• All NHS and care staff in England will be offered a test, with patients and care residents eligible at their clinician’s request
• Accurate and reliable lab-based antibody tests will improve understanding and data on COVID-19
• Devolved administrations will decide who is eligible for tests in their jurisdictions

Antibody tests will be available to NHS and care staff, eligible patients and care residents in England to see if they have had coronavirus as part of a new national antibody testing programme announced by Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock.

Tests will be prioritised for NHS and care staff, and clinicians will be able to request them for patients in both hospital and social care settings if they deem it appropriate.

The new antibody testing programme, which will start next week, follows the substantial expansion of the UK’s swab testing capacity, which saw the creation of the country’s biggest network of diagnostic labs completed in record time. Swab testing confirms whether or not someone currently has the virus that causes COVID-19.

Under the new programme announced today, highly accurate laboratory based antibody tests will be used to tell whether someone has already had the virus, to provide accurate data about the antibodies they have developed in response. The information will help clinicians and scientists to better understand the prevalence of the virus in different regions across the country.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock said:

Today we have signed contracts to supply over 10 million tests from Roche and Abbott supply in the coming months. From next week, we will begin rolling these out in a phased way. At first, to health and care staff, patients and residents.

This is an important milestone and it represents further progress in our national testing programme. Knowing you have these antibodies will help us to understand in the future if you are at lower risk of catching coronavirus, dying from coronavirus and of transmitting coronavirus.

History has shown that understanding an enemy is fundamental to defeating it. In this latest fight, our ingenuity and our brilliant scientists and our scientific curiosity is what will keep us one step ahead of this virus. We all have something to bring though in this fight – one action every one of us can take is to follow the rules on hygiene and social distancing. Not just for you, but for your loved ones and for your community. So please, stay alert, control the virus and save lives.

Ten million tests so far have been secured in a landmark deal with industry, including Roche Diagnostics and Abbott Laboratories, and these will be rolled out over the coming months, with further agreements being negotiated with suppliers to supply millions of laboratory-based antibody tests.

A positive test result for antibodies, whichever test is used, does not currently mean that the person being tested is immune to COVID-19. There is also no firm evidence that the presence of antibodies means someone cannot be re-infected with the virus or will not pass it on to someone else. If someone tests positive, they still need to follow social distancing measures and appropriate use of PPE.

As previously announced, a Public Health England (PHE) study called SIREN is already underway to help answer these questions and establish whether antibodies indicate immunity to COVID-19. A sample of 10,000 healthcare workers are being tested to examine any potential immunity to the virus.

Professor John Newton, National Coordinator of the UK COVID-19 testing programme, said:

Our understanding of this virus will only continue to grow as new scientific evidence and studies emerge. This new national testing programme is a very important part of that work.

COVID-19 is a new disease, and our understanding of the body’s immune response to the virus that causes it is limited. Progress is being made every day, but we do not yet know how long immunity lasts, nor whether having antibodies means a person cannot transmit the virus to others. It is vital that everyone continues to follow social distancing measures, playing their part to halt the spread of infection.

SIREN study lead, Dr Susan Hopkins, said:

The results of this PHE study will be an important piece of the puzzle. We know people who have had COVID-19 produce antibodies in response but what we don’t know is whether this means they have immunity against future infection and how long that protection may last. Improving our understanding will be critical to future decisions about how best to control the spread of coronavirus.

Antibody tests require blood samples, which will be collected by trained staff and analysed by existing pathology labs across England. Data on the number of positive and negative cases will be reported to PHE.

Health and social care staff will be asked by their employer whether they want to have an antibody test. For NHS staff, the NHS in England has set up a network of regional CEOs to oversee this work. The NHS will use existing phlebotomy services and will set up more to ensure all staff can be tested.

For care staff, the testing programme will be rolled out in a phased way across regions in England. We will agree with local leaders the best place in the country to start the programme and we will work with them to decide how this is implemented. Social care staff will be tested using a separate phlebotomy service, which will be able to take blood at their place of work.

Patients who are already having blood taken as part of other tests will be asked whether they would like an antibody test.

Antibody testing will have a critical role to play in improving understanding about the level and duration of immunity following infection, and how the virus is spreading across the country.

The UK government is using its significant buying power to arrange supplies of tests on behalf of the devolved administrations, and each devolved nation is deciding how to use its test allocation and how testing will be prioritised and managed.

