The government is expected to signal that the UK lockdown will be extended beyond next week, potentially until May, as the country braces for the peak of the coronavirus epidemic over the coming days.
Senior ministers will gather to discuss the next steps for the UK’s response to Covid-19 without prime minister Boris Johnson, who remains in intensive care but is said to be “improving” and responding to treatment after a “good night” in hospital.
It comes as the latest figures show attempts to boost the number of ventilators and coronavirus tests in the UK have stalled. Meanwhile, The Alzheimer’s Society has warned dementia patients in care homes are being “abandoned” to the coronavirus.
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Ofcom assessing David Icke comments on coronavirus ‘as a priority’
Media watchdog Ofcom has said it is assessing comments made by conspiracy theorist David Icke on a local TV station “as a priority”.
A spokesperosn for the watchdog confirmed the move after Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, urged them to take action over the comments, which he described as “lunatic conspiracy theories”.
Ofcom received 19 complaints about the interview on London Live, which was broadcast on Wednesday evening, in which Mr Icke shared unsubstantiated claims about the Covid-19 outbreak.
“We are aware of the Culture Secretary's comments and have proactively contacted Ofcom to offer our cooperation and support as part of their assessment,” a London Live spokesperson said.
“We will continue to work closely with Ofcom throughout this process."
The interview came amid growing concerns over fake news about the pandemic, after research from Ofcom warned almost half of British adults had been exposed to false or misleading information about coronavirus in the past week.
765 new deaths in England, NHS says
A further 765 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in England, the NHS has said.
The figure came after Public Health Wales announced 41 new deaths involving people with Covid-19 earlier on Thursday.
The complete figures for the UK-wide death toll will be released later today by the Department of Health.
Nearly one tenth of US workforce now unemployed as coronavirus shuts down country
More than six million people - or nearly 10 per cent of the workforce - have filed for unemployment benefits in the US in the last week as the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of society.
More than six million people - or nearly 10 per cent of the workforce - have filed for unemployment benefits in the US in the last week as the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of society.
A US jobs report published on Thursday showed 6.6 million Americans seeking aid, with the surge in applications reportedly causing processing issues across the country.
Our reporter, Chris Riotta, has the full story below:
Great Ormond Street staff treated to takeaways, as campaign steps up
Doctors and nurses at Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) have received hundreds of freshly cooked meals from London’s top restaurants through The Independent’s Help The Hungry appeal.
Staff at the children’s hospital can now pick up a meal from some of the capital’s most exclusive restaurants, including The Ivy and Scott’s, at the end of their shift, instead of having to worry about shopping or preparing food.
Evgeny Lebedev, proprietor of The Independent, delivered 600 meals to the hospital, along with several volunteers from The Felix project, our partner in an appeal with sister title the Evening Standard which reached its initial target of raising £1m on Wednesday.
Help The Hungry campaign treats Great Ormond Street staff to takeaways from top London restaurants
‘Gestures like this go such a long way,’ says senior nurseUS news veteran says virus victims ‘were on last legs anyway’
Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly has said that those dying from the coronavirus “were on their last legs anyway”.
The comments came during a conversation with Fox News’s Sean Hannity on Wednesday as the number of US deaths from the disease neared 15,000.
“Many people who are dying, both here and around the world, were on their last legs anyway,” said Mr O’Reilly.
Sean Hannity cautioned, “You’re going to get hammered for that,” to which Mr O’Reilly replied that he did not care.
Gino Spocchia has more details:
Bill O’Reilly says coronavirus victims ‘were on last legs anyway’
Controversial former-Fox News host Billy O’Reilly said that criticism of his remarks was ‘left-wing propaganda’German airline puts on flights for agricultural workers
As British farmers ponder how they will bring in their harvest, the German airline Eurowings – a subsidiary of Lufthansa– is operating special flights from Romania to Germany for short-term agricultural workers, writes our travel correspondent Simon Calder.
At least 20,000 farmers have registered with Eurowings to have harvest workers flown in.
The airline’s chief operations officer, Michael Knitter, said: “In the coming weeks, Eurowings will fly tens of thousands of seasonal workers from the European Union to Germany.
“In this way, we will secure the supply of fruit and vegetables in Germany and support our farmers in this extremely difficult situation for everyone”.
The first two planes, from Sibiu and Cluj landed on Thursday from Berlin and Düsseldorf respectively.
Coronavirus will leave ‘mental health legacy’, says Sturgeon
Scotland will be left dealing with a “mental health legacy” of coronavirus once the virus has been tackled, Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
Taking part in the first ever virtual meeting in the history of the Scottish parliament, Sturgeon said the effects of isolation necessitated by the outbreak will be felt long after it is over.
In response to a question from Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie, the SNP leader said funding had been made available to allow for the expansion of counselling services, including the creation of virtual cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) sessions.
She said: “Not just in the immediate phase of dealing with this, but I suspect for a long time afterwards, we’re going to be dealing with a mental health legacy of it.
