Matt Hancock speech: What did the Health Secretary announce today, January 11?

MATT Hancock led the Government’s press conference today (January 11).

The Health Secretary chaired the conference and announced further details on how the Government plans to roll out its mass vaccination programme.

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What time was Matt Hancock's announcement?

Mr Hancock addressed the nation at 5pm today (January, 11, 2021). He was joined by NHS England director Professor Stephen Powis.

The Health Secretary led the press briefing from 10 Downing Street.

What did Matt Hancock say?

Health Secretary Matt Hancock opened the press conference by saying that the average number of deaths reported each day over the past week was 926.

He then said that the number of newly infected people was worryingly high. On Sunday, 46,169 positive cases of coronavirus were recorded across the whole of the UK, and 32,294 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus.

That's a rise of 22 percent on this time last week. And, the average number of deaths per day is 926.

He said: "The NHS, more than ever before, needs everyone to do something. And that something is to follow the rules."

"Stay at home, and please reduce all social contact that is not absolutely strictly necessary. That's what is needed: act like you have the virus."

Mr Hancock said that he wants Brits to experience "that great British summer", and that he's working as fast as he can to deliver the vaccine.

He added that the NHS has administered 2.6 million doses of the vaccine to 2.3 million people across the UK.

He said: "We have protected more people through vaccinations than all the other countries in Europe put together."

He then set out the details of the Government's vaccine strategy, which he said has "four parts to the plan".

The first part of the plan involves supply. Mr Hancock said that UK science is well equipped to produce vaccines because of work on MERS and Ebola. He said the Government has bought vaccines from foreign companies, but supply is the rate-limiting step.

The second part of the plan is prioritisation. The Health Secretary said that the top four priority groups account for 88 percent of the deaths from Covid, and that vaccinating those people first by Feb 15 will allow restrictions to be lifted.

The third part of the plan is location. Mr Hancock said that 96 per cent of people live within ten miles of a vaccination centre.

Finally, the fourth part of the plan is people. Mr Hancock said that the Government has recruited and trained 80,000 people to work in vaccination in the last few months.

He was joined by Professor Stephen Powis, who said the current wave is an "extremely serious moment for the country".

The NHS England director said: "We're seeing stubbornly high levels of infection, and unfortunately death to, which is the sadly inevitable consequence of the rapid spread of the virus in recent weeks."

"Hospitals throughout the country and are seeing significant and sustained pressure from those rising numbers of Covid-19 patients – even the Southwest has more people in hospital now than the entire country combined it at the end of September."