PARLIAMENTARIAN TELLS WESTMINSTER NEW COVID RESTRICTIONS MEAN MISSING THE BIG DAY

BUT AT LEAST THE COUPLE GET AN HONOURABLE MENTION BY HEALTH SECRETARY MATT HANCOCK DURING DEBATE ON TEST AND TRACE

ATHERSTONE MP Craig Tracey has had to stick by the Government Covid measures and miss his parents' golden wedding today.

But at least he was able to wish them a very special day during a parliamentary debate on test and tracing.

Edward and Joy Tracey's 50th anniversary celebrations got caught up in spiralling coronavirus cases across the UK which sparked a local lockdown in the north east including the Durham area where the couple live.

Up to 13 million people in the UK are now living under tightened new restrictions with numbers of new cases doubling every seven days.

The North Warwickshire MP asked Health Secretary Matt Hancock what was being done to improve the availability of testing so that "constituents in genuine need are able to access them".

He added: "I have been contacted by constituents struggling to get tested.

"I wonder what reassurances the Secretary of State can give them."

He explained he was due in the North East this weekend to celebrate his parents' anniversary but would have to make do by wishing them a happy day via Westminster.

Mr Hancock replied: "I am sure my honourable friend's family will be disappointed he won't be there but a mention in Hansard is something to make up for it.

"He rightly raises the challenges of getting tests but I can assure him we are working as hard as we possibly can to fix the problem

"There are tests available even though it is a problem to get hold of them. Those who do have symptoms should come forward and get a tests."

Meanwhile, ministers need to act "sooner rather than later" if they are to prevent a new surge in coronavirus cases leading to more deaths, a scientist has warned.

Professor Neil Ferguson – whose modelling led the Government to order the lockdown in March – said the UK is facing a "perfect storm" following the easing of controls over the summer.

His warning came as Boris Johnson spends the weekend in Downing Street considering new restrictions across England as the latest figures show new infections are doubling every week.

Ministers are thought to be looking at a temporary two-week "circuit break" in an attempt to break the chain of transmission.

The move could see pubs and restaurants ordered to close or face a 10pm curfew, while socialising between households could be banned.

Prof Ferguson said the Government needs to move swiftly rather than wait until the October half-term break, as some reports have suggested it is considering.

His comments came as new confirmed daily cases of coronavirus hit 4,422 – topping 4,000 for two consecutive days for the first time since early May. The UK figure is now 390,358.

North Warwickshire has now recorded 392 confirmed cases at a rate of 600.6 per 100,000 population. The Warwickshire total is 3,090 – up 25 since yesterday.

Yesterday's update of the rolling seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19 for every local authority area in England shows the figure for the district falling – with cases in the timeframe down from 12 to eight on the previous week. The rate per 100,000 people also fell from 18.4 to 12.3.

By comparison across the country Bolton has the highest rate of new cases – its 546 infections in the seven-day period being equivalent to 189.9 per 100,000 people. Hyndburn has the second highest rate, up from 96.2 to 144.4 with 117 new cases, and Preston is in third place, where the rate has risen from 106.9 to 139.0, with 199 new cases.

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics said its latest estimate "shows the number of infections has increased in recent weeks".

Overall, an average of 6,000 people in England per day were estimated to be newly infected with Covid-19 between September 4-10, almost double the 3,200 people per day from August 30 to September 5.

The figures do not include people staying in hospitals or care homes.

Across the globe there have been 30.94 million cases of the virus reported with the death tally now approaching one million people – at 960,213