RUSHES: Coronavirus: Downing Street press conference October 22nd

Coronavirus: Downing Street press conference October 22nd; ENGLAND: London: Westminster: Downing Street: INT Press conference part 6 of 11 Boris Johnson MP (Prime Minister), Rishi Sunak MP (Chancellor) and Patrick Vallance (Chief Scientific Advisor) question and answer session SOT. SOT VALLANCE: - Number of cases increasing, they're not going to decrease quickly. The quicker you get R below 1, the quicker cases come down. Some signs in some places of flattening off. SOT JOHNSON: - I must reject that we are at war with the north. We've had great conversations with leaders in Lancashire, Liverpool... People showing leadership to bring R down in that area. Grateful to Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester where he's agreed to bring down cases with a package of measures. People do think that this balanced approach, avoiding full-scale national lockdown is right way forward / Q (SKY): BACKDATED BUSINESS SUPPORT FOR TIER 2. NOT SUPPORTING NORTH PROPERLY. ATTEMNPTING TO RIGHT THAT WRONG? SAGE COMMITTEE AGREED 80% CONTACTS NEEDED IN TEST AND TRACE. CONTACTING LESS THAN 60% NOW. SOT JOHNSON: - Issue is one of basic fairness. Bringing forward measures designed to help businesses. Across the whole country. Backdated to August. SOT SUNAK: - Simply about fairness. All the interventions are there on a national basis.