Coronavirus

Clive Efford Excerpts

Wednesday 11th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

Absolutely. This is right at the top of the agenda; tackling fake news is incredibly important. The major social media platforms and search engines have already risen to this task and I pay tribute to them—in the past, I have been known not to pay tribute to them, and sometimes quite the reverse. They have absolutely risen to this task and we will keep on it, but, of course, the information that we provide to the public will have to evolve both as we learn more about the disease and as we move through the plan. For the moment, the absolute core message is that people should wash their hands.

[Clive Efford (Eltham) (Lab)]

Are we reaching the stage where people, if they have any form of cold, should be self-isolating? We all know people who have had colds, some of them more severe than others, but they have been able to be confident that it has not been coronavirus. Now it is becoming prevalent, how can they be sure? It is going to create a lot of confusion. Are we reaching the stage where, as the Prime Minister alluded to the other day, people may have to self-isolate if they have any symptoms?

[Matt Hancock]

We are not there yet, but we are moving towards it. That is what the chief medical officer set out in the press conference on Monday, in part for exactly the reasons the hon. Member sets out.