Research is underway to understand more about the prevalence of the virus among the UK population through a combination of blood and swab testing in addition to PHE’s immunity study. This is one of a range of surveillance studies under Pillar 4 of the Testing Strategy, including studies by the ONS, Imperial College and IPSOS MORI, and Biobank. This information will help the government manage the ongoing response to the pandemic.

Only lab-based antibody tests with CE marks that have been evaluated by Public Health England (PHE) and shown to provide reliable results will be used in the programme. The government has agreed contracts to supply tests with a number of suppliers and will continue to engage with other companies to establish further agreements.

The Public Health England study seeks to understand whether the presence of COVID antibodies protects people from future infection of COVID-19. Up to 10,000 healthcare workers will be studied for at least a year, with data collected recording history of infection and any new symptoms that appear during the course of the study.

Individuals will have nose and throat swabs and blood samples taken regularly to determine new acute infections and measure their antibody response. The study will provide vital information to help better understand the future impact of COVID-19 on the population.

Thank you, Mr President. Let me, if I might, thank our briefers – of course, to SRSG Swan and, if I might, to you as well, Jim commend your relentless professionalism and commitment in difficult circumstances. I also want to thank Ambassador Madeira and Director Marcaillou.

Mr President, in light of COVID-19, let me start by expressing our solidarity with Somalia in facing this global pandemic and commend Somalia for the measures they have taken to contain the spread of the virus. I also want to welcome the work of the United Nations in coordinating a coherent response between international organisations including the WFP, WHO, UNICEF and NGO partners.

We want to urge all partners to respond to Somalia’s COVID-19 Response Plan which calls for additional, aligned and coordinated funding. The United Kingdom gave $420 million in the last financial year to Somalia and in light of the response plan we are considering now what more we can do. And I would also just like to mention that today, the UK has announced a $25 million contribution to the African Union Fund, set up last month by President Ramaphosa to tackle COVID-19.

Mr President, despite the pandemic and the Secretary-General’s calls for a ceasefire, Al-Shabaab continues to launch attacks. We strongly condemn the recent attacks in Mogadishu, including against the UN, AMISOM and the international community. And I want to pay tribute to the ongoing commitment and sacrifices of AMISOM troop contributing countries and the efforts of the Somali Security Forces. I want to join UNMAS in their concern about the use of IEDs in Somalia. This is why this Council imposed a ban on IED components and it’s why we have recommended strengthening support on tackling IEDs in the AMISOM text.

Mr President, it is clear that COVID-19 poses significant challenges to Somalia. We need to recognise this. That this should not distract us from supporting Somalia to make the gains made and supporting Somalia on making progress on security, greater political engagement and elections.

On security reform, there has been important progress over the last year. Somalia has recovered additional territory from Al-Shabaab, trained Somali security forces, developed a threat assessment; and become a member of INTERPOL. There is now greater international engagement on the question of what security support in Somalia will look like after 2021. In March the UK supported a Wilton Park-convened conference in Ethiopia. In April the African Union and Somalia chaired a ministerial conference. We should build on this momentum.

Somalia has also started the process of updating the Somali Transition Plan. Rapid progress in updating and, above all, implementing the Transition Plan is vital if Somalia is to meet their own December 2021 deadline to take over lead responsibility for national security. The independent assessment, requested by this Council, will help us decide how best to support Somalia’s vision post-2021. Both the revised security strategy and the independent review should guide our decision making in a timely fashion.

Mr President, the long-term goals of a Somali political settlement, including One-Person-One-Vote elections and progress on the constitutional review, remain unchanged. We are seeing progress on technical preparations for elections and we welcome the UN’s efforts to enable Parliament to reconvene virtually and AMISOM’s support on security. It is vital that the Government, Parliament, Electoral Committee, Joint Parliamentary Committee, and Federal Member States work together and take urgent and inclusive steps to help facilitate timely, constitutional and inclusive One-Person-One-Vote elections.

There is no reason why COVID-19 should prevent the key preparatory work from taking place. This is the time for government and opposition to put aside differences and find compromise. Decisions on the electoral code, seat allocation, definition of constituencies, women’s quota and provisions for Somaliland and Benadir are needed urgently, and it is good to hear that we should see progress on these issues in the next few weeks.

