Coronavirus

Elliot Colburn Excerpts

Wednesday 11th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

Absolutely. We are looking daily at how every country in the world is responding, to try to find the very best response. That is part of the science. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, the body that meets to bring that science together, is constantly reviewing that, simply because we want the very best response possible, and that is what we base judgments on.

[Elliot Colburn (Carshalton and Wallington) (Con)]

I welcome the measures taken in the Budget to fight this virus, and I pay tribute to the work of the Secretary of State and his team to tackle it; he is doing a fantastic job, and it is not going unnoticed. Sadly, a local resident who had coronavirus passed away at St Helier Hospital in my constituency on Monday. I am sure that my right hon. Friend will want to join me in giving our condolences to the friends and family. He will understand that a certain level of fear has arisen in my community as a result of that death. I hope that he will join me in urging calm among the local population, and assuring people that this is not time to panic-buy or listen to social media rumours; instead, they should take the advice of the chief medical officer and call NHS 111 if they need to.

[Matt Hancock]

Absolutely. I want to pass on my condolences to the family and loved ones of all those who have died, including my hon. Friend’s constituent. I know that the hospital, with which he works closely, is absolutely safe, and did exactly the right thing in this case. I reassure his constituents, and everybody else’s, that the best thing to do is follow the advice from the chief medical officer, who is doing a remarkable job, and either call 111 or go on NHS 111 online if they have a query.