“We have to make sure that the services that provide the help that people need are there and that means expanding access to counselling now, but looking ahead to make sure that these services are appropriate in the future as well.”
Welsh first minister expects lockdown to continue
Mark Drakeford said he expected his call for the lockdown to continue will be “common ground” at the Cobra meeting.
The Welsh first minister told BBC Radio 4’s World at One: “I don’t think anybody believes that we're simply going to return to where we were before next week.
“The current arrangements will need to continue, we’ll need to think next week about whether we can fine-tune them in any way.
“I agree it’s important to begin to think now about how we ease the lockdown restrictions eventually, but now is not the moment.
“I didn’t want people in Wales to go into the Easter weekend thinking that after the weekend everything would be back to where it was before, and I didn’t want anybody to think that travelling to Wales for the Easter break was a good idea either.”
Mr Drakeford added: “It’s not an essential journey to come on holiday or to visit a second home.”
Lonely Planet ‘reduces operations’
Lonely Planet travel guides says it is “currently proposing that its operations in London and Melbourne close almost entirely, with impacts in other Lonely Planet locations around the world”, writes our travel correspondent Simon Calder.
The world’s biggest guidebook publisher was launched almost half-a-century ago by Maureen and Tony Wheeler.
It is now owned by the video business NC2 Media. In a statement the publisher said: “Due to the impact of Covid-19 on demand and sales, Lonely Planet has made the difficult decision to reduce its publishing operations for the foreseeable future.
“Lonely Planet will continue to publish guidebooks and phrasebooks.
“This is obviously a very sad and difficult time for the Lonely Planet family.”
Police warn of fines if people head to beauty spots
Police forces are stepping up patrols and road checks and threatening to issue fines to prevent people flocking to beauty spots over the Easter weekend.
Officers fear that the warm and sunny weather forecast over Good Friday and Saturday will tempt people out of cities into the countryside.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) warned that officers “may have to ask people about their circumstances if they’re outdoors”.
Our home affairs correspondent Lizzie Dearden has the latest from forces across the UK.
Police tighten lockdown checks to stop people flocking to beauty spots over Easter weekend
Devon and Cornwall officers among those imposing road checks to keep tourists awayCoronavirus testing numbers stall
Attempts to boost the number of ventilators and coronavirus tests have stalled, new figures show.
Just 16,094 tests were carried out on Tuesday, including 3,680 on NHS staff and their families, around the same figure as on Sunday and far short of the pledge of 100,000 in just three weeks' time.
And the NHS still has only 11,500 ventilators – way below the 18,000 Matt Hancock said were needed for the coronavirus peak.
Coronavirus testing numbers stall three weeks before 100k daily target date
Just 16,094 tests were carried out on Tuesday - around the same figure as on Sunday - and ventilator numbers remain at 11,500Johnson’s condition continues to improve after ‘good night’, No 10 says
Boris Johnson’s condition “continues to improve” after three nights in intensive care with coronavirus, Downing Street has said.
The prime minister had a “good night” in St Thomas’ Hospital in London and thanked the NHS for the “brilliant care” he has received, his official spokesperson said on Thursday.
The spokesperson added Mr Johnson was still receiving “standard oxygen treatment”.
"The prime minister thanks the NHS for the brilliant care which it is providing,” they said.
“The ‘claps for carers’ have provided wonderful, unifying moments for the entire country. I'm sure that tonight we will once again see people in their millions paying tribute to our fantastic dedicated care workers.”
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab, who is standing in for Mr Johnson, is expected to take part in the show of support for health staff tonight instead of the prime minister.
The latest edition of The Independent’s coronavirus podcast has been released, featuring a discussion this week on how to look after workers’ mental health and wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
You can find the podcast below:
More than one million benefits claims amid lockdown
The government has received more than 1 million new claims for Universal Credit since 16 March as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the UK economy.
Officials had received 1.2 million claims on Thursday, up from a figure of about 950,000 people last week.
Millions of people in the UK have been unable to work or furloughed by bosses due to the country's nationwide lockdown, which is designed to slow the spread of the virus.
Taiwan and WHO in row over racial abuse of director-general
Taiwan and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have become embroiled in a row over allegations that officials from the East Asian state racially abused the health agency’s director general.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s head, said he had received death threats and been called a “negro” since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Taiwanese foreign ministry has demanded an apology from Dr Tedros and described the allegations as “baseless”.
“Without having checked the facts, Tedros’s unprovoked and untrue accusations not only differ from reality, they have also seriously harmed our government and our people,” the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
“This kind of slander is extremely irresponsible.”
Our reporter, Samuel Lovett, has the full story below:
Taiwan rejects ‘baseless’ allegation it subjected WHO chief to campaign of abuse and racism
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus claims Taiwanese foreign ministry complicit in personal attacks against him
Public urged to stay home over Easter as people caught breaking lockdown rules
Although millions are following orders to stay at home over Easter, some people have been caught breaking lockdown rules and travelling to tourist hotspots against government guidance this week.