Mr President, I want to express deep concern about recent actions taken to repress the media with arrests of journalists in Somalia. We welcome the recent positive steps to facilitate accurate reporting on COVID-19 by the Office of the Prime Minister. The media has a vital role to play in Somalia. We call for Somali journalists to be able to perform their work and we call also on Somali leaders to ensure the political space is kept open.

Mr President, reconciliation is central to Somalia’s state-building efforts. There has been some progress in Jubaland, South West State and Galmudug, but critical issues remain. We look to the Federal Government to drive forward reconciliation efforts and we need to see high-level political dialogue with the Federal Member States. This dialogue was urgent before and is even more urgent in the light of COVID-19. There is no room for division in the face of a common enemy.

In conclusion, Mr President, let me emphasise three points.

First, the importance of an enhanced and coordinated response to supporting Somalia in its fight against COVID-19. We should all do what we can.

Second, the importance of this Council, the United Nations, the region, the AU and the wider international community in continuing to support Somalia to achieve progress on holding timely One-Person-One-Vote elections and moving ahead on security reform. Somalia’s future security and development depends on continued progress.

And finally, I reiterate our call, the call that the Council has made many times, for the Federal Government and Federal Member States to work together to build a stronger and more peaceful Somalia.

Thank you, Mr President.

Thank you, Mr President. I join others in thanking USG DiCarlo for her briefing.

Mr President, today we have been convened to speak about what is essentially an independent operation by a rogue group of mercenaries in speedboats, not a threat to international peace and security. The United Kingdom rejects the ridiculous notion peddled by the Russian Federation that this incident was a US and Colombian supported attempt to assassinate Maduro and impose a substitute government, as the Maduro regime has alleged in its letter to the Security Council. It does, however, this discussion, give the Council a useful precedent in scrutinising such adventurism by others into sovereign territory in the future. And I, for one, welcome the Russian delegation’s condemnation of the violation of national sovereignty by mercenaries. We hope this means that they will themselves be changing the approach they take in Libya and elsewhere, as the Council heard earlier this week. Indeed, we were glad to hear many Council members defend territorial integrity and sovereignty, and we hope to hear similar sentiments, especially put as vehemently by the Russian delegation, when we discuss the illegal annexation of Crimea tomorrow.

For our part, we have seen no evidence that the US or Colombia were involved in this operation. To the contrary, both governments have taken steps to address the involvement of individuals from their countries. We welcome the US government’s announcement that it has begun investigations into the activities of Silvercorp, its owner Jordan Goudreau, and the failed operation. And we welcome the Colombian authorities’ launch of investigations into the incident. The opposition to any form of military intervention in Venezuela is a principle with which the UK firmly agrees.

But, Mr President, as we have said many times on this subject, the only positive way forward for Venezuela is through a negotiated, democratic and peaceful solution stemming from free and fair presidential elections in accordance with international norms. Such negotiations must be approached with a genuine will on both sides to constructively engage.

So far, we have seen the spirit of engagement on the side of interim President Juan Guaido, who has engaged in several dialogue initiatives, but not from the side of the Maduro regime; that was recently seen when they rejected the US democratic transition framework without considering its potential. Instead, in an attempt to divert attention from the humanitarian catastrophe, this regime has brought upon its own people by drawing the world’s attention to a small group of mercenaries who, it seems, were far from being put in a position to inflict serious harm on Maduro or his regime. So it is this behaviour, rather than failed adventurism, that worries us and on which should be focussed.

The Maduro regime has also used the COVID-19 crisis to divert the international community’s attention, focusing, for example, on the thousands of Venezuelans who have returned to their country in recent weeks. As USG DiCarlo told us, economic pressure on migrant communities grows. Rather than focusing on the five million who have left Venezuela with more than 1.8 million of them alone given a welcome in Colombia.

Maduro does everything in his power to draw attention away from the humanitarian crisis and the human rights violations he is perpetrating against his own people. The regime continues to repress the opposition, stifle media freedom and harass journalists and human rights defenders. And it is now failing to guarantee basic rights to those detained as part of this operation. So we call on the Maduro regime to treat these detainees and others in accordance with international human rights standards, including their access to family, to fair trial and to choose their own defense. And we further call on the regime to allow unhindered humanitarian access, as called for by Mr Lowcock, for all Venezuelans in need, and to depoliticise humanitarian aid.

