Some police officers in the UK may have gone a little too far in enforcing the coronavirus lockdown, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has admitted, after people were summonsed to court for going for a drive and shopping for “non-essential items”.
Meanwhile the World Bank has warned the Covid-19 outbreak is causing “an unprecedented global shock” which is expected to sharply slow growth in developing economies in East Asia and the Pacific as well as China.
It comes after the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, announced a £75m plan to repatriate as many as 60,000 British travellers stranded overseas by the increasing number of travel restrictions during the pandemic.
On Monday the number of Covid-19 cases passed 750,000 worldwide.
Follow the latest updates
NHS doctors 'gagged' over protective equipment shortages
Frontline doctors have told The Independent they have been gagged from speaking out about shortages of protective equipment as they treat coronavirus patients – with some claiming managers have threatened their careers, Shaun Lintern reports.
Staff have been warned not to make any comments about shortages on social media, as well as avoiding talking to journalists, while NHS England has taken over the media operations for many NHS hospitals and staff.
Doctors claim they have been gagged over protective equipment shortages
Exclusive: Staff on frontline of pandemic warned not to speak out about concerns over lack of protective gearPolice may have gone a little too far in enforcing lockdown
Some police officers may have gone a little too far in enforcing the coronavirus lockdown, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has admitted.
"The police are doing a difficult job and they are doing it well," Mr Shapps told Sky.
"I am sure there are individual examples where perhaps you look at it and think that is perhaps a bit further than they should have gone but in general terms I think the case is that if people help everybody out, including the police, by staying home and the rest of it, then there will be no problems."
Mr Shapps said there had been "one or two instances" of police being heavy handed with enforcement measures on social distancing and staying at home, but said, in the main, forces were being "sensible".
He told BBC Breakfast: "I think the police are doing a difficult job.
"There will be one or two instances where they have perhaps not approached it in the right way but in general, actually, across the country not only are people complying very well but, generally speaking, the police are taking a very sensible approach to it."
£75m plan to bring Britons home
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has announced a £75m plan to repatriate as many as 60,000 British travellers stranded overseas, Andrew Woodcock reports.
After negotiations with airlines, Mr Raab announced a partnership agreement under which Virgin, EasyJet, Jet2 and Titan have signed a memorandum of understanding to help bring back UK nationals, while British Airways says it will work with the government “in the national interest” to get people home.
Raab announces £75m plan to bring British tourists home amid coronavirus outbreak
Government signs memorandum of understanding with commercial airlinesOutbreak causing 'unprecedented global shock,' World Bank warns
The World Bank has warned the outbreak is causing "an unprecedented global shock" which is expected to sharply slow growth in developing economies in East Asia and the Pacific as well as China.
Indonesia bans all arrivals
Indonesia's Foreign Minister has said the government has decided to ban all arrivals and transits by foreigners in Indonesia to prevent a further spread of the coronavirus.
Foreigners with stay permits and some diplomatic visits will be exempted from the ban, Retno Marsudi said, adding that the government aims to issue the regulations for the ban today.
The government will also strengthen screening for Indonesian nationals returning to the country, she said.
The coronavirus conspiracies Brits believe
One in five British adults wrongly think that coronavirus originated in a laboratory in China, according to a new survey, Peter Stubley reports.
The myth is one of several unfounded claims widely believed by the public due to a host of conspiracy theories, hoaxes, misinformation and fake advice.
From a Chinese lab to eating garlic, the coronavirus conspiracies Britons believe
Survey reveals public susceptibility to unfounded claims about how to beat Covid-19March was busiest month on record for UK supermarkets
British grocery sales soared 20.6 per cent year-on-year in the four weeks to 22 March, as shoppers stocked-up before the country went on coronavirus lockdown, making it the biggest month on record for grocery sales, industry data showed on Tuesday.
Market researcher Kantar said growth was driven by people shopping more frequently and buying slightly more, with the average household spending an extra £62.92 pounds over the four weeks.
Epidemic 'far from over' in Asia-Pacific region, WHO warns
The coronavirus epidemic is "far from over" in the Asia-Pacific region, and the current measures to curb the spread of the virus are merely buying time for countries to prepare for large-scale community transmissions, a WHO official has said.
Even with all the measures, the risk of transmission in the region will not go away as long as the pandemic continues, said Takeshi Kasai, Regional Director for the Western Pacific at the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Preparations for a large-scale transmission must reach everyone, Mr asai said at a virtual media briefing.
Mr Kasai warned that for countries that are seeing a tapering off of cases, they should not let down their guard, or the virus may come surging back.