Although millions are following orders to stay at home over Easter, some people have been caught breaking lockdown rules and travelling to tourist hotspots against government guidance this week.
Cumbria Constabulary said it had caught several people travelling to the Lake District from outside the area, including one person who said it was “too nice to stay in Bolton”.
Annie Willey, brand manager of the Suffolk Coast Destination Management Organisation, which represents local tourism companies, said residents had seen an “awful lot” of second home owners coming to the area recently, particularly in Aldeburgh and Southwold.
This was something the tourism industry was “desperate to clamp down on”, Ms Willey told PA.
Meanwhile in Manchester, police have urged people to obey lockdown rules over Easter after officers were forced to break up 660 parties in the city in the space of just a few days.
“Although the majority of the public across Greater Manchester have abided by the guidelines since they came into effect, last weekend saw a sharp increase in the number of Covid-19 breaches reported to police,” Greater Manchester Police said in a statement.
More on that story can be found below:
Greater Manchester Police issue Easter warning after 660 parties shut down
Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford joins campaign pleading with people to stay at home over holidayHome Office accused of risking lives by asking passport staff to return to work
Passport Office staff have accused the government of putting their lives at risk after many were asked to return to work, even though the UK is still under lockdown due to Covid-19.
The Independent understands the government has asked up to 2,000 employees at Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) to resume work next week.
A Home Office scientific adviser also reportedly told staff in a conference call that they expected 80 per cent of the population would eventually become infected with the coronavirus and said: “We cannot hide away from it forever.”
Our reporter, Andy Gregory, has more on the story below:
Home Office accused of risking lives after Passport Office staff told to return to work despite lockdown
HMPO accused of treating employees like ‘guinea pigs to test herd immunity on’Shadow chancellor warns against ‘chaotic lifting’ of lockdown
Labour’s new shadow chancellor has warned against a “chaotic lifting” of the UK’s lockdown and called on the government to clearly communicate its exit strategy for measures introduced to control the spread of coronavirus.
Anneliese Dodds, who was recently appointed by new Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, said it was critical the exit strategy was “transparent” and “communicated very clearly”.
“I think the worst of all worlds really would be a kind of chaotic lifting of the lockdown potentially with then its re-imposition in different sectors or areas, with it not being clear to the public and to business why certain actions were being taken and what the trade offs were associated with them,” Ms Dodds said.
She added: “Currently, there's the possibility that we could see a swing back into many of the kind of levels of economic activity that we had previously if we come out cleanly from this crisis.
“If it's a more convoluted process, that could have a much longer term impact on employment, on productivity, ultimately on growth as well.”
Ms Dodds acknowledged it had “clearly been an enormous challenge” for the government to deal with the economic fallout from the pandemic.
However, the shadow chancellor said it was “absolutely critical” for there to be no return to austerity after the crisis.
“I think we've seen sadly the impact of having very fragmented and strained public services when we're trying to deal with this crisis,” she said.
“I think we've got to learn the lessons from what happened before, not just in terms of the resilience of our public services, but also indeed for the long-term health of our economy.”
Ms Dodds also wished Boris Johnson a “speedy recovery” from Covid-19.
More than 20 deaths at two separate care homes during UK epidemic
Twenty-two residents at two separate care homes in the southeast of England have died during the coronavirus pandemic, it has emerged.
Seven people living at Hawthorn Green Residential and Nursing Home in Stepney died after contracting the virus, the east London home said, while Public Health England announced 15 residents at Castletroy Residential Home in Luton had died - five of whom had tested positive for Covid-19.
Our reporter, Adam Forrest, has the full story below:
Twenty-two residents at two separate care homes in the southeast of England have died during the coronavirus pandemic, it has emerged.
Seven people living at Hawthorn Green Residential and Nursing Home in Stepney died after contracting the virus, the east London home said, while Public Health England announced 15 residents at Castletroy Residential Home in Luton had died - five of whom had tested positive for Covid-19.
Our reporter, Adam Forrest, has the full story below:
Twenty-two residents dead as coronavirus devastates two care homes in England
Charity warns residents risk being ‘abandoned’ in their care homes as new deaths reported in east London and Luton‘Three in 10’ businesses cut jobs during pandemic
Nearly three in 10 businesses have cut jobs in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic, according to official statisticians.
The Office for National Statistics has said 29 per cent of the 4,598 businesses it surveyed over the past fortnight said they had to temporarily reduce staff numbers during the period from 9 March to 22 March.
It added that 40 per cent of businesses surveyed said they were confident they could continue operating during the pandemic, based on their experience over the same period - although this was predominantly prior to the government-imposed lockdown.
The research comes amid growing concern about the long-term impact of measures to control Covid-19 on the economy and employment prospects.
Businesses in the accommodation and food service sectors have been particularly hard hit, with 90 per cent of these firms reporting turnover below the norm.
Manufacturing, retail and administration firms also reported lower than average turnover.