This is a crucial time for the Venezuelan people, and the challenges they’ve already faced are being exacerbated by COVID-19. And finally, we call on the Maduro to constructively engage in dialogue as soon as possible so that the Venezuelan people can move forward in freedom and democracy. This is what they need and this is what they deserve.

Thank you, Mr President.

Good afternoon and welcome to Downing Street for the daily coronavirus briefing.

I’m joined by Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, and Professor John Newton, who is our adviser on test and trace.

Before I turn to the latest coronavirus data, I wanted to say something this Mental Health Awareness Week.

I know how difficult the change and uncertainty generated by this awful virus has been for so many people. So many moments of joy have been put on hold. Cherished milestones, important events and time with loved ones – things that were in the diary but can’t any longer.

So I want to say this to anyone who has been finding it hard.These are tough times. It is OK to be not OK. And it is normal to feel low, anxious, or unhappy sometimes.

But it is so important that if you think you need it, please seek help. If you want to talk to someone, please, go to the NHS – it is there for you.

And if you are a health or care worker, there is bespoke series of support so we can care for you just as you care for us – just text FRONTLINE to 85258.

Mental health charities are also offering some brilliant support too. Today I am providing a further 4.2 million pounds so organisations like Samaritans and Young Minds and Mental Health UK can keep on doing what they do best.

Everyone can strengthen their mental health, just in the same way as we keep an eye on our physical health, including when we are healthy.

And PHE’s Every Mind Matters campaign is something that every single person can engage with and can use to strengthen your mental health and wellbeing – in good times and in bad. So let’s all come together this Mental Health Awareness Week and support each other.

Turning to the daily figures…

We have now completed over 3 million tests for coronavirus. In total, 3,090,566 tests have been carried out in the UK, including 128,340 yesterday tests carried out yesterday.

250,908 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 2,615 cases since yesterday.

9,543 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus. That is a 14% fall from the same time last week.

Sadly, of those who tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 36,042 people have now died. That’s an increase of 338 fatalities since yesterday.

This is a deadly virus and it has brought pain to so many both here and across the world. But we are making real progress in our fight.

I’d like to take a moment to remind everyone about our plan to defeat coronavirus and to get Britain moving once again.

Slide one please.

As you may have seen at previous briefings, we have now put in place our COVID Alert Level System. It consists of 5 levels, based on the R value and the number of new cases.

This alert level guides the social distancing rules, which have proved to be so effective at getting the virus under control. The higher the alert level, the stricter the rules.

Throughout the lockdown, we have been at level 4. As you can see, level 4 means that coronavirus is in general circulation and that transmission is either high or exponentially rising.

But, thanks to your shared sacrifice, we’ve now brought R down. And now, because of our caution, we are in a position to start moving to level 3.

Next slide please.

And here is how we can move forward… We’ve set out 3 steps that we plan to take, carefully, to modify the social distancing rules and start to restore freedom in this country, all the while avoiding a disastrous second peak that could overwhelm the NHS.

At each step, we will closely monitor the impact on R, on the number of new infections and on all available data.

We are currently at step 1, which means:

• if you work but you can’t work from home, you should speak to your employer about going back in

• you can now spend time outdoors and exercise as often as you like

• and you can meet one other person from outside your household in an outdoor, public place, but you should stay 2 metres apart

We will move to step 2 on 1 June if we are able to do so. Step 2 involves reopening more things, like schools and some retail. And using our test and trace system to keep R down. We will only move to step 2, and then in due course to step 3, when it is safe to do so.

Next slide please.

It is important that we stay alert and think about what we can all do to control the spread of this virus.This means, of course, staying at home as much as is possible and working from home if you can.

It means:

• hygiene: washing your hands and cleaning surfaces remains absolutely crucial

• distance: staying 2 metres apart wherever possible

• protection: wearing face coverings on public transport and in shops

• and self-isolating altogether if you have symptoms

And as we approach a bank holiday weekend, we must all renew our efforts. Over the course of this pandemic, people all across the UK have been making difficult but vital sacrifices for the greater good. So let’s not go back to square one.

We can all play our part in the national effort, getting R down and keeping R down, and controlling the virus so we can restore more of the things that make life worth living.

