Coronavirus news – live: Government in talks over antibody test with near-100% accuracy as daily death toll hits lowest level since March
The UK's coronavirus death toll has become the world's second-highest, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics, with the total passing 30,000. More than 250,000 people have now been killed by the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The grim announcement comes after governments around the world pledged some £6.5bn to the hunt for a Covid-19 vaccine and treatment.
Also in Britain, the trial of a new NHS contact-tracing app has begun on the Isle of Wight, with health service and council staff being urged to download it and the general population able to do so from Thursday. The island’s MP, Bob Seely, told the BBC: ”Talking to the experts and the scientists, anything above 20 per cent and 25 per cent gives us decent and good data. The exponential benefit hits when you get about 50 per cent, or near that, and then, effectively, you can trace the virus.”
New York has reported more than 1,700 previously undisclosed deaths at nursing homes and adult care facilities as the state faces scrutiny over how its vulnerable residents have been treated during the coronavirus pandemic.
At least 4,813 residents with confirmed or presumed cases of Covid-19 have died at 351 of New York's 613 nursing homes since 1 March, according to governor Andrew Cuomo's administration's new list.
The list, released late on Monday, includes the reported number of both confirmed and presumed deaths as of Sunday evening.
'Huge amount' to do to help care homes, Hancock admits
There remains a "huge amount of work still to do" to reduce Covid-19 death rates in care homes, Matt Hancock has admitted.
The health secretary said the number of deaths is "still far too high", after telling MPs the government was working "resolutely to defeat the coronavirus".
Last week, giving evidence to MPs, one leading care boss said government claims that social care was a priority were clearly untrue, given the way homes have struggled to access PPE and for other reasons.
Government challenged on withholding Sage documents
Boris Johnson’s official spokesman defended the government’s decision to withhold some documents from today’s release of advice from its Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), writes Andrew Woodcock.
Asked why some Sage documents remain secret, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “We will publish all of the evidence in the coming weeks and months. Some evidence remains under live consideration before policy decisions have been made by the government and as such it wouldn’t be appropriate to publish at this time.
“Releasing policy still under formulation would risk causing confusion among the public at a time when clear guidance is the top priority.
“Other documents that have been considered will be released in organised tranches once they have the relevant permissions.”
The spokesperson defended the fact that some details were blacked out before release, saying: “The only redactions are for advice still under development or where contact details have been removed.”
Asked why Boris Johnson had said he continued to shake hands after a Sage document highlighted the need for this to cease, the spokesperson said that the prime minister “would not have seen that advice” by that point.
“The prime minister was very clear at the time that he was taking a number of precautionary steps, including washing his hands,” they added.
Virgin Atlantic has announced plans to cut 3,150 jobs. As well as axing up to one-third of jobs to try to survive the coronavirus pandemic, the carrier will also stop flying from Gatwick.
Hancock dodges testing question - and risks striking the wrong tone
Health secretary Matt Hancock has dodged a demand from Labour to commit to 100,000 coronavirus tests a day, after numbers fell below the target for three days in succession, writes Andrew Woodcock.
Mr Hancock said he had “confidence” that testing rates would grow and rejected Labour spokeswoman Rosena Allin-Khan’s claim that his testing strategy had been “non-existent", but failed to make the commitment to continued six-figure levels which she called for in the House of Commons.
The health secretary accused Dr Allin-Khan - a hospital doctor who has returned to the NHS frontline during the coronavirus crisis - of taking the wrong "tone" in her attack on his record on testing.
A new fact-checking service has launched on WhatsApp, allowing people to see if specific claims they encounter about coronavirus have been debunked.
The Poynter Institute's International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has added a chatbot to the messaging app, which users can ask to show them the latest false claims about Covid-19 which have been rated as false.
The IFCN chatbot will inform users globally of their local professional fact-checking service and direct them to it, as well as offer guidance on how to fight misinformation.
More than 1,000 people have now died in Wales after testing positive for coronavirus, the country's health minister has said.
Vaughan Gething used the milestone to ask for the public to reflect on the losses felt by families across the country, but warned transmissions would continue until a vaccine or immunity was developed.
Some grandparents in Italy have celebrated the easing of lockdown by seeing their grandchildren for the first time since restrictions began in March., writes Rory Sullivan.
The Italian government lifted some of its coronavirus restrictions on Monday after almost two months of lockdown, allowing families to see one another again.
Matt Hancock has said he will examine proposals for a national arboretum memorial commemorating key workers who have lost their lives to Covid-19.
Heather Wheeler, a former Tory minister, asked him in the Commons: "Would he support my campaign to have a memorial placed at the national arboretum at the heart of the country as a fitting way to commemorate the sad loss of essential workers to Covid-19?''
Mr Hancock replied: "Yes, I'd be very happy to look at that."
Long lockdown 'would be as toxic as Covid-19', says French PM
France’s prime minister has warned shutting down schools and social life for months would be as “toxic” as coronavirus, as he defended his government’s decision to ease lockdown restrictions.
The country is set to emerge from lockdown on 11 May, with primary schools reopening with fewer students in classes as part of a staggered return to some normality.
