Matt Hancock confirms childcare and support bubbles will remain in place after fears they’d be axed

Matt Hancock urges the public to follow the rules, and confirms childcare and support bubbles will remain in place despite concerns of rising cases. 

The Health Secretary spoke at the Downing Street press briefing last night where he described the government’s efforts in keeping the current spike in Covid-19 cases under control.

He put to bed rumours that bubbles would be axed.

He said: “I can rule out removing the bubbles that we have in place – the childcare bubbles [and] the support bubbles are very important and we’re going to keep them.

“I know how important they are to people and they are an important part of the system that we have got to support people whilst also having these tough measures that are necessary.”

He continued: “The bubbles are there for individual, specific people – so if you have bubbled with somebody, that is the person you have bubbled with.

“You can’t keep moving bubbles, that’s very important. Somebody in your bubble essentially becomes effectively part of your household.

“It is important that people stick to the same bubble but the bubbles policy will stay.”

The Health Secretary went onto plead with the public to stick to the rules in place adding that the new strain of Coronavirus is ‘highly contagious and it is putting the NHS under very significant pressure’.

He added: “The NHS, more than ever before, needs everybody to be doing something right now – and that something is to follow the rules.

“I know there has been speculation about more restrictions, and we don’t rule out taking further action if it is needed, but it is your actions now that can make a difference.

“Stay at home, and please reduce all social contact that is not absolutely strictly necessary. That’s what is needed: act like you have the virus.”