Matt Hancock to hold 5pm press conference at Downing Street

Health Secretary Matt Hancock during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19). PA Photo. - Credit: PA

Matt Hancock is to hold a press conference at 5pm from Downing Street.

The health secretary is expected to announce further details on the government’s community testing programme.

His appearance comes off the back of new figures suggesting coronavirus infections fell by almost a third in England during the second national lockdown.

There was a 30% drop in cases across the country over almost a fortnight this month, the latest interim findings from Imperial College London’s React study showed.

Regionally, the research suggests infections fell by more than half in the North West and North East, and were also down in Yorkshire and the Humber. But prevalence remained high in the East Midlands and West Midlands.Professor Paul Elliott, director of the programme at Imperial, said the findings suggested the tiers before the beginning of November, followed by the lockdown, had helped bring cases down.