UK Covid live: England lockdown to be eased in stages, says PM, amid reports of nationwide mass testing

Latest updates: Johnson stresses that unlocking must be done cautiously; millions in England may face ‘surge’ in rapid testing as curbs are relaxed

1.18pm GMT

Volunteers who are deliberately exposed to coronavirus in the human challenge trial (see earlier post) will receive around £4,500 to participate in the study, which will involve some 17 days of quarantine and follow-ups over 12 months, PA media reports.

Prof Sir Terence Stephenson, chairman of the Health Research Authority, said: “People are rewarded for being in those studies, or compensated. The sum is about £4,500 but that covers the initial stay and follow-up.”

The initial stay involves quite an imposition on a young person - 17 days in quarantine and you cannot be visited by any member of your family or friend or relative. For the first £1,500 for 17 days we’ve got something like £88 a day, which I don’t think anyone would sense was a ridiculous coercion or inducement.

1.11pm GMT

Here is some more of what Prof Sir John Bell (see earlier post) has told the science and technology committee.

He said:

It’s not plausible to imagine a world where we vaccinate the whole country and everybody believes they are still in a place we were in six months ago, it’s just not reasonable... I think we are going to have to allow people to adapt their behaviours appropriately if they have actually had the vaccine.