff around the country have been pushing for the government to bring in more PPE, with some even needing to hold their breath and wear bin bags in their attempts to prevent from catching the virus.
But Mr Hancock now says that stockpiles are starting to be built up again, and enough equipment is in the bag to meet future demand.
5. Confident in changing the lockdown measures without a second peak to overwhelm the NHS
The final test is that the government and medical professionals must be certain that there will not be a risk of a second wave of infection, similar to that in Germany.
Professor Van-Tam said on May 4: "We have to be confident that the adjustments we contemplate are not going to risk a second peak of infections and this is really a matter of deep scientific discussion.
"It's one we are keeping under detailed scientific review as the days and weeks go by."
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Terrified NHS staff had told how they had to wear scuba masks, bin bags, kitchen aprons and even holding their breath to treat patients thanks to the "utter shambles" of the PPE crisis.
Nurses and doctors also use swim and ski goggles, out-of-date masks and put clinical waste bags on their heads and feet as they risk their lives to help virus victims.
Nearly half of doctors have had to find their own protective equipment or rely on donations, says a survey by the British Medical Association.
One health worker said the PPE shortage was "an utter shambles from start to finish".
But over time production has been ramped up and hospitals are now starting to build up stocks again.
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