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What did Matt Hancock say in today’s coronavirus press conference?
HEALTH Secretary Matt Hancock chaired tonight's coronavirus press conference alongside Professor John Newton, a director for Public Health England and the Government's deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van Tam.
The Health Secretary addressed issues surrounding PPE and the search for a vaccine.
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What was said in tonight's press conference?
- Human trials on a vaccine are starting from Thursday in the UK
Matt Hancock said: "I am certain we will throw everything we've got at developing a vaccine."
He said the UK has "put more money than any other country on a vaccine search".
He spoke about trials at Oxford and Imperial College London universities, saying they are "both promising projects" making "rapid progress".
He said the government will be giving £20m to the Oxford team to fund their clinical trials.
They will be trialing a vaccine on people starting from this Thursday.
- Matt Hancock says lockdown is working
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "At the heart of our plan is ensuring NHS capacity is always ahead of need.
"If you or someone you love needs hospital care with COVID-19, then you will always get that care."
He said the plan to slow the spread of coronavirus is working - but there is still some way to go.
- Matt Hancock says PPE delivery is happening
Matt Hancock said: "I am determined to get people the PPE they need."
PPE delivery is happening on an "unprecedented scale" and the government has delivered over a billion items, he added.
The lack of PPE is an issue the government has been criticised on in recent days.
Hancock said they are "working to improve the delivery system" and they have a "diverse range of suppliers".
He said the government has had 8,331 offers of PPE and they are "investigating every one" but the "reality is not everyone who approaches us can deliver on their offers in scale".
He said the government are currently working with 159 UK manufacturers.
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What time was the coronavirus press briefing today?
The press conference was held at 5pm tonight.
The BBC will broadcast it live.
From its YouTube account, Downing Street will also broadcast the press briefing.
What happened in Monday's briefing?
On Monday, April 20, Chancellor Rishi Sunak chaired the daily press conference alongside scientist Angela McLean and public health specialist Yvonne Doyle.
The Chancellor spoke about the issue of PPE, which the government has faced criticism on.
He said the Government is working to ensure staff of the NHS get the PPE they need and shipments are being received on a regular basis.
He said people on the frontline in the coronavirus battle "deserve to have the equipment they need to do their job safely."
MORE ON CORONAVIRUS
The Chancellor also spoke about the Government's furlough scheme saying that 140,000 firms have applied for the grant.
With coronavirus impacting businesses across the country, the grants they receive will pay the wages of more than a million employees, according to the Chancellor.
The grant is to ensure many people are kept in work.
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