Vietnam to begin 15 days of social distancing
Vietnam will begin 15 days of social distancing from Wednesday to curb community transmission of the coronavirus, the Southeast Asian country's prime minister has said.
"From midnight April 1, everybody is required to stay at home and can only go out to buy food or in emergency cases and must keep at least two metres from others," Nguyen Xuan Phuc said in a statement.
Tanzania confirms first coronaviurs death
Tanzania confirmed its first coronavirus death today, health minister Ummy Mwalimu said in a statement.
The 49-year-old Tanzanian male, who had pre-existing conditions, had been admitted to Mloganzila Hospital in Dar Es Salaam for treatment.
Tanzania had 19 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of Monday.
Over 580 Germans have died of coronavirus
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Germany has risen to 61,913 and 583 people have died of the disease, statistics from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases show.
Cases rose by 4,615 compared with the previous day while the death toll climbed by 128, the tally showed.
How will government plan to bring back stranded Britons work?
These are the key questions, answers and Independent predictions about the government’s plans for a £75m airlift of British nationals stranded abroad due to the global coronavirus shutdown, by Simon Calder.
How will the government's plan to bring stranded Britons home work?
Priority will be given to vulnerable UK citizens abroad, particularly in India and South AfricaCoronavirus news you might have missed overnight
The coronavirus pandemic continues to cause chaos in the UK and around the world.
Here’s your morning briefing of everything you may have missed overnight, by Chiara Giordano.
Coronavirus news you might have missed overnight
£75m plan to bring home up to 60,000 British travellers stranded overseasLockdowns not enough, WHO warns
Lockdowns alone will not work, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.
Health officials need to "go after the virus" in addition to stringent measures on social distancing and lockdowns, WHO said.
The global health body has previously said that these measures have given countries a chance to stop the spread of the virus by "finding, isolating, testing, treating and tracing" cases and the people they have contacted.
If steps are not taken, when lockdowns are lifted there could be a "resurgence" of the virus.
Shell expects to take $800m hit
Royal Dutch Shell has warned that it expects to take a hit of up to $800m (£650.7m) in the first quarter due to a slump in the price of oil amid the coronavirus crisis and a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia.
The oil giant said: "As a result of Covid-19, we have seen and expect significant uncertainty with macroeconomic conditions with regards to prices and demand for oil, gas and related products.
"Furthermore, recent global developments and uncertainty in oil supply have caused further volatility in commodity markets.
"The impact of the dynamically evolving business environment on first-quarter results is being primarily reflected in March, with a relatively minor impact in the first two months."
WHO condemns Britain's lack of testing
The UK’s failure to mass test for coronavirus has been condemned by a World Health Organisation expert, who revealed 44 laboratories had been left idle, Rob Merrick reports.
Ministers and scientists should have recognised weeks ago that a South Korean-style blitz – reducing the death rate there to just three per million – was the correct response, Anthony Costello said.
UK's failure to carry out mass coronavirus testing condemned by WHO expert
Dr Anthony Costello says 44 laboratories were left idle, as ministers and scientists failed to follow other countriesCoronavirus test centre opens at Ikea store in Wembley
A Covid-19 test centre for NHS workers has opened at Ikea's store in Wembley, north-west London.
A spokesman for the Swedish furniture giant said: "We're enormously proud of the NHS and proud to be able to offer Wembley as an additional medical facility.
"We have also responded to requests from intensive care units and doctors across the country by delivering tens of thousands of our disposable paper tape measures, to help them continue their amazing care for their patients.
"We have also donated food to local hospitals, food banks, and shelters to help provide some immediate relief in the short term.
"We are currently working on additional plans to support our communities - both now and in the longer term - in a meaningful way through the ongoing crisis, together with the NHS, and charity partners such as Barnardo's and Breaking Barriers.
"On Friday, Ikea globally announced a fund of 26 million euros in-kind donations to be used across the 30 countries in which we operate, prioritising the needs of high-risk groups and those leading relief efforts."
British Airways closes Gatwick Airport base
British Airways is to close its Gatwick airport base indefinitely due to the coronavirus crisis, Simon Calder reports.
British Airways closes Gatwick Airport base indefinitely amid coronavirus crisis
Airline will move all its operations to Heathrow to save cashIndonesia declares national public health emergency
Indonesia's president, Joko Widodo, has declared a national public health emergency over the coronavirus pandemic and announced measures to help people with lower incomes.
The measures included expanding social welfare, food assistance and giving electricity tariff discounts and waivers, he said.
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