Scottish schools may not open until after summer holiday
Schools in Scotland may not open until after the summer holidays, Nicola Sturgeon has warned. However, she added: "We are considering whether some groups of students, such as vulnerable children, children who are making the transition from primary to secondary school, or who are studying for national qualifications could return to school ahead of others."
When schools do go back, the first minister said it was likely that pupils would combine some time in the classroom with continued learning at home.
The mayor of The Hague has ordered police to break up a demonstration by about 200 people who had gathered to protest against the Dutch lockdown.
Police said in a statement that they were "detaining demonstrators that ignore the mayor's order". Local press agency ANP said dozens had been arrested.
US has provided 'no evidence' for China laboratory virus claims
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has questioned Donald Trump‘s claim to have seen evidence indicating the latest coronavirus came from a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
he UN health agency said it has received no evidence or data from the US government to back up claims made by the US president and his secretary of state, Mike Pompeo.
Tim Richards, chief executive of the Vue Cinemas chain, said he is "hopeful" that cinemas can be open by 17 July.
He told the BBC that the company is working with the Government on ways the industry can operate while ensuring social distancing.
"What we are trying to do is work with the Government to demonstrate that we are not like sporting fixtures or music concerts," Mr Richards said.
"We can actually control how many people go into our cinema at any given time. We have the ability to schedule our films separately and we have the ability to control entrances and exits for customers.
"We have operating systems in place today which allow social distancing and cocooning within the cinema for couples, individuals or families who want to watch a movie."
French President Emmanuel Macron said it was unlikely that people would be able to go away for major foreign trips this summer - and that even trips within Europe may have to be limited in order to reduce the risk of a resurgence of the coronavirus epidemic.
"It is too soon to say whether we can take holidays. What I can say is that we will limit major international travel, even during the summer holidays," he told reporters during a visit to a school outside Paris.
"We will stay among Europeans and, depending on how the epidemic evolves, we might have to reduce that a little more. We will know early June."
France is set to end its lockdown on 11 May, when people will be allowed to move up to 100 kms (60 miles) around their residence.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, was asked by MPs about the likelihood of a second wave of coronavirus infections and deaths in the UK.
He replied: "I think if we do test, track and tracing well, and we keep the social distancing measures at the right level, we should be able to avoid a second wave."
However, he added that "winter is going to be extremely difficult when you also have flu circulating, and you have all the other respiratory infection".
Asked whether a second wave could be triggered by people travelling or returning to the UK from other countries, Sir Patrick said a calculation had been done around three weeks ago on the likely impact of imported cases.
He said: "At that point, when you took all of the travel and you took all of the numbers coming in, it would have been something under 0.5% of all the cases would have come in through imports.
"Now clearly that equation reverses when you get down to very low numbers in your own country and you have higher numbers elsewhere, and that's when you need to be vigilant on how you think about isolation and testing of cases coming in. But, again, this is a pandemic, it means it's everywhere, and therefore cases can come from anywhere in the world."
PM 'should tell MPs first about lockdown easing plans'
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle took a swipe at Boris Johnson for failing to tell MPs first about his plans for the rollback of the coronavirus lockdown.
The prime minister is expected to set out the outlines of his exit strategy in an address on Sunday, following the six-week review of lockdown by cabinet on Thursday.
But a clearly angered speaker left no doubt that he believes the announcement should be made in the Commons, breaking into proceedings to make a statement to MPs.
“It’s been widely reported that the government will make a major announcement about the review of lockdown this Sunday,” said Hoyle.
“I consider this a matter of regret. It is important that the press is kept informed, but it is the duty of this house to hold the government to account, not the media.
“Major government announcements should be made first in the house, and this is more important than ever during this time of crisis.” Lindsay Hoyle, making his statement at the House of Commons (AFP)
Here are some responses to the latest UK Covid-19 death figures released by the Office for National Statistics:
Mike Padgham, chairman of the Independent Care Group (ICG), said: "Every person lost to Covid-19 is felt deeply by those caring for them. Behind every statistic is a human loss, the tragic passing of a much-loved mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or friend. We must never forget that.
"For that reason, we have to keep redoubling our efforts to tackle coronavirus together. Care providers and care workers are doing an amazing job, trying to keep our residents as safe as we can. But we cannot do it alone.
"We desperately need more Government support and we need it now or we won't be able to get on top of this pandemic in our homes."
Unison assistant general secretary Christina McAnea said: "Each of these deaths is a tragedy for the families who have lost a loved one.
"It's not too late to save lives. The rate of infection can be reduced if care workers have proper access to protective kit.
"This would help stop the virus spreading between residents or being brought in from outside.
"But this can only happen if the government and employers ensure workers get the personal protective equipment they need. Testing also needs to be rolled out rapidly."
Experts have warned the UK economy is on track for its fastest and most severe contraction ever recorded, after a new survey pointed to a record drop in activity.
Services businesses, which make up as much as four fifths of the economy, covering everything from hairdressing to bookkeeping, reported a record plunge in activity in April as the country locked down.
