1) Prime Minister’s speech (3 July)
The Prime Minister’s speech this afternoon (3 July) highlighted that we need to move away from blanket, national measures, to targeted, local measures. He outlined the government’s approach for controlling future local outbreaks, which has five principle components: 
 
  1. Monitoring: Public Health England, working with the Joint Biosecurity Centre, will examine carefully data on the spread of the disease and people’s behaviour across the country. 
  2. Engagement: If monitoring identifies local problems, NHS Test and Trace and PHE will work with the relevant local authority to develop a deeper understanding of the problem and identify solutions.
  3. Testing: Scaled-up testing at a local level, combined with contract tracing through NHS Test and Trace, can control the virus and thus avoid more stringent measures.
  4. Targeted restrictions: If the virus continues to spread, we will restrict access to places which become hotspots for the virus, while testing people who have spent time in those places, and tracing the contacts of anyone who tests positive.
  5. Lockdown: If the previous measures have not proven to be enough, we will introduce local lockdowns extending across whole communities. Local lockdowns will be carefully calibrated depending on the scientific and specific circumstances of each outbreak and we are continually exploring smarter means of containing the virus.
The PM closed by highlighting that anyone who flouts social distancing and COVID-Secure rules is not only putting us all at risk but letting down those businesses and workers who have done so much to prepare for this new normal.
 
Full details of the speech can be found here: https://bit.ly/PMSpeech0307.
 
2) Enjoy Summer Safely campaign
The government has launched a new campaign – Enjoy Summer Safely – to help the public begin to get back to the things they have missed whilst following COVID-19 safety guidelines. 
 
The new campaign is rolling out across the nation and is being supported by some of the UK’s most loved brands who are embedding safe behaviours and hygiene habits as part of everyday life. BT, Boots, McDonalds and Greene King are just some of the companies joining the Prime Minister in championing a safety-first approach to reopening the UK economy.
 
To help launch the campaign, please do share this tweet from the Prime Minister promoting the campaign: https://bit.ly/ESSTweet.
 
3) NHS anniversary 
This year has been the most challenging in NHS history with staff working around the clock to tackle coronavirus – caring for the 100,000 patients with COVID-19 who needed specialist hospital treatment and treating countless others besides, redesigning services and creating Nightingale hospitals.
 
None of this would have been possible without the help and support of countless individuals and organisations around the country.

So on 5 July, the day the NHS was founded, the whole country is invited to come together again at 5pm and applaud the commitment, courage and sacrifice shown by so many.
 
Please find out more here: https://bit.ly/NHSBdayNorth

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