Nearly up to date now…

• Closure of Weston General Hospital shows critical need for test, trace, isolate system
• PM must terminate Cummings’ contract
• PM’s judgement now in question over Cummings

Closure of Weston General Hospital shows critical need for test, trace, isolate system

Responding to news that Weston General Hospital has been forced to close to new patients due to a high number of COVID-19 cases, Liberal Democrat Health, Wellbeing and Social Care spokesperson Munira Wilson said:

This outbreak demonstrates the incredibly urgent need for a comprehensive test, trace and isolate system. That is the only way to keep people safe. Testing at scale and effective contact tracing on the ground are essential if we are to prevent further widespread transmission of COVID-19, and ensure our NHS can continue to function.

Given that just yesterday the Prime Minister suggested he is looking to ease elements of the lockdown in the coming days, he must ensure that a robust test, trace, isolate system is up and running, ready to contain localised outbreaks wherever they emerge. That is the only way to monitor and halt the spread of this dreadful virus.

Ministers must be entirely transparent about how close we are to rolling out this kind of system across the country, and confirm whether measures to test, trace and isolate are already in place at Weston General Hospital to help contain this outbreak.

PM must terminate Cummings’ contract

Responding to Dominic Cummings’ press conference this afternoon, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

Countless people have lost loved ones and made enormous, heartbreaking sacrifices every single day since lockdown began.

Dominic Cummings has shown that these sacrifices by millions of people don’t matter to him. His refusal to have the decency to apologise is an insult to us all. It reveals the worst of his elitist arrogance.

The bond of trust between the Government and the people has well and truly been broken. The buck stops with the Prime Minister. By failing to act, he risks his Government’s ability to tackle this awful pandemic and keep people safe.

The Prime Minister must come clean about what he knows and terminate Dominic Cummings’ contract. It is now clearer than ever that, once we are through this crisis, there must also be an independent inquiry to review the Government’s actions.

PM’s judgement now in question over Cummings

Responding to today’s COVID-19 update from the Prime Minister, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

The Prime Minister’s own judgement is now in question. If he was really convinced by Dominic Cummings’ story, he is in a small minority and the public’s confidence in Boris Johnson’s handling of the coronavirus crisis will only fall further.

The Prime Minister ought to understand that the public want to see strong and clear leadership during this health crisis, but the Cummings scandal has heaped yet more confusion on the Government’s public health messaging.

As if to distract our attention, the Prime Minister has attempted to outline key steps beyond lockdown. Yet this requires a comprehensive test, trace and isolate strategy to be in place. That is the only way to keep people safe.

To get us through this crisis, and start to rebuild public trust, the Prime Minister must show leadership, terminate Cummings’ contract, and commit to an independent inquiry into the Government’s handling of this crisis.