As we follow our plan, our testing regime will be our guiding star. It is the information that helps us to search out, and defeat the virus.

Over the past few months, we have built a critical national infrastructure for testing on a massive scale. We have already put in place the building blocks. We have developed the test, we’ve built the test centres and the lab capacity, we’ve created the home testing kits.

All this gives us clarity and confidence for the long term. We hit 100,000 tests a day on time. When we said we would. But we are always striving to go further.

To expand our testing capacity, and to improve our understanding of this virus, there are 2 developments that I wanted to share with you all today.

The first is around swab tests, these are the results that tell you if you currently have coronavirus. As I announced on Monday, anybody over 5 who has symptoms is now eligible for a test.

Getting the test is important. But getting a quick result is important too. We are working hard on innovative developments that I wanted to bring you up to speed with.

It’s really important to be clear about this. Working with innovative science always has its risks. Like all R&D, lots of the projects don’t come off.

For instance, like vaccines, where we don’t know if we’ll ever get one, I’m prepared to back innovative developments even if they might never happen. And I think it’s worth it, especially in these circumstances, to back things before you know for sure if they’re going to work, and I make no apologies for that.

We are working with many top names to help us deliver testing with a rapid turnaround – names like Oxford Nanopore and Chronomics and DNA Nudge.

For example, one innovative company, Optigene, has produced an early test which is being trialled from today. It is interesting to us because it is so fast. It doesn’t need to be sent to a lab to be processed and so you get the result on the spot, typically within around 20 minutes.

It’s already proven effective in early trials and we want to find out if it will be effective on a larger scale. And we want to support companies like Optigene, and others, to develop these sort of innovative projects. We will monitor its effectiveness very closely. And if it works, we will roll it out as soon as we can.

Now this is just one of a number of innovative testing technologies that we are pushing forward, as fast as the science allows. I will leave no stone unturned and I want to thank everybody involved for their dedication.

The second development I wanted to share today is around antibody tests. These tell you if you have had the virus and have developed antibodies in response, that might help you to fight the virus in the future.

COVID-19 is a new virus and we are learning more about it every single day. I want to be frank with you about what we don’t know, as well as what we do know. We are not yet in a position to say that those who test positive in these antibody tests are immune from coronavirus.

But as our understanding of the disease improves, the insight these antibody tests provide will be crucial. They can help us to understand how our bodies react to coronavirus, and how it has spread across the country. We are backing efforts to develop our own homegrown antibody tests through our UK Rapid Test Consortium – and that work is showing some early promise.

And as you know, we have been looking at a whole series of commercial antibody tests. Now many of the early tests were not reliable enough for clinical use. But we have made some available at small scale.

And we have now had the results of our antibody surveillance study. This has told us that around 17% of people in London, and around 5% or higher in the rest of the country, have tested positive for coronavirus antibodies.

This was based on a sample. But for the public at large to know whether or not they have had coronavirus, we need antibody tests at large scale.

Two lab-based tests, produced by Roche Diagnostics and Abbott Labs, have been given a positive evaluation by PHE and approved by the MHRA. And 3 further tests are being assessed right now. And I can announce today that we have signed contracts to supply in the coming months, over 10 million tests from Roche and Abbott.

From next week, we will begin rolling these out in a phased way. At first, to health and care staff, patients and residents.

The UK government has arranged supplies of these tests on behalf of the devolved administrations, and each devolved nation is deciding how to use its test allocation and how testing will be prioritised and managed locally. This is an important milestone. And it represents further progress in our national testing programme.

It’s not just about the clinical advances that these tests can bring, although, obviously, that’s important. It’s that knowing you have these antibodies will help us to understand in the future if you are at lower risk of catching coronavirus, dying from coronavirus and of transmitting coronavirus.

We are developing this critical science, to know the impact of a positive antibody test. And to develop the systems of certification to ensure people who have positive antibodies can be given assurance about what they can safely do.

History has shown that understanding an enemy is fundamental to defeating it. And in this latest fight, our ingenuity and our brilliant scientists and our scientific curiosity is what will keep us one step ahead of this virus.

We all have something to bring though in this fight against our common foe. One action that each and every one of us can take is to follow the rules on hygiene and social distancing. Not just for you, but for your loved ones and for your community.

So please, stay alert, control the virus and save lives.